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Su Ling rubbed her temples and called Tang Zi.
Tang Zi arrived immediately. Su Ling asked, “Sister Tang, can you help me find someone to record a video?”
Tang Zi nodded: “Yes, but your cold hasn’t fully healed yet. Can we record the video later?”
Su Ling shook her head. Seeing her determination, Tang Zi couldn’t object further and arranged for someone to come that same day.
The next day, a major scandal erupted on Weibo—”Explosive! Rising star Su Ling shows ingratitude, treating her relatives like this.”
The article was lengthy and detailed, recounting Su Ling’s life from the age of ten when she went to live with the Ni family, to her rise to fame as Jiuli.
The article portrayed Su Ling as someone who grew up under the care of relatives but heartlessly severed ties with them when they fell into debt. Even after becoming famous, she refused to support them, labeling her as an ungrateful wretch.
With such vivid details, the narrative felt authentic, and some netizens immediately began criticizing Su Ling.
“How dare she play Jiuli! Disgusting!”
“I used to praise her beauty, but her heart is so cruel.”
“Unfollowing her now. To treat her blood relatives like this—after they raised her—and run away because of debt, how disgusting!”
…
When Tang Zi saw the news, her heart nearly stopped.
She knew the immense power of online public opinion—it could make or break a person.
Her first thought was Qin Xiao! If Mr. Qin stepped in, this controversy could surely be suppressed. Then she slapped her forehead—Qin Shao was the boss of Qing Yu Entertainment, not Star Entertainment. This matter should be reported to the company first.
Tang Zi immediately called Lin Qing, who was also taken aback by the scandal surrounding Su Ling, who had previously been perceived as flawless.
For a celebrity, scandals involving character were the most damaging—they could ruin a career.
“I’ll arrange for PR right away. Keep an eye on Su Ling and take care of her emotions.”
“Okay, I understand.”
When Tang Zi entered, Su Ling was drinking yogurt, carefully scooping it with a small spoon. Her eating manner was delicate and graceful.
Tang Zi hesitated but eventually told her about the news: “Do you think someone is targeting you? Sister Tang believes in your character—you’re not the type to abandon your family.”
Su Ling paused, then calmly replied: “The news isn’t false. I did sever ties with them.”
“!” Damn, it was actually true.
Su Ling continued: “Sister Tang, please post the video I recorded yesterday on my Weibo.”
Tang Zi didn’t know what was in the video and felt anxious: “You have some connection with Mr. Qin, right? Shouldn’t we ask for his help? Public opinion is like a snowball—it grows bigger and bigger.”
Su Ling smiled: “No need. This is my issue, and I can handle it myself.”
She looked so fragile, her fingers holding the yogurt cup delicate and tender. Yet even after seeing such explosive news, Tang Zi felt dizzy, while Su Ling remained calm, showing no guilt, panic, or pain from familial betrayal.
This young girl had already planned her response a day in advance.
Tang Zi decided to trust her and uploaded the video to Su Ling’s Weibo.
In the video, Su Ling appeared slightly pale, her light makeup concealing her illness.
She looked into the camera and gave a shy smile: “Hello everyone, I’m Su Ling. If this video has been released, then something unpleasant must have happened. Instead of letting others speak for me, I’d rather tell the truth myself.”
She paused, tucking her hair behind her ear. The girl in the video was lovely, her tone calm: “I was raised by my grandmother. My parents passed away in an accident when I was less than a year old. As a child, life was hard for my grandmother, and until I was ten, we lived together in a small village. Later, my uncle bought a house in L City and brought my grandmother and me to live there. My grandmother contributed nearly a third of the cost of the house, bringing me along as an extra burden.”
She chuckled, her tone tinged with resignation and bitterness when referring to herself as a “burden”: “From middle school onward, I attended boarding school and rarely returned home. My grandmother saved money when she was younger and used it to subsidize my uncle monthly for our living expenses. Knowing how hard it was for her, I applied for scholarships starting in middle school. In high school and university, I received annual scholarships. Aside from necessary living expenses, I sent all the money back to my uncle’s house. Neither my grandmother nor I spent any of my uncle’s money, but I am grateful that he provided us shelter.”
“My uncle wasn’t unkind to me, but there was no familial intimacy. In fact, he wasn’t my grandmother’s biological son—he was adopted from an orphanage. Earlier this year, my grandmother became seriously ill with heart problems. My uncle’s family said they couldn’t afford her treatment, so I borrowed money. The surgery cost 580,000 yuan, plus medical fees—all borrowed from a friend. Later, I took the role in Twelve Years of Hustle , and my salary repaid that person.”
“However, when I returned home, I discovered my uncle was gambling and owed 800,000 yuan in debt. Gambling is a bottomless pit, as everyone knows. My aunt hoped I would help repay the debt, but honestly, I have no money. After repaying my debts, I was left penniless.”
