Top Dupe CH 044 To Clarity And Decisiveness Part 1

“Officers, I've thought through the whole process of what must've happened. Hu Wei kept urging me to toast Jiang Yunxie. When I walked past him with my wine glass, I accidentally bumped into Hu Wei, spilling wine down his neck. So, I put down my glass to help him wipe his collar. When I picked up the glass again, I must have grabbed his by mistake. By a stroke of luck, I avoided a disaster.”

This matched the accounts given by others present.

"Why did you pretend to be in distress when you were clearly fine? It's reported that you looked pained and had difficulty breathing, but the hospital tests showed no harmful substances apart from alcohol."

"Officers, my alcohol tolerance is low, and that glass was already my limit. I couldn’t refuse Jiang Yunxie's invitation but wanted to leave early. So, I planned to toast him and then pretend to feel unwell. I had my excuse ready—I’d say I took some anti-inflammatory medication that causes a disulfiram-like reaction with alcohol, and then I could leave early!”

The officer taking the statement nodded for him to continue.

Luo Yu took the thermos cup from the table, his hands trembling slightly as he opened it. “Who would’ve thought… I just felt dizzy and unwell from drinking too quickly and collapsed. Before I could even give my excuse, Jiang Yunxie suddenly panicked and accused Hu Wei of giving me too much of the drug! Imagine how terrified I was then. Could I just stand up and pretend everything was fine? I was also scared, scared that Jiang Yunxie would realize his plan hadn’t worked on me and might try something else. The safest way was to keep pretending to feel unwell so they’d send me to the hospital.”

Luo Yu looked genuinely shaken, explaining that he faked discomfort to escape from Jiang Yunxie's clutches.

Moreover, he had no opportunity to frame Hu Wei and Jiang Yunxie in advance. There were no fingerprints of Luo Yu on the drug packet and pills found in Hu Wei’s pocket. Ultimately, according to Hu Wei's confession and the conversation Jiang Yinchuan overheard, Luo Yu was the victim here, albeit a very lucky one.

After the police left, Luo Yu was cleared for discharge. As Sister Cui handled the discharge paperwork, he turned on his phone and found that news about Jiang Yunxie had made the headlines.

Jiang Yunxie was still bewildered; he had only used a little "relaxant," so how had it turned into a ticket to jail?

Although the headline was quickly suppressed, netizens were outraged, given Jiang Yunxie's long history of indiscretions. However, Luo Yu’s name didn’t appear in the list, thanks to Jiang Yinchuan’s special protection.

Luo Yu remembered how, in his past life, he had indeed fallen for Hu Wei and Jiang Yunxie's tricks, ending up in the same room with Jiang Yinchuan.

But Jiang Yinchuan was principled and self-disciplined. The drug in his tea was not strong, and he managed to call his secretary before the paparazzi arrived, hiding in the emergency exit while his secretary took Luo Yu away. The paparazzi found nothing.

That incident had left a deep scar on young Luo Yu and was the catalyst for his departure from the industry.

In this life, Luo Yu and Jiang Yinchuan had teamed up to avoid the crisis, turning Hu Wei and Jiang Yunxie against each other. Luo Yu, as an unexpected escapee, was protected by the police, who couldn't publicly name him as a victim.

Due to the negative publicity, Honghe Film and Television’ stock plummeted, causing unrest among shareholders who bombarded Jiang Yunxie's father, Jiang Hui, with calls for accountability. The public was also watching how Honghe Film and Television would handle the situation.

Jiang Hui brainstormed countless ways to rescue Jiang Yunxie.

The secretary asked if they should contact Luo Yu, offering benefits to get him to speak favorably for Jiang Yunxie.

But with the police having recorded statements, altering testimony would risk backfiring. Besides, there were multiple eyewitnesses to handle.

