Chapter 74

As mentioned before, most of Qin Aocheng’s fans were young girls—blindly idolizing him and hostile to any of his competitors.

There were four nominees for the Huasheng Award’s Best Male Singer this year. As soon as the nominations were announced, the fans began fighting. If a singer had a scandal, it would be dug up and publicly flogged; if there wasn’t one, they’d make up something plausible to tarnish the other’s reputation.

Qin Aocheng, in particular, had his flings dragged out again, with several internet influencers mocking him as promiscuous and immoral.

Of course, Qin Aocheng’s fans couldn’t just sit by while their idol was slandered. They jumped in, going to war with the haters, flinging vulgar insults and even cursing entire families. There’s a saying: “Fans’ behavior, idols pay the price.” With such a fanbase destroying his public image, many neutral netizens started forming a bad impression of him.

Among the four nominees, Qin Aocheng was the least established. Most people didn’t think he stood much of a chance and favored Huo Ran instead—a well-respected and long-standing star in the music industry, known for both his talent and character.

Huo Ran was naturally low-key, kind-hearted, and liked supporting younger talents. Before Qin Aocheng’s scandals surfaced, Huo Ran had even praised his talent. But after the scandals broke, he was deeply disappointed. In his eyes, character outweighed talent, and from that point on, he became distant toward Qin Aocheng.

Qin Aocheng didn’t realize that Huo Ran’s coldness was due to his disapproval of his conduct. He thought Huo Ran was just another hypocrite, a fair-weather ally who distanced himself as soon as trouble came. In Qin Aocheng’s mind, Huo Ran was no gentleman at all.

Qin Aocheng was arrogant to the core. Feeling his pride had been trampled, he bore a grudge. When he was finally nominated for Best Male Singer, he found himself once again overshadowed—this time by Huo Ran. How could he accept that?

So, Qin Aocheng made a move against him. He fabricated a drug scandal involving Huo Ran, sending him to prison.

While he still had two other competitors, Huo Ran’s downfall already brought Qin Aocheng immense satisfaction. He didn’t want to push too far—after all, if all his rivals met unfortunate ends while he remained untouched, people might grow suspicious.

No one expected it when the Best Male Singer award was finally given to Qin Aocheng.

Having triumphed over the other three nominees, his fans became even more smug, mocking Huo Ran for “deserving what he got” and comparing Qin Aocheng to the other nominees in ways that subtly or overtly belittled them.

Of course, the other three fandoms weren’t going to take that sitting down. They fought back hard, accusing Qin Aocheng of being unable to control his urges, calling him a “playboy” even before he was legally an adult. Then they dragged Lin Ruyu into it, claiming she dumped him for being too dirty.

This online war even drew out students from Minggao Academy. A gossip-hungry crowd mentioned:

“What’s Lin Ruyu dumping Qin Aocheng? That’s nothing. Back then, he shamelessly tried chasing after the eldest Miss of the You family, but she didn’t even spare him a glance. Only you brainless stans would think this scumbag is a catch.”

That set off a tidal wave of gossip. Everyone wanted to know if it was true. No one dared approach the You family’s heiress directly, so the paparazzi went after Minggao students instead—and the tip turned out to be legit.

The three other fanbases laughed out loud.

“Oh wow, you all talked Qin Aocheng up like he was some rare treasure, but a true heiress wouldn’t even look at him. She clearly had no interest.”

“Exactly! Only those brainless fans without an ounce of intelligence would think he’s worth anything.”

“Our dear Qianqian might not be filthy rich, but he’s still a young master, and even he wouldn’t dare boast like that. Where do you people get the nerve?”

…

The mockery grew so loud that even Qin Aocheng’s own fans started to buckle.

Qin Aocheng, watching this unfold, was furious. He hated the person who leaked the info, hated those who mocked him, and even hated the fans who were tanking his public image.

But he knew that without fans, he wouldn’t survive in the entertainment industry. So he forced himself to pacify them, posting on Xingbo (a social media platform), saying that he had truly liked You Changqing in the past, but after being rejected countless times, he lost his way and spiraled. He claimed he hurt those girls and his fans because of that one heartbreak.

His fans read his Xingbo post and sobbed, hearts aching for an idol who “loved but could not have.”

To them, he was their light, their god. Now that their god confessed he, too, had been rejected, how could they not feel pain and anger?

So You Changqing became the target of their hate. They found her Xingbo page—bare and quiet—and began their attack: insults, mockery, degrading comments. Netizens watching were both stunned and thinking: Qin Aocheng’s days might be numbered.

Was the You family’s heiress really someone you could mess with?

You Changqing glanced at the flood of insults, snorted coldly, tossed her phone on the bed in disgust, and crossed her arms, exuding a clear air of “I’m not happy.”

“What’s wrong? Did something make you mad?”

Shen Lihuan paused what she was doing and, ignoring the fact that You Changqing was still a bit damp, wrapped an arm around her waist, whispering warmly in her ear.

You Changqing burrowed into Shen Lihuan’s warm embrace. “Lihuan, someone bullied me.”

