Chapter Three: Slander

“Grandfather, there has long been a third party between Liang Wenru and me—everything is over.” Pei Susu spoke with utter calm.

“I know how much you’ve suffered, and it’s all the fault of my unfilial grandson. I will make sure justice is done for you. He’ll not only leave with nothing, but will also be dismissed from the company,” her grandfather consoled her gently.

“Thank you, Grandfather.” Pei Susu felt a surge of warmth at his words.

During Liang Wenru’s absence, she had continued to work diligently, taking charge of the company’s affairs, large and small. Unlike Liang Wenru, who shirked responsibility, Pei Susu threw herself into her work, transforming her grievances into motivation to expand the business, recruit new staff, and attract talent. Under her careful management, the Liang family’s business not only held steady but flourished, year after year. The elders of the Liang family saw all this and, from the bottom of their hearts, came to truly appreciate Pei Susu.

After five years of marriage, she had already lost all hope in this union; all that remained was a sense of unwillingness to simply give up. That was why she agreed to Liang Wenru’s request for divorce and did not take the opportunity to claim a fortune. But she truly couldn’t bear to part with her grandfather, Mother Liang, and Father Liang. After all, people are not made of wood—they have feelings. Though Liang Wenru had many faults, his family had treated Pei Susu as their own, caring for her devotedly. Divorce would be a difficult separation.

“Driver, we’re not going to Muyun Villa anymore. Change of plans—please head straight to Xingye Group.” Hanging up the phone, Pei Susu collected herself and spoke to the driver.

Since Grandfather was fine, she had no wish to return to the Liang home and face that mess.

***

Meanwhile, at the Liang family’s Muyun Villa, the house rang with Grandfather’s furious shouting.

“If you dare divorce and go off to live with that fox, you’ll be fired from the company tomorrow and immediately stripped of your position as general manager!”

“And all your shares will be transferred to Susu. Whether real estate or cash, you won’t get a single cent!” Grandfather’s words struck like thunder.

Liang Wenru exploded with rage. “Grandfather, you’re being unreasonable! I’m your real grandson—Pei Susu is just an outsider. How can you give the Liang family’s fortune to her?”

But Grandfather cut him off. “I’ve said my piece! Do as you see fit. If you dare bully my precious granddaughter-in-law, I’ll throw you out with nothing!”

At these words, Liang Wenru slumped, trembling with clenched teeth. Grandfather had always been strong-willed, the true helmsman of the group whom many feared. It was clear he was determined to protect Pei Susu.

After a moment’s thought, Liang Wenru seemed to come to a resolution. He took out his phone and dialed a number.

***

The next day, outside the Civil Affairs Bureau, Pei Susu stood frowning as she tried to call Liang Wenru.

“Sorry, the number you have dialed is currently in another call. Please try again later. Sorry, You…”

Nearly half an hour passed, but the call still wouldn’t go through. Passersby couldn’t help but glance curiously at the beautiful and composed urban woman waiting at the entrance, puzzled by why anyone would want to divorce such a graceful person.

Pei Susu’s grip on her phone tightened. He was the one eager to divorce and reunite with his first love, yet he was also the one leaving her stranded at the Civil Affairs Bureau. Was Liang Wenru just playing her for a fool?

“Beep—beep—beep.” — Assistant Lin.

Strange. Hadn’t she told Xiao Lin she’d be out on leave? Why was she calling now? Suppressing her irritation, Pei Susu answered, “Xiao Lin, what’s wrong?”

Assistant Lin’s voice was urgent and tearful. “President Pei, please come back quickly. Something’s happened at the company. The shareholders are demanding to see you.”

“I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.” Only major issues warranted an emergency meeting, but the group had been calm lately. Why the sudden crisis? The string of misfortunes gave Pei Susu a sense of foreboding. She hailed a taxi straight to Xingye Group’s headquarters.

At Xingye Group, Assistant Lin was anxiously waiting in the lobby. Upon seeing Pei Susu, she hurried to report the situation.

“President Liang and the shareholders are waiting for you in the top-floor office. Their mood seems urgent, like there’s something big they want to discuss with you.”

“The key members of our project team are very concerned about this, too. They’ve come to ask me about your situation several times.”

Pei Susu entered the elevator with poise. “Have them focus on their work. After the shareholders’ meeting, I’ll call a separate meeting to review the project’s progress.”

“Yes, I’ll email them now.”

The elevator came to a smooth stop. She opened the heavy sandalwood door, left slightly ajar.

The spacious hall was packed with shareholders, all staring at her with stern faces, as if she had committed some unforgivable crime.

Normally, only a handful of major shareholders attended meetings, but today all thirty were present. Pei Susu was momentarily stunned. Seeing the calculating look on Liang Wenru’s face, she understood.

No wonder she couldn’t get through to him for half an hour—he was waiting for her here.

Liang Wenru, holding a thick stack of documents, pointed at her with feigned indignation. “All the shareholders trusted you with the company, and what have you done?”

“Abusing your position for personal gain—embezzlement, bribery, granting favors to friends and family, colluding with inferior suppliers to pass off fake goods as genuine, severely damaging the company’s reputation.”

“Falsifying accounts, stealing from the warehouse, selling off goods under the table at a loss, bringing countless deficits to the company’s books.”

Pei Susu looked coldly at Liang Wenru’s impassioned performance, pain prickling deep in her chest. Five years of marriage had only resulted in one betrayal after another.

All she had wanted was to leave behind the sordid entanglements of these two unworthy people, yet Liang Wenru kept pushing her limits.

Calmly, she took out a document and addressed the shareholders, pointing to a so-called piece of evidence of her falsifying accounts. “Since I assumed the role of acting president, Xingye has achieved 28 billion yuan in sales revenue in carrier business, 13 billion in enterprise business, and 20 billion in terminal business.”

“Every detail of these accounts is traceable. I welcome the shareholders to employ any reputable third-party organization to audit the company’s financial records at any time.”

Liang Wenru, clearly uneasy, signaled to the shareholders, who seized the opportunity to speak.

“Pei Susu has harmed the company’s interests, using her office for personal reasons. She’s no longer fit to oversee the project. Miss Chu is a graduate of a prestigious university, has studied abroad for several years, and has managed numerous large-scale projects. I propose transferring the project to Miss Chu.”

“That’s right—Chu Qingzhu is the most suitable candidate. She brings advanced foreign management experience and is both capable and upright.”

“In addition to the project, Old Liang’s shares must not be handed to someone who is a threat to the group and the Liang family. Since Pei Susu is no longer a member of the Liang family, I, as a major shareholder, firmly oppose transferring the shares to her.”