Dating Show Side Character, Getting Rich by Roasting People

CHAPTER 56: Is This What They Call A Man Who Stays A Boy Forever?

　　At that time, Wen Shu and Chu Ling had a small discussion about whether she should reveal that her scumbag ex-husband was actually Qin Shuo.

　　Chu Ling, being hot-headed, was all for exposing him right away.

　　After all, Qin Shuo had already crossed the line too many times. There was no need to save him any face.

　　While the buzz was at its peak, they could completely ruin him, drag his name through the mud, and make sure he had no peace left.

　　But Wen Shu thought for a moment and said softly, “Forget it.”

　　Chu Ling asked, “Don’t tell me you still can’t let go?”

　　“No.”

　　Wen Shu’s voice was quiet. “I just don’t ever want my name tied to his again.”

　　She was divorced, she had chosen not to look back. Life was still long, and she didn’t want to spend the rest of it being remembered as Qin Shuo’s ex-wife.

　　Besides, in her mind, the fewer complications the better. What mattered most was finding a way to resolve things safely.

　　Chu Ling froze for a second, then nodded. “Alright.”

　　She chose to respect Wen Shu’s decision. “This is your life. You’re the one who should decide.”

　　The Wen Shu of now was no longer as hesitant as before.

　　She was learning to be decisive, to let go, to face the past with honesty. She was still the same kindhearted and soft-hearted Wen Shu, but now she had her own clarity and determination.

　　And Chu Ling had to admit, the difference between a celebrity and an ordinary person was whether or not they had a team behind them.

　　Qin Shuo could afford to go crazy, to act reckless, because there were people cleaning up after him.

　　If Wen Shu did the same, even if it worked, she wouldn’t be able to walk away clean. Instead, she’d only drag herself down into the mud.

　　“But still…”

　　Wen Shu blinked and let out a playful, mysterious smile. “A scumbag still deserves a good scolding.”

　　So, during her live stream now, Wen Shu never once named Qin Shuo, yet she poured out all the resentment she had bottled up for so long.

　　With Chu Ling by her side exposing each of those behaviors for what they really were—classic scumbag moves—the chat gradually shifted. What began as anger at Wen Shu for hiding the truth turned into sympathy.

　　【Oh my god, I never imagined her ex was this kind of man.】

　　【Wen Shu, next time please choose carefully. Don’t waste yourself on someone so unworthy again!】

　　【No wonder she didn’t say anything before. If I had such an embarrassing ex, I wouldn’t dare admit it either.】

　　【Chu Ling is right. She never said she’d never been married. Who would bring up something like that to a stranger they just met? It was never her fault.】

　　“Three years… after everything, you really endured it that long before finally divorcing?”

　　Chu Ling sighed dramatically. “You really should buy a plane ticket to Leshan, wake up that giant Buddha over there, and take his seat instead.”

　　Wen Shu: “…”

　　“Now then, I think everyone should be clear about what’s really going on, right?”

　　“Oh? Looks like some people are still talking about me.”

　　Chu Ling read aloud a comment from the chat. “‘What does Wen Shu’s business have to do with you? You don’t even know the full story, yet you’re insulting him so harshly.’”

　　“Me? Talking harsh?”

　　Chu Ling let out a short laugh. “I haven’t even complained about how ugly her ex’s behavior was.”

　　She clicked her tongue and added, “Old enough to know better, yet he still preyed on young girls. And after all that, he didn’t even cherish her. A divorce was exactly what he deserved.”

　　“And this one says I’m ‘too aggressive and too biased, I really can’t listen anymore’?”

　　Chu Ling rolled her eyes. “If you can’t listen, then no one’s forcing you to stay. Why don't you turn left and exit? Why stick around watching if you hate it? Do you secretly enjoy being scolded?”

　　Wen Shu tugged lightly on her sleeve, signaling her not to lash out at the viewers.

　　Chu Ling gave a small nod before saying, “Fine. Anyway, I was the one who said all of that just now. If anyone wants to hold a grudge or hate someone, come at me, not her. My words are my own and have nothing to do with Wen Shu.”

　　Come on, target her!

　　Chu Ling had checked the backend earlier and saw she was just a little short of reaching twenty million. If the haters pulled their weight, she might actually hit it today.

　　But to her surprise, after she spoke, the barrage of comments shifted direction completely.

　　【Chu Ling really cares about Wen Shu. She not only scolds people for her but also takes the blame. This has to be true love!】

　　【Just a little ship between Chu Ling and Wen Shu is allowed, right?】

　　Chu Ling: “…”

　　Are you people serious?!

