Chapter 30: Foolish Woman

The sky over Cloud City was overcast, a grim portent of the storm to come.

On the front pages, vitriolic accusations cut through the nerves of every member of the Cloud family like razor blades. In the boardroom of a skyscraper located in the city’s most prosperous district, the atmosphere was suffocatingly oppressive.

He Lingfeng sat in his expansive executive chair, his brow furrowed so deeply it seemed he could crush a fly between his brows. His hands gripped the detestable newspaper, his knuckles turning white from the pressure. Every word printed on the page stung his eyes like needle tips; he wished he could reduce the paper to ashes and erase the events of the past day entirely.

Along the length of the conference table, the company's top executives sat stiffly, though their eyes betrayed their private speculations and unease. They all understood that this scandal represented an unprecedented crisis for both He Lingfeng and the firm. Yet, in such a climate, no one dared to speak, fearing they might provoke the CEO’s wrath.

"Mr. He..." Yun Jiannan, seated closest to him, finally summoned the courage to speak slowly.

However, before he could finish his sentence, he was cut off by He Lingfeng’s furious voice.

"I will provide everyone with an explanation for this!" He Lingfeng growled, his voice low and dangerous. "This is a complete and utter farce! Someone drugged my drink, which is why I lost control. Those reporters are spinning wild lies just to chase headlines. I will certainly condemn them and show them what I am capable of. Assemble the press; we will hold a conference tomorrow. I will bring Quan Duoduo with me to clear everything up!"

With that, He Lingfeng stood up and strode toward the adjoining office, leaving the room full of people staring at one another in confusion and helplessness.

Back in his office, He Lingfeng paced back and forth, his eyes glued to his phone, waiting for a specific call. Finally, the ringtone broke the silence, and he answered immediately, demanding anxiously, "What exactly are you playing at?"

From the other end came Quan Duoduo’s furious voice: "You’re asking me? Isn't having me enough? Why would you go messing around with another woman?"

He Lingfeng grew even more agitated. "Have you lost your mind? You were the one who came to see me yesterday! By the time I came out of the shower, you had completely changed your tune. Are you trying to take revenge on me?"

Quan Duoduo sounded as if she were crying a river. "Revenge? Why would I need to take revenge on you? A man’s mouth is nothing but a liar’s trap; I never should have trusted you in the first place..."

"My wedding to Yun Qiuya is imminent. This was a necessary measure to ensure full control over the Cloud Corporation. I’ve already explained this to you, yet you remain hung up on it. So, didn't you intentionally set me up to humiliate me yesterday? But this kind of behavior will ruin us both!"

He Lingfeng took a deep breath, trying to steady his emotions as he struggled to reason with her.

However, Quan Duoduo refused to listen to a word. She remained enraged. "You are shameless! All men are the same! You can’t keep your head straight when you see a woman, and now you’re trying to pin this on me! Have you no shame?"

With that, she slammed the phone down in a fit of rage.

He Lingfeng stood frozen in his office, speechless. He stared at the phone in his hand, a complex turmoil of emotions churning within him.

Just then, the door was pushed open gently, and Yun Jiannan walked in. He looked at He Lingfeng and said softly, "Son-in-law, we have to find a way out of this. This scandal cannot be allowed to continue."

He Lingfeng looked up, meeting Yun Jiannan’s gaze.