Jiang Hui said wearily, “Luo Yu hasn’t gone online to claim victimhood for sympathy, and that’s already a blessing. If he cries out and the issue goes viral, it’ll be impossible to suppress. Are you going to ask him to lie to the police for Jiang Yunxie? If he records that conversation and leaks it… Yun Xie will be doomed! Where is Jiang Yinchuan?”

“He’s here, just outside.”

Jiang Yinchuan entered as the secretary left, leaving the room to the two of them.

Jiang Hui took a deep breath, pressed his temples, and asked, “Tell me, did you set Yun Xie up?”

Jiang Yinchuan’s heart iced over. He looked long and hard at the man who once ruled the entertainment industry, now wrapped around his younger son's mother’s finger. No matter how much he accomplished, in Jiang Hui's eyes, he could never compare to the troublesome younger son.

—It’s true, old houses burn the brightest, and using all of Honghe Film and Television as fuel to boot. (TN: “old house burn the brightest”=description of an older person reclaiming their spring)

“You think I set him up? Father, how old are you this year?”

“What do you mean?” Jiang Hui asked through gritted teeth.

“If you’re in your eighties or nineties, I’d understand—maybe you’ve got Alzheimer’s.”

“Jiang Yinchuan! How dare you!” Jiang Hui was already frazzled by calls from shareholders and the media, and now his anger was compounded by Jiang Yinchuan’s lack of intervention when he could have prevented it all on the scene back then.

“Father, are you really my father? Think about what you just said. Why don’t you ask Jiang Yunxie if he ordered that pot of Longjing tea for me, if he sourced the drug, if he intended to get Luo Yu drunk and drugged my tea to see the outcome?”

Jiang Hui knew all this from the lawyer and was furious. But last night, Jiang Yunxie's mother had cried in his arms, blaming Jiang Yinchuan's constant sarcasm for Jiang Yunxie's actions. She said it was just like a fight between brothers, nothing serious, until the club reported it to the police.

“You’re unharmed, aren’t you? He’s still a Jiang. You watched him get in trouble and hit the headlines. Didn’t you consider our stock price?”

“What if it were me? What if I made the headlines today? Would the stock not fall? Would you rush to clear my name or distance yourself from me? Think about it—when I am ruined, who will cover for your precious son's failed investments?”

“You’re his older brother; can’t you share some credit with him…”

Jiang Hui’s words trailed off as he noticed Jiang Yinchuan’s cold smile, as if he had anticipated this.

“Even when Yun Xie is forty or fifty, you’d still say that.”

With that, Jiang Yinchuan walked out, his heart aching.

His mother wasn’t one to flatter her husband, and when she was in the hospital, Jiang Hui was out with a mistress. Jiang Yinchuan’s grandfather had dragged Jiang Hui out and beaten him, marking the most humiliating moment of Jiang Hui's life. Ever since, Jiang Hui couldn't see Jiang Yinchuan without recalling that disgrace.

Leaving the company, Jiang Yinchuan felt lost.

For the first time, he realized how vast the world was, yet he had no place in it.

He was a thorn in his father's side. The more successful he was, the more he reminded Jiang Hui that his position was secured through his first wife’s connections.

Perhaps that’s why Jiang Hui kept giving Jiang Yinchuan’s achievements to Jiang Yunxie, trying to balance his own psychological scales.

Jiang Yinchuan rode his motorcycle, blindly navigating the road.

By the time he knew it, night fell, and lights illuminated everywhere, rendering the world both unfamiliar and cold.

On the road, he spotted a somewhat familiar figure. Had the man not been wearing the coat and scarf from that evening, Jiang Yinchuan wouldn't have connected this man pushing a shopping cart with Luo Yu.

Luo Yu walked on the sidewalk, wearing a woolen hat, a black mask, and a scarf wrapped around, revealing only his eyes.