　　In just one short hour of streaming, public opinion had flipped.

　　Wen Shu, once criticized as a liar who hid her marriage, was now seen as a pitiful woman deceived by a scumbag, enduring three long years of suffering before finally breaking free.

　　The mood in the stream lifted, and the viewers filled the screen with lighthearted jokes and banter.

　　The only one who couldn’t sit still was Qin Shuo.

　　He knew he had hurt Wen Shu before, and he had tried to make up for it, but he never imagined she had carried so much resentment in her heart.

　　The more he listened, the more he almost believed he really was that kind of man.

　　No.

　　He had to talk to Wen Shu.

　　She needed to know he regretted everything now.

　　……

　　“I think I’ve said just about everything that needed to be said.”

　　At last, Wen Shu added, “What’s left are things that fall under personal privacy, and I doubt any of you are that interested in hearing it.”

　　She paused, then continued, “Actually, at the beginning, I thought that if some people really wanted me to leave, then maybe I should just leave.”

　　“But.”

　　Her tone suddenly grew firmer. “Chu Ling told me I didn’t do anything wrong, so I shouldn’t be the one walking away.”

　　Chu Ling blinked in surprise.

　　That line hadn’t been in their original plan. It was something Wen Shu came up with on the spot.

　　“So I decided I’ll stay.”

　　Wen Shu said, “At the very least, I’ve been genuinely happy these days. I want to finish filming this show properly, without leaving myself any regrets. And also, I want to spend a little more time with my friends here.”

　　She turned toward Chu Ling and smiled.

　　When Wen Shu smiled, her eyes curved like a crescent moon, soft and beautiful.

　　Chu Ling looked into her eyes, feeling a pang of sadness for some reason. She quickly masked it and spoke lightly, “Alright, why are you getting all sentimental? I only said what I thought. Honestly, I don’t agree with this whole idea that being divorced is some kind of scandal that forces you off a show. That kind of attitude just spreads a toxic mindset. What about everyone else in this world who’s divorced? Are they not allowed to live well or fall in love again?”

　　“It’s the twenty-first century already. Can we please stop clinging to feudal nonsense?”

　　“Anyway, that’s enough for today. It’s getting late.”

　　She turned to Wen Shu. “We can wrap it up here, right?”

　　Wen Shu nodded. “If anyone still has doubts, you can ask me later.”

　　With that, Wen Shu ended her livestream.

　　And by now, most viewers had accepted her explanation.

　　【I think Chu Ling is right. Why can’t someone who’s divorced fall in love again?】

　　【She didn’t do anything wrong. She just met a scumbag, that’s all.】

　　【This doesn’t even count as a scandal… compared to those men’s scandals, Wen Shu only walked away from someone unworthy. She never hurt anyone.】

　　Meanwhile, Qin Shuo had slipped away from the cameras and caught Wen Shu as she was about to return to her room.

　　“Can we talk?” he said.

　　Wen Shu didn’t even glance at him, already trying to walk past. “There’s nothing left between us worth talking about.”

　　“I think there are a lot of misunderstandings between us.”

　　Qin Shuo reached out and grabbed her wrist. “I watched your livestream, and I realized… in your eyes, so many things looked completely different from how I saw them.”

　　Wen Shu looked at him coldly. “…Which part didn’t you do? Are you saying I wronged you?”

　　“No, I just…” Qin Shuo’s voice faltered. “Fine. I admit it. Back then, I was immature. I didn’t even understand my own heart. But things are different now. Wen Shu, will you give me another chance?”

　　“This time, I’ll acknowledge you openly in front of everyone. No more hiding, no more making you feel invisible. I won’t say those hurtful words anymore.”

　　“Back then, I didn’t know how to love someone. But now, I’ve been trying to learn.”

　　He looked at her earnestly. “Wen Shu, I’ll be a good student.”

　　Qin Shuo thought he had poured all his feelings out, even felt touched a little.

　　Yet after listening, Wen Shu’s face hardly changed.

　　She lifted her eyes to him. “…So you think you’re mature now?”

　　Qin Shuo nodded. “Of course.”

　　Wen Shu gave a faint smile. “So maturity means exposing my marriage online and letting strangers attack me?”

　　Qin Shuo’s face froze. “I…”

　　“Qin Shuo, I’m not an idiot.”

　　Wen Shu shook him off after a few tugs, pulling her wrist free. “From the past until now, you’re still the same. Controlling, self-righteous, never changing.”

