Chapter 42

After Qiao Chuchu finished reading the trending topic on Weibo, her expression slowly darkened.

Who is behind this? How can such an old event be dug up again?

The post claimed that Qiao Cen had hit someone for no reason, causing them to be hospitalized with severe injuries and stay in the hospital for a long time.

As soon as the news broke, Qiao Cen, who had just risen to fame, was mercilessly criticized all over the internet. Netizens were making harsh comments, cursing him and saying he should leave the entertainment industry.

At the time, Qiao Cen’s team issued an explanation, saying that the conflict occurred while he was trying to save someone. However, the person he supposedly saved didn’t provide any proof to support this, so no one believed the story. The attacks on him only grew more intense.

The slandering lasted for a month, and no one knew how Qiao Cen managed to get through that period.

She didn’t believe that Qiao Cen would hit someone for no reason. There was definitely something shady going on, and she wanted to find out who was behind framing him. Whoever did it would face serious consequences when she found out.

This incident had become a major topic. Even though it had happened two years ago, it was still being recorded in the gossip system. She carefully searched for details about Qiao Cen’s scandal.

【Found it.】

【It was on the night of a fashion event. Qiao Cen, a newcomer with skyrocketing popularity, was lucky enough to be invited. It was during this event that he was tarnished with a reputation that lasted for two years. The person behind this incident was his arch-nemesis—Jin Keyang.】

Qiao Chuchu couldn’t help but curse, “Brother Qiao was indeed framed, and it’s that idiot Jin Keyang again.”

She continued scrolling.

【At the fashion event, Qiao Cen performed modestly and received praise from many senior figures, gaining some opportunities. It was supposed to be a great thing. However, when he got up to go to the restroom, he heard cries for help. He went over and knocked on the door to check, but was suddenly punched by a man in black who appeared from behind.】

【While Qiao Cen was stunned, the man punched him again. Naturally, Qiao Cen, full of youthful energy, refused to back down. Being hit for no reason, he fought back, and they started grappling. Both of them got injured.】

【At this moment, someone came out of the restroom stall unnoticed by both of them. The person was holding a crying girl in their arms. As they passed by Qiao Cen, they kicked him, saying, “Mind your own business. Teach him a lesson.】

【Qiao Cen was restrained by the man and didn’t see the face of the person who kicked him, so he took the hit for no reason. Naturally, he wasn’t happy. He vented his anger on the man, using all his strength to break free and landing several punches on him. To Qiao Cen’s surprise, the man, who had just been full of energy, didn’t resist and allowed him to hit him. Instead, he pulled out a knife and stabbed himself, collapsing to the ground at a certain moment.】

【It wasn’t until Qiao Cen heard someone behind him scream, “Qiao Cen hit someone! He might have killed him!” that he realized he had been set up.】

【But by then, it was too late. People only saw what was in front of them—Qiao Cen was beating the man, and it looked like he even stabbed him.】

【Even though the police later investigated and found no fingerprints from Qiao Cen on the dagger and that he hadn’t stabbed the man, the reputation of Qiao Cen as an attacker had already spread. No one would believe he was trying to save someone. The man who had attacked him also faked being ill and stayed in the hospital, refusing to settle the matter. In the end, Qiao Cen’s parents stepped in to resolve the situation, paying a large sum of money and having Qiao Cen take care of the man in the hospital. Only then did the incident seem to come to an end.】

【However, the online comments kept intensifying. Qiao Cen faced the most severe online abuse he had ever encountered, and during that time, he almost couldn’t hold on and considered quitting the industry. It was the Qiao family who gave him hope, urging him not to be defeated by these comments. They told him that if he didn’t do it, he had to find a way to prove he wasn’t at fault. Leaving the industry wouldn’t solve the issue, but persevering would.】

【So Qiao Cen persevered, continuing to search for the mastermind behind the incident. He attended various entertainment industry events, hoping to recognize the voice of the person who had kicked him that day.】

【He did indeed find several suspects, one of whom was Jin Keyang, but no matter how much he pressed, Jin Keyang refused to admit anything, which kept the situation in a state of frustration.】

【After two years had passed and netizens had started to forget about the incident, Qiao Cen still hadn’t found the person who had kicked him. Just when he thought the matter had settled, it was brought up again after two years of silence.】

After reading the whole story, Qiao Chuchu really wanted to curse Jin Keyang to death.

