Chapter 67
555 and Little Frog were laughing because of Zuo Bian’s performance in the “Pictionary” segment of “Happy Camp.”
Zuo Bian was paired with Chang Wensi. Chang Wensi drew, and Zuo Bian guessed. Zuo Bian took each drawing seriously, but unfortunately, out of twenty drawings, she guessed wrong every single time!
It wouldn’t be as funny if she had just guessed randomly. The key was that she was genuinely trying, and her explanations, at first glance, seemed to make sense. If the audience didn’t know the correct answer, they might have believed her.
Knowing the correct answer and then seeing Zuo Bian’s nonsensical guesses made it hilarious.
Zuo Bian watched the segment with Little Frog and 555. She truly believed that her answers were correct, but somehow, they were always different from the actual answer.
Watching herself from a third-person perspective, she found her own performance amusing.
No wonder Little Frog and 555 were laughing. Zuo Bian was now glad she hadn’t watched the show with Qin Ai, she would have been embarrassed.
However, what Zuo Bian didn’t expect was that even though she didn’t invite Qin Ai to watch the show, Qin Ai’s brother, Qin Tian, would drag her into watching it with him.
Qin Tian, this little guy, not only sold out his sister and mother, but now he was selling out Zuo Bian too.
At the Qin family home, Qin Tian excitedly invited Qin Ai to watch TV with him and their mother. Qin Ai was initially indifferent, but when she heard it was a show featuring Zuo Bian, she said she had free time and would watch it with them.
Qin Tian could see right through his sister. He knew she wanted to watch it, so he made her sit between him and Tian Yumeng so she could see the screen clearly.
Tian Yumeng also found the show amusing, but due to her personality, she kept her laughter restrained.
Qin Tian, on the other hand, burst into laughter, tears streaming down his face.
Qin Ai also smiled as she watched Zuo Bian’s performance. There was a hint of helplessness, but mostly tenderness.
After this episode of “Happy Camp” aired, the popularity of “Ascending to Immortality” surged even higher. “Happy Camp” was a popular variety show, its target audience mainly young people.
Although “Ascending to Immortality” had been gaining popularity since its premiere, there were still many people who hadn’t watched it. They thought the main actors were unknown rookies and didn’t think it was worth watching.
They wouldn’t bother to find out more, assuming the drama’s popularity was due to marketing. But after watching the show and seeing the actors, they found it somewhat interesting and decided to give the drama a try. And then they became fans.
However, the greater the popularity, the more attention it attracted, and the more likely it was to be targeted.
During the press conference for the drama, a reporter had asked a pointed question, asking if the originally chosen lead actress was the popular actress Ma Songxue.
It hadn’t caused much of a stir back then, but now, with the drama’s popularity soaring, Ma Songxue was feeling even more resentful.
Although she knew she wasn’t the original choice for the female lead, she was still jealous of Zuo Bian. It was said that she was a popular actress, but the entertainment industry was constantly changing, and a celebrity could be forgotten within a month.
Wasn’t Xu Ruisheng, who was so popular before, suddenly gone? Who knew which god he had offended.
Ma Songxue wanted to create some buzz for herself, and the best way to do so was to latch onto the popularity of “Ascending to Immortality.”
Whether it resulted in criticism or sympathy from fans, her popularity would increase. She had set her sights on Zuo Bian, wanting to use her to promote herself.
However, Ma Songxue would never have guessed that Xu Ruisheng’s disappearance from the entertainment industry was because he had offended Zuo Bian.
That night, several “insiders” revealed that the originally chosen female lead for “Ascending to Immortality” was actually Ma Songxue. They claimed that the current female lead, Zuo Bian, had only gotten the role because of her background.
The reporter’s question at the press conference became solid evidence, and the rumors about Zuo Bian being kept by a sugar daddy had never stopped since she started gaining popularity.
Ma Songxue hinted to her fan club leaders to spread the “brainwashing package” to her fans, emphasizing how much their idol had suffered. Many celebrities and influencers liked to play the victim to solidify their fanbase, and Ma Songxue was a master of this tactic.
With this guidance, Ma Songxue’s fans immediately went on the offensive, slandering Zuo Bian and defending their idol.
Many people pretended to be neutral bystanders fighting for justice for Ma Songxue, but their fake identities were easily exposed. Some forgot to change their profile pictures, while others forgot to delete their previous posts.
Some discerning netizens mocked these fake bystanders, but they were shameless. They simply disappeared, ignoring all attempts to contact them.
However, when a rumor is repeated enough times, some people will believe it. Some people who had heard of “Ascending to Immortality” but didn’t know much about it were outraged and started criticizing Zuo Bian.
These people only saw what was presented to them and wouldn’t bother to find out more. Zuo Bian’s fans tried to explain, and the official team also issued a statement, clarifying that Zuo Bian was the only actress considered for the role from the beginning.
But Ma Songxue’s fans and those so-called righteous bystanders were biased from the start. Even with solid evidence right before their eyes, they believed it was fake.
Tao Zi, one of the fan club leaders, was furious. She spoke up, saying that she knew Zuo Bian in real life. She couldn’t reveal more details, but Zuo Bian came from a wealthy family. Setting aside the question of whether Zuo Bian needed a sponsor, anyone who wanted to be her sponsor would have to be the richest person in the world. No ordinary family was richer than the Zuo family.
Tao Zi was telling the truth. The Zuo family was indeed very wealthy. Along with the Chang family and the Qin family, they were one of the three most powerful families in China, but they were low-key.
