No one really knew when the chaos in the hotel room ended—or how the families managed to drag those people out of there.
By the time the reporters had finally cleared out, Shang Yushang and He Changning had already taken a restful nap, completely uninvolved. Only when the hotel was quiet again did they step out, grabbing dinner outside before heading home.
In the study, the two of them sat shoulder-to-shoulder watching the now-viral footage online.
“Heh, Da Zhou’s really got talent,” He Changning chuckled. “I can’t believe how well he edited this—though the original footage was already wild enough. With this kind of editing, people are gonna have their eyes blasted out. Look at this shot—he zoomed in on the part with the dentures—look at the result! It’s hilarious, seriously. Such a visual impact!”
Shang Yushang watched the little guy laugh so hard and couldn’t help feeling pleased. Letting Da Zhou handle it this way had clearly been the right move. Truthfully, he’d only given the order to get a laugh out of his wife. “Yeah, it’s definitely got impact. Nice work.”
He Changning was laughing so hard his stomach hurt. “Yin Hao always wanted attention. Well, looks like he finally got it—he’s a full-blown internet celebrity now. I bet no matter where he goes for a while, people will be whispering and pointing. That whole ‘fame and fortune’ thing? This must be what he had in mind!”
Shang Yushang’s tone cooled. “He’s going to like the next gift even more.”
He Changning blinked, immediately picking up on the threat behind those words. “What, the mighty President Shang is gonna make a personal move now?”
“Some debts have to be repaid. I’m not someone who lets things slide.”
He Changning understood that Shang Yushang was still settling the score for everything that had happened to him back when he was part of the Yin family. This man—ever since they’d met and fallen in love—had always put him first. He never let Changning suffer even the smallest injustice. He cherished him deeply, not just in words but through every single action.
Though he wasn’t one to speak in flowery terms, everything he did made it clear that he saw Changning as his life partner—his wife in all but name. How could someone like that not move you? How could you not fall in love?
“Jianzhi…” he whispered, voice full of emotion.
Noticing the way He Changning’s eyes shimmered, Shang Yushang leaned in and kissed the corner of his mouth, then gently pulled him into his lap.
“Changning,” he murmured, “I couldn’t be part of your first twenty years, but from here on out, you belong only to me. Got that? I’m your husband, and that means I protect you—no matter what.”
He Changning’s cheeks flushed red, and he stammered, “Wha—what husband? Don’t be ridiculous, I’m a man too, okay?!”
Shang Yushang stared at that blushing little face, even more tempted to tease him. “How am I not your husband? Last night you admitted it yourself. What now—you trying to take it back?” He pinched Changning’s soft cheek with mock indecency, like a sleazy old man harassing a respectable woman.
He Changning swatted at his hand, his whole face red, his chest rising and falling in embarrassment. “You—you perv! You forced me into it!”
Just thinking about all the times he’d been tormented in bed—utterly wrecked by this man—made He Changning flush with shame and frustration. This guy usually kept his mouth shut like a clam, but in bed, he spewed wave after wave of dirty talk without repeating himself once. He was always trying something new—twisting him up in impossible positions. Sure, Changning was still young and flexible, but even he had limits.
And Shang Yushang? Tireless. Absolutely tireless. He wouldn’t stop until Changning passed out. Sometimes, he seriously considered just knocking him unconscious to make it all stop.
Sensing his little guy getting worked up, Shang Yushang wisely decided to change tactics. “Don’t be shy, sweetheart. I am your man.”
Changning’s face burned hotter by the second, practically steaming. To save himself from completely combusting, he quickly changed the subject. “So… how are you planning to deal with the Yin family?”
Knowing how thin-skinned his beloved was, Shang Yushang let the “husband” topic drop. He smoothly transitioned. “That 30 million investment from Shang Group wasn’t a gift. The deadline’s almost up. And everything Yin Hao’s been involved in—it’s time to settle that too.”
He Changning got the message. He didn’t ask for details—he trusted Shang Yushang completely. All he had to do was sit back and enjoy the show. “You handle it. I’ll be the audience.” He stretched, rubbing his eyes. “Jianzhi, I’m tired. I wanna sleep.”
Lately, He Changning had been spending most of his time either working or napping—and Shang Yushang, sharp as ever, had noticed. Especially since it concerned his Changning, he’d never been careless. He was already thinking it might be time for Bai Mo to come over and give him a proper checkup.
“Alright,” he said gently. “Let’s wash up and go to bed.”
He shut down the computer, scooped up the drowsy little bundle, and carried him off to the bedroom. After a proper bath—where he washed Changning clean and fresh—he tucked him into bed, then hurriedly took care of his own hygiene before sliding in next to him, curling up with his warm, fragrant, soft little husband in his arms.
