Chapter 14: The Time for Counterattack Has Come

That very night, a gossip paparazzo with over a million followers suddenly released a video with an explosive title: “The pure and innocent star of the entertainment world, but in reality, a ‘pure and seductive woman.’”

Many were drawn by the headline alone, but no one expected the shocking scenes that unfolded upon clicking. The video quickly soared to the top of the trending charts, as if propelled by a rocket.

The footage was crystal clear, requiring no effort to identify the woman—anyone who followed the entertainment industry would immediately recognize her as Li Siqi, a rising star who had been enjoying a golden period with abundant prime opportunities over the past two years.

Now, a video of her with an older, balding man suddenly surfaced, igniting a firestorm across the internet. Although people had anticipated some scandal, nothing prepared them for the scale of this revelation.

The man’s face was pixelated, but his approximate age was still obvious. The image of a supposedly innocent and pure female celebrity paired with a bald, older man sent gossip-hungry netizens into a frenzy, and the video was rapidly shared across countless platforms.

Li Siqi had long built her image around loyalty, love, and purity—now this video brutally shattered all of that.

Her social media account was the first to be bombarded, with thousands of fans flooding in. Former loyal supporters questioned the video’s authenticity, while many turned hostile, joining the online mob to hurl insults. They called her hypocritical, immoral, and shameless.

Her once stellar reputation crumbled utterly; the persona she had carefully cultivated now seemed laughable.

When the video broke, Li Siqi had just arrived home and only learned of it through a call from her assistant. Enraged, she smashed everything in her living room before calming down to immediately call her agent, determined to sue the gossip paparazzo.

Her top priority was to remove the video before the scandal escalated further.

After hanging up, she suddenly sensed a pair of eyes watching her from the darkness—her hair stood on end. The security camera... yes, the camera.

She never imagined anyone had installed cameras in her home, but after searching every corner, she found nothing.

Who was behind this? Who wanted to ruin her?

She couldn’t stay there. Grabbing her bag, she hastily drove to the company.

As the video spread, the contentious mistress scandal that had stirred so much gossip recently resurfaced. People who had once savaged Qi Fei online now began to question if Li Siqi was the real homewrecker.

Zhou Ying, seizing the opportunity, quickly mobilized online trolls. Under the video, numerous insiders emerged, claiming Li Siqi was the one who stole a boyfriend and knowingly played the role of the mistress.

As the rumors gained traction, many began to believe Qi Fei had been unfairly smeared, and even Qian Hua’s character was called into question.

The video’s release spurred a chorus of outrage and demands directed at Qian Hua.

But that wasn’t all.

At the peak of the video’s popularity, the paparazzo released a teaser: “In one hour, an even more explosive video will be revealed.”

Only then did everyone realize this was just the beginning, not the end. The teaser ignited widespread curiosity—what could possibly be more scandalous?

As the internet gorged itself on gossip, the video’s subject could no longer sit still.

Shortly after the first video appeared, someone claiming to be Li Siqi contacted the paparazzo, Wang Dan, threatening to sue him for defamation. Wang Dan ignored her, replying coldly, “I’ll be waiting,” and ceased communication.

When toughness failed, representatives from Sando Entertainment appeared, trying intimidation and bribery, but Wang Dan found their antics amusing.

He had consulted experts who confirmed the videos were unaltered; even if it came to court, he had nothing to fear.

Amidst such overwhelming attention, he paid them no mind.

He immediately posted a defiant statement insisting the videos were genuine apart from pixelation, denying any fabrication, and daring anyone to authenticate them. He even hinted he held more damaging material on other stars from the same company, inviting challenges.

Though the entertainment company wasn’t named, everyone knew it was Sando Entertainment.

Wang Dan’s words suggested the company’s attempts to bribe and threaten him backfired, prompting his angry outburst.

Zhou Ying hadn’t chosen this gossip blogger randomly; she knew he was fearless and bold, which made him an ideal partner.

Sando Entertainment didn’t expect Wang Dan to be so stubborn and simply ignored their efforts.

When Li Siqi arrived at the company, the looks people gave her were telling. The lower staff remained oblivious, but the executives were fully aware—and shocked the video had leaked.

