I Was Taken by the Female Lead After Transmigrating into a Book - Chapter 25

The onslaught of text is overwhelming, and the aggressive tone seems to want to tear Bai Feifei apart. The content claims that Bai Feifei is an evil person. She’s malicious, manipulative, uses underhanded methods to climb the ladder, has no shame, and doesn’t deserve to be liked.

Yet, Bai Feifei’s pleading words, “Believe me,” echo in Huo Wu’s ears over and over. What comes to Huo Wu’s mind is the hopeful look in Bai Feifei’s eyes when she said those three words. Her trust is wavering, but it hasn’t completely collapsed. Everyone thinks Bai Feifei doesn’t deserve to be liked. Everyone thinks that after seeing this, their impression of Bai Feifei has plummeted, and after the “evidence” goes viral, their relationship will be over.

Bai Feifei doesn’t have any enemies in the industry, and she’s not blocking anyone’s path. The only person who would do something like this is Yang Sha.

Huo Wu lowers her eyebrows in a sarcastic expression. She unconsciously plays with two small stones she picked up from the ground. After a moment, Huo Wu says, “What do you think after seeing this?”

Ji Meng has been in this industry for so many years, but sometimes she still can’t deal with such vicious comments, especially when it involves someone she knows and feels for.

“She’s just a young girl who just became an adult…” Ji Meng’s voice trembles as she reads the comments. It seems like everyone has “proof,” and everyone knows Bai Feifei. The overwhelming insults make Bai Feifei sound like a criminal. Everyone has the right and the obligation to step on her.

Huo Wu is silent. Her eyes are on Ji Meng’s hand holding the phone. Every time Ji Meng swipes to a new picture, Huo Wu watches, as if she’s punishing herself. The pictures sting her eyes, like a rusty knife tearing through her, but she keeps watching. She even looks closely, as if she wants to memorize every word.

Ji Meng has also seen the things that made Huo Wu so distraught. The information was released by a famous paparazzi in the industry. This paparazzi has a bad reputation. He’s despised by everyone in the industry because he just posts things and doesn’t care about their authenticity. People in the industry hate him, but people outside the industry don’t. The public likes him because he “exposes the reality of the entertainment industry,” even if what he posts is fake. The public loves to see gossip, cheating, and love triangles—things that are easy to relate to, great for discussion, and full of secrets and excitement. Everyone can become a “party,” talking about “secrets” they “heard” and getting a sense of being part of the gossip.

The first picture shows Bai Feifei drinking at a table with a man. In the picture, Bai Feifei is holding a man’s hand and smiling as she drinks the wine. The second picture shows Bai Feifei with tattoos and wearing revealing clothes while smoking. She’s crouching on the ground. A group of people who look like low-life thugs surround her. Their teeth are yellow from smoking, and their faces are pale and miserable. The third picture is from a hotel. Bai Feifei is in an elevator with three men, looking intimate. She’s wearing a red dress and tattoos that can’t be covered. Her skirt is short, and a man’s hand is on her waist. Even though it’s a picture of her from behind, it’s enough to let people’s imaginations run wild. The fourth picture is of Bai Feifei entering a hospital. She’s wearing a hat and a mask in the summer. She’s completely covered and even wearing a trench coat. Her hands are tightly clutching her clothes as if she doesn’t want anyone to know who she is. Combined with the other pictures, people can’t help but let their imaginations run wild and create a story about a fallen girl.

These four pictures are enough to nail Bai Feifei to the pillar of shame. She will be on “the list” every year and be cursed by millions of people. In this industry, it’s sometimes unfair to female artists. A few ambiguous pictures can ruin a reputation that took years to build.

Huo Wu suddenly says, “Do you believe it?” Ji Meng tremblingly locks her phone screen. When she looks up, her lips are pursed, and she can’t say anything. Just as Huo Wu says, she doesn’t want to believe it, but the pictures and text are right in front of her, so she has no choice but to believe it. And it’s not just that. These are just some screenshots from the paparazzi’s Weibo account. There are also videos. Pictures can be fake, but video surveillance can’t be.

