Chapter 22: How Much Is Your Pride Worth?

Lin Qingyue nearly fainted from indignation upon hearing this. Her eyes brimmed with resentment as she spoke with a tone of aggrieved sorrow, "It was enough that you targeted me at every turn, but now you’ve actually laid hands on me? Even a cornered rabbit will bite; don't push me too far."

The onlookers, unaware of the actual circumstances, saw Lin Qingyue’s pitiful display and immediately took her side, turning their criticism toward Jiang Chiyu.

"Young lady, is there nothing you can’t discuss calmly? Why resort to violence?"
"You have such a malicious temper. What does it matter if she says a few words to you?"
"Hurry and get her to a hospital. It would be terrible if she’s actually been seriously injured."

Some bystanders, eager for drama, even recorded the scene and uploaded it online, where it quickly caused an uproar. Based solely on that video, Jiang Chiyu was once again pushed to the center of a storm.

[Oh my god! Isn't that my Qingyue? I can't believe Jiang Chiyu is a bully in private! What a vicious woman!]
[If anything happens to our Qingyue, we must sue Jiang Chiyu!]
[Jiang Chiyu, you bitch! How dare you lay a hand on our Qingyue? You’ll get what’s coming to you sooner or later! You deserve to suffer!]

A moment later, an ambulance arrived. The attending doctor performed a cursory examination of Lin Qingyue and asked calmly, "Who called for the ambulance?"

"I did. She’s rather precious, and she was screaming so tragically that I was afraid I wouldn't be able to afford the damages," Jiang Chiyu replied, stepping forward with complete composure and justification.

"Doctor, how am I doing? Is my hand broken? I’m so scared," Lin Qingyue whimpered, a tear hanging at the corner of her eye, looking as if she had suffered the greatest injustice in the world.

The doctor looked at her helplessly and tossed out, "It’s just a graze. Next time you fall, you can just sit on the ground for a while. If you can still move, it means you're fine. There was absolutely no need to call 120."

As soon as he finished speaking, the doctor and nurse packed up the stretcher, returned to the vehicle, and drove off. The crowd was left standing there in utter embarrassment.

"Well, uh, I just remembered I haven't brought in my laundry yet. I’m heading back."
"Me too, me too."

The spectators who had been berating Jiang Chiyu slipped away sheepishly, though some couldn't help but mutter to Lin Qingyue as they left, "Miss, it’s nothing serious. You were screaming so loudly—don't be so dramatic."

With that, the rest of the crowd dispersed. Jiang Chiyu stood before her, looking down with a sharp, calculating glint in her eyes.

"That fan from earlier was the one who sent the package, wasn't she?"

Lin Qingyue’s eyes darted away, feigning ignorance, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Under the pressure of Jiang Chiyu’s gaze, Lin Qingyue felt a flutter of panic, her body trembling as she stood up.

"Don't know? Then why were you running?" Jiang Chiyu crossed her arms and pressed on.

Forcing a look of composure, Lin Qingyue explained, "You were chasing me, was I not supposed to run?"

"Guess what this is?" Jiang Chiyu pulled out her phone, which displayed the scene of Lin Qingyue meeting with that person.

"Give it to me! Give it to me now!" Lin Qingyue’s expression turned dark, her true, venomous nature exposed, and she shouted at Jiang Chiyu without a shred of decorum.

"If you have nothing to hide, why be afraid? Be careful, doing evil deeds too often invites trouble," Jiang Chiyu said, a meaningful smile curling on her lips.

"Delete it!" Lin Qingyue tried to snatch the phone.

Jiang Chiyu, having anticipated this, dodged to the side and added, "If I hand this over to the police, how do you think everyone will see you then?"

At these words, Lin Qingyue’s face drained of color. Her arrogant demeanor vanished instantly; she sank to her knees before Jiang Chiyu, clasping her hands together in supplication. "No! Please, let me off. It was her idea to scare you; it has nothing to do with me. I only occasionally passed messages for her. If you release this, I’ll be completely ruined."

"What does that have to do with me? Everything is a choice you made yourself," Jiang Chiyu replied, her cold eyes showing not a trace of sympathy.

"Jiang Chiyu! What are you doing!"

A cold, stern voice rang out from nearby. Yan Chuanzhou watched the scene unfold, his anger flaring. He quickly walked over, helped Lin Qingyue up from the ground, and cast a fierce glare at Jiang Chiyu.

Jiang Chiyu, however, remained completely unfazed. "Are you cross-eyed?" she asked bluntly.

Yan Chuanzhou was momentarily choked, unsure of how to respond. Lin Qingyue, maintaining her delicate, pitiful facade, leaned imperceptibly into Yan Chuanzhou’s arms. Her display of fragility made Jiang Chiyu admire her performance in spite of herself.

Feeling the movement of the woman in his arms, Yan Chuanzhou assumed she must have suffered a terrible grievance and demanded righteously, "I told you, if I catch you pulling these tricks again, I won't show any mercy."

Jiang Chiyu had always despised self-righteous men, and seeing Yan Chuanzhou now, she felt only impatience. She retorted, "And what is your 'mercy' worth?"

To put it more bluntly, the Jiang family was not to be trifled with. Even if Jiang Chiyu couldn't make it in the entertainment industry, she could always go home and inherit the family fortune! She didn't understand where Yan Chuanzhou found the confidence to threaten her; he was just a bit more famous in the industry with a few more fans. When it came to background and status, she was no less capable than he was.

It was the first time Yan Chuanzhou had ever been countered by Jiang Chiyu, and it left a bitter taste in his mouth. The sense of superiority he held over her was shattered in an instant, leaving him feeling stifled.

Seeing he had nothing further to say, Jiang Chiyu scoffed with a look of utter disdain. "Using your status to bully people—the great Actor Yan really has some impressive skills. But don't forget, if you push me out of this industry, I doubt you’ll have an easy time of it either!"

Although Mr. Jiang was cold-hearted and rarely interfered in Jiang Chiyu's affairs, he would never stand by and watch his own daughter be bullied. When the Jiang family finally came knocking, Yan Chuanzhou would be the only one to suffer.

A flash of suspicion crossed Lin Qingyue’s eyes. She was shocked that Jiang Chiyu dared to talk back to Yan Chuanzhou, and a seed of wariness toward her began to grow.

This remark directly infuriated Yan Chuanzhou. His expression chilled as he issued a final threat: "Then you are welcome to try!"

Wei Feng, feeling uneasy, arrived shortly after and was startled by the tense standoff between the two. Recently, Jiang Chiyu had always projected a friendly and easy-going attitude, so this was the first time he had seen her display such genuine anger. Seeing that they were on the verge of a fight, Wei Feng hurried forward, attempting to de-escalate the situation.

"Chuanzhou, don't be like this. There must be some misunderstanding here. Let’s investigate it clearly first."

Unfortunately, Yan Chuanzhou refused to step down, pressing forward in a low, aggressive voice. "Heh! A misunderstanding? I only saw her laying hands on Qingyue!"

"That’s just you being blind and choosing the wrong time to look," Jiang Chiyu retorted mercilessly, refusing to yield even an inch.

Shifting her gaze to Lin Qingyue, Jiang Chiyu narrowed her eyes and said coldly, "Weren't you quite articulate just a moment ago? Now you’re just a cowardly little chick? You’d better behave yourself, or I won't let you off so easily."