Chapter 328: This Was an Outrageous Scandal!
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The middle-aged man was all the more enraged when Wen Ya said that. He raised his voice as if he wanted the world to hear what he was about to say. “How am I embarrassing myself now?”
The middle-aged woman beside him looked rather cowardly. She tugged at the man’s sleeve and murmured, “Wen Youquan, you should be kinder to your daughter. How could you treat her like this when she’s already gone through so much?”
They were Wen Ya’s parents!
“Why can’t I be here when I have received an invitation from the Yuan Family? Wen Ya hasn’t left the Yuan Family yet, and even if she did, she’ll still be a widow. With the Yuan Family’s opulence, they could simply give us any amount of money as compensation and it would still be enough to support the Wen Family for half a year!”
Wen Youquan’s voice was loud. It had made several distinguished guests around them glanced in their direction.
Normally, the Wen Family would be considered as one of Luo Hai’s prominent families. However, the Wen Family’s mismanagement of their estates these past few years had caused their profits to shrink significantly. They had relied on the Yuan Family to seek connections in high places for several years. Nonetheless, they were happy when Yuan Zhe died.
It was inevitable that people would cast indignant glances at a downtrodden man. Worse still, Wen Youquan was an utterly despicable man who remained bold and confident despite having sold his daughter.
“Look, this corrupted man is still as shameless as ever...”
“Ugh, enough of that. I heard that Wen Ya killed the Eldest Young Master of the Yuan Family with the man whom she was cheating on him with!”
“Is that true? Rumor has it that the man who had been arrested had also studied in England before...”
“Oh yes, that’s true. A doctor turning into a ruthless killer overnight... How terrifying!”
“This is why the Wen Family came to be compensated. It looks like they really couldn’t wait...”
Whether it was with intention or otherwise, the people around Wen Ya were speaking so loudly that she could hear them.
In the past, Wen Ya was also one of Luo Hai’s most exceptional socialites. Now that she had fallen from grace, they could not help but criticize her whenever they got the chance to!
This was not surprising. People liked to praise others when they were doing well, but they would not hesitate to trample on them when they were down.
Wen Ya regarded her parents with distaste. Resentment stirred in her heart. Her parents had played a huge role in leading her to where she was today.
She gave a sarcastic smile. “Compensation? Are you really planning to ask the Yuan Family for money?”
Wen Youquan scowled, and just like that, this man who used to be one of Luo Hai’s renown entrepreneurs had displayed to the entire world the ugliness of humanity. He said without a hint of shame, “Why shouldn’t I? The Yuan Family can offer up so many treasures for a simple auction already. Don’t tell me you’re so stupid as to j leave this marriage with nothing?”
Wen Ya glared at him and scoffed, “I wasn’t planning to take a single cent from the Yuan Family! I still have stocks at the National Arts Commerce that I had been managing.”
Wen Youquan’s eyes lit up when he heard this. His greedy nature had been revealed.
Wen Ya chuckled bitterly. “But I’m sorry to inform you that you’re not getting anything from the National Arts Commerce even though I have shares in the company. I’m going to keep that money and use it to take care of Zheng Shuyan’s family.”
“You shameless wretch!” Wen Youquan’s temper flared when he heard that his daughter was going to give the money to someone else. “Are you really going to give your money to the family of a killer when you could give it to your own parents instead?”
Wen Ya turned away with an exasperated look on her face. “The parents of a killer are still better parents than you two! You raised me for so many years, but I was just a source of easy money to you. I was stupid enough to let you manipulate me for so many years. You have ruined more than half of my life...”
Li Cuizhi listened as her daughter and husband argued. Neither of them seemed to want to give in to one another at all. She also heard Wen Ya insisting that she was going to marry that killer. How would the people of Luo Hai see the Wen Family after this?
Her husband has died, and now she was going to marry his murderer?
“Wen Ya, you can’t be so heartless. Your father has a point. How could you only take care of them? What’s going to happen to us next time once we’re old?”
