Chapter 104: The Absurd CEO

Bai Chenxi remained calm. Perhaps Tang Ziyu was just testing her, so she mustn’t let anything slip. After all, Jiang Jize had helped her before. Bai Chenxi, it’s time to put your acting skills to use.

She answered in a casual tone, “Yeah! That’s right. What’s the matter?”

Then, still composed, she picked up the ladle that had fallen into the soup bowl.

Tang Ziyu looked at her with a complicated expression. “Are you sure?”

“Of course. Who else would it be?” Bai Chenxi steadied herself. I can win this!

But Tang Ziyu handed her a phone. Bai Chenxi glanced at the headline: The newly dropped ladle was honorably reunited with the soup bowl.

“Jiang Jize and Bai Chenxi’s secret hotel meeting exposed!”

Bai Chenxi was thrown into chaos. Who came up with such a horrifying headline? Didn’t they fear scaring someone to death?

She could already foresee the storm brewing ahead. More pressingly, one was right in front of her.

Tang Ziyu sat silently, staring intently at Bai Chenxi, as if to say, you explain this yourself.

Bai Chenxi glanced at the fallen ladle, as if it were herself—there was no point in denying it.

She confessed readily, “Alright! I admit it. Last night, Jiang Jize brought you back. He told me not to tell you.”

In the critical moment, she didn’t forget to shift the blame.

Tang Ziyu, confirming her suspicion, wasn’t surprised. “Did he say anything else?”

“He told me to take good care of you.” Sorry, brother, I just couldn’t hold on.

“Take good care?” Tang Ziyu sounded like she’d heard a joke. It was just words after all.

Before, every time she got drunk, she woke up alone.

Jiang Jize would only say blandly the next day, “You drank last night? I saw you fell asleep, so I went to the guest room.”

He never even told her to drink less next time, let alone asked why she drank. Her care for him was taken for granted, while he never showed even superficial concern.

But wasn’t this all her own fault? It was just a loveless transaction from the start—she should never have had such hopes. She was simply greedy.

It was better this way. All dreams must end. Consider it a mercy to herself.

“Mm,” Tang Ziyu responded calmly. Bai Chenxi thought: Why no reaction at all?

Sister, your poker face is terrifying, you know?

Thinking about their situation, she decided not to get involved and left. After all, her own storm was waiting.

Tang Ziyu nodded absentmindedly, asking no more.

Bai Chenxi answered a call from Wang Ling. Surprisingly, the anticipated storm hadn’t arrived. Instead, Wang Ling calmly asked, “Spill it. What’s going on? I need to prepare the press release.”

Bai Chenxi looked back at the hotel entrance, glancing at the sun. Was it rising in the east?

She spoke nervously, “Sister Wang, don’t scare me. Can we just be normal?”

“What? You’re not used to me not yelling at you? I’m exhausted, working like a dog, and still have to scold you. Do you have any conscience?”

Ah, that was the real Sister Wang. Bai Chenxi finally relaxed.

“Sister Wang, it’s just a misunderstanding. Believe me.”

She briefly explained the events of last night, and Wang Ling seemed to understand.

Wang Ling accepted it quickly because the moment she saw Jiang Jize, she instinctively knew he wasn’t Bai Chenxi’s type.

Bai Chenxi liking him was even less likely than her liking Chu Muyun—and neither was particularly great.

Wang Ling warned, “Just stick to saying it has nothing to do with Jiang Jize. Don’t mess this up for me.”

Bai Chenxi understood the gravity and naturally wouldn’t spill anything. She wished she could say nothing at all.

She stayed silent, but the netizens had plenty to say.

[Isn’t this solid evidence?]

[They didn’t enter or leave together, how is it solid? Couldn’t it be a coincidence?]

[But Bai Chenxi doesn’t even live at this hotel!]

[Did you notice? The dramas Bai Chenxi takes are all from Kaijia Culture.]

[Is she trading herself for resources? Are they even dating yet?]

The topic spiraled out of control. Jiang Jize watched anxiously, immediately contacting the PR department to retract the news.

He feared that if he didn’t act fast, he’d be finished. He had to deal with this before seeing Chu Muyun, or else he might get frozen out.

The PR team moved quickly, clarifying it was just a coincidence. Wang Ling followed up, calling it a misunderstanding—no relationship between the two.

Tang Ziyu also helped clarify, saying she was drunk that night and Bai Chenxi only went to take care of her.

Still, it had little effect. First, this wasn’t the first time rumors had surfaced. Second, if Bai Chenxi was taking care of Tang Ziyu, why did only Bai Chenxi enter the hotel, not Tang Ziyu?

Jiang Jize watched the relentless public opinion and broke out in a cold sweat. With Chu Muyun’s petty nature, Jiang feared he’d be remembered badly.

With the rumors this bad, clarifying was pointless. People might think he was distancing himself from Bai Chenxi.

Those oblivious might even take the chance to bully his sister-in-law. That couldn’t happen.

Suddenly, Jiang Jize had an idea.

Kaijia Jiang Jize V: Stop guessing wildly. In my heart, Bai Chenxi is like an elder whom I respect. I respect and cherish her. Don’t put any ridiculous labels on me. I really don’t dare—truly don’t dare.

After posting, he looked quite pleased with himself. Sister-in-law is at least half an elder, after all! Besides, I really don’t dare.

When Lantian showed Bai Chenxi Jiang Jize’s Weibo post, she almost choked on her spit.

“Jiang~ Jize~ Did I owe you in a past life? Elder... I... damn your eighteen generations of ancestors!”

Netizens were equally stunned when they saw the post. Since the news broke, many had been lurking under both their Weibo posts, waiting for any statement. No matter if it was a clarification or something else, they dissected every word.

Then came this post, leaving them utterly baffled.

After a brief moment of confusion, they burst into laughter.

[I even clicked to check if it was really him.]

[First time I’ve seen someone call their rumored fling an elder. Truly, the bird’s big and all kinds of forests exist.]

[Jiang Jize is such a lovable goof. I’m a fan.]

[No wonder he’s a CEO; even his statements are so uniquely styled.]

[It’s silly, but shouldn’t we still see what their real relationship is?]

[He says he regards Bai Chenxi as an elder. What else is there to analyze? Are they related by blood?]

The hashtag #JiangJizeTheGoofyCEO quickly trended, gaining hundreds of thousands of followers in no time.

When Anda mentioned this incident, her gaze was somewhat strange. Jiang Jize didn’t notice and even helped fuel the trending topic.

As long as the rumors stopped spreading, being goofy was fine by him!