Meanwhile, in the wretched Yin family’s overly decorated living room, Old Madam Yin sat with a thundercloud expression. Her tone was like a blade as she snarled:
“Yin Hao. Look at the mess you’ve made. You absolute idiot. You’ve brought disgrace on the entire family—we can’t even lift our heads anymore. So, tell me—what the hell are you planning to do about it?”
The footage was being shared like wildfire online. Major papers had plastered it on their front pages. Even the sleaziest tabloids had turned Yin, Lin, and Liang families into the center of a media frenzy. They were everywhere—in every headline, every social post, every dinner conversation.
And it wasn’t going to die down anytime soon.
The video went viral, with netizens piling on comment after comment. The outrage was overwhelming, drowning out any attempts at defense. There was practically no dissent—just a storm of scathing criticism. Some condemned Lin Jingxian for being shameless and a disgrace to all women; others lashed out at Yin Hao and the Liang family’s heir for their debauchery and corruption of youth, saying people should treat them like rats in the street—beat them without mercy.
As for the fake teeth on Yin Hao’s butt, the ridicule reached unprecedented levels. Some even claimed his perverse tastes were inherited, digging up Yin Zhiyan’s scandalous past—spoiling concubines and abusing his wife until she died tragically. They exposed how Cong Min had used her pregnancy to climb her way up as a mistress, making Yin Hao someone everyone despised. The old lady of the Yin family was also dragged into the mess for aiding and abetting, suppressing the legitimate wife and supporting the mistress, even helping her son hide his affair. She became an accomplice in the death of her daughter-in-law.
The netizens’ ability to dig up dirt was shocking. Even the darkest secrets of this wealthy family were unearthed. Their creativity in insults was equally impressive—some cited classics like Qin Xianglian and Ximen Qing, while others tore them down from head to toe without repeating a single insult. And they did it with such wit. Turns out, regular folks are true masters of language arts. They’ll show you right from wrong in the most unexpected, vivid ways.
The Yin family was crushed under the weight of public scorn, reduced to cowering at home like rats in a sewer, afraid to even step outside.
Their house phone rang off the hook. People they knew, people they didn’t—all calling to ask about the scandal. In the end, they had no choice but to disconnect the line. Every time a cellphone rang, they froze up, trembling in fear that another fresh wound would be torn open. The whole family was on edge, like frightened birds in a storm, jumping at shadows.
The front gates of the Yin, Lin, and Liang households were blocked by swarms of paparazzi. To get the juiciest scoop, entertainment reporters took turns camping outside day and night. Some even risked arrest by sneaking into the houses to eavesdrop and record private conversations.
As a result, every day brought a new headline—today the Lin family’s daughter tried to kill herself, the Liang family heir was grounded. Tomorrow Yin Hao gets slapped by his father, followed by exposés on the Yin family’s dirty secrets. Then rumors spread that the Lin girl might be pregnant, but the father is unknown. Next, the Lin patriarch was said to be marrying off his daughter—but to whom? After that, the Liang family publicly rejected the marriage, saying they didn’t want someone else’s “used shoes.” And so on and so on.
The explosive news rocked the entire city, pulling up one hidden secret after another. The people involved were stripped bare and thrown into the public square, scrutinized from head to toe with not even a shred of dignity left to cover themselves.
The scandal turned into a city-wide storm. The Lin, Yin, and even the Liang families were all hit with varying degrees of exclusion and backlash in the business world. It was the perfect time for rivals to settle old scores. Their stocks kept hitting rock bottom, creditors came knocking in droves, and internal chaos consumed their companies. The threat of bankruptcy loomed like a vulture, gnawing at everyone’s nerves. No one could focus on work—they were all just waiting for their fate to be sealed.
Yin Shi had just barely escaped a financial crisis through refinancing, and now faced a fresh disaster. The stock market tumbled, and creditors swarmed in. On top of that, due to Yin Hao’s scandal, the city government ordered all municipal projects under Yin Shi’s name to be suspended. The official reason? The government didn’t want to be associated with someone like Yin Shi and risk public backlash. The suspension would last until further notice.
It had already been a long time since Shangshi Group’s investment in Yin Shi. The deadline written in the contract was approaching. Out of professionalism and courtesy, the finance secretary from Shangshi gave Yin Shi’s top boss a friendly but firm reminder: “Your repayment deadline is near. Please be prepared. We can’t make exceptions.”
To Yin Shi, this was salt in the wound. But they didn’t dare default. That’s what led to the current scene.
Yin Hao looked haggard, his face pale as a ghost. All the schemes he’d planned had become a pit he dug for himself—one he couldn’t climb out of.
Yin Shi was at the end of the line. To put it nicely, they were facing a possible asset restructuring. To be blunt—they were heading for bankruptcy. And the root of it all was Yin Hao. But he refused to admit it. He couldn’t. So he needed a scapegoat. Naturally, He Changning was the perfect candidate.
