After the Female Star Was Slandered Onto the Trending Search List - Chapter 63

Chapter 63: Speaking Up

It must be said, blood ties are so strange, leading to such “telepathy.”

Shen Yu looked at the photos Shen Shi sent. They were about a dozen laminated pictures, all without exception featuring Shen Yu and Wen Xi.

Walking home from school, shopping on weekends… The intimacy level visible in the photos was clearly unusual. The two were holding hands, occasionally leaning against each other, their eyes focused on each other, the smiles in their eyes impossible to hide.

This was the first time Shen Yu had seen herself and Wen Xi during their high school days from a third-person perspective.

…She hadn’t known her “good father” had hired someone to follow them.

Shen Shi: “I’ve collected the photos. I don’t know if he sent them to anyone else; I couldn’t get an answer.”

S: “I understand. You should go home first.”

Shen Shi: “I asked my mother. She helped contact people outside.”

Shen Shi: “I bought a manor in Nanshan. I’ll send them up there later.”

Shen Yu’s fingertips tapped the side of her phone rhythmically.

Shen Shi was different from her; he grew up receiving his parents’ affection.

But this time, her bottom line had truly been crossed.

She understood Shen Shi’s position, but she wasn’t so magnanimous as to forgive her so-called stepmother.

S: “Don’t get involved. I’ll send them up there after a while.”

Shen Shi couldn’t bring himself to plead for her mother. He knew what his mother was capable of and was only disappointed that after all these years, she still couldn’t distinguish right from wrong.

Shen Yu lowered her eyes and opened her contact list. She found his number at the very bottom, a sign of her aversion.

The wait time wasn’t long. After connecting, neither side spoke.

After a long time, the person on the other end coughed a few times. “Xiao Yu, what made you call me? Is work going smoothly?”

The voice was hoarse, mixed with an indescribable malice.

“It’s going quite smoothly,” Shen Yu chuckled. “I wonder if you’re doing well? I heard the manor on Nanshan is suitable for retirement.”

Shen Yeshou’s face stiffened.

Nanshan had only been developed for less than two years. To put it nicely, it was picturesque and serene; to put it harshly… it was a remote, uninhabited wilderness.

“What else can you do besides trying to control me… cough, cough, cough,” Shen Yeshou’s voice was frantic. “You unfilial daughter! Retribution! This is retribution! Hahahaha.”

“How many years were you well-behaved for? Just two, right?” Shen Yu’s lips curved into a smile. “Why is your health failing already?”

“Do you have any backup plans?” Shen Yu mocked. “After scheming all these days, this is all you have to show me?”

Shen Yeshou was furious. “All? Look now! Everyone is calling you a lesbian, perverted, disgusting… You might not care, but what about your little girlfriend? Is she afraid to even step out the door?”

Shen Yu sneered, “Is that so? I’m afraid the person who’s afraid to leave the house now includes you.”

Shen Yeshou slammed the table. “This is illegal! Illegal!!”

“Then call the police,” Shen Yu said coldly. “I’ll wait. We’ll see if I go in first or you do.”

Shen Yeshou’s pale face flushed crimson. His eyes were wide with fury, but he couldn’t say a word.

It was now past 1 AM. Ke Han hadn’t rested yet, waiting for Shen Yu to hang up before asking, “Have you thought about what to say? The hot search only dropped a few spots. Many people are waiting for you to post on Weibo.”

“You should rest first. It’s too late,” Shen Yu simply said.

Ke Han gave her a deep look, then turned and waved, conceding.

When Wen Xi woke up the next day, she felt an abnormal stomach ache.

Looking in the mirror, her face was alarmingly pale.

She got up, ate a few bites of bread, and washed down painkillers and gastritis medicine with warm water.

Overnight, many more messages had accumulated on WeChat. Wen Xi lay down on the sofa. As soon as she picked up her phone, she wanted to throw it away.

She felt irritable, but the red notification dot made her want to check it.

Shen Yu was the only person pinned at the top of Wen Xi’s WeChat. She had sent a good morning message after waking up, saying she was going to film.

Wen Xi saw that the message was sent at 6 AM, and Shen Yu hadn’t slept until 1 AM last night.

Wen Xi felt a little uneasy. She deleted and retyped her message, finally only leaving one sentence: I’m awake. I just finished breakfast.

Exiting the chat, she saw Lu Xuan Yi’s last message was a question mark, so she clicked into the chat.

Lu Xuan Yi had sent a Weibo link. Seeing the small text indicating it was from Shen Yu’s Weibo, her breathing involuntarily quickened.

Shen Yu: “I apologize for occupying public space due to personal reasons. I will focus more on my acting career and live up to everyone’s expectations. [Share image]”

Less than an hour after the Weibo post was sent, the number of likes had already reached millions when Wen Xi clicked the link.

It was a statement that did not deny the relationship. Moreover, the lawyer’s letter in the image only mentioned malicious rumors and slander, but didn’t specify which were the rumors.

Wen Xi scrolled down. The top comment was a simple: So, are they really together?

Wen Xi exited and typed a message to Lu Xuan Yi.

T.T: “She told me yesterday that she would issue a lawyer’s letter.”

Lu Xuan Yi: “Sigh, I don’t know what to say. Shen Yu definitely considered things more than I did. There’s nothing that can be done now. You’ve both been pushed into the spotlight.”

