Transmigrating into the Rival's Fanfiction - Chapter 24

Qin Zhi quickly clicked into her Weibo account.

Typing with one hand, she posted a photo she had just taken of Sheng Mingluo, whose innocent, questioning eyes conveyed a sense of naive sincerity.

The photo was accompanied by a simple two-word caption:

Rumors.

The Green App had been buzzing with speculation about whether Sheng Mingluo and Luo Hu were secretly married and had a child, when Qin Zhi’s Weibo post dropped like a bombshell.

The word “rumors” carried a profound and pointed meaning. Anyone with half a brain could understand exactly what Qin Zhi was referring to.

Her last promotional Weibo post had been a perfunctory retweet about the drama’s filming commencement. This time, she openly declared her support for Sheng Mingluo.

This left the gossip-hungry audience utterly bewildered. Netizens had long assumed that Qin Zhi, who played the Princess, and Sheng Mingluo, whose character had no scenes with the Princess, were at odds. They believed Qin Zhi’s restraint was solely due to her respect for Director Zhao Le.

After all, Zhao Le was Qin Zhi’s mentor, the one who had given her a career-reviving role after a period of obscurity.

Thus, netizens had universally assumed that even if Qin Zhi harbored resentment, she would never publicly embarrass Sheng Mingluo.

This sudden reversal of alliances left everyone completely bewildered.

Qin Zhi had always held herself in high regard, refusing to stoop to the level of petty industry feuds and manufactured scandals. Though many secretly criticized her arrogance, her family wealth and powerful connections meant that even those who resented her had no choice but to swallow their anger and seethe in silence.

Now, the chaos escalated further. Qin Zhi’s fans, who had initially been observing from the sidelines to see if the conflict would involve her, immediately charged into the fray fully armed the moment their idol entered the battle. The tide of the conflict instantly turned.

Luo Hu’s fans were routed, fleeing with their heads in their hands.

A barrage of misogynistic insults against female artists was exposed, causing Luo Hu’s reputation to plummet.

In an instant, the narrative shifted from condemning Sheng Mingluo as a shameless harlot to pitying her for being relentlessly pursued by a condescending male celebrity.

After posting her Weibo update, Qin Zhi ignored the ensuing uproar and put her phone away.

“Alright, let’s rehearse now.”

Her fingertip pressed down on Sheng Mingluo’s script, stopping her from turning the page. Sheng Mingluo froze for a second before quickly agreeing. She desperately wanted to ask Qin Zhi if her earlier action had been a way of defending her.

In the end, she suppressed the urge. After all, she’d been dealing with online trolls for years, and this latest wave of abuse was no different from the previous ones. In every case, male fans had ganged up on her, dragging her through the mud. Her private messages and phone were flooded with vile insults.

Just answering the phone meant enduring a torrent of vulgarities. Sheng Mingluo sighed inwardly, resolved to put aside these distractions, and focus on her work.

Sensing she might be interrupting their rehearsal, Xu Yun tactfully took her coffee and left. The moment she stepped out, her phone began buzzing incessantly with messages.

What’s going on?

Logically, if the company had asked Qin Zhi to help clear Sheng Mingluo’s name, Chu Wenxiu would have contacted Xu Yun immediately.

But this sudden barrage of messages caught her completely off guard.

Is Qin Zhi with you?

Xu Yun quickly typed a reply:

Yes, Teacher Qin is rehearsing with Sister Mingluo right now. Sister Zhong, you’re calling so soon—has the online backlash escalated again? Should I take Sister Mingluo’s phone later so she doesn’t see it?

No need… The situation has been resolved. What I really want to know is, are they getting along well?

Xu Yun was taken aback by the question. Having just joined the company, she wasn’t familiar with Qin Zhi’s methods. She could only scratch her head and answer truthfully.

Well, it’s alright. Since the film crew was short on rooms, they ended up sharing one. Teacher Qin is really nice and has been teaching Sister Mingluo a lot about her craft… But they both go to bed really early every night, probably because filming is exhausting.

Alright, Zhong He thought, cutting off his line of questioning. If they can’t even pretend to be professional in front of the crew, it’s only a matter of time before this gets leaked.

Just as he finished talking to Xu Yun, a call came through. Zhong He was surprised to see it was Chu Wenxiu. After a moment’s hesitation, he answered.

“Qin Zhi always does things her own way, without consulting anyone. You weren’t too shocked, were you?”

“I apologize on her behalf.”

Chu Wenxiu was used to cleaning up after Qin Zhi’s impulsive actions, so she wasn’t particularly surprised by today’s events. Her tone remained calm.

“There’s no need to apologize to me. In fact, I should thank you. Though her actions were reckless and she didn’t consult us beforehand… it was far more effective than any official statement we could have released.”

“Good. I’m glad you understand.”

On the other side, Luo Hu’s mood was far from good. He lay back in a lounge chair, his thumb furiously scrolling through online comments, but hardly any were to his liking. He was being utterly crushed in the public opinion battle.

His expression grew increasingly sour.

He wasn’t done with Qin Zhi after their last clash, and now she was pushing her luck even further. He had originally planned to use this incident to blackmail Sheng Mingluo into having dinner with him, after which he would magnanimously issue a clarifying statement.

A few drinks later, and his intentions would be easily realized. But out of nowhere, this meddling interloper had repeatedly thwarted his plans.

Even back when they were working on other sets, Luo Hu had been salivating over Sheng Mingluo. Not for any particular reason—he simply found it intriguing that she consistently ignored his advances. The unobtainable always stirs the heart.

“Brother, the higher-ups have ordered you to avoid further conflict with Best Actress Qin. Our company has several projects in collaboration with Bai Ling.”

“I know, you don’t need to remind me.”

Because Qin Zhi had issued a statement, Luo Hu’s Weibo account had been reclaimed by the company. He couldn’t play dead any longer; otherwise, he’d face a backlash sooner or later.

Just two hours after Qin Zhi’s statement, Luo Hu’s account suddenly sprang back to life, responding to the controversy. He claimed to be focused on filming and unaware of the baseless rumors circulating online.

He insisted that the accusations against him were entirely fabricated, that his relationship with Sheng Mingluo was purely platonic, and that they were simply working together on set.

To further divert attention, he even posted a staged group photo from the first day of filming, feigning camaraderie.

Predictably, some bought into his narrative, while others remained skeptical.

Your meltdown is hilarious~

How convenient that you suddenly claim innocence now that the fire you watched from afar has spread to you. Pathetic.

Upstairs, you’re the one who deserves a tongue-lashing. Say another word and see what happens.

Exactly! Brother Luo has already issued a statement declaring his innocence and dedication to filming. Why are you still hounding him? Besides, he didn’t leak the video himself—it was clearly taken by unscrupulous paparazzi.

The drama had only just begun filming, yet the fans of the lead actors were already at each other’s throats.

Spectator netizens declared the spectacle “epic,” with many simply enjoying the show.