Volume One, Chapter 18: The Outbreak of Public Opinion

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In the hospital ward.
Zhou Qianqian had just finished dealing with all the “friends” who came to visit. She rummaged through her nearby bag, pulling out a lipstick. She applied it carefully while looking into the mirror, then pressed her lips together and wiped them with a tissue.
She then picked up her phone, took a meticulously planned selfie along with a photo of the ward, and posted it on Weibo with the caption: “Things haven’t been going well lately, but for my beloved fans, I must stay strong! ❤️❤️”
Her eyes curved slightly downward, and a smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she maliciously watched the rapid flood of likes and concerned messages from her fans.
“Qianqian, darling, what happened?!”
“Ahhh, why is my baby in the hospital?!”
“...”
Zhou Xianyu... what could you possibly compare with me?
She lifted her lips arrogantly. Zhou Qianqian had only been in the entertainment industry for half a year, yet she already had a solid fan base, with more and more loyal followers and an excellent reputation among the public.
She couldn’t help but think back to her original reasons for entering the entertainment industry. Zhou Xianyu had once wanted to enter it too; her appearance was undoubtedly perfect, but no one in the Zhou family agreed—in fact, they strongly opposed it.
They believed a refined lady from a prestigious family should never enter such a place as the entertainment industry—it would bring shame to the Zhou family.
However, when Zhou Qianqian expressed her desire to join the industry, her parents, despite worrying about the hardships she might face, fully supported her pursuit of her dreams.
Because of her heart condition, they never refused any of her requests. They even worried about her enough that the company started venturing into the entertainment sector half a year ago, aiming to be her strong backing.
She recalled the incredulous look on Zhou Xianyu’s face when she was injured, and felt a thrill of satisfaction.
What Zhou Xianyu couldn’t have, Zhou Qianqian could easily get with just a beckoning finger—except... that man.
Gu Qichuan’s protective stance over Zhou Xianyu at the banquet was still vivid in her mind. If it weren’t for his clear attitude, those people wouldn’t have dared to be so cautious around him later, nor would they have refrained from speaking against Zhou Xianyu.
Zhou Qianqian bit her lip hard and made a call. “...Yes, send it out now. I’ve reviewed the press release; it’s pretty good... Mm.”
She was determined to ruin Zhou Xianyu’s reputation!
—
The incident at the banquet quickly escalated as Zhou Xianyu had expected, and she knew without a doubt that Zhou Qianqian was behind it.

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Within a day or two, rumors spread online claiming, “The eldest daughter of the Zhou family, driven by jealousy and malice, pushed her sister down the stairs.”
Netizens, always eager for high-society drama, flocked to the frenzy.
“The Zhou family? Oh my god, is that the same Zhou family that recently allied with Gu Corporation through marriage?”
“Isn’t it Zhou Xianyu? I know, I know, Gu Shao’s cooperative wife!”
Before long, a flood of Zhou Qianqian’s fans invaded the comment section, which was instantly overwhelmed, directing all the blame at Zhou Xianyu.
“So it was the sister who hurt Qianqian all along! Qianqian is such a good girl! How could she be so heartless to her own sister?!”
“I can’t even believe how dark her heart must be to push her own sister down the stairs in broad daylight!”
“This is intentional harm, right? Support Qianqian for righteous justice!!!”
“Is this what high society is like? So terrifying, they don’t even spare their own sisters...”
“Zhou Xianyu, come out and apologize!!!”
“Apologize!!!”
Zhou Xianyu scrolled through these comments with interest. She lay on the sofa, one arm being tended to by Gu Qichuan, her feet resting on his thigh, her laughter trembling uncontrollably.
“Still, this public opinion is terrifying. Everyone doesn’t know the full story, so it’s better not to jump to conclusions, right?”
“I’m just a bystander, but I haven’t seen any proof yet that Zhou Xianyu pushed Zhou Qianqian. Anyone got evidence?”
“Are you Zhou Xianyu’s alt account? Such a disgusting mindset, obvious to all!”
“...Qianqian’s fans are crazy. Honestly, this is the first time I’ve heard of Zhou Qianqian. I didn’t know heiresses from rich families would enter showbiz.”
“What do you know? Qianqian is just playing around in the entertainment industry. She’s going back to inherit the family fortune later.”
Zhou Xianyu: “Pfft hahaha...”
Her calves twitched on Gu Qichuan’s leg. He glanced at her helplessly and held her wrist, waiting for her laughter to subside.
Inheriting the family wealth? Not to mention the Zhou family’s declining fortunes in recent years, if it weren’t for Gu Qichuan’s help, the Zhou family might have quietly faded out of the capital’s social circle years ago.

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If she remembered correctly, the Zhou family would soon face a financial crisis and urgently require capital infusion, inevitably turning to her to seek help from Gu Qichuan.
Moreover, though Zhou Lide and Liu Zelan were famed in the circle for doting on their daughter, Zhou Xianyu now understood that they were the epitome of selfishness.
Their past favor was because Zhou Xianyu was beautiful and outstanding, someone they could show off. Later, their indulgence of Zhou Qianqian was merely out of guilt and to demonstrate to others that the Zhou family was kind-hearted, a tactic to attract marriage alliances.
When crisis struck, Zhou Qianqian was just the next tool for marriage alliances.
After all, the Zhou family was a legacy left by Zhou Lide to Zhou Yizhi, and Zhou Qianqian mistakenly believed she had easily replaced Zhou Xianyu’s favor because of her own capabilities.
In truth, it was only because Zhou Qianqian was more obedient and easier to manipulate; how much genuine family affection existed, Zhou Xianyu was unsure.
After Gu Qichuan finished dressing Zhou Xianyu’s wound, he watched her eat while she kept her eyes glued to her phone, not willing to look away. He pressed his thin lips together, his brow twitching slightly.
“Finish eating before you play.”
Zhou Xianyu sighed silently. What could she do when her husband was such an old-fashioned man? She waited anxiously.
She looked at Gu Qichuan’s handsome features with a click of her tongue.
The man’s naturally deep-set eyes held no trace of emotion, always calm and detached. He took her bowl and ladled some soup, placing it beside her hand.
Today was a day off; Gu Qichuan wasn’t in formal attire but wore a casual black shirt, two buttons undone, revealing a hint of his collarbone. His sleeves were rolled up, showing a smooth, toned forearm.
Zhou Xianyu watched him peel shrimp at a measured pace, placing the shells on the plate in front of her bowl. She couldn’t help but smile mischievously.
Before they were together, when she first heard she was going to marry Gu Qichuan, her initial thought was, “He’s five years older than me—is that considered an old bull dating a young cow?”
Now, she thought, age was a blessing; older men cared more!
Zhou Xianyu happily ate the shrimp without having to peel it herself.
After the meal, with time to spare, Zhou Xianyu went to the studio to paint. Time seemed to fly in the studio; she only pondered some inspiration and laid down the base, and two hours had passed.
Curious, she went to find Gu Qichuan and saw him reading on the sofa, with some documents she couldn’t understand on the table and a cup of coffee beside them.