Chapter 1986: Gradually Awakening

No one noticed that when the camera swept past, the nurse standing in the corner had been staring at Song Yuan’s leg the whole time, with a look that was equal parts puzzled and suddenly enlightened.

The stream never cut off. Chu Yao was still holding her phone; other than putting it down in a fixed spot while she ate cake, she’d been holding it the whole time.

She really is stunning—there isn’t a single bad angle on her—and this kind of boyfriend-perspective shot is ridiculously rare for a Best Actress like Chu Yao who can’t be bothered to self‑promote. It’s not just the male fans going feral; the female fans are just as crazy, nobody even knows how many screenshots they’ve already taken.

Since Chu Yao didn’t cut, Song Yuan obviously couldn’t cut either, and she live‑streamed the entire process of going to the police station.

There was no more fighting in the live room, and for the moment no new gossip either, but the trending lists on Weibo and on that short‑video app were about to explode.

A ton of clipped live‑stream videos were spreading like crazy.

Unlike the very beginning when the whole internet was siding with Song Yuan—back then it was a trending celebrity versus a random nobody, she had the natural advantage, and Song Yuan’s fanbase was huge. They were so riled up they practically wanted to dig the person out and grind their bones to dust.

Once Chu Yao got involved, she didn’t even have to do anything. Her fans jumped in on their own and stirred it a few rounds. Now, there are way fewer people feeling sorry for Song Yuan, and the netizens who’d been brainwashed are slowly waking up.

“How come I feel like something’s off? This is just one‑sided bullying, isn’t it? Before that girl named Nan Jiaojiao showed up, it was entirely whatever Song Yuan said, and everyone got pre‑programmed by that.”

“Same as the one above, I was worked up for ages. Then I went back and rewatched those videos and realized they were all edited cuts.”

“They kept saying it was hard for the traffic police to pull surveillance, so where did those full‑internet uploads of surveillance footage from earlier come from?”

“Me, me, me, I’ve been camped in the live room. Song Yuan kept explaining, but none of those explanations seemed to actually say anything. The moment I saw her crying like that, I turned into a useless ruler, completely head‑over‑heels, and couldn’t listen to a word.”

“Chu Yao tried to bet with her—whoever is lying quits the entertainment industry. She didn’t even dare take the bet.”

“And that Nan Jiaojiao, too. She said in front of all those people that she wouldn’t use this wave of traffic to jump into the entertainment industry. If she really goes and shoots a drama or a short video later, wouldn’t that be a slap in the face?”

“Slap what face? Didn’t you hear the first thing she emphasized? She’s not short of money!”

“Right, she’s Chu Yao’s friend—how would she be short of money? Internet sleuths, is anyone going to dig up which rich lady this is?”

“Tch, some people’s fans really have no class, covering up for her like this. Classic case of using popularity to act all reckless. Bragging about dissolving the company, seriously? At the end of the day she’s just a celebrity—say it uglier, a performer. A woman who makes a living standing there selling smiles, and she thinks she can call the shots over capital?”

“Hey you up there, watch your mouth! Who are you calling classless? Do you see us Yao‑fans swearing at people? Did we curse your family out? The ones stanning Song Yuan are exactly what kind of trash, huh—showing up at a time like this to muddy the waters and stir the pot?”

“I’m just telling the truth, why are you so pressed? Who can’t talk big? What kind of person Chu Yao is, you think other people don’t know? Forcing someone to quit the industry with her—where does she get the face? Unless Shengjing really listens to her, otherwise anyone can talk tough online; who is she trying to scare?”

“Just you wait, when the slap lands your face is going to sting like crazy!”

Nobody knew where they came from, but with just a few lines, some bystander netizens really went to spam Shengjing’s official Weibo.

It was basically a bunch of busybodies deliberately stirring shit up. A company that big, as if they’d even bother responding.

Chu Yao’s fans might trust their idol, but Shengjing’s status as a top‑dog in the entertainment industry is right there. She’s favored, sure, but being favored to the point of shutting down a whole company would be way too outrageous.