Chapter 52: Chapter 52 - 52: My Face Hurts

Translator: _Min

“Youth With You” was a talent show modeled after foreign reality TV, and its appeal lay in the thrill of nurturing a budding star.

While there was some behind-the-scenes manipulation and scripting, the show couldn’t afford to alienate its fan base.

The influence of “super fans” was immense.

If they stopped contributing, the financial fallout for the production team would be incalculable.

“Rest assured, madam, we will not disappoint you,” the director took a deep breath, “nor will we let the trainees suffer.”

After successfully pacifying the fans and persuading them to disperse, the exhausted director and producer returned to their office.

“Call Tianle Media,” the producer said, taking a drag from his cigarette after some thought. “Ask for their opinion.”

The assistant quickly dialed the number.

Once connected, the planner picked up the phone, his tone indifferent, “Ms. Feng, one of your talents has caused quite a stir. What should we do?”

He knew Feng Peizhi was busy dealing with the matters of the Starry Sky Girls and had neither the time nor the inclination to handle Si Fuqing. This was more of a courtesy call.

Feng Peizhi was equally nonchalant, “The company will not intervene; handle it as you see fit.”

Si Fuqing had dug her own grave, and Tianle Media had no time to manage her affairs.

With the Zuo family giving up on her and now Tianle Media too, Si Fuqing had no backing left.

After the call, the producer pondered for a moment and finally made a decision, “First thing tomorrow, we’ll issue a statement. We have to make sure the fans understand that the production team is innocent in all this.”

“As victims who were kept in the dark by Si Fuqing, we have to utilize her last ounce of value, no matter the cost to the show.”

The director wholeheartedly agreed, “Alright, let’s proceed with that.”

Meanwhile,

After dropping off Yu Xiheng and Yu Tang at their villa, Feng San drove Si Fuqing back to the training camp. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Upon arriving, Feng San got out of the car and gestured for Si Fuqing to follow. But he found her engrossed in her laptop, her fingers flying across the keyboard at an almost blurring speed.

On the screen, he saw a never-ending scroll of lengthy subtitles and symbols, popping up at an astonishing rate.

Curious, Feng San asked, “Miss Si, what brand of laptop is this?”

“You mean this?” Si Fuqing didn’t look up, “I assembled it myself. I’ve had some free time lately; if you have the parts, I can assemble one for you.”

“Thank you for the offer, Miss Si,” Feng San exhaled, “I don’t need such a high-end computer. What are you working on?”

“Gathering evidence,” Si Fuqing responded languidly, “And recording the IPS of these keyboard warriors. I’ll need them later.”

The code continued to flood the screen, leaving Feng San befuddled.

Raised in a cloistered environment within the MO family, his upbringing had been focused on secret arts, mechanical traps, and hand-to-hand combat.

It wasn’t until he was chosen at the age of fifteen to become Yu Xiheng’s personal bodyguard that he had any contact with the outside world.

In an era of rapid technological advances, Feng San still found himself navigating the world as if it were the age of paper media. He struggled even with basic smartphone functions, let alone newly developed software.

His awareness of the entertainment industry had broadened only because of his interactions with Si Fuqing.

In fact, even Feng San himself was uncertain about the nature of the relationship between Yu Xiheng and the MO family.

He thought for a moment and asked, “How do you plan to handle Mrs. Chen?”

Display her in public the next morning.”

Feng San was so stunned that he took a few steps back.

“Don’t worry, I’m a law-abiding citizen, ” Si Fuqing raised an eyebrow and grinned. “This is just something one does in a game. In reality, I’ll be more restrained.”

Feng San was left speechless.

What kind of terrifying games was Miss Si playing?

“Alright, done,” Si Fuqing closed her laptop and waved her hand. “Take good care of our boss.”

She carefully avoided saying the word “money,” but Feng San understood.

His lips twitched as he frowned, “Why do you insist on staying with the production team when the internet is…”

“Hm?” Si Fuqing responded nonchalantly, “I’ve met some dedicated trainees. I don’t want their dreams of the stage to shatter. I’ll at least see them through this leg of the journey.”

Feng San hadn’t expected that to be her reason.

His emotions mixed, he watched her enter the building.

