Just like that, Starlight came cras.h.i.+ng down while everyone a.s.sumed that Sun Qiyan wouldn’t be able to avoid the prison, making the Sun Corporation suffer a blow from the scandal.
Flair Apparel, on the other hand, was flouris.h.i.+ng after their successful campaign. New stocks of their products were delivered nationwide to fulfill the demands of high sales. With Zheng Yue and w.a.n.g Zhuyi being the newest faces of FA, sales naturally rose; and the brand easily seized the market and became one of the top-selling brands.
Of course, as Lu Xinyi expected, even if Sun Qiyan was detained in prison; she wasn’t going to let FA off easily. Through her subordinates, she used all possible resources to spread gossip about FA and revealed that it was Lu Xinyi who was behind it.
However, the famous Madam Shen had neither denied nor confirmed Sun Qiyan’s claims so the public was left wondering if she was the real owner of FA and not Xia Yuhan.
Many negative news appeared in the market, but it didn’t reach the major media outlets because the Tang family had blocked them and warned those who’d try to tarnish Madam Shen’s name that they wouldn’t be merciful next time.
Because new stores kept popping up on any commercial buildings and malls owned by the Shen family, it added a boost to FA’s popularity and sales. New promotional activities were carried out across the country, including adding celebrity endors.e.m.e.nt from those contracted under Griffin Entertainment.
“The Tang family surely knows how to pamper their young miss,” Kang Wei commented as he watched the news from Shen Yi’s office.
“It can’t be helped. It is their way of apologizing to Xinxin for being absent for years,” Shen Yi responded but didn’t break his concentration on the paperwork he was reading.
In the war between Lu Xinyi and Sun Qiyan, it was obvious how Young Madam Shen trampled the latter easily. She didn’t give Sun Qiyan a chance to recover and trapped her like prey in the corner.
“Sun Qiyan will most likely get bail, but she cannot escape this case easily.” Kang Wei was amused by how Lu Xinyi was able to defeat her enemies without breaking a sweat.
“Not when we can nail her down with severe offenses. What do you think will happen next?” Shen Yi finally lifted his head. He pulled his mouth into a semblance of a smile, but the fierceness in his eyes wasn’t new to Kang Wei. This was the same look Shen Yi had whenever his enemies were about to fall down.
At this point, Kang Wei was already reminded that touching Lu Xinyi was the greatest offense one could do against Shen Yi. The demon king looked calm and collected, but how much darkness was hidden behind his calm facade? n.o.body knew.
Meanwhile, Sun Ruying heard about her eldest daughter being apprehended by the authorities. From the police, she learned that Qiyan was involved at her sister’s disappearance as well as stealing the designs from its compet.i.tor, Flair Apparel.
The woman didn’t care for the latter and was only interested to know about her children. However, once she saw the postmortem report circulating the internet, she almost pa.s.sed out from shock. The horrendous end Qiushan suffered was crystal clear. She’d also seen the same CCTV footage that everyone had seen during Starlight’s event.
Severely malnourished, raped, and impregnated by her molester. Sun Ruying couldn’t imagine how her youngest suffered in her last days, and to think that it was Qiyan who brought this to her…?
If she had the previous suspicion that her niece Lu Xinyi was lying to her, it was all gone now. An anonymous source had presented all the evidence that could incriminate both Sun Qiyan and Xi Yunchuan clearly.
Her daughter refused to cooperate with the investigation while the police were unable to get anything useful from Xi Yunchuan, and this hampered the investigation and evidence-gathering. Sun Ruying waited for more than three hours outside the interrogation room until a lawyer sent by her sister Mingai came to a.s.sist Qiyan.
“Mr. Pei…” Sun Ruying was about to speak when the interrogation room opened. Two officers stepped out, but someone was left behind who was still talking to Sun Qiyan.
“Miss Sun, you do know that we now have enough evidence to ensure that you’ll not get away with this. Aside from human trafficking in which you’ve sold your sister to Xi Yunchuan for monetary gain, you are also facing embezzlement of the sales of Starlight and misappropriation of funds from Sun Corporation.”
Sun Qiyan’s voice floated out of the room. “I will repeat what I said before. This has nothing to do with me!”
The evidence presented was irrefutable. It didn’t lie. Sun Ruying knew herself that Lu Xinyi wasn’t lying. She choked in her own tears. Why did she raise a monster like Qiyan? She could never look at Sun Qiyan the same way again.
Was this what people called karma? She was now being punished as she witnessed her eldest daughter pay the price for harming Qiushan. Was this her punishment for turning her back on Meixiu by letting her die?
As the lawyer walked in, Sun Qiyan stood and saw her mother standing at the doorway.
“Mom! Please help me! Please take me away from here!” She begged to her mother, but Sun Ruying didn’t move from her place and stared back at her eldest daughter with misty eyes. She suddenly thought that she didn’t know this daughter of hers anymore.
She knew her children never got along well and Qiushan was closer to Lu Xinyi than her elder sister, but this… for Qiyan to use Qiushan as a bargaining chip? Even Sun Ruying couldn’t accept it. Not only did Qiyan harm her sister, but she also ruined Qiushan’s life and future.
Lu Xinyi had led her and placed two roads in front of her. One was to seek justice for Qiushan, and another was to choose Qiyan and save her life as her only surviving child. Thinking about it, Sun Ruying’s body shook and was unable to suppress her trembling.
Lu Xinyi’s words from her last call resounded through her memory.
“Aunt Ruying cannot be greedy this time,” Lu Xinyi whispered to her with her eyes filled with cruelty. “You can only choose one between your two daughters. So… who will you choose?”
How could she choose one between her two daughters? Lu Xinyi wasn’t really giving her an easy way out! If this was her niece’s way to seek revenge at her, Lu Xinyi had succeeded. Whoever she chose, Lu Xinyi would retaliate back viciously anyway.
Sun Ruying closed her eyes and let her tears roll down her cheeks. Her heart was filled with so much grief that it was enough to suffocate her to death.
“Mom…” Her daughter called her once again, but in her ears, she could imagine her Little Qiushan calling out for her name for help.
Her innocent daughter paid the price for all her sins. No matter how many conjectures she made in her heart, she knew Qiushan’s life will never return; and she could only feel an indescribable emptiness from within.
“You are no longer my daughter.” She finally opened her eyes and saw clearly how she’d been fooled by this child she gave birth to. Her eyes glistened as she looked at Sun Qiyan. She realized that when she looked at her, there were no traces of the Qiyan she knew. Or it could be said, she never knew her own daughter all this time.