A Beijing socialite stole my boyfriend; she went crazy after I got married.

In the intensive care unit.

The windows were welded with sturdy iron bars, and uniformed police officers were on duty at the door 24 hours a day.

Inside the ward, Xie Qingyang, wearing a loose blue and white striped hospital gown, leaned against the metal-framed hospital bed with an IV in his hand.

After more than two months of detention and investigation, she lost a lot of weight and looked very unwell.

"Xie Qingyang, a lawyer has requested a meeting with him."

The police pushed open the door and solemnly led in a lawyer carrying a briefcase and wearing a dark gray business suit.

"The meeting will last twenty minutes, during which no prohibited items may be passed between the parties, and the entire meeting will be recorded."

"Understood, officer."

The woman who walked in was a middle-aged woman in her early thirties with a calm expression.

She carried a briefcase, wore ordinary black-rimmed glasses, and had a badge of a public lawyer on her chest.

The lawyer sat down on the plastic chair in front of the hospital bed, took out an official document, and said, "I am the designated defense lawyer assigned to you by the Legal Aid Center. My surname is Chen."

Xie Qingyang leaned back against the cushions, looking at the other person's simple suit, and asked with difficulty, "...Attorney Chen, which university did you graduate from?"

Attorney Chen glanced at her. "Ms. Xie, the criminal case you are suspected of could carry a sentence of more than ten years in prison. Furthermore, all your funds are currently under judicial seizure and freezing, and you are unable to hire a lawyer yourself. The Bureau of Justice has appointed legal aid for you in accordance with the law. If you are not satisfied with my defense and refuse my representation, you may choose to defend yourself, but the legal proceedings will not be suspended as a result."

Xie Qingyang gripped the bed sheet tightly, her fingernails almost piercing her palms.

She took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the dull ache in her chest, and suddenly leaned forward, lowering her voice to say:

"Attorney Chen... since you are my defense lawyer, I now request that you immediately file a civil lawsuit against Tianyu Group and Xie Jing in court! I want to sue him for misappropriating my father Xie Rong's estate! I want to apply for pre-trial preservation of some of Tianyu Group's assets!"

Attorney Chen looked up at her, his eyes devoid of any emotion, even carrying a hint of cold indifference as if he had seen through her dying struggle:

"Ms. Xie, the complete set of documents preserved by the Economic Crime Investigation Department and the Notary Office shows that Mr. Xie Rong's will is legal and valid, and the funds have already been transferred in a designated manner. The duty of the government-sponsored legal aid is to provide criminal defense for your alleged insider trading and money laundering crimes, not to represent you in civil tort cases that have no factual basis."

"No factual basis?!" Xie Qingyang roared. "I am Xie Rong's only biological daughter in this world! He would rather donate money to those dying paupers and other women than give it to me?! This was definitely written under Xie Jing's pressure! As long as the lawsuit is filed, Tianyu's stock price will continue to fall! Xie Jing cares most about Tianyu's reputation; to settle this, he will definitely give me the money!"

She closed her eyes briefly. "Go and pass on my message... If he's willing to give me one million US dollars to lift the judicial seizure on my overseas accounts, I'll drop the lawsuit! I won't harass him anymore! I'm sure the news has spread by now! Everyone outside knows there's internal strife within the Xie family! Tianyu Group's stock price has definitely been affected!"

Xie Qingyang boasted that he had already lowered his requirements to the bare minimum.

It's just a mere million!

Xie Jing's cars alone cost more than this!

As long as she gets the money and goes back to the United States, she will be able to make a comeback sooner or later!

Attorney Chen took off his glasses and rubbed his temples.

"Ms. Xie, please wake up."

Attorney Chen sighed, "First, you are now suspected of serious financial crimes. Second, Tianyu Group's stock price has not been affected at all; in fact, it hit a record high last week."

Xie Qingyang's breath hitched. "What did you say... a record high? Impossible! With such a major cross-border legal dispute, overseas short-selling institutions won't let them off the hook!"

