Chapter 13: Scandalous Dirt

Back in her apartment, Jiang Qin changed into a set of cotton pajamas.

It was quite interesting, actually: in this interstellar era, pure cotton clothing was practically non-existent. Even if it did exist, it was reserved for high-end custom apparel, while ordinary people could only settle for synthetic cotton.

Anything associated with natural plants came with a hefty price tag. After all, given the current state of the atmosphere, these ancient species could only survive within environment-controlled cultivation chambers. Naturally, the costs were exorbitant.

Still, the synthetic cotton clothes weren't half bad, and Jiang Qin felt she could accept them.

Just as she was about to log onto the Interstellar Net to relax, she received a call from an unknown optical computer number. After switching to voice mode, she tapped to connect.

"Hello, may I ask if this is Ms. Jiang Qin?"

Jiang Qin felt a bit puzzled. "Yes, it is."

"Apologies for the intrusion, but could I take a few minutes of your time? I am Will, an agent from Tianwen Entertainment. I wanted to inquire if you have any interest in signing with an agency."

"I have already signed with Moonlit Bar."

"We are aware of that, but if you are willing, our company will take full responsibility for your contract termination fees and tailor a development plan specifically for you."

Although it sounded tempting, Jiang Qin declined. She had had enough of a life dictated by talent agencies. In this lifetime, she only wanted to be herself and, in the process, bring those brilliant works to the interstellar world.

"Ms. Jiang, you might want to give it some serious thought. Moonlit is, at the end of the day, just a bar. No matter how popular it gets, its reach is limited."

"Sorry, I am truly not interested."

"Very well. If you change your mind, feel free to contact me at any time."

This call seemed to trigger something. Shortly after, several more calls from unknown numbers came through, leaving Jiang Qin feeling thoroughly annoyed. She hadn't expected that even in the interstellar age, phone harassment would still be a thing.

Although the current interstellar laws forbade anyone from investigating another person's privacy—especially that of a female—there would always be people lurking in the shadows to make a quick buck. In truth, the interstellar government found it difficult to truly regulate everyone. After all, there were still many planets that were semi-developed, undeveloped, or categorized as junk planets, barren planets, frontier planets, or low-tier planets. Once criminals fled to these places and changed their identities, they were nearly impossible to apprehend.

***

Although she had been prepared for her information to leak, Jiang Qin never expected it to happen so quickly and so thoroughly.

Late at night, many night owls discovered a post quietly popping up on the Interstellar Net: "Let’s Dig Into the Recently Hyped Low-Tier Female."

The title was highly attention-grabbing. Earlier that evening, Jiang Qin had uploaded her recorded song "Ningxia" to the platform, and by tonight, it had crawled onto the bottom of the charts. Meanwhile, "As You Wish," released at noon, had already reached tenth place. "Anonymous Comfort," while further behind, was not far off, currently ranking fifteenth.

Even for a new song chart, this was enough to stun people. The positive reviews for these two songs, in particular, led netizens to exclaim that these were the most heart-touching songs they had heard in years. Some songs were pleasant to listen to, but they were forgotten instantly, lacking any depth. These two songs were different; people felt that even years from now, they would still find them beautiful.

Jiang Qin had become a minor hit on the Interstellar Net, and Moonlit Bar had become famous too. At the very least, on Azure Planet, anyone following entertainment trends had come across the video of her playing the piano. Perhaps that was why someone had decided to dig into her background—she was disrupting the balance of Tai Street!

The post detailed Jiang Qin’s eighteen years of life. Born on a barren planet, an unregistered resident, surviving by scavenging, living among low-tier citizens, and receiving no education. These parts were true, but what followed was a mix of fact and fiction.

While she was actually the biological daughter brought back by the Jiang family, the post claimed she had been adopted by a kind-hearted Jiang family member she met on a barren planet. It alleged that after arriving on Azure Planet, she grew jealous of the family's daughter, Ms. Jiang Rumeng, pushed her down the stairs, and then fled the Jiang home out of fear. It further claimed that she was greedy for money, started working at a bar, and once she became famous, immediately blocked the very Jiang family members who had saved her from the barren planet.

She was painted as a classic ingrate—a low-tier female with a vicious nature.

[No way? I was just feeling bad for her situation, and now there’s a plot twist??]

[She never received an education? So she’s illiterate? Then how did she write these songs? Oh my god, could she have plagiarized them?]

[I regret liking her songs so much. I thought she was a gentle and pure female; I really misjudged her!]

[The original poster is likely telling the truth. I’m a neighbor of the Jiang family, and they really did bring back a girl from a barren planet a while ago. I haven't seen her for a few days, and Ms. Jiang was indeed hospitalized a few days ago.]

[I thought someone was just trying to smear her, but it turns out to be true. Unfollowing and turning against her!]

[Vomit.jpg. Such a dirty, low-tier female—I wouldn't want her even if she were given to me for free.]

[What a pity for that pretty face; who knows how many low-tier males took advantage of her when she was on that barren planet.]

Overnight, the post went viral across the entire network.

Jiang Ruhai, who had just finished watching a favorite streamer’s broadcast, exited the room and stumbled upon this video. He had opened it out of simple curiosity, but as he read on, he realized he was reading gossip about his own family.

"The Jiang family on Azure Planet"—wasn't that his family? Combined with the mentions of a female from a barren planet and the bullied Jiang daughter, who else could it be but Jiang Qin and his sister?

The more Jiang Ruhai read, the angrier he became, to the point where he felt like he was fuming. He immediately tried calling the optical computer number Jiang Rumeng had previously sent him.

"Hello, the number you are calling is outside the service area. Please leave a message."

"Damn it, she even turned it off!"

He was actually calling Jiang Yulian’s secondary optical computer number; no one in the Jiang family knew Jiang Qin’s new number. Unable to find a way to vent his rage at Jiang Qin, he had to swallow his anger until daybreak to rally his parents.

***

After a good night's sleep, Jiang Qin woke up feeling refreshed. She only turned on her optical computer after washing up. She didn't think anyone would have anything urgent to discuss with her in the middle of the night, so to ensure a full night's rest, she always set her device to sleep mode.

However, today, as soon as she turned it on, she was flooded with messages. Among them were over a dozen messages from You Wei. Thinking he might have urgent work-related matters, Jiang Qin quickly opened them.

"Ms. Jiang, please do not leave the house today. I will find a way to resolve the situation on the internet."

The messages all conveyed the same thing: stay indoors, and wait for his notification regarding today's work.