Chapter 12 — Stupid But Strong

Three days after that night's conversation at Vom La restaurant, the situation did not calm down as Tang Ninh had hoped, but on the contrary, it became more and more serious. An entertainment news site with a large number of followers posted a long article, without naming names, but describing it in such detail that no one had any doubt that the main character in the article was Bach Duy, along with malicious speculations about "a sensitive relationship with the person who was his legal guardian during his youth." The article was quickly shared tens of thousands of times, leading to countless comments attacking both people, mostly from people who never knew any details about the real story behind that relationship.

Bach Duy read that article as soon as he woke up in the morning. The feeling of anger and helplessness welling up in his heart was stronger than anything he had ever experienced since leaving the Nhieu family six years ago. He immediately called Lam Nha Thu, his voice shaking with anger. "Have you seen that article? They are baselessly defaming Ms. Ninh, turning a pure story into something dirty just to get views."

"I see," Lam Nha Thu replied, her voice could not hide the tension. "You need to calm down. The company's communications department is having an urgent meeting to discuss a plan to handle the crisis. We may need to issue an official statement, or it's better to stay silent and let things calm down over time."

"Silent?" Bach Duy gritted his voice, a toughness he rarely showed in front of his manager. "Ninh is being called a minor seducer on all forums, when the truth is exactly the opposite - she sacrificed six years of her happiness to protect me from scandal. I can't silently watch her being crushed like that."

Before the official meeting took place, Lam Nha Thu had a private conversation with Bach Duy in the car, on the way to the company headquarters. "Are you sure you want to do that?" she asked, her eyes still filled with worry. "Once you make a public statement, you won't be able to take it back anymore. The public will scrutinize your and her every action from now on, there's no turning back."

"I understand that," Bach Duy replied, his voice calm but firm. "But I also understand that, if I continue to stay silent, letting malicious rumors say whatever they want, I am betraying the person that Ninh has worked so hard to raise. She taught me to live honestly, to be responsible for what I care about. Being silent right now, for me, is a cowardice that I cannot accept."

Lam Nha Thu was silent for a moment, looking at the steadfast face of the young artist whom she had watched grow up for the past six years, clearly feeling that this was no longer the timid trainee, but a man who was brave enough to take responsibility for his life's choices. "Okay," she said, sighing in relief. "I will be on your side in this meeting. But you must let me help you draft your statement tactfully, avoiding loopholes that can be exploited."

The meeting between Bach Duy and the board of directors of Tan Thanh Am entertainment company was tense throughout that afternoon. Most members of the media advised him to keep quiet and wait for the scandal to cool down according to the usual rules of the entertainment industry, saying that any statement at this time would only add fuel to the fire, causing the story to gain even more attention. But Bach Duy firmly disagreed with that plan.

“I understand everyone's concerns,” he said, standing up in the middle of the meeting, his gaze steady around the room. "But I cannot let the person I care about suffer alone from false accusations, while I have the ability to speak up to defend her. If the company does not agree with my handling, I will take responsibility for my own decisions, on my personal account, as a human being before being an artist."

Lam Nha Thu, although initially leaning towards the cautious approach, saw the unwavering determination in Bach Duy's eyes, and finally spoke up to support him in front of the leadership, even though she was still worried about the possible consequences. "If he has made that decision, I will help him draft a statement that both shows sincerity and minimizes legal and image risks," she said, her eyes exchanging an implicit understanding with Bach Duy.

That evening, Bach Duy posted a long article on his official social networking site, not mentioning Tang Ninh's name directly, but clear enough to confirm the truth. "Recently, I know there have been many rumors about an important woman in my life. I want to make it clear: she took care of me when I lost both parents at the age of sixteen, taught me how to live, how to love, how to stand up after falling. When I was eighteen years old, she chose to leave me completely, cutting off all contact, just to protect me from unnecessary gossip. Six years later, when both were fully grown, they were single. Without any ties, we met again by chance. Any feelings that have arisen between us from that time until now are pure, legitimate, and nothing to be ashamed of. I hope people will stop spreading malicious inferences that hurt a woman who has sacrificed so much for me."

That post quickly attracted hundreds of thousands of interactions in just the first few hours. The public's reaction is divided into two distinct streams - on one side are those who are touched by Bach Duy's sincerity and courage, praising him for daring to stand up to protect the people he loves despite the risks of his career; The other side continues to be skeptical, believing that no matter how reasonable the explanation is, the old gap in roles is still a stain that is difficult to completely erase in the eyes of the public.

Tang Ninh read that post while sitting alone in the shop, her hands trembling as she held the phone, tears rolling down uncontrollably. She never thought Bach Duy would publicly stand up to defend herself in such a decisive and courageous way, risking the image and career he had built for six years just to protect her honor.

He called her right after posting, his voice both worried and determined. "I'm sorry for not asking your opinion before posting," he said. "But I can't let you endure those slanders alone for another moment."

"Bach Duy," Tang Ninh choked, not knowing whether to blame or thank him for that reckless action. "Do you know you just bet your whole career on me?"

"I know," he replied, his voice never wavering. "But there are things more important than a career, Ninh. You sacrificed six years of happiness to protect me from having a bad reputation. Now it's my turn to protect you, no matter what the cost."

That conversation ended in tears and fragile happiness, but both understood that Bach Duy's public actions that night, even though they came from sincere love, also opened a new chapter full of turbulence - where they could no longer hide behind secret meetings, but had to face the eyes of the entire society head-on, and even those who were silently waiting for the opportunity to turn their story into a weapon to serve their own plans.

The next morning, major news sites simultaneously reported on Bach Duy's statement, turning the story from an underground scandal into a public topic of discussion throughout the newspapers. Some brands that had cooperated with him in advertising were cautious, temporarily suspending some ongoing campaigns to "wait for further developments," forcing Lam Nha Thu to spend the whole day negotiating and reassuring each partner. Even though work pressure skyrocketed, she still did not blame Bach Duy for his decision, she just silently did her best to minimize the damage, because in her heart, she also believed that he did the right thing.

On the other side of the city, in a luxurious office of the Nhieu family company, a middle-aged man sat quietly reading Bach Duy's post over and over again on the computer screen, his face gradually changing color. He closed the computer, clenched his hands, his eyes clearly showing concern mixed with anger. If Bach Duy and Tang Ninh continued to be together and continued to receive public attention in a positive direction, the secrets he had tried to hide for many years were at risk of being revealed at any time.