Chapter 20 The young lady is jealous.
Meng Xian ultimately couldn't swallow her anger.
Seeing the viral spread of those bizarre videos featuring herself online, she gritted her teeth and decided to go against the company's public relations department's advice to give it the cold shoulder.
Ignoring the advice of her public relations team, Meng Xian used her personal account to contact a familiar marketing team and online troll leader.
Soon, the related trending topics were quickly removed, and the press release turned its attention to the creators of the parody videos, accusing them of "taking things out of context," "maliciously editing," and "fabricating false information to launch personal attacks," attempting to incite fans to report those parody videos with extremely high view counts.
On Bilibili's parody video section, a content creator with the ID "Did Pipi Shrimp update today?" is frowning as he refreshes his feed.
She is a moderately well-known creator in the "ghostly" (parody/meme) video category. With her unique imagination and superb editing skills, she has made several videos that have gone viral.
Recently, her edited video, "【Meng Xian】Famous Face-Slapping Scene! The Real Story of a Love Affair Backfired in Front of the Real Island Owner," has become a viral sensation. The original background music combined with the catchy editing has caused the number of views to skyrocket.
However, when she logged in today, she found that something was wrong.
Her viral video featuring Meng Xian, along with several other related clips, has all been turned grayed out and cannot be played due to being "reported for spreading false information."
"What's going on?" Pipi Shrimp's heart sank. He opened the comment section of other videos that were still running and found that many level 1 and level 2 accounts without profile pictures had flooded in.
[Spreading rumors will bring death to your whole family! Malicious editing to slander celebrities will get you a lawyer's letter!]
[The video content is seriously inaccurate and has been reported. How much money did the uploader receive from Gu Mingyan?]
[People like you are so shameless in their pursuit of fame; the online environment is ruined by people like you.]
These comments were harsh and aggressive, and Pipi Shrimp immediately recognized that they were organized.
She was stunned for a moment, then suddenly felt a surge of anger.
Pipi Shrimp makes parody videos purely out of hobby and entertainment. The editing techniques and background music are very common forms of derivative works, and the materials are from publicly available program clips. It is not a maliciously edited splice, so where does the talk of "spreading rumors" or "false information" come from?
"Fine, you're going to play this game?" The mantis shrimp was instead provoked by the aggressive online army.
She was just a casual observer of Meng Xian. Although she felt that the island incident was a bit awkward, she was just making a joke when she made the video and had no malicious intent.
But now, the other team's actions of covering their mouths, shifting blame, and throwing mud at her have completely disgusted her.
That evening, the account "Did you update today, Pipi Shrimp?" suddenly updated its status with three posts in a row.
The titles of the three videos were increasingly sensational:
[Meng Xian]'s iconic face-slapping scene! High-definition remastered version after being forced to be taken down.
[Meng Xian's Face-Slapping 2.0] Frame-by-Frame Analysis of Meng Xian's Boastful Subtle Thoughts!
[Meng Xian] Thank you for the report, it sparked my inspiration—three consecutive updates to thank my fans.
In the post, Pipi Shrimp directly tagged Meng Xian's official account, going all out:
"@Meng Xianlai, please clearly point out which second and which frame in my previous video contained 'false information'? Originally, everyone was just having fun, and I was too lazy to care when the video was taken down. But you insist on hiring online trolls to accuse me of taking money to smear people? In that case, you report one, I'll do three. Feel free to continue reporting."
This post instantly ignited the enthusiasm of netizens.
[Haha, I'd almost forgotten about it, thanks to the online trolls for reminding me to come back and revisit this classic.]
[Meng Xian really can't afford to play this game anymore; the more she acts like this, the more insecure she seems.]
[I'm laughing at the claim that the content creator is a troll hired by Gu Mingyan. She's made quite a few parody videos about Gu Mingyan before, and no one has ever come out to cover their mouths.]
It would have been better if we hadn't hired online trolls; hiring them only made things worse, and the matter was almost over.
Looking at the three new videos posted by "Did Pipi Shrimp update today?" and the overwhelming comments mocking her for being "unable to take a joke" and "guilty", Meng Xian was so angry that she almost smashed her phone.
Her original intention was to suppress negative public opinion and salvage her image, but the money she spent had the opposite effect!
Instead of silencing netizens, the online trolls provoked an even stronger backlash, pushing the already escalating controversy back into the spotlight, and making her "buying online trolls to silence them" a new point of ridicule.
Meng Xian was both anxious and angry, but she was at a loss for what to do.
The matter had become so ugly that it eventually reached Ye Jinyan's ears.
When Ye Jinyan learned that Meng Xian's attempt to do something inappropriate had backfired, resulting in a flood of viral videos, he felt both heartache and a bit of a headache.
