Chapter 36 Truth

Chapter 36: The Truth

And he even accepted her 500,000 yuan. If that's not seduction, what is? Could he be so destitute that he needs to sell his body to make ends meet?

She had reason to suspect that he and that villain were in cahoots—one aiming to conquer her emotionally, the other to corrupt her physically. If she weren't so strong-willed, she might have fallen right into that bastard's trap.

Lin Yue: [Video]

Lin Yue: I didn't notice. [Smiling Face]

Su Mi clicked open the video. It was a series of surveillance clips, spanning several months according to the dates. Even during periods when he wasn't teaching her, he dressed the same way while training alone in the videos.

It seemed like he was trying to prove he wasn't deliberately trying to seduce her.

Su Mi: What about the 500,000 yuan? Why did you let me touch you? Or do you just accept any woman who comes along?

Lin Yue: I've never touched any woman. I thought you were joking. I didn't expect you to actually... [Covering Mouth and Crying]

See? This is typical male rhetoric. They do something and then shift the blame, making themselves out to be pure and innocent.

Never touched any woman? A grown man setting up a chastity archway? That might fool a love-struck female lead, but not her.

Su Mi: Do you think I believe that?

He even took her hand later. That look in his eyes was clearly an attempt to take things further. If he weren't afraid of being beaten into the hospital, he definitely would have gone for it.

Su Mi: Whether you were really seducing me or not doesn't matter anymore. [Smiling Face]

She turned off her phone and immediately grabbed her clothes to take a bath. Once you get entangled with someone of the opposite sex in a romantic context, it usually ends in a mess. The best approach is to cut it cleanly. Whether it was real or fake doesn't matter now, and there's no need to drag it out.

If she had to blame anyone, she'd blame her own lust. She couldn't resist touching him back then. But what can you do? What's wrong with women being lustful? Making money is, of course, to enjoy every aspect of life.

Li Yi hadn't had a relapse of his old illness these past few days. She had been trying to get him to fight back, as that was the only way to gain real combat experience.

This world was so dangerous, with car accidents, kidnappings, and shootings happening all the time. Without some self-defense skills, she might kick the bucket any day.

Moreover, the male lead seemed like the type who knew no bounds. What if, in a fit of rage over the Su family's assets, he really killed her in a moment of humiliation? So she could never let her guard down.

However, just one day before the court hearing, the female lead's variety show aired. This time, her performance caused a huge uproar, and all the criticism was directed at Su Mi.

The reason was that during a segment where the guests chatted about family relationships, the female lead's tear ducts overflowed again. She couldn't help but cry. In the eyes of her fans, this was clear evidence that their idol had been wronged.

Combined with the post the female lead made during the New Year's Eve dinner, perhaps due to some deliberate manipulation, fans quickly deduced that the "older sister" the female lead mentioned was Su Mi.

But fans knew the female lead was an only child. Consequently, the hashtag #SuMiIsActuallyAnIllegitimateDaughter# exploded onto the hot search list. The female lead's fans' combat power was undeniable, flooding Su Mi's posts with hundreds of thousands of hateful comments.

When Su Mi clicked on the hashtag, she saw a marketing account fanning the flames.

Entertainment Gossip Grandpa: During the New Year's Eve dinner, Su Ruanruan mentioned her older sister didn't like her. But she previously said on a variety show that she had no siblings. Both of them have the surname Su, making it hard not to think of other possibilities. What do you all think?

Flying Penguin: It's been exposed on the Tianya Forum. Su Mi is the Su family's illegitimate daughter. This is hardly a secret anymore. [Eating Melon Seeds]

Wuwuwu: Su Mi has always been good at crafting a persona for herself. If she were the daughter of a wealthy family, why did she work as He Qiao's body double during university?

I Like Oranges: What's even more ridiculous is that this sister bought promotional articles saying Su Ruanruan is scheming for the family fortune. She's the legitimate heiress. Should the family fortune be left to an illegitimate daughter instead of her?

