Yonghe Road

Chapter 79 Review
Wang Zian finally arrived at Yujing Wharf.

The night was as dark as ink, shrouding the dock in a deep, gloom. Moonlight streamed through gaps in the clouds, its silvery rays flickering and dancing across the shimmering sea, as if countless tiny stars were being sifted through a giant bamboo sieve. A gentle sea breeze, carrying a hint of salt, rustled the dim streetlights by the dock, their shadows swaying on the ground.

Wang Zian's eyes searched the dock eagerly, and finally, under the hazy moonlight, he saw Chunshui's back, standing at the dock facing the sea. In the night, her figure looked thin and lonely, her black hair and white clothes dancing lightly in the wind, like a flower trembling in the night breeze.

Wang Zian's heart suddenly tightened, and he ran towards Chunshui desperately.

Chunshui heard the sound of running footsteps and turned around, only to be engulfed in Wang Zian's arms. Chunshui's body stiffened slightly, and his head buzzed like a swarm of bees.

Three seconds later, Chunshui relaxed and could hear Wang Zian's heartbeat and his concerned words: "Chunshui, as long as the green mountains remain, there will be no worries about lack of firewood."

Chunshui's eyes suddenly felt hot, sore and swollen.

"You know everything?" Chunshui asked in Wang Zian's arms.

Wang Zian said, "It's all my fault. I didn't pay attention to your updates in time. It was only when your second brother couldn't find you at night that I looked up your news online... Chunshui, no matter how big the problem is, there is always a way to solve it. Even if the sky falls, there are still tall people to hold it up. Don't let your mind wander."

So he rushed here because he misunderstood that she wanted to jump into the sea?
Chunshui laughed while crying, and tears came down while laughing. She stretched out her arms and hugged Wang Zian. Feeling Wang Zian's warm embrace, she could finally relax and cry.

"Brother Zi'an, is this the first time you hug me?" Chunshui asked in Wang Zi'an's arms.

Wang Zian was stunned. It was already this late, and she still had the mood to talk about this.

Prince An released Chunshui, pulled her to sit on the dock, and asked, "What are your plans next?"

"I have no idea……"

Chunshui hugged her knees and looked down at her feet. Against the rocky backdrop, her expensive high heels looked strikingly modern. They were a luxury Chunshui hadn't dared dream of in the past; a single pair could have built a whole floor in Baile Village.

Perhaps, every gift from fate has a bargaining chip and is an equal exchange. The sudden soaring into the sky brings the pleasure of extreme flying, but it is bound to result in a sudden fall and shattering into pieces.

"How can I afford to pay back such a huge amount of liquidated damages? Now I'm a risky artist. I can't hold concerts, I can't get endorsements, I can't make any money, how can I pay the liquidated damages?"

It's actually a paradox. If she weren't a risky artist, and could still hold concerts, perform commercials, and endorse products, there wouldn't be any talk of liquidated damages.

This world is so unfair. It is easy to add icing on the cake, but difficult to provide timely help.

"Are all those negative news online true?" Wang Zian asked Zhong Chunshui, "Did you really hire someone to spread the rumors?"

"Brother Zi'an, do you think I'm that kind of person?" Chunshui looked up at Wang Zi'an. In the night, her eyes were blazing and exceptionally bright, without any grievance, only enlightenment.

Chunshui is fire, aggressive yet bright and passionate; Chunshui is a wave, painful when struck, yet always clear and upright; Chunshui is no slut, no dark hand. Wang Zian is certain of Chunshui's character, but outsiders are unsure. Furthermore, her competitors, jealous of her sudden surge in popularity, are seizing the opportunity to collectively smear her. Slanderous press releases are endless, each seeking to bring her down so they can capitalize. In the entertainment industry, a world of fame and fortune, resources are limited, and all parties are clamoring for it. One must give way before another can rise. Chunshui, a girl from a village, entering this world for the first time, how could she understand the turbulent tides? In the dark tide, wave after wave, she was left bruised and battered.

The source of all these troubles started with Lei Sheng. Various black press releases described Lei Sheng as Chunshui's fiancé or even husband, and "Yi Chi" was like Chen Shimei, who forgot his roots once he became rich. He not only broke off the engagement, but also hired thugs to beat her up.

Chunshui had seen the video of Lei Sheng being beaten that was circulating on the Internet. When he arrived at the police station, Chunshui saw another video. In a corner where Lei Sheng was being beaten by a group of people, there was a female celebrity wearing a baseball cap. It was Zhong Chunshui.

Although Chunshui finally got out of the police station safely, the rumor on the Internet that she hired someone to beat up her fiancé had spread widely. In the end, it even evolved into a rumor that she hired someone to kill her husband, but failed.

Her team also tried to defend herself online, but over the years, celebrities' lawyers' letters have already overdrawn the public's trust. Every statement from the celebrities seems like a lie that is trying to cover up. Even if the judge did not convict her, the public has already convicted her. Even if she does not have to bear the consequences of the lawsuit, the public will stubbornly interpret it as not her innocence, but her financial ability.

Because as she walked out of the police station safely, the video of her appearing at the scene of the beating spread like a tide on the Internet, taking away her fans and music lovers. In her huge career, only a group of determined black fans remained.

"My ability to make money is just bullshit. All I have now is the ability to go into debt..."

After this incident, the name "Yi Chi" became a tainted and controversial artist with a damaged image. Chun Shui had to face the termination of contracts with various partners and a sky-high penalty for breach of contract.

She had only been in the industry for a year and had no experience when she signed the agency contract, so she dug herself into many holes. Although she seemed to be busy and non-stop for the year, she actually didn't save much money. Her teacher was just an old-school singer and artist. Apart from singing skills, he didn't teach her how to survive in the entertainment industry because he was not an insider.

As a result, Chunshui fell hard and was covered in dirt.

When she left Baile Village to pursue her dreams, she was a poor and penniless country girl; when she returned to Baile Village, she had become a female star, but she was in debt of tens of millions and had a bad reputation. She had to endure online violence and offline interception from black fans every day.

Chunshui also finds it difficult to judge which of these two situations is better. If she could go back in time, after the bonfire of the Cow Rest Festival, would she still choose to leave home and pursue her dreams?
"Brother Zi'an, what do you think I should do?" Zhong Chunshui looked at Wang Zi'an's gentle and concerned face, unable to hold back any longer, and tears flowed like a spring.

"The incident where Lei Sheng was struck really has nothing to do with you, right?"

Chunshui lowered her head, tears falling onto her knees. "At the time, I thought it was the fans who beat him up because they couldn't stand his confession at the concert. Although I didn't instigate it, I am also responsible. If I hadn't just sat back and watched, if I had stepped in to stop it in time... But I didn't. I was afraid that if I showed up, the media would know that Lei Sheng and I really knew each other, and then Lei Sheng's engagement and confession might be confirmed. If I didn't show up, the media wouldn't have any evidence and would think Lei Sheng was just a fanatical fan, and all the confessions were just his wishful thinking..."

She became famous, but she didn't even recognize her own mother and brother, so how could she recognize a fellow villager?

So she watched helplessly as Lei Sheng was beaten, not even considering whether he would be killed by the group. She was blinded by greed in the world of fame and fortune, thinking that by hiding in the shadows and spying, she could maintain her glamorous appearance. Little did she know that there was already a camera in the darker place, pointed at her...

But it was too late to regret. One thought to heaven, one thought to hell, that moment of selfishness caused her to fall from the sky to the ground, almost shattered to pieces.

"I brought this upon myself..." Chunshui said, bursting into tears.

Wang Zian held her in his arms and sighed.