Dating Show Side Character, Getting Rich by Roasting People

CHAPTER 62: Chu Ling Exposes Qin Shuo

　　Qin Shuo’s eyelids twitched.

　　Chu Ling was nothing like he had imagined.

　　Most celebrities, when they sue over slander, are really just showing an attitude. They don’t actually care who’s behind it or how much compensation they get. As long as the case ends with a public apology, it counts as a win.

　　But Chu Ling clearly wasn’t that simple.

　　She wouldn’t actually try to dig all the way back to him, would she?

　　The thought made his chest tighten. His breathing stalled for a moment before he forced himself to look calm. “That’s your business. Go ahead and sue, just don’t drag me into it.”

　　“Teacher Qin is so composed. Does that mean you’ve already decided to sacrifice this person?”

　　Chu Ling’s voice was unhurried. “Or maybe you’re planning to find some outsider to take the fall? But since accounts are all real-name now, I can just sue the platform first and get the information. If the names don’t match, no one can take the blame for him.”

　　As she spoke, her eyes lingered on Qin Shuo, watching every change in his expression. Then she curved her lips into a smile.

　　From the system’s display, his negative emotions were spiking rapidly.

　　She was starting to figure out a pattern.

　　That kind of surge wasn’t just anger. Mixed in were panic and unease.

　　She had worried at first that the smear job might have been outsourced, making the source hard to trace. But looking at Qin Shuo now, it was obvious this was the work of his own staff.

　　Her gamble had paid off.

　　Chu Ling continued, “Even if you fire him now and try to silence him, it won’t matter. Once I sue, his information will be public. It won’t take long for netizens to dig up which studio he used to work for.”

　　“After all, the internet is very resourceful, don’t you think?”

　　Qin Shuo finally lost some of his composure. “This is just cyberbullying an ordinary person. Netizens won’t take your side.”

　　“That’s true.”

　　Chu Ling’s tone was light, almost playful. “They won’t ‘help’ me. But they’ll enjoy the show. And that’s all they need.”

　　Most netizens were just here for the fun anyway.

　　They didn’t need to pick sides, but they absolutely loved digging out secrets.

　　Seeing Qin Shuo’s face grow darker, Chu Ling felt all the more cheerful. “Teacher Qin, you’ve been in this industry for so many years, with such a good reputation and rapport with the audience. You must value your reputation very much, right?”

　　“If this blows up, it won’t do you any good either.”

　　Qin Shuo’s panic was mounting, though he still gritted his teeth together and said, “I’d advise you to stop before it’s too late. Don’t think you’re clean just because those scandals were cleared. As long as people are willing to dig, no one in this circle is spotless. Aren’t you afraid I’ll dig up something new on you?”

　　Everyone in this industry knew how things worked.

　　Chu Ling had claimed she didn’t have a sponsor and tossed out a few bits of evidence that netizens quickly believed, but reality wasn’t always so simple. Rumors never came from nowhere.

　　“If you want to go up against my company, you’ll be like an egg smashing against a rock.”

　　Qin Shuo’s voice dropped. “Even if my own reputation is ruined, I can still make sure you can’t survive in this circle. Do you believe me?”

　　The words sounded harsh.

　　Chu Ling savored them carefully, only to hear a note of bluff beneath the surface.

　　And wasn’t this more or less an indirect admission?

　　“Teacher Qin, are you threatening me?”

　　Chu Ling let out a soft laugh. “Then you probably don’t know me well enough. I’m the kind of person who never considers consequences. My moods are wildly unstable, and once I decide I want to do something, I just do it. Whether it benefits me doesn’t matter. As long as it’s bad for someone else, that’s good enough.”

　　She added, “There’s a saying. Barefoot people aren’t afraid of those wearing shoes. My reputation is already ruined, so what do you think I have left to fear?”

　　Blacklisting, being forced out of the industry, being slandered—none of that scared her. So what else could possibly threaten her now?

　　“…Then what exactly do you want?”

　　Qin Shuo frowned. “Money? How much do you want?”

　　So this was extortion.

　　After a moment of thought, Qin Shuo figured it out.

　　Chu Ling was vain and shortsighted. Showing up here and talking like this was just her way of fishing for hush money. If he didn’t pay, she’d spill everything.

　　Childish. Naive.

　　She was only in her twenties. No wonder.

　　Money?

　　She did want it, but not from him. Still, since he brought it up, she decided to play along. “So, Teacher Qin, how much do you think your reputation is worth?”

　　“…Name your price,” Qin Shuo said stiffly.

　　Chu Ling didn’t hesitate. “One hundred million.”

　　“Are you insane?!”

　　Qin Shuo exploded in anger. “Do you even know how much you’re worth?”

　　Chu Ling corrected him with a calm face. “Not how much I’m worth. How much you’re worth.”

　　“You’re out of your mind!” Qin Shuo snapped.

　　Chu Ling replied without blinking, “Whether I’m out of my mind or not, you can ask Lin Zirun. He diagnosed me with several mental disorders not too long ago.”

