Chapter 31 – The Simp Is Forcibly Loved by the Overbearing CEO 31
What was initially thought to be a typical entertainment industry scandal turned out to involve a man with a formidable background. Previously, the original owner had passionately pursued Yan Qianqian, but his atrocious fashion sense and lecherous expressions had made him a viral meme, ridiculed across the entire internet. In terms of status, position, and looks, Feng Yan was leagues ahead of Yan Qianqian. He was a nobody that even Yan Qianqian looked down upon, yet Feng Yan had made a high-profile declaration of love, coming out to him on the street. Netizens were completely stunned.
Online, people created side-by-side collages of their everyday photos. The stark contrast between the incredibly tacky original owner and the low-key, luxurious Feng Yan was undeniable.
[My god, please get your eyes checked! Don’t let this country bumpkin tarnish you!]
[He’s such a perfect man, so how did he fall for Bai the simp?]
[Let’s not jump to conclusions. Maybe they’re just really good friends?]
[Hahaha, you hold hands with your friends, fingers intertwined? The mere thought of that picture is enough to make me want to vomit!]
Everyone unanimously agreed that Bai Shuangyu, this nouveau riche country bumpkin, was unworthy of a god-tier figure like Feng Yan. Normally, there was fresh gossip in the entertainment industry every day. Since they weren’t celebrities themselves, the story would have died down in a few days if they hadn’t responded. But that mad dog Feng Yan refused to play by the rules.
On his Instagram account, which he hadn’t updated in what felt like centuries, he posted a photo with a caption. The picture showed him sitting in a car with the set of sexy red underwear Shuang Yu had received resting on his lap, and he was even making a heart sign with his hand for the camera. The caption read: “Who do you want to see wear this?”
This was, without a doubt, a fucking official announcement. If the internet didn’t explode over this, what would it explode over?
“Has he lost his mind?!” Shuang Yu demanded, so angry he felt like he might spontaneously combust.
[He’s always been crazy. Are you only just realizing this today?] Xiao Ai offered a soul-crushing reply.
He irritably tossed his phone aside and flopped back onto the bed, playing dead. His mind was a complete mess. Thankfully, Bai Rong never paid attention to such tabloid news. As long as he didn’t respond, it should all blow over in a few days.
Shuang Yu wanted to ignore it, but things refused to go his way. With someone pulling the strings behind the scenes, the situation escalated, even dragging Yan Qianqian into the fray. Online, a horde of her brain-dead fans felt it was a great injustice to her. They showered her with sympathy and cursed Shuang Yu to hell and back.
This was going too far. I’m not married, and she’s not married. She rejected my advances, so what’s wrong with me moving on to someone else? They were making it sound like he was some married, cheating scumbag! Shuang Yu found it utterly baffling.
“Did Yan Qianqian hire paid commenters?”
[Yes, Lord Ghost Messenger. There’s no way she’d pass up on this much publicity.]
When it came to playing the victim, Yan Qianqian was a master of the craft. After her meteoric rise to fame, she had first revealed that she came from a single-parent family and had grown up in poverty. Then, she disclosed that her mother suffered from a rare genetic disease that required a constant stream of money for treatment, claiming that all her earnings went toward her mother’s hospital bills. She had successfully crafted the public persona of a perfectly filial daughter, which was why her public appeal was so strong, allowing her to quickly amass a legion of brain-dead fans. These fans were not only ferocious in their defense but also fiercely loyal. In their eyes, their beloved Qianqian could do no wrong; even her shit smelled sweet!
“How about we give the whole internet a reality check for fun?” Shuang Yu’s interest was piqued as he raised an eyebrow and opened his phone.
With a snap of his fingers, he automatically logged into one of Yan Qianqian’s rarely used alt accounts on Weibo. Then, he composed a message and sent it out. Posing as a hospital staff member, Shuang Yu posted on Weibo, twisting the truth to slander himself. He claimed that he, driven by hatred from unrequited love, had whispered in Feng Yan’s ear to get Yan Qianqian’s mother kicked out of the private hospital. He berated his own persona as arrogant and outrageous, alleging that he had not only assaulted a security guard but also had the nurse who helped Yan Qianqian fired, even threatening to make it impossible for her to survive in City A.
After finishing his self-slander, he closed Weibo and dialed the little nurse’s number.
“This is Bai Shuangyu. If you do something for me, I’ll arrange a job for you in another city and guarantee that Feng Yan won’t cause you any trouble.”
The little nurse, who had thought her career was over, suddenly saw a glimmer of hope and tearfully latched onto Shuang Yu’s lifeline.
[My lord, you’re truly something else… This strategy of orchestrating a comeback from a desperate situation is simply brilliant!] Xiao Ai started showering him with praise again.
“What’s a public persona for? To be shattered, of course. She wants to be a hypocrite, so I’ll just add fuel to the fire. Let the show go on.” Shuang Yu put down his phone with a shy smile.
[So… my lord, you’re saving the little nurse. What are you prepared to offer up yourself?] Xiao Ai suddenly posed a soul-searching question.
Feng Yan was a man of his word. His declarations were like an emperor’s decree—not to be trifled with. Getting a monarch to retract an order was never easy. Shuang Yu’s smile froze. That question… it seemed he hadn’t considered it yet.
The day passed in a state of indecision. On Monday morning, Shuang Yu stood awkwardly before the full-length mirror, looking at his reflection with a cringe-worthy expression.
“I want to dig a hole and bury myself in it. Don’t you think I look like a total pervert right now?”
[My lord, you don’t need to wonder. Your current attire is that of a pervert.] Xiao Ai cheerfully roasted him.
Shuang Yu was speechless. Oh, Vicious Ghost, Vicious Ghost, to eliminate your resentment, I’ve trampled all over my moral principles. If I don’t get at least ten or twenty points for this, you’re not doing my efforts justice!
Shuang Yu sighed. Out of sight, out of mind. He quickly pulled on a shirt and trousers, covering the scalp-numbing red underwear.
[Ding! Vicious Ghost’s resentment has decreased by 1. Current resentment: 49.] Xiao Ai provided a timely notification.
Shuang Yu was speechless again. Seriously, just one point? How dare you!
“You little ingrate.” He rolled his eyes, glaring at the Vicious Ghost trapped within the Spirit Bead in the mirror’s reflection.
After fifty points of resentment had been cleared, the Vicious Ghost’s appearance was no longer so terrifying, though its face remained bluish and its features somewhat ferocious. Sensing Shuang Yu’s complaint, the Vicious Ghost gave a mischievous chuckle and playfully stuck its tongue out at him.
On their way to the company, Bai Rong never brought up the scandal, which allowed Shuang Yu to breathe a sigh of relief. Father Bai, who only read the financial news instead of trending topics, was truly the best. Bai Rong asked, “The design department has finished the plans for the Xisha Resort Island. Should I go over with you and the designer later?”
His son was, after all, a newcomer to the field and knew nothing about blueprints. With Wu Hongyu at the hospital taking care of his daughter, Bai Rong thought it over and felt it was more appropriate for him to go along. His son wasn’t yet capable of handling such a big project alone.
Shuang Yu nearly choked on his own saliva.
“No, no, I can go by myself. I can handle it, Dad. Trust me!” If anyone found out what he was wearing underneath, he might as well just jump off the top of the FI Building!
“Alright, then. Since you’re so confident, I’ll let you go. Consider it a trial run.” Bai Rong was quite relaxed about it, not panicking at all about entrusting such a massive project to his seemingly useless son. Compared to making money, what he cared about most was always his precious son!
After retrieving the design plans from the company, Shuang Yu didn’t even bring a designer along and drove alone to the FI Building.