Chapter 6

The canceled endorsement deal caused a massive fallout. Xiao Xiao’s studio immediately released behind-the-scenes footage from the countryside variety show. Under the warm sunlight, a girl in a floral dress played by a tranquil stream in a cozy, fenced yard far from the city's hustle. Sweet BGM played in the background as Xiao Xiao flashed her signature dimples. The comment section lit up: [This is so healing for us office workers—Sweetheart Xiao truly never disappoints!] [Xiao looks so happy here! I want to visit this place too.] The idyllic tone took a sudden turn. The next clip showed Xiao Xiao holding an unripe tomato, confronting a disheveled woman. My face was pixelated beyond recognition. My pant legs, caked in mud, were rolled up, and I looked like I was angrily scolding her. I was portrayed as an unfriendly and difficult person. In stark contrast, Xiao Xiao’s reddened eyes and teary face made her look like a frightened little bunny. Her fans went ballistic in the comments: [Who is this rural hag? No manners at all, bullying our Xiao just because she's a girl!] [I’m so mad! Xiao looks so pitiful crying. Where’s the staff? Kick this idiot out already!] I felt my forehead twitch. The footage was cut to remove all context—how Xiao Xiao had broken through my fence or wreaked havoc in my yard was conveniently omitted. All viewers saw was me supposedly bullying an innocent young starlet. At the end of the clip, they even included a shot of a staff member handing me the 2,000 yuan in compensation. [This production team is pathetic! Why are they paying her? Two thousand yuan could buy so many tomatoes!] [Xiao is just too kindhearted. Don’t worry, Mama fans are here to protect her. My cousin lives near that village; I’ll get the real scoop soon!] The comments section was full of agreement: [We’re counting on you! Xiao’s fans won’t let this slide. Protecting her is our duty!] The online uproar surged, keeping the topic trending for hours. The show’s production team gleefully soaked up the attention and even fanned the flames. They reposted Xiao Xiao’s studio’s video on their official account, racking up millions of views—completely disregarding the fact that I was a private individual, utterly unrelated to the entertainment industry. I put down my phone and sent an email to my pharmaceutical company. By the afternoon, a professional team was flying in from abroad to assess the damages. Drug research and development costs are notoriously high, ranging from hundreds of thousands to millions, sometimes even billions, depending on the stage—from initial research to clinical trials and final market launch. This is especially true for cancer-related treatments. The following day, I received a damage assessment report that valued the losses at over ten million yuan. The lawyer assured me we could file a lawsuit at any time. Later that day, the show’s director unexpectedly came knocking at my door.