Volume One, Chapter 70: This Generation of Netizens Is Not Easily Deceived

Yang Jing gradually calmed down after hearing her agent’s words. Indeed, an unknown nobody without any backing, no matter how high she jumps now, will eventually fall hard. But she was different—she had fame, status, and it would be child’s play to crush a little bug like that. Still, it was a pity about the song “Drifting and Sinking.” With controversy attached, the financial gains it could bring her would be greatly diminished.

Yet things did not unfold as Yang Jing and her agent had anticipated. Wei Shi’an soon produced new evidence. Although there was no surveillance in Wei Shi’an’s rented apartment, the stairways and corridors throughout the building were monitored. The footage clearly showed Yang Jing’s agent arriving with several imposing bodyguards, their aggression palpable. Wei Shi’an could be seen opening the door and letting them in. While not definitive proof, the words “bullying with power” might as well have been written across their faces, leaving plenty for the public imagination.

Yang Jing’s side was overwhelmed, juggling both the lawsuit and online public opinion. The situation had escalated so much that Yang Jing had several quarrels with Chi Zhenghua, and both Chi Baiyu and Chi Qianyu were openly and covertly complaining about her. In just a few days, the once radiant Queen Yang looked as though she’d aged ten years.

But the ordeal was far from over. Wei Shi’an’s team announced, right at the peak of the controversy, that she would host a livestream to reveal the inspiration and her personal journey behind the creation of “Drifting and Sinking.” The announcement instantly drew huge attention. With half an hour left before the livestream began, Wei Shi’an had lost count of how many glasses of water she’d drunk, and how many times she’d visited the restroom.

Grandma Xiao patted her shoulder, comforting her, “Don’t be nervous, it’s just the few of us here, everyone you know.” Knowing Wei Shi’an was extremely anxious, Grandma Xiao had kept the staff to a minimum; aside from the host, the others were simply those who had attended the small meeting at the Xiao family villa earlier that day.

Still feeling uneasy, Wei Shi’an said, “But when I think of all the people on the other side of the camera, so many watching, I just can’t control my heartbeat.”

Grandma Xiao suggested, “Let’s adjust the camera. Don’t look at it, just look straight ahead.”

The host promptly shifted the camera’s position, filming from Wei Shi’an’s right front side. With the camera moved, Wei Shi’an raised her head. Directly opposite her, just out of the camera’s view, sat Chi Xingwan and Xiao Yue.

Chi Xingwan smiled and nodded at her. Instantly, Wei Shi’an felt calm.

Xiao Yue quietly asked, “Do you think she can do it?”

“Of course,” Chi Xingwan replied. “She won’t fail. She is the author of ‘Drifting and Sinking,’ so this livestream is bound to succeed.”

Xiao Yue smiled, occasionally glancing at Wei Shi’an, but most of the time he watched Chi Xingwan.

As the scheduled time arrived, the livestream officially began. Wei Shi’an took a deep breath and started to introduce herself.

“Hello everyone, my name is Wei Shi’an. Recently, I entrusted my lawyer to accuse Ms. Yang Jing and her team of plagiarizing my original song ‘Drifting and Sinking.’ Now, I will prove that I am the author of this song.”

“Ms. Yang Jing claimed in an interview that ‘Drifting and Sinking’ expresses her ten years of musical journey. That is utter nonsense. Anyone who looks closely at the lyrics will see the truth.”

“I, Wei Shi’an, am a psychiatric patient. I have suffered from this illness for five years. It started mildly, but now it occurs every day. Each episode is agony, as if I walk the edge of hell and am dragged back to life just before death.”

“‘Drifting and Sinking’ was written after one such episode, when I regained clarity and recalled the experience. At that time, I was on the verge of collapse. ‘Drifting and Sinking’—I truly believed my fate was to sink forever…”

Initially, Wei Shi’an was very nervous, but as the livestream progressed and guided by the host, she gradually forgot she was broadcasting, fully immersed in her story, recounting it piece by piece.

Eventually, after sharing most of her story, the host asked, “Miss Wei, do you have any evidence?”

Wei Shi’an nodded, “Yes.”

She produced a document folder and drew out several sheets of draft paper.

“At that time, Ms. Yang Jing’s agent, accompanied by bodyguards, broke into my apartment, forced me to sign a full copyright transfer agreement, took all my files from my computer, and then formatted it.”

“I thought the evidence was lost, but later I remembered I had kept handwritten drafts.”

Fortunately, when Wei Shi’an wrote the song, she was not in that rented apartment, but back home. She always preferred handwritten drafts, though not every sheet was preserved. Upon recalling this, she made a special trip from Yan Capital back home, and was lucky enough to find the manuscript.

The camera zoomed in, focusing on the drafts. These pages recorded in detail Wei Shi’an’s creative process and thoughts—each sheet “spoke,” declaring Wei Shi’an their rightful owner.

When the livestream ended, Wei Shi’an slumped onto the sofa, breathing heavily.

Grandma Xiao handed her a bottle of water. “You did very well.”

“Thank you.” Wei Shi’an took the water and drank deeply.

Meanwhile, Secretary He had been monitoring online public opinion since the livestream began.

“We did it!” Secretary He exclaimed with joy.

From the beginning, the tide of opinion had been entirely on Yang Jing’s side, then split evenly, and now, in just a few days, the narrative had reversed. It felt to everyone as if half a century had passed.

Xiao Yue smiled at Chi Xingwan. “You were right, we were bound to succeed.”

Chi Xingwan smiled back. “Isn’t it obvious? That song belongs to Shi’an. She wrote about herself, and anyone who knows her story can sense it. Those who try to claim it as their own should realize that today’s internet users are not so easily fooled.”

Her small, triumphant expression was etched into Xiao Yue’s heart, making his whole body tingle with a strange sensation. It was a novelty; he had never felt this before.

Chi Xingwan hadn’t noticed him; she walked over to speak with Wei Shi’an.

“With such conclusive evidence, they won’t last much longer. In a few days, they’ll try to settle with you privately. Do you have any thoughts?”

Wei Shi’an pressed her lips together. “If you do something wrong, you must face the consequences. Not even a superstar is exempt. If I let them get away with it, there may be other victims in the future.”

As expected, just two days after the livestream, Yang Jing’s studio contacted Wei Shi’an’s lawyer, hoping to settle privately. They agreed to pay any amount of compensation, as long as Wei Shi’an would withdraw the lawsuit and publicly clarify the issue, preserving Yang Jing’s reputation.

Wei Shi’an refused outright.