“I thought Jin Keyang was just a smug, arrogant scumbag, but turns out he’s a thoroughly despicable person.”

“He saw a girl he liked at the fashion event, and without hesitation, he dragged her to the restroom to cause trouble. When his plan was interrupted by Qiao Cen’s appearance, Jin Keyang, humiliated and furious, ordered his bodyguards to teach Qiao Cen a lesson.”

“He’s truly out of control, so disgusting. What should I do to tell Qiao Cen about this without making him suspicious?”

Before she could think of a solution, Shen Yinyin saw the news and called her.

“Chuchu, have you seen the trending topic? Qiao Cen is being cursed at! It’s so awful! The things they’re saying are so cruel!”

Qiao Chuchu remained calm for a moment before replying, “I saw it. I don’t believe that Qiao Cen would hit someone for no reason. Someone is slandering him.”

“I don’t believe it either!” Shen Yinyin replied. “I’ve already fought with those haters online for a good five hundred rounds. Sigh, is Qiao Cen’s team doing anything to handle this? Why haven’t they reacted yet?”

Qiao Chuchu said, “Maybe they’re already handling it, but the results haven’t shown yet.”

Shen Yinyin said, “Well, Qiao Cen must be really upset. You should go check on him, and we’ll talk about it when we meet later at school.”

Qiao Chuchu agreed, got up, and went next door to check on Qiao Cen.

—

Since seeing the trending topic, Qiao Cen had lost all his sleepiness. He didn’t want to continue looking at it, so he sat by the window, gazing at the outside scenery.

Unfortunately, there was no sunlight today, and the sky was foggy, just like his current mood.

Sigh, being cursed at and slandered really feels unbearable.

But the worst part was that he couldn’t find the person behind it all, and that made him feel even worse.

Suddenly, a wave of inexplicable sadness washed over him, and he almost started crying.

“Knock knock knock.”

“Xiao Cen, are you up? It’s me.”

Qiao Chuchu’s voice interrupted, and Qiao Cen quickly held back the tears that were about to come out. He rubbed his eyes, checked himself in the mirror, and saw no signs of anything unusual before rushing to open the door.

“Good morning, sister. Are you here to have breakfast with me?”

Qiao Cen smiled, his eyes sparkling, looking just like he always did.

Qiao Chuchu nodded, “Mm, for breakfast.”

【Qiao Cen seems normal, so if he hasn’t seen the trending topic today, I won’t bring it up for now.】

【Let me think of a way to make Qiao Cen know that it was Jin Keyang who kicked him and framed him.】

“Ahem—ah—”

Qiao Cen was startled by his sister’s sudden revelation.

Jin Keyang! It really was him!

Actually, the first person he suspected was Jin Keyang, but the other party stubbornly refused to admit it. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t get any information out of him. And without any evidence, he couldn’t do anything to Jin Keyang or prove his innocence.

Now, hearing his sister easily point out the culprit, he almost felt like crying.

Qiao Chuchu looked at him. “What’s wrong?”

【Qiao Cen doesn’t have any problem, so why does he always overreact and cough like that?】

Qiao Cen: Whines QAQ.

He was just too happy! After being cursed at for two years, he finally had a chance to clear his name!

Qiao Cen said, “I’m fine, I’m just happy.”

Qiao Chuchu responded, “Oh.”

【He’s so happy. I think I’ll wait a little longer before telling him.】

—

The two of them walked into the living room, where Qiao Haiyi, Du Shuyu, and Qiao Bo were already seated at the dining table, though the atmosphere was a bit gloomy.

As soon as Qiao Chuchu and Qiao Cen sat down, Qiao Bo looked at Qiao Cen and asked, “Did you see the trending topic today?”

