Reborn to Outshine My Ex and His White Moonlight-Chapter 378: Sheltering

Lin Zhiyi stepped out of the elevator and happened to run into Sister Zhou.

Sister Zhou looked at Lin Zhiyi, then glanced behind her.

"Huh, where’s the bodyguard?"

"He went back with Mr. Sang," Lin Zhiyi said flatly.

"What? Only protected you for one day? Mr. Sang, as your boyfriend, is quite carefree." Sister Zhou muttered a complaint before clicking her tongue twice, "But it’s true that you two have a great relationship. Last night, you didn’t even try to avoid me."

Lin Zhiyi looked puzzled. Just as she was about to say she didn’t stay home last night, something suddenly came to mind, and she hurried to unlock the door with her keys.

As soon as the door opened, Lin Zhiyi and Sister Zhou were stunned.

Her house was almost completely turned upside down—only the floor hadn’t been flipped.

Sister Zhou gasped in shock, "Was it a burglar? Last night... I thought you two were enjoying yourselves! Let me call the police right away."

As she spoke, she took out her phone to call.

Lin Zhiyi stopped her hand, "No need; I know what’s going on."

"What’s going on?" Sister Zhou asked, confused.

"Someone’s looking for something."

Not knowing exactly what to look for, everything in her house, inside and out, was rifled through—even the dish rack in the kitchen wasn’t spared.

A name came to Lin Zhiyi’s mind.

Wen Qing.

Yesterday, when Wen Qing argued with Gong Shiyan, one phrase opened Lin Zhiyi’s eyes.

"Blood-stained buns."

If Lin Zhiyi guessed correctly, Wen Qing was referring to the dowry Liu He had given her.

As Wen Qing had planned, she should panic and return the dowry to those who had been deceived. This would lead to more people targeting her and even forcing her to repay money.

Every step might push Lin Zhiyi and Liu He towards a dead end.

Meanwhile, the mastermind behind all this could sit back and reap the benefits.

But...

Liu He was very certain she hadn’t told anyone about the dowry.

Even Gong Shiyan hadn’t mentioned it.

So how did Wen Qing know?

That’s why she deliberately mentioned "evidence" in front of Gong Shiyan without specifying what kind of evidence.

The scene in front of her perfectly confirmed her suspicion.

The mastermind was Wen Qing.

Now everything made sense.

As she pondered, Sister Zhou stood beside Lin Zhiyi and gasped sharply.

"Zhiyi, something terrible has happened. That young man who publicly reported your mom just started live-streaming. A lot of people sympathize with him and have donated money."

In the live stream, the young man was lying on a bed, his gaze carrying a pale, sickly air.

His wording was polite yet resilient, making him appear deeply pitiful.

Sister Zhou frowned, muttering, "So poor? Hopefully, with the donations, he can at least afford treatment."

The weak always evoke an extra ounce of sympathy.

But the young man on the screen might not truly be weak.

Lin Zhiyi pointed at the screen and said, "Doesn’t the lighting in this live stream strike you as too polished?"

Sister Zhou suddenly snapped back to reality, raising her phone to inspect further.

"Now that you mention it, it does seem a bit deliberate. The lighting makes him look pale and frail while still emphasizing his youth—no wonder I instantly felt sorry for him. But isn’t he living with his mom?"

"Someone is helping him build his image."

Lin Zhiyi stared at the tens of thousands of online viewers, a sense of foreboding creeping into her heart.

Sure enough, less than two minutes later, Gong Shiyan called her, saying there had been trouble at the police station. freeweɓnøvel.com

Lin Zhiyi’s legs weakened, and luckily, Sister Zhou supported her.

"Sister Zhou, take me to the police station."

"Alright, alright."

...

Police station.

When Lin Zhiyi and Sister Zhou arrived at the police station, there was a large crowd gathered.

Because the two of them were dressed low-key, they didn’t attract attention.

Passing through the crowd, they finally pieced together the story.

It turned out the young man in the live stream had received a critical condition notice. Fearing he might never see his mom again, he pleaded to see her—Jiang Fen.

