Chapter 9

【Holy shit?! No way?!】

【Real or fake? Cursing and hitting someone on the street and even getting dragged to the police station??】

【Isn’t this enough to label him as a disgraced artist???】

【What do I do, wuwuwu, the guy I’ve liked for so long turned into a criminal celebrity?!】

【Sigh, Yu Xi got out of the car?】

【What’s going on?】

The hot searches had already exploded, but the prelude live stream for Where to Go This Weekend didn’t stop. In the live footage, Yu Xi instructed the staff to stop the car and got out alone.

Seeing this, Guan Zifan really went crazy.

Before going on the variety show, he had worried that Yu Xi would speak too bluntly at the live center, blabbering and offending someone with his mouth, so he had reminded him several times. Fortunately, during this prelude live stream, Yu Xi seemed pretty normal—although he bickered with Yi Chen from time to time, it hadn’t escalated irreparably. He had even told Yu Xi to unblacklist Yi Chen to avoid fueling the public opinion, and Yu Xi had obediently done so. Guan Zifan had just breathed a sigh of relief when the backend software monitoring related data got flooded by these hot searches.

Guan Zifan hung up on Xiao Chen and called Yu Xi directly: “When did this happen? What did you do behind my back again? Didn’t I tell you early on that if something happens, you need to tell me right away!”

Yu Xi found a quiet corner: “What kind of thing is this? How was I supposed to know there were paparazzi lurking in such an out-of-the-way spot?”

While talking to Guan Zifan, Yu Xi casually checked the overwhelming comments flooding the internet.

Once the video was released, marketing accounts immediately reposted it with uniformly worded captions: perhaps, probably, speculation, verification in progress, awaiting response—dancing right on the edge of rumor-mongering.

It was clearly a premeditated public opinion incident.

…Who had he offended lately?

“Found out who yet?” Yu Xi asked.

“Not yet.” Guan Zifan talked to Yu Xi on one phone while remotely directing the company’s PR department on another work device. “No leads. Who have you pissed off recently?”

“No one.” Yu Xi really couldn’t think of anyone.

Guan Zifan: “Then who wants to use you as a shield?”

A shield?

Yu Xi immediately thought of one person.

Today, at this very moment, someone who needed his popularity to cover up an incident… only one person.

“Check Song Xuan,” Yu Xi said.

In the few minutes while Yu Xi talked to Guan Zifan, the public opinion on the incident fermented at an alarmingly terrifying speed.

Yu Xi’s traffic was too massive. Once negative news broke, there was no chance for any defense—the entire internet almost unanimously turned to condemnation.

Soon, details on the girl suspected to be Yu Xi’s girlfriend were dug up.

【By the way, I think I know that girl?】

【Her face is blurred and you recognize her?】

【I recognize the clothes! I recognize that guy’s clothes too! They’re my high school classmates! I saw them together before this happened—they’d been together for years!】

【The girl graduated from A High School, now works as an accountant at B Company in H City. She’s pretty, and I remember she didn’t enter the entertainment industry. Her job has nothing to do with showbiz—how’d she meet Yu Xi?】

【”Together for years”—how many years?】

【Not in entertainment, so how does a regular girl meet a celeb?】

【That girl didn’t cheat, did she? Hook up with a big star and kick out the original?】

【Yu Xi isn’t a homewrecker, is he?】

【Feeling sick, homewrecker, gonna puke.】

Not long after, the guy called the girl’s ex-boyfriend in the video jumped out too.

【AAA Construction Road Tile Brother Li: No wonder you were so decisive about breaking up. I cried and begged you, even knelt at your house, but you wouldn’t turn back. Turns out you’d cheated long ago.】

【AAA Construction Road Tile Brother Li: How much did I give up for her!! Dowry? I compromised. House, car—I borrowed money to buy them. But she got more and more excessive. Never thought she’d cheat!!! No wonder that guy protected her so fiercely—he’s her new fling!】

Under this V Blog post, the girl’s personal info got doxxed more and more, until even her name, various online accounts, and high-def photos were all exposed.

Yu Xi’s face grew darker and darker.

With a lead, Guan Zifan’s tone softened a bit: “What happened between you and Song Xuan? Tell me now what exactly went down back then. I’ll see how to handle it. As long as we manage this well, this public opinion crisis could completely turn into an opportunity.”

Yu Xi couldn’t care less about opportunities. His voice was low as he confirmed: “It’s Song Xuan?”

Guan Zifan: “It’s him. What’s the grudge between you two?”

Yu Xi took a deep breath and switched the screen to another interface.

—Voice memo.

The latest recording was from two hours ago.

Yu Xi had set the side button for quick recording. When Yi Chen tried to stop him from blocking the alt account and knocked the phone away, the side button was accidentally pressed, silently starting the recording process.

The unattended phone thus openly recorded every single word of Song Xuan’s furious, deranged rant and abuse in the empty changing booth.

Yu Xi scrolled back and forth on the voice progress bar while V Blog real-time updates kept popping up in the notification bar.

【Aaaah, the man I’ve liked for so long actually likes this kind of girl?】

【Did she take Yu Xi’s money too?】

【Yu Xi’s pretty rich, right? Clung to his thigh—why hasn’t she quit her job yet?】

【I’ve prepared for Yu Xi’s downfall, but I didn’t expect him to be a criminal celeb. Cursing celeb, hitting celeb, police station celeb—I’m going insane, my true love fed to the dogs!!!!】

【Cheating girl and homewrecker, I’m gonna puke!!!】

“Grudge?” Yu Xi closed all the apps, his expression suddenly turning icy. “Didn’t have one before. Now we do.”

