The Vicious Female Supporting Character Goes Viral After Her Masks Drop During the Talent Show - Chapter 45

Night. The Zhong Family Villa.

Following the intentional leak of the news, coordinated with an army of internet trolls to sway public opinion, the web was quickly flooded with demands for Zhong Yan to withdraw from the competition. Zhong Jiamao and Shi Qian were basking in their perceived victory when they received a phone call from Lu Tingshen.

“Hello, son-in-law—”

“Who gave you permission to spread that news on your own!”

Zhong Jiamao was cut off before he could finish. Lu Tingshen’s tone over the phone was sharp and aggressive. In his fury, he had completely disregarded the customary etiquette shown to one’s elders.

Startled, Zhong Jiamao and Shi Qian felt their smugness instantly vanish.

“…Tingshen, well… our two families are about to be engaged. It’s a joyous occasion. Xiao Yan has gained some fame recently, which is also a good thing. We simply wanted to celebrate a double blessing…” Zhong Jiamao babbled cautiously, spinning a web of nonsense.

“Retract it. Immediately.”

Zhong Jiamao and Shi Qian exchanged a look, bewildered by Lu Tingshen’s explosive temper. It was clearly he who had reached out first to expedite the engagement; they were merely trying to help him achieve that goal, yet now he was displeased.

Though they grumbled inwardly, they didn’t dare offend the Lu family. They could only concede: “…Ah, yes, of course. We’ll have the news retracted right away.”

Without another word, the line went dead.

In his luxury apartment, Lu Tingshen tossed his phone onto the coffee table. After the sharp clatter of metal hitting glass, the room fell into a hollow, heavy silence.

He sat on the sofa, paralyzed by a mounting sense of chagrin.

He knew all too well that her parents cared only for the alliance, not for her. He knew they didn’t love her—that as long as the marriage remained intact, they wouldn’t care if she lived or died. He should have realized that to secure the engagement, Zhong Jiamao and Shi Qian would resort to any means necessary.

Even if it meant hurting her.

But hurting her had never been his intention. He simply wanted to hold onto her. He wanted her to stand by his side, for her eyes to look only at him, and for her life to be forever entwined with his.

Lu Tingshen felt a wave of regret. Because of his impulsive actions that night, he had become an accomplice in her suffering. At the same time, he felt lost. He realized he didn’t know how… to treat her. For the first time in his life, he felt truly adrift.

The night window reflected the living room. Lu Tingshen turned his head, quietly observing the man in the glass—someone familiar, yet increasingly a stranger.

After a long silence, he picked up his phone and dialed Secretary Wen.

“President Lu.”

“Notify the PR department. Minimize the public fallout regarding the Lu-Zhong engagement.”

“President Lu, may I clarify? Do you mean the impact on Dingming Group, or the impact on Miss Zhong?”

“On her.”

“Understood. I’ll handle it immediately.”

Monday morning. Director Gao of PR was summoned to the CEO’s office the moment he arrived.

Upon entering, he saw Lu Tingshen hunched over documents, his face dark, refusing even to look up. Director Gao’s heart sank; this wasn’t going to be a pleasant meeting.

Secretary Wen handed him an iPad. “Director Gao, the President wants you to look at this first.”

Gao took it and saw a popular entertainment forum page:

“The keywords are locked, threads are being nuked, and accounts are getting banned. Overnight, all negative news about Zhong Yan has been wiped. The power of capital is terrifying! Is this Wensheng Group protecting their precious daughter, or Dingming Group protecting their ‘dear wife’?”

“I was skeptical of the leaks yesterday, but now I believe it. Miss Zhong truly has people backing her. This cleanup was seamless.”

“You want to get married and be an idol at the same time, but won’t let netizens talk? Now I’m triggered. The more you try to silence us, the more I’ll speak! Delete one post, and I’ll post ten more!”

“I actually liked her, but this move leaves a bad taste in my mouth…”

Director Gao’s expression grew awkward. He put the iPad down after only a few comments. “These types of sentiments are appearing across all social platforms.”

As the last word fell, Lu Tingshen set his pen down and finally looked up, his gaze icy. “I told PR to reduce the impact. What did you do? It’s increased.”

“President Lu, we are doing our best. However, Miss Zhong’s online popularity is massive. Once the news broke, it spread like wildfire. Currently, beyond blocking communication channels and waiting for the heat to die down, there isn’t a better way. Unless—”

Gao suddenly stopped.

“Unless what?”

Gao hesitated, but under Lu Tingshen’s pressure, he spoke: “President Lu, allow me the liberty of asking for confirmation: is the marriage mentioned in the leaks a fact?”

Director Gao didn’t know his boss’s private business, but based on Lu Tingshen’s frantic attempt to scrub the news, he had guessed as much. But guessing wasn’t enough; he needed a professional confirmation.

Lu Tingshen stiffened. He understood the subtext of the question.

If the engagement wasn’t a fact, the PR crisis would be easy to resolve. If they announced the engagement didn’t exist, Zhong Yan would no longer be subject to the criticism.

Director Gao wasn’t trying to interfere in his boss’s marriage; he just wanted to know if the leak was true. But Lu Tingshen was forced to face the choice.

He remained silent. “Yes” or “No”—neither answer could leave his lips.

In the end, he never answered the question.

The benefit livestreams for the top nine trainees were scheduled for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. Each girl had a thirty-minute solo slot.

Zhong Yan’s slot was Thursday, from 6:30 to 7:00 PM.

That evening, Zhong Yan finished dinner early and headed to the livestream room. The “studio” was just a vacant practice room in the training building, a ten-minute walk from the dorms.

At the dormitory entrance, she ran into An Tao, who was waiting for her.

