Chapter Fifty-Six: The Old Tea Leaf Spirit

Aside from the fans who stood up for Little Lamb, there were naturally dissenting voices as well. After all, while over three hundred thousand followers kept an eye on her updates, not all of them were the kind of “true fans” who would accept everything she said without question. Some were inevitably stung by her words.

Amidst the chorus of support, there were also comments from those who felt offended.

“To be honest, did the blogger really have to be so sharp-tongued and sarcastic? It’s just a hobby—do we have to create some kind of ‘skilled hands’ entry barrier?”

“Wow, now there’s even a hierarchy in cosplay! If you buy ready-made costumes you deserve to be talked down to? Well then, blogger, don’t buy your fabric ready-made either. If you do, you’re just a pay-to-win player! I support you growing your own cotton!”

“My goodness, people really love moral grandstanding these days! Someone spends money on a nice outfit to dress up, and you all have to be so sour about it? Is your life really that bitter that your heart turns so dark?”

“Some people are experts at double standards! Someone spends their own money on costumes and props and they’re vain, attention-seeking spendthrifts? You claim you’re not after attention, that you’re just a devoted fan—so why do you record and post your costume-making process? Isn’t it because you want people to compliment your skill? You get to show off, but others get morally browbeaten and trampled by you? Tell me, miss, just how many years ago did you become such a bitter tea-monger?”

Beneath this particular video, the two camps of viewers began to clash, each posting their opinions and then rebutting the other side, turning the comment section into a battlefield, the arguments growing ever more heated and unfriendly.

Throughout all this, Little Lamb herself never once appeared to reply to anyone’s comments, as if the tumult of the comments had nothing to do with her.

The surge in views and comments on this video created a small wave of popularity for her account. Ning Shuyi noticed that the following video, though not as hot as the previous one, still performed much better than her earlier work.

However, upon opening the comments, Ning Shuyi saw that the atmosphere had completely shifted. Discussion had moved away from the creative process, costume styling, or even anime characters and plot. The comment section had become a “smoky battlefield.”

Ning Shuyi hadn’t watched Little Lamb’s latest video to see its content; from the title, it seemed quite typical, much like her earlier posts. But it was clear that many viewers, still brimming with unresolved emotions from the previous video, had rushed over as soon as a new one appeared, eager to continue expressing their opinions.

And overall, after two or three days, the previous video’s controversy seemed to have fermented. Where initially most of the comments supported Little Lamb, the comment section under the newer video was now dominated by bystanders criticizing her for moral posturing.

Some even mocked her sharply for trying to have it both ways, calling her a hypocrite.

In response, Little Lamb quickly posted another video. In it, she wept with tears streaming down her face, her beautiful eyes swollen and red, looking truly pitiful.

She appeared utterly distraught, unable to speak more than a few words without choking up and having to pause, taking deep breaths to steady herself before continuing.

She explained that she had loved cosplay for many years, and that filming videos was simply her way of documenting her costume-making process and sharing her interests with others. She never intended to show off her skills or seek fame. It wasn’t fair to call someone a show-off just because they display a skill others might lack.

She insisted she had no double standards, saying she was just an ordinary girl from a regular family, just like most people—not born with a silver spoon. That’s why she thought people would relate to her feelings about “pay-to-win” cosplayers.

After all, most people don’t have the resources to throw money around and pave their way, and those who do can put huge pressure on ordinary fans. If they become the mainstream, it makes cosplay seem like a wasteful, extravagant pursuit and scares off many who would otherwise be passionate about joining in.

She also cried as she explained that she had received many private messages behind the scenes. While some were encouraging or tried to comfort her, many were harshly worded, full of insults, leaving her emotionally wounded.

Therefore, she announced she would stop posting for a while to recover.

Ning Shuyi believed that Little Lamb had genuinely been hurt by the backlash—unless she possessed Oscar-worthy acting skills, it would be hard to appear so wounded and vulnerable on camera.

But it wasn’t surprising. People with strong pride, those who always strive to be the best, especially if their rise has been smooth and effortless, often have fragile hearts. When the first wave of harsh criticism comes, they’re all the more deeply affected.

Recalling the photo she had seen before—Little Lamb staring daggers at Wang Yuluo, the epitome of a “pay-to-win” cosplayer—Ning Shuyi was convinced that Little Lamb’s aversion to these so-called “money players” was real, and that her earlier comments had been a sincere outpouring of her true thoughts.

Little Lamb had expected that viewers would empathize with her, joining in her disdain for the big-spending show-offs, but never imagined that she would attract such scorn and abuse.

The tearful video once again split the comments section. Some fans comforted her, urging her not to let the haters get to her and to return soon. Others still accused her of putting on an act, playing the victim to win sympathy and manipulate others.

Yet perhaps everyone has a touch of compassion for the vulnerable. Seeing Little Lamb weep so pitifully on camera, even those who disliked her refrained from saying anything too nasty—at least, there were few personal attacks.

Thus, after a week, when Little Lamb finally posted a new video, she had regained her composure. Facing the camera, she declared that, after a week’s adjustment, she was determined to pull herself together and bravely face malicious attacks. She was confident in her conscience, and believed there was nothing wrong with holding firm to her ideals and passions.