Double evil in the business district

Xiao Yue's heart felt like it was being gripped tightly by an invisible hand. Lin Xiao's words, "That night," echoed in her ears like a curse, making her almost breathless. That night...what exactly happened? She tried to recall, but only remembered a jumble of fragments, like a shattered mirror, impossible to piece together.

Shen Ting shook off Lin Xiao's hand and strode towards Xiao Yue. "Yueyue, listen to my explanation..."

"No need to explain," Xiao Yue interrupted him, her tone cold, "There's nothing to explain between you and me." She walked around Shen Ting and went straight to the bar, ordering a cup of coffee. She needed some time to calm down and think.

Shen Ting sat down opposite her, his eyes filled with anxiety and helplessness. "Yueyue, are you still angry with me? I know I did a lot of wrong things before, but I promise that I will treat you well in the future and never let you suffer again."

Xiao Yue picked up her coffee and took a sip. The bitter taste spread across her tongue, just like her current mood. "Shen Ting," she put down her coffee cup, her tone calm but firm, "It's over between us. I don't hate you, it's just that we're not suitable."

After saying that, she stood up and left, leaving Shen Ting sitting there alone, his eyes dim. He clenched his fists, his heart filled with resentment and regret. He didn't understand why, despite trying so hard, he still couldn't win Xiao Yue's heart back.

Lin Xiao watched Xiao Yue's departing back, a smug smile playing on her lips. She had long known that, given Xiao Yue's personality, she would never tolerate Shen Ting having anything to do with her. Now that she had successfully separated them, the next step was to completely destroy Xiao Yue's reputation and leave her with no place in City A.

The next day at noon, Shen Ting heard that Xiao Yue liked a newly opened Italian restaurant and waited there in advance. When Xiao Yue pushed the door open, he immediately stood up and greeted her, holding a bouquet of gorgeous red roses. "Yueyue," he said affectionately, "Give me another chance, okay?"

Xiao Yue frowned slightly when she saw Shen Ting. She hadn't expected him to show up here. She took the rose and said coldly, "Thank you, but I don't need it." After saying that, she placed the rose on the table beside her and turned to leave.

Shen Ting grabbed her wrist and said, "Yueyue, don't go! I know I have done a lot of wrong things before, but I have realized my mistakes. I really love you, please give me another chance!"

Xiao Yue shook his hand away. "Shen Ting, I've already told you that there's no chance of anything happening between us. Please be respectful." She spoke firmly, without the slightest hesitation. She left the restaurant without even looking back.

Witnessing this scene, Lin Xiao's heart burned with jealousy. She pulled out her phone and dialed a number. "Reporter Qin? I have big news about President Shen and the daughter of the Xiao family..." Her voice was low and sinister, with a subtle hint of pride.

After receiving Lin Xiao's call, reporter Qin immediately began his investigation. He went to the Xiao Group and began interviewing employees. "What do you think of Miss Xiao Yue?"

An employee who had been deliberately misled by Lin Xiao lowered his voice and said, "Xiao Yue...she's not a good person..."

Another employee chimed in, "I heard she'd do anything to get to the top..."

Reporter Qin's pen slid quickly across his notebook, and a bold title gradually took shape in his mind...

"President Shen's love was misplaced, and Xiao's daughter turned out to be..." As soon as Xiao Yue walked out of the restaurant, he noticed that the atmosphere around the company building was not right.

Several suspicious-looking people, armed with cameras and notebooks, were constantly asking passing employees questions. Her heart sank, and a sense of foreboding arose.

"Excuse me, what are you doing?" Xiao Yue walked up to a young man and asked in a calm tone.

The young man raised his head and gave a professional smile. "Hello, I'm Qin Feng, a reporter from Metropolis Weekly. Are you an employee of Xiao Enterprises?"

Xiao Yue nodded, alarm bells blaring in her heart. She was almost certain that this was inextricably linked to Shen Ting. His pursuit was no longer a simple gesture of affection; it had become an invisible pressure, even beginning to affect her normal life and work.

"We are doing a special report on the working status of Xiao's employees and want to know everyone's work experience." Qin Feng said, observing Xiao Yue's reaction calmly.

"Oh, really?" Xiao Yue smiled faintly, "I think you should interview the Human Resources Department. They know more about the company's situation."

