Eldest Senior Sister Became a Sensation After Being Blacklisted Online - Chapter 27

“I heard the Xu Clan’s ancestors were monks,” Shen Gu argued. “Abstaining from arrogance, impatience, and lust are all Buddhist principles. Who else could it be besides the Xu Clan?”

Song Cheng frowned slightly, pondering the truth in his words.

After a long moment of fruitless thought, she decided to dismiss the matter for now. She planned to ask Xu We about his family history tomorrow. If Xu We’s ancestors were indeed monks, then the charlatan’s words might hold some weight.

Wu Guifang, who had been watching the situation closely, rushed over as soon as Song Cheng released Shen Gu. “Are you feeling unwell again? Should I call your father…?”

Seeing Wu Guifang’s face etched with worry, Song Cheng’s heart softened. She reassured her gently, “Mom, I’m fine.”

“You…”

Shen Gu’s interruption cut off Wu Guifang’s unfinished sentence. “She’s actually fine right now. She’s still a ways off from being in any real danger.”

Realizing his words were too harsh, he quickly softened his tone. “Don’t worry, I’m here, aren’t I?”

Before he could finish, Song Cheng shot him a sharp glare, instantly deflating his bravado. He muttered under his breath, “I actually think these restrictions are a good thing. At least they keep her in check. If she’s this volatile now, imagine how reckless she’d be when she’s fully recovered?”

As expected, every word reached Song Cheng’s ears. Without hesitation, she grabbed the freeloading charlatan by the collar and dragged him to the backyard, locking him up. She ignored his frantic pounding on the window, refusing to acknowledge him.

Wu Guifang glanced around anxiously. “The temperature’s dropping. Won’t he catch a cold being locked outside?”

“Don’t worry,” Song Cheng said, glancing sideways at Shen Gu, who was pressed against the glass. “He won’t freeze to death.”

Wu Guifang: “……”

Song Tianfu, who had just come downstairs: “……”

The next day, after finishing her classes, Song Cheng headed to the café where she had arranged to meet Xu We.

Unnoticed behind her, Liu Zimang hurried out of the elevator, her hand gripping the wall as she gazed forlornly at Song Cheng’s retreating figure, her eyes filled with melancholy.

Arriving at the café, Song Cheng found Xu We waiting in a corner booth.

Xu We’s eyes lit up when he saw her. “Song Cheng! What would you like to drink? Their coffee here is pretty good.”

Song Cheng had no real desire for coffee, but considering the conversation ahead, she casually replied, “I’ll have the same as you.”

Xu We nodded and waved to the approaching waiter. “Another latte, please.”

As soon as the waiter left, Song Cheng cut to the chase. “I’ve recently become interested in Buddhism. Do you know anyone who’s an expert in that field?”

Xu We looked surprised. “Buddhism?” He leaned back slightly. “What suddenly sparked your interest? Are you planning to become a nun?”

Song Cheng’s lips twitched. “Who said being interested in Buddhism means you have to become a nun?” She picked up the coffee that had been placed before her and took a small sip. The bitter taste instantly flooded her mouth, making her want to spit it out. But when she glanced sideways and saw Xu We calmly swallowing his coffee, she forced herself to swallow the mouthful and continued, “A charlatan told me I need to curb my arrogance and impatience. After thinking it over, I realized only Buddhist teachings might actually help me with that.”

Xu We nodded in realization. “Then you’ve come to the right person. My grandfather is close to the Abbot of White Cloud Temple. I’ll ask him to introduce you when I get back. But is that charlatan you consulted reliable?”

“We won’t know until we try, right?” Song Cheng pushed aside the coffee, which was now in her way, and leaned forward, continuing to probe. “Your grandfather knows the Abbot? That’s impressive.”

“It’s all due to the karma accumulated by our ancestors,” Xu We said, lowering his gaze and scratching his head. “Actually, five generations back, my family were monks.”

The charlatan had been right after all.

Realizing this, Song Cheng had to focus. Lowering her voice, she asked, “I’ve seen Shaolin kung fu on TV—it looks incredibly powerful. Do you still practice Shaolin techniques in your family?”

