Night, nine o'clock.
Staring at the like he had just tapped, Xiao He couldn't help but grin like a trick that had worked.
He then unliked at lightning speed, used his hacking skills to wipe away all traces of his intrusion, and quietly logged out of Su Shengxi's Weibo account.
—Not bad. After thinking it over, Xiao He decided he couldn't let Su Shengxi have it so easy, nor could he stand seeing those girls blindly follow someone who had been using them from start to finish. So he pulled a divine move: he liked for Su Shengxi!
If you, Su Shengxi, hate me Xiao He so much, then don't pretend—let me peel off your skin for you!
So, on another idle evening, the rumor that "Su Shengxi" had accidentally liked and then quickly unliked a post rocketed up the trending list at breakneck speed.
Many fans flocked over and immediately felt their blood pressure spike.
There was one especially telling comment—
"Wait, are Su Shengxi's fans out of their minds? Did you ask Su Shengxi first? Maybe your brother hates Xiao He to death. With what you're doing, he's probably secretly calling you idiots."
(Su Shengxi liked your comment)
(Su Shengxi removed the like)
Everyone: ?
Fans: ?
In that instant, many well-intentioned fans who had been trying to reverse public opinion for Su Shengxi—and who had spent real money doing so—felt their heads buzzing.
They didn't even know what expression to make; they just stared at their phones in a daze as if the world had gone completely dark.
They had only done this for Su Shengxi. Why would he think this of them?
Did he really think they were idiots?
At first they'd only been worried Su Shengxi would be bullied. Fine, they went after Xiao He and made a huge fuss, causing many sisters to suffer trouble in real life. But afterward Su Shengxi lightly posted a photo saying he and Xiao He were good brothers and that fans should stop misunderstanding—
They looked like clowns, left with nowhere to go. But fine! They still listened, and kept scrambling to fix the damage they caused; they even organized themselves to boost box office numbers for Su Shengxi's so-called "good brother" Xiao He. In the end, they became the joke again.
Which fandom gets to enjoy such a thrill—being made a clown twice and becoming an industry laughingstock?
At that moment, the steadfast love they had held from beginning to end began to waver.
Bystanders started asking sincerely:
"Wait, Dasha Chun, what are you doing? Fans worked so hard to defend you, and you jump out and act reckless—what's up?"
"Hahaha, can't Su Shengxi and Chen Yulin form a pair of clumsy spellcasters? Both of them slip with their hands—how are they supposed to live like this, hahaha—"
Even other entertainment fans who came to gawk were stunned:
"I really feel sorry for Su Shengxi's fans now. They charge in for their brother, but when trouble hits, brother runs first and even steps on them, saying it was fan misunderstanding and that fans acted on their own. What kind of fans are you? You're just tissue paper to wipe his ass. The back is shit and the front is shit."
"Heh, honestly I don't feel sorry at all. When the romance scandal about Su Shengxi first broke, I told them to leave and not waste money supporting a real girlfriend, but they wouldn't listen. Later, when the online mobbing of Xiao He happened, it was the same—anyone could see Su Shengxi's company hired the water army to stir things up and sent fans to attack Xiao He. Then when things went wrong, they stabbed the fans in the back and made the fans pay. I really laughed. After so many rounds and the fans still didn't leave, how much brain do you have smeared with that shit?"
Soon, a top fan went directly on the offensive:
"Insomniac for Xi: Where is Su Shengxi? Only daring to peep from the sidelines? Get out here and explain! Don't tell me your account was hacked—the IP is the same location! I actually spent real money helping you this time and you call us idiots. First time I've seen the real lead hold fans back. I'm shocked—get out here and explain!"
Coincidentally, this top fan "Insomniac for Xi" was the main organizer behind the fundraising to boost Xiao He's box office, the wealthy woman who had previously fronted a large sum to take fans to the movies.
She had spent money and effort, and just when public opinion was turning very favorable, she received the "idiot" label from Su Shengxi. Naturally she wanted answers.
With her leading the charge, this matter was bound to end badly.
-
Xiao He watched the online uproar he had stoked with relish, lazily yawning with no guilt or unease about being the instigator.
Based on what he knew of Su Shengxi, that was probably exactly what Su Shengxi thought deep down. He had only liked the post for him, exposing what Su Shengxi only dared to mutter secretly—no need to thank him; he'd simply done a good deed~
Liu Rulan's call came through again: "Did you see what's happening online right now?"
Xiao He played innocent: "Is it about Su Shengxi?"
Liu Rulan was silent for two seconds, then let out a pleasant little laugh on the other end. To be honest, this was the first time Xiao He had heard Sister Liu laugh that happily.
It sounded as if some long-held resentment had finally dissipated a bit.
Xiao He: "Sister Liu, you sound really happy."
Liu Rulan instantly tucked away her smile and then cleared her throat: "It's just that it feels like a consistently incompetent teammate who always drags everyone down has finally been exposed.
Xiao He: "...that is pretty satisfying."
"But although I don't know the full situation, this action probably wasn't done by Su Shengxi himself."
Xiao He went cold inside—had he made some mistake somewhere?
"Oh? How do you know it wasn't him? Hand-slips do happen sometimes."
"Su Shengxi is too lazy to manage his own account. All Weibo operations and private message replies are handled by his assistant, and when he browses gossip online, he uses a private account."
Xiao He: "It can be like that…"
Oh wow, that's a misstep! Who could've guessed Su Shengxi was that unprofessional? He doesn't even glance at his own account?
Xiao He wiped another tear for Su Shengxi's fans.
Regular posts and promotions are sent out by the assistant, even captions are painfully written by the assistant, comments and DM replies are carefully read by the assistant. Su Shengxi only needs to periodically hand over a handsome photo.
Come to think of it, isn't this another form of fraud?
Liu Rulan continued: "Although this happens a lot in the industry, many still personally manage accounts at times. But he… makes the assistant constantly speak to fans in both official and unofficial tones. He doesn't manage it at all. This work used to be done by Xiao Chen, but later a scheming new assistant squeezed Xiao Chen out, so this time the scapegoat is probably that guy."
Xiao He: "..."
I can confirm, this is fraud!
So what do fans actually like about him? How can they stick with him this long?