Chapter 40: Being Slandered

Chapter 40: Being Slandered

"An Wen, look at this Weibo post by Lu Man'er. The internet is already full of people cursing you out." Jiang Shiyu had only meant to browse Weibo casually, but she hadn’t expected to find An Wen’s Square in complete chaos.

After reading it, An Wen asked, "Where’s Lu Man'er?"

"She said she wasn’t feeling well and already went back to the hotel. Should I go find her?" Jiang Shiyu asked.

"No need. She left the wrap-up party because she was afraid I’d confront her publicly. If you go looking for her, she might twist things, and who knows what else she’ll stir up."

"Then, An Wen, what should we do now?" Jiang Shiyu pressed.

"I have no works to my name, no public recognition. If she wants to manipulate the narrative and slander me, there’s no way I can fight back. Besides, her post never even mentioned my name. If I speak up to refute it, it’ll just look like I’m admitting guilt." An Wen analyzed calmly.

"I know all that, but An Wen, you’ve just debuted, and now you’re being labeled with things like plastic surgery and having a sugar daddy. Once the audience gets that impression, your reputation will be ruined." Jiang Shiyu grew frantic. "You don’t even have an agency to handle PR for you. Fine, I’ll go contact someone for you right now."

"Don’t!" An Wen grabbed her arm. "We have to make them come to us."

"If your reputation is ruined, who’d even come looking for you?"

"Even if we can’t fight head-on this time, we can still counter hardness with softness. Even if we can’t completely undo the damage, it’s better than bleeding out completely." An Wen’s gaze turned cold as she stared at her phone.

The only downside was that her fans would have to endure this for now.

"Let me sing a song for everyone," An Wen suddenly announced, standing up.

Xia Jin, slightly tipsy, was dragging Cheng Hanwen into an awkward dance. Hearing An Wen’s words, he clapped and cheered, "Little An, give us a show!"

The lively atmosphere caught on, and soon everyone joined in chanting for her.

An Wen borrowed a guitar from the band and sat on the stage, beginning to play and sing. The crowd quieted down to watch her. Her voice was gentle and moving, the beautiful girl in a white dress singing with emotion as if pouring out her heart. Under the spotlight, she seemed to glow.

An Wen’s tender singing cast a melancholic mood over the entire wrap-up party, yet her expression remained softly smiling, as if nothing could disturb her peace.

When the song ended, Ye Qiaofeng, annoyed at the somber atmosphere, called the band back up to play something more upbeat.

Jiang Shiyu recorded the entire performance and posted it to An Wen’s fan community.

Immediately, the Guardian Army swarmed in with adoration.

[This video is so HD and beautiful, OP, I love you!]

[What do I do? I listened to it and now I want to cry. How could anyone bully someone as good as her?]

[Did An Wen see something? That’s why she sang so sadly.]

[I cried listening to this.]

[She’s still smiling even though I’m crying. She’s so strong, it breaks my heart.]

[Guardian Army will protect An Wen completely. We’ll be her armor and stand up for her.]

[An Wen, if you happen to see those vile words, don’t worry. The Guardian Army will always love and support you. We’ll fight back for you.]

......

Those who had only joined the fan group out of curiosity or for her looks were now, after witnessing An Wen being unjustly slandered, fully converted into members of the Guardian Army.

The incident raged on all night. Early the next morning, Jiang Shiyu called An Wen in a panic.

"Get on Weibo, now!"

The Hot Search trends include topics like "Lu Man'er's Wrap-Up Night Sentiments," "An Wen's Plastic Surgery," and "Ren Lu's Sympathy for Lu Man'er." Ren Lu commented under Lu Man'er's post, saying, "I feel for you. I truly can't imagine what darkness you've endured."