Li Siqi frantically demanded the company remove the video, but the executives had already decided to abandon her.

At this stage, trying to silence the scandal was futile.

Their real concern was whether Wang Dan’s claim of holding more videos involved other company artists—and how many people might be implicated.

No matter the chaos behind the scenes, the public remained unaware.

Then, unexpectedly, just ten minutes after the statement, the next video was released.

Netizens were thrilled but knew Wang Dan was clearly furious.

This time, Li Siqi remained the main figure, but the other man was different.

Even with his face pixelated, netizens instantly recognized he was not the same man as before—differences in height, build, and hairstyle made it obvious.

With this video, the issue transcended mere accusations of being a mistress...

The release shattered everyone’s illusions. The online backlash was merciless.

No longer a star, she was branded a social butterfly, a woman who could be bought with money—harsh words for someone who had once been adored.

This video was so scandalous it remained unblurred, and even platforms refused to allow its dissemination.

Upon seeing it, Li Siqi lost control, cursing wildly regardless of who was present, berating company staff for allowing the video to be published.

Her hysteria betrayed no trace of the star image she once maintained.

The executives, however, were calm, understanding the new video was a reaction to Li Siqi’s earlier defiance.

Given Wang Dan’s boasts of possessing more explosive footage, they dared not act rashly.

Seeing the silence around her, Li Siqi panicked and lashed out, “Don’t think you can stand aside! I wouldn’t be in this mess if it weren’t for you.”

“If you won’t help me, no one will be safe.”

“I’ll drag you all down with me.”

Previously hesitant, the executives now turned cold at her words.

Realizing her mistake, Li Siqi immediately knelt before them, desperate.

Without the company’s support, she was doomed; even paying penalties wouldn’t save her.

If only the first video had surfaced, a few years down the line, the company might have rehabilitated her image and moved on.

But two videos changed everything.

Wang Dan had initially planned one video per person and didn’t intend to take things this far.

One video could be explained as a past relationship or even claimed as her boyfriend, despite the man’s older age—after all, who’s to say a young woman can’t date an older man?

But with two videos, Li Siqi was irredeemably disgraced.

Zhou Ying was somewhat surprised by the second video’s release but learned the reason was Qi Fei.

She had given all the videos to the paparazzo to release as he saw fit and had no objections.

She wasn’t naive enough to think he would hold back; if you dare to act, you must accept the consequences.

When she smeared Qi Fei, she showed no mercy; when Qi Fei was cyberbullied, no mercy was shown—and she never falsely accused her. Actions have consequences.

As time passed, conspiracy theories flourished.

Rumors claimed Li Siqi gained her resources through exchanging favors, that she had been a hostess before debut—endless slanders emerged.

Zhou Ying was busy too, deploying online forces to steer public opinion.

Claims that Li Siqi was falsely accusing others of being a mistress, that she was the real culprit, circulated. Whenever anyone spoke kindly of Qi Fei, Zhou Ying’s trolls fanned the flames.

Thanks to Zhou Ying’s paid campaigns, many who had once insulted Qi Fei apologized, admitting their mistakes. The number of apologies grew steadily.

Just as the public thought the scandal had reached its peak, at the same time and with the same pattern, the gossip paparazzo released another teaser:

“Exciting things continue. See you tomorrow morning at eight.”

This announcement was like an ice-cold cola on a scorching day, refreshing and exhilarating.

Fans flooded the comment section, eager to know if the next videos would be even more sensational.

Wang Dan didn’t disappoint, replying to one fan, “I guarantee satisfaction.”

Just past eleven at night, many who were dozing off were instantly energized by the news.

Though the paparazzo paused, the gossip-hungry public did not.

With two videos released, their influence spread rapidly, permeating every corner of the internet.

Social media platforms couldn’t resist featuring these viral videos prominently; opening any app meant encountering them.

Accounts that first shared the videos gained tens of thousands of followers overnight, like a snowball rolling downhill—more shares meant more views, and more views meant their numbers soared.

The gossip blogger himself gained nearly a million followers in just one day from these two videos alone.