Chapter 44 Zhou Yu Covered His Ears and Held Him Tight…

Chapter 44: Zhou Yu covered his ears and held him tight...

Lin Yunshu didn’t know how he had fallen asleep.

When he opened his eyes, daylight filled the room, the beige curtains glowing softly in the morning light.

Lin Yunshu silenced his alarm and rolled over, but before he was fully awake, a sharp stomach pain jolted him.

He almost instinctively tumbled out of bed, stumbled into the bathroom, and leaned over the sink, wracked by violent dry heaving.

His fastidiousness wouldn’t allow him to vomit on the floor.

His last proper meal had been at noon the day before; Lin Yunshu had gone nearly a full day without eating.

His stomach was empty, and he only brought up some water mixed with stomach acid.

Weak, Lin Yunshu crouched on the floor, clenching his fist and digging it deeply into his upper abdomen.

Although there was no blood, the pain felt abnormal—there was no reason it should still hurt this badly after taking medication the night before.

Not wanting to take any chances, Lin Yunshu decided to go to the hospital.

He stayed crouched, maintaining a tense posture as he controlled his breathing. Once the pain subsided slightly, he quickly took two more painkillers.

The hospital wasn’t far from home, and since it was a personal errand, Lin Yunshu didn’t use the company driver.

After changing clothes and grabbing his car keys, he went directly to the underground parking garage, planning to drive himself to the hospital.

As he entered the parking lot, he felt dizzy.

Lin Yunshu had to stop and lean on the wall for a moment. He felt cold, and a sudden chill ran down his spine, as if someone were watching him from afar.

He turned around abruptly, but the cold, silent parking lot was empty.

Rubbing his temples wearily, Lin Yunshu walked unsteadily to his car and got in.

After fastening his seatbelt, he took out his phone to call Guo Shengyao and let her know he'd be late to the office, but another call came through first.

It was Lily from the secretary team.

Without much thought, Lin Yunshu answered, "Lily?"

"Secretary Lin!" Lily sounded anxious. "Are you at the office yet?"

Lin Yunshu paused. "What’s wrong?"

"It’s... something happened," Lily sounded flustered. "Somehow, yesterday’s incident has suddenly dragged you into this."

"Me?" Lin Yunshu’s eyebrow twitched.

"Yes, it’s really strange. How soon can you get here? Should I send a car to pick you up?"

Lin Yunshu placed a hand on his stomach. The painkillers were starting to take effect, and the pain had eased.

After a moment’s hesitation, he started the car. "No need, I’m already in the car. I’ll be there in ten minutes."

"Okay!" Lily sighed in relief. "Please drive safely."

·

After hanging up, Lily let out a long breath.

"Lily!"

Someone called her from behind, and she stiffened. "Guo Shengyao!"

Guo Shengyao walked over. "Who were you talking to?"

"Secretary Lin," Lily said anxiously. "The company is in chaos right now, and the boss isn’t here. Only Secretary Lin can handle this!"

"Why did you call him?" Guo Shengyao frowned immediately.

She had noticed that Lin Yunshu seemed unwell yesterday and had hoped he could rest a bit longer today. But this girl had called and dragged him into it.

"Isn’t this just someone trying to smear us at the first opportunity?" Guo Shengyao said sternly. "Issue a statement, send a lawyer’s letter, take a firm stance. Is our company afraid of this? If even such a small matter requires Secretary Lin’s involvement, what are we even here for?"

Lily hung her head, chastised. Thinking it over, Guo Shengyao was right—she had panicked unnecessarily.

Guo Shengyao shot her an exasperated look, and Lily lowered her head even further.

"Forget it," Guo Shengyao sighed, telling Lily to get back to work before turning to call Lin Yunshu.

But he didn’t answer.

Ten minutes later, Lin Yunshu arrived at the office on time.

His attire was more casual than usual—a light blue casual shirt paired with black trousers. His hair was less meticulously styled, with a few soft strands falling over his forehead, making him look almost like a recent college graduate.

Guo Shengyao approached him. "Master."

Lin Yunshu smiled and nodded. The outfit gave him an especially gentle aura.

Though his face was still somewhat pale, he seemed in good spirits. Unsure, Guo Shengyao asked quietly, "Are you feeling alright?"

Lin Yunshu’s smile widened. "What could be wrong with me?"

He washed his hands, dried them carefully with a few tissues, and followed Guo Shengyao into the conference room.

It was already full of people, with the top seat reserved for him.

That was the boss’s special seat, but Lin Yunshu ignored it, leaving it empty and taking a seat slightly to the left instead.

He glanced around and smiled gently. "Alright, let’s hear it. What’s going on?"

