Tong Zhao secretly opened an app on his phone, and sure enough, the top trending topic was related to him.
This is actually the first time he's ever trended on social media.
If it weren't for the show's popularity, the "illegitimate son of a wealthy family" debuff, and the company's operations, he, as an unknown actor, wouldn't have been able to make a splash.
Tong Zhao quickly glanced at the trend of public opinion. No wonder he hadn't been shown it; there were still so many who didn't believe it. Well, he had experience with this before; some people wouldn't admit it unless the evidence was presented to them.
Eating your own gossip is just different from eating other people's. Tong Zhao saw a certain marketing account's insider information about a wealthy family that had been reposted countless times, with blurry images, and they even made up stories about the real and fake young masters.
He even believed what he said...
Look again, they've already been sued.
The cost of spreading rumors on the internet is low, but the cost of explaining them is high. Most people watch the spectacle and then forget about it. Apart from the parties involved, no one cares about the truth.
Perhaps in three to five years, due to some new hot topics, people will bring up the related topics again.
Do you know who it was back then?
"I know, but wasn't that clarified later? It was malicious fabrication by the other party."
"Really? Do you have any evidence?"
"Look, we've won the lawsuit."
"Oh, that's true."
He then smiled and let it go.
However, this is just an isolated case. Most onlookers still retain the image of being the victim of rumors. Victims may not be able to afford the time and money to deal with the large number of defendants, so they can only go through the cycle of clarifying things again and again, eventually falling into an endless trap of self-proof.
It is difficult for people to prove something that did not happen at all, not to mention that some people only believe what they want to believe.
Finally, with his throat dry and thinking he had explained things clearly, he was met with a dismissive "So what?"
What lies deeper, unspoken, is often a condescending disdain and a deep-seated malice towards imperfect victims:
"Why are you the only one being slandered and not others? Isn't it you who has a problem?"
"You deserve it! If you hadn't done that, he wouldn't have acted that way..."
Tong Zhao's thoughts drifted away. What would he have done if it were before?
He was a nobody, and his words carried little weight. All he could do was endure. He even forced himself to flatter and fawn over others, but thankfully, he no longer needed to do so.
Dan Song kept his word. During their wedding, he said he would make sure Tong Zhao wouldn't have to tolerate anyone anymore. However, within a year, the Zhou family fell from power, and the Qin family stopped harassing him. Now, apart from Geng Keli and Qin Chong, whom he needed to be careful with, Tong Zhao felt he could do whatever he wanted.
But clearly Shan Song still felt it wasn't enough. Tong Zhao poked at the phone screen, probably thinking that he was already being tolerant of netizens, since they wouldn't even let him see his phone.
The clarification statement issued by the company was forwarded by Shan's official account. In addition to the pinned statement, there was also a long list of defendants, clearly demonstrating a strong stance of support.
It seems the legal department is going to be busy these days. I wonder how much overtime pay Shan Song will give them this time. If their bonuses are the same as Xiao Wen's and Uncle Tie's... Tong Zhao counted on her fingers and estimated: "..."
I should have asked him for a tip back then; there aren't many honest bosses like him these days.
"Zhaozhao? Would you like to come to the bedroom and sit for a while?"
Luan Yining's sudden voice startled Tong Zhao, who thought Shan Song had discovered her... She almost dropped her phone.
Glancing at the corner of the phone out of the corner of her eye, Luan Yining understood immediately and changed the subject, saying, "The living room is too cold, and they'll be gone for a while. If you're bored, you can come sit with me in the bedroom for a bit."
Tong Zhao awkwardly turned off her phone and stood up: "Okay."
Seeing that Luan Yining seemed to be planning to pretend she hadn't seen what had just happened, Tong Zhao breathed a sigh of relief.
"Zhaozhao, do you think the comments on the internet will affect you?" Luan Yining suddenly asked.
!
Tong Zhao paused for a moment, thinking that he was worried about her, and explained seriously: "At first I was, but I got used to it and realized it was nothing. Actors are public figures, and they are bound to receive more evaluations than others under the spotlight."
But their words won't have any impact. It's my life, after all. As long as I'm doing well, I'll just see other people's attacks as jealousy.
Luan Yining nodded slightly: "You have a good attitude. I thought Shan Song didn't want you to see it because he was afraid you would feel uncomfortable."
Tong Zhao smiled shyly: "Half and half. I guess this is also a way for him to express his love. He knows it's okay if I see it, but it still happens..."
Tong Zhao suddenly realized halfway through her sentence that this was just a little bit of romance between a married couple.
But he couldn't just say that to Luan Yining directly, so he stammered, a slight blush rising on his face, and said, "He's always teasing people like that."
Luan Yining understood, and a fleeting smile appeared on her lips.
Tong Zhao was embarrassed and hurriedly changed the subject, even forgetting to change her form of address: "Professor Luan is very different today. I never thought you could dominate at the mahjong table. It feels like a dream."
He paused for a moment, then added, "I think Qi Yan was also surprised."
Today, Luan Yining was teaching Qi Yan how to play cards. Qi Yan's dazed expression was so obvious that it was hard for him not to see it, as he was sitting right across from him.
Hearing him say that, Luan Yining seemed to recall something, and raised an eyebrow slightly: "What do you think 'Professor Luan' should be like?"
"When we first met, he seemed to have the air of a highly educated person. He was knowledgeable, refined, easy-going, reserved, humble, and not arrogant. In short, he didn't seem like the kind of person who would sit at a table and play mahjong with us ordinary folks."
Tong Zhao thought back to Luan Yining at the card table that afternoon: "But when you really get into the real world, it doesn't seem to be very contradictory. At first, it feels abrupt, but it quickly blends in perfectly, making people feel much closer to you."
"If Aning doesn't dislike it, she might participate in more recreational activities and discover a different side of herself."
Perhaps this would also allow Qi Yan to discover a different side of Teacher Luan? Tong Zhao thought to herself. Finding out what Luan Yining was thinking was much more difficult for them than for Qi Yan, but if Luan Yining was willing to cooperate, it wouldn't be a problem to get some information out indirectly.
How could he possibly think that Luan Yining would be willing to cooperate?
Tong Zhao blinked, then shifted her gaze back to Luan Yining's face.
Luan Yining seemed to be deep in thought. After a while, he said, "I'll give it a try."
Huh?
Tong Zhao was surprised by Luan Yining's seriousness; he had just been talking nonsense! It was just one-sided thinking, not to be taken seriously…
Just then, Shan Song and the others finished their conversation and came over to pick up Tong Zhao and take her back.
Tong Zhao hesitated for a moment, but was eventually led away.
"What's wrong? What were you talking about with Professor Luan? Why does your face look all scrunched up?" Shan Song asked with a smile.
"I feel like I've gotten myself into trouble..."
Cause trouble? What trouble could his Zhaozhao possibly cause?
After listening to him finish his explanation, Shan Song smiled and said, "Is this considered causing trouble? Qi Yan might as well thank you."
"Um?"
"Luan Yining said before that she wanted to solve her own problems, and today she took the initiative to ask you about it. She even wants to try to make changes. Isn't that a big step forward for them?"
Yes!
"But is Professor Luan someone who is easily swayed by outside opinions?"
Shan Song lowered his eyes and thought for a moment, then sent Qi Yan a message: "Let them handle the rest themselves."
"Let's talk about something else, like whether Zhaozhao peeked at her phone today?"
"……without!"
"Really? I don't believe it."
"..."
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