The netizens could hardly believe their ears. They could hear each word in the audio clearly but strung together, they couldn’t quite make it out.

Originally, they thought Jiang Lianqin’s injury was indirectly caused by Meng Zhen. But now, this audio clip confirms another possibility— Jiang Lianqin wanted to frame Meng Zhen, and injuring her leg was a case of her reaping what she sowed.

【Sh*t, I’ve replayed it over a dozen times. It really seems to be Jiang Lianqin’s voice. Where are Jiang Lianqin’s fans? Hurry up and come listen. See if the voice matches your idol’s. If it’s the same person, it’s too scary.】

【Although Jiang Lianqin and Meng Zhen participated in the same talent show, they had no interaction after their debuts. One became an idol and the other an actress. With no competition for resources, could Jiang Lianqin really be this ruthless?】

【It’s clear that Upstairs isn’t really following the entertainment industry. Previously, Jiang Lianqin had auditioned for the role of Daji, but Meng Zhen was ultimately chosen to portray the infamous historical femme fatale. Meanwhile, Jiang Lianqin ended up in a minor supporting role, seemingly playing some sort of jade or stone pipa spirit. Giving the role to the tenth placer when Jian Lianqin was the first placer, it’s no wonder she isn’t taking it well.】

Most bystanders are watching this incident with a mentality of enjoying the spectacle without caring too much about the seriousness of the matter. Initially, some overly enthusiastic netizens followed Jiang Lianqin’s fans and insulted Meng Zhen. Now, after clicking on this audio clip, they hastily deleted the posts they had made. After all, in the age of the internet, reversals happen most easily. Once it was proven that Meng Zhen was innocent, how could they preserve their dignity?

No one knew Jiang Lianqin better than her fans.

Jiang Lianqin’s fans have been following her since she was a trainee. They knew she had a pure and sweet face, but her temperament was particularly sharp. She would compete fiercely for everything, and if she didn’t win, she would feel upset for a long time.

On normal days, Jiang Lianqin’s fans didn’t consider her competitiveness and sharp-tempered nature as flaws. After all, everyone in the entertainment industry desired fame. If one remained calm and avoided competition, they might as well retire and live as an ordinary people. However, upon hearing this audio clip, some long-time fans felt a mix of feelings, and it was quite unsettling.

Qinqin can indeed say such things.

At this moment, older fans managed to keep their composure, but younger fans were like they’d been injected with chicken blood, crazily attacking Meng Zhen. They posted a lot of curses and the insults never decreased.

【Meng Zhen is a liar. Just get out of the entertainment circle. Isn’t putting Qinqin in the hospital enough for you? Now you’ve even fabricated an audio to smear Qinqin’s reputation. They say you two were friends before. Being friends with you is really my Qinqin’s eight lifetimes of bad luck.】

【Please take a look at our clarification, dear netizens. The audio is fake, but Qinqin’s injury is real.】

【I beg the police to quickly arrest this scheming b*tch Meng Zhen. She’s so disgusting. Just go die already.】

Jiang Lianqin’s fans simply didn’t believe the content of the audio clip. They had long put on tinted glasses and viewed Meng Zhen as their imaginary enemy, so naturally, they wouldn’t believe her words.

At first, netizens were quite sympathetic towards Jiang Lianqin. She had just come of age and showed considerable professional abilities. Having her leg bitten by a fierce dog was like an undeserved calamity. But now it seemed they misunderstood. This wasn’t an undeserved calamity at all. It’s very likely that Jiang Lianqin tried to steal the chicken but ended up losing the rice instead!

Meng Zhen was at least one of the most popular young actresses recently. Even though she didn’t have a high education, she wasn’t a fool. How could she possibly synthesize audio and post it on her Weibo? As long as someone sends it to a professional, wouldn’t she be seeking abuse?

Xin Xin sat in the airport waiting area, scrolling through the comments on Weibo. Her eyes widened in fear, afraid that Meng Zhen might have fabricated the audio to prove her innocence. She was now sweating profusely and hoarsely asked, “Sister Zhenzhen, where did that audio come from? Was it edited? Let’s delete it quickly!”

Seeing the assistant’s panicked appearance, Meng Zhen immediately guessed her thoughts. She lifted her hand and gently squeezed Xin Xin’s pale face, whispering softly, “Don’t worry, although the audio has been edited, I can guarantee its authenticity.”

Upon hearing those words, Xin Xin grew even more anxious. Trembling, she held onto Meng Zhen’s hand and gently asked, “Sister Zhenzhen, please tell me the truth. Who gave you the audio clip? If we don’t know its source, I can’t relax, and I won’t be able to explain to Sister Fei either.”

As they were talking, Xin Xin’s phone suddenly rang. She looked at the flashing name on the screen, sighed, and pressed the answer button reluctantly.

“Xin Xin, give the phone to Meng Zhen.”

“It’s Sister Fei.” Xin Xin whispered.

Meng Zhen placed the phone to her ear and heard Fei Yun’s rapid-fire interrogation, “What exactly happened during your recording? Can you guarantee the authenticity of that audio clip? Who is Jiang Lianqin talking with?”