“You also think that you have to believe this, right? Even if she explains, even if she says she’s innocent, even if she cries and begs and says she has her reasons, you won’t believe her, right?” Huo Wu smiles sarcastically, lowering her eyes. There’s not a single emotion in her eyes, just complete coldness.

Ji Meng senses that something is wrong. Huo Wu looks much calmer than she did before. Before, Huo Wu’s face was also expressionless, but she still told Bai Feifei that she’d be right back, and her tone was stiff. She was clearly holding back. She was angry and upset, but her anger wasn’t directed at these pictures and videos that seemed like solid evidence. It wasn’t even directed at Bai Feifei. It was directed at something else.

Ji Meng purses her lips and decides to follow her heart. She shakes her head honestly and says, “I don’t believe this is something that girl Feifei would do.”

Huo Wu stares at Ji Meng for a while. The stones in her hand make a screeching sound as they rub against each other, like nails on a blackboard. It’s an unpleasant sound that makes her ears hurt, but it’s there, like a thorn that can’t be removed. She lifts her chin, still crouching on the ground. She doesn’t get up or make any other moves. She tells Ji Meng, “Open your text messages.”

Who still uses text messages besides banks and advertisements? Ji Meng frowns but does as she’s told. An unknown number is at the top of the list. The preview shows the words, “Hello, Teacher Huo.”

Ji Meng’s heart skips a beat. She opens it and looks at it. [Hello, Teacher Huo. Your star agent almost went to jail because of Bai Xue ten years ago, and you were also affected. Now that Bai Xue is back, her artist is using your name to gain fame. Maybe we can work together.]

Ji Meng wants to curse. She knows who is behind this number. “Did Yang Sha send this?!”

Huo Wu nods. A sarcastic smile appears on her face.

“She’s still as wicked as she was ten years ago…” Ji Meng clenches her teeth. “She created all this to hurt Bai Xue, but Bai Feifei is just an innocent artist. Getting involved in this is a death sentence. Does she have no bottom line?”

Yang Sha’s plan is excellent. If Bai Xue’s artist was an unknown newcomer with no reputation and no past, it would be difficult for her to do this. She would have to wait a long time to plan something. But Bai Xue’s artist is Bai Feifei. Bai Feifei already has many scandals. Her tattoos alone are enough to ruin her career. Society has a lot of prejudice against girls with tattoos, especially someone like Bai Feifei, who has tattoos all over her body. The reason is right there. This one thing is enough to make a bunch of internet users with outdated mindsets criticize Bai Feifei.

Although she still doesn’t know how Bai Feifei made her tattoos disappear, they’re gone. And that’s enough. She later provoked Huo Wu and got involved with the popular “Guang·Ying” crew. With these real or fake rumors, it’s enough to ruin Bai Feifei’s career forever.

“What do we do now?” Ji Meng frowns. “We have to do something, right?”

At the end of the day, this has something to do with Ji Meng and Huo Wu. If you look at it, this goes back many years. Bai Feifei is just an innocent victim. Huo Wu nods. Her voice is muffled by the mask, but Ji Meng hears her clearly. Huo Wu says, “We’ll handle it all the way.”

When they go back, they don’t show any emotion. Jiang Yuemin is already asleep. Bai Feifei is tidying up, and she’s very quiet.

When Huo Wu sees her, Bai Feifei’s eyes light up like a puppy seeing its owner come home. She looks both hopeful and nervous. She’s a little nervous and timid. It’s a weird kind of cute, and Huo Wu looks at her again. She walks over and sits in front of Bai Feifei, a bed away, but only an arm’s length apart.

Bai Feifei nervously whispers, “A-Wu.”

Huo Wu hums in response. She pauses, as if she thinks her response was too cold, and adds, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Bai Feifei says, letting out a big sigh of relief. “You seemed so angry when you went out with Sister Meng. I thought something happened.” Huo Wu looked at her phone and then her face became cloudy. She rarely shows her emotions so outwardly. Bai Feifei knows she was truly angry. She rarely sees that kind of expression on Huo Wu’s face. It looks like she wants to kill someone. The anger on her face is almost tangible. Even though she’s speaking to her kindly, Bai Feifei is still a little worried that something happened.

