Chapter 36

Although Ning Shiyue did not name names in his Weibo post, given the timing, anyone with a discerning eye could see that the "some people" he referred to was Cheng Xiyang.

The post caused an immediate uproar, sending shockwaves through the internet. The rumors of animosity between Ning Shiyue and Cheng Xiyang had been circulating for a long time. Ever since their fanbases began to take shape midway through their talent show, the two sides had been at odds. By the time the finale arrived and Ning Shiyue defeated Cheng Xiyang, the conflict between their fans had reached a boiling point. Subsequently, during their time as fellow members of the group Euphoria-A, the two had almost never interacted in public, making their bad blood plain for all to see.

However, for the past three years, no matter how poor their relationship appeared, neither had ever publicly criticized the other on social media. This was the norm in the entertainment industry; no matter how viciously the fans fought, the celebrities themselves rarely stepped in to direct public opinion. Because of this, nobody expected Ning Shiyue to post such a bombshell.

"Wait, is this actually posted by Ning Shiyue himself? I thought it was a photoshopped image at first!"

"It's been three years. They've had a bad relationship for three years—is this finally the moment they go for each other's throats?"

"Oh my! I love this kind of blatant public feud; it's way more interesting than subtle, veiled insults!"

"Is no one focusing on what he said? 'Building a career by sucking the blood of relatives'? Is there some secret behind this?"

"I smell a massive scandal brewing!!!"

Netizens were ecstatic, waiting for the tea. Meanwhile, the fans of both parties were caught off guard. As for Cheng Xiyang's camp, the fans had been busy promoting their idol’s "progressive values" while taking jabs at Ning Yuxuan and Ning Shiyue. They never expected Ning Shiyue to intervene personally, and their group chats descended into chaos.

"Did you guys see that? Ning Shiyue posted it himself. What should we do?"

"Does anyone know what that line meant? What does 'sucking blood' mean? Whose blood?"

"Exactly! How did Cheng Xiyang suck anyone's blood? I don't get what he's talking about at all!"

Ning Shiyue’s move caught everyone off guard, leaving Cheng Xiyang’s fans feeling both furious and bewildered. After a few minutes of bickering, a high-level fan finally stepped in to take control.

"Everyone, calm down! Don't let the opposition lead you by the nose! The burden of proof lies with the accuser. We don't need to worry about what he meant; we just need to harp on the fact that Ning Shiyue is spreading baseless rumors without evidence!"

It wasn't just Cheng Xiyang's fans who were panicked; things weren't much better on Ning Shiyue's side. After seeing the post, his manager was so furious that he called Ning Shiyue three times. On the third attempt, Ning Shiyue finally answered.

The manager lashed out immediately: "Ning Shiyue! Didn't I emphasize that you must report to me before posting anything on Weibo? You are a high-traffic star; the slightest ripple you make will be interpreted by countless netizens! Tell me, what on earth was that you just posted?"

On the other end of the line, the young man's tone remained calm: "It wasn't anything. I just told the truth."

The manager was even more infuriated: "The truth? I don't care if you're telling the truth or lying; even if you were speaking an alien language, you shouldn't have posted it without consulting me, especially something like that!"

There was a two-second silence on the line.

"I'm sorry."

Hearing such a direct apology, the manager was momentarily stunned. However, before his anger could subside, he heard the youth add: "But I don't regret it."

The manager felt a lump in his throat and raised his voice: "Ning! Shiyue! I must have had the worst luck in eight lifetimes to be your manager!"

Ning Shiyue’s voice was deep: "Old Gao, I apologized because I know my actions caused trouble for your work. If the company wants to punish me, I am willing to accept it. But this time, Cheng Xiyang touched my bottom line—he targeted my family. So, I say I don't regret it."

The manager was speechless. Hearing this, his mood actually calmed down a bit. In all honesty, Ning Shiyue was the most promising artist he had managed in years, and he was relatively low-maintenance. He was hardworking from a young age, didn't let fame go to his head, followed the company's arrangements, and was down-to-earth about starting his acting career with supporting roles. Since his debut, he hadn't been involved in any negative news; he didn't date, and there were almost no rumors about him.

Regardless, the post was already out, and venting wouldn't help. He had to find a way to resolve the situation. The manager took a deep breath: "Save the apologies for later. First, tell me what that sentence meant. What do you know about Cheng Xiyang and his family?"

