Chapter 15 – Scandal and Smoke
The next morning, the internet didn't just explode; it detonated.
The carefully managed, positive narrative of Xiao Xi's comeback was obliterated by a single, grainy video clip and a torrent of malicious headlines.
The blurred video, taken from a long-distance camera, circulated everywhere, showing Xiao Xi entering Gu Yanzhou's private car late one evening near the filming set.
The visual evidence, combined with her "dinner debt" joke from the party, was enough to fuel an inferno of speculation.
Headlines screamed the inevitable accusation:
#CEOSecretLover#
#XiaoXiSugarDaddy#
#ComebackFueledByCash#
Her system, reacting instantly to the public's massive, negative judgment, went berserk with alerts:
[Warning: Luck – 800 due to Public Scandal.]
[Current Luck: 2500.]
The strong buffer prevented a total collapse, but the damage was severe.
"Seriously?" Xiao Xi muttered, throwing her phone onto the desk.
"I can't even catch a legitimate, post-midnight, business-related ride without destroying my entire public image? This plot is relentless."
Gu Yanzhou, having seen the devastating headlines, summoned her immediately to a secure, neutral location.
He was tense, his usual composure rattled.
"Stay calm," he instructed, pacing the room, his security team already working overtime to scrub the footage.
"We'll handle this.
We'll issue a joint, strongly worded cease and desist.
We'll prove the footage is innocuous."
"Handle it?" she crossed her arms, a determined glint in her eye.
Her former CEO instincts kicked in immediately.
Defensive measures were slow and reactive.
Offense was instant.
"I'd rather use it."
His brows shot up. "Use a scandal of this magnitude? Xiao Xi, this is a direct attack on my reputation as well."
She smirked, a wicked, triumphant look.
"Scandals fade.
Legends don't.
We try to deny it, and we look weak and guilty.
Let's feed them a better story.
They want drama? We'll give them calculated ambiguity."
And before he could protest or formulate a counter-strategy, she walked straight out of the room.
She arrived at the makeshift press conference that his team had assembled for the crisis, stepped confidently onto the stage, and smiled dazzlingly at the wall of cameras.
"Yes, we're close," she announced, her voice carrying an irresistible blend of sincerity and mockery.
"But maybe not in the obvious, boring, or financially explicit way you think.
" She paused, letting the statement hang in the air, allowing every reporter to write their own headline.
Then, she delivered the final blow—a sharp, captivating wink straight into the nearest camera lens, leaving the world completely confused, massively intrigued, and desperately debating the true nature of their relationship.
The system chimed instantly, recognizing the genius of the reversal:
[Public Perception Reversal: Luck +1200. Successfully turned media attack into narrative win.]
[Current Luck: 3700.]
[Reputation Skill Level Up: Strategic Ambiguity Activated.]
Backstage, watching the live footage of her effortlessly charming a sea of aggressive reporters, Gu Yanzhou felt a wave of awe and frustration.
He realized that in trying to control her public image, he had merely unleashed a force of chaos and brilliance far beyond his expectations.
He muttered under his breath, watching her manage the media like a corporate earnings call,
"Who exactly is controlling who in this partnership?"