Chapter 105: A Disgraced Entertainer

After Su Chen and Han Jiangxue returned to the hotel, they each went back to their own rooms to rest.

Han Jiangxue had only slept for two or three hours the night before, and even that had been on the desk at the police station, so it hardly counted as real rest at all.

By the time she and Su Chen left the station and were brushed by the cool morning wind, her head felt foggy and her whole body unwell.

In such a state, Han Jiangxue could only choose to return to her room and sleep a little longer. Staying up all night really did take a severe toll on the body.

As for Su Chen, there was even less need to say it: he had not slept a wink the entire night. Even though he was still young, the heartburn and discomfort that followed an all-nighter still left him feeling somewhat ill at ease.

After a quick wash, Su Chen put on an eye mask, lay down on the bed, and soon fell asleep.

Yet while the two of them slept deeply, as daylight strengthened and people resumed their daily routines, a storm concerning Su Chen quietly swept across the internet.

On major short-video platforms and on the most popular entertainment apps and websites, countless videos and reports suddenly surfaced, all accusing Su Chen of fighting, brawling, and injuring an elderly man the night before.

And as soon as these videos and reports were released, hundreds upon hundreds of comments appeared beneath them, mass-reporting and steering public opinion.

"My God! This really is Su Chen! When I watched Rising Star, I actually liked him quite a bit because of his talent and sincerity. How could he do something so outrageous?!"

"Heh. You can know a face, but not a heart. A show is for the public to watch; who knows whether there was a script? Maybe Su Chen was nothing more than a cash cow for the capital all along. Now his true colors are showing."

"It looks like the statement Starburst Entertainment released back then must have been true. Su Chen really is a disgusting, bottom-of-the-barrel man! I was so stupid—I was fooled by what he said on the show and thought he was such a good person! Thinking about it now makes me angry and want to cry at the same time!"

"Sister, don't cry! It's not your fault. Su Chen is just too good at disguising himself! Look, that old man is already lying on the ground, and he still insisted on hurting him despite the police warnings. Is that even human? He's clearly a demon!"

"How can something so vile and worse than a pig or dog still appear on a program? How can he still want to become a public figure? If Su Chen doesn't withdraw from the competition, we'll all give Rising Star a flood of bad reviews!"

"That's right! Su Chen must withdraw! And he should be thrown in prison!"

...

Xu Fangyuan returned from the club at noon.

While eating lunch with Lin Yanan, she looked at those comments and smiled so widely that she could hardly close her mouth.

"Heeheehee! Yanan, look at this—whoever wrote this smear campaign copy is pretty amusing!"

"Later I'll ask who posted this one. I'm going to reward him with two extra yuan."

As she spoke, Xu Fangyuan handed her phone to Lin Yanan.

Indeed, the sudden flood of dirt on Su Chen had all been orchestrated by Xu Fangyuan through Starburst Entertainment.

Xu Fangyuan had taken root in Starburst for many years, and her network of connections was far too extensive. After she had cultivated Lin Yanan, the company board had even granted Xu Fangyuan a small block of shares.

Although the proportion was minuscule, in a strict sense Xu Fangyuan and those who merely worked for capital were now entirely different in nature.

She was working for herself.

Beside her, Lin Yanan took the phone and looked at the comments under the video.

She scrolled through the remarks condemning Su Chen again and again, yet she did not feel nearly as happy as she had expected.

She found it hard to believe that Su Chen could be that kind of person—fighting, brawling, and hurting an old man.

From everything Lin Yanan had seen in her past interactions with Su Chen, such a thing was simply impossible.

Lin Yanan bit her lip and asked Xu Fangyuan, "Sister Yuan, is this video definitely real?"

"Su Chen... he doesn't seem like the kind of person who would do something like this!"

Seeing the conflicted look on Lin Yanan's face, Xu Fangyuan's smile stiffened. She said a little irritatedly, "Why wouldn't it be possible? I told you long ago that Su Chen is just trash—a maggot in society!"

"The facts are right in front of you now! And you still won't believe me and choose to believe this scum?"

"Lin Yanan, you ought to wake up!"

After hearing Xu Fangyuan's words, Lin Yanan also began doubting herself. Could it be that she still loved Su Chen?

When Su Chen was down on his luck, she fled. When Su Chen began to rise, she regretted it. When everyone was denouncing Su Chen, she, however, wanted to speak up for him...

Lin Yanan was too conflicted.

Seeing the confusion in Lin Yanan's eyes, Xu Fangyuan felt a chill in her heart. She knew this was the perfect chance to root Su Chen out of Lin Yanan's heart completely.

Xu Fangyuan said, "Yanan, don't overthink it. What you feel toward Su Chen isn't love, but something everyone has—a subconscious reaction."

"...A subconscious reaction?" Lin Yanan looked up, her eyes full of confusion, and Xu Fangyuan could not help but feel a little sorry for her.

"That's right. No one wants their ex-boyfriend to be such trash. This behavior of yours, coming from the inside out, isn't about liking him or defending him. You're simply protecting yourself and refusing to believe that such scum could have been your ex-boyfriend."

"It's a kind of subconscious response everyone has. So if you want to protect yourself, you should stay even farther away from Su Chen!"

"Besides, I heard Su Chen was throwing punches all last night for the sake of some girl. Tsk, tsk..."

With patient coaxing, Xu Fangyuan gradually brought clarity back to Lin Yanan's dazed eyes.

She looked at Xu Fangyuan, and the pure light in her gaze dimmed a little more.

"Sister Yuan, you're right. People like Su Chen really do need a setback to strike him hard before he can improve."

"I hope this incident can help Su Chen return to his true self, return to an ordinary person's life, and live properly, instead of always thinking about things far beyond his reach."

Seeing Lin Yanan like this, Xu Fangyuan was overjoyed.

She had cultivated Lin Yanan for so long, and the girl had finally shown some progress!

What was the use of innocence? In the entertainment world, ambition and strategy were what mattered.

Only by wanting more and being able to abandon more could one gain more.

It was just a little unfortunate that this girl still resisted accompanying clients for drinks. She would need to think of a way to help her. The bosses were already impatient to get their hands on the little white flower they had nurtured for so long...

"Don't worry. This time, Su Chen will definitely return to an ordinary life. His illegal behavior has already crossed the line of social tolerance, and no one will support someone like him anymore."

"Besides, even if those ignorant common people are still willing to support him, he won't be able to survive in the entertainment industry!"

Seeing Xu Fangyuan's sinister smile, Lin Yanan asked in confusion, "...Why?"

"Because there are clear regulations above: a disgraced celebrity is not allowed to exist in the public eye."

Xu Fangyuan said in a voice like a demon's, "Yanan, rest assured."

"From now on, your road will be smooth all the way—a true highway to the heavens."