Chapter 20: It Has Nothing to Do With Me

While Lin Ting and Shang Moting were having lunch, the internet was already flooded with news about Lin Shan and the Lin family.

[Lin Shan and a mysterious man kidnap Lin Ting’s friend]
[Lin Jinchuan announces severing ties with Lin Ting]
[Lin Shan bribed the media to slander Lin Ting]
[The Shen couple leaves the scene]
[The Shen family cancels the engagement banquet]
[Lin Shan orchestrates meeting with Shen Haochen]

Nearly half of the top fifty trending topics were about the Lin and Shen families. The media moved quickly—barely back at the office, they sorted through the information and immediately released it. Thus, the trending topic about [Lin Ting meeting a man at a hotel at night] no longer warranted any response from her. Now, all the outrage was directed at Lin Shan.

No one cared anymore who the pixelated young man in the video was or what their relationship might be.

“This Lin Shan is truly vicious. She’s capable of anything.”
“I’d say this is a case of self-inflicted misery. Without all the chaos she caused, I doubt Lin Ting would have even shown up at the family reunion banquet. When Lin Jinchuan said he was cutting ties, Lin Ting’s happiness didn’t seem fake—she was genuinely relieved.”
“She thinks that what she cares about matters to others too—spreading rumors and threats. Truly malicious. People like her should be locked up.”
“And some comments in the section—don’t expose your underdeveloped brains. The video only shows Lin Ting entering and leaving with a man. So what? Why so hateful and lacking basic decency?”
“To speak ill of a young girl like that shows no moral conscience. Has your brain and large intestine switched places?”
“Has anyone whispered in your ear what she’s suffered over the years? Spouting rumors and sexual innuendo like it’s nothing—it’s disgusting.”
“Lin Ting was trafficked for so many years. With her beauty, you can imagine what she went through.”
“No matter what, it’s never right to joke about someone’s suffering, especially with such vulgar jokes. Truly low-class and uncultured!”
“Lin Jinchuan seems like he’s lost his mind. What kind of father is that? If I disappeared for so many years, my dad would be supporting me, not cutting me off.”
“Good riddance to the Lin family. They’re nothing but trouble. Hope they go bankrupt soon.”

...

The Shen family’s engagement banquet was canceled. Shen Haochen was taken back home. Lin Shan and Li Yu were both brought to the police station. The Lin family was engulfed in a media storm, and Lin Jinchuan’s reputation took a severe hit—especially with the engagement banquet canceled and no backing left. The company fell into crisis, and many partnerships collapsed, causing the Lin family to suffer significant financial losses.

Lin Jinchuan, exhausted and worn, sat in the company office, listening to one bad piece of news after another, as if his soul had left his body.

Meanwhile, after lunch, Lin Ting contacted a lawyer. She wanted to draft a formal agreement—if the relationship was to be severed, it had to be thorough, not just words spoken casually.

...

That evening, Lin Ting invited Shang Moting to dinner. To show her sincerity, she reserved an entire seaside restaurant. The two watched the night view of the coast while enjoying their meal. It was a very pleasant scene.

Whether Shang Moting was comfortable or not, Lin Ting felt relaxed and even had a little wine, putting her in a good mood.

Fireworks lit up the sky by the sea, bursting one after another with beautiful colors.

Lin Ting admired the stunning display, thinking how nice it was for the restaurant to offer a fireworks show. She gazed out at the night sky.

Shang Moting watched her profile.

A waiter approached carrying a bottle of wine. “Sir, this is a gift from our restaurant,” he said.

Shang Moting looked at him. The waiter lowered his gaze slightly, bowed a little, and placed the bottle on the table.

Suddenly, he threw down the tray and pulled out a dagger, lunging at Shang Moting.

The dagger gleamed under the light, its reflection casting on Lin Ting’s face.

She turned to see Shang Moting grasping the waiter’s wrist, forcing the dagger to drop onto the table.

Then he kicked the waiter’s calf, causing him to kneel beside the table.

Lin Ting immediately stood up.

Shang Moting pressed the waiter’s hand firmly on the table, picked up the dropped dagger, and stabbed it into the man’s palm.

The waiter screamed in agony, his hand pinned to the table.

Lin Ting quietly drew a breath.

Throughout the whole scene, Shang Moting’s expression remained unchanged.

“The majority of the waitstaff here are impostors,” Fang Cheng glanced at Lin Ting and said.

Shang Moting looked coldly at the man kneeling in pain beside the table. “Leave one alive,” he said, indicating the others could be dealt with at will.

“Understood.” Fang Cheng gave Lin Ting another glance before leaving.

Lin Ting looked at the man beside the table, then at Shang Moting, and finally sat back down.

Outside, the fireworks continued to bloom, though their colors had lost the brilliance they once had.

Shang Moting watched the blood dripping from the table.

Lin Ting looked at him and said, “What can I say now to make you believe that these people have nothing to do with me?”

Shang Moting raised his eyes to meet hers.

His face showed no change, but the calmness in his gaze carried an inexplicable pressure—a deadly intent.

Meeting his eyes, Lin Ting felt a pang of despair.

Their already fragile trust had now fallen below zero.

“Hmm…” Lin Ting hesitated, then said, “Though it sounds weak, I still want to say it: it really isn’t me. I have no connection to this.”

Shang Moting continued to look at her, then paused and said, “Kill him. You can spare just one alive.”

It was clear he believed Lin Ting was involved.

Lin Ting pressed her lips together. “Let me explain this to you.”

“Why should I listen?” Shang Moting replied. “Better to kill wrongly than to let go.”

Lin Ting fell silent.

His words drained all her strength and options.

The man kneeling gasped heavily but did not give up struggling.

After a moment, seeing an opportunity, he tried to free his hand pinned to the table.

Before he could, Shang Moting struck his neck with a palm, knocking him unconscious.

Lin Ting twitched her mouth and instinctively touched her own neck.

Shang Moting followed her movement, his gaze fixed on her neck.

Feeling his eyes, Lin Ting covered her neck and asked, “What are you looking at?”

“Feels like it’d be easy to snap,” Shang Moting said.

Lin Ting frowned.

Shang Moting flicked the blood from his fingertips, a faint, unsettling smile playing in his narrowed eyes.

Lin Ting listened to the sounds of the struggle.

She could not fathom what Shang Moting was thinking.

She chose to stay silent, ready to resist the moment he made a move against her.

The two stared at each other in silence for a while before Shang Moting said, “Don’t worry, I won’t harm you here. If they lose, you’ll be my bargaining chip. For now, you’re my insurance.”

Lin Ting: “...”