“Yes,” Qiao Cen replied. “Someone’s trying to set me up.”

Qiao Bo calmly said, “Since you know someone’s trying to set you up, you don’t need to be upset. I’ll handle the trending issue.”

Du Shuyu nodded. “Yes, what Xiao Bo said is right. Xiao Cen, you don’t need to go to school today. Staying home and studying is the same.”

“Okay.” Qiao Cen glanced at his sister and then said, “I don’t even know who’s behind this. I haven’t offended many people in the entertainment industry. Besides that blind fool, Jin Keyang, my former teammate, and a few actors I’ve worked with—just those three, that’s it.”

Qiao Chuchu spoke up, “Is it possible it’s Jin Keyang? I’ve noticed your relationship with him is really bad. After filming Come to My Fridge, you and Qin Zhongsong were praised by netizens, while Jin Keyang got criticized. Later, the criticism was taken down, and a forced, exaggerated praise for Jin Keyang appeared. Then you were attacked online, with comparisons made to support him and put you down. It’s hard not to suspect he’s behind all this.”

【I’ve really tried my best to let Qiao Cen know that it’s Jin Keyang behind this, but these hints don’t seem enough. I don’t have the evidence to prove it, either.】

【However, I know Jin Keyang filmed a video of Qiao Cen getting beaten by his bodyguards in the bathroom. If I could get his phone, that would be proof.】

【Getting Jin Keyang’s phone seems difficult. The girl who was almost assaulted by him was sent abroad. Finding her for proof is also an option.】

【But how can I make them know?】

As she was struggling with her dilemma, she didn’t realize that the entire family at the table had already figured out her thoughts and had begun planning how to carry out the matter in their minds.

But since Chuchu hasn’t clarified the specific details about the girl Jin Keyang assaulted, the only thing left to do is to figure out how to get Jin Keyang’s phone.

Qiao Chuchu’s thoughts were in a mess. When she looked up, she noticed that everyone at the dining table was quiet, probably worried about Qiao Cen.

“I’ll also try my best to come up with a solution for Xiao Cen’s situation, so don’t be too upset,” Qiao Haiyi said.

Qiao Haiyi smiled and nodded. “Mm, we know. Chuchu, don’t worry too much. If the sky falls, we’ll be the ones holding it up.”

Qiao Bo said, “Little sis, I’ll drive you to school today. It’s on the way.”

Of course, Qiao Chuchu didn’t object. After breakfast, she got into Qiao Bo’s car. On the way, the two of them chatted casually.

Qiao Bo deliberately steered the conversation toward the issue of Qiao Cen being slandered, hoping to get more details from his little sister. As expected, she mentioned the name of the girl involved.

【Actually, big brother is really worried about Xiao Cen, but he hasn’t said anything about it. Sigh, right now, there are only two ways to quickly prove Xiao Cen’s innocence: one is to get Jin Keyang’s phone, and the other is to find the girl Jin Keyang sent abroad, An Qiuying. She’s at the dance academy in Country R, so it will take a few days to find her. Xiao Cen will still be slandered for a few more days.】

【This kind of secret matter, I can’t just tell him directly. No one will believe it. I’ll discuss it with Yinyin at school first.】

Qiao Bo felt relieved. He silently repeated the girl’s name a few times—An Qiuying.

He then said, “Little sis, although we haven’t spent much time together, you’re my sister, and I will always believe in you. I’ll be your strong support. You can tell me anything, and I’ll handle it.”

Qiao Chuchu nodded firmly. “Mm, I got it, big brother.”

【Aww, big brother is so great. I feel so safe with him. I’m really lucky to have such a big brother.】

In his heart, Qiao Bo responded: Having you as my sister makes me happy too.

—

It was rare, but today, Yinyin arrived at school before Chuchu. She was already hunched over her keyboard, arguing with online trolls.

“Yinyin.” Chuchu sat next to her, and only then did Yinyin snap out of her focus.

