Surprise! My Cohabiting Sister is Actually My Fiancée - Chapter 39

Jokes aside, online matters couldn’t be ignored.

If Jian Suixin hadn’t seen it trending, she would have almost forgotten about the incident.

The situation was simple enough: during their last dinner outing, she had run into Luo Dong at the restaurant entrance, leading to a confrontation.

The video of the incident had been uploaded online.

That alone wouldn’t have been a problem; Jian Suixin was the one being threatened, so she had nothing to fear.

But the video had been edited, completely removing Luo Dong’s menacing behavior and leaving only the part where Jian Suixin was intimidating him.

The editing was truly impressive. Any footage unfavorable to Luo Dong had been cleanly cut out, and the audio had been removed. If Jian Suixin hadn’t been involved, even she would have believed it was the original footage—that she was bullying Luo Dong, while he, with his good temper, silently endured it all.

Combined with the poor video quality, it genuinely looked like she was an evil bully “oppressing” the pitiful Luo Dong.

After watching the video, Jian Suixin couldn’t help but laugh.

Though Luo Dong acted arrogant in private, he maintained a decent public image. Since he hadn’t yet reached the level of fame that would warrant deep scrutiny, his public persona remained relatively untarnished.

“Since the video’s already out there, can I at least get to bully him a bit? I’ve been smeared and didn’t even get to bully him—that’s just unfair!” Jian Suixin found the whole situation absurdly amusing.

These people were truly masters of twisting truth into falsehood.

A quick scan of the online comments revealed a unanimous chorus of sympathy for Luo Dong and condemnation of Jian Suixin.

Many pointed out that Luo Dong, despite having some fame in the entertainment industry, was still being bullied so brazenly.

Jian Suixin’s Weibo account was quickly overrun with angry comments and insults.

Everyone was clamoring for justice, but no one seemed to care whether the “justice” they demanded was actually just.

Nor did anyone consider that what they were seeing might be exactly what the hidden hand behind the scenes wanted them to see.

“Whoa, who is this Jian Suixin? I’ve never even heard of her! Bullying people like that in public?”

“No idea. Probably some no-name nobody. All I know is Jian Suixin needs to apologize ASAP! If she’s this aggressive in public, imagine what she’s like on set when no one’s watching!”

“Damn, the Chinese entertainment industry is a mess! If someone hadn’t filmed this and posted it online, this whole thing would have been swept under the rug!”

“How can someone like this even survive in the industry? She’s already causing trouble as a nobody—imagine what she’d be like if she actually became famous!”

“Disgusting! Get these scandal-ridden celebrities out of the entertainment industry!”

Jian Suixin found a silver lining in the situation, saying to herself, “Well, at least I’m finally getting some attention.”

It was a pity she’d hoped to be recognized for her work, not for this kind of scandal.

Her assistant notified her, and soon Sister Zhao, her manager, called.

Although Jian Suixin’s agency was small, her manager was competent and discussed how to handle the situation with her.

Luo Dong, having been pampered his entire life, was used to others tolerating his behavior. Even those who disliked him or resented him dared not openly confront him.

Recently, he had been repeatedly rejected by Jun Xizhi, and Jian Suixin had only fanned the flames with her provocative remarks. Given his lawless, arrogant nature, he naturally couldn’t let it slide.

After the incident, Luo Dong remained quiet, leading Jian Suixin to believe he had finally seen the error of his ways. Clearly, she had overestimated him.

Sister Zhao had already returned to the office, so they could only communicate by phone.

She immediately asked Jian Suixin for a detailed account of what had happened that day, wanting to know if she had truly done anything wrong.

Jian Suixin, of course, had done nothing wrong and recounted the events exactly as they had occurred.

“I bet Luo Dong set you both up,” Sister Zhao said after hearing Jian Suixin’s explanation. “You two don’t seem like the type to do something like that. How could you possibly be involved in such a thing?”

“You’re practically invisible anyway, and Teacher Jun is a private citizen, so the impact won’t be too severe,” the manager analyzed, trying to reassure Jian Suixin. “Don’t take it to heart. The truth will prevail, and this will definitely be resolved.”

“Mm-hmm, Sister Zhao, don’t worry,” Jian Suixin replied. “I’m not affected at all. Since it’s all fabricated, we’ll clear things up for sure.”

Hearing her relaxed tone, Sister Zhao felt considerably relieved. “I was so worried about you. You’re handling this with remarkable composure.”

Jian Suixin’s voice remained light. “It’s just Luo Dong staging his own little drama. Why should I stoop to his level?”

She added, “Besides, I have Elder Sister here with me. We’ll definitely sort this out.”

