Chapter 24: Ruined Reputation

Chapter 24: Ruined Reputation

At the Saint Peter Hotel.

Feng Shuo had already arranged for expert doctors and nurses to be on standby at the hospital, specializing in both general and neurosurgery.

After giving Huo Tingcheng a comprehensive examination and ensuring his condition was stable, he finally left with peace of mind.

However, outside the presidential suite, rows of silent bodyguards stood guard along the corridor.

Seeing that Huo Tingcheng was deeply asleep, Yun Mu decided to take a bath.

After a long day of turmoil, she was exhausted.

After her bath, she removed the heavy makeup from the right side of her face, only slightly enhancing her brows and eyes to conceal the exquisite beauty of her left cheek.

As for the scar on her left cheek, to prevent any suspicion, she used a special material that could only be removed with a specific solvent.

Wearing a loose bathrobe after washing her face, she opened the door.

Yet to her surprise, the door opened to reveal Huo Tingcheng, who had somehow woken up, his gaze fixated on her.

Her damp hair cascaded down, framing her cold and serene expression. Half of her face seemed like that of a divine goddess, while the other half bore an eerie resemblance to a demon.

The bathrobe was slightly open, hinting at the pale, delicate collarbone beneath – a tantalizingly seductive sight.

Most notably, her long, fair legs provoked endless imagination...

Most importantly, she appeared even more like the woman from that fateful night!

Under the dim yellow light, Huo Tingcheng couldn't help but draw closer, his eyes profound and intense.

His gaze traveled downward, past the bathrobe, where an alluring scene unfolded.

Yun Mu's cheeks flushed, and she hastily pulled the robe closed.

However, before she could accuse him of being a rogue, the man's face darkened, and he coldly questioned, "What's your intention in bringing me here for a room while I was unconscious?"

This man revealed his true nature with just one sentence!

Yun Mu gritted her teeth. "I don't have the habit of taking advantage of others! Anyway, my sole purpose with you is to become Young Master Shao's wife, not to be interested in you as a person!"

With that, she lost interest in further argument and grabbed the hotel's tablet to start her real work on the balcony.

Initially, she hadn't planned on releasing the hospital video so soon. But Yun Shuiyao had thoroughly enraged her that afternoon!

So, she decided to upload the full video of Yun Shuiyao negotiating with the sleazy man online. She also purchased online influencers to portray Yun Shuiyao as a manipulative and two-faced woman while simultaneously clearing her own name.

Of course, Yun Mu only handled the video upload, leaving the task of shaping public opinion to Feng Shuo.

Feng Shuo's efficiency was impressive – within an hour, Yun Shuiyao's despicable act of sacrificing her innocent sister for a lead role had sparked a massive uproar on the internet!

The impeccable image of the capital's first heiress crumbled instantly!

The video went viral, topping the headlines of major media outlets, with Weibo's top ten trending topics dominated by Yun Shuiyao and Yun Mu.

Themes like "Capital's Heiress' Perfect Image Shattered!", "White Lily or Black Lily?", "Yun Shuiyao Trades Sister for Lead Role", and "Unveiling the Truth Behind Aristocratic Gossip" flooded the internet.

It seemed that one could hardly avoid the news feed on their phones.

"Good heavens, is that woman making a deal with that smirking, greasy man really Yun Shuiyao?"

"I can't believe it at all. I used to be a fan after watching her dramas. This has shattered my worldview! Was she just too good at pretending, or were my eyes too blind?"

"Sobbing! Upstairs, I think we were all blind..."

"I always had a feeling the elite world was chaotic, and indeed it is. Now, thinking about how Yun Shuiyao, an adopted daughter, pushed aside the real heiress of the Yun family for all these years, I wonder how many underhanded tactics she used? It's truly pitiful for Yun Mu. She was genuinely a heiress, and scum like Yun Shuiyao and Ho Jinzhou should be taught a lesson!"

"Well-deserved punishment!"

Those netizens who previously criticized Yun Mu for being violent were now switching sides to support her.

The tide of public opinion on the internet could be truly remarkable.

Looking at the smiling woman on the balcony, Ho Tingcheng closed his phone. His brows relaxed, and he found himself softly smiling as well.

...

In the meantime, at the Imperial Capital Hospital.

Yun Shuiyao felt as if her eyes were about to pop out from reading the online comments. She had never imagined that one day she would be subjected to such relentless criticism, plummeting from grace to disgrace in an instant.

Digging her nails into her palm, she didn't even register the pain; her face was twisted with anger and despair.

Then, Yun Mu's call came through.

"Yun Shuiyao, I gave you a chance, but not only did you fail to cherish it, you even tried to set me up. How does it feel to be despised by others?"

Yun Shuiyao clenched her phone tightly, gritting her teeth. "Yun Mu, don't get too cocky, the game has just begun!"

"Yes, the game has just started, but with your petty tactics, you're no match for me. By the way, Cheng Ming already told Yun Tingying that you were the one who ordered him to cause trouble for me."

Yun Mu hung up without further ado.

Yun Shuiyao angrily threw her phone onto the ground. Still seething with rage, she proceeded to smash all the vases and medicine bottles in the hospital room!

The impeccable image she had painstakingly cultivated for years, all her efforts over the decades, had been ruthlessly shattered in an instant by that despicable Yun Mu!

She was unwilling to accept this, filled with fierce resentment!

"Yun Mu, meet your end!"

With a surge of fury, she hurled a vase forcefully towards the door. Unbeknownst to her, the hospital room's door was being pushed open from the outside. Fortunately, the incoming person dodged swiftly, averting another potentially bloody catastrophe.

"Jinzhou?!" Yun Shuiyao's face paled when she saw the solemn-faced Huo Jinzhou standing at the door with a cast on his limb. She rushed over immediately, concern etched on her features. "Jinzhou, are you hurt?"

Huo Jinzhou had initially planned to ask Yun Shuiyao if there was any misunderstanding due to malicious editing of the video.

However, the grotesque expression on Yun Shuiyao's face just now, along with the mess in the hospital room, immediately convinced Ho Jinzhou that the video was genuine!

The white moonlight he had loved for years turned out to be a poisonous lotus.

"Jinzhou, why are you looking at me like that? It's terrifying..." Feeling a chill down her spine from Jinzhou's piercing gaze, Yun Shuiyao quickly put on a vulnerable act.

In the past, whenever Ho Jinzhou saw her this way, even in anger, his heart would soften.

Yet now, as Huo Jinzhou observed, he could only feel a sense of hypocrisy and disgust.

He pushed her away abruptly, his voice cold as he said, "Your behavior today has been deeply disappointing."

Yun Shuiyao's heart skipped a beat. She quickly said, "I underestimated my opponent, but it doesn't matter. Yun Mu could never be a match for me. She..."

"Yao'er, you've lost utterly in this game! Yun Mu, that woman, is far more cunning than you."

Huo Jinzhou's voice was icy as he said, "My mother has already called about this. If you still want a place in the Huo family, deal with this mess promptly and thoroughly!"

With that, Huo Jinzhou turned around and left without looking back.

The future matriarch of the Hao family couldn't possibly be a woman beset by scandals.

"Jinzhou, Jinzhou—"

Yun Shuiyao hurried after him, but Huo Jinzhou made no effort to wait for her.