“In theory, yes. But during my great-great-grandfather’s time, the country was ravaged by war. Some of the secret manuals passed down through generations were lost during the family’s migrations. By my great-grandfather’s generation, the complete set of manuals was already incomplete. Now, my fellow disciples and I learn techniques that my great-grandfather and grandfather developed through their own research.” Remembering something, Xu We added, “The other aristocratic families are in similar situations, some even worse than ours.”

Song Cheng wanted to hear more, but Xu We had already stopped. Since it involved family secrets, she didn’t press further. After a few awkward pleasantries, she excused herself, claiming she had other matters to attend to.

As she stood up, a blinding flash of light momentarily blinded her. When she blinked and looked again, no one was there.

She rubbed her eyes, turned, and walked out of the café, remembering to pay the bill before leaving.

Unbeknownst to her, this simple act left Xu We utterly stunned. His eyes widened in disbelief: the notoriously stingy Song Cheng had actually offered to pay?

The unexpected gesture made him feel lightheaded, and he silently nodded to the cashier to accept her payment.

As soon as Song Cheng got into her car, her phone rang. She calmly retrieved it and saw a notification from “Liu Zimang” on the screen. She quickly tapped to open the message.

Where are you? Want to grab lunch together?

She finished writing “Okay” and was about to send it when her phone rang again. Seeing “Home” flashing on the screen, she answered immediately.

“Song Cheng, help! They’re here!”

Song Cheng straightened up slightly and asked, “What about my parents? Were they frightened?”

“I got them upstairs. I don’t know what’s happening downstairs yet. Hurry! At this rate, they might break down the door.”

Song Cheng hung up and immediately told Wang Dong to drive faster.

Wang Dong, a man of few words and unwavering loyalty, didn’t ask why; he simply obeyed.

Despite their haste, it still took twenty minutes to reach home. During the drive, she changed her edited message from “Okay” to “Something came up. I’ll make it up to you tomorrow.”

As the car screeched to a halt, she spotted five men in black suits clustered around her front door. The one in the middle seemed to be picking the lock.

This was intolerable.

She flung open the car door and stormed out. “So many of you here—are you robbing us or extorting us?”

The fat man at the back turned first. “Stop making baseless accusations.” He sized Song Cheng up. “Are you the owner of this house? If you know what’s good for you, hand over that charlatan. Since you’re ignorant of the situation, the Chen Family might spare you.”

“What if I do want to settle this?” Song Cheng said, stepping forward and seizing the fat man’s arm with one hand, effectively restraining him.

She calmly raised her gaze to the four men, who had already assumed defensive stances. “Want to fight?”

The four exchanged glances before simultaneously attacking Song Cheng. With her hands pressed against the fat man’s back, she pivoted slightly and delivered a kick to each of them.

Mindful of her own body, she used only twenty percent of her full strength. Even so, the four men were sent sprawling against the wall.

Withdrawing her hand, she felt the fat man struggling angrily. She kicked him again. “If you haven’t mastered your martial arts, don’t come out here embarrassing yourself. Is the Chen Family out of people?”

The four men peeled themselves off the wall, glaring at her resentfully. “Who exactly are you? Do you realize the price you’ll pay for provoking the Chen Family?”

Song Cheng scoffed dismissively. “Go back and tell your old man in charge that I’m protecting that charlatan. If he has a problem with it, he can come find me himself.”

When the four men still didn’t leave, she raised her fist and swung without another word.

The other three dodged swiftly, but the one she had targeted wasn’t so lucky, taking a punch squarely to the eye.

This ignited the man’s resentment, and he retaliated against Song Cheng. Seeing this, the other three joined the fray, but the outcome was inevitable: all four were left bruised and battered by Song Cheng.

The fat man dared not resist, freezing in place, utterly still.

Forcing down her discomfort, Song Cheng’s eyes flashed with icy disdain. “Want more?”

The four shook their heads in unison, scrambling to their feet and fleeing in disgrace.

“Grandma, please, please let me go! I’ll deliver every word you said to my master, I swear!” the fat man pleaded, his voice trembling with a hint of tears as he watched the retreating figures.

Song Cheng snorted coldly and kicked him down the single step. “Get lost!”

Only after the fat man had vanished did she slump against the wall, gasping for breath.

Hearing no further commotion outside, Shen Gu cautiously opened the door and peeked out. “They’re gone?” He turned back to find Song Cheng’s face pale. Immediately releasing the doorknob, he rushed to her side, asking anxiously, “Are you… are you alright?”

