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Chapter 11: Infamy Is Still Fame — It’s Honestly a Little Pitiful
【Thanks, lol. You really made us look great.】
— Zhong Yang reposted a video: Live from the bar — Xu Youyou violently bottles a bystander!
【Your reporting skills suck. You only got one thing right — yes, I really am broke right now.】
— Zhong Yang reposted a blog post: Photo evidence suggests Zhong Yang has been dumped by her sugar daddy. Now living in the old district, taking the subway to work!
The comments section was in utter chaos:
Pei Yunzhe clicked into Zhong Yang’s profile. Her account only had about a thousand followers, so he followed her on a whim.
This little star really is kind of pitiful.
Her Weibo had barely a dozen posts — mostly text with some photos. Pei Yunzhe clicked through them one by one: learning how to mix drinks, the moon after work, a stray cat by the roadside, selfies with coworkers…
And finally, a familiar picture — one he’d seen before via text.
An unexpected epilogue after the credits of a movie…
Pei Yunzhe’s finger hovered for a moment before liking the post.
Just then, several new notifications popped up on his phone.
【Zhong Yangz posted a new update: @Yuntian Entertainment — how much longer are you going to play this shady game? I was signed for four years — no resources, no PR, no packaging. You know exactly how many people you’ve screwed over. Just took 150 million yuan in breach-of-contract fees from me — still not satisfied? Now you’re trying to milk this scandal too?】
【Zhong Yangz posted: Please follow this new account. If you’re gonna flame me, do it here. The old one is still controlled by Yuntian Entertainment — not in my hands.】
【Zhong Yangz posted: I wanted to say this a year ago — I was never a mistress. Every cent I’ve made is from my own work. Every role I got through auditions. I’ve never relied on any man, and I don’t need to.】
But the comment section was still full of mockery:
So much vicious filth made Pei Yunzhe’s head ache. He shifted his gaze to the investigation report beside him. After pausing for a few seconds, he sent Zhong Yang a text:
“Tomorrow morning at 9, 18th floor, Pei Group HQ.”
Infamy is still fame —
That saying is really true.
Zhong Yang’s fiery rebuttals fanned the scandal to its peak. Tons of people who’d never heard of her — or had long forgotten her drama — ended up hearing the name “Zhong Yang” thanks to a night of gossip-fueled entertainment.
By the next day, her new account had gained over 30,000 followers, more than she had earned from an entire year of filming before.
No wonder people will take endless abuse just to chase clout, Zhong Yang thought with a bitter smile.
The Pei Group headquarters was in the heart of the capital’s central business district. In a place where every inch of land was gold, their building took up nearly half a block. Talk about rich and powerful.
Afraid of being recognized, Zhong Yang entered the building wearing a mask. A receptionist greeted her immediately:
“Hello, miss. Are you Ms. Zhong Yang?”
Dang, everyone here’s elite or something? Their eyesight’s sharp too.
Zhong Yang nodded. “Yes, that’s me.”
“Great. Please follow me to the 18th floor.”
At the elevator, a young man was waiting. “Ms. Zhong, I’m Zhang Lin, President Pei’s assistant. We spoke on the phone earlier. Please come with me.”
Inside the meeting room was a woman with a short bob, looking to be in her thirties. She wore a casual suit and had a composed, professional air.
“Hello, I’m Su Mingzhu, CEO of Qiguang Media.”
Zhong Yang had never heard of the company but still responded politely, “Nice to meet you. I’m Zhong Yang. Sorry to keep you waiting.”
Su Mingzhu smiled. “Not at all. I just got here myself. President Pei should be here soon.”
Four cups of tea were set on the table. A moment later, the door opened again — Pei Yunzhe and Assistant Zhang walked in.
Pei Yunzhe took the head seat, his smoke-gray suit perfectly crisp.
Zhong Yang watched him from the corner of her eye. Something feels different today.
He seemed colder, more distant — even a little… intimidating.
Pei Yunzhe signaled to his assistant: “Start.”
No pleasantries. No small talk. Classic Pei style.
“Regarding the defamation of Ms. Zhong,” Assistant Zhang began, “we’ve now mapped out the full timeline. This shows the original accounts that posted and pushed the narrative…”
He pointed to the screen. “Over 90% of these are tied to a company called Yuntian Entertainment.”
Zhong Yang’s grip on her teacup tightened.
Her own company slandering its own artist?
Why would they do this?
And Zhang Yue… acting like she didn’t know a thing — guess she’s been playing dumb this whole time.
“As for potential individuals who stood to gain or had prior disputes with Ms. Zhong,” Zhang Lin continued, “our investigation has narrowed it down to another Yuntian artist — He Muya.”
“Further digging led us to photos and videos confirming He Muya’s intimate relationship with Li Jin Xun, the chairman of Jin Xun Real Estate.”
“Li Jin Xun — also the Qin family’s live-in son-in-law — started with nothing and owes everything to his father-in-law, Qin Shan.”
Zhong Yang wasn’t surprised. She had always suspected He Muya, the biggest beneficiary of the incident.
But what she didn’t expect was that He Muya was the real mistress — the one who’d actually wrecked a family.
A video began to play on the projector.
Behind the floor-to-ceiling windows of a villa, He Muya, dressed in a red silk camisole, was on her knees in front of a man.
Even with heavy pixelation, the movement made it obvious what was going on.