The Sweetest Marriage Ch.344

Chapter 344 – Rumors Spread

In the downstairs living room, Wei Chen watched as Chen Li descended, and he went up to greet him.

“Li Li?”

Chen Li shook his head at Wei Chen and said, “Achen, don’t worry.”

Wei Chen understood Chen Li very well. In that sentence and gesture, he discerned what Chen Li was thinking and the choices he had made.

He reached out, embracing Chen Li tightly, one hand caressing his hair, his voice slightly hoarse. “Li Li, you know, I don’t want to see you hurt or endure any pain. But whatever your choice is, I’ll support you.”

Chen Li smiled, his eyes curving. “Thank you, Achen.”

‘Thank you for coming into my world, bringing sunshine and color.’

Lan Xiping and Jiang Ye stood to the side. Jiang Ye held Lan Xiping’s hand, and they couldn’t help but exchange a glance.

Compared to the love between Wei Chen and Chen Li, they felt incredibly fortunate. Though they had their daily squabbles, it was just minor emotions in their life.

Little did they expect the amount of suffering Wei Chen and Chen Li had to endure between them.

Fortunately, both of them loved each other deeply and trusted each other wholeheartedly, enabling them to overcome difficulties and pain together.

Jiang Ye and Lan Xiping believed that Wei Chen and Chen Li’s future would undoubtedly be happy and fulfilling, and Chen Li would be able to completely embrace this imperfect world.

Since Chen Li had chosen to face it, Wei Chen chose not to hide anything from him, recounting every detail of what had happened these past few days.

It all started on the Q University campus forum. An anonymous person posted a video, taken at the restaurant downstairs from the Changfeng Group building.

Wei Chen opened his computer and showed Chen Li the video.

In the video, several students approached Wei Chen and Chen Li’s table, faint voices indicating they wanted Chen Li’s guidance in painting.

Subsequently, Wei Chen stood up, declined their request, and asked the restaurant manager to remove them. When they didn’t leave, he had the ringleader slapped a few times.

The person who uploaded the video added text below, claiming to be one of the students at that time. The words were filled with emotion, portraying a pitiable image.

“I admit, it was our fault to disturb Mr. Chen Li while he was dining. I sincerely apologize to Mr. Chen Li for that. However, we were too excited at that moment, after all, seeing the legendary Mr. Chen Li (for those who don’t know, you can search about Mr. Chen Li’s legendary deeds). Hence, we couldn’t control our admiration and wanted Mr. Chen Li to guide us. When we realized Mr. Chen Li was unwilling, we apologized. But as you saw in the video, Mr. Chen Li not only had the restaurant manager kick us out but also had someone hit my classmate.”

After watching the video, Chen Li’s face swelled with anger. How could they twist the truth like this? They were the ones at fault. They were rejected, yet they didn’t leave. How did it become his fault now?

Wei Chen squeezed Chen Li’s hand, trying to calm him down.

The video was clearly edited, showing only a few controversial scenes. However, due to the editor’s skill, the video appeared seamless, like a continuous shot. If one didn’t scrutinize it closely, it was hard to detect the editing.

It seemed like the other party came prepared.

The comments below the video were overwhelmingly negative. Someone even copied Chen Li’s resume for reference, commenting on his early fame and how it explained his high-mindedness.

Then came a flood of criticisms about Chen Li’s actions, though it didn’t escalate to the level of attacking or cursing someone to death.

But the real drama came later.

About an hour after that post, another explosive thread appeared on the Q University campus forum. Within minutes, it became the hottest topic.

The post was titled “The Dirty Deeds of the Once Famous Painter from 818 Years Ago.” Wei Chen glanced at Chen Li but hesitated to click on the thread.

“Achen, I’m fine,” Chen Li assured him, nodding earnestly.

Only then did Wei Chen open the post.

Chen Li leaned in closer to read the content on the computer screen.

The post exposed details about Chen Li’s identity and the things between Chen Li and Wei Chen.

The whistleblower wrote: “Hehe, I was bored today and stumbled upon a video next door, exposing that white-eyed wolf Chen Li. It’s truly gratifying! I won’t bother with curses; let me spill the dirty deeds of Chen Li and his husband. Yes, you read that right, Chen Li is gay, his husband is a man, and holds a considerable position. Those who followed Chen Li before probably know this.

“Let’s get to the gossip. Let me tell you what dirty things Chen Li and his husband did. I believe friends from Shanghai know about the Chen and Wei families, the two prominent families.”

Well, it’s true that Chen Li is from the Chen family, and Chen Li’s husband, Wei Chen, is from the Wei family and notably recognized as the heir. Due to a business union, Chen Li and Wei Chen got married. It’s evident that the Chen family treated Chen Li well, choosing for him a husband who belongs to a prominent family.

Chen Li had a somewhat unique status within the Chen family; he was the illegitimate child of the youngest son of the Chen family patriarch. However, this youngest son pursued art and left Chen Li behind. How could the patriarch of the Chen family bear to see an infant left alone? He decided to raise Chen Li under the name of the eldest son, making him a young master in the Chen family.

For twenty years, Chen Li lived in the Chen family with all the necessities and privileges enjoyed by a regular young master. The patriarch of the Chen family knew of his fondness for Wei Chen from the Wei family and tried everything to arrange a union between the two families, leading to Chen Li’s marriage to Wei Chen.

For a big family to treat an illegitimate child this way seemed to be going above and beyond. However, the Chen family never expected that this marriage would plunge their entire family into an irrecoverable abyss!