Song Cheng glared weakly at Shen Gu, then grabbed his shoulder for support as she slowly rose to her feet. As she began to walk inside, she paused and released Shen Gu. “Distract my parents. I need to go to my room.”

Shen Gu nodded quickly. “Okay.”

Only after seeing Shen Gu’s “okay” gesture did Song Cheng force herself to climb the stairs. To avoid alerting Song Tianfu and Wu Guifang, she deliberately softened her steps. By the time she reached her room, her back was already drenched in sweat.

Too exhausted to do anything else, she collapsed onto the bed and closed her eyes to regulate her breathing.

Two hours later, Zhang Yux stormed into Liu Zimang’s office, slammed her phone onto the desk, and turned away. “See for yourself!”

Liu Zimang set down her script and tapped the phone screen. The content immediately filled her vision.

Song Cheng and Xu We on a date at a café. The accompanying photo showed Song Cheng’s full face, while Xu We sat behind her, only half his face visible. Yet the image left little doubt: Song Cheng and Xu We were indeed having coffee together.

Did Song Cheng rush out earlier just to meet Xu We?

Liu Zimang unconsciously tightened her grip on her phone and looked up at Zhang Yux. “Is it too late to withdraw the statement now?”

Zhang Yux chuckled softly, smoothing her hair back to reveal her smooth forehead. “Are you underestimating Song Cheng’s popularity or overestimating our Public Relations Team?” She turned and pointed at the phone in Liu Zimang’s hand. “In less than an hour, she and Xu We will dominate the trending searches.”

Liu Zimang and Zhang Yux had been best friends for years. How could she not recognize Zhang Yux’s genuine anger? She stood up and walked over to Zhang Yux. “She’s used to being carefree and let her guard down around reporters.”

Zhang Yux scoffed coldly. “Even now, you’re defending her? If I remember correctly, she confessed to you just yesterday. Shouldn’t you two be enjoying a sweet lunch together or basking in romantic bliss? Instead, what’s she doing? Running off to meet her idol. Liu Zimang, you have a remarkably generous heart.”

Liu Zimang felt a sharp sting in her heart, like being bitten by an ant.

It wasn’t that she wasn’t angry, but she still believed Song Cheng had legitimate business with Xu We.

Zhang Yux glanced sideways and saw Liu Zimang pursing her lips. The curse that had been on the tip of her tongue ultimately dissolved into a sigh. “This is the last time. If she continues to act so recklessly, I absolutely won’t clean up her messes anymore.”

“But isn’t cleaning up her messes your job?” Liu Zimang murmured softly, afraid of adding fuel to the fire.

Zhang Yux didn’t catch every word, but she understood the gist. She stomped her foot in frustration. “I must have owed you all something in my past life!” With that, she strode out in her high heels.

While suppressing the scandal’s momentum was unlikely, they could at least coordinate with Xu We’s team to release a joint statement immediately, minimizing the damage.

At that moment, she couldn’t help but feel grateful that Song Cheng hadn’t taken on any endorsements. If she had, the collapse of her image could have caused financial losses for sponsors, leading to messy legal repercussions.

But human plans often fall short of fate’s designs. Just as they finalized the agreement with Xu We’s manager, new photos of Song Cheng exploded online.

The photos showed Song Cheng single-handedly taking on five men at her doorstep. Her swift, ruthless movements and fierce determination left many netizens wincing, claiming they could feel the pain through their screens.

The discussion about Song Cheng reached a fever pitch.

Song Cheng is a lunatic. She abuses her family’s wealth to act recklessly. Last time she got out of jail by paying her way out. No doubt she’ll do the same again.

Am I the only one curious why these people were at Song Cheng’s door? Who wouldn’t be scared seeing thugs at their doorstep? I’m siding with Song Cheng on this one. Good for her for fighting back.

The person above must be brain-dead. What’s the point of having a mouth if you don’t use it? She just started beating them without asking any questions. She’s a violent maniac.

The real sicko is the one above. Were you even there? How do you know Song Cheng didn’t ask them anything? Besides, those guys looked like trouble. They deserved what they got.

Song Cheng has way too many brainwashed fans. She doesn’t act like a woman at all—no grace or femininity. Girls should be like me: beautiful and charming.

