139: Spreading rumors

Shen Zhixia, having received affirmation, felt a faint blush rise on her cheeks, more captivating than the sunset outside the window.

She shook her head, smiling.

"It's not that exaggerated."

"I just like to tinker around."

She also picked up a piece for herself and ate it in small bites, though a hint of wistfulness and melancholy showed in her eyes.

"I used to... always feel like I wouldn't live very long."

She said softly.

Lin Chao paused slightly in the act of picking up food and looked up at her.

She continued, "So I wanted to be kinder to myself and enjoy life as much as possible in the limited time I had."

"Good food is one of the best comforts."

"Not only do I love eating, but I also enjoy cooking myself. Watching ingredients transform into delicious food in my hands gives me a special sense of accomplishment."

She looked up and smiled brightly at Lin Chao, a smile filled with relief and a love for life.

"So, you see, I can't compare to a restaurant chef; it's just home-style cooking based on practice makes perfect."

Lin Chao's praise deepened the smile on Shen Zhixia's lips.

Home-style cooking was her last gentle resistance against this cold world.

And having this gentleness appreciated was the greatest comfort.

Just as she was about to pick up another piece of meat for him, the phone placed on the corner of the table suddenly began to vibrate.

Buzz—

Buzz buzz—

The vibration was rapid and persistent, seeming to carry an ominous premonition.

Shen Zhixia gave an apologetic smile.

"Let me check the messages first."

She picked up her phone casually and swiped lightly across the screen with her fingertip.

However, the moment she unlocked the screen—

The color drained "whoosh" from her face completely!

She was as pale as paper.

Her previously smiling eyes were instantly filled with terror and disbelief.

The phone screen showed moments that had been completely flooded.

Dozens of unread messages were frantically flashing red notification dots.

Everyone was asking her the same thing, sending her the same Weibo link.

Her fingertips trembled uncontrollably as she tapped open one of them.

A bold, black, sensationalized headline struck her eyes like a heavy hammer!

"Exposing the Rise of Kangyang Group's Beautiful Director Shen Zhixia: Willing Mistress to the Chairman, Private Life Utterly Chaotic!"

Further down were the obscene words.

And... the photos that had been maliciously censored and twisted all the truth!

Boom!

Shen Zhixia felt a chill shoot straight from the soles of her feet to the top of her head; all the blood in her body seemed to freeze at that moment.

Icy, bone-chilling cold.

The phone felt impossibly heavy, almost slipping from her trembling fingers.

She subconsciously refreshed the Weibo page.

The alarming view count was skyrocketing at a visible rate!

The comment section had already devolved into a slaughterhouse of humanity.

Filthy language, too horrible to look at; every comment was like a poisoned knife stabbing fiercely into her heart.

A revelation targeting an ordinary office worker should not have such terrifying dissemination power.

But Guo Fandong clearly knew this trick well!

He found an emotional marketing account with millions of followers, which specialized in inciting gender conflict and class hatred.

He even bought countless bots to carry out viral forwarding and spreading at the same time!

The storm of public opinion took shape instantly, fueled by money!

Netizens have always had an almost pathological excitement for sensational news like "beautiful director," "rise to power," and "chaotic private life."

The truth didn't matter at all.

All they needed was a carnival where they could vent their malice freely.

Those unverified lies were treated as gospel by countless people in the face of massive traffic.

In just over ten minutes, the hashtag #Kangyang Group Director Shen# had already climbed onto the tail end of the trending topics list!

The bright red character for "Hot" stung her eyes like a searing brand.

"What's wrong?"

Lin Chao's low voice sounded in the dead silent restaurant.

He had already put down his chopsticks, his deep eyes fixed tightly on her.

Seeing her bloodless face and her eyes filled with terror and despair, Lin Chao's heart sank abruptly.

An ominous premonition instantly enveloped him.

His expression also turned grim.

Instead of asking what happened, he stood up directly and walked to her side.

His voice carried an unquestionable sense of command.

"Don't panic."

"Steady your breathing."

Staring into her eyes, he said slowly and deliberately, "I don't want to have to save you twice in one day."

This cold remark, laced with a hint of tough concern, was like a basin of cold water poured over her head, instantly pulling Shen Zhixia back from the boundless fear and humiliation.

Right... her heart... She took a sharp breath, and the familiar gripping pain in her chest seemed to be resurfacing.

She dared not think anymore, nor dared to look.

Following Lin Chao's instruction, she closed her eyes and desperately adjusted her breathing rhythm.

Inhale, pause.

Then exhale.

Her chest rose and fell violently, like a drowning person desperately searching for life-saving oxygen.

After several deep breaths, the searing pain that threatened to tear her chest apart was finally suppressed.

Shen Zhixia slowly opened her eyes; physiological tears still clung to her long lashes.

But her gaze had changed from the previous terror and despair to a desolate, lifeless gray.

Lin Chao watched her distraught appearance, his tightly furrowed brows not relaxing at all.

He reached out and gently covered her icy hand with his own, his voice extremely low but carrying an undeniable strength.

"Now you can tell me."

"What exactly happened?"

Shen Zhixia's lips moved, but no sound came out.

Her throat felt blocked by a wad of cotton soaked in ice water, dry and stinging.

She gave up trying to speak.

She simply used all her strength to hand the phone, which felt like a thousand pounds, to Lin Chao.

Her eyes were hollow, and her voice was as light as a breeze.

"You... see for yourself."

Lin Chao's gaze shifted from her pale face to the small screen.

Just one glance.

The calm and composed aura around him instantly shattered!

A cold killing intent instantly condensed into frost in his deep eyes!

If what Shen Zhixia saw was humiliation and ruin.

Then what Lin Chao saw was naked provocation and a declaration of war!

His fingers moved so fast they almost left afterimages, rapidly scrolling across the screen.

That malicious post, those fact-distorting words, those sinisterly censored photos... He finished scanning them all in less than ten seconds.

Immediately, he tapped open the forwarding chain and the comment section.

The uniform captions, the comments erupting simultaneously, the frenzy of countless dummy accounts... In an instant, he understood everything.

He flipped the phone face-down onto the table with a "thud," creating a dull sound.

The air in the entire restaurant seemed to drop suddenly to freezing point because of his action.