Chapter 24: A Shift in Public Opinion

Looking at the comments on the screen, Shi Yun felt her tense nerves finally relax, and she let out a slow, long breath. Although she hadn't managed to change everyone's mind, the voices of abuse had at least significantly subsided.

Meanwhile, at Lan Garden, the private residence of Fu Siyu.

Fu Siyu leaned back lazily in his executive chair, his long legs crossed casually, while his slender, knobby fingers tapped rhythmically against the desk. His gaze was locked onto the computer screen, watching Shi Yun's video over and over again. His long eyelashes drooped, fluttering gently like crow feathers, concealing the expression on his face.

A moment later, he parted his thin lips and said coldly to Assistant Xu, who was standing by, "Go. Buy some bots to push the positive comments to the top, and buy a few trending topics to completely turn the public opinion around."

Assistant Xu, waiting nearby, immediately replied, "Yes, Mr. Fu."

Just as he was about to turn and leave, he heard the man’s chilling voice again: "Also, find out exactly who was the first to release the maliciously edited video and who sent the dead mouse."

Assistant Xu nodded, understanding the gravity of the command, and hurried away.

At this moment, Jiang Zhiyu was clearly unaware of the shift in online public opinion. Inside the Club Meidu, the lights flickered with an ambiguous allure, and the music was deafeningly intense. Men and women on the dance floor swayed with abandon, releasing passion and heat.

Jiang Zhiyu sat on a high stool, her slender fingers twirling a strand of hair out of boredom, while her eyes occasionally stole glances at Lu Xingzhi beside her. The glass in her hand swayed gently, the ice cubes clinking with a crisp sound. After a long while, she feigned composure and gulped down a mouthful of alcohol, the spirits instantly flushing her cheeks red.

Lu Xingzhi sat beside her, his posture relaxed, legs crossed, fingers tapping the table as he held his glass with nonchalance, swaying it slightly. Seeing him remain silent, Jiang Zhiyu pouted, finally unable to hold back: "You said you had something to tell me, so speak."

Lu Xingzhi set his glass down, leaned forward, and locked his gaze on Jiang Zhiyu: "Jiang Zhiyuan asked me to tell you to go back to the Jiang family and visit your aunt and uncle sometime; they’ve been talking about you."

Jiang Zhiyu reacted as if her pride had been wounded; she turned her head instantly, her eyes filled with displeasure: "Is this all you wanted to say while drinking with me?" She furrowed her brows, her hands clenched into fists, "I have nothing to do with that family anymore. Don't you know that Jiang Zhiyuan and I are at odds? And yet you help him ask!"

Jiang Zhiyu’s parents divorced years ago, and after her stepmother brought her younger brother, Jiang Zhiyuan, into the family, her life had been miserable, filled with constant conflict with her brother. She had moved out long ago to live alone and had never returned to that house since. She felt annoyed just hearing these names now.

Lu Xingzhi waved his hands quickly, a fawning smile on his face: "Don't be angry, I was just doing a favor. You know how it is—he and I are brothers, it's hard to refuse, and since I happened to run into you, I just brought it up."

Jiang Zhiyu’s eyes welled with redness, her anger boiling over, and she picked up her glass to take another drink.

She had thought that since they hadn't seen each other in so long, he might have something meaningful to say to her. To think he only came for this. How boring!

Seeing that the situation was taking a turn for the worse, Lu Xingzhi reached out to take the glass from her hand: "Miss Jiang, stop drinking, you’ll feel terrible if you keep going."

Jiang Zhiyu flicked her hand, violently breaking free from his grasp, and defiantly took another large gulp of alcohol. The liquid trickled down the corner of her mouth. She wiped it away carelessly, lifted her chin, and said, "It’s fine, I know my limits."

Seeing her down another shot like that, Lu Xingzhi frowned slightly, "Seriously, when did you become such a heavy drinker?"

Just as his voice trailed off, Jiang Zhiyu’s head lolled to the side, her eyes clamped shut, and her body tipped over uncontrollably.

Lu Xingzhi: "..."

With quick reflexes, he caught her, looking at the unconscious Jiang Zhiyu in his arms with utter helplessness. So much for his comment about her being able to hold her liquor.

—

The next day, Shi Yun woke up bleary-eyed and reached out to fumble for her phone on the nightstand. Her fingertips touched the cold casing of the device, which brought a glimmer of clarity to her muddled brain. She propped herself up, leaned against the headboard, and lazily swiped open the screen.

The moment she opened the social media app, she was wide awake.

The video's popularity had skyrocketed to an absurd degree. The previous wave of skepticism had been completely drowned out by an overwhelming flood of positive comments, and the likes and shares were surging crazily. On the trending list, topics like #TheTruthAboutShiYun# and #SupportJiangZhiyu# were popping up one after another.

Seeing the complete reversal of public opinion, Shi Yun felt a bit dazed. Was the power of a single video really this great? She hadn't even presented her evidence yet...

Although she found it hard to believe, seeing such a result put Shi Yun in a wonderful mood. She rose leisurely, her movements graceful. Her plain nightgown swayed gently with her motions, clinging softly to her body and accentuating her slender waist.

She walked to the wardrobe, her fair fingers picking up the nightgown to take it off, and she changed into a dark green, cracked-pattern silk cheongsam. The deep green made her skin look even more fair and translucent.

After washing up, Shi Yun sat before her vanity, picked up an eyebrow pencil, and traced her brows carefully in the mirror. As she moved, a pair of jade bracelets on her wrists clinked against each other. Her already deep eyes looked even more alluring under the frame of her curled lashes, and the eyeliner flicked upward slightly at the corners, adding a touch of charm.

She usually wore light makeup or none at all, but thinking she would be on camera today, she chose a bright red lipstick. As she applied it, her lips glowed with color, like a blooming rose. She skillfully pinned up her dark hair, inserting a mutton-fat jade hairpin, with a few strands falling against her fair neck, leaving a lingering, unspoken allure.

Shi Yun turned slightly in the mirror, confirmed she looked perfect, and headed out.

—

When Shi Yun arrived at the Moru Hall, she immediately spotted three people standing at the entrance. She assumed they were from the production crew and, thinking she was late, quickened her pace.

Just as she approached, the young man in the lead looked nervous, his hands constantly tugging at the hem of his shirt, sweat beading on his forehead. He stammered toward her, "Miss Shi, I'm sorry, we were wrong."

The teenager beside him nodded frantically, his eyes darting around as he chimed in, "Please, spare us this time."

Shi Yun paused, slightly taken aback, and asked, "What?"

At this, the lead youth seemed to summon immense courage and continued, "Miss Shi, we... we are all fans of Ruan Tian. We listened to others' provocations and thought you had bullied her, so we did something foolish."

Fans of Ruan Tian, huh.

Shi Yun’s gaze turned cold, the faint smile on her lips vanishing instantly. She scanned them with a frigid look, "So it was you who smashed my sign and splashed red paint on my door?"

The lead youth’s face turned bright red, and he stuttered, "We really know we were wrong! Please, please forgive us!"

The other teenager added, "Miss Shi, Mr. Fu gave orders that if we couldn't get your forgiveness, he... he definitely wouldn't let us off lightly."

As he spoke, his voice began to tremble, clearly terrified of Fu Siyu to the extreme.