Chapter Thirty-One: Bai Ling’s True Colors Revealed! Scandals Erupt!

Twice defeated, Wang Tianhai and Zhou Tai found it hard to accept. As Bai Ling continued to rise in fame, her popularity soaring, and invitations pouring in from all corners, they became restless once again. The cause lay in a small incident not long ago. Someone had called Xinghui, claiming to be Bai Ling’s parents. At the time, the Xinghui staff hadn’t paid much attention—it seemed nothing more than a farce. If they truly were the artist’s parents, the company would surely have it on record. Later, when they checked Bai Ling’s file and information, they discovered she had left no details about her family whatsoever.

This matter was reported to the Artist Department and relayed to Wang Tianhai. He immediately speculated that the callers might indeed be Bai Ling’s parents. They proceeded to make contact and communicate, uncovering more details. Of course, they couldn’t possibly know about Bai Ling’s childhood. Whether Bai Ling’s father, Bai Zhengyi, or her mother, Lin Fenfang, neither would ever consider themselves at fault. To them, disciplining a disobedient child was only natural; why would they bring up such matters themselves?

During their interaction with Wang Tianhai, Lin Fenfang poured out her grievances, declaring Bai Ling’s ‘unfilial’ behavior. She even revealed that Bai Ling’s current company had only given them sixty thousand yuan. This detail was crucial.

The next day, a news story shot to the trending list: “Bai Ling’s True Face—Tearing Off Her Mask!” Amid the sea of online information, such a headline wouldn’t stand out—if not for the name Bai Ling. But Bai Ling was simply too popular lately. Whether with “Undersea” or her sword dance, she had become one of the hottest and most talked-about artists. Naturally, the headline caught attention. Especially since Wang Tianhai himself was behind the whole thing. Xinghui’s reputation had already suffered because of Bai Ling, so he didn’t hesitate to spend money to ruin her name. The trending spot was guaranteed—and the result was inevitable.

As the story’s heat grew, more and more people clicked in. There, in front of the camera, stood a middle-aged woman holding a household registration book and an ID card, proving her relationship with Bai Ling—mother and daughter.

Interviewer: Are you Bai Ling’s mother, Lin Fenfang?
Lin: Yes, these are my documents.
Interviewer: What would you like to say today?
Lin: I want to accuse Bai Ling of being unfilial. After becoming famous, she wanted to sever ties with us, refused to acknowledge her parents. Here are chat messages and screenshots—people from Chunqiu Company contacted us, offered us sixty thousand yuan to leave Bai Ling alone.
Interviewer: What kind of person was Bai Ling originally? Why would she do this?
Lin: My daughter has always been ungrateful, never filial. Her father and I treated her well, but she ran off without a word. If I hadn’t heard her name from the villagers recently, I wouldn’t have known she had become a big star. As for why she did it, I suppose she thinks having rural parents is embarrassing, so she doesn’t want much to do with us.
Interviewer: Is that really the case…
…
The rest of the interview was Lin Fenfang’s endless criticism of Bai Ling. With animated gestures, she disparaged Bai Ling, trampling her character into the dust. Those who finished watching the interview all drew sharp breaths.

“Damn, Bai Ling is really this kind of person?”
“I think it’s a bit strange—when someone gets famous, there’s always controversy. But why does her biological mother suddenly appear now?”
“She showed the registration book and ID card—how could it be fake?”
“If your own mother complains about you like this, Bai Ling must have failed as a person.”
“Exactly…”
“Honestly, I used to like Bai Ling. She’s really beautiful, and her songs are nice. But I never expected this.”
“You can know someone’s face, but not their heart!”
“I used to feel sorry for her. The issue with Xinghui Company—I thought she was the victim. But now… sigh!”
“Do you think it’s possible Bai Ling is actually very scheming, and the whole Xinghui incident was her plan?”
“Maybe Chunqiu wanted to poach her, so they staged this drama to trick Xinghui.”
“That’s possible, but if so, Bai Ling is terrifying.”
“Yes, her public image has collapsed.”
“From today, I’m switching from fan to hater!”
“Disgusting, despicable person!”

The comments under the news post multiplied rapidly. With the story trending, the number of messages exploded.

Although some were paid posters, most were real netizens swept up in the storm, venting their emotions. In no time, ten thousand, twenty thousand comments appeared. At this moment, the downside of fame became strikingly clear. When Bai Ling was unknown, even if discussed, rumors wouldn’t spread so wildly. But now, at the peak of her career, popularity was a double-edged sword. Now, it was hurting her. More and more of Bai Ling’s fans watched the video, learned the situation, and along with casual viewers and paid trolls, flooded Bai Ling’s social media.

As her follower count plummeted, messages poured in. Some were heartbroken, some raged, some mocked, some simply followed the crowd. In short, the wave of negativity was staggering—far worse than any trouble Bai Ling had faced before.

Chunqiu Company quickly noticed, notifying Ge Fenfen and Bai Ling, and immediately began counterattacks. The most they could do at the moment was attempt to control public opinion. When Lin Fenfang appeared, Bai Ling was thoroughly forced into a passive position. To fight back effectively, they needed full understanding.

Ge Fenfen rushed to the hotel. Bai Ling sat there, her eyes dark and stormy, visibly displeased.

“Bai Ling, trouble has come!”
“I need to know about your upbringing—everything!”

Bai Ling knew her parents wouldn’t let her go so easily. She was their cash cow; how could they be satisfied with just a few tens of thousands? She’d thought that even if things got messy, she could handle it. But she never expected Lin Fenfang and Bai Zhengyi to side with Xinghui Company. Many of the trending voices were defending Xinghui. Even if Bai Ling weren’t clever, she could see what was happening. Xinghui was pushing Bai Ling to the brink. She never imagined Lin Fenfang and Bai Zhengyi could be so utterly heartless.