Li Rui . That matter took place about four years ago .
Li Rui and his wife at the time were both actors .
His wife back then was a newcomer in the show business and Li Rui fancied sweet young girls, so they got married .
With his help, his ex-wife steadily climbed the ladder to fame .
Eventually, their relationship deteriorated over time .
At the time, Qiao Lian had just started working in this field and had not yet develop a sharp sense for situations .
She only took Old Liu’s word that Li Rui was having an affair .
Li Rui was similar to Shen Liangchuan in that he deliberately kept a low profile, hence trying to get any information about him was not easy .
However, at that time she had been desperate for money to pay her rent . So she gritted her teeth and, for three days straight, waited at the spot he was likely to appear at .
She stayed awake for three whole days, only having bread and mineral water . Eventually she managed to snap that shot of Li Rui and his new lover . Happily, she handed the picture over to Old Liu . Back then, she had not felt that she was doing something wrong .
Because she had been reporting a fact .
But now…
She widened her eyes, stunned by Shen Liangchuan’s words .
Li Rui and his ex-wife had divorced by that time?
She was speechless, feeling very much at a loss and helpless all at once . She bit her lip and stammered, “How- how is that possible?”
Shen Liangchuan looked away as he said, “Li Rui and his wife parted in peace . Their relationship had fallen apart because they spent most of their time being apart from each other . They had filming commitments . Both of them were at the peak of their careers, so their divorce had never been publicly announced . You only saw that Li Rui had a new lover, but did you also know that at the same time his ex-wife had a boyfriend too?”
Qiao Lian’s lips quivered slightly as she asked, “But- but why did he not clarify the situation then?”
Shen Liangchuan replied with a gloomy expression, “When the news broke, his ex-wife’s popularity went up a notch as the public sympathized with her . And because he still felt guilty towards her, he decided not to clarify it and instead admitted to the affair . ”
Qiao Lian was stunned by this new discovery .
In reality, the public opinion was never too tolerant when it came to third parties and affairs .
Hence, Li Rui’s ‘affair’ had ruined his entertainment career .
At the time, he had been at the peak of his career . And when this incident happened, he was heavily criticized and all the filming crews canceled their contracts with him . From then on, he vanished from the scene .
When Qiao Lian realized that persistent action of hers had been the end of a celebrity, she felt as though there was an invisible hand tightly squeezing her chest, choking her .
She had never meant hurt anyone . Her intention had just been to bring things out into the open for a fair debate, and for people to judge for themselves .
Now she felt a mix of all sorts of emotions in her heart . Guilt, shame, remorse and sadness—they were pouring like water off a broken bottle .
She looked up and took a quick glance at Shen Liangchuan . Realizing that she could no longer face him, she said, “I- I understand . ”
Then, she quickly got up from her seat and walked out of the study, ashamed and embarrassed .
She left the villa in a daze, walking into the night and breathing in the fresh air of the night until she slowly calmed down .
Under Shen Liangchuan’s glare, she had felt as though she was a dirty, unworthy being .
However, she did not realize that from the study’s balcony on the second floor, Shen Liangchuan stood watching her as she walked away .
Her emotions did not go unnoticed by him .
He clenched his fists tightly .
Years ago, when Xia Yehua left her marriage with nothing and he entered the entertainment industry, everything had seemed glittery on the surface . But if it hadn’t been for the fact that he had the Shen family’s name to lean on, he wouldn’t have had it that easy .