Chapter 7 — The CEO's Only Antidote

Seeing the unwavering resolve in his eyes, I knew that protesting would be entirely futile. By evening, I was dressed in an elegant gown, my face lightly made up, feeling like a complete stranger when I looked into the mirror. Huo Yunting stepped up behind me, his hands moving with gentle precision to fasten a diamond necklace around my neck. The cool sensation of the stones against my skin made me stiffen.

“You look beautiful,” he whispered, his voice raspy and low against my ear.

I looked into the reflection: a man and a woman standing in close proximity. He was tall and strikingly handsome; I—well, I supposed I was not entirely presentable. We looked like a well-matched pair. My heart skipped a beat, entirely against my will. The charity banquet was held in the grand ballroom on the top floor of a five-star hotel. It was a scene of opulent extravagance, the air thick with expensive perfume and tobacco, illuminated by dazzling, shimmering lights. As I took Huo Yunting’s arm and stepped into the hall, we instantly became the focal point of the entire event. Countless gazes—curious, envious, and scrutinizing—descended upon me all at once. I was so nervous that my palms grew damp, and my stride faltered.

“Do not be afraid,” Huo Yunting murmured, his arm tightening around mine to offer a steadying sense of security. “Just stay close to me.”

He led me through the throng, conversing with business moguls with effortless natural charm. As for me, I felt like a mere decorative accessory, tasked only with maintaining a pleasant smile throughout the night.

“Yunting, and who is this young lady?”

A woman in a vibrant red dress, her figure stunningly sultry, approached us, a champagne flute in her hand. Her gaze roamed over me from head to toe without the slightest restraint. I recognized her instantly—Fang Qingxue, a celebrity who had been the talk of the town lately.

“My wife, Jiang Shi’yu,” Huo Yunting introduced with cold indifference, pulling me closer to his side as if to stake his claim beyond any shadow of a doubt.

Wife? My heart jolted even more violently than before. The smile on Fang Qingxue’s face froze for a fleeting moment, though she quickly regained her composed exterior.

“Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Huo.” She raised her glass toward me, though her eyes remained etched with thinly veiled contempt. “I never expected that the eternal iceberg, CEO Huo, would one day find himself married. May I ask which noble family Mrs. Huo hails from? I have never heard the name before.”

Her tone was dripping with haughty condescension. I detested people like her. I was about to retort when Huo Yunting spoke first.

“My wife does not belong to any particular noble house.”

He stared directly at Fang Qingxue, his gaze icy. “She is the mother of my child, and the wife whom I, Huo Yunting, have officially married. Is that status not sufficient for you?”

His voice was not loud, yet it carried an immense pressure that made it impossible to argue. The air in our immediate vicinity seemed to turn brittle. Fang Qingxue’s expression flickered between shades of white and ash, looking truly dreadful.

“O-of course, that is plenty,” she stammered with a forced laugh before beating a hasty retreat.

I looked up at Huo Yunting’s stern profile, and a wave of warmth washed over me. The feeling of being defended so unconditionally—it was truly wonderful.

“Thank you,” I whispered.

“What are you thanking me for?” He tilted his head to look at me, his eyes softening. “Protecting my own wife—is that not the natural thing to do?”

My face flushed a deep crimson. We had chased off Fang Qingxue, but the trouble was far from over. Before long, a gaggle of wealthy socialites circled around me. Their mouths were full of pleasantries, but their eyes were sharp with suspicion.

“What was your profession before this, Mrs. Huo?”

“Mrs. Huo is so young, your child must still be very small, yes?”

“That necklace is stunning. I assume CEO Huo gave it to you? It must have cost a fortune!”

Trapped among them, my ears rang and my head swam. I felt like an exhibit in a zoo, poked and prodded by curious observers. I struggled to offer polite, strained replies until my smile felt rigid. Just as I felt I could no longer endure it, Huo Yunting arrived with two glasses of champagne.

“Ladies,” he said, handing me a glass while his other arm draped naturally around my waist. “My wife is rather shy and unaccustomed to such crowds. If you have any inquiries, pray address them to me.”

His presence served as an impenetrable shield, instantly severing the connection between me and those prying eyes. The women offered awkward excuses before dispersing on their own.