“Chuchu, you’re finally here! A troll just made me so mad. I chased him down and yelled at him for ten minutes. Now he won’t dare argue with me. I showed him who’s boss!”

“Forget about the online drama for now.” Chuchu said, “There are two ways to prove Xiao Cen is innocent.”

She directly told Yinyin the two methods since Yinyin wasn’t familiar with the details and wouldn’t reveal anything.

Yinyin was shocked. “Holy crap, is Jin Keyang that twisted? He even filmed the video? That’s disgusting!”

“Tell me about it.” Chuchu replied, “When we recorded the food variety show together, I had a bad first impression of him. He was so arrogant and full of himself, acting like his eyes were glued to the ceiling.”

Yinyin also expressed her displeasure. “People like him should just be taken away by the heavens, so they can’t harm anyone.”

“Mm, it’s hard not to agree with you,” Chuchu added. “Can you find a way to leak these two methods to Xiao Cen’s team, so they can figure it out?”

Yinyin was puzzled. “Why don’t you tell them directly? Wouldn’t that be more convincing?”

“I… have something else to do.” Chuchu couldn’t explain how she knew about this matter. The best way was to spread it through others’ mouths.

Yinyin nodded, though not entirely understanding. “Alright, I’ll figure something out.”

She didn’t ask how Chuchu knew about this. It was probably related to the system she had, right? When Chuchu first joked about having a system, she didn’t believe it. But now, hearing it with her own ears, she completely believed it.

Qiao Chuchu was quite relieved. She immediately called Bai Yun. “Yunyun, do you have anyone reliable who can run errands?”

Bai Yun quickly replied, “Yes, what do you need done? I’ll contact them right away.”

“Help me find someone, do whatever it takes to bring her back.” Qiao Chuchu gave her the details about An Qiuying. “Thank you!”

Bai Yun responded, “No need to thank me. I’m happy to help. I’ll arrange it right away.”

Qiao Chuchu felt more at ease and began thinking about how to get Jin Keyang’s phone.

【Jin Keyang is a first-year student in the finance department at A University. Since entering school, he’s hardly attended any classes. Every day, he’s either hanging out with his bad friends or making his presence known in the entertainment industry.】

【Let me check his schedule for the next few days—going to school, filming, charity work at the orphanage, or maybe with his dad.】

Qiao Chuchu’s eyes lit up. Maybe she could make her move at the orphanage. Many people would likely be there that day, making it a good opportunity.

【Jin Keyang’s phone contains a lot of videos showing him bullying girls, teaching guys a lesson, smoking, drinking, and hooking up. If I get my hands on his phone, I can expose his crimes to the public and clear Xiao Cen’s name.】

The classmates in the class once again heard Qiao Chuchu’s thoughts. This time, they weren’t as shocked as the first time. Instead, they all perked up, eager to hear the gossip.

Naturally, they had also seen the trending topics online, with some fans of Qiao Cen arguing with haters, defending his innocence.

Upon hearing that the person responsible for everything was Jin Keyang, they felt an endless rage, wanting to peel the skin off him.

How could such a scumbag exist in this world and still become an idol, adored by millions of fans? He didn’t deserve any of it!

Two die-hard fans exchanged glances and went to their group to inform everyone, starting to dig up Jin Keyang’s past.

They compiled details about the events he attended, the TV shows and commercials he participated in, and so on, and posted a new Weibo post accusing Jin Keyang of his actions.

However, the response was minimal. It seemed like someone was intentionally suppressing the issue, not allowing it to gain any attention. Eventually, their post was deleted.

Of course, they weren’t going to let that slide and fought back.

As for the others, they just sat back and watched the drama unfold.

—

On Friday.

Qiao Chuchu had taken the day off in advance, preparing to go to the orphanage.

Of course, she wasn’t going alone. She had brought help: Shen Yinyin, and people Bai Yun helped find, all of whom were skilled martial artists.

With everyone working together, there should be no problem getting the phone, right?

A young man suggested, “This is simple. We can just drag that Jin Keyang guy into an alley and beat him up. Then we can take his phone, right?”

