Chapter 10: The Evidence is Late, but It Has Arrived

The variety show this time was titled "Longing for Pastoral Life," and the filming location was in the countryside of Suzhou.

However, to ensure the footage looked beautiful, the production team had chosen an excellent location—lush mountains, clear waters, and very fresh air.

There were waterways in front of the gates of every household, with boatmen rowing on the rivers to ferry villagers between towns. Some older ladies and aunts could even wash clothes and chat by the riverbanks.

It looked incredibly peaceful.

The farmhouse courtyard built by the production team was not far from the river, but it was quite far from the village entrance.

On the first day of recording, the guests naturally couldn't arrive by boat, and the production team's vehicles could only be parked at the village entrance.

Therefore, Su Xingmian had to walk there alone, carrying her luggage.

Fortunately, the one-hour trip from the city was enough time for Su Xingmian to recharge her batteries.

She patted her face to wake herself up, then picked up her two large suitcases and walked toward the village, brimming with energy.

The recording began at this very moment.

Pushing the two large suitcases, Su Xingmian walked effortlessly, leisurely enjoying the scenery along the way. She also timely began the pre-recording questions with her director.

Of course, in the live broadcast seen by the audience, his face was not visible; they could only hear his voice.

"How does Xingmian feel about this place?"

"The air is very fresh and the scenery is beautiful. If I stayed here for a month, I might not even want to go back to the Imperial Capital," Su Xingmian said with a smile.

Suzhou was a typical Jiangnan water town, exuding refinement and elegance everywhere. Being in such an environment, one couldn't help but feel much more relaxed.

"Many netizens in the comments are asking about this morning's Weibo incident. I wonder if Xingmian could give a brief explanation."

The director weighed his words, striving to ask a question that would satisfy the netizens without offending Su Xingmian.

Speaking of this, Su Xingmian was in no hurry to answer. Instead, she used one hand to push the two suitcases while using the other to open her phone, thrusting her chat window with Liang Yin toward the camera.

"No matter how much I say about what happened that day, it's just one side of the story. It's best to rely on the surveillance footage. My manager just sent a message saying the footage is almost repaired and will be clarified soon. I hope everyone will keep an eye on Weibo then."

This unshielded, frank, and sincere manner, combined with her high level of beauty, actually caused many netizens to lean slightly in her favor, posting bullet comments expressing their belief in her and their willingness to wait for the evidence.

After all, Su Xingmian's face was one of the top beauties even within the entertainment industry. Coupled with her approachable smile and non-aggressive features, she instantly broke through the psychological defenses of most "visual fans."

But where there are good comments, there are naturally bad ones.

【LMAO, does anyone actually believe the surveillance was deleted? Three hours is more than enough for them to edit the video.】

【To be fair, this woman's background is quite significant. She has no works to her name, yet her company protects her like this. Poor Jiajia worked for years only to be bullied by a newcomer, and her company won't even step up for her.】

【Who is the benefactor? Reveal it! I'll go make our Jiajia work hard too, if nothing else, just so she doesn't have to take such insults.】

【That face might even be plastic; maybe even her age is fake.】

Some fans were just like that: as long as their idol didn't admit it, it was fake. Even if the idol admitted it, they would still have their own logic.

However, being overly smug was never a good thing.

【Stop talking, your idol's age just dropped by ten years.】

【Update: the clarification post is out. In the surveillance video, your "sister" is truly "gentle and generous"—it's completely shattered my worldview.】

【Some people look weak on the surface, but they're actually Sailor Moon in disguise. [Admiration.jpg]】

Indeed, Xingsheng's clarification video arrived, albeit late, and it even included a bold caption: *The video is guaranteed to be unedited; feel free to have professionals analyze it.*

Additionally: *Regarding the rumor-mongering marketing accounts, please immediately delete the false statements on Weibo and issue a public apology. Otherwise, please wait to receive a lawyer's letter.*

Most of the live stream viewers were young people, following Weibo trends on one phone while having a variety show live stream running on a tablet, multitasking effortlessly.

Thus, after watching the surveillance video, they immediately launched an attack on Bai Yunjia's brainless fans.

Heh, weren't you always saying your sister was beautiful and kind-hearted? She hit someone in the video and didn't apologize, and instead, she's the one cursing and getting physical? Do you really think everyone is blind?

Of course, Su Xingmian was unaware of the debate in the bullet comments. She was currently standing outside the small courtyard, pressing the doorbell.

The courtyard, built with white walls and black tiles, would have blended perfectly with authentic Jiangnan architecture if it weren't for being taller than the neighboring houses.

"Coming!"

Hearing the doorbell, a bright voice came from within the courtyard, followed by the black wooden door opening from the inside.

"Teacher Ling, Teacher Wen, hello. I am Su Xingmian."

The young men who came to open the door were Ling Jiayu, a popular young actor famous for Xianxia dramas, and Wen Jing, a singer who had recently gained some fame. One was calm and the other was lively, but both were very handsome, with mostly "wife fans."

Interacting with them put quite a bit of pressure on Su Xingmian. If she was too polite and distant, fans would scold her for not respecting their "oppas"; if she was too enthusiastic, she would be criticized for trying to cling to them.

But since they had already met, she couldn't skip the greetings. After much thought, Su Xingmian settled on a safe way to address them.

"Sister Mian, you're being too polite. You're the teacher here."

Wen Jing's reputation didn't match his personality; he was actually a social butterfly with a bit of a manic streak, though he maintained good boundaries so as not to be annoying.

Su Xingmian: *It's because I'm afraid your fans will scold me for three days and nights.*

But could she say that? She couldn't.

"No, no, no, Teacher Wen. I'm still a newcomer. You're being too humble."

She scratched her head sheepishly and gave a simple, honest laugh.

"Come on in. That pebble path isn't easy to walk on while dragging suitcases. Why didn't you call us to help?"

Ling Jiayu, standing to the side, was more composed.

However, his first impression of Su Xingmian was quite good. At the very least, she wasn't like some minor artists who immediately tried to curry favor and act overly familiar, which was annoying, especially when they had to make small talk while filming.

"I have quite a bit of strength; these two suitcases aren't heavy," Su Xingmian said as she picked up her luggage to enter.

"There's no logic in letting a girl carry her own suitcases. Brother Ling, one each, let's go." Wen Jing brushed the hair from his forehead and was the first to reach for Su Xingmian's suitcase.

Before she could stop him, Su Xingmian watched helplessly as her suitcases were snatched away by the two large men.

Wen Jing couldn't lift them, and Ling Jiayu was lifting them until his face turned red and his neck strained.

The bullet comments were laughing hysterically at this point.

Both of these men were figures on the "God-Tier Visual" list. Even the flighty Wen Jing usually maintained an elegant demeanor, not to mention Ling Jiayu, the go-to male lead for Xianxia dramas, who possessed a natural celestial aura.

But now? One couldn't lift them, and the other could barely manage it while being exhausted.

Their divine status had fallen; their reputations were in jeopardy!

(End of Chapter)