The security staff at the entrance seemed shocked to see her return so soon.

She made her way to the dance studio on the third floor.

Around the corner, she heard voices.

“So, Xie Yu,” Lin Qingyan’s voice was soft, “you know the situation with Teacher Si. She’s in trouble and can’t continue teaching you. You could—”

“Bang, bang, bang.”

Her words were abruptly interrupted by the sound of someone knocking on the door.

Si Fuqing stood at the entrance, still wearing the denim jacket she’d left in. One hand was in her pocket, and her face bore a cool expression.

She tilted her head and smiled, “Teacher Lin, trying to steal my students in front of me? How shameless, where’s your face, you must not weigh much.”

There was a moment of silence in the dance room.

Xu Xiyun exclaimed, “Teacher Si!”

Lin Qingyan whipped her head around, disbelief coloring her features. ‘You weren’t…”

She thought Si Fuqing had been taken into custody. How could she be back?

“What?” Si Fuqing crossed her arms and smiled, “Did you think I was taken in? The ones who spread rumors will be the ones facing the law. Right?”

Lin Qingyan’s fingers tightened, her nails digging into her palms.

Xie Yu smirked, “It’s good that Teacher Si is back. I had no intention of going anywhere else. I’ve been training and I’m fully committed.”

“Mhmm,” Si Fuqing lazily responded, “I said I’d be back to continue teaching you, and here I am.”

Their exchange was a blatant slap in Lin Qingyan’s face.

She trembled, forcing a smile, “If Teacher Si is fine, then I’m glad for you. In that case, I’ll leave first.”

She left the dance room with rigid steps, her face flushed with embarrassment. Once back in her lounge, Lin Qingyan took a deep breath and dialed a number on her phone.

Her temper flared uncontrollably, “Ruotong, didn’t you say you saw Si Fuqing hit someone? Why is she not only free but also back?”

“It’s impossible! Absolutely impossible!” Xu Ruotong became agitated upon hearing this, “She hit someone, and the victim is from the Chen family. How can she be back, unscathed?”

“Must be because the Chen family has no evidence,” Lin Qingyan said darkly, “What a shame, she slipped through our fingers.”

“No evidence?” Xu Ruotong paused, a lightbulb going off in her head, “But I have some!”

Lin Qingyan was stunned, ‘You do?”

“Yes, yes, yes! I wanted to get her face but missed. Let me send the photo to you,” Xu Ruotong quickly sent it over.

Lin Qingyan couldn’t help but laugh after seeing it, “Ruotong, you’re always one step ahead.”

“Who knew it would come in handy here,” Xu Ruotong said, “I don’t have the Chen family’s contact info, so I’ll post it on social media.”

Lin Qingyan hesitated for a moment, “Then, please go ahead and do the industry a favor by eliminating a menace.”

Xu Ruotong acted immediately, posting a Weibo update.

[@XuRuotong: I saw it with my own eyes. Si Fuqing hit someone and fled the scene. I’ll take legal responsibility for my words. I just hope the entertainment industry will have fewer lawbreakers like her! [Image]]

The image showed a woman on the ground with Si Fuqing standing beside her. Her face was covered by a mask, making her look like a cold bystander.

The fans of “Youth With You” erupted into chaos.

[Isn’t Ruotong a model? Why is she getting involved with Si Fuqing?]

[Ruotong must be telling the truth; she has no reason to slander Si Fuqing. She must have seen it happen.]

[Si Fuqing should just get out!]

[Like if you support Si Fuqing leaving ‘Youth With You. ‘]

[Ruotong is willing to take legal responsibility for her words; could she be lying?]

Xu Ruotong watched as her Weibo post was shared and commented on, its metrics soaring. A smug smile crossed her lips.

The photograph was a boon; it not only threatened to oust Si Fuqing from the industry but also brought her closer to the Chen family.

A win-win situation.

Just as she was about to reply to the comments, her post received another share.

She clicked to check.

[@SiFuqing: I don’t know who you are, but you better remember what you just said. //@XuRuotong: I saw it with my own eyes…]

Before Xu Ruotong could even process this, another Weibo post popped up.

[@SiFuqing: Sorry, I have video evidence [Video]]