Chapter 1051: Won't Settle It Privately

Chapter 1051: Won’t Settle It Privately

Gu Zi simply could not fathom it—what on earth had she done to warrant such an elaborate smear campaign? It was as if Sun Qi and Huang Fei had made it their personal mission to drag her through the mud.

She distinctly remembered that Sun Qi had once harbored feelings for Gong Zhan—actually, she probably still did. But the women currently at his side were Lin Miao and Mo Li, not her.

So why wasn’t Sun Qi going after them instead? Why was she hell-bent on making Gu Zi’s life miserable? Unbelievable.

And then there was Huang Fei, who had instigated trouble time and time again. Gu Zi had largely ignored her antics, but rather than deterring her, it had only emboldened her further.

Well, that was about to change—Gu Zi had reached her limit. These two wouldn’t be getting away with this so easily.

The moment Captain He saw Gu Zi enter the room, he strode over, his expression serious.

“These two are the masterminds behind the entire ordeal,” he informed her. “Sun Qi wrote the article—she’s the ringleader. Huang Fei came up with the idea and aided her. You, Gu Zi, are the victim in all of this. Do you wish to settle this privately or take legal action?”

Gu Zi glanced at the two women, her lips curling into a cold smile. “Settle it privately? Absolutely not. Thanks to their little charade, my reputation is in tatters, and even Imperial Capital University has been dragged into the mess, making them look like fools for not knowing who they admit. Even if I were willing to sacrifice my own reputation, I certainly won’t allow them to tarnish the name of one of our country’s top universities.”

She crossed her arms, her voice sharp. “And let’s not forget which newspaper published this nonsense. The Education Daily, wasn’t it? A publication that is supposed to educate and inform the future of our nation, yet it chose to circulate such vile and baseless accusations. If an institution like that is allowed to exist unchecked, what does that say about journalistic integrity in this country? No, this matter will not be settled privately.”

Captain He nodded approvingly. In truth, he had a personal stake in this—after all, Gu Zi was now his good friend’s wife. If she had done something wrong, he would have been the first to call her out. But if she was the victim? Then he would ensure justice was served.

“Then we’ll proceed according to protocol,” he said firmly. “This incident is also linked to a prior police investigation regarding the theft of a dowry.”

“Then please have my lawyer file a lawsuit against Sun Qi and Huang Fei for defamation,” Gu Zi declared without hesitation. “Additionally, the Guangcheng Education Daily must be held accountable. They will compensate me and issue a public apology. Should they dare to repeat such an offense, they’ll learn how to behave properly in prison.”

Captain He’s voice was steady and resolute. “Understood.”

At that moment, Sun Qi, Huang Fei, and the newspaper’s editor-in-chief all turned pale. The editor was the first to break, practically jumping out of his seat.

“Miss Gu, this was all Huang Fei’s doing! She manipulated Sun Qi into writing the article. If you must hold someone accountable, let it be them! Why drag our entire newspaper into this? We are innocent!”

Gu Zi turned her gaze toward him, unimpressed. Experienced middle-aged figures like him were always the most slippery, the hardest to deal with—but she was more than prepared.

“Oh? So now you’re trying to shift the blame?” she sneered. “Tell me, then—was the article not published under your newspaper’s banner? Or are you telling me that the Education Daily allows articles to go to print without editorial review? Unfortunately for you, I’m working in the industry.”

Her tone was laced with derision as she continued, “You deliberately published a piece designed to utterly destroy someone’s reputation just to generate buzz and increase traffic. That, my dear editor, is not just unethical—it’s illegal. You’ve engaged in both defamation and illicit profiteering. Surely a seasoned editor such as yourself understands that?”

She took a step closer, her voice lowering but no less cutting. “Had I not reported this in time—had I been too afraid to fight back—my reputation would have been completely ruined. Public outrage would have escalated. I might have even faced real-world threats to my safety. And at that point, your paper wouldn’t just be guilty of defamation—it would be complicit in a crime.”

Huang Fei and Sun Qi sat frozen, paralyzed with fear. This was just an article! How had it escalated into an actual criminal offense? They were doomed.

The editor, for once, had nothing more to say. He knew that the more he spoke, the worse he would make things for himself. Gu Zi was relentless—he simply couldn’t win against her.

Gu Zi’s gaze then landed on Huang Fei. “Miss Huang,” she said, her tone cool, “I don’t recall ever wronging you. So tell me—why have you made it your mission to sabotage me? Why scheme with others to slander me? Even if you refuse to acknowledge that I once saved your son’s life, shouldn’t you at least have a little self-respect?”

Huang Fei’s complexion turned deathly pale, cold sweat trickling down her temples. Her voice trembled as she stammered, “Y-You just happened to be there that day! It wasn’t like you saved him out of the goodness of your heart! Why should I owe you anything for that? And besides, I wasn’t trying to ruin you on purpose! I only told Sun Qi that if she couldn’t get an interview with you, she could at least interview people who knew you! Your adoptive mother was the one who spoke about you like that—how is that my fault?”

Her voice grew more agitated as she scrambled to justify herself. “And let’s be honest here—if you truly had nothing to hide, why were you so against the article being published? Are you not the Gu family’s adopted daughter? Didn’t you grow up in the military compound? The Gu family spent a fortune raising you, and what did you do? The moment you gained some fame, you abandoned them—at your own coming-of-age banquet, no less! Announcing in front of everyone that you were severing ties with your adoptive parents—if that’s not ungrateful, then what is?”

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