Chapter 36 She Loves
[Ex-girlfriend goes live to defend herself; I've never seen such a whitewashing tactic before. I've really seen something new today.]
[How dare he say such arrogant things? Just because his father's selfishness caused so much loss to ordinary families, shouldn't he be held responsible?]
[To be afraid to stand up for oneself and have a woman speak for one's behalf is also cowardly.]
...
Compared to the malicious words spoken in the live broadcast room, the nonchalant words spoken on the other end of the phone had a stronger impact on Ling Zhao.
Mu Jiu: "The judgment that's trending on social media can be found on the L City court's website through comparison..."
As the voices in the live stream slowly recounted the events, Ling Zhao's thoughts gradually drifted away.
He doesn't face any insurmountable difficulties, nor does he need anyone's help.
For a much longer period of time than now, he has become accustomed to the attacks he receives from the outside world.
His silence stemmed not only from the fact that his voice was virtually inaudible to outsiders, but also from the fact that he didn't want to see how others would react to knowing what had happened.
Whether it's racking their brains to offer comfort, remaining silent, or mocking.
Regardless of the feedback, he felt that his words were a burden to them.
Moreover, those are not things worth publicizing.
However, Mu Jiu's reaction was not one of the usual reactions.
"...By searching for the names in the original judgment, we can find news that the legal representative of this company has passed away."
The live stream feed was switched to the next news screenshot.
Mu Jiu's voice remained calm as it came from the live stream: "If you have any doubts while reviewing the evidence I've released, you can search and confirm them yourself using a search engine."
The judgments all originated from the website of the local court, and all evidence, records, and documents were presented fairly and openly, which is sufficient to prove that this was an obvious case of spreading rumors.
It's just that a certain source suddenly launched an attack, using an overwhelming amount of noise to suppress its original true outcome.
Humans are inherently lazy; upon hearing news, most people won't spend the time and effort to search for published documents, but rather tend to accept what they believe to be the truth.
What she had to do was present the evidence, piece by piece, to those who cared about the matter.
However, even after seeing the content clearly, some viewers still refused to back down and argued against it:
What if this heartless capitalist dies? It was their family that owed ordinary working people in the first place.
Having enjoyed the privileges of being a prince for so many years, it's time to give back what's been taken for granted.
Since the father died and the son succeeded him, the original poster (OP) should pay all the compensation.
[Trying to whitewash your image with this kind of news? Is that all?]
...
The direction of the comments did not affect Mu Jiu's commentary rhythm.
For a streamer looking to attract viewers, Mu Jiu's voice sounds too cold, even reminiscent of a judge delivering a verdict in court.
But for casual observers who see trending topics and want to see gossip, this feeling is actually more relatable to the sense of being accused of a crime.
Besides the incessant chatter in the live stream, many people followed Mu Jiu's lead and actively searched for the official website.
They are unaware that they have been given the "key to decryption" without their consent.
For Mu Jiu, even if only one in ten thousand people are willing to actively investigate the truth, the reality hidden beneath the rumors is only a matter of time before it surfaces.
Mu Jiu: "Of course, when you search the L City court's public notice website, you may also notice that this gentleman also has a judgment."
[Huh? When I searched for Fan Mouze, wasn't the divorce decree that popped up actually for someone with the same name?]
[I was wondering why Ling Zhao's surname was Ling; the trending topics deliberately blurred out the surname of this so-called deadbeat boss, apparently his parents divorced a long time ago.]
So what if they're divorced? Can you prove that Ling Zhao didn't accept child support from her father?
[Didn't so many people go and search for the judgment? This deadbeat doesn't just target outsiders; he targets his own people first!]
[Do you have a link? rwkk]
After such a sensitive topic was brought up, the previously one-sided public opinion gradually changed.
But stirring up trouble was not Mu Jiu's goal.
It is harmful to the person involved to let others see a wound that should be hidden.
What she didn't mention was that when she called Ling Zhao's mother, the other party's attitude seemed overly calm and distant.
Only when Mu Jiu wanted to reveal evidence of the past did the other party's emotions waver slightly.
[You can use that evidence, but I don't want it to affect my family.]
After that sentence, in the background as the call is about to end, you can hear the cries of a baby and the gentle whispers of a mother.
By the time Mu Jiu came to her senses, the live stream chat was already in complete chaos.
Although the prime time slot has passed, the number of viewers attracted by the variety show "Our Past" live stream is still considerable. Furthermore, with the increase in discussion, the number of people in the live stream room is much greater than Mu Jiu's current number of fans.
After clearing his throat, Mu Jiu spoke again: "Finally, I also want to show everyone a debt settlement agreement."
While the image was loading, the viewers in the live stream were still talking amongst themselves, but when they saw the content on the screen, the comments section was filled with question marks and exclamation marks.
After someone shakily verified the authenticity of the copy of the agreement, the number of comments on the screen almost exploded:
[Wow, I've never seen such a terrible father! He has no assets whatsoever, and all he can inherit is debt!]
