President Ji’s Cat - Chapter 14

Fu Sixue never expected that she would land on the trending topics again because of a scandal.

This time, it wasn’t just a simple, easily explainable candid shot like last time. It was a full 3×3 grid of photos and even GIFs; she was clearly visible as the protagonist, and the movements were incredibly intimate.

Although the other person involved was Ji Chufeng, she had been intentionally blurred. Fortunately, she was blurred.

The only one being cursed was Fu Sixue herself.

Fu Sixue didn’t even have to think to know whose handiwork this filthy tactic was.

To be honest, she was truly exhausted. Over the past few years, everything related to her had been a scandal—some true, some false, some a mix of both. Every time she stepped out, she was trembling with fear, terrified of being photographed and having the facts distorted.

Before, she could say the facts were being distorted, but now, this was the truth. She didn’t even have the confidence to explain herself.

She had gone to a bar, she had gone to a hotel with someone from the bar, and they had indeed had a relationship.

“We’re here.” An Yi stopped at the door of the CEO’s office. She knocked and opened it, letting Fu Sixue enter alone.

Fu Sixue stood at the door and saw the person sitting in the boss chair from a distance. She was staring at her phone screen without even lifting her eyelids.

She walked over step by step, her high heels making a “clack, clack, clack” sound against the tile.

As she reached the opposite side of the desk, she heard Ji Chufeng say: “Have a seat.”

There was no discernible emotion in her voice, but the atmospheric pressure in the office was palpably low. This was the first time Fu Sixue felt the weight of “President Ji” while facing her.

She pulled out a chair and sat down with a direct sense of trepidation. Only then did Ji Chufeng look up at her.

Her brown eyes held no warmth, and her beautiful brows were slightly furrowed as she studied her in silence.

“…” Fu Sixue said nothing, her hands resting on her lap unconsciously wringing together.

After a long while, President Ji finally spoke.

“Have you seen the trending topics?”

Fu Sixue’s heart shivered. Her fingers twisted tighter as she stared at the smooth desktop. She gave a soft “mm.”

She had already prepared herself to be scolded mercilessly. Even though the other protagonist of the scandal was the person right in front of her, she was currently an “outsider”; the one she was involved with was merely that “mystery person” who appeared late at night.

Ji Chufeng originally wanted to tell her not to look at the trends, but she hadn’t expected the woman to have seen them already. Asked by her, Fu Sixue seemed to think of something, and a very subtle change appeared in her expression.

Ji Chufeng saw it; she looked a bit helpless.

Ji Chufeng remained silent for a long time. Fu Sixue had already made up her mind.

“President Ji.” When she looked up again, there was a touch of resolve in her eyes. “I will bear the consequences of this matter myself.”

President Ji almost wanted to roll her eyes. She wanted to say, What consequences can you bear? Aren’t you just the little cowardly cat who turns her back on people after the fact?

“My management contract still has two years left. If the company wants to terminate, I am willing to pay the penalty.” This was the best solution she had come up with after careful consideration on the way over. Although the money she had earned these past few years wasn’t enough to pay the penalty, she could sell her house; there should be a little left over.

Heh. Listen to that—the same familiar way of handling things.

Ji Chufeng was almost laughed to anger. “Who said anything about terminating your contract?”

Fu Sixue froze, looking dazed and somewhat cute.

The dazed look lasted for three seconds before she recovered. Fu Sixue weighed her words and said: “Recently, I have been embroiled in one bad news story after another, taking up a lot of the company’s resources. Thank you for your appreciation, President Ji, but… I might really not be suited to stay in this industry anymore.”

Ji Chufeng looked at her, silent for a long time before speaking. Her tone was full of gravity and sincerity: “Thorns are inevitable on the road to growth. What we must do is cross them, not hide the moment we see them. How long can you keep hiding?”

“If you weren’t suited for this industry, the character ‘Xu Ruyan’ would never have existed.”

Hearing the name “Xu Ruyan” suddenly made Fu Sixue freeze. Xu Ruyan was the first role she ever took, and it was because of that role that she entered the acting world.

Ji Chufeng stood up, walked over to her, and placed a hand gently on top of her head, lightly stroking her hair as if to soothe her.