Meng Zhen understood Fei Yun’s anxiety well. The other party had always been a dedicated manager, going out of her way to solve problems instead of treating her artists like tools, as Yu Jing did. Yu Jing always sought to maximize the value of her artists, but if something went wrong, she would discard them without any mercy.

She found a secluded corner and explained in a low voice,

“Sister Fei, don’t worry. Let me explain slowly. During the recording in He’an Village, I happened to overhear Jiang Lianqin and Xiao Lan discussing how to harm me. They knew there was an ownerless wolfdog to the west of the village and planned to use the tasks arranged by the production team to lure me there. However, I caught wind of their plan and didn’t fall for it. Instead, I suggested a task exchange.”

“Jiang Lianqin was well aware of the dog so I thought they would steer clear of it, but ironically, they ended up entering a villager’s house. The homeowner had confined the dog in their courtyard at the village chief’s behest, but Jiang Lianqin’s screams startled it, leading to the injury.”

Fei Yun had always prided herself on her good judgment of people. From the moment she first saw Meng Zhen, she sensed that the young woman had a good heart. Despite her exceptionally beautiful appearance, Meng Zhen never strayed from the right path. Fei Yun couldn’t imagine a person like her willingly harming Jiang Lianqin.

Now hearing all this, Fei Yun had pieced together the sequence of events in her mind. A fire burned in her belly as she gritted her teeth and said, “Just now, someone from Jiang Lianqin’s studio called me, accusing you of harming Jiang Lianqin. They never consider what kind of person their artist is, completely rotten to the core. And they still have the nerve to ask for an explanation?!”

“Jiang Lianqin definitely wouldn’t dare to publicize her own plan. It’s possible even her studio staff aren’t aware and they truly see her as the victim.” Meng Zhen said slowly.

Fei Yun acknowledged with a grunt and then gave a few more instructions before hanging up the phone.

Before contacting Meng Zhen, Fei Yun had some concerns that this incident might have negative consequences and not end well. However, now that she was sure of the authenticity of the audio, Fei Yun felt a sense of relief wash over her, calming her emotions considerably, like taking a soothing pill.

Just as Meng Zhen handed back the phone to Xin Xin, her own phone rang. Seeing ‘Dad’ displayed on the screen, she couldn’t help but furrow her brows.

“Meng Zhen, how many times have I told you to maintain a good image so as not to tarnish the company’s reputation? But instead, you’ve directly caused a young star to injure her leg. How can you be so vicious?”

In her previous life, Meng Zhen was sold by her own blood relatives to a dance hall, enduring countless hardships and growing emotionally distant as a result. Unlike the other Meng Zhen, she didn’t harbor expectations for the parents whom she hadn’t seen in years. Xu Youheng had also never fulfilled his responsibilities as a father. If not for his negligence and indulgence towards Xu Xuero, the other Meng Zhen wouldn’t have left the world so early.

She rubbed her forehead, her voice carrying a hint of coldness. “Since we recognized each other, you’ve always thought I’m selfish, malicious, and of low character. If that’s the case, I’d better cut ties with the Xu family to spare you any more trouble.”

Xu Youheng didn’t expect Meng Zhen to speak like this. Although her time in the Xu family wasn’t long, it would elevate her rank in the capital as the young lady of the Xu Group. How could it be better than being an orphan without parents? Meng Zhen must be out of her mind and speaking nonsense!

“You know I’m in a difficult position. It’s better if you quit the entertainment industry early. I can overlook what you just said.”

Before he could say everything he wanted, Meng Zhen interrupted, “According to the law, parents are not obligated to support their adult children. I have my own career and can live well on my own. It’s fine if you don’t believe in me. I don’t need to keep explaining myself or compete for affection with Xu Xuero. She’s your daughter, not me.”

After Old Master Lin’s birthday banquet, Xu Xuero’s carefully crafted persona could no longer be maintained. She was no longer the obedient daughter in the eyes of the Xu couple, nor the kind and gentle sister in Xu Ruixi’s eyes.

Xu Youheng did indeed dote on Xu Xuero before, but once ill feelings took root, it was incredibly difficult to eradicate. Recently, he couldn’t stand the sight of Xu Xuero and felt a deep aversion towards her, seeing her as fundamentally bad, skilled at pretending, and incapable of evoking any trace of affection from him.

Meng Zhen was pleased to see this situation unfold.

Xu Xuero’s mental resilience was inherently poor, and her personality was somewhat extreme. She had previously concealed it behind a facade of gentleness and kindness. But now that the facade had been torn apart, no matter how she tried to pretend, she wouldn’t be able to compare to her previous self. It might even lead the Xu family to doubt her.

Enduring daily mental torment, it would be strange if Xu Xuero could still manage to live well.

In that case, Meng Zhen saw no need to continue entangling herself with the Xu family. She promptly hung up the phone.

Upon hearing the dial tone from the other end, Xu Youheng’s face instantly turned as dark as night. He fiercely threw the vase on the coffee table to the ground.

“Meng Zhen has really grown wings, daring to cut ties with the Xu family. She’s only been in the entertainment industry for a while yet she thinks she’s some big star. Without the Xu Group, she’s nothing! I want to see how long she can keep up her tough act!”