Her tone unconsciously brightened when she mentioned her sister.

The manager:  …

I was worrying for nothing.

Curious, the manager asked, “She hasn’t left yet?”

“Actually, she was planning to,” Jian Suixin replied.

“Then why didn’t she?”

“She was worried about me and decided to stay. She’ll leave once everything’s resolved.”

Alright then.

The manager reminded herself to remember this: whenever Jun Xizhi’s name comes up, immediately change the subject and avoid asking further questions.

Ignoring the subtle boast in Jian Suixin’s words, the manager said, “Good to hear you’re doing okay. I’ll contact that Sichuan cuisine restaurant and see if we can get their surveillance footage.”

The assistant chimed in, indignant, “Exactly! He just thinks our company is too small to fight back. We’ll definitely resolve this. Let’s see how long he can stay smug.”

Theoretically, resolving the issue should have been simple: release the full, unedited video, and the lies would crumble on their own.

But when they tried to put this into practice, they discovered why Luo Dong had been so confident.

The manager urgently contacted the restaurant, only to receive a deeply apologetic response: the security camera at the entrance had malfunctioned that day and recorded nothing.

If this one doesn’t work, we’ll try another, they thought. With so many shops nearby, surely one would have footage.

But fate had other plans.

They approached neighboring businesses, only to encounter the same result every time.

One or two coincidences might be plausible, but a simultaneous, collective failure of security cameras? No one would believe that. It was clear Luo Dong had pulled strings, likely bribing everyone to keep quiet.

His audacity was staggering. He had instigated this whole mess himself. If the truth came out, he’d be the first to fall. Yet he dared to release the video himself.

But I have to admit, his audacity really paid off. Not only did he thrust Jian Suixin into the eye of the storm, making her the target of widespread condemnation, but he also reaped a wave of sympathy and rode the wave of publicity. Online viewers who watched the video overwhelmingly supported him, while simultaneously tearing Jian Suixin to shreds.

Now that the scandal had become public knowledge, Jian Suixin had indeed become “famous,” but as a relatively unknown actress who already struggled to land roles, her tarnished reputation would likely deter future casting directors from hiring her.

Luo Dong was truly a master of self-promotion at others’ expense.

As Jian Suixin scrolled through the online comments, Jun Xizhi sat beside her, seeing everything she saw.

After a few minutes, Jun Xizhi reached out and pressed her hand over Jian Suixin’s, stopping her from swiping through the screen. “Don’t look anymore,” she said.

Jian Suixin remained remarkably calm. “It’s fine. I don’t really care.”

Jun Xizhi, usually composed and rarely angered, repeated firmly, her voice sharp: “Don’t look anymore.”

Jian Suixin found the situation somewhat amusing and was about to speak when Jun Xizhi moved to confiscate her phone. “Don’t bother reading what those people online are saying. It’s pointless. What we need to focus on now is finding a way to resolve this.”

Knowing Jun Xizhi was acting in her best interest, Jian Suixin didn’t argue and obediently handed over her phone.

“It’s late. Let’s get some rest.”

After showering and lying in bed, Jian Suixin stared blankly at the ceiling, unable to fall asleep for a long time.

Though she claimed not to care, it was impossible to completely ignore the situation. No one would willingly endure being relentlessly attacked by a mob, especially when the truth had been twisted.

The silent, pitch-black night blurred her sense of time.

After an indeterminate period, the person beside her suddenly spoke. “Can’t sleep?”

Jian Suixin blinked, answering with a question of her own. “You’re awake too?”

Jun Xizhi replied, “I was waiting for you to fall asleep.”

The pitch-black night stirred up anxious thoughts.

After a moment of silence, Jian Suixin asked softly, “Elder Sister, we can resolve this, right?”

She didn’t need to specify what “this” referred to; they both understood.

Jun Xizhi turned to face Jian Suixin, pulled her into a warm embrace, and murmured soothingly, “With me here, everything will be alright.”

No matter what happened yesterday, the sun still rose as usual the next day, and people still had to go to work.

The Luo Dong incident had been the talk of the town since last night. Although the production team had benefited somewhat from the publicity, no one discussed it on set.

After all, it had come at the expense of Jian Suixin’s reputation. While online commenters rushed to judgment based on a maliciously edited video, the crew knew the truth. Having worked closely with both Luo Dong and Jian Suixin, they understood their true characters.

Even those who hadn’t witnessed the incident firsthand believed Jian Suixin would never do such a thing. Luo Dong, far from being a pushover, had always sided with Jian Suixin from the start.

Moreover, Luo Dong had openly boasted on set that the production team’s current attention was all thanks to him, implying they were benefiting from his fame.