Yin Hao forced himself to sit upright. “It was He Changning who orchestrated all of this. He deliberately set me up. With Shang Yushang backing him, how could I possibly compete?”
At this point, the old lady didn’t care about the details. With Yin Shi on the brink of ruin, her comfortable life would vanish too. She had to act. “I don’t care if you were framed or just incompetent. You caused this mess—you fix it. I don’t care what it takes. Save Yin Shi. Save the Yin family.”
Yin Hao gave a bitter laugh. “Grandma, you really think I have that kind of power? What’s the point of saying this now?”
Yin Zhiyan drooped his head. “Enough. Yin Shi is finished. This is my responsibility. I’ll beg Changning—see if he’ll help us for old times’ sake.”
The old lady scowled. “Rely on him? Don’t kid yourself. Have you forgotten how he left us in the first place?”
“He’s not a cruel kid. He’ll forgive us.”
Cong Min couldn’t stand Yin Zhian’s soft-heartedness and snapped, “If we’re talking ruthless, no one beats him. Don’t forget how much money he stripped from us, and how he treated us on the wedding day. Were you blind? He stopped seeing us as family a long time ago. And you still expect him to save us? Dream on.”
The old lady was furious. “Cong Min, shut your mouth! If it weren’t for that good-for-nothing son of yours, the Yin family wouldn’t be in this mess.” She turned her sharp gaze to Yin Hao. “You go with your father to find He Changning. Do whatever it takes to get his forgiveness. Only if he speaks up can the Yin family survive this disaster.”
Cong Min was immediately upset. “Mom, how can you treat Yin Hao like this? Don’t forget you agreed to that plan too. Now that everything’s falling apart, you want him to bear it alone? That’s not fair.”
The old lady shouted, “I’m being unfair? If he hadn’t botched the job, we wouldn’t be in this situation. If he had half a brain, things wouldn’t have turned out this way!”
Fuming at the blame and pressure, Cong Min lashed out, “You’ve got some nerve, Mom. Why did Yin Hao do it in the first place? Wasn’t it all for the Yin family? Now you want him to grovel to He Changning? If you think it’s that easy, then your face counts for more than Yin Hao’s—why don’t you go?”
“Watch your mouth!” the old lady shouted, her face flushed red. “He’s a married man, a male wife—what right does he have to make me humble myself to him? Yin Hao is responsible for this disaster. A real man knows when to bow and when to fight. If begging He Changning can save the Yin Group, what’s the big deal? Once we pull through, we’ll have our chance to strike back.”
Cong Min huffed and fell silent. Yin Zhian sat stone-faced, hollow inside like a dried-up well, incapable of feeling anymore. If he hadn’t made that mistake back then, if Minglan were still alive and managing the family with him, none of this would’ve happened. Changning was clever and capable, and Minglan gentle and kind—their home could’ve been the happiest place on earth. But he had destroyed all of that with his own hands. Heaven may forgive sins, but self-inflicted ones? No. This was his karma.
Yin Hao’s face was dark as ink. “Grandma, do you still not get it? This is all He Changning’s doing. He’s been watching us fall, probably laughing his ass off. Begging him will only make him happier—he’ll crush us even harder.”
The old lady’s voice rose sharply, “Then what do you suggest? Sit here and wait to die?”
Yin Hao gritted his teeth like he was making the most painful decision of his life. The veins at his temple throbbed, and his clenched fists trembled. He forced himself to choke down the bitterness and disgust. “I’ll marry Lin Jingxian. With the Lin family behind us, even Shang Yushang will have to think twice before messing with us.”
No one expected Yin Hao to say that. Cong Min’s eyes welled with tears. “Yin Hao, Mom can’t let you do that to yourself. Let’s think of another way.”
But the old lady was unmoved. “That’s actually a good idea. Marry Lin Jingxian, and we tie ourselves to the Lin family. Anyone who wants to come at us will have to reconsider. And we’re not giving up on the He Changning angle either. Zhian, you handle that. Yin Hao, go propose to the Lin family immediately. We’ll attack from both sides—why wouldn’t we pull through?”
Cong Min cried, “Mom, how can you be like this? That Lin girl’s situation is already… how can you ask Yin Hao to marry her? How’s he supposed to face the world? People will tear him apart behind his back! Mom…” She turned her teary eyes to Yin Zhian. “Honey, say something. Yin Hao’s your son. You can’t just let him ruin himself like this… sob…”
Yin Hao wrapped an arm around his mother’s shoulders, as if only that could hold down the bitterness and shame surging inside him. Making this decision felt like ripping his own heart out, but compared to groveling to He Changning, he’d rather face the ridicule of the world. As long as they got through this, once the Yin Group recovered, he’d still have the final say in what happened to Lin Jingxian.
