The Vicious Female Supporting Character Goes Viral After Her Masks Drop During the Talent Show - Chapter 26

Late that night, after a relaxing soak in her luxurious bathtub, Lu Yuan-qian applied a facial mask and flopped onto her bed. She reached for her phone, intending to scroll through Weibo before sleep.

As soon as she opened the app, her feed was flooded with frantic updates from fellow drama fans and celebrity chasers. Seeing the same shocking words repeated over and over, she bolted upright.

“What?! Yan Shi… school bullying?!”

She scrambled to click on the trending topic.

The leak had started around 6:00 PM. A paparazzi account had posted a cryptic message without warning: “Breaking news on top star Yan Shi today. His character is bottom-tier; he was a juvenile delinquent back in the day and was expelled from high school for school bullying.”

Initially, because there was no evidence, the comments were filled with fans accusing the account of slander and curious bystanders who were skeptical. But an hour later, the paparazzi posted a follow-up: a photo of a crumpled, yellowed “Expulsion Notice.”

“…Third-year student Yan Shi has been reported for assaulting and bullying classmates, resulting in injuries to multiple students. Upon investigation, the claims were found to be true. The school administration… has decided to expel student Yan Shi as a disciplinary measure.”

The notice was clear. It included his name, specific disciplinary violations, the date, and the official school seal.

The internet exploded. Public opinion flipped instantly.

“Holy crap, there’s actual proof…” “This hit fast. It looks real too.” “He has such a clean ‘filter’ because of his dramas, but he’s actually a bully? My heart is broken.” “I hope Hate the Spring Breeze doesn’t get taken down because of him. Save the files to your cloud drives, everyone!” “Zero tolerance for bullying. Get Yan Shi out of the entertainment industry!”

While the general public was calling for his head, Yan Shi’s hardcore fans were in a state of chaos. Some were heartbroken and confused, while others pleaded for calm.

“I don’t believe it. He’s such a gentle person!” “The notice looks so official… what do we do? Should I leave the fandom?” “What is there to be confused about?” one veteran fan countered. “He’s a man of few words, but he always slows down to listen to us. He paid out of his own pocket to buy water and food for fans at events and chartered buses to get them home safely. Are we going to let a piece of paper destroy years of trust? Wait for his response!”

Lu Yuan-qian’s head was spinning. She still didn’t want to believe it. Her “filter” for Yan Shi was too thick. She switched to her third alt-account to help like positive comments and drown out the vitriol, when she saw a notification: The Studio has responded.

She clicked the link immediately.

“Regarding the online rumors involving Mr. Yan Shi’s past, the claims of school bullying are untrue. The actual circumstances are complex. Mr. Yan Shi will hold a live press conference tomorrow at 2:00 PM to explain the facts. We welcome the media and the public to supervise. Truth has its own way of coming to light.”

The Darkness Before the Light

As the night grew deeper, Yu Junran sat in his dark bedroom, the only light coming from the faint glow of the city through the window and the cherry-red ember of his cigarette.

He looked at the Studio’s announcement and let out a contemptuous laugh. He crushed the cigarette into the ashtray. His phone rang; it was Lu Ming-qiu.

“Who gave you permission to leak that without consulting me?” Lu Ming-qiu’s voice was sharp.

“Uncle, Yan Shi threatened to ‘self-destruct.’ I had to strike first. It was an emergency.”

“Strike first? Are you sure you can hold the ground? He’s holding a press conference tomorrow. Don’t let him turn the tables on you.”

“Relax,” Yu Junran said confidently. “He wants to tell the ‘truth,’ but he has no evidence. It’s just his word against mine. I have the paper trail; he doesn’t. Who do you think people will believe?”

He added, “If things get messy, we’ll just hire marketing accounts and water armies to lead the narrative. Since when can a small solo studio outplay Dingming’s PR department?”

“…Fine,” Lu Ming-qiu conceded. He was a master of “calling a deer a horse” and twisting facts. “I’ll handle the PR side for you.”

The Confrontation

The news of Yan Shi’s press conference became the biggest event in the industry. In an era where stars hide behind typed statements, Yan Shi was choosing to walk directly in front of the cameras.

By 1:00 PM the next day, the ballroom was packed with reporters. Online, the live stream viewers surpassed ten million before the event even started, climbing rapidly toward a hundred million as 2:00 PM approached.

In the backstage lounge, Yan Shi sat rigidly in his chair, staring silently at his reflection in a large wall mirror. He looked neither happy nor sad—only calm. It was as if he were looking through himself, staring into a distant, dusty past.

His assistant, Wang Li, walked in with a stack of papers. “Brother, here’s the speech script.”

Yan Shi waved it away. “Is it time?”

“Ten minutes.”

Yan Shi stood up, straightened his clothes, and nodded. “Let’s go.”

When Yan Shi stepped into the ballroom and walked to the center of the stage, the room erupted into a symphony of camera shutters and flashing lights. He bowed slightly to the media and sat down behind a microphone on a table draped in pure white cloth.

In that brilliantly lit room, under the gaze of the nation, Yan Shi opened the door to a cold, gray, and forgotten memory.

“Thank you to the media for being here, and to those watching the live stream,” he began, his voice steady.

“Regarding the rumors… I admit that in high school, I did indeed have a conflict with several classmates that involved physical fighting.”