Chapter 97: Zhou Yao's Charity Concert

"Why did you hit her?" Li Mingye asked in a deep voice, peering at Zhang Xiluo with a probing gaze.

Zhang Xiluo took a deep breath, met his eyes, and spoke with complete sincerity, "She begged me to hit her. It would have been rude not to oblige."

Li Mingye’s face darkened. "Do you hear yourself? What do you mean she begged you to hit her?"

"I’m telling the truth. She used my deceased child to provoke me—what else could she be asking for?" Zhang Xiluo’s expression shifted, her tone turning icy as she gritted her teeth. "You should be grateful for the law; otherwise, it wouldn't have been just a simple slap!"

Seeing Li Mingye fall silent, Zhang Xiluo offered a cold laugh. She knew it—even now, Li Mingye still did not believe her.

"Tell me, who is trying to harm my uncle?" She changed the subject, unwilling to continue the futile argument.

"Take me home. The files are there," Li Mingye said, stepping off the bed and heading toward the door.

Zhang Xiluo followed behind him. She was in a foul mood, and he didn't want to talk either, so they remained silent the entire way. Zhang Xiluo drove at a snail's pace, finally dropping him off at his villa.

Li Mingye kept his word. He retrieved a file folder from his study and handed it to her. Zhang Xiluo opened it, glanced inside, and looked back at Li Mingye. "It’s him? Does he even have that kind of power?"

The person in the documents was her uncle’s office secretary. Zhang Xiluo knew him; her uncle had always spoken of his ambition and even admired him. She never expected him to bite the hand that fed him, trying to bring her uncle down. But could a mere secretary really pull this off so flawlessly?

"There are people in the Li family helping him. I will handle that myself."

Family shame should not be aired in public; Zhang Xiluo understood why he wouldn't tell her.

"Thanks." Zhang Xiluo turned to leave with the folder, but Li Mingye grabbed her. She frowned and looked at him. "Let go."

Li Mingye didn't move, so Zhang Xiluo yanked her arm away. "Li Mingye, enough. Really, enough. We are divorced. You are with Zhou Yao openly; stop provoking me."

"You hate me that much?" Li Mingye released her, a flicker of hurt crossing his eyes.

"Yes, I hate you. I despise you. Li Mingye, let's never meet again!" Zhang Xiluo took the folder and ran out without looking back.

Li Mingye seemed to have come to terms with it. After that day, he took her advice to heart; he never looked for her again, nor did he ever appear before her.

She enjoyed a rare few days of peace, watching Zhou Yao’s online activities and feeling exhausted just looking at them. Every day, Zhou Yao posted a crowdfunding video, the content of which was always much the same: after her father’s car accident, he remained in a coma with blood clots in his brain, requiring multiple surgeries. Their house had been acquired by the Li Group, leaving them with no sellable assets. Their relatives, fearing threats, dared not associate with them.

She claimed she didn't want to rely on Li Mingye, and she had repeatedly clarified her relationship with him; to this day, Li Mingye had never publicly acknowledged her as his girlfriend. Zhou Yao intentionally made a spectacle of the situation. Zhang Xiluo’s lack of response regarding the incident where she allegedly pushed Zhou Lixun became the perfect ammunition for Zhou Yao to slander her. One was Li Mingye’s ex-wife, the other his new flame—many people were waiting for the drama to unfold.

The Li Group’s stock price soared as a result, generating significant profits. Factions within the Li family began to form, and Li Mingye's eldest aunt chose Zhou Yao without hesitation, secretly fueling the public narrative. Predictably, details about how Zhang Xiluo had once pursued Li Mingye were leaked, and her methods of dealing with "the other woman" were exposed, painting her as a scheming, vicious ex-wife. More and more people sympathized with Zhou Yao, believing she and Li Mingye were true soulmates.

The public outcry continued to ferment, and Li Mingye offered no official response, nor did he intervene. Zhang Xiluo knew this was his stance: since she wanted to draw a line between them, he would no longer concern himself with her affairs. Perhaps that was for the best; at least it meant they were truly finished.

Zhang Xiluo did not respond to these rumors, nor did she hire anyone to manage the narrative.

"Luoluo, what are you thinking? Are you just going to let that homewrecker blather on online?" Jiang Xueting was anxious, asking Zhang Xiluo three times a day.

"Exactly, Luoluo. Public opinion is almost completely one-sided. Are you really not going to do anything? I have a few friends in social media marketing; do you want me to refer them to you?" Xu Xinyi was also worried.

Zhang Xiluo felt deeply touched by the concern behind their words. She was grateful to have such good friends. "Don't worry, I’ll handle it. Zhou Yao is holding a charity concert at the school tomorrow. Who is free to go with me?"

"Damn, she really has no shame," Jiang Xueting exclaimed, sending several shocked emojis. "I'm in. I'm free every day."

"I have surgery tomorrow, so I can't go, but you guys better record it for me," Xu Xinyi sent a regretful emoji.

"Xueting, come pick me up at eight tomorrow morning. We’re going to tear apart a 'green tea' bitch."

"You got it!"

The next morning, Zhang Xiluo wore a white Chanel-style suit, carried an Hermes bag, and applied exquisite makeup. As soon as Jiang Xueting saw her, she exclaimed how beautiful she looked.

Zhou Yao’s charity concert was scheduled for nine. By the time Zhang Xiluo arrived at the Longcheng University auditorium, a crowd had already gathered outside. Lin Yiming spotted Zhang Xiluo in the crowd immediately; he was struck by her beauty, his eyes gleaming with a different light.

"Sis, Xueting, over here."

Zhang Xiluo and Jiang Xueting walked over to him. Jiang Xueting teased, "Little brother, you’ve grown even more handsome."

Lin Yiming shyly scratched his head, too embarrassed to respond.

"Why are there so many people? Can we even get in?" Jiang Xueting asked.

"You need a ticket to get in, but I have front-row seats. The girl handing them out is a freshman from my basketball club; I managed to get a few extra from her." Lin Yiming pulled the tickets from his pocket and handed them to Zhang Xiluo and Jiang Xueting.

"Not bad, kid. Learning how to seduce freshmen already."

"Don't scare him off," Zhang Xiluo stopped Jiang Xueting. "There won't be anyone left to help me later."

Jiang Xueting quickly zipped her lips, a gesture that made Zhang Xiluo laugh.

When the doors opened, the entrance became crowded. Lin Yiming shielded Zhang Xiluo the entire time until they were seated. Jiang Xueting watched the whole interaction, a suggestive smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

Soon, Zhou Yao walked onto the stage accompanied by Lu Tiantian. She was wearing a white dress, her face pale as paper, and she bowed deeply to the audience.

"Thank you for your help. I truly appreciate it."

As she looked up, her eyes were already brimming with tears. That pitiful look prompted many of the male students to feel a pang of sympathy, and they applauded her vigorously. She sat at the piano and played "Clair de Lune."

Zhang Xiluo felt a sense of pity for her; the way she played now lacked the agility and soul of her earlier performances, reduced to a mechanical display of technique. As the piece ended, she stood up to speak, but suddenly, the microphone in her hand dropped to the floor.