After Transmigrating into a Novel, I Became the Female Lead's Stepmother - Chapter 72

Qin Yao didn’t elaborate on the specifics, and Xu Chun didn’t press for details. After Qin Yao ended the call and turned to attend to other matters, Xu Chun stood frozen in place, clutching her phone. She blinked and wondered: Could it be that their parents’ collaboration with Qin Yao had brought them closer?

That seemed to make some sense.

Given how often they crossed paths due to the project, coupled with Qin Yao’s close relationship with her grandfather, it wasn’t surprising that Qin Yao had grown closer to her parents. There was nothing suspicious about it.

In any case, this was good news for Xu Chun.

Although Yu Sui’an’s background was complicated eventually revealing her as the Jiang family’s illegitimate daughter, the current situation differed from the original plot. Now, Yu Sui’an had neither Jiang Zhaolie by her side nor the influential power to command attention. She had lost Jiang Zhaolie, that rich and gullible stepping stone, and her standing in the entertainment industry had collapsed. As a result, her ability and likelihood to stir up trouble in the future had been halved.

Without Yu Sui’an meddling in the middle, Xu Chun believed the chances of her family going bankrupt were slim.

Even if trouble arose, given Qin Yao’s friendship with her grandfather and parents, she likely wouldn’t stand by and do nothing.

After quietly sorting through her thoughts, Xu Chun finally turned her attention to the online uproar surrounding Yu Sui’an’s withdrawal from the entertainment industry.

At the forefront were Yu Sui’an’s die-hard fans. Some refused to accept the news, convinced it was either a moment of anger from Yu Sui’an or a despicable publicity stunt by her agency. Fueled by stubborn denial, these fans mercilessly lambasted Yu Sui’an’s former agency, forcing it to disable comments for self-preservation.

But that wasn’t the end of it. Fans rallied across various platforms, demanding justice for Yu Sui’an and pressuring the agency to admit it was all their scheme.

Innocent bystanders were also dragged into the fray. Some who had merely offered fair analyses found themselves bombarded by Yu Sui’an’s fans, harassed to the point of disabling private messages, hiding their accounts, or even setting them to private to escape the onslaught.

The fans’ aggressive tactics created an atmosphere of fear online, with people wary of becoming the next target of their wrath.

Their unreasonable and domineering behavior eventually backfired, drawing widespread backlash. Someone sparked a movement to boycott Yu Sui’an and her fans, and soon, others joined in even fans of other top celebrities publicly took a stand, calling for collective action to clean up the online environment and restore order in the entertainment industry.

The entertainment industry has always been a place where people fawn over the successful and trample on the fallen. With resources being limited, having one less competitor naturally increases everyone else’s chances. Thus, with mixed motives but united in their goal, they all responded to the call, joining forces to intimidate Yu Sui’an’s fans into silence.

This onslaught and suppression lasted for days. During this time, any fan of Yu Sui’an couldn’t escape being cyberbullied by the overwhelming numbers, much like how they had once ganged up on others. Now, the same fate befell them, repaid a hundredfold.

Some fans, unable to bear the sudden reversal and the relentless online backlash, quickly renounced their fandom, deleting all traces of Yu Sui’an from their social media and cutting ties with her entirely.

Others, refusing to admit defeat, clung stubbornly to their loyalty, even romanticizing their struggle as “standing against the world for the one they love.” But the odds were insurmountable. Against tens of thousands of adversaries, they were swiftly and utterly crushed.

Yu Sui’an’s fan forums, discussion boards, and even her presence on other social platforms were completely wiped out. Some platforms, eager to avoid collateral damage, outright banned her name and all related keywords, including abbreviations.

While massive traffic could bring profits, survival came first. Moreover, with pressure from higher-ups, who dared to disobey?

After days of this tug-of-war, all traces of Yu Sui’an online were erased. The more astute quickly realized that a powerful force was orchestrating this behind the scenes. But what did it matter? They didn’t care.

All they wanted was for Yu Sui’an to disappear, freeing up opportunities for their own idols.

“A whale’s death feeds a thousand creatures.” Though Yu Sui’an wasn’t quite at that level, the principle was the same. Previously, she had monopolized numerous resources through various connections. Now that she had fallen, everyone rushed to snatch and divide what she had left.

Today, Yu Sui’an had made an enormous “contribution” to everyone’s careers, yet no one was grateful. To prevent her resurgence, they stomped her down even harder, ensuring she could never rise again.

In just a few days, Yu Sui’an lost everything shunned by fans, vilified online, and erased from the internet without a trace. She had been utterly and completely defeated.

After reading it, Xu Chun couldn’t help but feel a surge of emotions. The once-booming top celebrity in the entertainment industry from the original plot had now withered away so quietly, without even a single voice speaking up for her except, of course, her fans. But even her fans no longer dared to defend her publicly, because the consequences of doing so… were something they simply couldn’t bear.

Though they had moved themselves to tears, vowing to stand against the whole world for Yu Sui’an for the rest of their lives, when the whip truly lashed down on them, they still felt the pain.

Yu Sui’an, of course, was also keeping an eye on the aftermath of her departure from the industry. Seeing her fans speak up for her and defend her everywhere filled her with joy. For a moment, she was overwhelmed with emotion, thinking how unfortunate it was that she had left the industry like this. With such loyal fans, reaching the pinnacle would have been effortless.