He was already having financial difficulties due to that exorbitant fine, and now he has to spend even more money to clean up Meng Xian's mess.
The new press release and online trolls emphasized that Meng Xian deeply recognized her mistakes, actively cooperated with law enforcement, and paid the fine. Although this still could not stop the spread of the parody videos and netizens' memes, it did manage to salvage Meng Xian's reputation.
However, two consecutive huge unexpected expenses made Ye Jinyan's already tight cash flow even worse.
He looked at the numbers on the books, which had shrunk again, and loosened his tie in frustration.
In this awkward moment, Ye Jinyan couldn't help but think of his current girlfriend, Gu Mingyan.
In the past, if he had shown even the slightest difficulty, Gu Mingyan would have taken the initiative to help him solve it, and he wouldn't have had to worry about such a small amount of money.
Thinking of this, Ye Jinyan subconsciously picked up his phone and looked through the call log.
Upon seeing this, he was momentarily stunned.
Several days have passed since he last contacted Gu Mingyan about bail, and Gu Mingyan has not responded to the numerous missed calls he made.
This is very unusual.
Given Gu Mingyan's usual clinginess towards him, let alone missing so many consecutive phone calls, even if she was just busy and didn't reply to his messages in time, she would carefully send a long explanation, afraid that he would be angry.
But now, so many days have passed, and she hasn't sent a single message or made a single phone call?
Ye Jinyan was initially annoyed by being ignored, but this anger was quickly replaced by a vague unease and trepidation.
Could it be that Gu Mingyan has been completely angered by the island incident?
Was it because he gave Meng Xian a pass? Or was it because he made excuses to prevent Gu Mingyan from making their relationship public, while arranging a fireworks show for someone else?
Ye Jinyan thought about it more and more and it seemed very possible.
Although Gu Mingyan is love-struck, she's not entirely without temper. If she harbors resentment because of this, or even tries to withdraw her financial support...
Ye Jinyan developed several large blisters in his mouth that very day.
Unable to sit still any longer, Ye Jinyan disregarded his pride and cautiously opened his chat window with Gu Mingyan, tentatively sending a message:
[Mingyan, are you busy?]
*
After a three-day hiatus from filming, the production team has finally resumed recording the variety show.
This time, the recording location changed from a luxurious island to the soon-to-be-abandoned old campus of Yuncheng University, and the guests' accommodation conditions also deteriorated sharply, from single sea-view rooms to double dormitories with bunk beds covered with the marks of time.
Viewers who had received advance notice flooded into the live stream, and the chat quickly became active.
[It's here! It's finally airing!]
This dorm room is even worse than the one I had in college; the paint is peeling off the walls.
[Haha, Miss Gu definitely can't stand this awful environment.]
Sure enough, in the footage, as soon as Gu Mingyan dragged her suitcase into the dormitory, her carefully drawn beautiful eyes furrowed.
She glanced around at the slightly mottled walls, the peeling paint on the iron bunk bed, and the old-looking wooden desk, her face showing undisguised disgust.
"Is this place even habitable?" she bluntly complained to Yun.
Gu Mingyan's original intention was to find common ground, but she found that Yun Qingqing had a calm and indifferent expression.
She couldn't help but ask, "Why do you look so calm?"
Yun said casually, "It's alright. Although it's a bit old, it looks clean enough. If you've ever lived in a six-person dorm room in college where the corners were dusty and it smelled musty during the rainy season, you'll find this place to be nothing."
Gu Mingyan was even more shocked: "Six-person rooms?" Her tone was filled with an innocent disbelief. "Isn't that just like a pigsty? All cages together."
Yun Qingqing: "..." I feel like I've been subtly insulted, thank you.
[Hahaha, what the hell! One cage after another! The young lady's metaphors are always so accurate.]
[Yun Qingqing's expression cracked me up. Her inner monologue: "Are you even polite?"]
[I can't laugh. It must be exhausting for Yun Qingqing to deal with an arrogant and rude young lady like Gu Mingyan, right?]
However, Yun Qingqing herself didn't care at all about Gu Mingyan's unintentional words.
Because she knew that Miss Gu was straightforward and said what she thought, and wasn't deliberately trying to put her down.
What's more, the next second Gu Mingyan very naturally added, "Oh right, the apartment you used to live in wasn't much better, it was small and shabby, I'll give you a new one later."
Yun Qingqing's lips curled up into a wide smile as she politely said, "Oh, I'm so sorry..."
“What’s there to be embarrassed about?” Gu Mingyan waved her hand dismissively. “It’s just a house. I have plenty of them. It’s just sitting empty anyway.”
Yun Qingqing readily accepted the young lady's gift: "Okay."
