I was criticized on a dating reality show, but I retaliated and became an internet sensation.

The comments in the live stream instantly reversed, leaving the entire internet stunned.

【Tan Xidi】: ? ? ? Aci? ? ? Shu Zi is really Aci! I'm going crazy! Aci, whose paintings cost seven figures and collectors fight tooth and nail for them, is actually a guest on a dating show? Are they kidding me!

[Princess's Wish]: Anyone who just insulted Shu Zi's private life, step forward! Doesn't your face hurt? And that person eating their phone! I took a screenshot!!! You eat it!!!

[This is hilarious! The whole internet was criticizing them all morning, but it turns out it was just a family gathering of their entire sect.]

[Art world titans collectively back! Who else in the Chinese entertainment industry can match this level of support?]

[Can these marketing accounts at least do their research before spreading rumors? Don't they know what Aci's status is in the art world?]

[Help! It was just a group meal among our sect members, but it's been maliciously misinterpreted as a private meeting. These paparazzi and marketing accounts really need to be investigated!]

I feel so sorry for Shu Zi. She's been falsely accused of spreading rumors about her for no reason. If it were me, I'd be furious.

[I'm blown away! Didn't you guys notice?? Han Jingxue is actually Old Master Han's granddaughter! No wonder she has such a unique temperament, exuding an aura of classical elegance; it turns out she's been immersed in a family of calligraphers and painters since childhood!]

[Yes! People in the industry have known for a long time that Mr. Han has a granddaughter with exceptional artistic talent, but she's always been very low-key. We never expected it to be Sister Han!!]

[A reclusive bigwig in the Chinese entertainment industry, casually and discreetly making films, all keeping a low profile, right?]

[Shu Zi is amazing! Her mentor is a leading figure, her senior sister is a genius, and her senior brothers are all industry leaders! Those who criticized her for sucking up to powerful figures are laughing all the way to the bank. She's a princess in the industry herself, why would she need to suck up to anyone?]

[The paparazzi have really messed up this time, spreading rumors about a top-tier group in the art world. Do they have a death wish?]

Shu Zi turned off her iPad, looked at the screen full of shocked comments, and a sly and smug smile appeared on her lips, her face full of pride.

"See? I told you not to rush to criticize, but you insisted on following my lead. Now you've proven me wrong ꜀(˘꒳˘꜀)"

"I don't have any special talents, I'm just outstanding, it's impossible to hide it, there's nothing I can do about it!"

Her tone was relaxed, showing no sign of being aggrieved by the cyberbullying; on the contrary, it carried a hint of smugness.

"I deliberately didn't clarify immediately because I wanted to see how many people just blindly follow the crowd and speak without thinking. Now it seems there are quite a few."

Her eyes were clear and bright, and her tone was frank yet arrogant:

"Alright, alright, the truth is right here. To all the rumor-mongering marketing accounts and trolls, my lawyer's letter has been packaged and sent out. You can just sit back and wait to sign for it. You're really something."

After saying that, she waved her hand, concluding lazily:

"Alright, that's all for the clarification. I'm going to get up and have breakfast now. One last piece of advice: be rational online and enjoy the gossip in a civilized manner. See you next time!"

She paused for a second, then added earnestly, her tone dissatisfied:

"Also, next time you want to expose my dirty secrets, could you please do it in the afternoon? Getting bombarded with phone calls first thing in the morning, is that something a person can handle?!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Shu Zi decisively turned off the live stream.

The entire internet crashed, trending topics were completely overhauled, and trending keywords surged to the top, with popularity skyrocketing.

#The Truth Behind Shuzi's Disciples' Gathering Revealed#

#Han Yixiao personally intervenes to protect his disciple# Boiling

#Acishuzi# Boiling

#The entire art community supports Shuzi# (explosive)

#Han Jingxue's Hidden Identity Exposed# Breaking News

#Shuzi's powerful clarification and confrontation with haters during live stream# Breaking News

Previously arrogant marketing accounts deleted their posts overnight and fled in a panic, fearing being sued and held accountable by the legal department.

