After giving Ling Fenghan his medicine, Xia Qingtian ran back to the car and found Li Mengxiao holding her phone with an upset expression.
"What's wrong?" Xia Qingtian waved her hand in front of Li Mengxiao's face.
"N-Nothing!" Li Mengxiao quickly shook her head and hid her phone behind her back.
"Xiaoxiao, you're really bad at lying," Xia Qingtian said, then snatched Li Mengxiao's phone with lightning speed.
Only then did Xia Qingtian understand what had happened.
The program featuring Suisui's debut last night had aired. Although the editing had been considerate enough to cut out some unfriendly snippets, Ling Fenghan's singing scene still captured Wen Shengsheng's dispirited and low-pressure demeanor.
Someone had screenshotted it and posted it online for discussion last night, and those who disliked Wen Shengsheng immediately began publicly criticizing her for being unprofessional.
By noon today, the issue had reached its peak, with some even calling for Wen Shengsheng to be kicked out of the entertainment industry.
Following this, a staff member claiming to be from the program's recording site stated that they could no longer stand by, wishing to prevent such an excellent artist from being slandered by the public. They made a decision that violated professional ethics and released a recording.
It was the segment from the day's recording where Wen Shengsheng had a verbal spat with Suisui. After editing, the part where Suisui called Wen Shengsheng "Auntie" and mocked her age was paired with exaggerated captions.
At this time, Wen Shengsheng also conveniently posted a photo of the sky clearing up on the internet, with the caption: "Everything will pass, as long as I have a clear conscience."
Wen Shengsheng's move directly cemented the narrative.
Instantly, Wen Shengsheng's fans erupted in anger, demanding an apology from Suisui and Gu's Entertainment.
#AntiFemaleArtistAgeShaming, #AntiFeminism, and #AntiBrainlessACG were trending in the top three spots.
Ling Fenghan, for speaking up for Suisui, was also deemed to have failed as an idol. Fortunately, his ranking was low enough that one wouldn't see it unless they actively looked.
Li Mengxiao was worried that this matter would affect Xia Qingtian, which was why she didn't want Xia Qingtian to see it. Little did she know...
At this moment, Li Mengxiao's phone rang. Xia Qingtian glanced at the caller ID, saw it was her agent, and answered, putting the phone to her ear.
On the other end, Wen Ning's voice immediately came through: "Xiaoxiao, are you done practicing? Don't let Qingtian check her phone for now, and don't let the online comments affect her."
Xia Qingtian then curved her lips and said, "Ning Jie, it's Qingtian."
Seemingly caught off guard by Xia Qingtian answering the call directly, Wen Ning paused slightly.
"I already know about what's happening online. Don't worry, it won't affect me." Compared to the harm she suffered in her previous life, these few untrue online remarks were nothing.
Moreover, she was hiding behind Suisui. How to resolve this matter now was the most important thing.
Xia Qingtian felt a warmth in her heart that Wen Ning's first thought during a crisis was to consider her feelings.
"That's good," Wen Ning sighed with relief upon hearing Xia Qingtian's words. "You're just the voice prototype for the virtual idol right now. Don't worry too much about this, it won't affect your daily life."
"All future schedules and activities will proceed as usual. The company will handle this."
"Okay, Ning Jie," Xia Qingtian replied, then said, "Actually... I have an idea, I don't know if it's feasible."
"Oh?" Wen Ning raised an eyebrow slightly. After listening to Xia Qingtian, she curved her lips, her eyes brightening. "Very good, I'll arrange it. You go back and get some rest."
"Yes, Ning Jie, goodbye. Remember to eat," Xia Qingtian said before returning the phone to Li Mengxiao.
Seeing Li Mengxiao still looking worried as she took back her phone, Xia Qingtian reached out, ruffled her hair, and smiled, "Don't worry, everything's fine."
"Mhm," Li Mengxiao nodded, opened her mouth, then slowly closed it again, revealing a shy smile. "It's good that you're okay."
"I'm fine, it's just..." Xia Qingtian's brow furrowed slightly as she thought of the comments about Ling Fenghan being an idol failure.
She hoped Ling Fenghan wouldn't see that comment.
Meanwhile, Ling Fenghan, having refused his agent's suggestion to go to the hospital for a gastric lavage, returned directly to his home.
While waiting for the elevator, Ling Fenghan received a message from an unknown number, containing a link.
Upon clicking it, he was met with a compilation of topics berating him for failing as an idol and being unable to distinguish right from wrong.
Ling Fenghan's fingertips gripping his phone tightened. He felt as if the骂人的 words were about to leap out of the screen and hit him in the face.
Instinctively, Ling Fenghan hurled his phone violently, smashing it against the wall.
The elevator door dinged open. Ling Fenghan rushed into the elevator, frantically pressing the floor buttons.
As the elevator doors closed, Ling Fenghan leaned against the elevator wall, hugging himself tightly. He was trembling uncontrollably, unable to stand steady.
Panic and overwhelming depression surged towards him like a tide, engulfing him and tightening his throat with a sense of suffocation.
When the elevator doors opened, Ling Fenghan stumbled out and opened his apartment door. He rushed into his home, slammed the door shut behind him, and then, losing all strength, sank to his knees on the floor.
He lowered his head, propping himself up with his hands on the ground, feeling his vision dimming and his breathing becoming difficult.
Just then, a pair of women's sneakers appeared in his field of vision.
Ling Fenghan's breath hitched. He slowly raised his head and met a face.
A middle school girl with a blunt fringe and a small round face.
"Ling Fenghan, what's wrong? Are you okay?" the middle school girl asked, looking at Ling Fenghan anxiously. Seeing him staring at her, she bashfully pushed her fringe aside. "Today's my birthday. I really like you. On such an important day, I wanted to spend it with you..."
Ling Fenghan recognized her as the underage sasaeng fan who had been harassing him, harassing his collaborators, forcing him to move repeatedly, and driving him to psychological distress.
The moment he recognized her, a string in Ling Fenghan's mind seemed to snap.
"I don't mean any harm. I just want to understand you better," the middle school girl continued to ramble. "I feel like no one in this world truly understands me. My parents don't get me, and people my age are just childish and selfish. Only you are different! From your singing, I know you understand me!"
The middle school girl looked at Ling Fenghan with passionate madness. "Really! I just want to understand you better! I! I love you!"
"You want to understand me?" Ling Fenghan spoke, his voice chillingly clear, his eyes seeming to trap the most dangerous beasts.