Chapter 140 Cafeteria Turmoil
"You've only been at the TV station for a short time. Back then, it was Cao Gang, your boyfriend, who introduced her to Chu Zhen's department. How could someone who hadn't even graduated from school get into Chu Zhen's department? Cao Gang must have said a lot of nice things to her." The woman became even more enthusiastic when Xiao Xiao asked her questions.
“I haven’t been at the TV station for long, but I’ve heard a lot. I only know that Sister Lin Dang risked her life to save a little girl from a fire, went to the mountains alone, and wrote a report about left-behind children. I also know that Sister Lin Dang was pregnant for ten months and went to the disaster area. Where were you at that time? Were you gossiping here?” Xiao Xiao’s sharp words surprised the people at the table.
“Xiao Xiao, how can you talk like that? This is only for your own good. You and Cao Gang are about to get married, but you’ve been kept in the dark about so many things.” Another woman tried to smooth things over.
"I know Sister Lin Dang's character, and don't you all know it too? What is this? Naked jealousy, isn't it? You finally got a chance, and now you're going to do whatever you want, right?" Xiao Xiao was not one to be trifled with, and she didn't leave them any room to maneuver.
"Jealous? Hmph, I'm jealous of her. She has no looks, no abilities, what else does she have besides a husband?" He had been speaking softly, but he was probably provoked by Xiao Xiao and suddenly raised his voice. Not only could the whole cafeteria hear him, but at least the dozen or so tables around him could hear him clearly.
"Of course there is, and there's also my friend who stood up for her." Song Ji-hyo stood up, walked up to the woman, and poured a bowl of seaweed and egg soup directly onto her face.
"Song Ji-hyo, are you sick in the head?!" The woman got angry and reached out to hit Song Ji-hyo.
"Whether she's sick or not is none of your business." Song Huai appeared out of nowhere and grabbed the woman's hand. "Do you know the difference between you and Lin Dang? She has a group of friends who would stand up for her, while you, not a single person at this table stood up for you when they saw you like this." Song Huai slammed her hand down.
"Let's eat. Don't let irrelevant people affect your appetite." I glanced at the woman whose face was still covered in seaweed. Although she looked somewhat familiar, I really didn't know her name or which department she was from. I tugged at Song Ji-hyo and helped Xiao Xiao bring her plate to our table.
The others were also surprised by my reaction. How could I remain so calm? Instantly, the once noisy cafeteria became completely silent.
Later I found out that this woman's name was Yao Yang, and she was Yao Yao's cousin at the newspaper. At that time, I was valued by the director at the newspaper, so I often talked about me behind my back to Yao Yang. It was said that Yao Yang had a crush on Chu Zhen and was one of the many people who sent love letters and asked me out to dinner, but Chu Zhen never even glanced at her. I always thought that Chu Zhen was not interested in women. Although he rejected me, he also rejected others. But I never expected that he would end up with me. Moreover, when I went abroad for further studies recently, I was the only one given a spot at the TV station. I was even more resentful. Xiao Xiao told me that she had talked about me behind my back at the TV station more than once, and I had wanted to teach her a lesson for a long time.
"Sister Lin Dang, I actually know Cao Gang likes you," Xiao Xiao said nonchalantly. "I like a woman like you, so why would I like a man?"
"Really? Am I that likable?"
"Of course, although you have a mild temperament, you are truly sincere to people~" The incident just now is just an interlude to me, but it may be a laughing stock for a long time in other people's eyes. But why should I care about other people?
The aftermath of Cao Kun's incident was beyond my expectations. I always thought that time would calm things down, or that new events would overshadow it, but I was wrong. I underestimated the influence he had built up in City A for so long.
Aside from the television station, all other local media outlets made Cao Kun's rape case their headline, and different trending topics appeared online every day. The only difference was that I went from being a victim to the perpetrator. My silence made everyone think I was in the wrong. At the same time, various negative news stories followed one after another. My past car accident and miscarriage were all portrayed as tools for me to ensnare Chu Zhen. Some even said that I was competing with Huang Yanyan for Chen Weiqi, and ultimately settled for Chu Zhen as a second choice. For the first time, I truly experienced cyberbullying. The online comments were overwhelmingly negative, and many hosts and internet celebrities who had been involved with Cao Kun joined in the attack, bringing their fan bases with them.
Chu Zhen didn't say anything to me. He knows better than anyone what kind of person I am, and I don't care what others say.
“Dang, I’ve investigated. Fang Jing was the one stirring up trouble behind all this. The first media outlet to break the negative news about you was one that Fang Jing’s father owns.” Huang Yanyan called me to her house; it turned out she had been investigating all this time.
"Fang Jing?"
"Yes, I didn't expect Fang Jing to still be helping Cao Kun like this. They say that couples are like birds in the same forest, but they fly away separately when disaster strikes. Fang Jing can do this for someone like Cao Kun."
"There are too many vested interests between them. I was quite surprised that Fang Jing was able to get away unscathed back then. This time, she's helping a husband who has cheated on her countless times. It can only mean that there are too many interests involved between them." Although I don't like these kinds of controversies, when I'm in the eye of the storm, I have no choice but to pay attention.
"Dang, I know your personality, but Chu Zhen hasn't taken any action yet. Is there something wrong between you two?" Yan Yan asked tentatively.
Huang Yanyan was probably worried that Chu Zhen and I would become estranged because of these rumors.
“No problem, we didn’t think it was necessary to waste time on this. But now I don’t think so. These comments are getting worse and are seriously affecting my life. When Professor Huang went to the college before, other teachers were also talking about it.”
“I also think you should stand up. If you ignore it, the message you send to the public is that you are running away and afraid to face it, which gives those with ulterior motives something to talk about. Don’t worry, I will do everything I can to help you.” Huang Yanyan’s eyes were very sincere and firm. She was genuinely worried about me. Last time, when Song Ji-hyo told her about what happened in the cafeteria, she wished she could run to the radio station to find Yao Yang immediately.
"With your support, of course I have to face it!"
When I returned from Yan Yan's house, the child was already asleep. I found Chu Zhen in the study.
"Honey, I want to step forward now~"
"Hmm~" Chu Zhen looked up at me with gentle eyes, stood up and walked to my side, "Have you thought it through?"
"Okay, I've made up my mind. I'm the victim, and I have nothing to hide."
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