Zuo Bian’s fans voiced their support, saying they believed in her.
【Xiao Zuo has such a refined aura, it’s not something an ordinary family can cultivate.】
【Honestly, I was first attracted by Zuo Bian’s eyes. It might sound cheesy, but I can see a starry lake in her eyes!】
【Yes, yes, yes! Bianbian’s eyes are so beautiful! It’s rare to see a female celebrity with such clear and pure eyes in the entertainment industry. I hope she can maintain this purity and not be affected by those malicious rumors.】
【I met Zuo Zuo at the movie theater today. She’s a hundred times more beautiful in person than on TV! She’s so radiant! I even asked for her autograph [picture]. She said she hadn’t practiced her signature, but it’s still so pretty. I think it looks much better than those fancy fonts, at least I can understand what it says.】
【The one who mentioned getting an autograph, is my roommate. We met Zuo Bian together. She’s really beautiful and kind. She even smiled at us! She’s not arrogant at all. It’s such a pity that we forgot to ask for a photo.】
The haters continued to flood in, their words dripping with sarcasm.
【The one speaking is Zuo Bian’s big fan. Fans will say anything for their idols. There have been so many cases where fans refused to admit the truth until they were slapped in the face along with their idols.】
【Hehe, anyone can make things up. I can also say that my dad is Jack Ma.】( Co-founder of Alibaba Group)
【Fans, stop deceiving yourselves. She’s being kept, that’s the truth. Otherwise, where did she get all these resources?】
【According to reliable sources, Zuo Bian is being kept by the CEO of Qin Group. Qin Group invested half the funds for “Ascending to Immortality,” and it’s said that the CEO frequently visited the set. Plus, someone saw Zuo Bian getting into the CEO’s car. With all this evidence, only a blind person would refuse to believe it.】
【At this point, fans should open their eyes. Don’t tell me you’re going to say that Zuo Bian is the daughter of the other investor, the Zuo family? But as far as I know, the Zuo family’s daughter is sickly. How could they let their daughter work, let alone enter the entertainment industry?】
【The CEO of Qin Group is very mysterious. There’s not much information about him, no photos or interviews. He’s probably too ugly to show his face in public. Nowadays, even slightly attractive CEOs or rich second-generation heirs are using their looks to gain popularity. If they play their cards right, they can even become the “national husband.” I guarantee you, the CEO of Qin Group is a greasy, middle-aged man with a beer belly and a receding hairline!】
Ma Songxue and those who disliked Zuo Bian, believing she was too lucky and her acting skills weren’t that great, continued to slander her. The worse they made her look, the happier they were, as if they could gain something from it.
Unfortunately for them, Zuo Bian and Qin Ai weren’t in a sugar baby-sugar daddy relationship, and Qin Ai wasn’t the greasy, middle-aged man with a beer belly they imagined. She was a beautiful and alluring woman with a stunning figure.
When the day came for Zuo Bian and Qin Ai’s engagement, these people’s faces would be swollen from all the slapping.
Knowing that Zuo Bian would face these things after becoming famous, Du Yundong didn’t really want her to enter the entertainment industry.
Every day, after watching “Ascending to Immortality,” she would spend some time online, reading the comments about the drama and Zuo Bian. She had witnessed this online battle.
She wondered if she should reveal Zuo Bian’s identity, just to stop these people from speculating. Wasn’t it natural for her precious daughter to have good resources? She had money, why not spend it on her daughter?
However, Du Yundong decided to respect her daughter’s wishes and discuss it with her before making a decision.
She would deal with these rumor-mongers first, so Zuo Bian wouldn’t see them. She didn’t want those nasty comments to affect her daughter.
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In Zuo Bian’s room, she would video call Qin Ai before going to bed every night.
“Qin Ai, are you in the music room?” Zuo Bian noticed that the background was different from usual.
Qin Ai said, “Mm, I’m in the music room. I felt like playing the piano today.”
Zuo Bian grabbed a plushie and hugged it, smiling. “Can you play for me? I haven’t heard you play the piano for a long time.”
Qin Ai chuckled softly. “A long time? It was just three days ago.”
“Hmm? Only three days? It feels like it’s been much longer.” Zuo Bian tried to remember, and after calculating, she realized it had indeed only been three days.
“But I’ll still play for you. What do you want to hear?”
Zuo Bian thought for a moment. “How about ‘Galaxy,’ the song you wrote for me?”
“Mm.”
The sound of the piano filled the air. This time, Qin Ai’s playing was gentle and soothing. Zuo Bian felt sleepy as she listened. Before drifting off to sleep, she murmured, “Goodnight.”
Zuo Bian fell asleep, but Qin Ai continued playing until the song ended.
She looked up at the phone screen. Zuo Bian’s phone was lying on the windowsill, the screen facing the ceiling. Only a bit of her hair was visible from the edge of the screen.
“555.” Qin Ai called out.
After spending so much time with Zuo Bian, Qin Ai had learned about Little Frog and 555. She also knew that 555 wasn’t a creature from this world and could transfer its data stream into inanimate objects, allowing them to move temporarily.
Hearing Qin Ai’s voice, 555 immediately put down its tablet and ran to the bed, clumsily climbing onto it.
“I’m here, I’m here.” 555 was still a bit afraid of Qin Ai. She was a cunning and manipulative demon king. If it went against her, it wouldn’t even know how it got sold.
“Help me cover Zuo Bian with the blanket and put her phone away,” Qin Ai said.
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