Pan Xiaorou was facing so many of her peers.
Faced with public opinion that might turn against her, she still refused to deny her new relationship.
With gossip like this, denying it would actually have been the wise choice. Even if people kept talking afterward, things would soon settle down.
Yet she had admitted it in public.
I felt that, with Pan Xiaorou's intelligence, she should not have admitted it.
Unless her feelings for Song Xiaotian had already grown from "liking" into "love," and she wanted everyone to know openly that they were together.
Her love for Song Xiaotian even outweighed her own reputation, outweighed everything.
Even a man might not have had her courage and sincerity at that moment.
Song Xiaotian froze too, staring blankly at Pan Xiaorou onstage. His expression suddenly grew complicated.
But the reporters kept directing their questions at Pan Xiaorou.
Why were reporters these days all acting like paparazzi, asking nothing but idiotic questions? I thought.
"President Pan, Mr. Xiang Kai only passed away recently, after all. Aren't you worried that public opinion might misjudge you?"
"How will you respond to the negative public opinion that may be coming?"
Pan Xiaorou could actually have ended the interview right there.
But she still answered, "I don't think there's anything to respond to. Modern women's freedom to date and marry shouldn't be held hostage by public opinion, nor should anyone dictate their choices. As long as those choices don't violate morality, public order, or common decency, no one has the right to pass judgment on someone's choice of a partner."
Pan Xiaorou's answer drew another round of cheers from the room.
The reporters seemed to be giving her a hard time, but in reality, they had won her even more support.
Many people in the audience began