Chen Li, this cunning person, conspired with the Wei family and embezzled the Chen family’s assets.

“I won’t delve into the details of their struggles, but now, the prominent Chen family in Shanghai has fallen. The father and son of the Chen family are living in constant uncertainty, and their only son, Chen Qing, was framed by Wei Chen and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Alas, why do good people often meet such unfortunate ends? Such a fine family was ruined because of Chen Li, the schemer.

Of course, you don’t have to believe what I say. After all, I certainly don’t have evidence of the high-level conflicts. However, you can verify it yourself. Check whether the former Chen Corp now belongs to Chen Li or Wei Chen.”

The post’s author seemed quite serious, as if they were witnessing these events unfold and expressed themselves without extreme bias. It appears as if they were genuinely a bystander feeling indignant about the downfall of a family.

In response to this exposé, someone immediately posted a list of the current top shareholders in the companies previously owned by the Chen family. Shockingly, Wei Chen ranked first!

Now, even the onlookers who were waiting and watching believed that if this revelation wasn’t a result of collusion between Wei Chen and Chen Li to deceive the Chen family, how else could the shares of the Chen family’s enterprises end up in Wei Chen’s hands?

After such connections were made, the truth seemed to be on the verge of revelation.

Surprisingly, there are very few people criticizing Wei Chen, but there’s a whole bunch criticizing Chen Li. After all, Chen Li received so much kindness from the Chen family. They raised and nurtured him, helping him become a world-class master artist. How could he turn around and aid in destroying the Chen family?

Ungrateful and cunning! These labels were immediately slapped onto Chen Li, and people commenting below the post were extremely harsh on him.

Some extremists even spewed hateful words, wishing for Chen Li’s immediate demise.

Of course, Wei Chen didn’t show these comments to Chen Li. However, he was deeply worried after reading the exposé. When Wei Chen turned to look at Chen Li, unlike yesterday when Chen Li broke down, now he was just really angry, his cheeks flushed with rage.

“Li Li?” Wei Chen was somewhat puzzled. What had caused Chen Li’s breakdown yesterday?

“Achen, this is utter nonsense! Complete rubbish! When have I ever received any favor from the Chen family!! It’s all a nonsense, a complete nonsense!” Chen Li was so angry that he couldn’t articulate his words properly.

Wei Chen quickly embraced him, trying to console him. “Yes, yes, they’re all talking nonsense!”

While comforting Chen Li, Wei Chen glanced at Lan Xiping, feeling somewhat confused.

Lan Xiping, noticing Wei Chen’s perplexed look, didn’t hide anything. “Li Li didn’t have a breakdown because of those comments; it was something else. Something triggered deep-seated shadows in him, causing the breakdown.”

“What was it?” Wei Chen urgently inquired.

Chen Li knew what it was himself, his hands involuntarily clenched into fists.

Glancing at Chen Li, Lan Xiping said directly, “Verbal violence.”

Wei Chen furrowed his brow. Chen Li lowered his head.

“I suspect that when Chen Li was young, he faced not only physical violence but also verbal abuse. The direct violence’s shadow faded gradually due to your presence and the happy life you provided.

However, the impact of the verbal abuse remained deeply rooted within LiLi, affecting him more profoundly and making him more vulnerable.”

Lan Xiping paused for a moment, then continued, “Yesterday, Li Li must have heard what others said about him. It’s like hypnosis; those malicious words acted as the key to triggering his breakdown.”

This was Lan Xiping’s deduction after observing Chen Li, and it turned out to be almost spot-on.

Wei Chen looked at Chen Li. “Li Li, is that true?”

Chen Li nodded blankly. Indeed, he had collapsed yesterday after hearing those words. His nightmares were filled with those suffocating remarks.

So… what Aping said was probably right.

Observing Chen Li’s reaction, Lan Xiping knew his deduction was accurate, feeling a surge of anger within. What had the Chen family said to Chen Li back then that led these words to form suggestions in his mind? Once someone touched upon these suggestions, Chen Li would break down.

In essence, it was a form of psychological suggestion.

When a few phrases are repeated in your ears day after day, year after year, even if you know they’re untrue and invalid, after hearing them repeatedly for so long, your subconscious starts to believe them.

Chen Li was probably in this situation now. And when those similar words resounded in his ears again, the psychological suggestion triggered, bringing Chen Li back to that dark and painful time in his life.

What was Chen Li like back then?

That was the darkest and most painful period in Chen Li’s life.

Experiencing that suffocating sensation again, could Chen Li not collapse?

Indeed, mental ailments often require mental remedies.

To make Chen Li believe those words are false and meaningless, he would have to undergo a round of self-denial—not denying himself but denying the subconscious acceptance of those verbally violent expressions.

Once the source is identified, it becomes easier to treat Chen Li’s current condition.

This isn’t something hypnosis can resolve because this psychological suggestion isn’t externally imposed; it’s self-generated by Chen Li.

Therefore, breaking this psychological suggestion would rely on Chen Li himself.

“I know what to do.” Chen Li nodded, having made up his mind.

Wei Chen gently stroked Chen Li’s hair. “Don’t worry, I’ll be by your side.”

Sometimes, things need to break to be rebuilt stronger. Let the storm come fiercer, break through Chen Li’s psychological defenses, and then rebuild them anew.

In this matter, it’s best to temporarily ignore online public opinion, let the situation ferment, and allow rumors to escalate even further.

<< _ >>