The comments section completely reversed course, becoming filled with apologies, shock, and praise.

The entire internet was proven wrong, leaving netizens both amused and exasperated.

Sui Cheng thought to herself, that little girl in the dating reality show who only thought about giving up and being a nobody was actually the reclusive master painter, Aci.

Sui Youcheng thought that a casual home-cooked meal between the master and his disciple was fabricated by paparazzi into an ambiguous private meeting.

The entire internet is now reduced to just one sentence:

The paparazzi deserved to have messed up this time.

As the live stream ended, Shu Zi casually tossed her phone onto the bedside table. The screen went dark, and the room fell silent again, with only the sound of her rapidly beating heartbeat remaining, exceptionally clear in the stillness.

She should have breathed a sigh of relief, or even felt triumphant, but there was none of the expected joy.

She felt weak all over, empty inside, tired, and inexplicably irritable.

This irritation stemmed partly from the slight discomfort of Aci's identity being exposed, but mostly from the person outside the door.

She instinctively looked at the closed door.

Gu Yan was outside.

The thought had barely crossed my mind when my heartbeat, which had just calmed down a little, instantly went off track again.

The "I'm the best" attitude I had during the live stream faded, and reason returned. Everything that happened in the car last night was once again vividly crashing into my mind.

It’s over.

I was so engrossed in arguing with people during the live stream that my adrenaline surged, and I completely forgot about the "Gu Yan confession" bombshell for a brief moment!

Now that the bomb has been defused and the alarm has been lifted, the forgotten nuclear bomb has resurfaced, and the countdown is ticking away, getting louder and louder.

The problem is, she still hasn't figured out how to face him!

When he came in this morning, she was so busy dealing with the trending topics and figuring out how to counterattack during the live stream that she didn't think about that aspect at all. Now that the live stream is over and the crisis is over, there's no excuse left.

Does she have to walk out now and say to him like nothing happened, "Hey, I'm done broadcasting, pretty cool, right?"

Or should we continue to hide?

But you can't hide forever. They lived under the same roof, so they always bumped into each other at dinner, and they even went to a banquet together that night...

Shu Zi scratched her hair in frustration, then threw herself back onto the soft bed with a wail.

Waging a propaganda war is so simple; the target is clear, just counterattack directly.

But when she faced Gu Yan, she completely lost her composure.

Accept? Her feelings were still a tangled mess, completely unresolved.

Refuse? Just thinking about how Gu Yan would be gentle to others in the future made her heart ache, and she simply couldn't bring herself to say it.

So what should we do? Should we just stay stuck in this limbo? That doesn't seem right... that's too selfish.

Just as she was so conflicted that she was about to tear a hole in the bed sheet, she simply picked up her phone and sent a message to Fang Ran.

One minute.

Two minutes.

three minutes……

Fang Ran, a seasoned all-nighter expert, has yet to reply!

What did she go about?!

Forget it! Fang Ran is useless! In crucial moments, you still have to rely on yourself!

Shu Zi clenched her fist to encourage herself.

She walked to the door in one go, and then—

I pressed my ear against the door and listened.

(。ớ₃ờ)

It's very quiet outside.

She first gently opened the door a crack, peeked outside, and then tiptoed out. The living room was empty.

On the island counter sits a glass of warm water, next to a small dish of clean blueberries, still glistening with water droplets.

She's been saying she wants to eat this lately.

Her gaze lingered on the plate of blueberries for a few seconds, and her heart skipped a beat again.

He prepared it? During her live stream?

The study door was ajar, and there was no sound from inside.

Shu Zi walked to the study door, hesitated for a moment, then raised her hand and gently knocked on the door.

"Enter."

Gu Yan's voice came from inside, calm and steady.