"The overseas short-selling institutions were liquidated by Tianyu Group and several major overseas sovereign wealth funds two months ago."

Attorney Chen took out a tablet computer from his briefcase. "Besides, the chairman of Tianyu got married, and it even made the news."

Xie Qingyang's pupils contracted as he stared intently at the tablet: "He...he's married?"

"Don't you know?"

Attorney Chen glanced at the surveillance camera on the hospital room ceiling. "The chairman of Tianyu and his wife held their wedding last week on a private island in the South Pacific. The wedding was covered in full by major global financial media and top fashion magazines, and was hailed as 'the most extravagant wedding of the century'."

"Jiang Chu...wedding?!"

These two words were like a sharp knife, piercing Xie Qingyang's heart!

She screamed, "Impossible! Jiang Chuzhen can marry him? The two of them—"

Attorney Chen looked at her, completely bewildered. Helpless, he turned the tablet screen towards Xie Qingyang on the hospital bed and pressed play.

"The video is an edited version of Tianyu Group's official documentary. You can watch it yourself."

The screen lights up.

In high-definition picture quality, the flawless blue sky and the emerald-like shallow sea instantly leap onto the screen.

That was the official documentary of Tianyu Group's wedding—

In the middle of the vast ocean, the entire island is like a fairyland.

The man, who was always cold-blooded, aloof, and wielding life and death power in the business world, was dressed in a magnificent black suit, gazing at his bride in the distance.

The scene then shifts to various prominent figures who are usually only seen on the evening news, all raising their glasses to toast the newlyweds.

The world on the screen is grand, luxurious, and so blissful it's dizzying.

"No...no...how could this be..."

Xie Qingyang almost tore the bed sheet to shreds.

If she had the strength.

She snatched the tablet, but accidentally exited the app and then saw another page.

—The candlestick chart of Tianyu Group stock on major global financial terminals.

The curve representing Tianyu's stock price is breaking historical records with an almost arrogant and ferocious momentum!

The market was flooded with massive buy orders, pushing the market capitalization to an unprecedented astronomical figure.

Below the candlestick chart, a banner scrolls with globally sensational financial headlines:

[Tianyu Group's cooperation with a sovereign wealth fund is finalized, and its stock price hits a new all-time high! The chairman's wedding is also held on the same day, attracting top global political and business figures to the South Pacific!]

"No...this is impossible..."

Xie Qingyang stared intently at the soaring stock price and massive trading volume, his fingernails scratching harsh marks on the tablet screen.

Why should I?!

Why should Xie Jing, that lowly bastard, have all of this?!

"It's fake...it's all fake!!"

Extreme anger, humiliation, despair and hatred transformed into a raging torrent of bloodlust, instantly shattering the last vestiges of reason!

"Xie Jing! Jiang Chu! I'm going to kill you all—!!"

She let out a shrill scream like a vengeful ghost, and suddenly struggled to get up from the hospital bed, wildly waving her hands as if trying to smash the tablet computer!

next second.

An unimaginable, explosive, dull pain suddenly erupted from behind her sternum, instantly tearing her entire chest cavity apart!

"puff!"

A mouthful of blood spurted out, splattering onto the white sheets and the cold ground.

"Beep—beep—beep—!!!!"

Inside the ward, the electrocardiogram monitor instantly sounded the highest level red alarm!

The piercing alarm shattered the deathly silence of the corridor, and the blood pressure and heart rate readings on the screen skyrocketed to the critical point of death!

Attorney Chen quickly put away the tablet, stepped back, and pressed the emergency call button by the bedside.

Police and medical staff burst in instantly, frantically pushing rescue equipment toward the bedside.

"Quick! Prepare for intravenous administration of antihypertensive medication! Prepare for resuscitation!"

Amidst the chaotic shouts of medical staff and the hum of the defibrillator, Xie Qingyang's world grew increasingly dark.

In the last second before her consciousness faded, the last image that remained in her mind was still that blindingly blue South Pacific sky.