An Tao was a chronic worrier. Even for a ten-minute walk, she insisted on accompanying Zhong Yan.

Zhong Yan teased, “I’m not a three-year-old. You really have become my ‘Mommy’!”

An Tao remained unmoved, following her out with an excuse: “I just happen to be taking a post-meal stroll to help my digestion.”

In reality, An Tao knew Zhong Yan was about to face a storm of public scrutiny during this livestream. Just thinking about the pressure made An Tao feel frightened. She couldn’t bear the burden for her, but as a friend, she could at least be there.

Zhong Yan understood An Tao’s hidden tenderness. Though she wasn’t as stressed as An Tao imagined, she didn’t reject the kindness. Walking side by side, Zhong Yan tilted her head and smiled.

“Mommy Tao, thank you.”

An Tao felt a bit flustered. “I—I really am just walking for digestion!”

“It’s not just that,” Zhong Yan said seriously. “It’s also about what happened these past two days.”

Zhong Yan hadn’t told An Tao about her background before. She had planned to find the right time, but the leaks had shattered those plans, exposing her secrets abruptly to the companions she spent every day with.

She felt a lingering guilt for the omission. When she had returned to the dorm after the emergency meeting with Zhang Jing, she expected the girls to bombard her with questions, or perhaps even feel resentful about her secrecy.

But none of that happened.

An Tao hadn’t pried or questioned her. She had simply taken Zhong Yan’s hand, her clear eyes shimmering with genuine concern. She had said, “Teacher Zhong, it’s okay. We are all on your side.”

In that moment, Zhong Yan’s eyes had stung. She told herself she didn’t care, wasn’t sad, and wasn’t hurt. But in that instant, she felt like a child who had been playing tough outside, only to burst into tears the moment she saw her mother at home.

Jin Li, Meng Le, and Duo’er—everyone from the Dolls team—treated her exactly as they always had, laughing and cheering her up.

Zhong Yan suddenly realized that her gains from Best Girls were far greater than she had ever imagined.

Seeing the sincerity in Zhong Yan’s eyes, An Tao understood. Her cheeks flushed as she rubbed her nose sheepishly. “…We’re friends, aren’t we?”

A warm current flowed through Zhong Yan’s heart. She linked her arm with An Tao’s and nodded vigorously. “Mhm! We’re friends!”

Some things didn’t need to be said aloud.

At the entrance of the training building, An Tao stopped to tidy Zhong Yan’s clothes. “By the way, are you sure you don’t want to do your hair and makeup? You’re looking a bit too plain.”

Zhong Yan was wearing her standard training gear, light everyday makeup, and a simple high ponytail. She looked beautiful, but An Tao worried it was too casual for a broadcast that half the country would be watching.

“No need. Natural is best.” Zhong Yan smiled and let go of An Tao’s arm. “Alright, I’m going in. I have to talk to the PD after the stream, so I don’t know when I’ll be back. Don’t wait for me.”

An Tao hesitated, but then realized that staying might actually put more pressure on her friend. She nodded. “Okay. Keep a relaxed mind. Don’t feel pressured.”

“Don’t worry!”

The “studio” was sparse: a table, a chair, a phone tripod, and some lighting equipment. However, the room was more crowded than expected. Both Zhang Jing and Li Xing were there. Given how much attention this stream was drawing, the production crew was taking no risks.

After exchanging greetings, Zhang Jing said, “Teacher Zhong, if you need anything, just ask. The crew will do our best to accommodate you.”

Li Xing added, “The topic matrix for the livestream is ready and can be released at any time.”

Zhong Yan smiled and looked at the crowd. “PD Zhang, Sister Xing, everyone—thank you for your hard work. Don’t be nervous. Just think of this livestream as a chat between friends.”

She simply wanted to talk.

6:00 PM. At a film set.

“Producer Xu, there’s no filming tonight. Why eat a lunchbox? Let’s go to a restaurant and grab a bite,” the assistant director called out to Xu You.

“Oh, Director Zhang, I’m so sorry. I have to watch a livestream at 6:30. Let’s do it another day—my treat!” Xu You apologized with a quick bow and vanished before the director could ask what was so important.

6:10 PM. A photography studio.

“Today’s shoot is a wrap. Thank you, Teacher Yan!”

“Thanks, everyone. Good work.”

After finishing his endorsement shoot, Yan Shi immediately checked his watch. There’s time. He breathed a sigh of relief. He quickly changed, packed his things, and hopped into his van, opening his phone immediately.

6:20 PM. Dingming President’s Office.

Secretary Wen glanced at the clock and then at Lu Tingshen, who was still buried in paperwork. He sighed softly. It seemed the President was working late again.

Things hadn’t even been that busy, but the President had been staying late every day as if he were inventing tasks to keep himself occupied. This habit had started right after Director Gao left his office on Monday.

Secretary Wen suspected he knew why. He knocked and entered.

“President Lu, what is it?”

“You can head home,” Lu Tingshen said quietly, not looking up.

Lu Tingshen was staying at the office because the moment he was idle at home, that unanswerable question would haunt him. He chose to stay busy, but he didn’t see the need to force others to stay with him.

“Understood.”

Before leaving, Secretary Wen paused at the door. “President Lu, Miss Zhong’s livestream starts at 6:30.”

The tip of Lu Tingshen’s pen faltered.

“I’ve sent the link to your phone.”

Secretary Wen left. The massive office fell silent. A moment later, Lu Tingshen’s phone vibrated once.

The fountain pen stayed pressed against the paper for a long time, the ink slowly bleeding into a dark blotch. On the electronic clock, the numbers jumped to 18:29.

Lu Tingshen finally set the pen down, picked up his phone, and clicked the link.