Chapter 98
Just when everything seemed to be calming down and everyone was moving slowly along their own path, the Internet exploded again without any warning.
This time, the center of the storm was undoubtedly and accurately cast towards Ling Yao.
[Explosive] Ling Yao's illegitimate son [Explosive] Ling Yao's mother XX (real name revealed) is a mistress [Hot] The secret of the wealthy family, Ling Yao's true life story [Explosive] The son of the Ling Group speaks out
These terms instantly dominated the top ten hot searches on all social platforms with overwhelming force!
This time, there were no more vague speculations or leads, but instead a deluge of detailed revelations, worthy of a chronicle. A so-called "insider" recounted how Ling Yao's mother, acting as a third party, had an affair with Ling's father (a real estate tycoon, whose name has been withheld, but sufficient information is available to identify him), who was already married, and gave birth to Ling Yao. Interviews purportedly with neighbors from their early years described how mother and son were disowned by their family and faced hardships. Even a few extremely grainy old photos, vaguely revealing Ling Yao's mother's youth, were unearthed...
However, the most fatal blow came from the real-name social media voice of the "legitimate son" born to Ling's father and his legal wife, who was a few years older than Ling Yao - Ling Yao's legal brother.
He did not make too many emotional accusations, but issued a short statement in a calm and detached tone, which roughly said: He admitted that Ling Yao was his father's illegitimate child, said that this was an old matter that the family did not want to mention, expressed regret for his mother's past behavior, and hoped that the outside world would stop paying too much attention and hype, so that family members could live in peace.
This statement, seemingly restrained, was actually a vicious hammer! With a condescending and "orthodox" arrogance, it completely confirmed Ling Yao's identity as an "illegitimate child" and nailed his mother to the pillar of shame of being a "mistress"!
The entire internet went completely crazy! This went beyond the scope of entertainment gossip and touched upon topics that were even more likely to ignite public nerves, such as the ethics of wealthy families and social morality.
"Oh my god! It turns out that Ling Yao is a illegitimate child?! His mother is a mistress?" "No wonder he has such a weird personality, low self-esteem and arrogance, it turns out he has such a background!" "What kind of persona did he set up as a noble son before? It's so funny, it turns out he is a illegitimate child who cannot be seen in public!" "His mother is too x, right? Knowing the third party is the third party?" "The official wife and son of the Ling family are the ones who are miserable, right? They are entangled with such a woman and illegitimate child!" "So Ling Yao entered the entertainment industry because his family didn't recognize him at all? He can't inherit the family business?" "Have all the black materials before been explained? Because he is twisted inside!"
Ling Yao's entire world seemed to be buzzing, a carnival of contempt, curiosity, and malice. Ling Yao locked himself in a dark room. Like a trapped animal, he huddled in a corner, his mind blank, his heart pounding frantically and futilely in his chest, bringing waves of suffocating, dull pain.
No. I can't fall down.
He took a deep breath and dug his nails into his palms, using the pain to force himself to concentrate.
"Ling Yao, hold on..." He whispered hoarsely to himself, his voice sounding strange and eerie in the empty room. "What haven't you experienced? Huh?"
As if trying to convince himself, he began to mechanically list:
"When you first debuted, for a chance to show your face, you were forced to drink so much alcohol that you had to go to the bathroom and vomit blood. You had to come back and toast with a smile... Have you forgotten?" "That bloated investor's hands were almost touching your thighs, but you also endured the nausea and forced a smile, and only then did you get the theme song for that drama?" "And last time, Mr. Zhang from that brand, he was obviously a man, but he looked at you with a strange look and made advances, but didn't you deal with it? He was so nauseous afterwards that he didn't eat for a whole day, but you managed to get through it, didn't you?"
His speech speed became faster and faster, as if he was engaging in an absurd self-motivation:
"You endured it all! It was so difficult, so dirty, so disgusting... you endured it all!" "What does this little scolding mean now? Huh? What does it mean?!" "You will definitely make it through! You must make it through!"
