Chapter 057: The King’s Fall in the Chill, Part 23

On the internet, Alice’s reputation plummeted rapidly because of that video.

Fortunately, Alice Hotel had always been considered the Wang family’s business, without outside investment.

Otherwise, there would have been chaos long ago.

Yet, because of the video, many guests who had booked rooms canceled their reservations.

Wang Jingye’s usually amiable face was now rarely tinged with anger: “What’s going on? I’ve already said the food must be kept clean, and now this mess has happened!”

The meeting room was silent; no one dared to speak.

Le Yixian, sitting beside Wang Jingye, furrowed her brow slightly.

“Have you found a solution?” Wang Jingye looked at the group of managers, who shrank into themselves, furious.

“The security team is reviewing the surveillance footage from that day. However, since Ouyang Zining has been employed for three months, it will take some time to sort through it,” Manager Chang replied.

“And what about the video online?” Wang Jingye pressed.

Manager Chang fell silent.

“Manager Liu!” Wang Jingye called.

The public relations manager snapped back to attention, hesitating a little: “The best approach for now is to issue a public apology first.”

Wang Jingye’s brow knotted into a tight lump; after considering for a moment, he nodded: “Go ahead. Draft the apology letter and let me see it.”

“Yes, sir!”

“These days will be busy, I imagine. The PR department will have to work overtime, but the bonus will be paid accordingly.”

“Thank you, President Wang.”

When the meeting ended, Wang Jingye strode out quickly, with Le Yixian following close behind.

“Sigh, I had hoped to hand Alice over to you in good condition,” Wang Jingye glanced at his daughter, sighing.

“It’s fine. Zining isn’t that kind of person; I think there’s some misunderstanding,” Le Yixian replied.

In the character profile she had created for Ouyang Zining, aside from loving money, she was a strong and diligent young woman.

Picking up a cake from the floor and serving it to a guest was something she would never do.

Alice Hotel placed great emphasis on its kitchen; thus, there were numerous cameras, providing a full 360-degree view. The security department had located the relevant footage and began their search.

Le Yixian watched the video on Weibo again and again, and upon hearing the person filming call Zining’s name, she stood up.

She called Wei Wan’er, who answered quickly: “Xiaoya, I’m about to visit Zining at the hospital. Want to come along?”

“Yes, let’s meet at the hospital entrance,” Le Yixian agreed, greeted Manager Chang, and left.

Before arriving at the hospital, she saw Wei Wan’er holding a bouquet of bright sunflowers, talking to a tall, slender man at the entrance.

The man had his back to her; Le Yixian felt he looked familiar but didn’t think much of it. As she approached, she realized it was Huangfu Lie.

“Zining loves sweet cakes, which is why she became a pastry chef,” Wei Wan’er was saying, then noticed Le Yixian approaching and waved: “Xiaoya, over here.”

Huangfu Lie glanced at Le Yixian, a flash of disdain in his eyes. Wei Wan’er, who always paid attention to his expression, noticed it immediately.

“Wan’er, have you been waiting long?” Le Yixian asked.

“No,” Wei Wan’er shook her head, “I happened to run into President Huangfu and chatted a bit.”

“Alright,” Le Yixian nodded, preoccupied and not inclined to say more.

Wei Wan’er was already used to her recent reticence. The three of them entered the hospital together, with Wei Wan’er chatting to Huangfu Lie along the way, who replied occasionally.

With each response, Wei Wan’er’s face brightened with joy.

Le Yixian glanced at Huangfu Lie’s impassive face, noticing a trace of impatience. She guessed he was only tolerating the situation for Ouyang Zining’s sake and refrained from expressing displeasure outright.

They entered the ward where Ouyang Zining, now awake, lay pale on the bed.

“Zining, we’ve come to see you.” Wei Wan’er hurried forward, happy: “It’s so good you’ve woken up. You scared me to death, tumbling down the stairs for no reason. Didn’t you think about the baby…”

She suddenly stopped, covering her mouth as if remembering something.

“Yes,” Ouyang Zining’s face was still pale; she spoke, “Where is my child?”

A hush fell over the ward.

“I don’t seem to feel the baby anymore? What happened? Where did he go?” Ouyang Zining’s eyes held a hint of confusion.

“Zining, the child is already…” Wei Wan’er began, but was interrupted.

Huangfu Lie shot her a cold look: “You two, please step outside.”

“Why? I don’t trust you with her,” Wei Wan’er glared at him, undaunted even by his icy stare. She said bluntly, “You know it was just a one-night stand. If she hadn’t gotten pregnant with your child, Zining wouldn’t have suffered so much.”

“That’s enough,” Le Yixian glanced at Ouyang Zining, then pulled Wei Wan’er out of the room.

Closing the door, Wei Wan’er pouted, annoyed: “Xiaoya, what are you doing? We can’t leave Zining alone with President Huangfu. She just lost her child; what if she gets too upset?”

“Who told you that?” Le Yixian asked.

Wei Wan’er was confused: “What?”

“I mean, who told you Zining was pregnant and then miscarried?” Le Yixian looked straight at her.

As her words fell, Wei Wan’er’s expression changed slightly, but quickly returned to normal: “Isn’t that something everyone knows? Zining was pregnant, so she could marry President Huangfu.”

“So, you tampered with the path she was about to walk, causing her to fall?” Le Yixian asked, expressionless.

“No, I absolutely didn’t. Don’t wrong me,” Wei Wan’er shook her head. “Zining and I have always been good friends. Why would I hurt her? I think your motive is stronger—you’ve always liked President Huangfu, and he’s marrying Zining, not you, so you were jealous and caused her to lose the child.”

Le Yixian found it laughable. She looked at the girl before her and articulated each word: “Do you know? Very few people knew about Zining’s pregnancy. How did you learn about it?”

Huangfu Lie’s mother, worried that her grandson might be harmed by someone with ulterior motives, had kept it secret, never publicizing it. Only a handful, including Le Yixian, knew Ouyang Zining was pregnant.

“I… I overheard it when we were trying on dresses last time,” Wei Wan’er lifted her chin slightly. “Anyway, I didn’t do anything to harm her.”

“Whether you did or not, the police investigation will reveal the truth,” said a voice.

Both looked up to see Huangfu Shang approaching briskly, followed by two police officers.

“Miss Wei Wan’er, you are now suspected of attempting to harm her life. Please come with us.”