Huo Wu purses her lips and looks at Bai Feifei. Her lips move, and she almost whispers, “I’m sorry.”

Bai Feifei doesn’t hear her. “Huh? What?”

Huo Wu turns her head, not admitting that she apologized. “Nothing. Just some company matters are a bit of a hassle.”

Ji Meng has been holding her breath since she came in, afraid that Huo Wu would say something rude again. Thankfully, everything is calm. Just as she’s about to relax, she hears Huo Wu say in a haughty and cold voice, “Don’t look at Weibo for the next two days.”

Ji Meng feels like something is wrong. Sure enough, Bai Feifei is stunned and subconsciously asks, “Why? What’s wrong with Weibo?”

Huo Wu’s lips are tightly sealed. She doesn’t say anything. Bai Feifei subconsciously reaches for her phone in her pocket, but Huo Wu just told her not to look, so she doesn’t dare to take it out. She just says glumly, “Did I cause you trouble by posting on Weibo that I like you?”

Huo Wu’s eyebrows twitch. With all the distractions Yang Sha caused, she almost forgot about this. Bai Feifei publicly confessed to her on her social media, saying she likes her. Her fingers tap the bed twice, pretending to be nonchalant. “A lot of people confess to me every day. You’re not the only one.”

Bai Feifei takes her seriously and says, “Oh,” pitifully after a long pause. Huo Wu continues, “There’s a bunch of kids at the company who are always asking me for my autograph and telling me they like me. You’re not the only one, so you don’t have to think you’re so special. It’s normal to like me. You don’t have to feel pressured.”

Ji Meng, who is peeling an orange, feels her eyelid twitch more and more. She even starts to wonder why they came back from outside. Was it to annoy Bai Feifei? Was it to forget their worries by saying something hurtful?

Seeing that Huo Wu is about to say something else, Ji Meng can’t sit still anymore. She puts the peeled orange in Huo Wu’s hand and clears her throat. “The fans are probably going to start fighting over the next few days. You’re a new artist with no connections and no projects, but people are saying you’re one of the female leads. Many people will cause trouble. She’s telling you not to look at Weibo for your own good. Don’t let it affect your mood. You still have to take care of your mom.”

Ji Meng’s words are a lot nicer. Huo Wu glances at her and sees Bai Feifei nodding obediently. She adds, “I told you not to look, so don’t. Remember that.” Bai Feifei continues to nod obediently.

Ji Meng just puts her hand over her eyes. When Ji Meng leaves, she warns Bai Feifei again not to look at Weibo. Bai Feifei knows that the online content probably isn’t good. After thinking for a while, she resists. She doesn’t have a habit of using Weibo. She doesn’t have many fans, and she doesn’t have many messages. For business promotions, she uses Bai Xue’s contact information, so she doesn’t have any reason to use it. The last time she confessed to Huo Wu was the only time she actively posted something.

She leaves the hospital in the evening. Bai Feifei says goodbye to Jiang Yuemin, who is drowsy from her medication, and gets a faint response. It’s already dark when she gets home. She packs some food to take with her. In the afternoon, Fu Xiaoxiao went to clean the RV and also took their two dogs to get a bath, so she’s probably hungry. It’s a good time for a late-night snack. The light in the lobby is on. Bai Feifei walks in with her food and yells, “I’m home!”

No one answers inside, but she hears a “pat-a-pat” sound. Bai Feifei thinks the sound is familiar. She walks in with a confused look on her face and sees Fu Xiaoxiao in the living room, crying and cursing, typing frantically on her keyboard. The sound of her mechanical keyboard is deafening. From the looks of it, she wants to be a ghost and crawl out of the screen to fight someone.

“What are you looking at? Why are you so angry?” Bai Feifei walks over and pats Fu Xiaoxiao on the shoulder. Fu Xiaoxiao was probably listening to music, but she was so excited that one of her earbuds flew out without her realizing it. The cheerful music can be heard clearly through the headphone. “We common people are so happy.” The music has nothing to do with Fu Xiaoxiao’s current state.