As Shown: She's facing backlash from buying too many promotional articles. An illegitimate daughter trying to steal the family fortune? Only Su Ruanruan is kind enough not to care. If it were me, I'd knock her head off. [Smiling Face]

Physics Homework: It's disgusting. An illegitimate daughter subtly insinuating things about the legitimate daughter. I find illegitimate daughters even more repulsive than love-struck fools. [Vomiting]

Childhood Memories: You can tell just from the show that Su Ruanruan is often bullied. Otherwise, why would she cry? [Smiling Face]

"Ding! Critical plot point triggered!"

The scale of the hired trolls basically flooded the entire hashtag discussion. Early in the morning, Su Mi was still bleary-eyed scrolling through comments when the mechanical voice in her head jolted her awake. Checking Sister Zhou's messages, she found many sent with a serious tone, basically saying someone was deliberately stirring trouble this time. They hadn't figured out who was behind it yet, but she had already asked the company to control the comments as soon as possible.

Who else could it be? It had to be that idiot male lead. Knowing the court hearing was tomorrow, he deliberately tried to unsettle her today. If she had an episode in court tomorrow, it would only benefit his case.

That kind of person was enough to make anyone vomit up last night's dinner.

But this time, she was actually excited. She had been thinking of asking Sister Zhou to release some damaging information, but now she didn't need to waste the effort.

Due to the overwhelming tide of trolls, the fans she had gained recently were completely drowned out, invisible in the wave.

After logging into her account, she @'d several highly-upvoted hate comments.

Su Mi @ Entertainment Gossip Grandpa: Same surname means sisters? If you share a surname with a dog, does that make you brothers?

Su Mi @ As Shown: Which of your dog eyes saw me buying promotional articles? She's not even an illegitimate daughter, so of course she gets zero share of the family fortune. [Smiling Face] Knock my head off? DM me your address. Let's see if you knock mine off or I knock yours off. [Smiling Face]

Su Mi @ Childhood Memories: Are you possessed by a psychic? You can tell she's bullied by me just by looking? She cries while eating, talking, walking. Crying all day, I find it inauspicious just watching. [Smiling Face]

Su Mi @ Su Ruanruan: Cat got your tongue? Don't know how to come out and say something?

Jiujiu: ...This sister is really going head-to-head. [Runny Nose]

Eating Out: Witnessing the first time in domestic entertainment history where the actual celebrity personally gets into a fight. [Crying with Laughter]

Undoubtedly: Stay calm. This is normal operation for my Sister Mi. [Crying with Laughter]

Forever and Ever: Hahahaha I was wondering why this sister was silent all morning. She probably just woke up. [Crying with Laughter]

Silently: Isn't this bullying? Illegitimate daughters should just die, okay? [Smiling Face]

Sweet Potato Fries: They're sisters???

Lulalulalei: Although I really like Sister Mi, if she really is an illegitimate daughter, then goodbye. [Smiling Face]

YoYo: Clearly someone hired trolls to steer the narrative. Otherwise, why would it suddenly blow up? [Smiling Face]

Hesitantly: I still believe in my Sister Mi. [Smiling Face]

"Ding! Host's Luck Points +20! Current Host Luck Points: 560! Female Lead's Luck Points: 530!"

Hearing the female lead's luck points drop again didn't surprise Su Mi at all. With the plot changed so much, it was normal for the female lead's luck to decrease. But did this mean she could now change the plot without being affected by those uncontrollable factors?

Normally, with the female lead's personality, she would have immediately come out to explain, sweetly saying, "My sister and I have a good relationship, there's no discord." But an hour had passed, and there was still no movement from the female lead's side. It didn't take a genius to figure out why—the male lead must have restricted her freedom.

That was exactly the kind of thing that bastard would do.

However, not long after, her father's long-dormant account suddenly posted.

Su Min v: Mimi is our family's only daughter. Her personality is unavoidably straightforward. Please don't mind.

Longing Heart: ???? B... Big shot???

Flowers and Riches: Chairman of the Su Group???

