Reborn to Outshine My Ex and His White Moonlight-Chapter 390: Deceiving the Heavens to Cross the Sea

Chapter 390: Chapter 390: Deceiving the Heavens to Cross the Sea

Lin Zhiyi met with the boss and said she would stay in the guesthouse for now.

The boss seemed to be deeply frightened by the woman who had committed suicide earlier, and upon seeing Lin Zhiyi alone, his gaze toward her was exceedingly peculiar.

Not lustful.

More like he was afraid Lin Zhiyi would die unnoticed in his guesthouse and stink up the place.

Without delay, the boss kindly took Lin Zhiyi to another guesthouse he owned, away from the sea.

When handing her the key, he even advised, "You’re still young and so beautiful. Life is worth living; there are many men out there."

Lin Zhiyi repeatedly assured him she had no suicidal tendencies, but he simply didn’t believe her.

It wasn’t until the next day, when Lin Zhiyi signed a rental contract with the boss, that he finally believed she was genuinely here to rent a guesthouse.

He politely invited her to join him for breakfast.

After finishing breakfast, Lin Zhiyi switched to tourist mode.

Only when the sky now matched overseas time did she start sending Liu He many photos.

"Mom, I’ve arrived. Sorry for not telling you in advance that I was leaving. I didn’t sleep well on the plane last night; I need to adjust to the time zone later."

"Is everything okay?" Liu He asked with concern.

"Everything is fine, but I’ll be really busy for a while and won’t be able to frequently stay in touch with you."

Because she had sent the photos as groundwork, Liu He didn’t overthink it, nor did she become suspicious.

The photos were ones Lin Zhiyi had previously hired someone online to edit.

To pull off her deception, she’d had hundreds of different types of photos meticulously doctored.

When looking at the photos herself, she couldn’t help marveling at technological progress—it was almost impossible to detect the edits.

At the very least, Liu He wouldn’t be able to figure it out.

In reality, even if Sang Ran hadn’t sought her out, Lin Zhiyi had already planned to leave Sang Li.

The reason Old Mr. Gong had always wanted to target her relentlessly, aside from Gong Chen,

was that he believed she didn’t deserve to stand on equal footing with the Gong Family. Her relationship with Sang Li was a direct challenge to his authority.

She didn’t want to drag Sang Li into this, nor did she want to make things difficult for Sang Li between herself and Sang Ran.

So leaving alone was the best decision.

Her appearance with Sang Li at the airport had merely been an eye shielding technique.

Now, everyone was under the impression that she had gone abroad with Sang Li.

In two years, when everyone had fully accepted she wouldn’t return, they might not even remember what she looked like.

As these thoughts crossed her mind, Liu He’s reply came again.

"It’s fine; taking good care of yourself is most important. Anyway, there’s a lot happening lately with the Gong Family’s Qingming ancestral rituals."

Lin Zhiyi stared at those words, momentarily stunned.

"Weren’t you guys not invited?"

"Lao San sent a message last night saying that if we, as a couple, didn’t attend, he wouldn’t attend either. This morning, he even withdrew your uncle’s suspension notice and, on top of that, promoted him. People at the mansion say Old Mr. Gong smashed a tea set worth millions."

"Why?"

"The guest list had already been released a while ago. Even if Lao San is displeased with Old Mr. Gong’s decisions, he wouldn’t disrespect him this openly. Sending out that notification caused Old Mr. Gong to lose face entirely. Could he...?"

Liu He didn’t finish her sentence.

Lin Zhiyi knew what Liu He wanted to say.

Liu He thought Gong Chen had acted this way because she was forced to leave.

Lin Zhiyi lifted her gaze toward the bright and sunny beach and quickly replied.

"Don’t talk nonsense."

"Got it. This ancestral ritual will be a good time to hand over the things you left behind to him."

"Got it."

Lin Zhiyi let the ocean breeze scatter her thoughts, which were growing chaotic.

What would Gong Chen think when he saw those things? ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom

Forget it. It would all pass eventually.

Ending the chat, Lin Zhiyi continued exploring the area.

Since she had decided to stay, she definitely needed to immerse herself and investigate further.

...

At the Gong Mansion.

After the elaborate ancestral rituals concluded, the crowd wandered the garden, chatting and laughing.

The blooming, sunlit garden exuded a gorgeous yet indescribable extravagance.

Suddenly, the breeze stirred flowers and trees, and everyone instantly fell quiet, respectfully turning toward one direction.

