Chapter 69: Confession Part 1

Two hours after Fu Yanzong encountered the offline anti-fans, his studio and fan support association jointly released a statement. It detailed the timeline of the day’s events and included numerous videos from fans, all properly censored to protect privacy.

Before that, some blurry photos taken from afar by bystanders had already begun circulating online, leaving fans on edge. In their anxiety, many less level-headed supporters dug through the Weibo accounts of those who had boasted about attending the offline event. After cross-checking everything, they finally uncovered traces of Xiao Yu accidentally liking Su Tang’s polished fan photo from the wrong account.

Logically speaking, Xiao Yu’s account should have been hounded relentlessly by Fu Yanzong’s furious fans. However, the studio’s announcement had bolded and emphasized Fu Yanzong’s own words after the incident, insisting on protecting Xiao Yu’s personal privacy. This effectively nipped the potential backlash in the bud.

Since she had already chosen to cooperate with Fu Yanzong’s team in the investigation, there was no need to pile on more cyberbullying.

At the main star’s request, his fans could only grudgingly delete their rants and condemnations aimed at Xiao Yu’s personal account from their chat windows. Instead, they redirected their rage toward the Su Tang Fan Support Association.

The culprits needed to be held accountable—Xiao Yu was just an underage casual fan, still in school and prepping for exams. She didn’t have the scheming mind to orchestrate undercover ops against rivals or plan offline ambushes on her own.

Those cunning tactics and maneuvers clearly had someone pulling the strings from behind the scenes.

Truth be told, Su Tang’s fans had a notorious reputation in the fandom circles. Many major fan accounts from other groups vaguely knew who was really running the support association under the table, and they’d been grossed out by them plenty of times before. So as soon as this scandal broke, those accounts jumped in to kick them while they were down, subtly pointing fingers at the true villains on their own pages.

If Xiao Yu had already faced her due punishment, then the big shots in the support association weren’t getting off scot-free either. Fu Yanzong’s seething fans bombarded Ding Yuanhua and the other major influencers’ Weibo pages—but instead of apologies, they got belated disavowal statements.

The gist was this: Xiao Yu had no connection whatsoever to Su Tang or his fan circle. Everyone was urged not to spread rumors without evidence or engage in cyberbullying. The incident had nothing to do with the Su Tang Fan Support Association, so innocents shouldn’t be dragged in.

To quell Fu Yanzong’s fans’ fury and paint themselves as the reasonable ones, many of Su Tang’s top influencers rallied their little fans to “cleanse the feeds and tags.” They posted with glaring red banners proclaiming “We Won’t Take the Blame,” even proactively @-ing Xiao Yu to demand she come out and apologize while admitting she had zero ties to Su Tang.

As the controversy snowballed, Su Tang couldn’t play dead any longer. He rushed online, glanced at his super topic, and without a second thought, reposted the support association president’s rumor-clarification notice. He even added his own note: He was unaware of the whole affair, felt deeply unsettled by it, and hoped Xiao Yu would take responsibility by apologizing directly to Fu Yanzong.

It was as clear as day—he was shoving Xiao Yu out as a scapegoat.

If the support association’s actions were merely shameless, then the star himself jumping in to cut ties was downright heartless and chilling.

In the police station, barely holding back her panic, Xiao Yu opened her phone and saw it all. Her emotions finally shattered, and she burst into wrenching sobs.

Her parents were too busy with work to be around, leaving no one to share her daily struggles or school stresses. Xiao Yu had poured all her joys and sorrows into Su Tang and those seemingly reliable big sisters from her fellow-fan group.

But they were the ones who had led her down the wrong path—and now stomped on her as she fell.

Sun Jiayang, who had been by her side the whole time, floundered helplessly. After racking his brain, he stammered, “Actually, stuff online doesn’t have to weigh on you so much. It’s pretty much like Brother Fu said—you don’t have to listen to them. Just go back to your real life…”

Xiao Yu sniffled, lifted her tear-streaked face, steadied herself, and meticulously recounted the entire backstory to the interviewing officer. She even pulled up her phone to show them chat logs and call records.

Admittedly, the top fans’ online traces were all vague and deniable; key instructions had come via phone calls, and Xiao Yu had no recordings. Even so, the details she provided weren’t useless to the police or Fu Yanzong’s studio.

Once that was done, Xiao Yu borrowed a power bank from Sun Jiayang, charged her nearly dead phone, smoothed her hair, and faced the station’s blank white wall to record a long on-camera video. She also drafted a heartfelt apology letter.

The letter—and the video where she read that part aloud, voice choking—began with her earnestly owning up to her mistakes.

But the real climax came at the end of both.

“When I finished my statement and checked my phone, I was bombarded with messages blaming and insulting me. Honestly, before seeing the usernames, I thought they were from Fu Yanzong’s fans I’d hurt—I was braced for whatever they threw at me. But when I opened the DMs, I found countless ‘fellow fans’ who had once sweet-talked me, even actively lured me into this mess, now washing their hands of it all. They outright denied my love and devotion for Tang Tang.

“That was the final straw that truly broke me.