Self-Centered: Only daughter? Then who is Su Ruanruan? Ah... Could she be pretending to be a real socialite? [Vomiting]

Scrawled handwriting: The chairman himself got involved, so it must be true. Who would've thought there'd be such a twist—Su Ruanruan is actually the fake one. [vomit]

Pushover: Holy shit! What a disgusting white lotus! Can we sue her?!

Jade Rabbit Sister: Su Mi is such a class act, she didn't even bother exposing the white lotus's true colors. [smiling face]

Hahaha: So, does the Su family still need a daughter? Asking for a friend. [shy]

Account Balancer: The only daughter? Sister Mi is actually a billionaire? [covering mouth crying]

Step by step: Who says my girl Sister Mi has no class? Don't I know whether she has manners or not? [smiling face]

spss: No wonder Sister Mi is so wild—that's the confidence money buys. [covering mouth crying]

When are we having skewers: Ahhhh! What's wrong with having one more rich person in this world?!

Blossom and bear fruit: If I had that much money, I'd be even crazier than her!!!

Su Mi noticed her follower count suddenly skyrocketing. As Sister Zhou started working her magic, the hired trolls gradually fell silent. Instead, the hashtag #SuRuanruanIsAFakeSocialite started trending.

The male lead probably never expected Su Min to speak out. He likely still assumed Su Min couldn't bear to see the female lead wronged and would handle things more discreetly.

Maybe that was Su Min's mindset before—his heart ached for his real daughter yet he couldn't stand seeing the female lead suffer. But as his patience was repeatedly worn down by the female lead, his former affection turned into anger, furious that she stubbornly refused to listen to her elders and insisted on having her own way.

So now, how could he still care about the female lead? Naturally, he had to stabilize his own situation first, in case she had another episode.

The female lead's phone was probably really confiscated by the male lead, as she never made a peep. Instead, her studio issued a statement.

Su Ruanruan Studio: Our artist has never claimed any familial relationship with others. Please stop unnecessary speculation. Any excessive comments will be forwarded to our lawyers.

Momo: Playing both sides, you're really pros. Why stay silent when you were benefiting from the socialite persona? [vomit]

Left and right: A fake dares to buy smear campaigns against a real socialite? Has she no shame? [smiling face]

Rapeseed flower: I really liked Su Ruanruan's looks, but these tactics are nauseating. [vomit]

A braid: Why didn't you respond before when you weren't exposed? Now that you've been called out, you jump out immediately. [vomit]

Refreshed: I always thought she was a real heiress, but she was actually stealing someone else's identity to build her persona. [vomit]

Strange and weird: Is Su Ruanruan actually the illegitimate child? Otherwise, how does she get such good resources? But these tactics are too sleazy. [vomit]

Permanent residency: A fake dares to go on shows playing the victim? Where does she get the nerve?

Online trends often follow where the momentum leads. Soon, Su Mi saw gossip accounts spreading rumors that the female lead was Su Min's child with his first love, while she herself was just a tool for a marriage alliance. They claimed Su Min only clarified things to save face, but in reality, he had no feelings for his current wife—his true love was his first love.

That scumbag male lead really knows how to disgust people. This move not only disgusted her but probably her parents too.

But it didn't matter. After tomorrow's court hearing, regardless of the outcome, she would definitely have the media detonate the bombs she had planted.

Sure enough, during dinner that evening, Su Min looked grim and cursed, saying he never expected the Qi family to be so shameless. He declared he would never care about the female lead again—if she wanted to ruin herself, no one could stop her.

Her mother, however, carefully observed her state, as if afraid the rumors and gossip might trigger another episode for her.

She actually wanted to see some harsh comments, but Sister Zhou handled things too quickly. Now, public opinion was mostly on her side, with only a few troublemakers spreading fake information.

After dinner, she returned to her room and logged into that gossip account to post.

OP: Today's smear campaign against S was no coincidence. It was orchestrated by S's rival because S's lawsuit against her arch-nemesis goes to trial tomorrow, so the nemesis suddenly came out to stir trouble.

SRR is not an illegitimate child; she is an adopted daughter of the S family. However, because she was deeply loved by the old master, she was basically seen as the second young lady of the Su family. Even after the old master passed, she inherited a large portion of the estate.