These arrogant claims disgusted everyone and drove them further away from him.

Some crew members, indignant at the injustice, anonymously defended Jian Suixin online. However, with a washed-up nobody on one side and a rising star with “video evidence” on the other, public opinion had been overwhelmingly in Luo Dong’s favor from the beginning.

The few who spoke out were quickly overwhelmed by the tide of condemnation.

The production team was small and obscure, and its staff members were largely unknown. Their attempts to explain only made things worse, with some even accusing them of being paid members of Jian Suixin’s “Water Army.”

On set, the atmosphere was noticeably different from the previous days.

Unable to help online, the team could only offer Jian Suixin moral support on set.

“Teacher Xiao Jian, don’t pay attention to all that nonsense online. We’re all on your side. You’ll definitely succeed.”

“Sister Jian, Luo Dong is a scumbag. Don’t give in to him! You have to crush him.”

Jian Suixin felt a measure of comfort and thanked the well-meaning people around her.

As for Luo Dong, the “A-list star” arrived late as usual.

Regardless of what others thought, he swaggered onto set, his chest puffed out, as if he wanted everyone to kowtow to him.

When he saw Jian Suixin, he abandoned his previous sullen demeanor and strutted up to her, taunting, “Oh, Teacher Jian’s here? How did you sleep last night?”

Jian Suixin simply ignored him as if he were a puff of air.

But he was the only one pleased.

After this incident, the rest of the crew would only distance themselves from him further.

On one hand, no one wanted to associate with someone capable of such blatant lies and malicious rumors. On the other hand, they feared being targeted by this repulsive individual.

Jian Suixin spent the entire day filming, and when she had a moment to check her phone, she discovered Jun Xizhi had confiscated it.

“Elder Sister, can I have my phone back now?” Jian Suixin asked.

“I’ll return it when this matter is resolved,” Jun Xizhi replied. “It’s a good opportunity to detox from your phone anyway. You’re getting addicted.”

“But I’m so bored! I have nothing to do,” Jian Suixin complained.

“What do you want to do? I’ll play with you,” Jun Xizhi immediately offered.

As the assistant passed by, she glanced over and saw the two of them playing cat’s cradle with a piece of string they’d somehow acquired. Jun Xizhi was focused intently on the game.

Assistant: ?

After watching for two minutes and realizing they were genuinely engrossed in the game, she asked, “Sister Jian, what are you two…?”

Jian Suixin deftly flipped the string back into her own hands and replied succinctly, “To keep me from looking at my phone.”

The assistant immediately understood, her respect growing.

If this isn’t love, what is?!

The video scandal continued to rage online, and the Lanterns Like Daylight drama crew found themselves riding the wave of attention.

As the saying goes, “Even bad publicity is still publicity.” What had been a low-profile web drama suddenly gained significant attention.

How obscure had the crew been before? Apart from Luo Dong, who had some name recognition, few people had ever heard of the other actors.

During location shoots, proxy photographers were scarce.

Those who did show up were only interested in the male lead; even if they filmed the others, no one would buy the footage.

Now, with the scandal erupting, netizens surfing the web for gossip inevitably stumbled upon the drama, Lanterns Like Daylight.

Some proxy photographers even dug up old footage of the crew and sold it at inflated prices.

Luo Dong’s paid trending searches had also stirred up considerable buzz, but not everyone was interested in the drama. Many remained indifferent to such messy gossip, carrying on with their lives as usual.

After all, the entertainment industry felt like a world apart to those outside it.

As proxy photographers and video bloggers began selling and editing leaked footage from the Lanterns Like Daylight set, a previously unnoticed video went viral after being processed by a video blogger.

By mid-afternoon, the atmosphere on set had suddenly shifted.

When Jian Suixin noticed the whispers around her and the strange looks she was receiving, she remained unaware of what had happened.

The gazes were difficult to describe—not malicious or scrutinizing, but rather a mix of excitement, anticipation, and voyeuristic curiosity.

Jian Suixin had temporarily disconnected from the internet, but those around her hadn’t.

She turned to her assistant to ask what was going on.

The assistant, always on the cutting edge of 5G trends, naturally knew exactly what had happened and was secretly part of the gossiping crowd.

After observing the situation for half the day, the assistant found explaining it too complicated and simply handed her phone to Jian Suixin, telling her to read the summary.

Leaning in, Jian Suixin saw a Weibo post at the center of the screen, its message concise and to the point.

 @Sun Xiaoyan Only Loves Watching Beautiful Women Kiss : Why didn’t they kiss?! Director, can’t these two just spontaneously tongue kiss?!

Tongue… tongue kiss?

Jian Suixin’s pupils dilated in shock.