Chapter 293: Someone had been secretly recording
The words blurred before her eyes as she skimmed through it.
In less than ten minutes, the post had already spread to over ten thousand people. Comments flooded in by the second.
Lin Qian’s chest tightened. A water army. Someone had paid for this smear campaign, boosting it to make sure it went viral.
Her eyes darted to the photos attached.
Her current rehearsal outfit.
The exact moment the manager had told her she wouldn’t be needed anymore.
Someone had been filming. Secretly.
Every bit of her humiliation was already online, ripped apart by strangers.
"This..." her manager’s voice cracked, tears threatening to spill, "this just happened so fast, Jie. Too fast..."
Lin Qian scrolled through the comments. Each one pierced deeper than the last.
"Finally! Her voice is horrible, she was going to ruin the stage anyway."
"She should never have been on the lineup to begin with."
"Good riddance, she can’t sing to save her life."
"Blue Entertainment made the right choice removing her."
And on and on.
Her throat tightened. She already knew who was behind this ridiculous storm.
Hua Ling.
The "witch," as so many whispered behind her back.
And tonight, Hua Ling had proven just how deep her fangs could sink.
In just minutes, she had turned Lin Qian’s world upside down.
Lin Qian clenched her fists, staring at the phone screen.
Lin Qian clenched her fists so tightly that her nails bit into her palms. Her eyes burned as she continued to stare at the phone screen, watching the numbers climb, the comments multiply, each one another knife twisting into her chest.
Two options lay before her.
One—march straight to Hua Ling’s dressing room, claw that smug smile off her face, and show her that Lin Qian was not someone to be toyed with.
Two—swallow this humiliation, stay put, and endure it.
Her lips trembled as her thoughts spun wildly.
The first option was tempting. Oh, how badly she wanted to slap that petty woman until she couldn’t laugh again.
But she wasn’t stupid.
Hua Ling wasn’t the type to play fair. If she had already managed to erase Lin Qian’s name from the lineup and push a smear article online in less than ten minutes, then it was clear—everything was prepared in advance. A trap laid, waiting for her.
If she stormed into Hua Ling’s room now, who knew how many reporters were hiding just around the corner, cameras ready, waiting for her to explode?
One reckless move and she would be tomorrow’s laughingstock in the tabloids.
Her chest rose and fell with suppressed fury.
She let out a sharp, bitter laugh, a sound that held more rage than amusement, before shoving the phone back into her manager’s hands. Without another word, she turned and stormed off.
Her backup dancers glanced at one another nervously. Their faces were pale, their excitement for tomorrow’s performance extinguished in an instant. Quietly, they followed behind her, each step heavier than the last.
They all knew.
This was the end of their dream—at least for tonight.
Her manager hurried after her, nearly tripping over herself as she caught up. "Jie... are you just going to let this go like this?" she asked breathlessly, desperation lacing her tone.
Lin Qian stopped in her tracks. Her back was straight, her fists trembling at her sides.
She turned her head slightly, her voice low and cold. "What else could I do? It’s already like this. That woman has prepared everything. If I confront her now, there’s no way she’ll let me walk away unscathed."
Her manager blinked, stunned. "That woman? What woman?"
Of course—she hadn’t been there. She didn’t know about the sharp exchange of words earlier, about the sparks that had turned into this wildfire.
Lin Qian’s lips curved into a bitter smile. She shook her head slowly, her voice hoarse from holding back her fury.
"Just leave it."
...
Hua Jing sat cross-legged on her bed, obediently still as the doctor moved about, checking her pulse, asking a few routine questions, and scribbling notes on his clipboard.
Her phone chimed softly on the nightstand.
Her gaze darted toward it. The notification banner lit up briefly, just enough for her to catch the headline of a tabloid article. Her fingers itched instantly.
A little gossip wouldn’t hurt, right?
But she forced herself to stay still. The doctor was still working, and Hua Jing was too disciplined to interrupt him, no matter how badly curiosity burned inside her.
She pressed her lips together, her mind wandering to the possibilities. Who was being dragged through the mud this time? Which scandal had exploded now? The Blue Awards were tomorrow—of course there would be noise.
Across from her, Fu Jingrong stood, arms crossed, his sharp gaze never leaving the doctor. His presence filled the room, calm yet commanding. The doctor, clearly aware of it, quickened his pace, his hands trembling slightly as he packed up his tools.
After another brief check, the man cleared his throat nervously.
"Miss Hua, your condition is very good. Everything looks stable. You only need more rest—no strenuous activities." He darted a glance at Fu Jingrong’s unreadable expression and nearly stammered. "Y-yes, rest is the most important thing."
With that, he bowed lightly, gathered his bag, and all but fled the room.
Hua Jing’s lips twitched in amusement. She hadn’t missed the way the poor doctor had nearly run for his life. Jingrong’s stare could freeze a river if he wanted.
The moment the door shut, Hua Jing reached for her phone without hesitation.
One swipe, and the trending tabloid lit up her screen.
Her eyes widened.
"Lin Qian Removed From Blue Awards Performance Lineup!"
There was even a blurred photo of Lin Qian looking shocked backstage, a phone in her hand, her dancers hovering behind her. A video clip was attached too—her manager’s distressed voice could be heard telling her she wouldn’t be needed anymore.
Hua Jing blinked, her heartbeat quickening. She had expected gossip about some trivial affair, but this—this was huge.
Her thumb scrolled down instinctively, reading the scathing comments flooding in. Netizens were mocking Lin Qian’s singing, saying it was good she had been cut, some even going as far as to claim she must have offended the wrong person.
Hua Jing’s brows furrowed.
Something about this didn’t sit right!