But this joy didn’t last long. For some reason, the entire internet suddenly shifted, uniting to boycott her, as if determined to blacklist her and drive her completely out of the entertainment industry.

Yu Sui’an was both shocked and furious, itching to confront these people herself, what right did they have?

What right did they have to boycott her? What right did they have to deny her even a shred of dignity or a way out, even after she had voluntarily left the industry? Unfortunately, no one answered her.

Now, with her contract terminated and her relationship with her manager in ruins, she had no one left to turn to. She stood alone on a desolate island, without a single close friend or ally by her side.

So she could only watch helplessly as her fans were beaten into retreat, forced to flee in disarray until, cornered by others, they had no choice but to distance themselves from her for self-preservation.

She watched as her reputation crumbled like a collapsing dam after her departure, becoming as despised as a sewer rat, until eventually, it was as if she had never existed all traces of her wiped clean from the internet. Only then did she finally realize something was terribly wrong.

Someone was deliberately targeting her!

And that someone was close to her.

In that instant, Yu Sui’an immediately thought of Jiang Banxia.

The terrible idea of leaving the industry had come from Jiang Banxia. Not only had she lured Yu Sui’an with the promise of the Jiang family’s wealth, but she had also used Yu Sui’an’s father to pressure her into making the choice. Young and naive, blinded by the temptation of profit and a bright future, Yu Sui’an had failed to see the trap, eagerly jumping in without a second thought.

She hadn’t realized anything was wrong.

Now, finally understanding, Yu Sui’an was consumed with rage. She immediately called Jiang Banxia, her voice dripping with venom. “You did this on purpose.”

She spoke through gritted teeth, each word deliberate. “Did you always want to see me ruined, stripped of everything?”

Jiang Banxia’s response was laced with mild confusion. “Are you talking about what happened after you left the industry?” Her lashes fluttered slightly, her tone gentle and soothing. “Since you’ve already left, you shouldn’t waste your energy on trivial matters.”

“Right now, the most important thing for you to focus on is how to please Father and win his favor…”

“Stop changing the subject.” Yu Sui’an clenched her jaw tightly, her voice rising sharply with unmistakable accusation. “Is this because of Xu Chun?” Her words were razor-edged, carrying the unyielding determination of someone who wouldn’t rest until she got answers today. “You’re trying to get revenge on me to eliminate any chance of me competing with you for Xu Chun, aren’t you?”

“You’re overthinking it,” Jiang Banxia replied calmly. “What’s done is done, and there’s no changing it now. Your focus shouldn’t be on dwelling over such trivial matters.” After a brief pause, she reminded Yu Sui’an again, “Have you forgotten that you still have several older siblings eyeing your position?”

Of course, Yu Sui’an hadn’t forgotten. But her current predicament was like being caught between a wolf in front and a tiger behind, and her only supposed ally, Jiang Banxia, was so enigmatic that it was impossible for her to stay composed.

Yet, the situation demanded she keep her cool. Suppressing the panic and suspicion in her heart, Yu Sui’an took a deep breath and hung up the call expressionlessly. Whatever Jiang Banxia’s intentions were, she couldn’t afford to be distracted by external trivialities or admit defeat so easily.

Though she had lost her foothold in the entertainment industry, if she could win her father’s favor and secure his resources, the outcome might not be any worse than continuing in showbiz.

After careful consideration, Yu Sui’an immediately drove to her father’s company, determined to seize this opportunity.

Meanwhile, Jiang Banxia gently set down her darkened phone, her long lashes lowering slightly. A faint, almost imperceptible smile curled at the corners of her crimson lips.

As the drama surrounding Yu Sui’an’s exit from the industry came to an end, Xu Chun finally wrapped up filming. The moment she posted her wrap-up photos on Weibo, Qin Yao’s tall figure appeared right on cue in her line of sight.

The woman was dressed impeccably in formal attire, her refined features as cold and striking as a painting, standing out starkly against the desolate backdrop of the remote location. Step by step, she approached, her high heels clicking softly against the neatly paved stone path. Backlit, her silhouette was outlined by a pearlescent glow, breathtakingly beautiful.

Xu Chun’s heart skipped a beat before racing uncontrollably. Instinctively, she moved toward Qin Yao, about to speak when she suddenly noticed Jiang Zhaolie standing behind her.

After staring at Jiang Zhaolie for a long moment, Xu Chun frowned, her entire expression radiating unwelcome disbelief, what are you doing here?

Jiang Zhaolie: “…” Was this woman so blind to anything but Qin Yao now? Had she really not noticed him, a whole person, trailing behind Qin Yao until this very second?

Only after all this time did she finally spare him a glance, just to look annoyed.

As Xu Chun and Jiang Zhaolie continued their silent standoff, Qin Yao turned her head slightly to glance at him. Under her gaze, Jiang Zhaolie immediately suppressed the faint displeasure in his eyes and called out excitedly, “Mom!”

Xu Chun hesitated: “?” Was it just her imagination?

Why did it feel like Jiang Zhaolie was calling her “Mom” with an unusual amount of enthusiasm today?

How creepy.

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