They had already issued the termination statement and announcement last night. The follow-up only required some effort to restore and maintain the brand’s image.

It wasn’t a difficult task, and Lin Yunshu didn’t think it required his personal attention.

"After the statement was issued last night, the situation was mostly resolved," Guo Shengyao said. "The rest has been handled by President Tan’s side."

Lin Yunshu nodded. "And then?"

"Then..." Guo Shengyao paused slightly. "Late into the night, public opinion suddenly shifted and mentioned you."

Lin Yunshu was also curious about how he could be connected to the matter. Without commenting, he motioned for Guo Shengyao to continue.

"Although we’ve distanced ourselves from it, Zhu Mo’s controversy hasn't died down. His past relationships are being exposed one after another. At first, there was solid evidence, but later it became chaotic. Until late last night..."

Guo Shengyao clicked the touchpad, and a photo appeared on the projection screen.

It showed Lin Yunshu and Zhu Mo. Judging by their clothes, it was likely taken on the day Lin Yunshu visited him on set.

Interestingly, the photo was taken secretly, from a subtle angle that excluded all filming equipment on set.

Zhu Mo was raising his hand to shield him from a box, but the box wasn’t captured in the shot. Both were in casual clothes, making them appear intimately close.

Honestly, the photographer was skilled.

Skilled paparazzi never resort to Photoshop; they simply use clever angles to make a photo deceptive.

Lin Yunshu folded his hands and rested them on his abdomen, his fingertips tapping unconsciously.

A mild cramp twisted his stomach. He held his breath, enduring it, and lowered his eyelids slightly.

To those in the room, he seemed to be growing angry.

No one had ever seen Secretary Lin look angry before. They glanced at each other, too hesitant to speak.

When the pain subsided, Lin Yunshu opened his eyes.

His eyelashes were glistening, as if coated with a layer of frost. Under the glow of the projection screen, his profile appeared pale as ice.

“So I’ve become one of the movie star’s lovers too?” he said in a joking tone, still sounding gentle.

“Uh,” Guo Shengyao coughed lightly, “Actually, no.”

She chose her words carefully: “From what's trending, it seems more like he’s your lover.”

“After Cassi’s statement last night, the internet exploded,” someone added from below. “At first, it seemed like someone was containing it, so it didn’t blow up too much. But after we made our stance clear, it really erupted. So now people online are saying he was abandoned by you.”

Who would have thought it would take such a turn.

Lin Yunshu couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. He never imagined that just an employee like himself would one day be seen as an influential figure.

“What’s even more bizarre is that while Zhu Mo is losing fans on a large scale, another segment of his extreme fans has become more united, as if they’ve been galvanized by the backlash,” Guo Shengyao said, amazed.

“They firmly believe that Zhu Mo was maliciously slandered because he refused to submit to your unwanted advances, and that you’re trying to ruin his career.”

“Coupled with the fact that many opportunists joined in overnight, those fake rumors have ironically become tools for his fans to defend their idol, ‘proving’ that someone is out to harm their idol.”

Even Guo Shengyao found it ridiculous as she finished speaking.

Lin Yunshu rested his chin in his hand, his gaze fixed on the scrolling text on the projection screen.

He didn’t follow celebrity gossip and couldn’t understand the psychology of fans fiercely defending an artist with questionable morals, but he had heard of the extreme things such fans were capable of.

What he understood even more clearly, however, was that even the most extreme groups couldn’t collectively target something on a large scale and shape public opinion without someone guiding them.

After a moment’s thought, he asked Guo Shengyao, “Has this affected the company or the brand?”

“So far, not really,” Guo Shengyao replied.

So it was targeted solely at him.

Lin Yunshu realized instantly.

He opened his phone and, sure enough, relentless stalkers had already leaked his number. His phone was now flooded with horrifying insults and curses.

Lin Yunshu took screenshots of all the messages without exception and forwarded them all to Guo Shengyao.

“Collect all the IDs spreading rumors and posting extreme comments online, plus the ones I just sent you. Compile them and hand them over to legal to issue legal notices,” he said.

“Understood!” Guo Shengyao straightened up.

“Just a warning for now,” Lin Yunshu added. “No need to rush into deleting comments or banning accounts. If they don’t back down, or if it starts affecting the brand, we’ll involve the police.”

Guo Shengyao was energized: “Got it! I'll start immediately.”

Lin Yunshu nodded.

After a moment’s hesitation, Guo Shengyao still felt the need to remind him: “Master, it’s pretty clear someone is pulling strings behind the scenes. Should we look into it?”

Lin Yunshu didn’t respond.

He remained motionless, leaning back in his chair, chin slightly tucked, lips pressed tightly together. His shoulders and neck were tense in an unnatural way.

