Chapter 137: Hidden Truth 04

Song Wan felt inexplicably ashamed, admitting that she was her own idol...

However, she had no choice but to say it. Otherwise, the reason for her sudden recovery from autism would surely become a sensational mystery that everyone would be curious about. She had to provide a plausible explanation.

"Because I have always followed my idol," Song Wan said, looking steadily into Gao Xiang’s eyes with conviction, "I know for a fact that my idol loved her boyfriend deeply. It was impossible for her to have cheated. Therefore, the motive of 'hatred born from love' claimed by her boyfriend simply does not hold water."

Gao Xiang looked startled. She exchanged a glance with Zhou Qi, both of them falling into a silent, contemplative pause.

Could Song Wan’s idol... actually be Song Wan herself?

If that were the case, Song Wan’s skepticism would be highly credible. Who in the industry didn't know that there were major suspicious points surrounding Song Wan's death? Even the witnesses present at the time were more than just one or two, and they naturally knew there was something amiss. But in cases involving human life, no one was willing to get involved.

As expected, Song Wan quickly added, "My idol was also named Song Wan. You probably haven't heard of her, have you?"

Gao Xiang and Zhou Qi looked at each other. Finally, Gao Xiang spoke up, "Perhaps few in the general public know your idol, but in our circles, quite a lot of people know her..."

With acting skills that were heaven-defying, yet forced into silence because she offended a madman with transcendent status, ultimately losing her life—Song Wan’s fame was far greater than she imagined. Even if only because of Tang Su, there were certainly many who knew of her. Furthermore, as a former child star who had debuted young and once reached the heights of popularity, very few in the entertainment industry were unaware of Song Wan.

Especially someone like Director Zhou Qi.

He looked at Song Wan with a complex gaze and sighed after a long silence. "If the Song Wan you are talking about is the one I know, I can only tell you that she... well, at least in our directors' circle, she was known to everyone."

She was a genius, second to none. Because she had debuted as a child, many directors in the industry had watched her grow up and held a senior’s affection for her. Though they couldn't be too overt, they had protected her many times. Otherwise, given the attitude of Tang Su and Qin Fei—who wouldn't stop until they had driven her out of the industry—it would have been unimaginable for Song Wan to have managed to hold her ground against them for so long.

Without Song Wan even knowing it, many directors had provided her with help that most people could never imagine. Even Zhao Qing’s eventual effort to introduce her to Jin Youqian and persuade him to cast her as the lead in *Tomorrow* was not only because of her acting talent; it was because Jin Youqian had the influence to ensure she could make a comeback, and because behind Zhao Qing, there were other directors standing in support. Many regretted the loss of her talent and didn't want her to leave the industry; to them, it was a loss for the entire field.

Zhou Qi was naturally one of them. He looked at Song Wan and suddenly felt relieved. "That's good. She is gone, and you have appeared."

In that moment, Zhou Qi cast aside all his biases toward Song Wan. The image of her in his eyes shed all its halos and shadows; she was just Song Wan, and that was all. He truly, and purely, regarded her as an actor.

Song Wan paused, then offered a bitter smile. But she quickly gathered her spirits and continued, "Perhaps because the blow was too great, I stepped out of my own world instead."

Gao Xiang frowned. While she hadn't experienced it personally, she had often heard of people who had an "epiphany" after suffering a great shock. She didn't find this strange. On the contrary, she had heard the theory that some autistic patients are deprived of the ability to interact with the outside world by God because they are too intelligent or possess overwhelming talent in certain areas. This helped dispel her suspicions regarding Song Wan’s astonishing acting ability—an ability far superior to actors who had honed their craft over years.

Previously, while she was happy about Song Wan's talent, it *was* suspicious for a newcomer who had never acted before to immediately surpass the vast majority of professionals. Look at Guo Kai—his talent was immense, yet he was still raw. If his acting were compared to others in the industry, many could easily outshine him. Talent didn't mean everything.

But that Song Wan who had passed away? From the moment she entered the industry, there was no shortage of talk about her being a natural-born actor. In Gao Xiang's opinion, her talent was far beyond Guo Kai's. In those days, no one had better acting talent than her. That was a consensus among many renowned directors. Some had even said, "If nothing unexpected happens, Song Wan might break the record for the youngest Best Actress winner at many film festivals, including the international 'A' category festivals."

Yet, the unexpected did happen. Even so, before her tragedy, though her talent was praised, she had still climbed the ladder step by step. Her acting hadn't been "comparable to international film royalty" from the very beginning; it had been honed.

But the artiste in front of her was different. From the moment she appeared, her acting had received Zhou Qi’s affirmation. He hadn't compared her to a veteran queen of cinema, but he had praised her relentlessly to his director friends. A few times, he had even compared her to the peak performance of the late Song Wan. So, how could anyone not be suspicious?

Not just Gao Xiang—other directors, fans, netizens, and actors had all harbored doubts. They weren't necessarily suspicious of Song Wan herself, but rather that those praising her were exaggerating.

But now, Gao Xiang finally let go of the burden in her heart. Perhaps Song Wan was simply one of those rare geniuses among the autistic. It was said that autistic patients were often immersed in a world of their own—a world others couldn't see, but one they were deeply captivated by. Who was to say that during the years Song Wan was withdrawn, she hadn't been practicing her craft in her own mind over and over again?

If Song Wan knew what Gao Xiang was thinking, she probably would have burst out laughing. Her acting skill, while the reason remained a mystery, had indeed been polished role by role. And while the original little Song Wan *was* a genius among the autistic, her naturally unlocked skill points weren't acting, but fantasy—constructing worlds, telling stories, and writing.

Regardless, Gao Xiang’s suspicions were laid to rest. Song Wan, unaware of this, continued with her original plan. "Because I doubted the truth behind my idol's death, I found a way to hire a detective agency to investigate what happened before she passed. In the end, I confirmed my thoughts: my idol did not cheat."

Since the motive of "hatred born from love" no longer existed, the reason for her murder also collapsed. Gao Xiang hesitated, but ultimately let Song Wan continue.

"But the fact that her boyfriend killed her is true. After all, the murderer killed my idol in front of everyone," Song Wan lowered her eyes, hiding the thoughts in her depths. "So, I investigated the situation regarding the killer."

"You know the reason why Qi Lang killed her?" Zhou Qi suddenly sat up straight. They had suspected the reasons behind her death, but they had only assumed that Tang Su and others had sown discord, leading Qi Lang to misunderstand and commit the tragedy.

Now, hearing Song Wan’s words, was there some other hidden truth?