Chapter 123: But I Do Care!

The moment she finished speaking, Lin Feng felt his entire body tense up. Subconsciously, he looked at Chu Lingxuan.

Beyond the anticipation gleaming in her eyes, there was something more—a sense of testing. She was testing his response, testing his true intentions. There was no doubt in his mind that if he dared to deny her now, he wouldn't even be able to make it out of this front door. For the sake of his own well-being, even if it meant being duplicitous, he replied, "Of course."

Clearly, this answer did not satisfy Chu Lingxuan. She tilted her head, shifted slightly toward him, and leaned forward. The air around her grew colder, her gaze piercing right through him.

"Of course what? Say it!"

She wanted to hear the whole thing.

Lin Feng took a silent, deep breath and, bracing himself, said, "Of course I believe you."

Although it was the answer she expected, it still made Chu Lingxuan’s heart bloom with joy. She couldn't suppress the surge of excitement within her; she cast a glance of satisfaction at Lin Feng and then stood up.

"Let’s go. Time to eat."

Lin Feng breathed a sigh of relief. Having been hungry for a while, he stood up as well and sat down at the dining table. Over the past few days, he had grown accustomed to starting his meal first, so he picked up his chopsticks without waiting for her.

He had barely taken two bites when Chu Lingxuan’s cold, clear voice sounded again.

"I’ve already had the surveillance footage of you hitting Xu Jie posted online."

Her voice was flat, yet it carried a hint of wanting to be praised. Her eyes remained fixed on him, staring with an inscrutable intensity.

Lin Feng paused mid-bite and, being a man who knew how to read the room, offered his thanks. "Thank you for your help, Miss Chu."

Seeing that Lin Feng didn't display the gratitude or excitement she had anticipated, Chu Lingxuan narrowed her eyes in displeasure. She offered a chilling reminder: "The Xu family has spent a fortune hiring people to spread rumors that you faked the video..."

*Speak up. Beg me to help you.*

That was the subtext of her words, and the very thing she was hoping for.

However, Lin Feng found her words confusing. Logically, she should have been speaking with the tone of someone watching a show, but to his ears, it sounded like she was fishing for something. Lin Feng frowned. Regardless of what she was implying, he had only one answer.

"Let them be."

This response caught Chu Lingxuan off guard.

She had always been one to hold a grudge; anyone who crossed her or acted against her wishes would inevitably see their family’s livelihood destroyed. After observing him for some time, she had assumed Lin Feng would act the same way. She hadn't expected him to let it go at such a critical juncture. This wasn't his style, nor was it the scene she had envisioned. If one didn't pull up the weeds by the roots, such half-hearted methods would only allow the enemy to make a comeback. In that instant, Chu Lingxuan felt a flash of disappointment in him—she couldn't believe this man was so indecisive!

She sipped her tea and said coldly, "It seems I overestimated you."

Hearing this, Lin Feng, who was still eating, looked up in surprise. "Overestimated?"

Chu Lingxuan did not reply. Her gaze drifted away from him, focusing instead on the exquisite dishes before her. For some reason, that single, brief exchange had left her deeply disappointed. Aside from his excellent appearance and sturdy physique, this man seemed no different from any other.

The moment that thought crossed her mind, she felt a sudden sense of boredom.

Little did she know, Lin Feng’s next sentence would make her re-evaluate him entirely.

"Miss Chu, have you perhaps misunderstood something?" Lin Feng said dismissively. "I’ve already drained their family's foundation. The only reason they still have money to spend is that they’ve embezzled their employees' wages. A company like that is doomed to collapse—it’s only a matter of time. Why would it be worth my effort to chase them down and beat them while they're down?"

"Besides, that payroll only amounts to about three million or so. Thanks to Xiao Ran, my current popularity is comparable to that of a global superpower; that amount of money wouldn't even be enough to scrape off my toenail."

He had already decided to expose them—did she really think he hadn't considered these issues? The most difficult problem currently facing him was how to escape from her clutches. Besides, compared to someone like Chu Lingxuan, the Xu family were nothing but small fry.

*Forget it, forget it... I'm eating...*

He muttered to himself, forcefully cutting off his own train of thought, and added some cheese to his noodles before swallowing a mouthful.

Little did he know, it was precisely these words that made Chu Lingxuan’s eyes sparkle with excitement! She knew her judgment hadn't failed her. She stared unblinkingly at Lin Feng as he slurped his noodles, a boundless, creeping joy spreading through her eyes—bright as precious pearls, shimmering and luminous.

Lin Feng’s logic was sound. Driving an enemy to the brink might force them into a desperate, suicidal counterattack, but if they were already orchestrating their own destruction, not even the gods could save them. He hadn't even spent a cent, yet he had driven the Xu family into a dead end from which there was no recovery!

Such cunning was worthy of her attention!

It seemed she had truly underestimated him.

Soft, undulating ripples stirred in Chu Lingxuan’s cold eyes. As they flickered, countless emotions surged within, as if she intended to coil around Lin Feng and pull him into the depths of her gaze.

Feeling his scalp tingle under her intense stare, Lin Feng swallowed a mouthful of noodles. Looking at the empty, untouched plate in front of Chu Lingxuan, he understood perfectly. "I'll eat faster. Once I'm done, I'll feed you."

With that, he sped up his eating.

"No rush."

Chu Lingxuan curled her lips, her voice softening. She couldn't help but probe further: "By your account, the money is indeed negligible. But wouldn't it be better to stop them from spreading these rumors?"

Lin Feng replied with his mouth full, "Let them zay what they want. I don't care about their little..."

Seeing Lin Feng eating with such gusto, his cheeks puffed out and his speech garbled, Chu Lingxuan suddenly found him quite adorable. She didn't press him further. Instead, she picked up her phone and sent a voice message to Yu Xueyan, her tone remaining as imperious and cold as ever.

"Find out who took the Xu family's commission and buy out their competitors. Also, notify them that no comments regarding 'fake videos' are to appear on the trending lists."

Hearing Chu Lingxuan’s arrangements, Lin Feng paused mid-meal. He swallowed the meat in his mouth and said with some surprise, "Couldn't you just save that money and reward me instead? Why spend it on them? I don't even care about all that..."

Chu Lingxuan put down her phone and looked at him with cold arrogance. Then, she let out a scoff.

"But I care!"

It was an intensely domineering tone, saturated with an irresistible command, followed by an even more frantic sense of possession.

"You are mine. I will not allow anyone to dare slander you in front of me!"

She gazed at him with that same unattainable, icy expression, yet her eyes burned with infinite, fanatical heat.

Lin Feng felt his scalp crawl under that look. Ever since he realized Chu Lingxuan was obsessed with him, he had forced himself to follow her demands. The freedom he’d felt these past few days had made him complacent. He had almost forgotten that she was, at her core, a lunatic.

Yet, to Chu Lingxuan, Lin Feng’s silence only made her more excited!

This was the realization he should have: to fear no one, yet to bow down and submit only to her!

Suppressing the wild ecstasy surging in her heart, Chu Lingxuan stared straight at Lin Feng, her red lips parting slightly: "As for rewarding you, of course I can. But—"

"Since I’ve already helped you so much, shouldn't you start thinking hard about how you’re going to please me?"