Fu Xiaoxiao realizes someone is behind her and turns her head. Her eyes are so swollen that they’re almost a slit. Her nose and mouth are red, and it looks like she’s been crying for a long time. Bai Feifei is stunned. “What did you see…” The words on the screen come into view. Bai Feifei slowly blinks. She’s seen everything. Fu Xiaoxiao quickly gets up and tries to block the screen.

Bai Feifei holds her shoulder and says calmly, “Xiaoxiao, sit down. You can’t block it. I’ve already seen it.” Fu Xiaoxiao hesitates, but Bai Feifei already pushes her back into the chair. The screen is filled with malicious curses.

[You’re not dead yet?]

[It’s easy to make money. Anyone can get into the entertainment industry now. The standards are so low.]

[No wonder she’s not famous. She’s a terrible person. What has she been through? Does anyone still want to support her? Are used shoes so easy to wear?]

Bai Feifei holds the mouse and scrolls down. She doesn’t read everything in detail, but a quick glance is enough for her to remember most of the vicious words. There are a few comments from Fu Xiaoxiao, but her voice is small and drowned out by the insults. She’s even being insulted.

[Xiaoxiao’s little one: You guys are so mean! You’re putting a girl on a pillar of shame with a few ambiguous pictures and a paparazzi’s vague words? She didn’t do any of that!!]

[Where do you get off being a moral police? How do you know she didn’t do it? Who are you to her? Did you also get a taste of climbing into bed with her?]

[Xiaoxiao’s little one: Defamation with more than 500 reposts is a crime! You’ve already gone over that limit!]

[Oh, I’m so scared. Go sue me. I’ll look down on you if you don’t. I’m going to say that Bai Feifei is dead. Bai Feifei has been slept with by people. Bai Feifei has slept with thousands of people. Bai Feifei uses dirty tricks to get ahead. Go sue me! Go ahead!]

[Xiaoxiao’s little one: You’ll be getting a court summons.]

The messages end here. Bai Feifei touches Fu Xiaoxiao’s hand. It’s cold and still trembling. She then notices that Fu Xiaoxiao has a bandage on her wrist. It smells strongly, and her muscles are shaking uncontrollably. Fu Xiaoxiao looks up. When Bai Feifei pulls her into her arms, she keeps saying, “He’s going to get it. I’m going to have my mom sue him. After I sue him, I’m going to go to his house, his company, and his school and put up banners so everyone knows what kind of person he is… I’m going to make him pay. How can he say those things about you? How dare he…”

“Calm down,” Bai Feifei says comfortingly. Fu Xiaoxiao’s breathing is short, and her chest rises and falls several times before she finally calms down. After a while, she looks at the irritating screen and hugs Bai Feifei, crying loudly as if she’s finally found a shoulder to lean on. “How can they say those things about you? How can they?!”

Those vicious words are like a knife cutting into her. Fu Xiaoxiao’s cries are loud. In the end, she’s sobbing and twitching. Bai Feifei gets her a cup of water, but Fu Xiaoxiao is sobbing so hard that the water goes into her nose, and she cries even louder.

In the midst of the chaos, the two of them look at each other and suddenly find it funny. Fu Xiaoxiao cries and laughs and reaches out to Bai Feifei. “Wuwuwu, baby, please comfort me.”

Just as Bai Feifei is about to reach for her, the doorbell rings. Bai Feifei instinctively looks at the clock on the wall. It’s already past ten. Who would be here this late? She looks at Fu Xiaoxiao. At this moment, their hearts are in their throats, and they can’t stop thinking about horror movies.

Fu Xiaoxiao grabs a golf club from the hallway and holds it in her hand. She continues to sob while following Bai Feifei. Bai Feifei looks through the peephole. A person in all black, wearing a baseball cap and a black mask, is standing at the door. Their head is lowered, so Bai Feifei can’t see their face, but she has a feeling that this person has bad intentions. After a moment, as if she already knows that the person inside won’t open the door, she folds her mask and puts it in her pocket. She takes a half step back and looks up.

Bai Feifei’s eyes widen in surprise. Huo Wu’s beautiful face, without makeup, is revealed. She stands outside, her figure slim and graceful. The corners of her eyes are red, and her voice is a little hoarse as she says, “Open the door. It’s me.”