The viewers in the live chat must be jealous:
[Damn, why is giving away a house made to sound as easy as giving away cabbages?]
I'm not envious of Yun Qingqing at all, really. I'm just sweating a little.
Where can I find a friend like Gu Mingyan who would give me a house without hesitation...?
Just as Yun Qingqing was overjoyed at this windfall, Ji Sihan half-pushed and half-dragged Nan Xu over.
"Good evening..." Ji Sihan greeted them nervously.
"Good evening." Yun nodded lightly.
Ji Sihan glanced quickly at Gu Mingyan, who was impatiently glaring at them from the side, and secretly broke out in a cold sweat.
He forced himself to speak: "Teacher Gu, I have something I'd like to discuss with you."
"Speak," Gu Mingyan said succinctly.
Ji Sihan swallowed, feeling a dryness in his throat.
He was actually sent by the official team of the game "Spirit Realm Out of Control" to act as a lobbyist.
As a former professional esports player, although she transitioned to an entertainer, she still maintains some connections with the gaming industry. This time, the official team has their eye on Gu Mingyan's private island, with its stunning environment and unique design, and wants to use it as a model to create a new game map.
The idea was good, but when the official team tried to contact Gu Mingyan via Weibo private message, they were met with complete silence.
Desperate, the officials eventually found his connection and asked him to put in a good word to see if they could arrange an opportunity for a field trip to the island.
Ji Sihan was completely overwhelmed when he saw the official demands.
Everyone knows that Miss Gu's island was recently ravaged by Meng Xian's fireworks show, and Gu Mingyan is furious about it.
At this critical juncture, to suggest that the game's official team visit the island for research and map creation is simply asking for trouble and criticism!
However, he couldn't refuse the favor he was given, so Ji Sihan had no choice but to bite the bullet and bring Nan Xu along for encouragement.
Sure enough, as soon as he brought it up, Gu Mingyan interrupted without hesitation: "I refuse."
Her tone was firm and unwavering, leaving no room for negotiation.
Ji Sihan scratched his head and said, "Okay, I'll go back and tell the game's official team."
Yun Qingqing, who was standing to the side, raised her eyebrows slightly.
The game "Spirit Realm Out of Control" has been incredibly popular since its release, and for the next few years, it has become a behemoth that has consistently topped the mobile game charts.
Meng Xian's rise to become a highly sought-after goddess in the e-sports circle was largely due to her securing the role of spokesperson for "Lingyu Shikong".
The book vaguely mentions that one of the key factors that enabled Meng Xian to get this endorsement was that she had acted as a go-between for the official team of "Spirit Realm Out of Control," allowing them to create a new map that was very popular with players, based on a private island under Ye Jinyan's name.
As a result, the authorities appreciated her kindness and gave her priority consideration when selecting a spokesperson.
Yun was slightly stunned.
A thought suddenly popped into her mind.
She immediately called out to the system in her mind: "System! The original book said that 'Spirit Realm Out of Control' referenced Ye Jinyan's island. Could it just happen to be the island under Mingyan's name?"
The system replied: [Based on cross-referencing the available information, the probability is extremely high. At that time, the male protagonist, Ye Jinyan, was still in the early stages of his career, and his assets did not include a private island of this scale and level.]
really!
Yun Qingqing was so angry that she laughed.
Although the original book only briefly mentions the scene where Meng Xian acts as a go-between, it's likely that Gu Mingyan was kept in the dark by Ye Jinyan with various excuses, ultimately allowing Meng Xian to use Gu Mingyan's resources to do a favor.
The system said: "[After all, this is the protagonist's halo effect; everything that happens will inevitably benefit the protagonist.]"
"I don't care about any halo or anything like that!" Yun Qingqing said unhappily. "I don't care about other things, but they shouldn't use Gu Mingyan's things as stepping stones."
Just as Ji Sihan was about to pull Nan Xu away, Yun Qingqing, who had been standing quietly to the side, suddenly exclaimed "Ah!" as if she had just realized something: "Ji Sihan, the game you just mentioned is 'Spirit Realm Out of Control'?"
Ji Sihan paused in his steps: "Yes, that's it."
Yun Qingqing turned to Gu Mingyan naturally: "Mingyan, wasn't this the game we played online the other day? You even got three SSRs in a row from the gacha pulls."
Mentioning this, Gu Mingyan's eyes also lit up with a smile: "Maybe it's because I spent a lot of money on in-game purchases."
Yun Qingqing said with longing, "I was just thinking, how romantic would it be if 'Spirit Realm Out of Control' could really turn your island into a game map and preserve its beauty through the data world?"
Her words were so captivating, it was as if one could already see that dream island in the game.
Gu Mingyan's originally firm attitude softened somewhat after Yun Qingqing's words.