"We also interviewed some other employees." Qin Feng opened his notebook and pointed at the scribbled notes. "Someone mentioned Miss Xiao Yue..."

Xiao Yue's heart suddenly tightened. She forced herself to remain calm and asked, "What did they say?"

Qin Feng pretended to hesitate, "Uh... well... we're still verifying the information, so it's inconvenient to disclose." He paused, then added, "However, if you have anything to say, we'd be happy to hear from you."

Xiao Yue took a deep breath, trying to suppress her inner irritation. "I don't have anything to say. If you don't have any other questions, I'll go back first." After saying that, she turned and walked quickly into the company building, leaving Qin Feng looking at her meaningfully from behind.

After hiding in the office, Xiao Yue immediately called her friend Lisa. "Lisa, are there a lot of reporters outside the company?"

"Yeah, Yueyue, what's going on? They seem to be asking about you." Lisa's voice was full of worry.

"I guess it was Shen Ting who did this." Xiao Yue rubbed his temples, feeling a headache. "He came to me again yesterday, but I rejected him. I guess he was so angry that he wanted to force me to submit in this way."

Lisa said indignantly, "This Shen Ting is too much! He resorts to such petty tricks when his pursuit fails. He is simply despicable!"

"What should we do now, Yueyue? Do you want me to go out and chase those reporters away?"

"No, the more you chase them away, the more excited they become. Let's see what they want to do first." Xiao Yue calmed down and began to think about how to deal with it. She knew that if she allowed the situation to continue, it would likely cause serious damage to her reputation.

At this point, Qin Feng found another insider. This employee had been deliberately misled by Lin Xiao and was prejudiced against Xiao Yue. Under Qin Feng's leading questions, she exaggerated some unfavorable remarks about Xiao Yue, even suggesting that she had obtained her position through improper means.

Qin Feng was overjoyed and hurriedly wrote down these "revelations." He seemed to have seen the birth of the headlines: "Shen's president's love was misplaced, and Xiao's daughter turned out to be..."

At the same time, in Shen Ting's office, his assistant handed him a newspaper with a serious expression: "President, please take a look at this..."

Shen Ting took the newspaper and his eyes fell on the eye-catching headline - "Xiao's daughter's private life is chaotic, Shen's president is caught in an emotional whirlpool." His face suddenly changed, and he slammed the newspaper on the table, "Nonsense!"

"It's already spread online..." the assistant said cautiously, "We need to take action quickly..."

Shen Ting took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. He knew now was not the time to lose his temper. He had to find a way to clarify the facts as soon as possible to protect Xiao Yue's reputation while also preventing the situation from escalating and affecting the image of Shen's Enterprise.

"Prepare for a press conference..." He paused, his eyes becoming complex and determined, "I want to clarify all this personally."

The assistant's face changed. "Boss, I'm afraid..." Before the assistant could finish her words, Shen Ting interrupted her. "No worries, arrange it immediately!" He paced back and forth in the office anxiously, his mind full of Xiao Yue. He hadn't expected his pursuit to cause her so much trouble, and he hadn't expected someone to use this to maliciously slander her.

Shen's PR team quickly gathered in the conference room. After analyzing the current situation, they concluded that while Shen Ting's personal clarification would demonstrate his support for Xiao Yue, it would also likely further publicize their relationship, triggering a larger public outcry and potentially impacting Shen's stock price.

"President, we suggest not holding a press conference just yet," the PR director suggested cautiously. "We can clarify the facts through other channels first, such as issuing an official statement or contacting relevant media outlets to remove false reports. We can then make plans after the storm subsides."

Shen Ting frowned. He knew the team's concerns were legitimate, but he couldn't bear to see Xiao Yue suffer an unjust accusation. "Those groundless reports will only cause her greater harm! I must stand up and protect her!"

Just then, Shen Ting's phone vibrated. He opened it and saw an anonymous email with several photos attached. The photos showed Xiao Yue behaving intimately with different men, appearing to have ambiguous relationships. Although the photos were a little blurry, Shen Ting recognized Xiao Yue immediately.

His heart sank suddenly, and an indescribable pain surged in his heart. He knew that these photos were probably fake, but the scenes in the photos were like a thorn in his heart, making him unable to breathe.

He gripped his phone so tightly that his knuckles turned white. Seeing his expression change, everyone in the conference room held their breath, not daring to speak.