“Shut down the prelude live stream for now, reopen later. I’ll handle it myself.” After telling Guan Zifan that, Yu Xi hung up and returned to the car.

Guan Zifan was efficient. After communicating with the production team, the live stream room went offline temporarily.

“Where’s Song Xuan?” Once the live stream feedback screen went fully black, Yu Xi asked.

“Song Xuan?” Xiao Chen didn’t quite understand why Yu Xi suddenly asked this, but he knew not to probe too much when Yu Xi seemed in a bad mood—just answer honestly. “Song Xuan was just sent to the hospital, A City First Hospital.”

“No major injuries? Can he still breathe, still talk?” Yu Xi asked again.

“No serious wounds.” Xiao Chen was on the front lines of the hot searches. “Just some scrapes, getting bandaged at the hospital.”

“Good.” Yu Xi leaned forward and patted the staff member driving. “Let’s go to Song Xuan’s hospital and check on his condition.”

It took about an hour and a half by car from Yu Xi’s current location to A City First Hospital. He ignored the online public opinion—no responses, no explanations, just let it hang.

Yi Chen didn’t ask much either. Though they’d been at each other’s throats since they met, now with the live stream off and the route changed—without consulting him—Yi Chen didn’t utter a single objection. He and Yu Xi sat on either side, leaning against the car windows, furiously tapping on their phones.

Xiao Chen, sandwiched between them: “…”

At that moment, Yu Xi was using his alt account to battle the haters.

【Really Don’t Eat Corn: Speculation, possible, perhaps—these marketing accounts are clearly edge-riding with rumors. Don’t blindly follow the hate!】

【Really Don’t Eat Corn: IQ snipped in the womb? Even your foot can tell this video’s obviously edited!】

【Really Don’t Eat Corn: Wanna curse? Come get cursed. Don’t dox innocent civilians! Doxxing a regular girl—who else to spray if not you?!】

【Really Don’t Eat Corn: Got you triggered, just a little. So happy!】

Yu Xi fought vigorously and, amid the frenzy of refreshing messages, spotted another account with ferocious combat power.

【Geng Shang Lou: Eyes useless? Donate ’em. Brain unused? You’re brainless for real. Our Yu Xi’s a pure-hearted hot boy, and you dare slap “homewrecker” filth on him?!】

【Geng Shang Lou: Got it, you “get” it again. Internet court in session! Nosy much—gotta rummage every trash can to manage your business?】

【Geng Shang Lou: Mouth’s for talking, not shitting [rose][rose][rose]】

【Geng Shang Lou: ? You say Yu Xi’s ugly??? No, others can’t tolerate sand in their eyes—you think a bit of sand is cool as hell? Truly sand-killing!】

【Geng Shang Lou: Brainless? Do I need to save face for you?! Kneel and apologize to the innocent girl and our Yu Xi!】

【Geng Shang Lou: Yu Xi Yu Xi Yu Xi Yu Xi Yu Xi Yu Xi Yu Xi!!!! Mwah mwah mwah mwah!!】

【Geng Shang Lou】, with her 2D twin-tailed girl avatar, battled the crowd single-handedly. Yu Xi truly admired this sister. If he had her combat prowess, he wouldn’t worry about losing arguments to Yi Chen.

Yu Xi liked every one of 【Geng Shang Lou】’s posts and enthusiastically sent an interaction invite.

【Really Don’t Eat Corn: Sister, you’re a scolding pro! I love it!】

Meanwhile, Yi Chen’s phone kept vibrating nonstop. Every keystroke brought a flood of notification pings, but Yi Chen stayed focused, typing away.

Xiao Liu didn’t ask what his boss was doing—he was used to it.

Sometimes, the boss would mysteriously hug his phone, say nothing, and type so fast his fingers blurred. If you gave him a keyboard and let the clacking sounds fly, plenty of people would peek over and ask, “Married or New Year’s?”

Xiao Liu silently handed Yi Chen a power bank.

Amid the countless rebuttals, one account with a cat avatar, ID 【Really Don’t Eat Corn】, stood out especially.

【Geng Shang Lou: Gotta curse those old farts more or they’ll veer further off.】

Yi Chen used his alt to check 【Really Don’t Eat Corn】’s profile. It was packed with Yu Xi posts, over half being her participation in Yu Xi’s anti-hate battles, synced to the main page.

【Geng Shang Lou: Sister, hardcore pure love fan?】

【Geng Shang Lou: Not just a fan—you’re my comrade-in-arms!!!】

【Really Don’t Eat Corn: Good sister, Yu Xi would be super grateful for your full-throated support!】

【Geng Shang Lou: Love asks no reward. You’re true love too, sister. Let’s fight together!!】

【Really Don’t Eat Corn: Don’t worry, I’m on the front lines—won’t let you down.】

【Geng Shang Lou: You too, sister. I’m on the front lines too, your eternal backup.】

Online, public opinion exploded. The digital battlefield smoked without fire. In reality, Yu Xi headed straight to Song Xuan’s hospital. After learning Song Xuan had finished bandaging and checked out back home, he immediately had the staff turn the car around and stormed offline right to Song Xuan’s doorstep.

Finally, two hours later, the car pulled up in front of Song Xuan’s standalone villa.

The live stream, blacked out for two hours amid a barrage of curses, suddenly lit up.

Yu Xi placed the mini camera in his chest pocket, secured it, and pounded on Song Xuan’s front door.

“Song Xuan, have you no shame???”

“You’ve got the guts to spread rumors? Come out here!”

“Not just because you can’t get a clean criminal record proof and wanna shift the spotlight?”

“Ha, dream on!!”