The President Made Me Trend

“Mr. Lu, I had no choice but to do this,” the maid pleaded, dropping to her knees in a desperate bid for Lu Yucheng’s forgiveness.

But her act was futile against him. Lu Yucheng’s expression remained as dark as a stormy sky. He scoffed at her excuse, “No choice? Can’t you come up with a better excuse? Was someone holding a gun to your head, forcing you to leak information to the reporters?”

“Well…” The maid dared not meet Lu Yucheng’s eyes, hesitating as if there was more she wanted to say but couldn’t.

Fortunately, even in anger, Mo Qinghuan retained her composure. She sensed the maid’s reluctance to speak openly, so she dismissed the other maids and said to her, “Come with us to the study.”

At this point, the maid didn’t dare defy Mo Qinghuan’s order. She kept her head down and followed Lu Yucheng and Mo Qinghuan upstairs.

However, Lu Yucheng didn’t understand Mo Qinghuan’s approach. He frowned and said, “Qinghuan, I know you mean well, but for a traitor like this, your kindness is just an excuse for them to continue their betrayal. Such a person should be handed over to the Police Station, ruining their future. And I feel even that punishment is too lenient for her.”

As Lu Yucheng’s words reached the maid’s ears, she grew even more frightened. Her whole body trembled with each step she took. Just as Mo Qinghuan had said, she could easily be charged with a few crimes and sent to the Police Station, which would be enough to keep her locked up for years. By the time she got out, with a criminal record, who would dare hire her?

So, once they reached the study, the first thing the maid did was kneel before Mo Qinghuan, pleading tearfully, “Madam, I was wrong. Please don’t send me to the Police Station. I have a young son to care for. I really can’t afford to be imprisoned.”

Mo Qinghuan frowned, looking at the maid who was now in tears. She believed that what the maid was saying wasn’t a lie. Turning to lean on Lu Yucheng’s shoulder, she said to him, still fuming, “Yucheng, don’t you find it strange? This maid has always been reliable. Why would she suddenly betray us today?”

“Maybe the reporters offered her a higher price today?” Lu Yucheng scoffed, convinced that money was at the root of this incident. Otherwise, who would take such a big risk?

Mo Qinghuan didn’t deny this possibility. She stepped forward, lifted the maid’s chin, and forced her to meet her gaze. Her cold eyes were merciless as she pressed, “I’ll ask this only once. Whether you tell the truth or lie, how I deal with you depends entirely on your answer. Understand?”

“Yes, Madam. I made a mistake once, but this time I’ll answer truthfully,” the maid sobbed, tears streaming down her face.

One tear accidentally fell on Mo Qinghuan’s hand. She wiped it off with a tissue and then continued, “Did someone instruct you to do this?”

The question left the maid silent, her eyes darting around as if she was contemplating a lie but feared that the sharp Mo Qinghuan would see right through her. She was at a loss for how to respond.

Casually tossing the tissue into the trash, Mo Qinghuan discerned the maid’s hesitation, a cold smile playing on her lips.

“You can choose to remain silent, and then we’ll proceed as I mentioned downstairs-send you to jail. Of course, you’ll see the light of day again, but before that, consider your son’s situation. I hear you’re a single mother, raising him on your own, aren’t you? What if, during your imprisonment, he ends up in an orphanage and gets adopted by another family? Wouldn’t that bother you?”

These words plunged the maid into despair. As a mother, the thought of being separated from her child was unbearable.

It was this very speech that shattered the maid’s last defenses. She finally lowered her head and confessed.

“Yes, someone did instruct me to do this, but I swear I don’t know who they are. We only communicated by phone. They deposited money into my account, saying that as long as I monitored Mr. Lu and the lady, and called the magazine to spread rumors about you two running away, they would cover my son’s surgery and subsequent treatment costs.”

The maid’s sudden change in behavior was due to her child’s illness, which required a significant amount of money for treatment. Driven by the instinct to protect her child, she had no choice but to comply with the mysterious man’s demands, acting as a spy in the villa and seizing the opportunity to tip off the reporters.

“Alright, to prove you’re telling the truth, call that mysterious person in front of us.” Given her underlying circumstances, Lu Yucheng offered the maid a way out, asking her to contact the person who had orchestrated everything.

The maid nodded in agreement, but after several attempts, the call went unanswered, and eventually, the phone was turned off.

This situation bore some resemblance to the poisoning incident Mo Qinghuan had experienced before. She glanced at Lu Yucheng, who was also looking at her, and said with some concern, “It seems that person is not only targeting me but has started targeting both of us now?”

“Don’t worry, I’m here,” Lu Yucheng reassured her, though he was also puzzled, wondering if this matter could be related to Lu Xuan.

In the end, Lu Yucheng and Mo Qinghuan chose not to report to the police but quietly dismissed the maid as a resolution. Despite the trouble she almost caused them, she was a pitiable figure, working hard to care for her sick child.

In the afternoon, Lu Yucheng suddenly donned a rarely worn suit, using the excuse, “I’m going to the nursing home.”

“But you never wear formal attire when visiting mother-in-law,” Mo Qinghuan called out to the hurried Lu Yucheng, finding his behavior quite odd.

Lu Yucheng merely gave a perfunctory response, “I’m still keeping everything from Mom, not telling her about my current situation. Previously, I could explain my casual attire as being on vacation, but I can’t keep using the same excuse. She’ll get suspicious, won’t she?”

“Are you really not lying to me?” Mo Qinghuan gazed into Lu Yucheng’s eyes, though he was doing his best to avoid meeting hers.

“Why would I lie to you? Stay home and play with Little Bun. I’ll come back in the evening and cook your favorite dishes,” Lu Yucheng smiled.

Just as he was about to turn and leave, Mo Qinghuan suddenly hugged him from behind, resting her cheek against his back. She murmured, “Promise me, don’t lie to me anymore, okay? Yucheng, do you really think I can’t see the lies in your eyes?”

Mo Qinghuan, being an actress, could easily discern whether someone was being truthful or putting on an act. Unable to hold back any longer, she exposed Lu Yucheng’s lie. His attire was clearly not for a trip to the nursing home. Even though his explanation seemed flawless, it failed to convince Mo Qinghuan. She held him, hoping he would honestly tell her the truth.