Chapter 123: Chapter 123: Rumours
The next day, a terrible rumour spread—Huo Feng had been diverting funds.
The stocks of the Huo Corps took a nosedive. People were murmuring. But the center of it all—Huo Feng was calmly feeding his wife at this moment.
"You’re really doing this?" she asked, breaking the silence, her tone low but sharp. "The entire board is in uproar, the media’s tearing your name apart, and you’re calmly feeding me breakfast?"
He raised his eyes, a faint smile tugging his lips. "Would you prefer I panic?"
"That’s not funny, Huo Feng." Her voice trembled. "If these rumors continue—"
"They won’t," he interrupted softly, setting the spoon down. "By tonight, everything will settle."
Yue Ning frowned. "How can you be sure?" She was in a state of worry.
He leaned back, his expression unreadable. "Because the ones spreading it are exactly the ones I wanted to move."
She blinked. "You mean..."
Huo Feng’s gaze softened, and he reached across the table to wipe a stray drop of soup from her fingers. "Sometimes, to see the truth, you have to shake the tree," he said calmly. "Let the rotten fruit fall on its own."
The meaning sank in slowly. Yue Ning’s lips parted in disbelief. "You started the rumor?"
"Helped it spread," he corrected. "Song Kai and Mingjie already had plans to leak a fabricated report. I simply... opened the right doors. I told you about this last night."
Her pulse quickened as she stared at him with wide eyes. "You’re baiting them."
"And the directors who are loyal to them," he said evenly. "By noon, they’ll show their true faces. I’ll know who’s been feeding them information from inside the company."
Yue Ning stared at him in awe. His calmness was unnerving, the way he turned chaos into calculation. Yet beneath that control, she sensed the toll it took on him.
He told her everything last night, but didn’t expect them to move this fast which caught her by surprise. Thankfully, although she failed the mission, Huo Feng was able to detect the danger.
"You risked everything for this?" she asked, voice barely above a whisper.
"For the company?" He met her gaze. "No. For the truth." He answered plainly. "I don’t need traitors to be a part of my team."
Silence settled again, heavy but intimate. She could only exhale, half in relief, half in resignation.
He picked up the spoon again and pushed the bowl toward her.
"Eat," he said quietly. "If I fail, at least one of us should have enough strength to run."
She glared at him. "That’s not funny either."
"Wasn’t meant to be." He said, the mood light so as to take her mind from the issues.
She didn’t say anything, and allowed him to feed her. The atmosphere turned silent, but it wasn’t awkward nor uncomfortable.
It was harmonious. Perhaps, because they’ve both discovered their feelings and have embraced it.
Suddenly, Yue Ning’s phone rang, disrupting the silence. The name displayed was: Lovely Mom. Lu Ting had called her.
"Mom," her brows furrowed as she picked her call.
"Yue Ning, my dear. How are you doing?" Lu Ting asked without hesitation once the call got connected.
"I’m fine, Mom. Is everything alright?" Yue Ning asked, her tone cautious.
Lu Ting sighed audibly on the other end. "Not really. I just saw the news about Huo Feng. Is it true? People are saying terrible things about the Huo family online. You should convince him to come out and clarify—before it gets worse."
Yue Ning’s fingers tightened around the phone. Her eyes flickered toward Huo Feng, who was quietly watching her, calm as ever, his expression unreadable.
"Mom, don’t believe everything online. He has everything under control." Yue Ning replied, her tone was firmer than she had expected.
Lu Ting hesitated. "I know you trust him, dear, but I’ve lived long enough to know that trust alone can’t shield you from ruin. Just... be careful, alright? Don’t get caught in his mess if things go south. I care about you."
Her words stung more than Yue Ning wanted to admit. "Mom, please don’t say that. Huo Feng isn’t that kind of person." She was quick to defend him.
"Maybe. But not everyone sees it that way. I’ll call you again later," Lu Ting said before ending the call abruptly.
The line went dead, and Yue Ning exhaled slowly, staring at the phone screen.
"Your mom?" Huo Feng asked, placing the tray on the table.
"Hmm," Yue Ning nodded, taking a deep breath. "Mr. Huo, people are bound to talk. Are you sure... you have everything under control?" She asked tentatively, her searching gaze meeting his.
Huo Feng’s gleamed mysteriously. "I told you to trust me, didn’t I? You don’t have to worry about me. Just remain beautiful while I solve this issue."
Yue Ning wanted to say something, but she shut her mouth. Since he said he had things under control—she chose to believe him.
______________
Meanwhile, at the Song Group headquarters, laughter erupted from the top-floor office.
"Haha—Huo Feng!" Song Kai’s voice echoed across the spacious room as he slapped the newspaper on his desk.
"I told you I’d deal with you! Look at you now, your name dragged through the mud, your precious company’s stock tumbling. Oh, this is beautiful—simply beautiful!"
He laughed harder, the sound almost maniac, tears forming at the corners of his eyes.
A sharp knock on the door interrupted his gloating.
"Come in," he called, quickly straightening his suit and composing himself.
The door opened to reveal Huo Mingjie. The man walked in with quiet composure, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"You seem happy," Mingjie said as he made himself comfortable in the seat opposite.
"Why wouldn’t I be?" Song Kai replied, still flushed with excitement. "We’ve struck where it hurts most. The great Huo Feng finally has a scandal to his name, and the mighty Huo Corporation is in chaos. Tell me that isn’t worth celebrating."
Mingjie’s expression didn’t change, but his eyes flickered, assessing. He leaned back, his tone casual. "Tell me, what’s your history with Huo Feng? You seem far too invested in this downfall."