But Jiang Fen had been detained. Unless Liu He confessed and admitted exploiting Jiang Fen, their reunion wouldn’t happen.

Among those who sympathized with the young man were a fair number of people from Jing City. Word spread quickly, and soon a crowd gathered, demanding the police provide an explanation.

The crowd’s gazes felt like venomous talismanic curses.

Sister Zhou shielded Lin Zhiyi as they entered the police station.

At this point, Gong Shiyan was standing off to the side with his assistant, waiting.

Lin Zhiyi walked quickly to him, "Uncle, how’s my mom?"

"Your mom’s fine, but Jiang Fen suddenly started self-harming—and someone leaked it—so public anger has spiraled out of control."

"Uncle, investigate Jiang Fen’s son; I suspect someone is helping to create this uproar," Lin Zhiyi said.

"This..."

Gong Shiyan pursed his lips, reluctant to speak.

His assistant sighed helplessly, "Miss Lin, the Second Young Master has been suspended by the company, and the funds he controls have been frozen by the Gong Family."

"Is... the patriarch pressuring you?" Lin Zhiyi probed.

Neither Gong Shiyan nor his assistant answered, tacitly confirming her suspicion.

The choice between Liu He and everything the Gong Family represented hinged entirely on Gong Shiyan’s decision.

As if fearing Lin Zhiyi might overthink, Gong Shiyan immediately said, "I don’t rely entirely on the Gong Family for income. Don’t worry too much; I’ll save your mom."

Lin Zhiyi knew Gong Shiyan was just trying to comfort her. The patriarch liked to leave no loose ends—how could he not know exactly how much private wealth Gong Shiyan had?

She thought for a while, then said straightforwardly, "Uncle, I suspect it’s Wen Qing."

She explained her suspicions, presenting them logically and reasonably to Gong Shiyan.

His expression slowly hardened.

After several seconds of silence, Gong Shiyan’s assistant’s phone rang.

He picked up the call and leaned toward Gong Shiyan to say a few words.

Hearing the voice on the other end of the call, Gong Shiyan instinctively glanced at Lin Zhiyi.

Lin Zhiyi tightened her grip on her purse strap, already guessing what was coming.

A moment later, Gong Shiyan ended the call.

He said excitedly, "Zhiyi, your mom can be saved. Just as you thought, that young man does have a hidden backer."

"Is it Wen Qing?" Lin Zhiyi asked directly.

Gong Shiyan nodded reluctantly.

Lin Zhiyi exhaled slightly but pressed further, "Is there evidence that can prove what Wen Qing did?"

Gong Shiyan paused, then deliberately shifted the topic, "Right now, the priority is explaining the situation to the police to prevent the rumor mill from escalating further."

By now, the so-called justice-seekers had moved a step closer.

If this weren’t a police station, they’d probably have stormed in already.

Gong Shiyan quickly took Lin Zhiyi to explain matters to the police.

When the evidence was submitted, Lin Zhiyi sat dazedly to the side, her ears filled with Gong Shiyan’s voice.

"Jiang Fen’s illness is painful, and caring for a child with leukemia has made her suffer even more."

"When she found out that Liu He had a happy life, she became jealous and used her past connections with wealthy people to deceive Liu He into a trap."

"All of this is a scheme Jiang Fen set up, and we now have witnesses and video evidence proving that several friends helped her."

Halfway through listening, Lin Zhiyi felt as though something struck her forcefully in the head, instantly sobering her.

She shot to her feet: "Uncle, what are you talking about?"

That’s not how it is!

It was clearly Wen Qing playing tricks!

"Zhiyi!" Gong Shiyan stared at her intently and said each word firmly, "Zhiyi, this is the truth!"

Lin Zhiyi’s lips trembled. She hadn’t even managed to ask why before her mind seized upon a sliver of clarity.

It was Gong Chen.

Gong Chen had indeed saved her mother but still chose to shield Wen Qing.

As for the reason...

Lin Zhiyi silently repeated one name: Sang Ran.

Then what did his quiet plea for her to stay yesterday mean?