Perhaps to prove her love for the scumbag was real, SRR did not accept the inheritance. She is indeed terminally lovestruck and is set to marry the scumbag in two months.

After today's events, the scumbag and S are now completely at odds. The two families have long since torn off the facade. Everyone will know the outcome once the verdict is announced tomorrow.

First floor: So thrilling! Tomorrow we'll find out who the scumbag is!!!

Second floor: Is SRR any good herself? A true white lotus. No one forced her to play the victim on variety shows. [smiling face]

Third floor: The power struggles among the wealthy are so dramatic. [laughing crying]

Fourth floor: I really never thought they were sisters. [laughing crying]

Fifth floor: Is the scumbag that certain someone? That would be a huge scandal!

Sixth floor: Ahhhh! Who is the scumbag? Why am I the only one who doesn't know?

Seventh floor: I want to see S tear apart the scumbag and the white lotus!

Eighth floor: No wonder S dumped L—she's not short on money at all. [laughing crying]

Ninth floor: Even though we're all NPCs, I still want the tea!!! Let them fight!!!

Tenth floor: I'm so jealous. S is actually the daughter of the richest person. [pouting]

Eleventh floor: I can't even imagine how exciting tomorrow will be, but I have an exam! [crying]

Twelfth floor: The S family hasn't been the richest for a year now; it's that car company guy.

Thirteenth floor: The grandfather's body isn't even cold yet, and the granddaughter can't wait to get married. That's not being lovestruck; that's being heartless. [vomit]

Fourteenth floor: I'll see tomorrow exactly which creep the scumbag is. [melon eating]

Fifteenth floor: How can I attend the trial? I really want to go. [covering mouth crying]

Sixteenth floor: I envy S's mental state. Us wage slaves can only swallow our grievances. [crying]

Seventeenth floor: Just thinking about S beating up that singer and sending him to the hospital makes me laugh. [laughing crying]

The trial began at 9 a.m. the next day. Some bold media outlets that caught wind of it were already staked outside the courthouse, though they didn't dare approach for interviews and could only secretly capture some peripheral footage.

Upon arriving at the courthouse, Su Mi saw the female lead again, her eyes red. However, she was flanked by two female bodyguards. It looked like protection, but the setup seemed more like surveillance.

This was typical domineering CEO behavior. If the female lead didn't obey, just have people watch her 24/7, imprison her in a dark room—utterly lawless.

She originally thought this idiot male lead was different, but now he seemed just like all those abusive novel male leads. If the female lead weren't so lovestruck and unwilling to gather evidence, the legal violations he's committed would be enough to land him in jail for a while.

The case was publicly tried. As the plaintiff, she had nothing to hide. Why be secretive? She wanted everyone to see that before the law, everyone is equal.

Since no one was keeping these domineering CEOs in check, she would do it herself!

The public gallery was packed. Almost everyone from the Su family was present, along with several members of the Qi family and some wealthy families there for the spectacle. The atmosphere was exceptionally solemn.

After the trial began, she glanced at the male lead sitting in the defendant's seat. He still wore that pretentiously inscrutable look, as if this were his backyard, not a courtroom.

After her lawyer finished presenting the case, the lawyer beside the male lead stood up and declared confidently, "My client merely suspected the plaintiff of leaking the video and thus stated he would seek legal recourse. This is a reasonable and lawful use of legal means to protect his rights. Therefore, I do not believe this constitutes defamation."

No sooner had she spoken than Su Mi saw her lawyer stand up. "My client has submitted audio evidence, which clearly shows the defendant's assertive tone—it was a statement, not mere suspicion as claimed by the defense attorney."

"My client is a young lady from an established, well-known family, yet the defendant repeatedly accused her of leaking the video. What does this imply? Even if the truth is clarified, it would cause irreparable harm to my client. Everyone would then believe my client is malicious, capable of releasing such inappropriate content at someone's birthday banquet. How is she supposed to show her face in public after that?"

