There was no way Zhang Liling would have known about this given the circumstances the others found out. But if she did find out about it, maybe she would never have let them have their way with her.
"If you refuse to get treatment while I'm being kind to you, I wouldn't mind taking extreme measures to get it done." Shi Wenqian threatened.
Zhang Liling was unusually stubborn which was unlike her, and this was making them waste their time on them.
She didn't know how long it would take for Zhang Renshu to appear, so she needed to make sure Zhang Liling would be asleep when he returns to enable her to take care of some matters.
"Are you afraid of the public opinion about you? Is this the reason you want to take care of me so badly?" Zhang Liling asked with a scornful gaze.
She had mistaken the reason behind her stepmother's actions, not knowing it was far deeper than that.
At last, Zhang Liling stayed put and let the doctor administer a drip to her.
Zhang Xiaoling smiled and said to her, "Now that you have started receiving treatment, it's time to take care of the media. Where is your phone, take some pictures with it and post them."
"Is this what this is all about?" Zhang Liling scoffed.
"Don't waste time and do it. I am already kind enough to let you receive this kind of treatment." Shi Wenqian said from the side.
She would start handling things from the media part first.
"Are you afraid of my father by any chance? Ate you afraid he will find out the rumors going about are actually true, rumors that will threaten his new venture into politics?" Zhang Liling asked.
She couldn't think of a better reason her stepmother would want to take care of the public opinion first. Most importantly, her father liked to keep face.
Shi Wenqian scoffed, "At most your father would scold me at the end, which I despise a lot. But have you thought of your fate when I become immune to his outbursts?"
'I wouldn't still be here by then.' Zhang Liling thought to herself.
Turning to her daughter, she instructed her to take photos of Zhang Liling when she falls asleep and post them on the internet saying that she was receiving treatment after fainting from exhaustion caused by overstudying.
Zhang Liling almost went berserk when she heard her instructions. She didn't even have any fear and just had to plot against her, right in front of her.
By the time Mr. Zhang arrived back home, the speculation on the internet had changed, with the pictures of Zhang Liling sleeping peacefully while receiving a drip, and the caption that followed after it.
Mr. Zhang did not accept the warm welcome that was given to him as he immediately went straight to ask Shi Wenqian if she wanted to ruin his prospective future political career.
"You are just coming back and you are scolding me already without confirming what transpired behind your back." Shi Wenqian said with a frown.
"What is there to find out when Liling fainted? And it just had to be on the school grounds! Why did she faint, are you not feeding her properly?" Zhang Renshu asked while pointing fingers at her.
Shi Wenqian folded her arms under her chest and replied with an annoyed gaze, "Renshu how can you blame me for a matter that is not my fault? It's all Zhang Liling's fault that she had to overwork herself with her studies."
"Is this a prank or what? Since when did she get serious with her studies?" He asked with a fuming gaze.
As Zhang Liling's father and as the one that forced her to study business in college, he can truthfully tell you that studying is the last thing you would see Zhang Liling doing. But she still aced all her exams.
"Her finals are in 2 months, so she can't fail." Shi Wenqian said as a small smile played on her lips. She was happy to have played her cards well.
"If studying would make her embarrass me, just tell her to quit." Zhang Renshu said.
For him, it would be better if she went back to her old self.
"What have you done to take care of the media?" He went on to ask thereafter as that was very important to him.
The only thing his PR did was to try and take down most of the posts, but no counter-measure was employed.
It was at this point that Zhang Xiaoling who had been standing somewhere behind the wall and waiting for an entrance stepped forward with a smile.
She greeted, "Welcome, Dad." No response came from him, but she went on to make a report. "I released a post about Liling currently receiving home treatment an hour ago."
"I hope it works!" He said as he shifted his gaze to Shi Wenqian before walking away with a huff.
Slowly, the smile that was plastered on Zhang Xiaoling's face disappeared. That man still doesn't hold her in high regard.
"Don't his mood, he is just angry with the news. You can go to your room and rest, you have tried so much for me today. I will come to call you when dinner is ready." Shi Wenqian said to comfort her. AS she may have felt bad about Zhang Renshu's cold treatment.
Zhang Xiaoling nodded before leaving.
In the kitchen, Shi Wenqian personally checked the food that was being prepared by herself, before passing out an instruction to the housekeeper.
"Take the best of these dishes prepared for Zhang Liling and package them, and get ready to send them to my son at the hospital."
"Madam, Master Mingyu asked for fried turkey this morning, he wouldn't like the chicken." The housekeeper made known of Zhang Mingyu's request to her.
Shi Wenqian who loved her son so much surprisingly glared daggers at the housekeeper. "He still has the cheek to make requests? Does he know how much I spent on the media and reporters to stop them from publishing the mess he caused at a nightclub?"