Even the purest, most pristine individual will invariably face scorn, slander, defamation, and cold shoulders from others behind their back.

And once that person gains fame, those who look down on them multiply, even negatively impacting their lives.

Therefore, the most crucial thing in life is maintaining one's state of mind; otherwise, if one cannot let things go and harbors too much resentment, they’ll simply stew themselves into an early grave.

But everyone understands the principle; whether one can actually achieve it is another matter entirely. Even a clay figure has three parts of temper; seeing things clearly doesn't mean one never gets angry—after all, there is only faith in the world, but no true Buddha.

Thus, Wang Zhuo lost his composure and immediately issued instructions to Siyuan, demanding she employ unconventional means to immediately block the Tianya Forum website from the internet's DNS resolution servers.

This way, network users could only access the site normally by connecting directly using the Tianya Forum's IP address; attempting to use the domain name would result in an automatic disconnection, rendering everything invisible!

For a website, this is an attack that removes the foundation—it doesn't strike the site directly but maliciously alters the workings of the carrier providing its domain access—like having your mobile service blocked by the telecom company despite your card being fine and your phone unbroken; no one can reach you anymore!

This action clearly violates the law, but Wang Zhuo couldn't care less. It was the Tianya company that initially indulged those netizens in infringing upon his rights; not only did they fail to ban them, but they even promoted and strongly recommended the content on their homepage. This, he asserted, was legitimate self-defense!

Here, we must touch upon Siyuan’s attitude regarding this matter. Irene truly has a large following, and Siyuan is among the most devoted. Upon learning of the incident, she was ecstatic beyond measure, perhaps even more thrilled and delighted than if she had successfully hacked into the U.S. Department of Defense servers. Her personality exhibits a severe duality; she can immerse herself deeply in Wang Zhuo's experiences, deriving joy from his joys.

Wang Zhuo "conquering" Irene felt, to her, like receiving the honor herself. How could she not be overjoyed?!

...

After calling Siyuan, Wang Zhuo composed himself and quickly crossed the corridor, pushing the door open as he entered the room.

Hearing the door, Gan Lin turned her head. Seeing him enter, she turned back to face him with a complex expression.

"You know too?" Wang Zhuo asked with a nervous smile.

Gan Lin nodded, her expression somewhat placid. "One of my classmates called me."

"Male or female? Maybe they knew even earlier than I did," Wang Zhuo said, awkwardly scratching his head.

"Whoever knew early is no longer important; everyone on Earth knows now," Gan Lin said, a faint smile playing on her lips. "You're completely famous, and I'm famous along with you."

Wang Zhuo forced a bitter smile. Regardless of whether it was right or wrong, what Gan Lin said was the truth. For her, this was an undeserved disaster.

"Do you know, I predicted this day would come long ago," Gan Lin gestured to another chair, inviting him to sit, and spoke with self-mockery. "You can’t walk by the river often without getting your shoes wet, can you? You haven't been dashing and suave for just a day or two, have you?"

Wang Zhuo could only smile awkwardly. Only Gan Lin was qualified to say such things. If you think about it, Qi Fei and the others were all essentially "third parties"; even if they were exasperated by his failures, they couldn't adopt this posture.

At this moment, he couldn't help but recall the term "Da Fu" (chief wife). Although Gan Lin wasn't old, she held a more legitimate position than Qi Fei or Guan Yingying; the seat of the mistress was firmly hers!

Sighing, he inwardly offered a wry smile. Although he wasn't henpecked and usually held absolute dominance, having caused such a massive mess and now implicating Gan Lin, it was only right that he be scolded.

"Hero saves the beauty, and then the beauty pledges herself to him—do you do things like this often?" Gan Lin stated plainly. "Is this trick always effective? Now you’ve even captured an international star using it. This must have happened more than once or twice, right?"

The tone of that statement was rather barbed... Wang Zhuo felt the need to defend himself, scratching his head. "As for what kind of person I am, others might not understand, but you should know me clearly? This sort of thing just happened due to circumstances; I didn't intentionally orchestrate it."

"I know what you want to say: you're a successful man, a good man, but you just have a minor flaw, like not being able to control your lower half, right?" Gan Lin gave a bitter laugh. "Then let me ask you now: how do you plan to explain this to my parents?"

Rumble, rumble—thunder roared. Wang Zhuo was struck dumb; how could he have forgotten that detail? Yes, how would he explain it to them?!

"You don't know? I don't know either," Gan Lin laughed in frustration, glaring at him and continuing, "Now look, everyone in the world has seen your private moments and is scrutinizing you. You can be indifferent because you're a man; you can even be smug because you fundamentally don't know what embarrassment is. But what about me? I’m famous because of you too. From now on, when I walk down the street, people who know me will point and whisper behind my back, then they’ll start fantasizing in their minds about what you looked like when you were with me. They can see my face, and they’ve seen your 'thing,' so their imaginations will be very vivid, right?"

Pausing, Gan Lin coldly demanded, "How am I supposed to show my face in public now?"

It couldn't be that serious, could it? Wang Zhuo scratched his head awkwardly, thinking that the women in the Edison Chen scandal quickly made comebacks—singing, acting, appearing on shows, and living just fine.