"Moreover, if this point is amplified by those with ulterior motives, it could affect my client's inheritance of the family business. After all, no one would want someone perceived as malicious and who puts personal feelings above all else to take over the company. And it just so happens that my client is the sole heir to the group. Therefore, I have reason to suspect the defendant deliberately slandered her to prevent her from rightfully inheriting the family business."

The lawyer seemed not yet finished. "Furthermore, my client is unmarried. How important is a woman's reputation? Once rumors spread, affecting her marriage prospects, what impact would that have on her life? What psychological blow would it cause?"

To back up her lawyer, Su Mi deliberately took out a tissue to wipe her tears—her acting talent wasn't for nothing.

The gallery was already buzzing with whispers, and the jury was also murmuring among themselves. Reputation is undeniably crucial for women and should not be overlooked.

Moreover, we're talking about a *listed* company—imagine the losses if she couldn't inherit the family business!

"It was just a joke between two families during a gathering. Who hasn't had arguments before? The plaintiff also repeatedly accused my client of molesting a minor. Isn't that slander?" the defense attorney declared emphatically.

Qi Yun frowned and immediately lowered his voice. "This doesn't need to be mentioned."

Su Mi instantly cleared her throat. "What I said is the truth. If the defendant feels wronged, he is free to sue me for slander. And insulting a woman's integrity—can that be made up for with a joke? If his insults cause me to lose the company, the losses would amount to billions. Can the defendant bear that responsibility?"

In the current situation, continuing further would be disadvantageous. As if to prove she was slandering, the defense attorney suddenly called a witness—the timid and submissive female lead.

The gallery erupted in discussion. It was the first time they had seen two families go to court over slander. If not for this trial, many would have believed Su Mi released the video, as she was the most likely suspect.

No one expected her to dare sue Qi Yun. It seemed the two families had completely severed ties.

But wasn't it said that the Su family's eldest daughter was mentally unstable? Yet her clear and logical demeanor didn't seem like someone with a mental illness at all.

"Witness, the plaintiff claims my client molested you when you were seventeen. Do you remember the specific time and location?" the defense attorney asked, staring intently at Su Ruanruan.

Facing the varied gazes of the crowd, Su Ruanruan kept her head down, not daring to look anyone in the eye. She tightly clutched the hem of her clothes, stammering, "It... it was too long ago... I don't remember."

"As the jury can see, the witness herself cannot recall clearly. If my client had molested her, it would be a humiliating experience. Women usually remember such things vividly. How could she remember nothing at all?" the defense attorney pressed on.

The plaintiff's lawyer stepped forward. "The witness only said she doesn't remember; she did not deny that the defendant molested her."

Then, he turned to Qi Yun. "Defendant, do you remember when you first had sexual relations with the witness?"

Suddenly, the entire courtroom fell silent, as if no one expected him to ask this question.

Qi Yun frowned, seemingly suppressing something.

"The defendant remains silent, so I will assume you don't remember either," the plaintiff's lawyer said, turning to the presiding judge. "If the defendant and the witness were consensual, there's no reason for the defendant not to remember the first time he was with someone he liked. But he doesn't remember. What does this imply? If the defendant can't recall their first sexual encounter, isn't it understandable for the witness to forget the location of the assault due to the passage of time?"

"And why must women remember those humiliating moments? Can't they move on? The defense attorney is deliberately amplifying women's pain, causing the witness to instinctively avoid the question."

Su Mi's eyebrows twitched slightly. What a talent—truly worthy of being the industry's top lawyer her father paid for.

"Moreover, what we are judging today is whether the defendant slandered my client. Yet the defendant's reaction is extremely indifferent, showing no respect for the court. I wonder if this is contempt for the court and the law," the plaintiff's lawyer argued forcefully.

Qi Yun glanced at him, his expression cold. "I have the right to remain silent regarding any statements that defame my reputation."

"Defame?"

Su Mi suddenly spoke into the microphone. "Members of the jury, please refer to the audio evidence I submitted. I have no grudge against the defendant. Yet, based on an unconfirmed suspicion, he repeatedly threatened to make me pay with my life. This is a serious threat to my personal safety."