Lin Xiaoman smiled sweetly: “It makes me happy to hear someone say I should just be myself. Everyone says I’m like my cousin, calling me ‘Little Feifei’, but I don’t like this name at all.”
“No one likes being seen as someone else,” Xie Xueer’s smile was somewhat strange, “From now on, just be yourself.”
Lin Xiaoman observed her expression, maintaining a calm exterior while inwardly feeling contemptuous.
The program team would post interesting video clips online every day, so the dance game video from that day was immediately uploaded to various platforms.
Because she was exhausted from dancing during the day, Lin Xiaoman slept soundly that night and didn’t check online comments. When she woke up the next day and checked her phone, she discovered her Weibo had exploded again.
Many people had left comments on her most recent Weibo post:
— Her posturing is so disgusting, can she get out of the show?!!!
— Who wants to watch her? I want to see our Huanbao, ugly people should stop showing off…
— Notice how everyone hates her? She’s really talented at being disliked. Just when she was gaining fans through dance, now she’s lost all goodwill. If I were to become a fan again, I’d livestream eating sh*t!
— At a glance, she’s clearly a sl*t. Did she sleep her way up?
— #Was Lin Xiaoman eliminated today?# No matter how well she dances, her character is unwatchable.
…
Lin Xiaoman frowned slightly and opened the official Weibo.
In the dance practice video posted last night, she had stolen the spotlight throughout, giving others no chance to dance. She looked arrogant, mockingly imitating others’ dance moves, making those around her feel awkward.
She was maliciously edited.
Lin Xiaoman immediately understood.
The editor deliberately cut together several of her dance moments, intentionally shortening the time to show her eagerness to show off. Then they transformed her coaching others into mockery and imitation, slightly shifting the audio and expressions to make her interview responses seem like she was criticizing her teammates.
The situation had been brewing since morning and escalated by afternoon. Anonymous accounts claimed she bullied people during training, with some saying they witnessed her verbal harassment, tagging Ning Yumo.
Ning Yumo took a peace-keeping approach, asking everyone to stop discussing it.
The online spectators, receiving a response from the involved party, were thrilled, understanding that Ning Yumo’s anger was because of Lin Xiaoman’s bullying. Public opinion instantly reversed, with everyone saying Ning Yumo was pitiful and cute, so angry that she could only smash her own phone, wondering if she even needed a phone.
During her break, Lin Xiaoman was browsing Weibo, thinking about how to resolve the situation.
Her phone suddenly rang.
The screen showed “Collaborator,” and when she answered, the other party cut straight to the chase: “I’ll help you solve this. Don’t talk nonsense in the future.”
“
Yesterday, she had written on the blank page to not interfere with her career and to provide help and resources in the entertainment industry when she needed it.
It seemed the other party thought she needed help now.
She laughed softly, her fingers typing continuously on the tablet, “How will you solve it?”
“Redirect the focus to the editing. You just need to post a Weibo clarification.”
This was the most common and effective solution – creating her as a victim, confusing public perception, and waiting for the matter to blow over.
However, Lin Xiaoman put away her smile. She had discovered a serious problem: he didn’t trust her.
“Do you think it’s the editor’s fault?” she suddenly asked.
“It’s not important.”
“Or do you think I’m too stupid to be caught?”
“I told you, it’s not important.” The voice from the other end of the phone was cold and emotionless, “I don’t care about the truth. My duty is to maintain your image and ensure your smooth promotion.”
“This is important,” Lin Xiaoman said seriously. “I can clearly tell you that in this matter, I am the victim, and the editor is just being used.”
“So?” Ji Zhixian was indifferent.
“So I want to expose the people behind this. I absolutely won’t let it slide. If anyone goes after me, I will definitely fight back.”
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, had always been her principle. She was not someone who would swallow her grievances; she would never be afraid.
“This is not a child’s playground,” Ji Zhixian’s voice grew even colder. “You need to understand that your existence is an obstacle to others. So many people want to go after you, can you handle it? Moreover, this might just be a publicity stunt by the program team.”
“I know for sure it was done by someone,” Lin Xiaoman was very determined.
“What do you want?”
“Handle it my way.”
With that, she hung up the phone, glanced at the additional abusive messages on her tablet, closed Weibo, and began to think about this series of events.
Actually, finding the culprit wasn’t difficult. Although her damaged image was beneficial to all contestants, carefully considering the people who had been at odds with her recently and those capable of doing this, the scope narrowed significantly. The culprit was almost obvious – Zhang Jiajia.
Zhang Jiajia had been constantly boasting about having a friend who worked in post-production and could edit her to look good. Her close relationship with Lin Xiaoman’s cheap sister also explained why Ning Yumei could so subtly shift blame onto her after she was maliciously edited.
The truth was that after she left Ning Yumei’s dressing room that day, Zhang Jiajia was incited by Ning Yumei and used as a scapegoat.
Ning Yumei knew she couldn’t act directly, so she used others. Now, Lin Xiaoman would make sure Ning Yumei had no one to use!
Conveniently, there was a live broadcast tomorrow. She would use her old skills and perform a show with them.
★ Chapter Nine: Plan
Lin Xiaoman was preparing to return to her dormitory after receiving a call in the hallway when she heard several girls’ voices.
“Did you see yesterday’s trending topics?”
“You mean the thing about Lin Xiaoman being scolded?”
“Serves her right. Who told her to always look down on everyone.”
“But isn’t the editing too much? She seemed to be teaching dance yesterday.”
“She’s definitely showing off. She’s so fake. She used to pretend she couldn’t dance, but now she dances better than anyone.”
“Such calculation.”
“Exactly. She deliberately dances with those who can’t dance to make herself look kind and talented.”
“But the production team didn’t let her succeed. I bet her face looked terrible when she saw the trending topics.”
…
The girls chattered away, but Lin Xiaoman didn’t feel much. She had heard similar comments too many times before. Just as she was about to leave, a familiar voice rang out.
“I think you all look worse right now!” Wei Qinghuan’s voice was crisp and loud, audible throughout the entire corridor. “A group of people gathered to vilify someone who was maliciously edited by the program team.”
The girls glanced at her but said nothing.
“You train together every day, and she even taught you dance yesterday, right? Knowing the truth about the malicious editing, not only do you not speak up for her, but you also backstab her behind her back. If I were Lin Xiaoman, I’d be furious!”
“I’m not angry,” Lin Xiaoman emerged from the safety passage, a faint smile on her face. “I just find it disgusting.”
Lin Xiaoman didn’t look at them but walked to Wei Qinghuan, her voice gentle: “Thank you, but there’s no need to get angry over such a small matter.”
“How can I not be angry?” Wei Qinghuan had been looking for Lin Xiaoman and didn’t expect her to be so calm. Frustrated, she grabbed Lin Xiaoman’s hand. “Come, let’s go find the director.”