“Who dares to bully you? Tell me—I’ll get revenge for you.”

Shen Lihuan’s grip on the hairdryer tightened, and a cold glint flashed in her deep eyes.

“You’ll see for yourself. I’m not done with Qin Aocheng!”

You Changqing handed her phone back to Shen Lihuan. Honestly, she wasn’t that bothered by the comments—she just wanted Lihuan to dote on her a little more. Still, even the gentlest person has a temper, and she was no pushover.

“Qin Aocheng? What nonsense is he up to this time?”

Shen Lihuan took the phone and scrolled through it from beginning to end, her expression growing darker and darker.

“Changqing, don’t worry. I won’t let him off this time. He got away last time, but this time, I’ll make sure he’s utterly ruined!”

To mislead his fans into insulting the one she loves—Qin Aochen, you’ve really got nerve!

You Changqing wrapped her arms around her waist and buried her face into her soft chest.

“Lihuan, you really care about me. You’re the best.”

“Silly girl, you’re my wife. If I don’t love you, who else would I love?”

Though Shen Lihuan’s face was filled with tenderness, her mind was already planning how to tear Qin Aochen to pieces to vent Changqing’s anger.

First, she messaged Shen Jiashu, asking him to look into the matter of Changqing being verbally attacked online and to send cease and desist letters to those who insulted her. She also asked him to investigate the truth behind Huo Ran’s drug scandal—she strongly suspected something was off, possibly a setup by Qin Aochen.

By the time they finished drying their hair and changing clothes to head downstairs, it was already close to noon. Kate’s family was already waiting in the restaurant.

The four of them walked over, Shen Lihuan smiling politely as she apologized,

“Sorry for the delay.”

“No worries, we just got here too.”

Kate responded with a hearty smile. As soon as Byrne and Ryan saw the pretty big sisters arrive, they stretched out their little arms for hugs.

Shen Lihuan and You Changqing each picked up one of the kids with a laugh. The two little ones, satisfied with being held, grinned happily, leaning into the fragrant embrace of their big sisters, dazed with joy.

A waiter came over with the menu to take their order. Kate and Anderson offered for Shen Lihuan’s group to order first. Shen Lihuan didn’t stand on ceremony and ordered a few seafood dishes—after all, what’s a seaside trip without a seafood feast?

Kate and Anderson added a few of the hotel’s signature dishes, then handed the menu to the Luo brothers so they could order as well.

Luo Yi glanced at Shen Lihuan, and when she nodded, he began ordering his favorite dishes. As bodyguards, their work required intense focus, so a hearty meal was essential.

Luo Yi and Luo Er were meat lovers, so they added a few meat dishes. By the time all the food was served, the table was practically full.

No one was allergic to seafood, so they could all eat to their hearts’ content. But since Shen Lihuan and the others were holding the kids, it wasn’t convenient for them to eat. So Kate had her two little ones sit beside her and Anderson, feeding them bit by bit.

Byrne and Ryan were well-mannered, eating on their own with elegance—it was clear they were well-educated.

Shen Lihuan looked at Ryan, his cheeks puffed out as he ate, and her heart melted.

“Ryan is so well-behaved—such a little angel. When Changqing and I have a child, I hope they’re just as cute.”

Hearing that, You Changqing smiled sweetly with longing.

“Our baby will definitely be adorable too. After all, they’ll inherit our premium genes.”

“Oh, with your looks, your child is bound to be the most adorable little angel,” Kate said with genuine warmth.

“Thank you for your kind words. It’s just a pity that Changqing and I are still underage, not yet old enough to get married. Otherwise, I’d really want to have a baby with her right now.”

“Well, all good things are worth waiting for. A lovely little angel is no exception—she needs you to wait patiently. Only then can you truly feel how important she is to you.”

Anderson suddenly said something meaningful, and Kate nodded in agreement.

“That’s right. Anderson and I had been married for years before Byrne and Ryan came along, and their timing was just perfect. If they’d arrived too early, before we were ready to be parents, we might’ve felt fear and rejection instead of joy. But when we were mature and prepared, they came just in time. So not everything has to happen early—arriving at the right moment is what matters most.”

“Thank you both for the advice. We’ll welcome our child when the time is right,” Shen Lihuan said with a smile to You Changqing, their hands intertwining under the table.

Anderson’s mother was also from the Imperial Capital, so after the trip, they were heading back there. Upon learning that Shen Lihuan and the others were also from the same city, they were delighted and agreed to meet again in the future. Shen Lihuan, fond of little Ryan, left her contact info with Anderson.

In the afternoon, You Changqing dragged Shen Lihuan out to go crab- and shell-hunting. They even dove underwater and interacted with sea creatures. They met a lazy sea turtle and playful, clever dolphins—but fortunately, no sharks.

Shen Lihuan had too much on her mind to fully enjoy it, but You Changqing, carefree as ever, had a great time.

Their flight was at six in the evening, so they left the hotel around 4:30. After saying goodbye to a very reluctant Byrne and Ryan, they hopped into a taxi headed for the airport.