Lu Xuan Yi: “Oh, your studio also issued a lawyer’s letter, warning against defamation and rumors directed at you. The two Weibo posts were sent one after the other.”

T.T: “That must be Shen Yu’s doing. She didn’t want me to look at Weibo. I still haven’t clicked into it.”

Lu Xuan Yi: “She’s really good to you. We’ll see what happens next. Be careful when you go out recently. How about moving to my residential area?”

Lu Xuan Yi lived in an area with many celebrities, and the privacy was excellent.

If it were before, Wen Xi would say it wasn’t necessary, but now…

T.T: “Thank you. I’ll see.”

Pu Tao arrived very early, the dark circles under her eyes quite noticeable.

Pu Tao was shocked by Wen Xi’s pale face. “Boss, what happened?”

Wen Xi smiled and shook her head. “Sit down first. I’m fine. Did Shen Yu ask you to post on Weibo?”

Pu Tao looked at Wen Xi worriedly and nodded. “Yes. But the lawyer still needs you to appear, as you are the subject of the rumors.”

Wen Xi clasped her hands in front of her, her thumb subconsciously rubbing the fleshy area between the thumb and forefinger of the other hand. “What did they rumor about me?”

Pu Tao spoke quietly, trying not to let Wen Xi see the content.

Wen Xi’s voice was slightly hoarse. “Just screenshot it for me. I want to see it. I can handle it now.”

Pu Tao scratched her head, sighing deeply. “I don’t not want to show you, it’s just… sigh, fine, I’ll tell you.”

“Last night, someone posted a thread, claiming to be your classmate…” Pu Tao summarized the Weibo post from last night in a few sentences.

Wen Xi was stunned upon hearing it. After a long time, she looked at Pu Tao. “Anything else?”

Pu Tao looked into Wen Xi’s eyes, and they held each other’s gaze.

Wen Xi looked calm, her clear eyes dark, showing little emotional fluctuation.

Pu Tao gave in first. “Someone else said that you used to study art, so why are you a photographer now… guessing if you failed the art exam…”

Pu Tao knew some of the facts and found these words too nonsensical. Yet, the post making this claim had over 20,000 likes and 8,000 shares.

Most of the sharers were Shen Yu’s antis, saying how poor Shen Yu’s judgment was, falling for someone with mediocre grades who even failed the art exam.

Even if Pu Tao didn’t say it, Wen Xi knew more or less how others would judge her.

Wen Xi didn’t particularly like the atmosphere of the entertainment industry. Standing only on the edge of the circle, collaborating with some celebrities felt like they were covered by a veil, not quite real.

Wen Xi had only observed fan wars from a distance. She didn’t like arguing with others, nor did she find it interesting to watch. She just wondered why some fans spoke with such extremity and malice. Simply put, the two sides didn’t know each other, yet they argued like arch-enemies who had known each other for years.

Shen Yu had been very successful in winning awards over the years, naturally drawing jealousy.

Wen Xi could guess what kind of vile remarks some people would make.

Not to mention, Shen Yu’s sexual orientation was now exposed…

“But some people are supporting you too!” Pu Tao quickly said, looking at Wen Xi’s expression. “There are quite a few! Many fans of other celebrities are also very supportive. They remember you taking amazing photos of their idols. Many are fighting for you, so the public opinion isn’t that bad now.”

“Besides,” Pu Tao added, “Ms. Shen hasn’t acted in any idol dramas over the years, so she doesn’t have many CP fans. Judging her based on her sexual orientation is unnecessary. She hasn’t lied to anyone.”

“Thank you,” Wen Xi patted Pu Tao’s arm. “I’m really fine.”

“What are you thanking me for?” Pu Tao sighed. “Isn’t this what I should be doing?”

Perhaps the painkillers were taking effect, as Wen Xi’s stomach pain was slowly subsiding, though her complexion wouldn’t recover immediately.

She chatted with Pu Tao for a while longer, then found an excuse to go back to the bedroom.

She dug out an old phone she hadn’t used in a long time. The screen was cracked in places, but it was still functional.

The chat records with her high school teacher and art training instructor were still there, confirming that she had voluntarily given up the art exam.

Furthermore, the thread posted by the self-proclaimed classmate had many holes in it. It mixed truth and falsehood, aiming to exploit the difficulty of explaining events from ten years ago and the general confusion.

The tone consistently expressed how very familiar the person was with Wen Xi.

Who could it be?

Wen Xi slightly lowered her eyes.

Half an hour later, Wen Xi typed a message in her memo, logged into Weibo, posted it, and immediately logged out. She didn’t want to see any unnecessary messages.

The reason for resisting cyberbullying is simply that not many people can withstand that kind of pressure.

Even celebrities have their own private psychologists.

Wen Xi understood Shen Yu’s and Pu Tao’s concerns, so she wouldn’t deliberately seek unhappiness.

Things were different now. She had to live well. She wanted a future with Shen Yu.

In the past, she drifted through life, feeling that there was no goal in life besides living day after day.

“Twilight: I apologize for being asked to leave the internet last night. I only just found out about some untrue rumors about me. I feel it’s necessary to come online and debunk some of them. I used to study art, but due to an accident, my right hand was severely injured. I voluntarily gave up the art exam and only took the standard college entrance exam. Regarding the other rumors, I only feel confused. I don’t know where the speculation came from. Why do people remember things from ten years ago so clearly? [Image] [Image] [Image]”