Qin Ruoyao, Pay Back the Money

Luo Yuan had explained everything so clearly that Qin Ruoyao couldn't help but believe him. Indeed, it was Luo Yuan who had done it.

"What about Lin Xuan? Was he involved in this too?" Qin Ruoyao's voice trembled as memories of Lin Xuan's playful smirk on the night of her birthday party flashed through her mind.

"Yes, Lin Xuan and I worked together. I was responsible for obtaining the video, and Lin Xuan handled the exposure," Luo Yuan replied calmly.

"Ah—"

Qin Ruoyao collapsed onto the floor, clutching her head in despair.

She realized she had been nothing more than a pawn, used by everyone—not just Lin Li, but also Lin Xuan and Luo Yuan. Everyone had taken advantage of her!

How bitterly ironic.

She had thought she had won the love of countless men, but in the end, Lin Li had used her to scheme against Lin Xuan, while Lin Xuan and Luo Yuan had colluded to exact revenge on her.

"Waaaaaahhhh."

Qin Ruoyao sobbed. Why did fate treat her this way? She had been raised up high, only to be brutally cast down.

"By the way, Qin Ruoyao, there's one more thing I need to tell you," Luo Yuan said with a malicious grin. "In reality, my family's money was never recovered. My family still went bankrupt, and I never had any money. Do you know where the money I spent on you came from?"

Qin Ruoyao's mind struggled to process his words.

Suddenly, her emotions flared up. "It was Lin Xuan, wasn't it? Lin Xuan gave you the money!"

No, that couldn't be right. Lin Xuan despised her so much that he even risked alienating his own parents just to ruin her reputation. How could he possibly have given her so much money?

"Correct, it was Lin Xuan's money," Luo Yuan confirmed.

So it was true!

"Luo Yuan," Qin Ruoyao stood up, her face pale as she grabbed Luo Yuan's arm. "Why did you and Lin Xuan give me so much money? What are you planning?"

Luo Yuan's cold eyes glared at Qin Ruoyao's hand on his arm.

Qin Ruoyao bit her lip and quickly let go.

Luo Yuan then sneered and explained, "I'll tell you the reason. We gave you that money with no real loss to us because most of it, you're going to have to return."

He had often transferred money to Qin Ruoyao, letting her handle the payments herself.

Lin Xuan had instructed him on how to spend the money in a way that Qin Ruoyao would inevitably have to pay it back.

He had mostly followed Lin Xuan's strategy in lavishing money on Qin Ruoyao.

"I calculated, and you owe me three million and one hundred thousand yuan. I'm giving you three days to gather the funds. Otherwise, I'll take you to court. If you're labeled as someone who doesn't pay her debts, your reputation will take yet another hit." Luo Yuan spoke casually, as if discussing something trivial.

"Here's the detailed list."

Luo Yuan handed Qin Ruoyao a piece of paper. Its lines were crowded with figures detailing all the transfers and purchases he had made for her.

Qin Ruoyao stood frozen, her limbs icy cold, her face ashen.

So this was their true purpose...

These past few months, Luo Yuan had spoiled her with extravagance, making her accustomed to spending lavishly.

He even transferred a substantial sum to her.

Whenever they dined out or went shopping, she was the one footing the bill, never him.

And now, he was holding all this over her head!

She currently only had one hundred thousand yuan left.

How could she possibly repay such a staggering amount?

"No, I won't pay it," Qin Ruoyao shook her head. "It was a gift—a voluntary act! I don't need to return it."

"A gift? You borrowed it from me," Luo Yuan retorted, playing a recording.

Qin Ruoyao's coquettish voice rang out from the device.

"Luo Yuan, this thirty thousand yuan for the bracelet is a loan. I'll return it to you when I have the money."

Similar clips of recordings played one after another, each stabbing into Qin Ruoyao's ears.

Her fists clenched tightly.

Those were merely polite formalities, yet Luo Yuan had recorded them, turning them into evidence.

Luo Yuan relished the sight of Qin Ruoyao's pale, horrified expression before he pocketed the recording device.

"Qin Ruoyao, I advise you to repay the money within three days. It'll save us both time, and settling this privately won't further damage your reputation, don't you agree?"

"Luo Yuan," Qin Ruoyao's voice choked with tears. "I really don't have that kind of money. Please, let me off this time, okay?"

"Let you off? Qin Ruoyao, Lin Xuan and I went through so much trouble planning this. Do you really think we'd just let you off?" Luo Yuan sneered.

Qin Ruoyao bit her lip. "Luo Yuan, if you let me off this time, I'll do anything you want. You've always been interested in me, haven't you? I can be your… your mistress."

She would do anything just to avoid paying that debt.

"Please, spare me. The thought's revolting," Luo Yuan took several steps back, as if avoiding a plague. "I'm leaving. Do your best to gather the money."

"Qin Ruoyao, evil doers reap what they sow. This is your just dessert."

He had a hunch that Lin Xuan's retaliation against Qin Ruoyao wouldn't end here.

Luo Yuan felt a rare sense of satisfaction watching Qin Ruoyao's broken, lifeless figure.

Ah, he finally got his revenge.

With a cheerful tune on his lips, Luo Yuan walked away, leaving Qin Ruoyao slumped on the ground. Her mind buzzed like an electric current.

The situation was clear: Luo Yuan had deliberately set this all up against her. There was no way he would let her off the hook.

Three million and one hundred thousand yuan was an astronomical sum.

What could she possibly do?

Qin Ruoyao wandered aimlessly through the school campus like a walking corpse.

How had everything gone so wrong?

In mere months, she had lost everything—Lin Xuan, Lin Li, and Luo Yuan had all turned their backs on her.

Now, she was burdened with this crushing debt.

Everything had changed.

Qin Ruoyao felt as if her life should have been different. She should have become Lin Xuan's wife and secretly entangled with Lin Li.

She should have always been hailed and adored, never reviled as repulsive and shameless.

"Mom,"

Qin Ruoyao returned home and clutched her mother's waist, sobbing uncontrollably.

She poured out everything to her mother.

Determined to help, Qin's Mother quickly sought legal advice. The lawyer confirmed the situation: Qin Ruoyao indeed owed the money.

Though reluctant to part with the funds, Qin's Mother used her entire savings to pay Luo Yuan back.

Many of Qin Ruoyao's jewelry pieces were also sold.

They had lived in a luxury apartment in an upscale community, a two-hundred-square-meter flat. They didn't own a property—it was rented.

This disaster left them penniless.

They were forced to move out of their lavish flat.

Worried about her deteriorating mental state, Qin's Mother pulled some strings to secure Qin Ruoyao's leave from school.

Meanwhile, Shen Qianqian's situation unfolded differently.

Shen's Father adamantly opposed her engagement to Lin Xuan. Determined, Shen Qianqian resorted to fasting, refusing to eat or drink to protest her father's decision.

After two days of endurance, Shen Qianqian finally could no longer hold on, collapsing from hunger.