After waking from a nap, Luo Yu saw the announcement from Honghe Film and Television. Firstly, it apologized for the negative social impact caused by Jiang Yunxie, secondly, it relieved Jiang Yunxie of all duties, and thirdly, it initiated an internal investigation into all contracts and projects handled by Jiang Yunxie.

Such an announcement from Honghe Film and Television indicated not only shareholder dissatisfaction due to plummeting stock prices but also confirmed suspicions against Jiang Yunxie. Jiang Hui would find it difficult to whitewash him now; if no action were taken, even the chairman himself would face consequences.

Luo Yu felt relieved and decided to continue the hot pot he missed last time. He grabbed his cart and headed to the supermarket to buy lots of vegetables, meat, and some beer.

Little did he expect, someone stopped him at the entrance of the community.

"Luo Yu, you've got quite the guts," said the helmeted Jiang Yinchuan on his motorcycle.

In a past life, Jiang Yinchuan had been his staunch fan, attending every one of his plays and later supporting him when he switched to television dramas. Back then, Jiang Yinchuan always had a driver and wasn't the daredevil motorcyclist he was now.

"On such a cold day... still riding a motorcycle? You've got guts; be careful it doesn't freeze," Luo Yu remarked coolly.

"Freeze? Where?" Jiang Yinchuan lowered his head, checking his front and rear wheels. This bike wouldn't freeze.

"I'm not talking about the motorcycle," Luo Yu replied flatly.

Jiang Yinchuan laughed involuntarily, dismounted, and approached him. "Jiang Hui suspects you're with me, thinking we teamed up to put Jiang Yunxie away. Given his affection for Jiang Yunxie, he might retaliate against you. Yet, you seem unworried, even buying groceries?"

"He won't dare retaliate. Afraid I'll make headlines as a determined victim. When that time comes he would be desperately trying to suppress the news while his opponents would buy traffic for him. His least desire now is to provoke me. So, I'm in a good mood, celebrating with hot pot. Did Vice President Jiang have dinner?" Luo Yu asked.

"I didn't have an appetite earlier. But seeing you, I'm hungry. Can I join for a meal?" Jiang Yinchuan requested.

Luo Yu nodded casually, "Sure, come in. Looks like you're homeless."

"Me, homeless?" Jiang Yinchuan glanced at the entrance of Luo Yu's community, “Even if you sold your house you won't even be able to afford the bathroom in my place."

"I thought a home meant someone lit a lamp for you, waited for you, genuinely felt your weariness, listened to your worries, and cared for you," Luo Yu replied sincerely.

Jiang Yinchuan paused, “Why do I feel like you are alluding to something?”

“I'm alluding that we are the same, with no home to return to. Do you know what the feeling of returning home and finding the lights on is like?"

"Someone waiting for you?" Jiang Yinchuan asked.

"No, annoyed because you forgot to turn off the lights when you went out, wasting electricity."

Jiang Yinchuan laughed and followed Luo Yu into his building.

He didn't know why. In theory, if someone had warned him about issues with the tea the way Luo Yu did, he'd be cautious but wouldn't suspect the person didn't have ulterior motives. After all, who in this world would be so kind without a hidden agenda?

Moreover, everyone knew that kissing up to Jiang Yunxie was far more useful than pleasing Jiang Yinchuan.

But this time, Luo Yu's warning made him think that Luo Yu simply wanted to help.

Luo Yu's apartment was indeed small, a standard two-bedroom, one-living-room unit, minimally decorated.

“President Jiang, please sit. Let me boil some water. Do you prefer spicy or mild for the hot pot?" Luo Yu asked.

"Spicy. I don't eat the seafood side much. Also..." Jiang Yinchuan hesitated for a moment and said, "Don't call me Mr. Jiang. I'm not used to it. In the industry, they all call me Vice President Jiang, fearing I don't know I'm just a vice. My younger brother Jiang Yunxie is the President Jiang."

As he spoke, Jiang Yinchuan rolled up his sleeves and began washing vegetables in the sink for Luo Yu.