After Lin Jingxuan was taken away, the world didn't quiet down as I'd expected.
On the contrary, a much larger storm was brewing online, and then it exploded.
Two trending topics, "Scumbag Husband Calls Cops on Wife's Fan" and "Radical Fan Attacks with Knife," tore at each other furiously on the charts like two wild beasts.
My personal information was dug up and exposed, leaving nothing private. The abusive messages and calls nearly crashed my phone.
Meanwhile, Zhou Wanqing rode this wave of controversy. Her career, instead of declining, soared.
The Mr. Zhao backing her was clearly a master at manipulating public opinion.
Article after article, all appearing objective, painted her as a poor woman blinded by love and emotionally manipulated by her husband. Her actions in the video were framed as a desperate act of rebellion against oppression.
Her fans' hearts ached for her, and their fighting spirit reached an all-time high as they charged into battle for her everywhere online.
I turned off my phone, watching it all with cold eyes.
Let them fly. The higher, the better.
I calmly logged into a forum account I hadn't used in a long time and typed out a title: [Technical Analysis: Is That Viral Video Really an AI Deepfake?]
In the post, I didn't deny it outright. Instead, I used all sorts of technical jargon to methodically analyze the video's lighting, pixels, and details, ultimately arriving at an ambiguous conclusion: there were technical inconsistencies, but it couldn't be confirmed with one hundred percent certainty.
This was exactly the kind of uncertainty netizens loved.
The post quickly shot to the top of the forum.
Just as the discussion reached its peak, I used another sock puppet account to post a seemingly casual reply beneath it: "Is it possible the video is real, but the focus isn't the cheating, but... a health issue?"
That one comment sent shockwaves through the thread.
"What health issue? Spill the details!"
"Holy crap, I remember now! Didn't the paparazzi snap a picture of Lin Jingxuan at the hospital? He looked really pale."
"And didn't Zhou Wanqing post a pregnancy check-up report before? Wait... whose baby is she carrying?"
The direction of public opinion began to take a strange, new turn.
I smiled. It was time for the main course.
A partially pixelated hospital lab report was "accidentally" leaked into a gossip group.
On the report, the patient's name was blacked out, but the age and gender were a perfect match for Zhou Wanqing. And on the report, a glaring term was circled in red.
—Syphilis Antibody: Positive.
The entire internet went dead silent for three seconds, and then it detonated completely.
If the previous video was like pouring water into hot oil, then this lab report was an atomic bomb dropped right in the middle of it.
Cheating, betrayal, and now, a sexually transmitted disease.
Zhou Wanqing's flawless, "pure maiden" image was blown to smithereens, not even dust remained.
The fans who had once championed her felt like they had just eaten a piece of candy dipped in shit. They were disgusted, furious, and humiliated.
"Refunds! Zhou Wanqing, get out of the entertainment industry!"
"I fucking ate instant noodles for a month to boost her stats, and you're telling me she's diseased? What a curse!"
"Everyone who cursed out Lu Mingqian before, get out here and apologize!"
Major brands issued contract termination notices overnight, terrified of being associated with her. The overwhelming breach-of-contract fees were enough to drag her down to the eighteenth level of hell.
I watched this magnificent collapse unfold, then unblocked Zhou Wanqing's name from my blacklist.
I sent her a message: "I hear you're a hundred million in debt now?"
Almost instantly, her call came through.
"Mingqian..." The voice on the other end was no longer sharp and hysterical, but trembling and tearful, cautious, like a child who had done something wrong. "I know I was wrong, I really know I was wrong... Help me, please?"
"I was just confused for a moment, that bastard Lin Jingxuan tricked me! The one I've always loved is you!"
"Give me another chance, let's start over. I'll be a good wife to you, I'll have your children..."
She pleaded incoherently, painting a touching picture of a prodigal wife's return.
Listening to her insincere repentance, I almost laughed out loud.
"Okay," I said softly.
She seemed unprepared for me to be so agreeable. Her breathing hitched, followed by a wave of ecstasy. "You... you agree?"
I paused, then in a tone that was supremely gentle, yet utterly cruel, I clearly enunciated my next words.
"Okay... my ass."
The other end of the line went deathly silent.
I could picture the entire sequence of her expression shifting from elation to stiffness, and then to a twisted mask of fury.
A few seconds later, she finally dropped all pretense, her voice turning cold and venomous.
"Lu Mingqian, don't push me!"
"I signed those endorsement contracts, but we're not divorced yet! According to the law, this is joint marital debt!"
"You want me to die? Then I'll drag you down to hell with me!"
I leaned back on the sofa, listening to her threats, the smile on my lips widening.
"Joint marital debt?"
I asked slowly, as if savoring her final struggle.
"Zhou Wanqing, have you forgotten what was written in that divorce agreement you signed with your own two hands?"