Li Cuizhi’s voice sounded like it was about to crack. Before her tears could trickle down the corners of her eyes, her daughter’s cold lips moved. “Have you forgotten about my older brother? You’ve never treated me like your daughter all these years. You only cared about your son. Shouldn’t you be thinking of your son at a time as desperate as this?”
Wen Youquan and Li Cuizhi were rendered speechless by Wen Ya’s words. Sorrow filled Wen Ya’s heart as she looked at her parents.
“You may not have treated me like your daughter, but I’ve always been grateful for my upbringing. You should be satisfied because I’ve done so many things for the Wen Family already!
“We’ll go our separate ways after this. Don’t even dream about getting a single scrap from me!”
Wen Ya was already at the edge of exploding in fury. She had initially planned to chase Wen Youquan and his wife out, but there were too many people here now. She would only embarrass everyone.
Wen Youquan snarled when he realized that he could not control his daughter anymore. He chuckled darkly and said, “Do you think that I can’t find another way to extort the Yuan Family? You’re too naive. I have other ways to get my money without having to use you! Why do you think we’re here today? Did you really assume that we merely came here to drink? Hmph! Just so you wait and see!”
Wen Ya did not know why, but a chilling malice rose from the depths of her heart. “What are you going to do?”
Li Cuizhi tugged at Wen Youquan’s lapel to stop him from talking any further.
Mu Chenyan could only grasp half of what was really going on and was prepared to drag Wen Ya away to advise her not to quarrel with her parents, but the members of the Yuan Family had already appeared on the other side.
Yuan Ran and Yuan Tian supported the Old Mistress while her two sons trailed behind her.
Yuan Tangzhong did not seem to be in a good mental state. Nonetheless, this experienced man carried himself with a compelling air. He had a good relationship with most of the government officials who were in attendance today.
Yuan Zhe was gone, but Yuan Tangzhong’s influence still remained.
Grand banquets like this had always been used as a field for a politician to measure the influence of his tactic with others. Yuan Xuan observed the people who were here today. He noticed that there were several important figures among the loyal supporters of his second uncle’s political party.
“This event is certainly lavish. It looks like that old man had certainly been expanding his influence these past few years.”
Shao Yibai managed to make these inferences. He raised his glass and smiled when he told Yuan Xuan his thoughts.
Yuan Xuan’s face gave nothing away, and he did not attempt to make any comment either. The atmosphere about his person was gloomy, and his expression murderous. The man’s gaze was penetrating and fiery.
“Yuan Tangzhong’s path to success was thwarted, and his age has become another major obstacle he can never overcome. He probably needs to sacrifice a lot if he still wishes to climb higher in this social circle. This is why he’s frantically roping in other powerful individuals.”
Yuan Xuan glanced at the guests as he spoke. Several officials from other parts of the country had decided to attend this banquet as well.
Perhaps the Yuan Family still looked like a formidable force to the outsiders. Everyone probably thought that if they had chosen to give it all they had to support the right family, they somehow would be able to sleep better at night.
However, they did not know that phenomenon like this would end soon after it began.
The Yuan Family had appointed Yuan Zhuan to be the host of this banquet. Now that Yuan Zhe had passed away, Yuan Zhuan had represented the Yuan Family and made the opening remarks as one of the young men among the grandchildren.
Yuan Zhuan wanted to let Yuan Xuan take his place on stage because he was indifferent toward this event, but Yuan Xuan had rejected his offer. “The Yuan Family has always emphasized the need for the juniors to respect our seniors. You should be the one up there since you’re my older brother. There’s shouldn’t be any talk about letting others do it.”
Yuan Zhuan had no choice but to agree.
His opening remarks merely consisted of amicable greetings and platitudes. He left the important content to Yuan Tangzhong.
Yuan Zhuan passed the microphone to Yuan Tangzhong once he finished speaking.
The hall quieted down. Yuan Tangzhong was dressed in Chinese-styled formal attire. He had an impressive bearing and looked like an awe-inspiring individual who was calm and serene. One could not see that he was suffering from the lost of his son.
