Rebirth: A Cinderella's Counterattack

Chapter 195: Chapter 183: Gossip vs City Evening News (Part 2)

Wang Lijun, who had always allowed his son free rein, completely lost it one morning when, upon going downstairs to buy breakfast, he noticed something off in the neighbors’ gaze. They were talking about him behind his back, and though he didn’t know what they had said, the silence was so pronounced it’s as if you could hear a pin drop. His son had also been growing increasingly morose. He thought perhaps it was out of sympathy for his son’s plight, so he forced a tired smile at the neighbors in a gesture of friendliness.

The commute to work was bearable, as he chalked it up to the neighborly well-meaning, even driving a bit faster than usual.

”Wang Lijun, come to my office,” the editor-in-chief said upon seeing him arrive at the office. He dialed an internal phone line. The other people in the office also gave him strange looks, which made Wang Lijun wonder if his misuse of the company for personal gains in his reporting had been discovered. Or perhaps the boss was going to offer condolences? He walked into the office somewhat elated.

”Wang Lijun, you’re a good reporter, but can you keep your personal affairs separate from our unit? How can our evening newspaper operate like this? The most important thing for a newspaper is credibility. You fabricated and distorted the truth, and you’re fired!” With that, the editor-in-chief threw out two envelopes, one a summons from the court, and the other a photo filled with vehemence.

Wang Lijun was stupefied. What was this all about? He opened the first envelope with trembling hands. It was a lawsuit from First Middle School against the evening newspaper for damaging its reputation. He was dumbfounded; the story was true, so how could it damage their reputation? ”Editor, this story is the truth. I experienced it firsthand,” Wang Lijun said to the editor-in-chief, challenging him.

”Oh, is that so?” the editor-in-chief sneered, offering no further conversation.

Seeing the editor-in-chief’s attitude, Wang Lijun sensed something was wrong. If it were just this incident, the editor-in-chief wouldn’t refuse him even the chance to explain himself. He looked toward the second envelope, his hands shaking as he opened it, only to find content that inflamed his anger. His eyes reddened as he glared at the editor-in-chief, ”Who sent this!”

”Can’t you read?” the editor-in-chief sneered. This man had caused significant damage to the newspaper’s reputation, potentially leading to its collapse. He would be out of a job; how could he have the mood to engage further?

Wang Lijun turned over the envelope to see the front side, which bore his home address and his son’s name. He was dumbfounded for a moment.

”You might as well go to finance, collect your salary, and leave,” the editor-in-chief snorted. ”Get out now and take all this with you!” He still had this mess to deal with. Wang Lijun used to be the newspaper’s pillar of strength, but he had single-handedly destroyed everything. The ace reporter would not return.

Wang Lijun, his eyes glazed over, left the editor-in-chief’s office clutching the two envelopes. Seeing the evasive looks from his colleagues and recalling the looks from the neighbors that morning, he no longer cared to pack up his things. After settling his salary, he grabbed his most important possessions and headed home without a glance at the neighbors. Once home, he flung open his son’s bedroom door and hurled the photos onto his son, ”What the hell is this about?”

Wang Wei was surprised by how early his father had come home that day. Still in bed, he lazily reached for the envelope, spilled out the photos, and with each picture he looked at, his alarm grew. His sensations in those photos were clearly not the truth; he had been forced, so why did they make it seem like he was willing?

Watching his son’s face grow paler, Wang Lijun collapsed to the floor in despair. ”Having you as a son is my fault. I should have killed you along with that slutty woman right from the start!”

Completely petrified by the photos, Wang Wei said, ”Dad, how do you have this?”

”How? Don’t call me Dad! I don’t have a son like you,” Wang Lijun laughed bitterly on the floor. ”Because of you, it’s all your fault. I’ve lost my job, and after spending so much money on your sponsorship fees, this is how you repay me!”

”Dad, what are you talking about? I didn’t do it willingly,” Wang Wei sat up, but the pain in his buttocks forced him back down a bit. ”It’s not my fault this got blown up. Why don’t you go find Luo Qianqian? It’s all that little bitch’s fault! I’ll make her pay for every bit of suffering I’ve endured!”

”Luo Qianqian?” Wang Lijun had a revelation. He needed a belief to hold up this household, and now revenge on Luo Qianqian became his resolve.

”Dad, what’s wrong with you?” Wang Wei looked at the suddenly ferocious man before him and hesitantly spoke.

”I’m not your father, you’re on your own from now on.” He then left the salary he had just received, turned around, opened the door, and left. It was all Luo Qianqian’s fault; if it weren’t for her, he would have been able to continue his current lifestyle.

Wang Wei was stunned but then thought about being the biological son, and he came to terms with it, where else could he not return to? It was just a spur-of-the-moment angry remark, apologizing properly would be fine. Then, without a care in the world, he lay down and continued to sleep.

After leaving the house, Wang Lijun drove to the bank, withdrew a sum of money, and casually checked into a motel.

The evening paper the next day displayed an apology on the front page, issuing an apology to First Middle School, stating that the responsible reporter had been fired, clarifying the report as fabricated, and willing to compensate for First Middle School’s losses.

Everything was within Luo Qianqian’s expectations, as long as the photos reached the newspaper office.

It was the street gossip that won over the newspaper reporters, but she felt somewhat panicked.

The news Lin Jiayou brought back that night made her even more panicked, Wang Lijun had disappeared.

Wang Wei said this; he had planned to apologize the previous night, but when he had not seen the man return by dawn, and his phone calls remained unanswered the next day, he realized he had been abandoned.

Lin Jiayou knew a bit more, such as Wang Lijun’s whereabouts, that someone was monitoring, and the reason for telling Luo Qianqian was because someone had found out that Wang Lijun had purchased dangerous items, and there might be an accidental casualty.

”I’m just a junior high student, is it necessary? That’s being a bit too petty,” Luo Qianqian pouted, looking at Lin Jiayou, ”So what should I do? Take leave? Or drop out of school?”

”You just can’t wait to skip school,” Luo Shufan rolled his eyes.

”What else, going out is dangerous, but staying home is no safer, right? Who knows, one might get arsoned or murdered? Or succumb to carbon monoxide poisoning?” Luo Qianqian counted on her fingers, she wanted to add ’murdered in a secret chamber’, but that would definitely be met with the retort of watching too many cartoons.

”You have a point,” Luo Shufan nodded seriously, ”I’ll send you to Grandpa’s house then.”

Luo Qianqian looked at her brother’s serious expression and her lips twitched – he couldn’t be serious, right? She then said, ”If I leave, there’s still you and mom, if they can’t find me, won’t you both become the targets of revenge?” Luo Qianqian shook her head, if Grandpa found out about this, wouldn’t he come over with his walking stick and break Wang Lijun’s head?

”Qianqian also makes sense,” Lin Jiayou frowned, Auntie was completely defenseless after all.

”He doesn’t know Mom,” Luo Shufan firmly disagreed with his sister staying.

”He’s a journalist, my dear brother, what wouldn’t a reporter do for a story? Lie motionless, or in hiding, that’s what you call dedication.” Luo Qianqian didn’t look at Luo Shufan but turned her head to the window, ”Got it, I have a plan now!”