As the silence dragged on, people below began looking worriedly in his direction.

“Master?”

Guo Shengyao gently touched his arm, then startled.

Lin Yunshu’s body temperature was abnormally high.

Under the long table, Guo Shengyao could even see the faint blue veins standing out on the back of his hand.

Her heart raced with worry, but she didn’t want to cause alarm. Softly, she asked, “Master, are you okay?”

It took a long moment before Lin Yunshu’s clenched fingers relaxed slightly.

A sharp stomach pain hit him moments earlier, his vision went spotty, and a loud ringing filled his ears.

For several seconds, he was completely unaware of what was happening around him.

Only when the darkness receded and sounds gradually returned did he see Guo Shengyao’s anxious expression.

“I’m fine,” he said, pushing on the armrests to sit up a little straighter. “What were you saying?”

Guo Shengyao’s concern was evident. To reassure her, he offered a faint smile. “I didn’t catch that.”

“I was asking if you wanted to investigate who’s behind this,” Guo Shengyao repeated quietly.

So that was it.

Truthfully, there was no need to investigate. Lin Yunshu already had a pretty good idea—after all, there weren't many suspects and it was easy to guess.

“Not for now.”

As he spoke, he pushed himself up using the table, his forearm trembling slightly.

Guo Shengyao instinctively moved to support him, but he gently waved her off.

“I have something to attend to and need to leave,” Lin Yunshu said. “Keep an eye on things here for me. I’ll notify you if anything important comes up.”

“Of course, of course,” Guo Shengyao hurriedly followed. “Don’t worry, Master, I’ve got this under control.”

Probably afraid he lacked the strength, she pulled open the heavy door for him.

Lin Yunshu’s eyes flickered slightly. He nodded gently in thanks and left the conference room.

It wasn’t until he stepped into the elevator and the doors closed that his ramrod-straight back finally slumped. Exhausted, he leaned weakly against the wall.

The metal doors reflected his pale face.

His eyes were closed, chin slightly raised, neck taut with veins, cold sweat beaded on his skin.

The pain in his stomach had become unbearable—spasms accompanied by sharp, stabbing cramps, so intense that Lin Yunshu felt lightheaded.

He lifted his head, gasping for air, his chest rising and falling twice before he covered his mouth and coughed until he choked.

Ding!

The elevator stopped at B1.

Lin Yunshu shook his dizzy head and staggered out.

He hadn’t eaten for twenty-four hours and knew clearly that he was experiencing a blood sugar crash. He quickened his pace.

There was candy in the car. If eating it didn’t help, he would probably ask the driver to take him to the hospital.

The fluorescent lights in the parking lot made Lin Yunshu dizzy. He dug his fingers into his temples, struggling to steady his steps.

A deafening roar filled his ears. Through the haze, it seemed like a series of hurried footsteps echoed around him.

Lin Yunshu couldn’t hear clearly and instinctively turned around—just as a large crowd of men and women, an angry mob, rushed toward him.

“Lin Yunshu!”

The person at the front was carrying a large aluminum bucket. He charged like a bat, raised the bucket high, and splashed vivid red liquid everywhere.

It all happened too suddenly. Lin Yunshu had no time to dodge, and the thick liquid clogged his mouth and nose.

His vision blurred, and the world instantly turned crimson.

An acrid smell flooded his nostrils—low-quality paint.

The strong chemical irritant made him cough violently. Acid reflux churned in his stomach, the severe pain doubled him over. He covered his mouth, coughing until the world spun.

Lin Yunshu finally got a real taste of how terrifying extreme fans could be.

They were screaming abuse, but Lin Yunshu’s severe tinnitus made it hard to hear clearly.

Not satisfied with just drenching him in paint, the person hurled the empty aluminum bucket hard at Lin Yunshu.

Doubled over in stomach pain and unable to move, Lin Yunshu could only instinctively curl up, protecting his head and abdomen.

He thought he wasn’t afraid, but in that moment, he still trembled slightly and squeezed his eyes shut.

The next second, someone wrenched his arm.

The person’s hand was impossibly strong, yet restrained enough not to hurt him, gently yanking him backward into an embrace.

The aluminum bucket grazed past his ear and crashed to the ground with a loud clatter.

Zhou Yu instantly covered his ears and held him tightly.

-----------------------

Author's Note: Finally back (breathing)

Not sure if you'll find this angsty, but I actually had a great time writing it...

[Poor thing] I really love watching someone stubbornly hold on...

Then finally break and be held by the top... who will definitely comfort and soothe him properly.

Baby is a bit scared, so he'll be a little clingier than usual, ugh, just thinking about it makes me @%#“@

I'm so lame, I'm crying [crying emoji]

(The bad guys were dealt with too, of course.)