“As an actor, receiving malicious comments is unavoidable. But do not forget, your fans have always supported you; they all hope you live a better and better life.”

“And rats in the gutter can only live in the sewers for a lifetime. The best counterattack is for you to get better and better to spite them to death.”

“Trust me. I will make you popular again.”

Fu Sixue desperately wanted to believe her, but she also understood perfectly that what lay before her was not a patch of thorns, but a quagmire.

Yet Ji Chufeng’s gaze was too sincere—so sincere that it bewitched her once again.

Just like the magic brought by her saying “Come home with me” that night, she involuntarily nodded her head.

Ji Chufeng was finally satisfied and gave her a curved smile.

This was the first time Fu Sixue felt that President Ji’s overbearing posture wasn’t quite so annoying.

As expected, a large group of reporters was blocked downstairs. Having tasted blood from the Liang Hao incident, they were convinced that the “troublemaking” President Ji would definitely give them some explosive scoop or topic.

When the reporters saw Ji Chufeng emerge from the building, they swarmed forward, only to see someone following behind her.

Wasn’t that the very person at the center of the storm?

Those reporters worked even harder to squeeze in, but were held back by bodyguards to maintain a safe distance. However, this didn’t stop them from performing.

“Teacher Fu! Have you seen the trending topics today!”

“Teacher Fu, is that mystery person someone in the industry? How did you meet!”

“Teacher Fu…”

Microphones were thrust toward Fu Sixue, several almost hitting her face. Ji Chufeng, standing by her side, looked at the crazed crowd and reached out to inconspicuously pull her behind her back.

She cleared her throat, her voice neither loud nor soft, but just enough to completely intimidate the crowd. “One at a time.”

Once she spoke, they indeed became much more orderly.

Ji Chufeng and Fu Sixue stood together on the top step. She swept her gaze over the reporters. “Regarding the false news about Teacher Fu online, our company will take necessary measures to protect Teacher Fu’s reputation.”

Hearing Ji Chufeng deny the “facts,” the reporters looked at each other, disbelief clear in their eyes. With “ironclad evidence,” no one would believe such a simple statement.

A young reporter, likely a newcomer and a “newborn calf unafraid of tigers,” summoned his courage and spoke up: “But the photos clearly caught Fu Sixue entering a bar late at night and being taken to a hotel by a strange man!”

Ji Chufeng looked at him, a mocking smile curling on her lips. “Who told you it was a man?”

“If it were a man, the person who took this photo wouldn’t have had to go to such lengths to blur the other person. Wouldn’t it have been easier to just put a mosaic over the face?”

The reporters looked at each other; some were persuaded, but others were still skeptical.

“But… that doesn’t prove the other person wasn’t a man…”

“…” Ji Chufeng scanned the crowd and said loudly: “He who asserts must prove. I welcome the release of high-definition original photos. As the other protagonist of the incident, I never expected that one day I would become a ‘man’.”

The PR manager added from the side: “You are more than welcome to open those photos and check if President Ji’s physique matches the other person’s. As for those who maliciously spread rumors, we will show no leniency!”

“They actually do look a bit alike…” The reporters began to look at Fu Sixue, who was shielded behind Ji Chufeng, hoping the person involved would respond personally.

Ji Chufeng tilted her head to look at her. Fu Sixue raised her eyes and met her gaze. After two short seconds, she took a half-step to stand beside Ji Chufeng.

Under the expectant eyes of the crowd, Fu Sixue said calmly: “I had too much to drink that night. President Ji was simply taking me back to rest.”

Ji Chufeng glanced at her out of the corner of her eye, her tone softening slightly. “I was in a bad mood at the time, so I went for a couple of drinks with a few friends. Teacher Fu was one of the companions; it just so happens only the two of us were photographed.”

She lied through her teeth without changing her expression: “Teacher Fu was drunk, so I took her to a hotel to rest. Is it strange for two women to go to a hotel to sleep?”

“…” Hearing this, Fu Sixue felt an inexplicable sense of guilt. Fortunately, over a decade in the industry had trained her in the skill of remaining expressionless in any situation.

“As for the rumor-monger.” Ji Chufeng looked into the cameras, the chill in her eyes almost piercing through the lenses. “You’d better hide well under your covers so I don’t catch you.”