The Fake Daughter is a Max-Level Green Tea [Transmigrated into a Book] - Chapter 67

Chapter 67: The Lawsuit

A few days later, a report detailing the specific circumstances of Lu Chaoqing’s background hit the trending searches.

The previous “Real vs. Fake Heiress” scandal hadn’t actually caused much of a stir, largely thanks to the attitude of the Lu parents and Lin Chumu, but people were still gossiping in private. Some said the Lu family was only being nice to the “fake” heiress for the sake of their reputation; others claimed Lin Chumu and Lu Chaoqing were simply “faking it” to hype up their new movie and would cut ties as soon as it finished.

The film’s premiere took place shortly before the official release. The two appeared together in matching black-and-white “couple” outfits for their promotional duties, sending the CP (pairing) fans into a frenzy of excitement. However, before the premiere’s trending topic could even cool down, a new storm arrived unannounced.

A recording was leaked—captured on what sounded like a professional recording pen—with crystal-clear audio. Both Lu Chaoqing and Lin Chumu had highly recognizable voices; even non-fans could identify them within seconds.

“What do you want?”

The girl’s voice in the recording was unmistakable—it was Lu Chaoqing. But unlike her usual self, the soft tone she usually projected to the public was gone, replaced by a cold, hardened edge. Following this was the pitiful, sobbing voice of the other party recounting the events of years ago. Unfortunately, Lu Chaoqing seemed entirely indifferent to those stories.

Some argued that since Lu Chaoqing hadn’t grown up with them, her lack of emotion was completely understandable—after all, for most people, the family that raises you outweighs the one that births you. Others, however, claimed Lu Chaoqing was different from her public persona and was no longer the “sweet little sun” she presented to the world.

If she didn’t care about the cause of her biological father’s death, could she really be expected to have feelings for anything?

This time, a swarm of marketing accounts dragged up old grievances again, mentioning Yao Xichen and Jiang Qishuang—who had all but vanished from the public eye. To be honest, Lu Chaoqing hadn’t kept track of them since they went their separate ways, so she was surprised to see the paparazzi dig them up now.

Jiang Qishuang was now working behind the scenes at an entertainment company, doing well enough but not spectacularly. Yao Xichen was slightly better off; unable to stay in the limelight, she had moved into a titular management role at her family’s company.

While their lifestyles were certainly better than average, they were a far cry from their former stardom. The marketing accounts began digging into Lu Chaoqing’s history, subtly implying that she had used underhanded tactics to force the other two out of the group. After Lily of the Valley disbanded, three went solo while two retired—and of the three soloists, Lu Chaoqing was the most successful.

Fans who had followed her since debut didn’t believe it for a second, but former group fans and those who still believed in their “innocent” former idols began to buy into the marketing narrative. With the audio clip as “proof,” more and more people began to believe the rumors.

However, given that Lin Chumu had previously been falsely accused on a film set, most people refrained from attacking until the truth came out.

One day passed, then two. Lu Chaoqing offered no response, continuing to promote the upcoming movie as if she hadn’t seen the trending tags. Finally, impatient netizens began questioning her in the comment sections, only to be buried by loyal fans’ coordinated positive comments.

Just as the marketing accounts were stoking the fires again, Lu Chaoqing posted two documents: a police certificate regarding a stolen phone and a defamation report. The signed confession on the report bore the name of a member of the Lin family.

Within half an hour of these posts, MT (her agency) released a schedule update for Lu Chaoqing. Unlike the usual public appearances, wedged between promotional events was a glaringly distinct entry: “XX Court,” indicating she would be attending a public trial as the plaintiff.

The defendants listed included the man named Ma, along with the entire Lin family.

“EXM (Excuse me)? No way, why is Lu Chaoqing suing her former family?”

“What “family”? They stole her phone… Guess this family is pretty busy, managing to cry about the past while pickpocketing?”

“Things are getting messy, I don’t understand. Waiting for a summary from the smart people later.”

The chaotic online comments didn’t affect Lu Chaoqing’s current plan. Inside the police station, having finished a leisurely inventory of her property, she politely thanked the officer. She then turned and waved to the woman who had just signed the papers. “Let’s leave it at that for now. See you in court.”

“Lu! Chao! Qing!” The woman hissed through gritted teeth. She had only told her child to sneak the phone out of Lu Chaoqing’s pocket to prevent her from recording them; she had genuinely forgotten to return it in her nervous state. She never expected the girl to call the police immediately and accuse her of theft. “I am your father’s cousin! You should call me Aunt!”

Lu Chaoqing acted slightly helpless. “Then… Aunt, shall we see each other in court?”

The woman was speechless with rage.

The officer nearby, whose daughter was a fan of Lu Chaoqing, naturally recognized her. He noted that she seemed different in private—possessing a certain grit when facing people like this. He had heard the shameless things this family had done; currently, the case was in the investigation phase. This woman was only acting arrogant because she thought Lu Chaoqing had no evidence. Her attitude showed she had zero affection for her niece.

“The hearing is in one week,” the officer kindly reminded her. He saw the girl nod obediently, a forced smile on her lips, her eyes filled with the confusion and disappointment one might feel toward a wicked elder.

Under the officer’s sympathetic gaze, Lin Chumu put her arm around the seemingly dejected Lu Chaoqing and walked out. Lin Chumu could tell that Lu Chaoqing’s act was half-true and half-performance, but no one could stay calm after the blow of learning their biological parents’ death wasn’t an accident.

As for the sudden lawsuit, Lin Chumu had been hesitant at first. Filing a complaint was one thing, but you needed evidence to proceed, otherwise it was all talk. However, seeing Lu Chaoqing’s persistence, she had agreed. Only…

Ignoring Lin Chumu’s voice for a moment, Lu Chaoqing communicated mentally with the System she hadn’t spoken to in a while: “You gave me one chance to ‘Rewind’ and one chance to ‘Change Fate’ before, right? Can I trade them for something else?”