The Retired CEO's Guide To Being Spoiled-Chapter 243: The Uncontrollable Ferment

Finally, Ethan Caldwell had to comply with Julian Sterling’s wishes, telling the media department to temporarily stand by. In just one afternoon, the information had fermented, spreading at an uncontrollable speed. At this moment, images of Julian Sterling were also plastered all over social media. Even though the Sterling family had previously suppressed a great deal of information regarding this lost biological son, refusing to let him appear in the press. However, an unknown group of people suddenly appeared out of nowhere, claiming to be acquaintances of Julian Sterling, and thus his images were leaked under the guise of familiar friends.

Coincidentally, they were all pictures taken after Julian Sterling had transmigrated into this novel. In truth, these photographs had been sneakily captured from highly sophisticated angles. The dim lighting combined with his natural expressions inadvertently became a vulnerability for netizens to freely weave thousands of different malicious stories.

How should one put it, it was clearly the exact same body, but the former Julian Sterling and the current Julian Sterling were two completely different extremes.

The Julian Sterling in the original story was described as a timid, cowardly person, oppressed by society to the point of developing a gloomy disposition. Drooping bangs covered that delicate face, and his entire being exuded an aura that people found displeasing at first glance. The atmosphere surrounding the original owner was always heavy, like a dark shadow that no one wanted to proactively approach.

So gloomy that even the person opposite him would feel annoyed.

But the current Julian Sterling was not like that. He possessed his own kind of arrogance. That arrogance radiated from deep within his very bones, from his bright eyes to his confident, straight-backed posture, refusing to give anyone the right to look down on him.

It was just that the released photos were from the period when he was still playing the role of an obedient child for the Sterling family and Ethan Caldwell to see. A bright, delicate face accompanied by a frail, coquettish demeanor, seemingly at the mercy of bullies, was truly an image that provoked a protective instinct in countless people. And it became even more perfect when falling into the tragic situation of being cyberbullied.

Bullies always pick on the softest targets, after all. The frailer the appearance, the more it made people think that person was easy to bully.

The online mob always possessed a wonderfully cruel habit. When facing someone who was exceedingly outstanding yet seemed to lack the backing of a powerful force, they often developed a psychological urge to tear them apart and trample them down to satisfy the petty jealousy hidden deep within their hearts.

By evening, the comments on social media had shown signs of spiraling completely out of control. Decent people tried to advise against it but failed and eventually ignored it, while those who were just following the crowd dropped a few comments and left it at that. But the truly malicious ones clung even tighter to the images to hurl insults to their hearts’ content. The lifeless texts displayed on the cold, bright screens, every single sentence carrying deadly venom, continuously refreshed at a dizzying speed.

Once public opinion fermented, the initial scattered extreme remarks gradually became unmanageable.

[Being that handsome, isn’t it intentionally seducing others?]

[Then it shouldn’t be called handsome, look at that posture, it is clearly a green tea bitch!]

[Did you guys not see the everyday style that person wears? It is all fragile silk shirts, just a little water and it clings right to the skin! One pull and it falls off! It is clearly on purpose!]

[What kind of man keeps acting coquettishly and relying on other men! Being targeted by people is not unjust at all!]

[Being that slutty, perhaps before the CEO of the Caldwell Empire even had a chance to touch him, his ass had already been smashed to pieces by others!]

[Hey, I heard that CEO guy has a close friend working in an entertainment company. The industry does not lack guys with bizarre hobbies, he might just be a toy raised for the wealthy tycoons!]

The words became increasingly obscene and unpleasant to the ears; Ethan Caldwell merely took a single glance before throwing his phone aside.

The expensive phone slammed heavily onto the thick carpet on the floor, emitting a dull thud. His hand clenched tightly into a fist, the back of his hand displaying bulging blue veins. The air in the room seemed to freeze over from the pressure of his fury.

He was only afraid that if he read just a little bit more, he would not be able to hold himself back from ordering the media department to wipe out this entire mob. As the head of the empire, he could easily crush anyone who dared to stand in his way, but right now he had to grit his teeth and endure watching his beloved person being insulted, simply because he had to adhere to the limits of Julian Sterling’s plan.

Julian Sterling had just stepped out of the bathroom, still drying his hair, when he saw the frustrated face of the man. Warm steam spilled out from the bathroom, carrying a faint scent of body wash, somewhat dispelling the extreme tension in the room. His skin flushed a delicate layer of pink after the shower, looking incredibly fresh, completely unaffected by the filthy words out there. There was no need to ask to know what Ethan Caldwell was angry about.

He giggled, climbing onto the bed and handing the towel to Ethan Caldwell: "I am not even angry, so what are you so upset about? Did you not promise me this afternoon? Be good, just endure it until tomorrow."

Ethan Caldwell took the towel, exhaling heavily, trying to suppress the flames of fury burning within his chest, and while drying Julian Sterling’s hair, he said: "Do not read those things, it will only dirty your eyes."

"I did not read them. It is you who went looking for trouble, tormenting yourself. Give me a smile now, I did not do anything, so why are you pulling a long face at me?"

"I am not pulling a long face at you."

"Your face is so dark yet you claim you are not. Tell me, is it because you think what people are saying is too accurate that you are starting to give me an attitude?"

The man, rendered speechless by Julian Sterling’s words, could only pinch his cheeks. His eyes were filled with helplessness but at the same time contained an infinite indulgence for the young man teasing him: "You are nitpicking me again."

Julian Sterling chuckled, diving into Ethan Caldwell’s embrace, rubbing his still slightly damp hair against the broad and sturdy chest of the man: "Just coaxing you a little. I already told you, those things will not affect me. As long as you do not pay attention to them, you will see that they are nothing at all."

"But how can I not care when it comes to matters concerning you?" Ethan Caldwell hugged Julian Sterling, his arms tightening as if wanting to hide the young man away from all the malice of the outside world. He lowered his voice, beginning to negotiate: "How about you do not go to the university tomorrow? A university is no different from a miniature society, I am afraid..."

"But does our plan not require tomorrow’s step? Be good, I have to appear in front of them to play out this drama to its fullest."

"But it is too risky, they are not exactly good people either. The university truly has all kinds of individuals, it is too difficult to control. Even when they whisper and gossip, it sounds much more vicious than those comments..."

Before the man could finish speaking, his lips were sealed by Julian Sterling with a sweet kiss. The kiss carried a refreshing fragrance, both gentle and decisive, successfully extinguishing the unfinished objections. He only lightly touched Ethan Caldwell’s lips, and very quickly pulled away. But such an action was enough to stop the man’s words. Waiting until Ethan Caldwell had quieted down, Julian Sterling continued: "I already told you that it is fine. Ethan Caldwell, I am not that fragile."

His eyes flashed with a resolute gleam at this moment, proving to the man the true strength hidden deep within that soft shell: "Furthermore, if we do not resolve it thoroughly, I will just be gossiped about when I go to school later on. Do you really want me to drop out? Why should we be afraid of them? Just let them have their temporary victory. It is still unknown who holds the upper hand in this game of chess."

Ethan Caldwell could only sigh, unable to do anything but listen to Julian Sterling.

"Alright, let us go to sleep early now. If you still have work, you can deal with it, do not read those nonsensical things on the internet anymore. You know full well how easily public opinion can be led by the nose. And if there is no more work, we shall go to sleep, okay?"

"I will stay here with you, come now, let me blow-dry your hair, and then we will sleep."

"Okay."