CHAPTER 20: CHAPTER 19: STIRRING UP RUMORS

WeChat popped up with a few more messages. Zhou Huaiyi clicked in immediately, already anticipating Kang Xuan’s frustrated mood.

[President Kang: Finished reading?]

[President Kang: Who the hell is stirring up trouble again? Even hired paid trolls to gang up? They even made up something like using human skin for molding?]

[President Kang: I’m about to explode!]

[Zhou Luobu: He’s not that kind of person]

[Zhou Luobu: I didn’t see it before, but over the summer for those two months, I was on the "Xuanwu" crew, and he did almost all his scenes personally, doing everything thoroughly. He even got injured in the eye during a fight scene recently]

[President Kang: Holy shit, really, why didn’t you tell me before?]

[Zhou Luobu: I forgot...]

[Zhou Luobu: I gave him medicinal liquor and boiled eggs back then]

[President Kang: Good for you, Zhou Huaiyi! You’ve got some skills, Zhou Huaiyi!]

[Zhou Luobu: ...]

[President Kang: I won’t waste words with you, I’m going to Weibo to control the opinions! This Weibo post was made yesterday, and suddenly it jumped to trending searches today. All major marketing accounts are madly reposting, spreading falsehoods, and the haters are rampant; I have to do my part!]

Zhou Huaiyi finished reading her message, suddenly remembering something, exited to open the photo album, and pulled out the picture of Xiang Qichen when he was injured.

After thinking for a while, she finally opened Weibo, posted the photo, and wrote something.

Two minutes later, Kang Xuan retweeted it.

Then, on every Weibo that Zhou Huaiyi saw defaming Xiang Qichen, she posted comments like "Qi Chen, stay strong, Qi Chen is the best."

In just half a day, the rumors about "Xiang Qichen using body doubles" spread all over Weibo, topping the trending list—

"What’s the use of being good-looking? No acting skills!"

"Back when he was in ’Tune of Your Heart’, he couldn’t even play a violin master properly, just showing off, makes me want to puke."

"I don’t understand how he got popular."

"No acting skills, yet dares to steal scenes, idiot."

"Am I the only one who thinks Xiang Qichen isn’t handsome at all?"

"Get out of the entertainment industry now!"

...

An hour later, Zhou Huaiyi was exhausted.

She stared at the screen, at the doctored photo of Xiang Qichen looking like a memorial portrait, and couldn’t describe how she felt at that moment.

She really wanted to cry, feeling wronged on his behalf.

Clearly, he was so hardworking, ambitious, and dedicated, yet now he was being unjustly cursed and questioned by countless people online.

In today’s digital age, such violence is terrifying. They live in front of screens, as if a keyboard gives them the power to spew out any bullshit they want, forever seeking temporary thrill, reckless public opinions, with words so vicious they could destroy someone.

Feeling dissociated, Zhou Huaiyi quickly opened Liu Yang’s WeChat—

[Zhou Luobu: Senior brother, are you busy?]

After sending the message, Zhou Huaiyi glanced at the time, it’s past two in the afternoon, the crew should be busy filming.

Out of sight, out of mind, Zhou Huaiyi shook her head, just about to log out of Weibo, when a WeChat notification popped up; unexpectedly, it was a reply from Liu Yang.

[Liu Yang: What’s up junior sister, missing your big brother?]

[Zhou Luobu: ...Are you guys on a break?]

[Liu Yang: Taking a temporary break, the director is discussing the scenes with Jiang Wei and Xiang Qichen]

[Zhou Luobu: Is everything okay in the crew today? Is Xiang Qichen alright?]

[Liu Yang: What do you mean? Xiang Qichen is always fine.]

[Zhou Luobu: I see... that’s good to hear...]

They’re probably busy filming, no time to check Weibo.

But sooner or later, they’ll find out.

[Liu Yang: ???]

Zhou Huaiyi deliberated, then bit the bullet and sent: [Senior brother, can you help me get Xiang Qichen’s WeChat?]

[Liu Yang: Wow, Zhou Huaiyi, you’re so bold?]

[Zhou Luobu: Hehehe...]

[Liu Yang: I’ll try to ask for you, but not sure if I’ll get it.]

[Zhou Luobu: No worries, if you can’t get it, then never mind]

,

Liu Yang’s reply didn’t come until past six in the evening, only a string of numbers.

Zhou Huaiyi stared at what seemed like a phone number for a while until she suddenly realized.

Could this... could this be the idol’s WeChat ID? (◎_◎;)

[Liu Yang: I asked several people, and nobody knew, so I just had to face up and ask him directly. He’s quite amiable; when I told him you wanted it, he just gave it to me!]

Zhou Huaiyi: "......"

[Liu Yang: Since when have you and Xiang Qichen been on such good terms?]

[Zhou Luobu: ...Probably only in dreams]

[Liu Yang: ...]

Then Zhou Huaiyi quickly copied and pasted, clicked search.

The screen immediately displayed the contact information.

She stared at the lone word "Xiang" next to the profile picture, nervously hitting add.

Although Xiang Qichen knew it was her asking for WeChat, Zhou Huaiyi wasn’t sure if he would actually accept the request.

So the entire evening, Zhou Huaiyi watched TV absent-mindedly, checking her phone every couple of minutes for new messages.

Unintentionally, she opened Weibo again. As soon as the interface appeared, Zhou Huaiyi was so shocked she sat straight up in bed.

The Weibo post she sent that afternoon had surprisingly been retweeted over a thousand times...

Zhou Huaiyi: "..."

She had less than 300 followers...

She casually scrolled twice in the retweet section, and suddenly a WeChat message popped up, Zhou Huaiyi clicked it by reflex.

A second later, she suddenly let out a "Ha!"

Everyone: "......"