She frowned slightly, as if she was genuinely considering this possibility.
"...It seems...somewhat interesting?" Gu Mingyan hesitated for a moment, her tone no longer as decisive as before. "Alright, since Qingqing says so, let them go and take a look."
Ji Sihan was overjoyed; he never expected that the breakthrough would be with Yun Qingqing!
He immediately cast a grateful glance at Yun Qingqing: "That's wonderful! Thank you, Teacher Gu! And thank you, Qingqing!"
Ji Sihan was in a great mood and couldn't help but chat with Yun Qingqing, who also seemed very interested in the game, for a few more minutes: "Qingqing, you also play 'Spirit Realm Out of Control'? Which server? The gacha system is so luck-based, how come you guys got three SSRs in a row..."
Yun smiled gently, her eyes crinkling: "It's mainly because Mingyan has good luck."
The two started chatting about the game, from character skills to version mechanics. Ji Sihan already felt a sense of kinship with Yun Qingqing because of her encouragement to return to the competition, and now they felt even more compatible after talking.
Gu Mingyan, who was standing to the side, watched the two chatting happily. At first, she didn't think anything of it, but as Ji Sihan became more and more enthusiastic and Yun Qingqing chatted with her eyes crinkling, she felt a strange sense of irritation and found Ji Sihan's smile a bit irritating.
Frustrated, she picked up her phone and swiped the screen unconsciously, trying to distract herself.
My fingertips swiped across the screen so fast that I seemed to have accidentally swiped away a notification for a new message.
Gu Mingyan was taken aback: Huh? Did she just see Brother Jin Yan's name in the message bar?
Just as she was about to confirm, Ji Sihan said something funny from a game, which made Yun Qingqing burst out laughing.
Gu Mingyan snapped back to reality; she must have just imagined it.
She put down her phone, crossed her arms, and coldly watched Ji Sihan, who was engrossed in his conversation.
"Ji Sihan, look at the time! You're still pestering a girl like Qingqing so late at night. Don't you know anything about male virtue? Qingqing has to get up early tomorrow."
Ji Sihan: "...Huh?"
He looked up at the sky outside the window, which was not yet completely dark, and was momentarily speechless.
Is 6 p.m. considered late?
[Hilarious! Why did Gu Mingyan suddenly get so angry? She's even bringing up male virtues.]
[It seems she was annoyed because she saw Qingqing and Ji Sihan chatting so happily.]
[Is she secretly jealous? Interesting. How come I never noticed how adorable Gu Mingyan is before?]
[Hahaha, that damn possessiveness towards friendship! Qingqing, you should quickly soothe Gu Mingyan's fur!]
[I'm totally shipping this lighthearted, best friend relationship!]
-----------------------
Author's Note: ===★【Next book: "The Beloved Little Sister of the Real and Fake Young Masters of a Wealthy Family," please add it to your favorites~】===
Su Qiuqiu died at the young age of three and found herself in a novel about a wealthy family with real and fake young masters.
Her third brother, Su Jingci, was a fake young master who was switched at birth. After the real young master, Su Xiaocheng, returned home, someone deliberately sowed discord between the two, causing them to fight to the death and both sides to suffer heavy losses. The entire Su family also fell apart as a result.
However, the tense standoff between the real and fake young masters suddenly took a turn for the worse after Chiu Chiu was reborn.
Chiu Chiu is a real slut; she's always begging for hugs and cuddles in her soft, sweet voice. She initially thought she'd be ignored, but before long, everyone turned into doting moms!
The cunning young master, pretending to be a rich and powerful man, would kneel on the carpet and clumsily braid Qiuqiu's hair.
The aloof and indifferent young master will sing newly learned nursery rhymes to Qiuqiu in a high-pitched voice;
Even the gloomy eldest brother and the hot-tempered second sister put on floral aprons and competed to make baby food for Qiuqiu.
The real and fake young masters are no longer competing for resources; they're just busy vying for Qiuqiu's favor.
*
If we're talking about the thing that Chinese entertainment industry haters love to talk about the most, it's undoubtedly the protracted feud between the two top stars from the Su family.
The news that the two participated in the same variety show caused an instant uproar online, with everyone waiting to see the "black lotus" and the "coffin face" tear each other apart.
As I waited and waited, I found that the trending topics were all about:
#Su Jingci and Su Xiao present a massive display of doting on their younger sister#
#Two top celebrities reconcile in an epic way to appease their sister#
#Su Jiujiu, the human cub, heals the ceiling#
Haters: ? ? ? No, is this right?
Chuchu slurped up the sweet milk candy, tilting her head as she thought:
So what if he's a real young master, or a fake one? He's still her brother, no matter what.
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