Drama Queen Reborn as a Top Student!

Chapter 1151 - 582: Turning the Tide

Just when everything was about to be settled, and Liang Ruofan thought he was nailed to join the group, Zhao Han, who claimed to be Chen Fangzhou’s ex-girlfriend, released a self-recorded video one early morning.

In the video, she held up her ID card to publicly report that a person named Wang Wei contacted her and gave her three hundred thousand to discredit Chen Fangzhou.

She indeed is Chen Fangzhou’s ex-girlfriend; they were college classmates, but after graduation, due to being apart often and having different career plans, they peacefully broke up; later, she didn’t enter the entertainment industry but went back home to work as a performance teacher at an education institution.

Life was poor, but stable.

However, early this year, her father was diagnosed with liver cancer, and the costs of chemotherapy and a transplant surgery were overwhelming; she simply couldn’t afford it.

This thirty thousand was a lifeline for her; the transplant surgery was imminent; watching her father tormented by illness in his hospital bed, after a painful struggle, she let her conscience bow to money.

After taking the money, she followed the person’s instructions, using the so-called "evidence" that was sent to her to accuse Chen Fangzhou of cheating, but in reality, those were all fake; Chen Fangzhou was a very good boyfriend, patient, gentle, responsible. Even after so many years of breakup, Chen Fangzhou is the best man she’s ever encountered.

Seeing Chen Fangzhou suffering from public criticism, being misunderstood and wronged, her conscience couldn’t rest, and ultimately unable to bear the moral condemnation, she stood up and admitted everything, stating if Chen Fangzhou wanted to sue her, she’d willingly accept any legal responsibilities.

Once this video was released, it thoroughly reversed the public opinion.

It is said that every gossip follower is a Sherlock Holmes; based on the information Zhao Han posted about Wang Wei, people quickly managed to dig up that Wang Wei and Xie Shiyao’s driver’s cousin were longtime pals. Who didn’t know that Liang Ruofan was Xie Shiyao’s ex-boyfriend and a significant money-maker for the company?

Rumors spread that Liang Ruofan was competing with Chen Fangzhou for the male lead in Xie Quan’s commercial film, and now the case was solved; the behind-the-scenes manipulator turned out to be Liang Ruofan.

Next, Liang Ruofan experienced what it means to lift a stone only to drop it on his own feet; leaving aside the crime of framing others, his previous affair with Zhou Qing was dug up again. Although Xie Shiyao cleared the air about the cheating rumors, someone anonymously posted a photo showing him with Xie Shiyao at a high-end club last October; in the photo, the two appeared intimate, seemingly in a relationship.

But during that period, he was also dating Zhou Qing.

So, Chen Fangzhou’s cheating was actually Liang Ruofan’s dirty work to snatch resources? But in reality, Liang Ruofan was the definite cheating scumbag?

Switching roles, thief crying out to catch thief.

Chen Fangzhou cleared his name, while also earning a wave of public sympathy, whereas Liang Ruofan was pushed to the forefront, becoming the scumbag everyone wants to attack.

And all this was due to Director Xie Quan’s new work, "Wintergreen." In this round of back and forth public opinion battles, the biggest winner was this film, which soared in popularity before filming even started.

On the surface were Chen Fangzhou and Liang Ruofan’s competition, but in reality, it was a battle between two teams behind the scenes, unbeknownst to the public.

The public opinion shifted too quickly, catching Xie Shiyao off guard.

She couldn’t understand, Jiuge Media was just an old agency company on the decline, with most resources and connections already divided; if it weren’t for Chen Fangzhou’s outstanding acting skills and a bit of luck, he wouldn’t be able to compete with Liang Ruofan at all.

Zhao Han was initially under her control; when was she persuaded otherwise? She had no clue. Plus, later on, with the entire internet’s marketing team supporting Chen Fangzhou, the initially bribed online supporters were as effective as stones sinking into the sea, completely ineffective. Liang Ruofan was thus subjected to wave after wave of negative trending topics.

It’s obvious, Chen Fangzhou has a greater backing.

What frightens her more is, she can’t uncover who is backing Chen Fangzhou, like an invisible giant hand hovering above her head; she doesn’t know when this hand might descend.

She has a premonition that the opponent is targeting her.

The subsequent events confirmed her premonition; when you pull the turnip, the soil comes along, Liang Ruofan’s cheating scandal also brought out a hidden scandal from his college days.

