Chapter 41: If I Don’t Reach Out to You, Will You Never Seek Me Out?

Bo Jinxi released Jiang Zhi You and strode away.

Jiang Zhi You suddenly felt even more exhausted.

She had quarreled with Yan Feng at the Yan family just as she had now.

She could understand; a man having a bit of possessiveness was normal.

But she had not broken any of the agreements between them.

If everyone expected her to always lower herself and offer appeasement, then she was simply too tired.

A man was nothing more than a tool for her happiness.

She didn’t want to truly give her heart to any man again.

Jiang Zhi You slept for half the day.

Finally, her phone was charged.

When she turned it on, the screen was filled with missed calls.

All of them were from Bo Jinxi the previous night.

He had even called at four in the morning.

He had actually waited for her all night.

Jiang Zhi You sighed.

A wave of inexplicable emotion welled up inside her.

In truth, she wasn’t as carefree as she appeared.

Why, after Yan Feng returned to the country, had she chosen to break up with Bo Jinxi?

Because Jiang Zhi You realized she might be developing feelings beyond the norm for this “pretty boy.”

She didn’t allow herself to fall in love, so she wanted to cut off the relationship completely.

She hadn’t expected, however, that the man she provoked was a major figure in the capital’s elite circle.

The situation had reversed in an instant—it was no longer something she could end at will.

The initiative lay in Bo Jinxi’s hands.

The young master hadn’t had his fill of amusement, so she was destined not to leave.

But deep down, she didn’t want to be entangled with him any longer.

Bo Jinxi was an even bigger fire pit than Yan Feng.

If their relationship soured to the point that Bo Jinxi let go of her on his own accord, perhaps that wouldn’t be such a bad thing.

Just as Jiang Zhi You anticipated, Bo Jinxi didn’t return to the Green Lawn Villa for the next several days.

Jiang Zhi You didn’t send him a single message either.

Every night, Jiang Zhi You wondered if their relationship had ended just like that.

As the days passed, the weight in her heart gradually eased. She felt she had finally extricated herself from a man she should never have provoked.

A certain place in her heart felt lighter.

But for reasons she couldn’t explain, she found no joy in it.

Her annual leave was about to end.

Just as she was wrestling with the thought of resigning, Tang Fei called.

She was told to return to work the next day and host the 7 p.m. prime-time news.

Jiang Zhi You was puzzled; Tang Fei wouldn’t restore her to the prime-time anchor seat for no reason.

Sure enough, when Jiang Zhi You checked online, she saw all kinds of dramatic reversals regarding the previous post.

First, someone dug up evidence of Zhao Daqing’s gambling addiction and long history of domestic violence.

Then, someone calling themselves the “Army of Justice” spoke out online for Yin Ru Yun, saying she was a kind and loving person.

It also surfaced that Yin Ru Yun had once been a housekeeper, and several families she had worked for all came forward to vouch for her character, insisting she was not the cruel murderer the public believed her to be.

A neighbor interviewed by the media claimed to have seen Zhao Dacheng abusing Yin Ru Yun on the day he died, suggesting Yin Ru Yun may have killed him in self-defense.

Someone else revealed that Jiang Zhi You, the prime-time anchor, had been switched at birth in the hospital and raised as the heiress of the Jiang Group.

Suddenly, the internet was in an uproar.

There was public doubt about the verdict in Yin Ru Yun’s husband-killing case, with some calling for a new investigation and retrial.

There was also endless gossip about the true and false heiresses of the Jiang family.

Jiang Xiaoxiao’s identity was also exposed.

Both Jiang Zhi You and Jiang Xiaoxiao’s names shot to the top of the trending searches.

“A woman like Yin Ru Yun is so pitiful. Abused for twenty years, the one time she fought back and accidentally killed her abuser, she’s sentenced to life in prison.”

“I hate the term ‘domestic violence’ the most. It’s intentional harm, plain and simple. If Yin Ru Yun hadn’t fought back that day, would it have just been another ‘family dispute’?”

“The anchor shouldn’t be affected by this. She grew up as the Jiang family’s heiress—if she wanted to, she could have distanced herself from her birth mother, but she never denied her.”

“Do baby swaps in hospitals really happen in real life? The real heiress, Jiang Xiaoxiao, is also pitiful, having grown up in such circumstances.”

The online opinion about her underwent a dramatic reversal.

People began urging her to return as the prime-time news anchor.

Her Weibo followers, once just over a hundred thousand, skyrocketed to three million overnight.

Tang Fei was clearly attracted by this surge of attention and wanted her to continue hosting the prime-time news.

Jiang Zhi You, of course, didn’t believe the internet would suddenly change its tune for no reason.

There must have been a guiding hand behind the scenes.

To investigate Yin Ru Yun’s situation so thoroughly and to manipulate public opinion—this was not something an ordinary person could do.

Was it him?

For the first time, Jiang Zhi You felt conflicted.

She took out her phone several times, wanting to call his number.

By dusk, Jiang Zhi You was still deliberating.

Suddenly, her phone rang.

It was Bo Jinxi.

Jiang Zhi You stared at the screen for a few seconds before answering.

Once connected, she didn’t speak first.

After a few moments of silence, a deep voice came from the other end. “If I don’t reach out, would you never call me?”

Jiang Zhi You responded, “Were those things online your doing?”

In truth, the online gossip would have faded with time even without intervention. To deal with it, however, required an enormous amount of manpower, resources, and money.

She had originally planned to just wait out the storm.

“Yes,” he replied. “It cost me a lot of money. How will you thank me?”

Jiang Zhi You laughed. “Let me buy you dinner tonight.”

They agreed to meet at the Cloudtop Restaurant.

Jiang Zhi You arrived first.

Because all the private rooms had been reserved, she could only sit in the main dining area.

She chose a table by the window and began to order.

“What a coincidence, big sister, you’re eating here too.”

Jiang Zhi You looked up to see Jiang Xiaoxiao, Yao Shulan, and Jiang Jinhui.

Jiang Zhi You got up, looked at Yao Shulan, and greeted them. “Dad, Mom.”

Yao Shulan glanced at her coldly without replying.

Jiang Jinhui offered an explanation: “We’re here to look at the venue. Next Sunday is Xiaoxiao’s birthday. We’re planning to throw a grand party for her in the banquet hall here.”

Before Jiang Zhi You could reply, Jiang Xiaoxiao spoke eagerly.

“Next Sunday is also my sister’s birthday. Since we share a birthday, why don’t we celebrate together?”

For the past three years, since “marrying” Yan Feng, Jiang Zhi You had spent her birthdays with the Yan family.

She replied, “That’s not necessary. I don’t want to steal my little sister’s spotlight. Let her be the one and only little princess.”

Jiang Xiaoxiao scoffed, “Do you really think you could steal my spotlight?”

She quickly realized Jiang Jinhui and Yao Shulan were right there and changed her tone, taking Yao Shulan’s arm. “Mom, even though my sister is married, she’s still our family’s eldest daughter. We can’t let outsiders think we mistreat our own. I’m happy to celebrate with my sister so everyone can see how harmonious we are. We’re nothing like the rumors suggest.”