To put it plainly, everyone has done things like this; the only difference is whether it’s displayed in public. Didn't the Japanese sister Aoi thrive in China for years? And there were Lan Yan and Lei Kaixin; even Maggie Cheung back in the day, weren't they all able to face people?

However, though he could think this way internally, he couldn't say it out loud. He understood clearly that the most important thing at a time like this was to utilize the strategy of "coaxing" effectively; otherwise, the argument would certainly end in a bitter parting!

What was Gan Lin's greatest virtue? Some might blurt out instantly: large breasts. But that was pure nonsense. Wang Zhuo certainly appreciated that feature, but her greatest virtue lay in being virtuous (Xian).

Gentle and virtuous—that was the fine traditional virtue of Chinese women. Anyone who married such a wife should secretly rejoice. Wang Zhuo’s ability to keep the "red flag flying at home while colorful flags flutter outside" was inseparable from Gan Lin’s virtue. She willingly acted as Wang Zhuo's subordinate, revolving around him as the center; this was an outstanding quality, rare among contemporary women!

"Wife, I was wrong."

Wang Zhuo was as sincere as an elementary school student apologizing to his homeroom teacher, wearing an expression of shame, stopping just short of twisting the hem of his shirt and wiping away tears.

"I have disgraced you," he murmured.

Gan Lin regarded him coldly. This man's thick skin could rival a fortress wall. His admission of guilt appeared genuine, but what he truly thought was still uncertain.

"You also know, my desires are rather strong..." Wang Zhuo began rambling nonsensically. "Before I went to England, I was cooped up in Beijing for so long. Then that day, after I saved her, she delivered herself to my doorstep late at night. I admit I couldn't resist temptation and couldn't hold back..."

"And you couldn't hold back from taking pictures?" Gan Lin snorted coldly.

"Uh..." Wang Zhuo confessed honestly. "She asked for the pictures! The phone was hers too. After taking them, they were deleted immediately, but who knew how they leaked?"

"Do you think I'd believe that?" Gan Lin rolled her eyes at him.

"If I lie, I’m a puppy!" Wang Zhuo immediately held his fingers up to indicate a height of ten centimeters. "This big!"

Gan Lin gave an exasperated cold laugh. "I meant, do you think I believe you were 'cooped up' in Beijing for so long?"

Wang Zhuo immediately fell silent, offering only a sheepish smile.

"Have I spoiled you too much?" Gan Lin suddenly sighed and said mournfully, "I always thought I should give you enough space, let you pick and choose, to avoid you regretting being tied down to us too early in life. But now I realize you’re just like a child; there’s never an end to playing. I shouldn't have indulged you back then."

Wang Zhuo chuckled dryly, not responding. Gan Lin was wearing a pristine white plush coat today. Already fair-skinned with exquisite features, her full bosom pushed the coat out impressively. Her slight frown wrinkled the tip of her nose, making her look quite adorable; the more he looked, the more tenderhearted he felt, the more joy he derived.

"Now, I can't decide either," Gan Lin looked at him and said wistfully. "My mother said we either prepare for marriage immediately or break up."

"Break up?" Wang Zhuo was amused. "Does she think that's possible?"

"If we don't get married, then yes, it is," Gan Lin challenged him. "Don't assume that just because I have the Wang Zhuo label on me, the Earth will keep spinning without you."

"But my world stops without you," Wang Zhuo immediately softened his tone, because this was what Gan Lin feared most, and the second thing she feared most was vulgar talk. "I’m counting on you to give me a son to improve our Wang family's genes in the future."

Gan Lin snorted dismissively. "Let Irene give you one; she’s fairer than I am."

"That’s mixed-blood; it’s different from pure-bred," Wang Zhuo quipped, trying to defuse the situation. "But if you want a mixed-race son, we can ask her to be the surrogate."

"Stop talking nonsense with me; what do you plan to do now?" Gan Lin glared at him in frustration, realizing that this scoundrel was about to slip away under the guise of playful banter again. Why couldn't she be firmer?

"We'll take it one step at a time," Wang Zhuo shrugged helplessly. "I can't contact Irene right now either. The whole world, domestic and international, is in an uproar; it probably won't settle down anytime soon. I’m confused too; this is the first time I’ve encountered something like this. I have no experience!"

"And you want a second time?" Gan Lin genuinely wanted to kick him.

...

After discussing for a while, Gan Lin soon left Wang Zhuo's villa. She had to rush back immediately to change all of her and her parents' phone numbers, as well as frequently used communication methods like QQ accounts. This was only the beginning of the trouble; bigger headaches lay ahead.

Wang Zhuo also had to switch to a backup number and contact his various women and relatives one by one, briefly explaining the necessary precautions. He didn't want classmates or his aunt to be harassed by the media rags or subjected to the "vigorous surveillance" of enthusiastic netizens.

That night, Wang Zhuo slept alone. He dreamt he met a Goddess in Mount Wu. They were deeply affectionate, lingering tenderly. After undressing, the Goddess suddenly exclaimed, "You are Wang Zhuo."

Wang Zhuo was curious and asked the Goddess how she knew him. The Goddess replied proudly, "The people of the world may not recognize your face, but they recognize this soaring treasure of yours!"