The Sickly Beauty Gives Up Struggling [Rebirth] Chapter 98

At that moment, Li Rong’s phone buzzed. 

He glanced down to see a new message from none other than Zhang Zhaohe.

[Zhang Zhaohe: Life is yours to live. You have to take responsibility for it.]

Li Rong pocketed his phone without replying and looked back at Geng An. “What else do you know about your class beauty and Han Ying?”

Sensing a subtle tension, Geng An blinked in confusion.

Cen Xiao had just asserted that Han Jiang’s son had always been abroad, suggesting this was merely a case of a shared name. So why was this sharp and striking junior so invested?

Geng An forced a smile. “That’s about all I know. Maybe her close friends back then knew more, but I was too busy with my thesis to pay attention to this sort of thing.”

Li Rong half-rose, grabbed the teapot, and poured himself another cup of tea.

As he watched the tea flow from the spout into his cup, he remarked casually, “Wasn’t it her close friends who spread the lab rumors in the first place?”

Geng An glanced at Cen Xiao’s expression.

Clearly, Cen Xiao was the team leader, yet this striking junior spoke freely, pouring tea for himself alone without showing any deference to Cen Xiao.

And strangely, Cen Xiao didn’t seem to mind at all.

Seeing no reaction from Cen Xiao, Geng An continued hesitantly, “Of course it was. Who else could’ve known what went on in the lab late at night?”

Yu Fuyan: “Ah, that’s how it is with friends. You say not to tell anyone, but the next thing you know, it’s all over the place—especially relationships like this; news spreads fast in the grade.”

Geng An awkwardly replied, “Yeah, back then, if it wasn’t studying, it was all about dating.”

Li Rong, holding his teacup near his lips, blew gently on the rising steam and asked, “What was your class beauty’s name?”

Geng An paused. He couldn’t shake the feeling that Li Rong exuded a certain air of authority beyond his years—a sensation he had also felt around Cen Xiao. 

It almost seemed like Li Rong had subtly taken control of the conversation. Were all young people this formidable nowadays?

Geng An: “Jiang Zheng. Her name was Jiang Zheng—’Jiang’ as in ginger, and ‘Zheng’ as in the guzheng.”

Li Rong smiled faintly. “Thank you. That’s all I needed to know.”

Geng An, feeling uneasy, asked cautiously, “Is this important?”

Li Rong’s eyelids fluttered slightly as he clinked his cup against Cen Xiao’s, gently reminding him, “Your tea’s getting cold.”

At last, Cen Xiao spoke, though he didn’t immediately drink the tea. Instead, he pushed a stack of documents to the center of the table. “Regarding the drug Yuanhesheng, I’ve gathered some patient reviews—negative ones that Meijiang Pharmaceuticals hired professionals to delete. Take a look.”

The conversation shifted abruptly, cutting off Geng An’s questions.

Realizing this, Geng An tactfully redirected his focus, pretending to be deeply interested in the patient evaluations.

Yu Fuyan, tilting his head, leaned closer. “You can recover deleted reviews?”

Cen Xiao, finally finishing his now lukewarm tea, explained, “Anything that leaves a trace on the internet can be recovered.”

“Yes, the internet is vast and inescapable. But reviews deleted by Meijiang Pharmaceuticals aren’t so easily retrieved. Clearly, you leveraged the resources of the Blue Pivot United Commerce Association.”

The internet affairs of Blue Pivot are managed by District One, and it seemed Cen Xiao had connections there. No wonder Han Jiang dared entrust this task to such a young captain—Cen Xiao’s influence and access to resources were beyond what most seasoned members could match.

Yu Fuyan, skimming the documents, gasped. “This drug Yuanhesheng seems to have major problems!”

He pointed to one review, written a year ago:

[Anonymous user: Meijiang Pharmaceutical’s Yuanhesheng is awful. My mother showed no improvement after using it. They exploit mentally ill patients’ sensitivity and reluctance to communicate with family, reducing the active ingredients and delaying proper treatment! Is there no way to report this company? Hospitals only recommend this drug. If I’d known, I would’ve purchased the original brand through other channels!]

