The Vicious Female Supporting Character Goes Viral After Her Masks Drop During the Talent Show - Chapter 30

At the Lanyandao Film and Television Town.

In the three days following the first public performance, there were no group filming sessions. Life was relatively leisurely, and the cafeteria was more crowded than usual during lunch.

The trainees were eating and discussing the hottest topic of the moment—one that concerned them deeply.

“What are people online saying about the Producer and Mentor Yu Junran?”

Although the production team had confiscated their phones, there were always trainees with backup devices. News traveled fast, from one to ten, and then to a hundred. Furthermore, since the scandal involved the show’s own cast, the staff was also tracking it closely. During Yan Shi’s live press conference yesterday, many girls had crowded into the dorm supervisor’s room to watch.

“It’s chaos,” one girl said. “The Producer’s fans and the Mentor’s fans are at war. It’s a bloodbath.”

After Yan Shi’s explanation, his fans were heartbroken and furious. Their idol had been a hero, only to be framed, expelled, and suppressed by powerful forces for eight years. Any fan would lose their mind over such injustice. They had mobilized en masse, “slaughtering” Yu Junran’s Weibo comments and search topics.

Yu Junran’s fans, of course, retaliated by accusing Yan Shi of slander, creating malicious memes, and trying to flood his tags with hate. However, while both were top stars, Yu Junran’s popularity had been declining for years, while Yan Shi’s was skyrocketing thanks to Hate the Spring Breeze. In the battle of fandoms, Yan Shi’s fans were clearly dominant.

The most peculiar thing was the silence from Yu Junran’s side. Unlike Yan Shi’s studio, which responded instantly to the rumors, Yu Junran’s studio and Dingming Entertainment had been “playing dead” for nearly 24 hours.

“What about the general public?” another girl asked.

“Most are waiting. Since the first rumor turned out to be a reversal, people are being cautious. Yan Shi’s story sounded sincere, but he lacks a ‘smoking gun’ like that official expulsion notice. Many are waiting to see how Yu Junran responds before picking a side.”

She added, “But plenty of people are already on the Producer’s side. They think that the mere courage to face the public live says a lot about his character. After watching the stream yesterday, I believe him.”

Others nodded in agreement. “I cried listening to him. He’s been through so much.”

One girl leaned in and lowered her voice. “Do you think Zhong Yan knows the truth? She’s his ‘scout,’ after all.”

They glanced toward a window where Zhong Yan was eating with An Tao and Jin Li. She looked perfectly relaxed, as steady as a mountain. “If Teacher Zhong is this calm, then the Producer must be fine.”

The discussion was just loud enough for Xia Meng to hear at the next table. Xia Meng, Yu Junran’s die-hard fan, finally couldn’t take it anymore. She stood up abruptly, her chair screeching against the floor.

“How can you talk like that?” Xia Meng demanded, her face flushed with anger. “By saying you believe the Producer, you’re implying Mentor Yu actually did those horrible things!”

The other girls looked at each other awkwardly. “We didn’t mean it that way…”

“Then what did you mean?” Xia Meng pressed.

As Xia Meng’s voice rose, it drew the attention of the entire cafeteria—including Zhong Yan’s table. Zhong Yan continued eating, ignoring the drama, but Jin Li—who hated idiots—couldn’t help herself.

“What else could it mean?” Jin Li shouted back. “It means exactly what it sounds like! You believe Mentor Yu, so you must think the Producer is the bully, right?”

Xia Meng’s face turned even redder. “I—that’s not what I meant!”

“Then what is your point?”

“I think… there must be some misunderstanding between them…” Xia Meng stammered.

Jin Li burst out laughing. “A misunderstanding? After everything the Producer said? You’re hilarious!”

Just as the tension reached its peak, a trainee burst into the cafeteria, shouting, “Big news! Big news! Tian Jingyu has withdrawn from the competition!”

The cafeteria fell into a stunned silence, followed by an uproar.

“Is it because of the bullying thing?” someone whispered. “Then everything the Producer said must be true!”

Xia Meng stood there as if her soul had left her body. She grabbed the messenger. “When? Where is Tian Jingyu now?”

“The dorm supervisor said she went to the PD this morning. She’s already packed and leaving through the back gate.”

Xia Meng bolted out of the cafeteria.

The Departure

Near the back gate of the recording base, Tian Jingyu stood alone with her suitcase, waiting for a ride-hail car. It was ironic; she had arrived as the “Princess of Dingming,” the most favored trainee. Now, Dingming wouldn’t even send a car for her. She was a liability.

Her phone rang. It was Yu Junran.

“I told you!” he roared the moment she picked up. “Don’t mess with Zhong Yan! But no, you had to provoke his wife right under Lu Ting-shen’s nose! Now you’ve successfully ruined yourself. Happy?”

Tian Jingyu’s eyes went cold. “I thought you called because you were worried about me. Turns out you’re only worried about yourself.”

“Tian Jingyu, we’re in the same boat! If I go down, you have no future either!”

Tian Jingyu sneered. He was the one who struck first and got countered by Yan Shi. “Is that why you’re calling? Do you actually have a plan to kill Yan Shi’s story? Because right now, you’re losing.”

Yu Junran was fuming. He hadn’t expected Yan Shi to drag their legal battle into the light, shifting the focus to Dingming’s (and Lu Ming-qiu’s) fraudulent contracts.

Worse, his uncle, Lu Ming-qiu, was currently in a “mud Buddha crossing a river” situation. Lu Ting-shen was using this scandal to purge Lu Ming-qiu. Lu Ting-shen had forbidden the studio from responding until the investigation was complete.

“The company isn’t helping me,” Yu Junran hissed. “Lu Ting-shen is leaving me to die.”

“So you’re just giving up?” Tian Jingyu asked.

“No,” Yu Junran said with a dark laugh. “I have more cards than Yan Shi. If the company won’t pay for PR, I’ll pay for it myself. Watch the news tonight. I’m going to finish him.”

After hanging up, Tian Jingyu felt even worse. She kicked a pebble just as a car pulled up. Before she could get in, she heard hurried footsteps behind her.

“Tian Jingyu, wait!”

It was Xia Meng, panting for breath. She stood behind the gate fence. “I have to know… is the bullying story true? Is he really that kind of person?”

Tian Jingyu looked at the suffering girl and burst into a fit of laughter so hard she teared up. “Does it matter to you if it’s true or false?”

“Of course it matters! If it’s false, I’ll help him clear his name. If it’s true—” Xia Meng stopped, unable to finish the sentence.

“If it’s true, what?” Tian Jingyu pressed. “Will you stop being a fan? Will you take back years of love? You see, the truth doesn’t actually matter to you.”

The car honked. Tian Jingyu suddenly had a malicious idea. She signaled the driver to wait and stepped closer to the fence.

“Since you care so much, I’ll tell you a secret. Yu Junran is in trouble because Dingming refuses to help him. It’s a power struggle at the top. CEO Lu Ting-shen personally decided not to help him.”

Xia Meng’s eyes widened. “But I… I can’t help him. I don’t even know the CEO.”

Tian Jingyu leaned in and whispered, a cruel smile playing on her lips.

“Who says you can’t? Go beg one specific person. CEO Lu will listen to her.”

“Who?”

“Zhong Yan.”