The girl in the video grew resolute: “I cannot and will not repay their debt. No one is born obligated to bear another’s burdens. So I chose to leave my uncle’s house. I will take full responsibility for my grandmother’s needs, but I won’t pay off my uncle’s debts. That’s all there is to it. If you still think I’m ungrateful, then I have nothing more to say. For those who believe me, thank you for your love and trust.”
As soon as the video was posted, Su Ling’s fans quickly reposted it.
Su Ling spoke calmly, omitting everything her relatives had done to her in her past life, including the mistreatment she endured at her uncle’s house. She simply narrated her twenty years in plain, straightforward sentences.
Still, some people quickly noticed discrepancies—
The house itself was worth over 800,000 yuan. Not only could they sell it to repay the debt, but her uncle hadn’t even used that money to save her grandmother!
A person with no blood relation had raised him, yet her grandmother paid for everything!
Who was truly ungrateful?
The internet buzzed with debate.
Su Ling’s fans felt deeply for her, often affectionately calling her Little Jiuli.
Some commented: “You don’t know the hardship of living under someone else’s roof. It’s remarkable that she supported herself through scholarships.”
“And gambling—it’s a bottomless pit. My cousin’s family fell apart because of it. No one can shoulder such debt—it’s endless.”
“A third of the house’s cost? Even renting it out would’ve let Little Jiuli and her grandmother live comfortably for decades!”
Tang Zi watched with a complex heart. Even though Su Ling spoke lightly, Tang Zi could feel how difficult her life had been.
Without parents since childhood, she had been cautious since the age of ten, fearing she might displease others.
She worked hard in school and earned money on her own.
High school scholarships weren’t easy to obtain—one needed top rankings in the city. From a young age, she had shouldered these responsibilities.
Tang Zi felt a pang of sorrow.
The outside world was ablaze with arguments. Some still claimed Su Ling lacked compassion, saying she shouldn’t have severed ties with people she lived with for ten years.
But many praised her statement—”No one is born obligated to bear another’s burdens.”
Everyone has the right to pursue happiness and live well.
Qin Xiao saw all this just as he was preparing to board his flight.
The girl in the video appeared frail, but her eyes sparkled with fragments of light. Filled with courage and strength, her voice was resolute: “I cannot and will not repay.”
Through the screen, he touched her face.
His heart ached.
Zuo Yin had said: “When you understand her feelings, her joys, her sorrows, and her helplessness, perhaps that’s the beginning of her loving you.”
At the time, he thought, what kind of pretentious nonsense was that?
But now, he understood.
At thirteen, he had left home to fend for himself, like an untamed stray. He fought, smoked, played games at internet cafes, and raced recklessly.
It was loneliness.
But his heart was hardened. Even without love, he felt little pain.
At eighteen, armed with a steel pipe and his father’s hidden gun, he stood guard outside the ancestral mansion, mocking the world with disdain.
What he guarded—even if it was just one person—no one was allowed to cross that line.
He cared for no one and feared no bloodshed.
What belonged to him, no one could touch or taint.
And yet, here she was—lonely, vulnerable, yet blossoming like a flower sprouting from rock crevices.
Su Ling always faced the sun, her eyes clear and pure.
Qin Xiao lingered in the abyss, allowing himself to become filthy.
He envied her, admired her, and loved her—not for her breathtaking beauty or his foot fetish—but because she was Su Ling.
Qin Xiao didn’t board the plane. Instead, he turned back to the hotel where Su Ling’s crew was staying, gripping his phone and laughing coldly.
People like Su Ling’s uncle and aunt—he could’ve killed them in droves at eighteen.
Now, at twenty-eight, he could draw his blade without spilling a drop of blood.
When he returned to the hotel, Su Ling was chatting with Tang Zi. Su Ling was an attentive listener, listening carefully to others with a faint smile on her face.
There was no trace of shadow or discomfort; her smile was pure.
Seeing Qin Xiao, she was surprised: “Qin Xiao? Why are you back?”
The man walked toward her, his brows stern, his demeanor tinged with wildness. He didn’t realize when he had learned to feel compassion.
He smiled: “Someone bullied you?” So I came back.
Su Ling curved her lips slightly; she was secretly a bit happy.
Both Tang Zi and Lin Qing praised her handling of the situation. She rarely acted this strong. Due to her gentle demeanor, she was often perceived as weak, but now she was planning ahead and fighting back.
She no longer needed to cower under his protection as she had in her past life.
Su Ling was still a bit shy, her bright eyes looking at him: “No need. No one can bully me.”
Qin Xiao saw her pride.
It was rare for her to show such confidence. If he didn’t praise her, she might think he wasn’t worth much.
He leaned closer, laughing softly: “Mm, Lingling is so impressive.” So impressive that every moment, I’m falling for you.
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