“Too crude,” the beautiful older sister replied. “Jin Keyang isn’t some unknown nobody. He’s the son of the mayor. He probably has a bunch of bodyguards around him. We need to come up with a foolproof plan.”

“Yes, the beautiful sister is right.” Qiao Chuchu said, “We’re just volunteers at the orphanage, and we’ll definitely have a chance to meet Jin Keyang. We can think of a plan when the time comes, but don’t act impulsively.”

These people had been paid off and weren’t afraid of trouble. They didn’t care about the mayor or Jin Keyang and only wanted to complete their employer’s requests.

They split up and entered. There were still many people guarding the entrance of the orphanage, and everyone going in had to show their student IDs and other documents.

They had prepared all these in advance and successfully entered Hope Orphanage.

Shen Yinyin was right next to Qiao Chuchu. “Chuchu, why are there so many people here? There are even a lot of people in black clothes nearby. How are we going to make our move?”

“Let’s wait and see.” Qiao Chuchu glanced around and said, “Jin Keyang and the others haven’t arrived yet, so let’s head into the building first.”

—

Since morning, Jin Keyang’s right eyelid had been twitching, making him restless, and he had a feeling that something was going to happen today.

“Can you stop twitching? It’s so annoying!”

He pinched his eyelid, but it didn’t stop twitching. He had no choice but to go out like that.

The butler had already come to urge him several times, even wanting to enter and help him get dressed. Before he had heard what Qiao Chuchu said, he would have opened the door and let the butler in to assist him.

But now, his mind was troubled, and he didn’t want to be involved with the butler too much.

The butler, of course, noticed the distance between them. When Jin Keyang was about to leave, the butler carefully asked, “Yangyang, what’s going on with you? If I’ve done anything wrong, please tell me, but please don’t distance yourself from me. Can we talk?”

“You’re…” Jin Keyang didn’t have the courage to ask. Looking at the butler, who shared his eyes and eyebrows, he felt inexplicably annoyed. “Don’t call me Yangyang anymore. Stay away from me and don’t talk to me!”

He left in large strides.

Leaving the butler staring at his back with a feeling of inexplicable sadness.

At that moment, Ximen Saijun walked over and stood beside him, saying, “Brother Li, what happened? Did Yangyang say something harsh to you?”

“Good morning, madam.” The butler quickly composed himself. “No, he just had a mood this morning.”

“I see. I thought Yangyang was throwing a tantrum with you.” Ximen Saijun smiled. “My little brother often does that with my dad. He’s very mischievous.”

The butler’s face stiffened for a moment, then he smiled and said, “Madam’s younger brother is lucky to always be able to joke around with his parents. Unlike me, at my age, I don’t have kids, let alone a wife.”

“Brother Li is still young. You can find any kind of wife you want.” Ximen Saijun said. “If you’re interested, I can help introduce someone.”

“Thank you for your kind offer, madam, but I’m getting old and don’t want to put in that effort anymore.” The butler replied, “Living alone is good. One person eats, and the whole family is not hungry.”

“Everyone has their own aspirations. I won’t persuade you further. Brother Li, you’ve watched Yangyang grow up, you’re like his second father. When you retire, he should treat you well.” Ximen Saijun smiled. “Well, I’ll leave you to your work. I’ll go now.”

She didn’t miss the butler’s expression change, and it was clear that there was some kind of connection between him and Jin Keyang.

She got into the car, and Jin Keyang, looking displeased, said, “Why are you so late? We’ve been waiting for you.”

Jin Cheng looked up at him but didn’t say anything.

Ximen Saijun held back her frustration and smiled, “Sorry, I was just chatting with Brother Li for a few moments. We can head out now.”

Perhaps hearing the butler’s name, Jin Keyang’s expression grew even darker.

An hour later, they arrived at Hope Orphanage.

The group escorted Jin Cheng and the others inside, when suddenly, they heard a strange sound.

【The man in the black suit, protected by the crowd in the middle, is the mayor who was cheated on by his wife.】