After Being Betrayed I Married the Glamorous CEO-Chapter 246: Stop pretending to be a saint in front of me, scram!

Hu Meng bit her lower lip, her entire body trembling as she faced Shen Fanyun’s profound and unwavering gaze. She was so flustered she didn’t dare make a sound.

As for the person behind this? Even if she had a hundred times the courage, she would never dare to expose them. The stakes were simply too high. One wrong move could cause a massive disaster. By then, it wouldn’t just be her who was ruined—the entire company would suffer the fallout.

"So scared?" Shen Fanyun sneered. "As I recall, the company I found for Lu Feiyan is the nationally renowned Jinhai Group. What, you’re not afraid of Jinhai Company anymore? Or has the reputation Wang Tuohai built over the years become so insignificant in your eyes?"

Hu Meng and Yuan Zhao exchanged a look, not daring to even breathe. Jinhai Company was indeed a major conglomerate with its headquarters in the Capital City. If Jinhai found out they were the ones scheming behind the scenes, maliciously spreading rumors and seriously harming Lu Feiyan, an artist they had taken a liking to, Wang Tuohai would certainly not let them off the hook.

At this thought, both Hu Meng and Yuan Zhao realized how much trouble they were in. They had been so focused on carrying out orders and meeting performance targets that they hadn’t considered the full implications, trapping themselves in a dilemma.

Yuan Zhao sucked in a sharp breath. "Mr. Wang Tuohai." He shuddered at the name, and Hu Meng went utterly silent. Just a moment ago, she had been confidently boasting that they were the gods of their artists’ careers, capable of making or breaking anyone they chose. Now, this very same Hu Meng dared not spout such arrogant nonsense.

"This..." Yuan Zhao suddenly lost his nerve, no longer having any ground to challenge Shen Fanyun. This involved Wang Tuohai, a prominent figure from the Capital City—someone Yuan Zhao could not afford to offend.

"Sir, sir, this is all a misunderstanding! Please, listen to me, let me explain everything," Yuan Zhao pleaded, a fawning smile on his face as he bowed to Shen Fanyun.

Shen Fanyun ignored him, his piercing gaze fixed on Hu Meng.

After a long silence, Hu Meng gritted her teeth and confessed. "It was Wen Ruyue. She arranged for me to do it. She also ordered me to spread the news about plagiarism. She felt Lu Feiyan’s recent surge in popularity was a threat to her own and concocted this scandal to crush her."

Shen Fanyun didn’t know much about the entertainment circle. After all, there were countless entertainment companies in the country, and artists were even more numerous. The name Wen Ruyue was completely unfamiliar to him. However, one piece of information was useful: Wen Ruyue was currently in Hangcheng City recording a variety show and, according to her schedule, would be there for another half a month. In other words, this artist would be in Hangcheng City for the next fifteen days.

"Not bad," Shen Fanyun mused. "At least I won’t have to waste energy arranging for someone to drag her back to Hangcheng City."

Hu Meng was horrified. Wen Ruyue was no small fry. She was the hottest star of the moment, a triple-threat A-lister in film, music, and television with a massive fanbase. She was at the very pinnacle of the A-list. How could he talk about capturing such a person as easily as catching a chick? Wasn’t he afraid of the company behind Wen Ruyue? That’s right. The entertainment company Wen Ruyue belonged to and Wang Tuohai’s Jinhai Company were mortal enemies. Both had powerful connections and deep-seated influence. This media storm probably wasn’t just a personal grudge; it could be seen as a pure business war. Lu Feiyan’s rise was so aggressive that if she wasn’t suppressed, she would inevitably impact Wen Ruyue’s popularity. Once Lu Feiyan’s momentum was snuffed out, Wen Ruyue could not only solidify her own position but also protect her domain from newcomers.

"Prepare your statements. I want to see you making a public apology on the news channel today," Shen Fanyun instructed.

"What?" Yuan Zhao’s face turned ashen. If they made a public apology, wouldn’t that mean completely and utterly offending Wen Ruyue and her company? Wen Ruyue had climbed to her position; how could she be a pushover? Besides, after years of clawing her way through the entertainment industry, attending events with her boss, and meeting powerful figures from every field, her connections were on a completely different level now. Their small media company couldn’t afford to offend someone like that. A single word from her could reduce their company to ashes. Yet, Shen Fanyun not only wanted an apology but also for them to expose Wen Ruyue as the mastermind...

"We... we had no choice. Could you please give us a way out?" Yuan Zhao negotiated. "We truly understand our mistake in this matter. I guarantee, I guarantee we will never provoke Lu Feiyan again."

Shen Fanyun’s response was a resounding slap.

"Either you confess and get a slim chance to live, or you die. You choose," Shen Fanyun said, and he always meant what he said.

That settled it. They couldn’t afford to offend Wen Ruyue, but Shen Fanyun was clearly no small fry either. Both sides were heavyweights. How were they supposed to choose?

"This...?" Yuan Zhao was lost in thought.

Shen Fanyun had no more precious time to waste here. He shot a cold glance at Yuan Zhao and Hu Meng, then turned and left.

Lu Feiyan had a quiet night, only to be ambushed by Xu Fang early the next morning.

This senior sister of hers seemed desperate for her to admit to plagiarism and theft. She even put on a facade of having Lu Feiyan’s best interests at heart, offering all sorts of advice. But her true goal was simply to see Lu Feiyan crash and burn so she could take her place. The entertainment industry really was filled with all sorts of monsters. Fortunately, Lu Feiyan was gradually adapting. In this business, being soft-hearted and naive would get you nowhere fast.

"Feiyan, if you don’t admit to plagiarism now, it will be too late," Xu Fang urged. "You should hurry up and apologize while the public hasn’t turned on you completely. Otherwise, you’ll be a pariah, hunted like a rat in the street. How could you live with yourself then?"

Xu Fang tried to comfort Lu Feiyan with feigned kindness, reasoning with her that if she just admitted her mistake, people might go easy on her since she was a girl. If she showed a good attitude afterward, her career in the entertainment industry wouldn’t necessarily be over. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

"I’ve done nothing wrong. What is there to admit to?" Lu Feiyan asked coolly, her voice indifferent.

Xu Fang gritted her teeth, unable to hold back any longer. Her expression darkened as she said venomously, "Lu Feiyan, don’t throw my kindness back in my face. I’m kindly advising you, showing you a clear path, yet you not only ignore me but are also this cold. If I wasn’t trying to help you because you’re young, I wouldn’t waste my time on your mess."

Lu Feiyan let out a short laugh. "Are you really being kind-hearted, or do you have ulterior motives? Don’t you have any self-awareness? Stop pretending to be a good person in front of me and get lost."

Xu Fang was left speechless, then her anger erupted. "What did you say? Telling me to get lost? Do you believe I won’t smash your mouth in?"