　　Her voice turned icy, every word deliberate. “I’ve already given you more face than you deserve.”

　　Otherwise, Qin Shuo would already be scrambling to contain his own scandals.

　　Wen Shu turned to leave, but Qin Shuo blocked her again. “Wait—”

　　“Need some help?”

　　He froze, whipping around. That same persistent shadow of a woman appeared again, and his heart skipped. His hand immediately dropped from Wen Shu’s wrist, his face dark. “What are you doing here?”

　　“Hmm… just checking if my friend is being harassed.”

　　Chu Ling’s lips curved into a sharp smile. “I think I just overheard someone say he wasn’t mature enough.”

　　“If I’m not mistaken, you were thirty-two when you married Wen Shu, right?”

　　Her laugh was full of scorn. “So at thirty-two, you were still less mature than someone in their twenties. Or is this what they call the legendary saying—men stay boys until the day they die?”

　　Qin Shuo’s irritation shifted into shock.

　　He turned to Wen Shu, his voice carrying an edge of anger. “You told her?”

　　Wen Shu stayed calm. “Compared to you telling so many people about my divorce, what’s the problem with me confiding in Chu Ling?”

　　“You—”

　　“If she hadn’t told me, I wouldn’t even know what you put her through.”

　　Chu Ling’s tone was mocking. “So this is the great Film Emperor Qin. Brilliant on screen, pathetic off it.”

　　She shook her head, clicking her tongue. “You’re a natural-born actor, but when it comes to love, stop pretending. Back then you didn’t know how to love, and now you still don’t.”

　　“If you truly cared about her, you wouldn’t have let the internet blow up her marriage. You put her right on the chopping block, without a single thought of whether she’d get torn apart by netizens or what they’d say about her.”

　　Lu Shixuan had only made vague digs at his ex for being gold-digging, and even that crushed her reputation.

　　Wen Shu, unlike her, was still standing in the spotlight.

　　Did Qin Shuo never stop to think what would happen if Wen Shu was hit with online harassment? Or was he just waiting for the day she had nowhere left to run so she’d crawl back to him?

　　“And now you’re asking for another chance? What, so you can stab her again?”

　　“She was blind once, but she can see clearly now. You really expect her to blind herself a second time? No one should be that foolish in the same place twice.”

　　Chu Ling stepped closer to Wen Shu, her gaze pinned on Qin Shuo. “Do her a favor and let her go.”

　　“You don’t know anything. Stop stirring up trouble.”

　　Qin Shuo’s voice rose in anger. “Her parents, my parents, we’re all waiting for her to come back. She’s just young and doesn’t know any better—”

　　“Wow, that’s quite a declaration.”

　　Chu Ling exaggerated her expression, then smirked. “So after the founding of New China, when marriage became a matter of free choice, no one sent the memo to your family?”

　　“One second you admit you were immature, the next you say she’s childish?”　　

　　She gave him a pitying look. “Can you think before you speak? Otherwise you just sound ridiculous.”

　　Like someone missing their brainstem, blurting out nonsense.

　　Qin Shuo was struck silent, his words choking in his throat.

　　“Let’s go.”

　　Chu Ling said to Wen Shu, “If he keeps harassing you, you can call the police. Teacher Qin, you wouldn’t want to make the headlines on the legal news, right?”

　　Wen Shu followed Chu Ling and left quickly.

　　Only Qin Shuo was left standing there, practically fuming to death.

　　Back in his room, he glanced at the string of messages his manager had sent. Pressing his fingers to his temples, he felt a headache coming on.

　　In the end, he picked up the phone and gave out new orders.

　　“Forget about Wen Shu. Hurry up and shut this whole thing down. Don’t let netizens keep digging into it.”

　　The person on the other end hesitated.

　　“Too obvious if we suppress it directly? Idiot. Can’t you stir up something else to grab attention and shift the focus?”

　　Qin Shuo narrowed his eyes. “That Chu Ling... doesn’t she have plenty of dirt? Netizens would be way more interested in her than in Wen Shu.”

________________

T/N: Ughhh this scumbag Film Emperor!! I’m fuming over here 😠 But hey, today’s chapters were just too good to leave on a cliffhanger, so you’re getting a double update! 💖

Still not enough? Haha, greedy! 🤪😂That’s all for now~ I’m totally exhausted. Not sick, don’t worry, just completely drained by this ridiculous heat. It was like 33–34°C today and I felt like a wilted flower all day long… sigh. 🌸🔥

 

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