Ning Shiyue had only learned about the situation between Cheng Xiyang and his sister by accidentally overhearing fragments of a conversation. At the time, Cheng Xiyang had an opportunity to participate in a talent show, but the company’s quota was limited, and he was required to provide his own costume and licensing fees, or the spot would go to another trainee. Cheng Xiyang’s family was struggling and couldn't come up with the money. But since the opportunity to debut might never come again, Cheng Xiyang had ultimately used his sister's compensation money to secure his spot. As for the sister's name, where she lived, or whether she had a job, Ning Shiyue knew nothing.

Ning Shiyue explained the situation to his manager. Upon hearing this, the manager gasped: "My god, Cheng Xiyang sacrificed his sister's quality of life for the rest of her days just for a chance at fame?"

After calming down, the manager asked: "Do you have any substantive evidence for what you said?"

Ning Shiyue replied truthfully: "No. I just happened to hear him talking on the phone with his mother. My phone wasn't with me, so I didn't record it."

The manager sighed: "Ning Shiyue, oh Ning Shiyue, you are just too impulsive. If there's no evidence, what's the point of just hearing it? Forget it... I'll think of a way. Don't act recklessly again, and for heaven's sake, don't post anything else."

"Understood," Ning Shiyue replied in a low voice. Posting that tweet had indeed been an impulsive act; the company and his manager had always treated him well, and he didn't want to cause them any more trouble.

...

The next morning, the online discussion surrounding Ning Shiyue's post intensified. Netizens were all speculating about the meaning of "sucking the blood of relatives." The war between the two fanbases reached a fever pitch. Cheng Xiyang’s fans used a unified script, claiming that Ning Shiyue was spreading rumors.

"We hope Ning Shiyue, as a public figure, won't spout nonsense and slander good people! If you have a scoop, show evidence, don't just say vague things to incite cyberbullying!"

"Support Cheng Xiyang! Say no to malicious slander and rumors!"

Ning Shiyue’s fans fought back quickly.

"Your idol knows exactly what he did!"

"I trust that Ning Shiyue wouldn't say that for no reason! Waiting for Cheng Xiyang to get slapped in the face!"

However, although the fans were arguing fiercely, deep down, both sides were uncertain: one side worried they wouldn't be able to provide evidence, while the other feared that the evidence might actually exist. Because both sides held back, the netizens were left feeling unsatisfied.

"When is there going to be a follow-up? I'm still waiting for the tea!"

"Ning Shiyue, don't just say half a story! If you have evidence, throw it out already so we can all have a good laugh!"

...

In a luxury hotel in North City, Lin Yuanfeng was frowning while on the phone: "Yes, okay, understood... Call me the moment there's further progress."

Hanging up, Lin Yuanfeng remained solemn. Beside him, a woman in a blue suit sipped her coffee slowly.

"What's the matter?" Yan Qinrui asked leisurely. "You, a busy man, have finally started caring about your own son's affairs?"

Lin Yuanfeng sighed: "At a time like this, please spare me the sarcasm."

He knew that although Yan Qinrui’s words were sharp, she wasn't a bad person. She had no ambition; her family's assets and her two older brothers were enough to ensure she lived a life of luxury and leisure for the rest of her days. Consequently, she had no interest in the Lin family's wealth and had no objections to Lin Yuanfeng's decision to leave his assets to his son and daughter. However, her words from last time had truly awakened him. He had been focused on leaving more wealth for his children, yet he had neglected their daily lives, which explained why his daughter and son didn't feel close to him.

Upon hearing about the situation regarding Ning Shiyue, Lin Yuanfeng had taken the initiative to have people investigate. His inquiry had indeed unearthed some unknown facts. Lin Yuanfeng ordered his subordinates to continue the investigation, hoping to obtain concrete evidence.

...

Sunday morning at 10:00 AM, the third episode of *Dear Mother* began its second day of filming. In the control room, the director couldn't believe his luck. Since the show began, the guests seemed to have their own agenda, hitting the trending lists one after another without the production team having to pay for it. He had thought that the trending topic from the previous day regarding Cheng Xiyang's mother would keep the show's buzz going for a while. He hadn't expected another surprise to hit them late last night.

Seeing the viewership numbers in the livestream this morning, the director knew that not only was the production team’s bonus secure, but he might also make history for domestic variety shows. After all, there had been shows that blew up upon release, but a show with a bombshell in every episode was unprecedented. The director once again admired his own decision—bringing on Cheng Xiyang, Ning Shiyue's rival, was definitely the right choice.

The only thing to be careful about was preventing the guests from being disturbed by the outside world. Therefore, even though today was an outdoor shoot, the production team still did not return the guests' phones or other electronic devices. Fortunately, the entire shoot involved all six guests participating together, so the lack of phones didn't have much of an impact on them.