Chapter 165
It was Xu Shuangrong’s turn to read her letters.
Dressed in a white nightgown, she appeared fragile and delicate. Ever since the garden incident, she had rarely smiled, her eyes always carrying a faint sadness.
She clenched the letter tightly in her hands, staring at the words for a long while, then suddenly crumpled the paper into a ball.
Raising her head, she gave the camera a seemingly relaxed smile.
“I don’t have anything to say to everyone.”
The room erupted in murmurs.
On the livestream, question marks filled the screen, as viewers struggled to understand her actions.
Xu Shuangrong took a deep breath, her smile brightening.
“I’ve never felt this relaxed before.
Since the incident in high school, several years have passed.
During all these years, I’ve never had a good night’s sleep. Every time I think of the suffering my own weakness caused others, I am crushed by overwhelming guilt.”
“I’ve truly been too cowardly. Countless times, I woke from nightmares, hating myself.”
“Now, finally, I can use this show as an opportunity to say everything, to apologize to Miss Lai for the words I never said. For the first time, I feel the shackles lifted from my shoulders, and I can breathe for a short moment.”
“So now, I am happy.”
“I’ve also seen everyone’s comments online—whether attacks, insults, or sincere advice, I take them to heart. I accept all of it willingly.”
“But I don’t want my own pace to affect others, so today, I have nothing to say to the other guests.”
With that, Xu Shuangrong bowed deeply to the camera, then rose, her face showing a sense of relief.
It was as if the abuse of the past few days had been a trial, and she had grown through adversity, breaking free like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon.
Indeed, she knew how to handle the psychology of netizens.
Her calm acceptance of criticism would make fans feel even more sympathetic, while those who attacked her would find their efforts wasted.
Sure enough, her livestream became flooded with “Shuang-fans” leaving supportive comments, expressing concern and care.
The black fans, frustrated that they couldn’t break through, went to other livestreams to continue attacking her, claiming she was pretending, becoming even more intense in their insults.
The onlookers enjoyed the spectacle, occasionally picking sides.
On the surface, Xu Shuangrong’s reputation didn’t change; criticism continued, but closer examination revealed increased discussion.
Her fans loved her even more, her haters hated her even more, and she attracted even more attention than before she had ever “crashed.”
This was the ultimate maximization of interest—a black-and-red (controversial yet popular) strategy.
Director Niu did not expect Xu Shuangrong to suddenly turn a heartfelt segment intended for other guests into a self-redemption performance.
Xu Shuangrong stood smiling, her frail figure straight as a white lotus stubbornly enduring the wind.
But there were always a few to disrupt the scene.
Xie Mi: “Oh, then don’t come next time.”
Lai Bingxuan: “I suffer, and you get to feel wronged too.”
Yu Jinzhe: “Teacher Xu is really kind, worrying that her own pace might affect us, and didn’t even dare write us letters. But yesterday, when we were playing the shooting game, why didn’t she think of that? She called me ‘Brother Jinzhe’ all the time, and I got attacked by Teacher Xu’s black fans for ages.”
Yu Jinzhe: “Maybe I’m not worthy… it’s fine.”
Xu Shuangrong: “…?”
Her spine nearly collapsed.
“No, I…”
“Xu Shuangrong, if you follow the normal show process, as long as the letters aren’t too personal or crossing boundaries, it won’t affect others.”
Xiao Jingxi, well-versed in entertainment industry rules, suddenly spoke, mercilessly exposing her little trick.
“Even if you really didn’t want to read the letters, you could’ve just said ‘I didn’t write a letter’ and skipped it. I just don’t understand why you added that extra speech—it was too forced as a self-redemption.”
Xiao Jingxi’s words were the final straw.
Xu Shuangrong, who had been trying to maintain composure, turned pale.
Being called out publicly by a former CP (couple pairing), especially after she had gone to great lengths to show him favor on the show, was like having her face stomped into the ground.
Her dignity was gone.
The staff gasped again; everyone’s eyes were filled with shock and disbelief. Even Director Niu was stunned.
What was happening?
Although everyone’s attitude toward Xu Shuangrong had shifted drastically after the garden incident, Xiao Jingxi had been the only one still able to speak to her kindly and even invite her to the amusement park.
How did it suddenly turn into public dismantling?
The livestream viewers were equally dumbfounded.
[??????????]
[When did they fall out? Did I miss something?!]
[Seriously, how is this different from openly tearing each other apart? I thought Xiao Jingxi liked Xu Shuangrong. Before, whenever she made a mistake, he thought she was right.]
[I was hoping the ‘Pretentious Bro’ and ‘Green Tea Sister’ would stay locked together, how did they break up??]
[This is the first time Xiao Jingxi has spoken so harshly in public. He must hate her now.]
[The Xu-Shuangrong fans quietly died.]
[Microscope time! That night at the amusement park, Xiao Jingxi invited Xu Shuangrong, but after the next day, he never spoke to her again. Guess the conflict started then.]
[What kind of deep grudge could make him hate her like this? I’m getting more curious.]
As a traffic-heavy movie star, Xiao Jingxi’s words immediately pushed Xu Shuangrong into the spotlight.
Her already unhappy fans finally had a reason to attack her fiercely.
The combination of Xiao Jingxi’s fans and black fans broke through the defenses of Xu Shuangrong’s livestream, replacing her supportive comments with insults.
Shuang-fans tried to retaliate but were overwhelmed. Fans who had been indifferent now sided with Xiao Jingxi, leaving Xu Shuangrong’s fans powerless.
The drama escalated to the top of the trending searches.
As always, the peacemakers arrived late. Xie Mi’s fans stepped in to calm the fight.
[Sitting on 80,000 male models]: So many people? Okay, I’ll host fairness: stop fighting, I’ll post a link, everyone take a swing.]
[Who’s rolling?]: Stop hating awkwardly. I personally saw Xu Shuangrong riding an old lady through a red light.]
[Oh, gonna kill me?]: Listen, your main task now is preparing for middle school entrance exams.]
As the saying goes, Xie-bro never pretends to side with the haters, letting the actual person face the consequences.
Xie Mi: “Having you all is my blessing.”