This afternoon, the whole internet was telling me Ling Zhao was the son of a deadbeat debtor, and tonight they're telling me he's actually a male saint? He even signed this document—was he forced to sign it by a debt collector holding a knife to his throat?
Has anyone calculated how long it will take Ling Zhao to repay this money?
[Hmm, if his management company had been more level-headed when he debuted and hadn't tried to piggyback on Fang Yucheng's fame, I feel he might have had a chance to pay it back before retiring. Now, all I can say is that I support Mu Jiu breaking up with him and refusing to support him financially.]
[I just want to ask those who said they wouldn't pay, aren't you ashamed? If you really cared about the workers who were owed wages, you should be paying Ling Zhao right now. /winking emoji]
[Someone on Weibo just revealed that Ling Zhao was working five part-time jobs at the time when she was being targeted by online trolls!]
...
If someone says that a deadbeat capitalist is dead, most people won't even lift an eyelid.
If, at this point, it were to be said that he abandoned his family in his early years and that his son from his ex-wife entered the entertainment industry, such news would only linger in people's attention.
But at this point, the son, who was not raised by his father, voluntarily took on the debts left by his father.
Regardless of whether the public agrees or disagrees, this matter has already become a topic of discussion.
[Agent: Are you sure you want the company's legal department to send a lawyer's letter to the marketing accounts that are defaming Ling Zhao?]
[mujiu: Didn't the company say they wanted to create a CP (couple pairing) between me and my ex? Isn't this the perfect time?]
[broker:……]
[Agent: Okay]
[Agent: Just wait till I get my hands on those old guys, Deng!]
[mujiu：/thumbs up/thumbs up/thumbs up]
The live stream reached the top of the real-time rankings, but Mu Jiu, who was receiving this honor for the first time, did not linger on the popularity and simply ended the broadcast after clarifying the situation.
After organizing the evidence presented in the live stream, editing the Weibo post, and clicking the "send" button, everything seemed to have temporarily come to an end.
The cacophony of sounds finally faded away, and the tranquility of the night descended upon her.
The senses gradually returned: hearing, smell, touch... and the heartbeat when breathing, and the feeling of fatigue and drowsiness in the brain.
Xiang Wan was still in the living room and hadn't returned, so Mu Jiu let himself close his eyes and lean back in his chair.
My forehead felt slightly stinging, and my body temperature was fluctuating between hot and cold.
People tend to become more sensitive when they are sick. Even now, Mu Jiu can still recall how he felt when he first saw the settlement agreement.
A mixture of confusion and... a bewildered feeling of not knowing how to judge it.
What does this thing really mean?
At least for a young person who has just left school, this probably means a future that he has actively shut out.
She couldn't fully understand why Ling Zhao would make this choice, but at least the investigation results proved that he was a good person.
Mu Jiu fumbled for his phone again, and just as he swiped to bring up the chat interface with his agent, he suddenly noticed two unread messages lying in the adjacent chat box.
She received the message during the live stream, but her attention was focused on the chat and how to piece together the evidence in her hands, so she didn't notice the notification.
[0N: You don't need to go that far.]
[0N: Even if we have to do it, it's better for me to do it than for you to.]
Actually, you don't need to investigate to see that he is indeed a good person.
Mu Jiu narrowed his eyes slightly, and his fingers moved lightly.
[mujiu: Don't take it to heart, those are just rumors. Even ordinary colleagues would help clarify them if they saw them, let alone us, who are business partners with a written agreement and know each other inside and out. /cat clenching fist]
Rather than clarifying such a trivial matter during the live stream, Mu Jiu was more concerned about something else.
[mujiu: By the way, why did you suddenly pause recording?]
Choosing to call Ling Zhao during the live stream was because the other party's situation seemed really bad today, and Fang Yucheng's brief conversation revealed more uncertainties that could trigger risks.
To avoid falling into an even worse situation, she quickly seized the opportunity during the peak of public opinion and traffic.
During the live stream, if he is truly in a disadvantageous situation, he can also use public pressure to force the person manipulating everything to give up controlling Ling Zhao...
The moment Mu Jiu sent the message, she saw the other account quickly flash the "typing" status.
However, it only lasted for a second before disappearing with a "pop" like a spark.
It was almost like holding my phone, waiting for her message.
The thought flashed through my mind for a second before a message came in from the other end.
[0N: I originally planned to terminate my contract with the company today while my reputation was at its worst.]
[0N: But my new agent just called, and the company wants to renegotiate the contract with me.]
Mu Jiu: ...
broken.
She had heard that some unscrupulous companies would sign large numbers of young artists but not provide them with any resources. Artist contracts were restrictive, leaving them with no work opportunities and no option to switch companies.
Ling Zhao may have encountered a similar situation, which is why he wanted to rely on public opinion to force the company to terminate his contract.
[mujiu: Sorry I didn't confirm with you beforehand. Did it affect your plans?]
[0N: ...No, that's not what I meant.]
[0N: Because of your help, I had more room for negotiation.]
Before Mu Jiu could even catch his breath, another message popped up.
[0N: But do you know what you said on the live stream?]
What did he say?
