Wen Ran froze.
Lifting her gaze to meet Mo Xiuchen's deep, enigmatic eyes, the lingering emotions in her heart dissolved like morning mist.
She chastised herself inwardly. As Mo Xiuchen had said, Cheng Jia had been coveting her husband. If it had been Mo Xiuchen who had gone to Cheng Jia's home last night—or worse, if he had been caught off guard as he had once been—Cheng Jia wouldn't be standing here looking so disheveled. No, she'd be brimming with smugness, parading her victory in front of Wen Ran.
It wasn't only Cheng Jia who had noticed their arrival—so had the horde of reporters.
Someone shouted, "Young Master Mo and Miss Wen are here!" and at once, the crowd of journalists abandoned Cheng Jia and surged toward them.
A few reporters who had been trailing Cheng Jia and Xiao Liu quickly redirected their cameras and questions to Mo Xiuchen. As the crowd parted, Wen Ran spotted Xiao Wenqing and Zhou Lin, and beside them, Mo Zixuan, whom they had dragged along.
Xiao Wenqing's face twisted into a blend of pale fury and embarrassment. Upon seeing Mo Xiuchen and Wen Ran, she instantly realized she had been outmaneuvered by him the night before.
Malice flared in her eyes, cold and venomous.
Zhou Lin's expression shifted subtly. She instinctively turned to glance at Mo Zixuan, trailing behind them. As expected, his eyes glimmered with jealousy, and his handsome face turned visibly pale.
Her hand curled into a fist inside her coat pocket as she silently cursed Wen Ran. The moment that woman appeared, she wasted no time bewitching every man around her.
"Young Master Mo, what is your opinion on what happened between Miss Cheng and Mr. Liu last night?"
"Were you aware of the events that transpired?"
"Young Master Mo—"
An avalanche of questions erupted. The reporters encircled Mo Xiuchen and Wen Ran, eyes fixed intensely on him, trying to glean the truth from his unruffled expression.
Mo Xiuchen's countenance remained composed, his expression calm and detached, as ever. When the reporters closed in, he simply tightened his arm around Wen Ran and pulled her gently into his embrace, wordlessly conveying his protective stance.
Only when the onslaught of questions began to wane did he cast a faintly chilly glance toward Cheng Jia and Xiao Liu. Seeing Xiao Liu holding Cheng Jia close, shielding her from the press, his eyes flickered with a trace of amusement. The smile that brushed his lips was fleeting, vanishing before anyone could fully discern it, replaced once more by his usual cool indifference.
"I'm curious," he said, his voice laced with faint sarcasm, "how you all managed to learn of this and arrive so early, disturbing the peace of the neighborhood."
The reporters paused, momentarily stunned, their expressions turning awkward as they fumbled for answers.
One among them finally mustered the courage to respond, "Young Master Mo, we received an anonymous tip claiming you had spent the night at your secretary's home. That's why we rushed over first thing this morning."
Mo Xiuchen chuckled softly.
The sound, though quiet, sent a chill through the crowd. There was a distinct edge to his laughter—cold, mocking, and sharp enough to cut.
"I must thank you for your concern," he said slowly, each word heavy with irony. "You've all gone to great lengths to unearth some scandal about me, arriving before dawn to lie in wait."
The reporters looked down, their eyes darting away in shame.
Mo Xiuchen's gaze swept over them like icy blades, finally settling on Xiao Wenqing, who stood just behind Cheng Jia. With a scoff, he said, "Surely, you aren't all so gullible as to act on a random call. Whoever managed to summon you en masse must be someone of considerable influence. Since we're already being candid, why not share exactly who tipped you off, hmm?"
His eyes landed on the nearest female reporter, who, under the weight of his gaze, seemed to forget her own name. Her lips trembled as she said, "The caller didn't identify herself, but I have the number saved."
With that, she hastily retrieved her phone and handed it to him.
Several meters away, Xiao Wenqing's expression darkened. She exchanged a furtive glance with Zhou Lin, who quickly caught on.
"There's no need to check the number, Young Master Mo," Zhou Lin interjected loudly, drawing all eyes to herself. "I know who made the call."
Mo Xiuchen's lips curved faintly as he took the phone, though he didn't glance at the screen. Instead, he turned to watch Zhou Lin approach, with Xiao Wenqing following close behind.
Mo Zixuan, still dazed, remained rooted to the spot, his gaze fixed on Wen Ran.
A flicker of icy disdain flashed in Mo Xiuchen's eyes, and the atmosphere around him turned glacial, draining the warmth from the morning sun.
All eyes were now on Zhou Lin.
She stepped forward, then glanced back at Cheng Jia, who stood behind, supported by Xiao Liu. Her voice was measured as she said, "Yesterday afternoon, I happened to run into Cheng Jia at a supermarket nearby. She was buying groceries."
Behind her, Cheng Jia's pallid face twisted, and her once-vacant eyes sharpened into a frosty glare directed at Zhou Lin.
Unbothered, Zhou Lin continued, "I asked a casual question, and Cheng Jia told me she had invited Young Master Mo to her home for dinner. At first, I couldn't believe it—he's never struck me as someone prone to such indiscretions, and I know his relationship with Wen Ran is solid, even if their marriage is recent."
"She claimed to be his savior, that not long ago she'd been injured protecting him from falling debris. Out of gratitude, he reluctantly agreed to hear her out over dinner to discuss something important."
"Zhou Lin, you liar!"
Cheng Jia had fully regained her senses. She tore free from Xiao Liu's arms and lunged at Zhou Lin.
Zhou Lin shrieked, narrowly dodging the attack. She staggered backward, shielding her stomach as she looked at Cheng Jia in alarm. "Cheng Jia, I only spoke the truth. Are you trying to silence me now?"
Cheng Jia's face turned ashen, her hair a disheveled mess as she glared at Zhou Lin with eyes blazing with fury. "I do want to kill you, because you're spouting lies! Zhou Lin, are you accusing me of calling the reporters?"
Zhou Lin wavered under her gaze, but when she saw Xiao Wenqing's subtle nod, she straightened up and declared solemnly, "Of course it was you. You've always had a thing for Young Master Mo and have provoked Wen Ran time and again. Everyone may not know this, but I do."
"You used your 'savior' status to lure him into your home. You doused your house in aphrodisiac-laced perfume, drugged the food and drinks, and then tipped off the reporters, hoping they'd catch you in bed with him—so you could cling to him without shame!"
The crowd erupted in shock.
A faintly mocking smile tugged at Wen Ran's lips. Zhou Lin certainly had a talent for storytelling.
"I didn't do any of that!" Cheng Jia shouted, trembling. "Zhou Lin, if you're so confident, swear to the heavens that every word you've said is true. If it wasn't me who called the reporters, may the child in your womb and Mo Zixuan both meet a bitter end!"