Although he had gone through painful events in the past, this experienced man was able to display a different side of himself during this occasion. He could endure more things than the average person.
Yuan Tangzhong had perfect mastery with his words during this auction event that was part of the Yuan Family’s banquet. His passionate speech was invigorating and had made him into a kind philanthropist who was constantly in touch with the people.
Yuan Zhuan hosted the auction when it started. As most of their guests were prestigious individuals and the primary objective of the event was to raise funds for charity, the items that were up for auction were all bought almost immediately.
They had managed to raise 50 million worth of funds. The amount had exceeded their expectations. The guests were very pleased with the theme of the banquet this time because they could donate money to charity while also getting an item they liked at the same time. The Yuan Family had also managed to show off a bit since as they had brought the most items out to be auctioned off.
The funds were calculated and managed by the staff of a specialized charity organization.
Yuan Tangzhong was ready to say his closing remarks and conclude the auction. He had just stepped onto the stage when someone yelled at him from below. “Fake philanthropist! I’m going to expose your shameless deeds so that everyone can see your true nature!”
The venue turned deadly silent, and everyone in the crowd was shocked. They shifted their attention to the source of the voice.
They saw Wen Youquan charging forward before he jumped on stage and angrily glared at Yuan Tangzhong. He snarled, “Yuan Tangzhong, I’ve waited a long time for this day. I’m going to take this opportunity to let the whole of Luo Hai know how ugly you truly are!”
Mu Chenyan hurriedly searched for Wen Ya when she saw Wen Youquan rush forward and confront Yuan Tangzhong on stage. She saw that Wen Ya was ghastly pale. She was completely terrified by this scene.
Mu Chenyan darted over and held Wen Ya who stood there feebly. She quietly asked, “What’s going on?”
Wen Ya’s entire body trembled violently. Her lips quivered but no noise escaped them.
Mu Chenyan noticed the indifferent look in Yuan Xuan’s eyes. His eyes were bloodshot, but they did not seem bothered. The corners of his lips turned downward as he glared at Yuan Tangzhong who was forcing himself to remain calm amidst the chaos on the stage.
None of the security personnel came forward to pull Wen Youquan off the stage. Mu Chenyan realized then that Yuan Xuan was not stopping him on purpose.
“Yuan Tangzhong, you’re a shameless person, toying with women like that. I came here today to show everyone the real nature of a fake philanthropist like you!”
The crowd burst into an uproar.
Did he really fool around with other women? This information was a bit too unbelievable.
“What is this nonsense?” Yuan Tangzhong demanded.
“Nonsense?” Wen Youquan smirked. This downtrodden entrepreneur let out a strange sneer. He waved the folder he had in his hand and announced, “Four years ago, you had collaborated with others to frame the Wen Family. You took the opportunity to threaten me when I took Wen Ya to the banquet. After that, you drugged my daughter and raped her. This is the proof!”
What?
The crowd was shocked!
Yuan Tangzhong’s face turned pale instantly.
Below the stage, Wen Ya’s body turned limp when she heard this. Fortunately, Mu Chenyan caught her just in time. She shifted her gaze to her father at once and held her breath, unable to make a sound. All she could do was pointing a trembling finger at Wen Youquan.
On the other side, Yuan Xuan had noticed that Wen Ya was acting strangely. Several servants came over to help Mu Chenyan support Wen Ya.
“You made that up! That’s nonsense! Hurry up and get this maniac off the stage!”
Yuan Tangzhong finally reacted. He jabbed an angry finger at Wen Youquan.
Their relationship had become extremely awkward with what had happened just now. They were originally relatives by marriage, but now Wen Youquan had suddenly came forward and accused Yuan Tangzhong of drugging and raping his daughter-in-law...
Wen Youquan snickered. He noticed that none of the security personnel around them had come over. He became more arrogant when he realized that Yuan Tangzhong was isolated and cut off from help. The crowd below the stage wanted to hear what he was going to say next. Wen Youquan took something out of his document pouch to hit the final nail on Yuan Tangzhong’s coffin.
