Even bigger news was that for starting false rumors about the Lu family, the Yan family had been blacklisted by Lu Enterprises.

The two families had been friends for decades. Even Lu Aotian's grandfather was friends with Yan Xue's grandfather. For such a strong friendship to split, it was the biggest news of the century.

What made it even more shocking was the revelation that the Yan family had been the first to go against their allies and stab their backs.

Following Lu Enterprises' blacklisting, the Yan family fell into an even worse state. All the despicable deeds their company had done behind the scenes were revealed one after another, each one more heinous than the last.

Some people even believed that these were some of the reasons why Lu Enterprises stopped collaborating with the Yan family. This incident only gave them the reason to get rid of the wicked family for good. Rapidly, the Yan family business was advancing into bankruptcy.

Old Yan charged into the Lu family home. "Old Lu, what is the meaning of this?"

The usually calm and even tempered Lu Tongyan was annoyed. "Your family said so many wicked things about my family, even slandering my sons, daughter-in-law and granddaughter. Yet you still have the cheek to ask me what this is?"

Old Yan looked even more displeased. "Lu Tongyan, we have been friends for decades. Is this how you welcome your friends?"

Lu Tongyan did not flinch. "Did you expect me to hug you so you could stab me in the back? Don't think I don't know what your plan was. You wanted to slowly cause the downfall of Lu Enterprises so that you could take over the position of the Nation's top family. Is this the same reason why you wanted Shaoting to marry your daughter? If Aotian didn't open my eyes, I would be fooled by you and forced my son to marry your Yan Xue."

Old Yan was baffled. He knew he couldn't beat Lu Aotian, but when he saw the chance, he couldn't stop himself from trying. What would happen to his family now? His daughter…

…

Talking of Yan Xue, she was currently on the brink of insanity. She had gone to the hotel where she took Lu Shaoting after dragging him in hope of retrieving that note. She knew that she was looking for a coin in a vast ocean but she still wanted to try. As expected, she couldn't find that note. Even the security footage had been deleted. Lu Aotian must have given that instruction. All she received was the looks of disgust from everyone.

She was currently known as the woman who cheated on her fiancé and stabbed his family in the back. Such good men were very few in the nation, yet she dared to mess with one of them.

In despair, she went to find her gynecologist for answers. Alas, she couldn't tell her any relevant information either.

---

In Southside Villa, Wan Jia was reading the news on her phone. Such a ruthless way of handling backstabbers. This was truly her husband's way of handling things.

She snuck a glance at the man typing away on his laptop.

"How do you even manage to do some things?" she asked curiously.

"What things?"

"How did you get that man and have him do a paternity test? Besides, how did you get Yan Xue to do the test? Isn't the mother supposed to be willing?"

Lu Aotian gave his wife a sideways glance. "You really think I did a test?"

"You didn't?"

"When you have the status and power, sometimes you just have to play mind tricks here and there."

Wan Jia gawked at him. "Are you saying that the report was fake?"

"No entirely. I hacked into the hospital system and produced a test result identical to one I wanted. I just had to change the names."

"…"

"What about the security footage?"

"What sort of security cameras would give such clear shots? Besides, it's been many months and the footage is probably deleted if there was one."

"You remade the scene?"

Lu Aotian smiled. His little wife understood him more. He had remade it based entirely on logic. The characters were photo shopped but how many people could uncover a trick that he, Lu Aotian, had played?

Wan Jia took his smile for a yes. "You were so amazing! Even I, your own wife, was almost fooled!" There was worship written all over her eyes. She looked like she wanted to ask for lessons.

"…"

My dear wife, you were fooled, okay? You were even more fooled than everyone else.

___

When the Yan family finally went bankrupt, it had just been a few days since Lu Aotian blacklisted them. They lost all their sources of income and couldn't make a comeback no matter what.

Perhaps for the sake of the unborn baby she was carrying, only Yan Xue was granted a chance to survive by the heavens.

The man from that night eventually saw the news and although the man in the footage wasn't him, he was sure that the child was his. He looked for Yan Xue and proposed to marry her.

He had told her, "I know I'm not as rich or influential as Lu Shaoting, but will you be my wife? We can't let our baby lack proper upbringing, right?"

Yan Xue couldn't care about anything else and agreed amid her tears.