Mu Jiu's finger hovered in the air, and he blinked blankly before seeing the sentence suddenly retracted.
Inside the dialog box, the status input above Ling Zhao's head appeared and disappeared repeatedly, and after several seconds, a reply finally popped up.
[0N: It's okay]
Mu Jiu: ?
Mu Jiu frowned, looking puzzled. Feeling a sense of crisis, she decided to search for her own recordings again.
However, before even clicking on the webpage, a notification popped up from social media.
[Xiang Wan retweeted your Weibo post #Responding to rumors about the son of a defaulter from a marketing account...]
At the same time, the bedroom door creaked open.
Xiang Wan stood at the doorway. When she saw Mu Jiu looking at her, she paused for a moment, then slowly gave a polite smile.
Mu Jiu subconsciously returned a polite smile before belatedly realizing, "You retweeted my Weibo post?"
“I also want to do something for you… Xiao Xiang and I can’t go back, but you and Ling Zhao still have a chance.”
After hearing Mu Jiu's words, Xiang Wan pursed her lips: "Although after knowing about this, I can roughly guess why Ling Zhao would... but I still hope that you two can give each other another chance. After all, you still love each other deeply, and it would be a pity to miss out like this."
Oh, I hope we can give each other a chance...
Wait a moment.
What did the previous sentence say?
Mu Jiu looked up in surprise: "What do you mean by 'still deeply in love with the other person'?"
Logically, the statements "breaking up" and "deep love" are contradictory, and Mu Jiu doesn't believe that his recent acting style has portrayed such complex emotions.
Mu Jiu's sudden question startled Xiang Wan, and she looked at her with a strange expression.
Realizing her surprise was too obvious, Mu Jiu quickly composed herself: "What I mean is, it's normal for an ex to go to this extent, right? Even if you're just a good friend, you'd still speak up for someone in this situation, wouldn't you?"
Hearing Mu Jiu's explanation, Xiang Wan remained silent for a while, then sighed softly.
"So you can't even see your own heart?"
Mu Jiu: ?
Xiang Wan: "Why did you take the initiative to explain for Ling Zhao during the live stream? If he wanted to say something, he could have said it himself, right?"
If the public opinion only came from ordinary viewers, Mu Jiu would certainly not be in a hurry.
But it's unclear whether it's due to her chain reaction or just the tip of the iceberg that wasn't shown in the original book.
Judging from the information revealed during Fang Yucheng's conversation, even if the current public opinion trend was not caused by Fang Yucheng, he is at least an insider.
That's the male protagonist of the novel, the chosen one of destiny in this book.
If she doesn't gamble on generating buzz and focus public attention on Ling Zhao when facing someone like that, her collaborator could very well disappear from the industry without a trace.
After that, her only remaining value was to follow the original novel's trajectory, "voluntarily" becoming Meng Xiangcheng's stepping stone.
If the situation is not reversed as soon as possible, the outcome will be a lose-lose situation no matter how you look at it.
Moreover, after Guo Zifu questioned her ex's identity, she went on social media to catch up on posts related to her breakup with her ex.
Although over 80% of the posts were advising people not to be love-obsessed, she still found a few comments that seriously discussed behavior after a breakup.
For example, there was a record in her phone's browser that read, "My ex is going through a rough patch. Should I help him out after we break up?"
The top-rated answers basically say that as long as the two people broke up amicably and remained friends, it's perfectly normal to help each other out during difficult times...
"You're just overthinking it."
Xiang Wan shook her head in disagreement: "You've already wavered so much because of him, and you're only willing to admit that you're standing on the side of a friend?"
“Even the best of friends rarely go to this extent, but you not only did it, you even went so far as to guarantee Ling Zhao’s reputation with almost everything you have during the live stream. This can only mean that you still consider him your closest lover.”
Mu Jiu: ...
Or is it possible that she saw herself as a police officer?
Was everything he did driven by a sense of justice?
Mu Jiu slowly placed his hands on his forehead.
She really wanted to say something.
But what she said was all things that couldn't be said, and in the end, she concealed her stifled expression.
Recalling the message Ling Zhao sent and then withdrew.
She belatedly realized that the other person seemed to have also noticed what she had done wrong.
But... maybe not everyone thinks that way?
While Xiang Wan kindly left her room to brainstorm, Mu Jiu, half-heartedly giving up, opened a webpage and typed in her own name to search for relevant information.
The first search result that popped up had been viewed by over 2,000 people, with 1,000 people expressing their approval.
#What's your opinion on Mu Jiu's live stream tonight? Is she trying to create a romantic pairing and build a persona?#
Top comment:
She absolutely loves it.
-----------------------
Author's note: I've adjusted the order of the plot, which should make things clearer.
——
Mu Jiu's way of thinking is very straightforward, and his analytical approach is more methodological.
Therefore, whenever she objectively analyzes other people's relationships, without a proper point of reference, it may seem very reasonable, but the result is completely wrong.
From the audience's perspective, these two are deeply in love, their love a love that transcends time and space.
But if you were to ask about the actual progress of their relationship...
Anyway, I can't eat my mouth
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