Chapter 28: Dog Eat Dog

Yu Ling’s eyes went blank for a moment, an expression of utter disbelief washing over her.

Was… was it really that fast?

Yu Ling blinked hard. The comments were refreshing so rapidly that she could barely keep up.

【The internet world is truly spectacular. Chi Ran even hired paparazzi to photograph Yu Ling at the police station entrance. After the photos were edited and released, Yu Ling gained a wave of intense sympathy, and now her Weibo feed is flooded with apologies.】

Yu Ling opened her phone, only to find that Weibo seemed to have crashed; it took a long time for the page to load.

The "99+" notification count made her eyes widen. Her private messages, comments, and mentions were all overflowing. She clicked on a few, and every single one was either an apology or a message of comfort.

She opened the trending topics list, where the phrase "I'm sorry, Yu Ling" sat firmly in the number one spot.

Yu Ling opened the topic for a few seconds before closing it again.

Boring.

What good are apologies? Cyberbullying is the cheapest form of violence. Trolls and bullies need only type a few characters on a keyboard to point fingers at innocent people. Once the truth comes to light, they quickly change their tune:

"I'm sorry, I was deceived by others, which is why I insulted you."

They copy and paste similar phrases repeatedly, using them to prove their own innocence.

But are they truly innocent?

Not necessarily.

Humans are born with the ability to think, yet they post comments without a shred of reflection, using the abuse of others to vent their own negative emotions.

They would never choose to harm themselves; they are submissive in real life, swallowing their pride when trouble arises. But once online, they transform into digital emperors, looking down on others and hurling vile insults, never once considering the impact of their words.

Frankly speaking, did Yu Ling’s scandal matter to them? Would another person's affairs actually affect them?

Not at all.

The perpetrators cleverly choose to follow the tide. Once the truth emerges, they shift the blame onto the marketing accounts that led the narrative, then turn around to post lukewarm apologies while pointing fingers at others.

Through this method, they easily wash their hands of the matter and disappear perfectly into the background.

Yu Ling was accustomed to such routines and had no interest in these hollow comments.

She was only a little curious about what the photo of her at the police station looked like.

In the picture, her long hair was disheveled, and she was being half-carried and half-supported by Li Wan. The half of her face that was visible looked deathly pale, radiating a sense of profound despair and fragility through the screen.

"Not a bad performance," Yu Ling nodded with a straight face, acknowledging her own acting skills.

With a flick of her finger, she saved the photo.

"Yu Ling, look at your phone," Li Wan suddenly said.

Yu Ling murmured an "oh" and turned to look at her.

Li Wan’s eyes were practically glued to her phone screen. She was grinning at whatever she was looking at.

Yu Ling leaned in secretly and caught a glimpse of her screen. The trending term prominent there was "Lin Mianmian."

Seeing the smile on Li Wan’s face, Yu Ling also wore a genuine smile.

"That hateful Lin Mianmian has finally been nailed to the pillar of shame. Let’s see her try to snatch your resources or suppress you again. From now on, she’s finished."

Lin Mianmian had truly shot herself in the foot this time. She had tried to divert attention by smearing Yu Ling, only for it to end in a total fiasco. Yu Ling suddenly wanted to see what she looked like now. Was she furious to the point of exploding?

【Look, look!】 Li Wan thrust the phone directly in front of Yu Ling.

Yu Ling had no choice but to look.

She reluctantly took the phone. It turned out someone had exposed the fact that she had helped Lin Mianmian back in the day.

Now, not only did Lin Mianmian have the nickname "The Third-Rate Mian," but she was also being branded an ungrateful wretch.

Li Wan had already read through the comment section and knew how spectacular it was. She reminded her, "Check the comments."

Yu Ling smiled at her. "Okay."

As it turned out, the comment section was indeed spectacular. The netizens' wit was timely, trendy, and sharp.

【What brand of computer is Lin Mianmian? She’s so good at calculating.】

【If Yu Ling is going to help someone, she should help me instead. I don’t need to be a top star; just getting into the industry to earn some bread is enough. I’m not greedy—ten thousand a month and I’ll be more dedicated than anyone else.】

【If I met a senior like Yu Ling, I’d be willing to drive luxury cars and live in villas for her.】

...

Yu Ling chuckled and handed the phone back.

Li Wan took it, her joy impossible to hide. She said to Yu Ling, "That kind of ungrateful ingrate deserves to be loathed by everyone. Remember not to be so soft-hearted in the future; some people won't remember your kindness—they'll even grow to hate you for it."

Yu Ling deeply agreed. This experience was a lesson learned; from now on, she would focus on looking after herself.

She nodded obediently, leaning against Li Wan’s shoulder to act spoiled. "I know, Sister Li. Stop scolding me now."

Although the matter was resolved, Yu Ling still felt a sense of unreality.

Was it really over just like that?

She dared not forget that this was the world of a novel, and Lin Mianmian was the author’s favorite.

How unfair.

.

"Get out! Get out of here!"

Lin Mianmian shrieked at Mu Chenbei. She was smashing things in the room, throwing whatever caught her eye. The floor was covered in shards of glass.

Mu Chenbei watched as she shattered a vase, feeling a sharp pang of pain. He reached out to catch it, but didn't dare.

These items were things he had pestered Yu Ling to buy. They would have fetched a good price if sold.

Every little bit counts; Yu Ling certainly wouldn't help him anymore, so everything Lin Mianmian broke was essentially a waste of his money.

Seeing Lin Mianmian about to throw something else, Mu Chenbei gritted his teeth, stepped forward, and grabbed her wrists.

Lin Mianmian glared at him viciously and said coldly, "Let go."

"I won't." Mu Chenbei looked at her with fury. "This is my home, and you’re the one who needs to get out. Plus, breaking my things is against the law. If you don't pay for the damages, I will..."

"You will what?" Lin Mianmian stiffened her neck and glared at him. "Are you going to report me?"

A cold sneer escaped her lips. She mocked, "Don't forget, everything you have right now is what I gave you. Report me? Keep dreaming."

That look of contempt caused Mu Chenbei’s shame to turn into rage. It was as if she were trampling his face into the ground. He snatched the vase away and shoved her.

"What did you give me? Aren't you just the one who threw yourself at me and stripped off your clothes so I could sleep with you?"