Chapter Seventy-Five: With Righteous Confidence

Ning Shuyi recognized it immediately—it was the same background from the previous videos featuring Little Lamb. It was obvious that Yang Huishu, in her effort to craft an ethereal image for Little Lamb, had deliberately decorated this shabby room, using a projector and fill light to create two contrasting “backdrops.” The meticulously arranged filming corner clashed starkly with the squalid, chaotic environment on the other side, making it all the more apparent just how determined this young woman was to construct her own persona.

In that instant, Ning Shuyi suddenly understood why, without provocation, Yang Huishu harbored such intense hostility toward Wang Yuluo. Ultimately, it wasn’t that Yang Huishu despised the wealthy—she simply resented that the person with wealth wasn’t herself.

Shivering, Yang Huishu changed out of the Hanfu she wore during the livestream, rummaged through the heap of clothes on the iron-frame bed for a tracksuit, and put it on. She undid her vintage hairstyle completely, hastily tied her hair into a braid with a random elastic band, and slipped on a pair of sneakers. At that moment, she no longer resembled a fairy-like figure in the slightest. Fear and anxiety had drained the light from her eyes, leaving her looking like nothing more than a thin, ordinary young woman.

“I’m ready. I can go with you now,” she said feebly to Ning Shuyi.

On the way back to the police station, Yang Huishu seemed utterly lost, by turns dejected and aggrieved, her emotions flickering across her face like the shifting city lights outside the window. Ning Shuyi had initially worried that, upon being exposed, the girl might in desperation attempt something drastic to avoid facing legal consequences. But that concern faded the moment Yang Huishu, realizing the police were at the door, immediately ended her livestream without hesitation.

That reaction revealed two things. First, she was well aware she had done something she shouldn’t and was terrified that her conversation with the police might be overheard by her fans. Second—and this was more intriguing—she clearly still cared about maintaining her image in front of her followers, still concerned about her popularity. She didn’t seem to think she was facing any truly severe legal punishment; she was still fixated on her career, afraid of losing her future prospects.

This Yang Huishu, Ning Shuyi suspected, probably wasn’t very well-educated and lacked basic legal knowledge. As this thought crossed her mind, a fleeting idea surfaced, but before she could grasp it, the car pulled into the police station, interrupting her train of thought.

After being taken to the interrogation room, Yang Huishu looked even more pale; despite the mild temperature, her face was slick with sweat, ruining her light makeup and making her appear especially disheveled.

“Yang Huishu, do you know why you’ve been brought here?” Ning Shuyi asked.

Yang Huishu hung her head in silence, biting her lip so hard it nearly left a mark.

“If you’re not sure, let me remind you,” Ning Shuyi said, unfazed by this reaction. “Wang Yuluo. And your programmer friend—do you need me to say his name to jog your memory?”

At the mention of Wang Yuluo, Yang Huishu shuddered. When Ning Shuyi brought up the programmer, she seemed to reach her breaking point, suddenly lifting her head as tears streamed down her face. “I admit it, I admit it—what more do you want? I didn’t get along with her! I was jealous of her, I hated her! All the effort I put in to build my following, all my hard work—none of it came easy! And what about her? She just spends a little money—buys those expensive custom costumes and props, hires top makeup artists! All the attention and popularity I fought for with blood and sweat, she just snatches away with her filthy money!

I worked so hard on my account, just hoping to get a bit more famous, to have a place in this community, to boost my popularity and eventually get more gigs—more gigs mean more money! Everything I did was to improve my living conditions—is that so wrong? Don’t I deserve some sympathy?

She has everything—money, the ability to get whatever she wants without effort—so why make such a big deal out of all this? But no, she insisted on flaunting her wealth, using her money to block my path! And there are so many online who worship the rich and scorn the poor, always tearing me down while praising her! Ever since people realized we were in the same club, they’ve been targeting me, nitpicking, all while fawning over her.

What does Wang Yuluo have besides money? They’re all just sycophants! And it’s not just them—even the club members were the same! At first, everyone flocked to me because I was the most famous in the community, the most popular—they all wanted to bask in my glow and leech off my popularity. Then Wang Yuluo showed up, constantly giving out expensive collectibles to everyone, even the club president fell under her spell, treating her with special courtesy!

Why? Just because she’s rich, does that mean she can trample on other people’s hard work? I couldn’t stand it—I came up with the idea, I bought the movie tickets, and the person who helped was just a fan of mine. He knew nothing; I didn’t tell him the truth. So the responsibility is mine and has nothing to do with anyone else!”

“You’re awfully loyal to your fan, but why such hatred toward Wang Yuluo?” Ning Shuyi found Yang Huishu’s logic baffling. “Did she ever openly challenge you or actually hurt you in any way?”

Yang Huishu lowered her eyes, sneaking a subtle roll of them. “No. But whether she did or not, the outcome is the same! It’s because of her that I’m in this predicament! She made those snobs mock and criticize me, caused my popularity to barely hang on! Are you saying she bears no responsibility at all? If she, a rich second-generation, hadn’t barged into my circle to show off, none of this unpleasantness would have happened!

Besides, she didn’t openly target me, and I didn’t overtly do anything to her! It was just a movie—I anonymously invited her. Is that a crime? And anyway, she has her own legs—she received the message, redeemed the ticket herself, watched the film herself, and had problems afterward. How is that my responsibility? Plenty of people attended that screening and nothing happened to them! If anything happened to her, it’s because she touched something she shouldn’t have; she brought it on herself. That has nothing to do with me!”