　　The system: “…..”

　　She chuckled. “Besides, if I really were mentally ill, wouldn’t that make people even more sympathetic when I make mistakes? You should pray I’m not.”

　　“.….”

　　Qin Shuo was done arguing. He cut straight to the point. “Two million. Not a cent more.”

　　Chu Ling had no concrete evidence. Lawsuits took ages to process. As long as he pulled strings and applied pressure from all sides, he could wash his hands clean of it.

　　Even if Chu Ling won the case, she could only prove it was someone from his studio. He could just claim it was their personal action and redirect public opinion. Settling things like that wouldn’t cost him much.

　　Chu Ling was so amused by the insultingly low offer that she laughed. “So it turns out Teacher Qin thinks he’s that cheap.”

　　Qin Shuo was livid. “Two million is generous! Do you really think that so-called leverage of yours can threaten anyone? Even if my studio staff posted dirt on you, so what? Does that prove it was my intention? You’re too naive. You’ll just end up shooting yourself in the foot.”

　　He sneered. “Go ahead and sue if you dare. Let’s see what good it does you. Public opinion on the internet shifts like the wind. Don’t think just because you’ve cleared your name this time that you’re in the clear forever. A woman like you is born dirty. No amount of whitewashing will change that.”

　　Chu Ling’s lips curved. “Even if I’m dirty, I’m still cleaner than you. At least I don’t fabricate other people’s scandals from thin air.”

　　The negotiation had fallen apart, yet Chu Ling didn’t look the least bit disappointed. On the contrary, her smile grew even brighter. “Either way, I should thank you. If it weren’t for Teacher Qin, I never would’ve found such a perfect chance to clear my name.”

　　—

　　When Chu Ling came out, she happened to run into Wen Shu.

　　Wen Shu, looking anxious, quickly pulled her aside. “You went to see Qin Shuo? Or did he come to make trouble for you?”

　　Then she quietly pointed at herself. “Is it… about me?”

　　“Don’t worry, it’s my business.”

　　Chu Ling answered casually. “I wanted to negotiate with him, but unfortunately it didn’t work out.”

　　If Qin Shuo had been willing to apologize, lower his head, and admit he was wrong, she might have let him off a little.

　　Had his thirty-plus years of life experience taught him nothing about reading people?

　　She was starting to think the naive one here was him.

　　Then again, a man who thought he could win back his ex-wife just by joining a romance reality show really was pretty naive.

　　“What? You and Qin Shuo have some kind of history?” Wen Shu asked, bewildered.

　　Chu Ling smiled. “Who do you think has been spreading those rumors about me online? Or rather, who else could it be?”

　　Wen Shu realized almost instantly.

　　She had already worried that Chu Ling might suffer retaliation for offending Qin Shuo, but she hadn’t expected him to use such a cheap and dirty tactic.

　　“It’s really him?”

　　Even she found it hard to believe.

　　She no longer loved Qin Shuo and knew he had treated her poorly, but she never thought he would sink so low. To smear another actress just to get back at her—disgusting.

　　She almost felt like her earlier guess about him cutting off resources had made him sound far too noble.

　　“But it doesn’t matter. The negotiation failed, which means he’s the unlucky one.”

　　Chu Ling’s tone was calm but sharp. “I won’t let him off.”

　　“What are you going to do?” Wen Shu asked nervously. “You’re going to fight him head-on? That’s dangerous. Qin Shuo has been in this industry for years. His network and resources run deep…”

　　Even if scandals broke out, he always managed to smooth them over with PR. Sometimes he even came out more popular than before.

　　“I know. I’ve already thought about the worst outcome. At most, I’ll just quit the industry.”

　　Chu Ling let out a light laugh. “But if I don’t get this off my chest, then I wouldn’t be Chu Ling.”

　　Wen Shu froze, stunned by her resolve. “You don’t care about your future anymore?”

　　Chu Ling did care. That was exactly why she was doing this.

　　Exposing Qin Shuo would earn her a fortune.

　　Even if she really left the industry afterward, the retirement money would be more than enough.

　　So she asked Wen Shu, “Forget everything else. At the very least, you’ll stand by me, won’t you?”

　　Wen Shu: “.....”

　　Rationally, she thought taking revenge on Qin Shuo was dangerous.

　　But emotionally, she couldn’t find a single reason not to support Chu Ling. “Of course. If you need me, I’ll speak out for you this time too.”

　　“That’s all I needed to hear.”

　　Chu Ling smiled. “I’ll think carefully about how to handle this.”

　　And she did.

　　She actually gave it more thought than usual this time.

　　She had always acted on impulse, but this time the stakes were far higher.

　　In the end, she made her decision.

　　The next day, Chu Ling posted on Weibo.

　　【There’s no love without reason, and no hate without cause. I finally found the source behind all the slander these past few days. Everyone, take a listen. Does this voice sound familiar to you?】

　　Attached below was a recording of her conversation with Qin Shuo.

　　The internet immediately erupted.

 

Previous Chapter | Table of Contents | Next Chapter