“You brought me to this place just to attract hatred toward me?” I took a sip of champagne to calm my nerves and glanced at him with playful dissatisfaction.

“I brought you here to establish our status,” he corrected. “I want everyone to know that Jiang Shi’yu is the woman of Huo Yunting. From now on, anyone who wishes to bully you will have to think very carefully about the consequences.”

His words were arrogant and domineering. But damn it all, I found myself enjoying it. Halfway through the banquet, the charity auction began. The first item was an antique painting, starting at five hundred thousand. I had no interest in such things and was busy tinkering with my phone when Huo Yunting suddenly raised his paddle.

“One million.”

I stared at him in astonishment. Did he not dislike antiques? Almost instantly, someone countered:

“One point two million.”

“Two million,” Huo Yunting said without a flicker of hesitation.

The hall erupted in murmurs. Raising the price by eight hundred thousand in one go was a move of absolute dominance. The other bidder hesitated and backed down. Ultimately, Huo Yunting secured the painting for two million.

“Why did you buy that?” I asked softly.

“It is a gift for you.”

“What?” I blinked. “Why give it to me? I don’t know anything about art.”

“To hang in your office,” he said, tilting his head with a trace of a smile. “My wife is a designer; how can she not have a decent painting in her office to establish the right atmosphere?”

My heart felt as if it had been brushed by a feather—a faint, lingering itch. He had actually considered something like that. As the auction continued, Huo Yunting seemed to be operating with a cheat code. Jewelry, watches, limited-edition handbags… as long as I spared them a glance, he would raise his paddle and buy them. Eventually, I was too afraid to look at anything at all. I felt that if I looked one more time, he might buy the entire auction house.

“CEO Huo, do you intend to buy out the entire auction?” the MC joked.

“It cannot be helped,” Huo Yunting said, pulling me closer with an unabashed, doting smile. “My wife likes them.”

The hall fell into another frenzy. Countless envious stares felt like knives flying toward me. I just wanted to find a hole to crawl into. Sir, I never said I liked them! I only looked at them! Just once! Once! As the party ended, Huo Yunting led me away amidst looks of admiration and the resentful murmurs of those who thought, "Mrs. Huo has once again made a great contribution to the national treasury." When we arrived home, looking at the mountain of auction items piled in the living room, my head felt ready to explode.

“Huo Yunting, have you lost your mind? Why buy so many things!”

“They are for you to maintain your prestige,” he replied with chilling logic as he loosened his tie.

“I don’t need them!” I cried, nearing a breakdown. “You are wasting money!”

“Spending money on my wife—how could that ever be called waste?”

He walked toward me, lifted my chin, and leaned down to kiss me.

“My money—from now on, it is yours. Spend it however you wish. Even if you want to burn it—I have no objections.”

His voice was laced with a lethal charm. I looked at his handsome face just inches away and heard that arrogant yet profound declaration of affection, feeling my heart—which I had guarded so fiercely for five years—slowly beginning to melt.

07

Since that charity banquet, I had effectively "made a name for myself" in the upper-crust circles of the city. Everyone now knew that CEO Huo Yunting of the Huo Corporation had a wife whom he held on a pedestal. He was willing to squander money like water for her, and he would not hesitate to turn against anyone for her sake. In a short time, I became the object of every woman’s envy. On the street, people would point at me.

“Look, that’s Mrs. Huo!”

“She’s not even that beautiful; why is CEO Huo so obsessed with her?”

“You don’t know? It’s all calculated manipulation! Look at that innocent act—she’s nothing but a fox spirit!”

Hearing these things made my heart ache.

“Pay them no mind,” Huo Yunting said, taking my hand. He did not spare them a glance, continuing forward with steady, calm steps. “Just a group of bitter, envious wretches—the kind who call the grapes sour because they cannot reach them.”

I could not help but laugh. I never expected him to use the term "sour grapes." To help me adapt to my role as Mrs. Huo, he began making plans to bring me to various events. Corporate galas, private soirees, brand launches… At first, I was deeply resistant and profoundly stressed. But Huo Yunting was always by my side, acting like a knight, shielding me from every prying gaze and unfriendly provocation.