“In Mr. Su Tang’s eyes, I might be some irrational clout-chaser. But skipping school for days to attend your debut stage wasn’t fake. Neither was scrimping and saving to fly across the country for your concerts, shelling out scalper prices for tickets. Nor was blowing stacks on magazines and those useless endorsed products that fleece fans like leeks. Desperately chasing your schedule, lining up for hours, only to get shoved around by bodyguards or iced out at events—none of that pain was fake.

“Up until today, I really liked you. I thought your grueling debut journey was no joke, and I even drew strength from you.

“But looking back, was any of the ‘hard work’ you showed real? Those Weibo pics of you sweating it out in the practice room—somehow, your shirt back is always spotless. While your groupmates rehearse, you’re always snapped dining out or dating around. Resources fall into your lap effortlessly, and fans bleed money and time fighting for your endorsements. It’s turned you into this untouchable king who thinks we’ll spoil you no matter what…

“I let their scripts convince me you were legit. But what really hooked me, made me obsessed, was everything I’d poured in over time. The sunk costs were too high—I couldn’t walk away, so I kept blinding myself to the truth, forcing myself to love on.

“Until I experienced someone else—until I saw Fu Yanzong standing right in front of me. Only then could I stop lying to myself. I finally understood what a true idol should be: what they represent, how they carry themselves.

“Even after my screw-up, he wants me to live my life well.

“So after today, I’ll ditch this bought Weibo account and delete my original one too. No more chasing online drama—I’ll focus on my own life and chase my original dreams.

“As for the rot in Su Tang’s fan circle—doxxing fans, inciting crimes, embezzling funds—I’ve reported it all to the Shenlan police, holding nothing back.

“And finally, one last word to my former idol, Mr. Su Tang.

“Mr. Su Tang, step up and protect your fans. Plenty more have been burned just like me. Since you’ve happily lapped up our love and money, wallowing in it, don’t run from the responsibility you owe us.”

Xiao Yu was just an ordinary fan. But the screenshots from her phone—dozens of hours-long hard-seat train tickets, overpriced scalped concert stubs, mountains of pricey, worthless support association merch—mirrored the sacrifices of countless everyday fans like her.

The support association’s bigwigs figured a spineless little fan like Xiao Yu couldn’t stir up much trouble, even if she spoke out. This time, they were dead wrong.

The very “money trees” they dismissed as brainless started rising up, one by one.

Desupport announcements flooded Weibo, blacked-out profile pics signaling fans finally breaking free. Many marveled at themselves: Why had they endured the misery so long, like under some spell? Now, at last, they were awake.

And more fans with stories like Xiao Yu’s poured out their own tales.

Doxxed by big shots, gaslit with PUA tactics. Monthly “fundraisers” for merch that never materialized, always “in production” or “shipping soon.”

Normal fans who met the criteria for support association membership, ghosted without explanation. Handshake events where you couldn’t get a spot without bribing the influencers. Fabricated CP rumors, brainwashing packets of rival black material…

One Xiao Yu’s evidence might not stick, but a chorus of “Xiao Yus” washed the farce clean.

Su Tang owed his rise entirely to the Heartthrob System—and to these devoted fans who charged into battle for him, buying up data and hype.

Today, the storm had broken.

What you get by those means, you lose by them too.

…

The Shenlan Police Station had been working overtime late into the night, and finally, in the early hours of the morning, they hurriedly posted the official announcement on their verified blue-check account:

Recently, our station cracked a case involving criminal activities by certain members of the Su Tang Fan Support Association. An investigation revealed that Ding Yuanhua, Dan Zixin, Qi Naixin, and several other association members were suspected of crimes including picking quarrels and provoking trouble, intentional injury, embezzlement, and fraud. They have now been subjected to criminal coercive measures in accordance with the law.

During the investigation, our station uncovered significant evidence of illegal activities by Su Tang himself and his studio. He is suspected of colluding with the fan association to embezzle fan support funds, using false promotions to induce high spending, with some of the money unaccounted for—acts that constitute fraud. Additionally, a preliminary tax audit has found that Su Tang and his studio concealed income and falsified declarations to evade taxes, involving a massive sum.

At present, our station has initiated compulsory investigations against Su Tang and relevant personnel from his studio. The tax authorities have simultaneously launched a tax inspection. The case is under further investigation, and the police will collaborate with the tax department to thoroughly probe and strictly punish all criminal acts in accordance with the law. Updates will be promptly released to the public.

Police reminder: The internet is not a lawless realm. Any criminal behavior will face legal sanctions. We urge the public to chase stars rationally, heighten their legal awareness, and report any suspected violations to the police without delay.

…

The protests from those who had been deceived and betrayed finally received a response. The farce stirred up by Su Tang seemed, from this moment on, to gradually subside.

/

When the police escorted Ding Yuanhua out of the patrol car, he was still pinning his hopes on Su Tang finding someone to resolve the issue.

They had faced similar close calls in the past, moments when their dark secrets nearly came to light, but Su Tang had always managed to hitch a ride on some big shot’s coattails and turn danger into safety. When Ding Yuanhua spotted that familiar face at the entrance to the station, his hopes peaked.

The Maybach sat quietly in the night, wrapped in the misty drizzle that had briefly fallen during the late hours. Song Linyu was bundled in a deep-colored overcoat that was slightly too large for him, standing under an umbrella with a cigarette pinched between his fingers. The glowing ember licked at the tobacco, inch by inch, until a gust of cold wind scattered the ash lightly to the ground.