He repeated these words, as if they could draw strength from them. But they brought not courage, but a deeper numbness and self-loathing. He used the humiliation and sacrifice he had been forced to endure as justification for persevering in the present moment, using a nearly self-torturing method to try to shore up his already shattered soul.
But this armor of self-hypnosis was completely shattered when my mother called me, full of resentment and curses.
The sudden ringing of the bell cut through the dead silence like a knife. Ling Yao shuddered violently, his heart almost jumping out of his throat.
Who could it be? Did the company finally come up with a solution? Or...
A faint hope emerged in his mind, one that he himself did not even dare to think deeply about - was it his mother?
Over the past few years, his relationship with his mother seemed to have improved considerably. Although he still couldn't fully agree with many of her practices and ideas, she would occasionally call him, no longer offering the cold, commanding, and complaining messages of the past. She would ask if he was tired, urge him to take care of himself, and even send him birthday gifts. This tiny bit of warmth, something he had longed for for over twenty years, made him believe, for a moment, that the old ice was slowly melting.
At this moment when he was almost abandoned by the whole world, this thought became extremely strong. He almost rolled and crawled to the phone, and with trembling hands, he quickly picked up the receiver.
"Mom..." His voice was hoarse, with a barely perceptible cry and dependence.
However, what came from the other end of the phone was not even a hint of concern as expected.
Instead, there were hysterical, sharp curses filled with deep resentment!
"Ling Yao! You're such a jinx! Such a disaster! Why did I give birth to you in the first place?!" The mother's voice was distorted and piercing with extreme anger and fear. "If you hadn't insisted on becoming a star! Had you insisted on appearing in front of the public! How could these old stories have been dug up?! I've been so careful for so many years! And it's all ruined! It's all ruined by you!"
Ling Yao froze, his fingers gripping the receiver icy cold, as if his blood had solidified in an instant.
"Do you know what kind of life I'm going through now?! Everyone is pointing fingers at me! You've ruined all my reputation! I regret it! What I regret most is giving birth to you! You are my sin! You are my retribution!" The woman's cries and curses were mixed with desperate roars, and every word was like a poisoned dagger, piercing Ling Yao's already broken heart.
"Why don't you just listen?! Why do you have to show up in public?! It's not enough that you've ruined yourself! Are you going to drag me down with you?! I wish I never had a son like you!"
…
Ling Yao could no longer hear what vicious words followed. All that remained in his ears was a humming sound and the hollow echo of his heart shattering into dust.
He slowly and mechanically put down the receiver, not even having the strength to hang up, letting the vicious curse turn into a busy tone and eventually disappear completely.
The last faint fantasy about family affection was completely annihilated.
It turned out that the occasional tenderness she showed was nothing but a mirage. In his mother's eyes, he had always been a product of a mistake, a trouble that brought shame, a "debt" that she wished had never existed.
The immense sense of absurdity and utter despair, like the deepest ice, completely froze him from head to toe. He couldn't even shed a tear.
In the boundless darkness and coldness, an almost instinctive thought emerged - Su Rui.
He wanted to hear his voice, even if it was just one word, even if it was nothing at all.
Like a drowning man grasping at a straw, he fumbled for another spare phone, and with trembling fingers, he dialed the number that was engraved deep in his soul, almost relying on muscle memory.
However, just before he was about to press the dial button, his finger suddenly stopped.
The string of numbers on the screen seemed to be scorching hot, burning his fingertips.
He remembered the cold and desperate look Su Rui gave him for the last time, remembered his own words "I can't gamble everything I have", and remembered Su Rui's resolute "Don't talk about the future anymore. Ling Yao, every day now is torture for me."
What right does he have to disturb him now?
All he had now was this overwhelming scandal, the world's scorn, and his mother's curse that wished him dead. He was filthy and devastated, no longer the brilliant Ling Yao that Su Rui looked up to.
What could he say when he called? Beg for mercy? Use his own misfortune to kidnap the person whose heart he had already broken?
No.
He can't.
Ling Yao slowly, slowly withdrew his hand, and his fingertips finally fell down weakly.
He stared at the number for a long, long time, as if trying to drain away the last bit of illusory warmth. Then, he raised his hand and, with his last bit of strength, turned off the phone.
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