Shen Ting took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. "Continue with the original plan and prepare for the press conference." His voice was low and firm, with a barely perceptible tremor.

The PR team looked at each other in bewilderment. They knew that Shen Ting had already made his decision and that it would be useless to persuade him any further.

Meanwhile, Lin Xiao was watching the news report on her computer screen with a smug look on her face. Her meticulous planning had finally achieved its intended effect. She was going to ruin Xiao Yue's reputation and make her lose Shen Ting's love forever.

She picked up her phone and dialed a number. "It's done. The rest is up to you."

After hanging up the phone, Lin Xiao's lips curled up into a sinister smile. She knew that there was more exciting drama to come.

The next day, Xiao Yue had just arrived at the company when she received a package from the front desk. There was no sender information on the package, only her name and address. Feeling uneasy, she hesitated for a moment before opening the package.

Inside was a stack of letters, with threats and intimidation written in red ink on them, asking her to leave Shen Ting immediately or she would pay the price. Xiao Yue's face turned pale in an instant. She clutched the letter tightly, her fingertips trembling slightly... She looked around, as if a pair of eyes were hiding in the dark, peeping at her.

Xiao Yue clutched the letter tightly, her fingertips turning white from the strain. The bright red ink on the paper seemed to bleed, stinging her eyes. The threatening words echoed in her mind, shrouding her like an indelible haze. She took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. Who was it? Who was behind all this?

Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows of her office, the bustling traffic and the hustle and bustle of the bustling city formed a sharp contrast with the fear she felt at the moment. She walked to the window, staring blankly into the distance, trying to sort out a clear clue from her chaotic thoughts.

Could it be Lin Xiao? This thought flashed through her mind. Ever since Shen Ting started pursuing her, Lin Xiao had shown obvious hostility towards her. Moreover, Lin Xiao had enough motivation and means to do such a thing.

But it was just suspicion, no evidence. Xiao Yue rubbed her temples irritably. She needed to calm down and think carefully about what to do next. She couldn't be intimidated by these threatening letters, nor could she let the mastermind succeed.

She carefully folded the letter, put it in her bag, and called her friend. "Xiaoya, can you do me a favor?" Her voice was low and tired.

Meanwhile, Shen Ting's press conference was underway. Standing on the stage, facing the cameras of numerous media outlets, he firmly clarified his relationship with Xiao Yue and condemned those who maliciously spread rumors.

"Ms. Xiao Yue and I are just friends, and I hope everyone will not over-interpret it. We reserve the right to pursue legal responsibility for those false reports." His tone was calm, but with unquestionable strength.

The reporters in the audience raised their cameras, flashes flashing non-stop. Reporter Qin, sitting in the crowd, keenly caught the flash of anxiety in Shen Ting's eyes. He had a feeling that this matter wasn't as simple as it seemed.

After the press conference, reporter Qin approached Shen Ting's assistant, hoping for a private interview. The assistant declined, but Qin didn't give up. He knew that if he continued to follow this lead, he would uncover even bigger news.

Lin Xiao, hiding in the shadows, watched closely. Seeing Shen Ting defend Xiao Yue at the press conference, her jealousy intensified. She picked up her phone and dialed a mysterious number. "There's a change of plan. We need to speed things up..."

With the help of a friend, Xiao Yue contacted a private investigator, hoping to identify the sender of the threatening letter. She handed the letter to the detective and detailed her recent events. The detective carefully examined the letter and promised to respond as soon as possible.

In the evening, Xiao Yue's phone rang. It was the company. The marketing manager excitedly told her that the company had arranged for her to attend a celebrity red carpet event and hoped she could represent the company. "Xiao Yue, this is a great opportunity to enhance the company's image. You must seize it!"

Xiao Yue's heart sank. She didn't want to participate in this kind of event at all. However, for the company, she seemed to have no reason to refuse. "I..."

"That's settled! I'll send you the detailed schedule of the event tomorrow." The manager hung up the phone before she could finish.

Xiao Yue held her phone, staring out the window at the gradually darkening sky, feeling a surge of unease. She had a vague feeling that this call might be connected to the threatening letter she'd received...

The secretary knocked on the door and walked in: "Manager Xiao, this is the dress you will wear tomorrow..."