"Third Young Master."

Gong Chen said nothing and walked straight through the corridor.

As they watched the man’s retreating figure, some began whispering.

"Why does it feel like Third Young Master is even quieter than before?"

"Everyone says the first year of marriage is sweet and blissful, but he doesn’t look anything like someone newly married."

"Shh!"

Someone gave a hushed reminder.

The two whispering turned their gazes toward Sang Ran, who was walking slowly behind Gong Chen.

Sang Ran overheard them, biting her lip as she maintained her outward smile.

By lunch, everyone took their assigned seats as planned.

Gong Shiyan and Liu He glanced around and finally found their names in a corner.

Just then, Wen Qing entered the room, swept her gaze over the seat in the front row reserved for herself, then glanced at them, letting out a mocking laugh.

Gong Shiyan helplessly looked at Liu He. "If you’re feeling unwell, I’ll have someone take you home first."

Liu He smiled. "No need. Remember when we used to eat street food sitting by the roadside? This spot is quiet. You’re still part of the Gong Family; no need to create unnecessary tension on an occasion like this."

Wen Qing sneered condescendingly. "Second Madam really is thoughtful. But if certain eyesores weren’t around, I think Second Young Master should be seated next to Third Young Master instead."

She deliberately raised her voice, causing those nearby to burst into suppressed laughter.

Liu He’s face turned pale as she clutched Gong Shiyan’s hand tightly.

Wen Qing stared at her face and added nonchalantly, "Second Madam, you look unwell. Are you sick? Make sure to take care of your health."

The herbs she mentioned should be given to Liu He in larger quantities, until she died gradually without noticing.

Gong Shiyan stepped forward to shield Liu He. "President Wen, thank you for your concern. My wife and I appreciate it."

The word "wife" struck Wen Qing’s sore spot.

Before she could counter, Gong Chen’s cold warning came from behind.

"President Wen, please mind your words. This is the Gong Family, not the Wen Family. My second brother and sister-in-law are not for outsiders to meddle with."

This was an unmistakable slap in the face for Wen Qing.

Everyone knew Wen Qing considered herself Sang Ran’s aunt and enjoyed a unique status.

Now, she had been relegated to just "an outsider" in Gong Chen’s eyes.

Wen Qing stood frozen in embarrassment, her face darkened.

"Enough." Old Mr. Gong entered slowly, his expression stern. "Do you all know what day it is? This behavior is disgraceful. Sit down, right now."

He took his seat at the head of the table without waiting for a response.

Gong Chen stepped forward and looked at the maid. "Rearrange my second brother and sister-in-law’s seats next to mine."

Old Mr. Gong slammed his teacup heavily onto the table. "Who dares?"

Gong Chen ignored Old Mr. Gong’s demand and turned to the maid.

The maid promptly adjusted Gong Shiyan and Liu He’s seating arrangement.

Gong Chen raised his glass. "I’ve decided to promote my second brother to Vice President. Together, we’ll take the Gong Group to greater heights."

"Gong Chen." Old Mr. Gong practically growled as he spat out his name.

His glare was filled with threats, silently warning Gong Chen that his actions were a direct challenge to his authority.

Gong Chen casually refilled his tea. "Have some tea, to cool off."

Old Mr. Gong instantly recognized the situation was spiraling out of control.

He understood that escalating the tension now would only invite ridicule, so he quietly sipped his tea.

The crowd, too, tacitly returned to their seats.

The mood gradually eased with the arrival of delicious dishes.

At that moment, Old Mr. Gong glanced at the butler attending to him.

Understanding the signal, the butler deliberately served a bowl of black chicken soup to Sang Ran.

"Third Madam, Old Mr. Gong specifically had this prepared for you."

Sang Ran, pleased with the gesture of importance, accepted the bowl. "Thank you."

As she drank the soup, Old Mr. Gong said with an authoritative tone, "Xiao Ran, you’ve been married to Gong Chen for quite some time now. It’s time you considered having a child."

Sang Ran froze, recognizing that there wasn’t a hint of suggestion in his voice—it was a command.

Hesitating, she looked up at Old Mr. Gong’s figure, which seemed to epitomize patriarchal authority and dominance.

The kindness he’d shown her in the past dissolved instantly into oppressiveness borne of power.

Feeling humiliated, she was about to speak when Gong Chen replied coldly, "Impossible."

"I’ve had a vasectomy."