Song Cheng, you’re such a trashy woman. Yesterday you were publicly defending my goddess, and today you’re simping for Xu We? Doesn’t your conscience hurt?

She never learns. Still obsessed with my darling brother.

Upon learning about the situation, Liu Zimang immediately pulled out her phone, scrolled through some online comments, then set it down and leaned back in her chair, rubbing her temples, which had begun to throb.

Song Cheng, you really are a trending topic magnet. How many times have you been trending since I met you?

“Liu Zimang, don’t stop me this time! I’m going to kill Song Cheng with a knife!” Zhang Yux’s voice preceded her into the office. She slammed her phone onto the desk and leaned forward, bracing her hands on the surface. “After all these years of hard work, even if I haven’t achieved much, can’t you just let me have this?”

She pointed to her chest. “If I develop heart disease, it’ll be your fault.”

Liu Zimang thought Zhang Yux was overreacting. The internet was currently tearing into Song Cheng and those who defended her, but to appease Zhang Yux, she humored her. “I know you’ve worked hard. Once Song Cheng gets back on track, I’ll give you a long vacation.”

“Really?” Liu Zimang waved her hand dismissively, tapping her finger against the phone on the desk. “I can’t handle this. Deal with it yourself.”

Liu Zimang casually picked up her phone. When she saw the image of injuries displayed on the screen, she immediately shot to her feet. The photo had been leaked by Chu Sijie.

Liu Zimang knew Chu Sijie’s situation better than anyone. Song Cheng had indeed laid hands on Chu Sijie.

At the time, she had worried Chu Sijie might report the incident to the police and had people follow her constantly. Only when she learned Chu Sijie had taken no action did she finally relax.

She never imagined that over a month later, Chu Sijie would suddenly come forward, posting images of her injuries online and directly tagging Song Cheng. Wasn’t this a blatant attempt to tell the entire internet that Song Cheng was responsible for her injuries?

Seeing Liu Zimang finally grasp the gravity of the situation, Zhang Yux snorted coldly and snatched her phone back. When she saw the notification: “Sister X, this is bad! Chu Sijie has started a live stream. In just one minute, the audience has already exceeded ten thousand,” her anger surged. She slammed the phone onto the table, seething, “That Chu Sijie really knows how to pick her moment. She’s not only getting revenge on Song Cheng but also using her to climb the ladder!”

Hearing this, Liu Zimang immediately grabbed her own phone and rushed to join Chu Sijie’s live stream.

Chu Sijie was tearfully recounting how Song Cheng had beaten and humiliated her. The entire audience had turned against Song Cheng, the chat flooded with insults and condemnation.

The most alarming development was the live stream’s viewership, which had skyrocketed from an initial ten thousand to over a hundred thousand and was still climbing.

Zhang Yux ducked back inside, clapping her hands together and spreading her palms. “Great. Now not only is Song Cheng going to be in deep trouble, but you and Xu We will be dragged down with her.”

“Is this really the time for your sarcastic remarks? Why don’t you go take some action instead of just standing there!” Liu Zimang snapped, her voice sharp with anger.

Zhang Yux bristled at the accusation, opening her mouth to retort, but ultimately said nothing. She stormed out, muttering under her breath, “As if I needed you to tell me what to do. I swear, I’m too good to you people.”

Hearing this, Liu Zimang realized she had misjudged Zhang Yux. She opened her mouth to apologize, but Zhang Yux had already vanished. Frustrated, she pressed a hand to her forehead and paced back and forth.

Suddenly remembering something, she immediately dialed Zhao Q. “Pull the dashcam footage from the day Chu Sijie blocked our car. And make it quick.”

After issuing the order, she called Song Cheng.

The phone rang for an agonizingly long time before being answered. Liu Zimang took a deep breath, forcing her voice to remain calm. “Something’s happened.”

“Whatever it is, I’ll handle it for you.”

The words offered her some comfort, but they also pushed her already anxious heart to its breaking point. Song Cheng’s voice was so weak, as if she might vanish at any moment. Liu Zimang gripped her phone tightly. “What… what’s wrong?”

“Don’t worry, I’m just a little tired. I want to sleep.”