There were photos taken probably about four years ago. They showed several people forcing Wen Ya to drink the alcohol served during the banquet...
Another photo showed the father and son of the Yuan Family carrying Wen Ya to the hotel’s VIP presidential suite...
Although there were no pictures of them in bed, these photos were enough to cause everyone’s imagination to roam.
Everyone was dumbfounded by this revelation. The crowd descended into chaos, but they had yet to realize how this issue actually started.
Yuan Tangzhong had trouble believing these photos when he saw them. He said in a quivering voice, “What is that? Proof? You must be joking!
“Your daughter desired the Yuan Family’s power and slept with Yuan Zhe on her own will. After that, she forced him to marry her because she was pregnant! Yuan Zhe was a single man, and those two young people were merely having a good time together. Both of them did it willingly. Why are you trying to insist that she was raped?
“The Yuan Family also took responsibility when we discovered that Wen Ya was pregnant. Yuan Zhe even married Wen Ya, but her irresponsibility made her lost the child...”
Everyone thought that Yuan Tangzong’s retort was somewhat a reasonable one. It was very likely that Wen Ya would leap at the chance to sleep with Yuan Zhe because the Yuan Family was influential. Wen Ya and Yuan Zhe were married, but Yuan Zhe was now dead. This made Wen Youquan’s argument earlier seemed like he was looking for an opportunity to extort money from his in-laws.
Wen Youquan stared at Yuan Tangzhong. It was not surprising that one of Luo Hai’s important politicians like himself could come up with such excuses. He had a clear train of thought and the calmest mind.
“I knew that you wouldn’t admit it. That’s why I made preparations in advance!”
Wen Youquan continued to expose the other man. “There are two DNA test reports here. One report compared your DNA to the baby that Wen Ya miscarried while the other one tested the DNA of Yuan Zhe and that child! If you don’t understand, I’ll read it out for you!”
Wen Ya noticed the strange smile on Wen Youquan’s face. He looked at Yuan Tangzhong and sneered, “When Wen Ya got pregnant that year, the one who fathered her baby was you!”
It seemed as though a heavy bomb had landed and detonated itself in the middle of the crowd. This was earth-shattering news!
This appalling incident had actually occurred in the Yuan household. The father and his son were basically so immoral that they took turns with the same woman.
The guests consisted of important societal figures and some politicians. They did not have the clearest consciences, but none of them would ever stoop as low as him. The crowd became restless as everyone began to discuss about what they had just heard. This was an outrageous scandal!
Yuan Tangzhong’s trusted advisors were stupefied as well. They stood frozen in shock. Everything had happened in such an abrupt manner. Everything had happened in such a short period of time but had developed in a direction that they could not control.
The Old Mistress watched everything unravel from the sidelines. She could not make heads or tails of this...
“No!”
The breath of air that Wen Ya had held in her chest finally escaped and rushed through her throat. The terribly weak woman let out a miserable howl of grief before she fainted.
Wen Ya never realized that her father was so evil. Four years ago, he had pushed her into the pits of hell. She had to endure Yuan Zhe’s torture since then and had spent half of her life being miserable. Today, her father had actually revealed all of these humiliating incidents about her to everyone, not caring about the bond they shared as father and daughter at all!
Chills ran down Mu Chenyan’s spine when she finally took in what her father had said. One of the servants supported Wen Ya and took her to a sofa on the side while Mu Chenyan held her tightly. She sobbed and said, “How could they be so cruel? All of you are so inhumane. Wen Ya is innocent...”
Her eyes fell on Yuan Xuan, Yuan Zhuan, and Yuan Tangzhong. The men in the Yuan Family made her feel sick!
Wen Ya had been used as cannon fodder and a chess piece in this conflict of theirs.
If it was not for his supporters, Wen Youquan would never have dared to disturb the Yuan Family’s banquet, much less to point out Yuan Tangzhong’s shortcomings openly.
Mu Chenyan felt miserable.