Chapter 5: Three Trending Topics

Fu Boyun seized her wrist, pinning both her hands against the wall as he pressed in closer.

His voice was husky, so low it was almost brushing her ear.
“Jiang Yu, are you trying to provoke me?”

Jiang Yu felt the heat of his nearness, and her heart lurched with panic.
“Fu Boyun, if you’re a real man, let me go!”

He gave a soft, derisive laugh.
“Jiang Yu.”

His gaze was scorching, oppressive; under his stare, Jiang Yu felt cornered, a surge of anger rising within her.
“Fu Boyun, I am not your possession, nor am I some tool for you to vent your frustrations on whenever you please!”

The words had barely left her lips when Fu Boyun’s expression darkened instantly.
“A tool? Jiang Yu, is that how you see me?”

“Isn’t it?” Jiang Yu met his eyes without flinching, her gaze stubborn and unyielding.

In that moment, the emotions in Fu Boyun’s eyes seemed to deepen into a bottomless whirlpool.
He gave no answer, but instead leaned in, his lips brushing her ear, his voice cool as ice.
“If that’s what you believe, then I suppose I’d like to see just how long you can keep resisting me.”

Jiang Yu’s eyes widened in shock as she struggled with all her might.
But the man showed no sign of relenting; his movements were forceful, imbued with an overwhelming sense of possession, as if determined to shatter all her defenses.

From initial resistance, Jiang Yu’s struggle gradually gave way to surrender.
She didn’t know why, but her body betrayed her, responding honestly and unmistakably.

***

The morning sun filtered through the gap in the curtains, casting its gentle light onto Jiang Yu’s weary face.
She glanced at the bed beside her.
The sheets were in utter disarray.
Scenes from the tempestuous night still lingered in her mind.
“Fu Boyun, what a bastard—acting like a stranger once he’s had his fun!”

She curled up on the sofa, phone in hand, the screen ablaze with trending news.
#JiangYuDidNotWalkTheRedCarpet
#TheTruthBehindJiangYu’sDisappearance
#JiangYu’sFansExpressDisappointment

Her name dominated the top three trends, and the heat was still mounting.
Jiang Yu’s fingers trembled as she tapped into one of the trends; a torrent of doubt and ridicule flooded the screen.
“Jiang Yu, where were you last night?”
“Missing from the red carpet—so unprofessional!”

Jiang Yu clenched her teeth, her fingers nearly crushing the phone.
It was all Fu Boyun’s fault. If not for him, how could she have missed the red carpet?

Taking a deep breath, she dialed Fu Boyun’s number.
When the call connected, his familiar, indifferent voice sounded, “What is it?”

“President Fu, haven’t you seen what’s trending on Weibo?” She suppressed her emotions, trying to keep calm.

He was silent for a moment, then let out a low, dismissive sound. “So what if I have?”

Jiang Yu was stunned.
She never expected him to be so unconcerned.
After all, she was the company’s star, its most carefully cultivated asset. Now that such a scandal had broken, was he not going to arrange any PR at all?

“President Fu, if this isn’t handled, won’t it affect the company’s image?”
Jiang Yu pressed on, unwilling to let it go.

“If you have something to say, come down and say it. Why call when you’re so close? Or are you afraid to see me?”

“You—!”
Jiang Yu wanted to retort, but the call had already ended.

“Damn it! Does he think I don’t want to go downstairs? My legs are still weak!”
She glowered at her phone, cursing under her breath.

A glance at the time told her it was already late—there was work to do today.
With that in mind, she finally changed clothes and went downstairs.

Sure enough, Fu Boyun was sitting at the dining table.
Jiang Yu paid him no heed, sat directly across from him, and bit into a piece of bread.
So much had happened overnight, and she was already famished.