“Song Cheng, what’s really going on?” Liu Zimang’s eyes welled with tears, but no matter how she pleaded, no further sound came from the other end of the line.

Without hanging up, she grabbed her bag and rushed out. Zhao Q wasn’t around, so she kicked off her high heels, slipped into the flat shoes she kept in the car, and drove to Song Cheng’s house herself.

Not knowing the exact unit number, she risked being recognized and asked a passerby for directions before finally arriving.

Standing before the door, she nervously pressed the doorbell, her mind racing as she rehearsed how to greet Wu Guifang. To her surprise, the door was opened not by Wu Guifang, but by a face she had never seen before.

“You… you’re Liu Zimang?”

Having no time to put her mask back on, Liu Zimang simply gave up and nodded slightly. “Excuse me, is this Song Cheng’s house?”

Hearing Sister Feng’s startled cry from inside, Wu Guifang hastily dropped the apple she was holding and rushed to the door. “Ziman? Ziman’s here?”

Liu Zimang’s cheeks flushed slightly as she saw Wu Guifang. “Auntie Wu, hello. I… I need to talk to Song Cheng about something.”

Wu Guifang quickly pulled Sister Feng, who was still stunned in place, aside. “Go ahead. She’s in her room. Just go straight upstairs, and her room is the second-to-last one on the right.”

“Thank you, Auntie,” Liu Zimang said, then hurried upstairs without lingering.

Watching her retreating figure, Sister Feng, who had finally recovered from the shock of seeing the real-life Liu Zimang, murmured, “Strange… why do I see the nervousness of a son-in-law meeting his mother-in-law in the Best Actress?”

Wu Guifang patted Sister Feng’s shoulder affectionately. “Stop talking nonsense. Come on, let’s start cooking. It’s Ziman’s first time here, we need to treat her well.”

Upstairs, Liu Zimang found Song Cheng’s room and knocked lightly. When there was no response, she knocked again, still with no answer.

Growing increasingly anxious, she placed her hand on the doorknob and tentatively twisted it. To her surprise, it turned.

Without pausing to take in the layout of Song Cheng’s bedroom, she rushed to the inner room and found Song Cheng lying sideways on the bed, her face pale and bloodless.

Liu Zimang hurried over and knelt by the bed, shaking Song Cheng gently. “Song Cheng, Song Cheng, wake up! Don’t scare me like this.”

Sensing someone shaking her, Song Cheng wearily opened her eyes. Before she could make out who was there, she murmured, “I’m fine… just need some sleep.”

“Even in this state, you’re still trying to act tough,” Liu Zimang said, rising to her feet. She placed her bag on the bed, bent down, and draped Song Cheng’s arm over her shoulder. “I’m taking you to the hospital.”

Song Cheng immediately struggled, looking up to see Liu Zimang. Her mind went blank. “You…”

Liu Zimang cut her off. “If I hadn’t come, what excuse would you have made up to fool me this time?” Her tone was firm. “You’re going to the hospital with me today.”

Song Cheng shook her head, grabbing Liu Zimang’s arm. “I really don’t need to go,” she insisted, forcing herself to sound more energetic. “See? I rested for a bit, and I already feel much better.”

She absolutely refused to go to the hospital. The medicine tasted awful.

More importantly, even if she took it, it wouldn’t solve her real problem.

To change the subject and dissuade Liu Zimang, Song Cheng sat up on the bed and asked, “You mentioned something happened earlier. What was it?”

Liu Zimang’s brow furrowed. She still wanted to take Song Cheng to the hospital, but seeing her stubbornness, she stomped her foot. “Fine, I’m done with you.” She turned away, refusing to look at Song Cheng. “You were secretly filmed. Remember Chu Sijie? She posted photos online of the bruises you gave her, and now the whole internet is tearing you apart.”

Ding…

Liu Zimang pulled out her phone and opened the image Zhang Yux had sent her. It was Hongxia’s personal account, and every line pointed to Song Cheng’s violent tendencies.

Even without reading the online comments, she could already imagine how those gossiping netizens would twist the narrative to vilify Song Cheng.

Noticing her anxiety, Song Cheng pondered for a moment before declaring, “Don’t worry. I have a way to silence them.”

No one who had ever used her had escaped unscathed.

And now that they had caused Ziman to worry, these fools would pay dearly for their stupidity.