Other reviews followed, some with names attached:

[Little Cherry Box:Don’t ever use Yuanhesheng! It’s dangerously addictive and ineffective! My sister’s condition worsened after taking it. Three days ago, she ran away and ended her life. I can provide evidence. Please share this—it’s impossible to get attention on this issue!]

[A77Kitty: I was treated at Jiajia Central Hospital. It’s a reputable hospital, and I trusted the doctors. But they prescribed Yuanhesheng, and I needed increasing doses to control my emotions. My hair fell out in clumps, and my health deteriorated. Sure, it’s cheap, but its efficacy is far worse than the original brand!]

[Just a Lone Soul: Yuanhesheng sales reps and certain hospitals must be colluding for profits. Complaints go unanswered. Ha! We’re just a minority—what does it matter if we die?]

….

Cen Xiao, his tone calm, added, “Many articles and posts criticizing Yuanhesheng were low in viewership but still deleted. Now, if you search online, all you’ll find are puff pieces written by shills.”

Yu Fuyan, indignantly: “Spending money on marketing and deleting reviews instead of improving the drug—what good could come of that? Isn’t District Six supposed to self-regulate? How have they been allowed to profit unchecked for years?”

Everyone fell silent. No one could answer.

District Six was already slated for dissolution. Its collapse would bury countless issues under the dust of history. 

The disbandment of District Six had also pulled several industries out from under Blue Pivot’s control, significantly affecting the organization.

In the aftermath of such a seismic shift, Blue Pivot would take years to recover and likely lacked the appetite to revisit old scandals. 

The outgoing District Six president, Jiang Zhong, had once been a high-ranking official at Suhe Biotech and had likely secured a soft landing for himself.

The only lead left was Meijiang Pharmaceuticals, which Han Jiang had targeted.

After the meeting, Cen Xiao dismissed the team, instructing them to contact the users behind the deleted reviews to see if they could gather evidence.

While Cen Xiao was delegating tasks, Li Rong browsed the tea cakes on display downstairs. He ultimately purchased a digestive-friendly ripe Puer and carried it in a bag.

Walking back to campus, Li Rong asked, “What’s your take on Han Ying’s situation?”

Taking the tea cake from him, Cen Xiao carried it himself and sneered, “That depends on what exactly Han Jiang is hiding.”

Li Rong glanced at the bag now in Cen Xiao’s possession but continued with the main topic. “If it’s not just a coincidence of names, then Han Jiang deliberately erased Han Ying’s academic history at A University. It’s been over a decade—if not for Geng An’s casual mention, no one would’ve noticed.”

And besides, was erasing traces of a romantic relationship really necessary?

Cen Xiao, nodding: “Exactly. Even my generation only knows that Han Jiang’s son went abroad early and rarely returned.”

Looking up at the dusky sunset and flowing crimson clouds, Li Rong smiled meaningfully. “If you hadn’t joined District Nine this year, Du Mingli would’ve been the sole captain. Geng An would’ve been assigned to his team and might’ve casually brought up Han Ying and the class beauty someday…”

He trailed off. Someone as cautious as Han Jiang wouldn’t expose his weaknesses to Du Mingli, no matter how much he trusted him.

So, how exactly did Du Mingli manage to seize leverage over Han Jiang?

Cen Xiao chuckled, “Then Han Jiang should be thankful that I took District Nine entrance exam this year. Being taken down by a reputable competitor is still better than being backstabbed by his own people.”

Li Rong didn’t press further; he and Cen Xiao tacitly avoided delving deeper. 

If the conversation continued, it might touch upon matters from their past lives.

Li Rong stared at the setting sun for a while. The dazzling light made his eyes ache, so he finally looked down and walked briskly to shield himself from the sunlight. Standing in front of Cen Xiao, he nudged the bag of tea cakes lightly with his knee.

Tilting his head, arms crossed, he pretended to be annoyed. “Do you really think I’m a delicate young lady? Such a light thing, and you think I need your help carrying it.”

Cen Xiao sighed softly and raised his hand to wrap it around Li Rong’s shoulder.

Li Rong staggered slightly but didn’t resist, letting Cen Xiao pull him into his arms. The bag of Puer tea swung lazily at their feet.

Inhaling the faint citrusy Puer fragrance from Li Rong, Cen Xiao leaned in close to his ear and murmured, “If anything, I’m treating you like an ancestor.”