During college, Liang Ruofan had a girlfriend, he impregnated the girl but wanted to break up, leaving the girl to get an abortion alone.

The girl was deceived into getting the procedure at a small clinic, ultimately suffering heavy bleeding and losing her uterus.

The girl couldn’t bear the double blow of the breakup and her body’s condition and committed suicide by jumping off a building.

Back then, everyone thought this girl suffered from depression which led her to the path of suicide; no one connected all this to Liang Ruofan, instead, a man who lost his girlfriend seemed more pitiful.

Years later, the girl’s best friend went through her belongings and discovered a notebook clearly documenting Liang Ruofan’s true nature.

Thus, the truth from back then became public.

The girl’s best friend took photos of pages from the diary and posted them on Weibo, between the lines revealing a girl collapsing in despair from being manipulated by a man, ultimately choosing to end everything after losing her child and uterus.

Such a scandal involves a person’s death; though the girl wasn’t directly killed by Liang Ruofan, he bears indirect responsibility. The public crisis it caused far surpasses those due to cheating.

When Xie Shiyao learned about these things, at first, she couldn’t believe it; after processing it, she rushed to Liang Ruofan for answers.

Liang Ruofan’s face was exceedingly ugly: "This is ancient history; what do they want by bringing it up now? To destroy me? Wishful thinking."

"I just ask you, is this true? Did your college ex-girlfriend really have an abortion because of you? Did she really jump off a building after losing her uterus?"

Liang Ruofan angrily retorted: "Even you are questioning me now, get lost; her death has nothing to do with me."

Xie Shiyao shook her head in disbelief: "Do you think the public will believe you? Liang Ruofan, you’re finished, and I’m finished too. I should never have listened to you and gone after Chen Fangzhou; he has stronger backing, and this is the retribution for framing him."

Liang Ruofan paused for a moment and suddenly grabbed Xie Shiyao by the shoulders, "Yaoyao, help me one more time, won’t you? We’ve survived so many times before, this time we can certainly do it."

Xie Shiyao shook off his hands, crying and shaking her head: "Since my uncle’s incident, everyone avoids me like the plague; my connections and resources were exhausted to support you. Once a person loses all value, they’re no different from a salted dried fish; Liang Ruofan, I could barely scrape by living on this company, yet now, you’re putting me in the grave."

Now, the competition among agency companies is very fierce, and her Radiant Entertainment no longer has any competitive edge; barely relying on Liang Ruofan to keep a footing in the circle, the company is close to bankruptcy if Liang Ruofan falls.

Liang Ruofan’s gaze turned sinister; suddenly, he grabbed Xie Shiyao’s neck; her back slammed against the table; her neck was held, breathing became difficult, her cheeks flushed red, she struggled painfully, but the disparity in strength was like trying to shake a tree.

"Xie Shiyao, how can you not help me? What good will it do to you if I fall? Beg anyone you need to and protect my reputation; do you know how many big companies have tried to recruit me? It was my unwillingness to leave you that stopped me from going; now that I’m in trouble, how can you abandon me?"

Xie Shiyao looked with despair at the man in front of her who had lost his mind.

Why didn’t he leave? Because those big companies had harsh terms, only she, with her romantic mindset, would give him the highest share and greatest freedom.

And now all these have become boomerangs directed back at her.

"Boss, you really are a visionary; after resolving Zhao Han’s father’s medical expenses, she stood out to clarify things for Chen Fangzhou. Also, how did you know about Liang Ruofan’s college girlfriend incident? Liang Ruofan himself probably didn’t even know, right?"

On the phone, Zhao Heng expressed utmost admiration.

Shen You’an glanced at Liu Runxi, who was quietly reading across from him, then rose and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window of the library.

"It’s just consequences of one’s actions."

In the past life, Liang Ruofan’s scandal was exposed three years later than in this timeline, but it stirred little reaction and was quickly cleaned up by Xie Shiyao.

Liang Ruofan remained the untainted, aloof film emperor, increasing in status and resources; no one knew his fame was built upon a woman’s blood and bones.

And Chen Fangzhou, a good actor with a similar path to Liang Ruofan, ended up as Liang Ruofan’s victim, his reputation tarnished, his career declining.

Now with time rewound, she won’t just be a passive observer; she wants to be the one to correct and turn the situation around.