Chapter 16: The Toxic Trending Topic

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Gu Lingyi soaked in the two-meter-wide bathtub, indulging in a small taste of the icy calm that awaited her future. The foam covered her body completely, while the glass wall beside her offered a clear view of the sunset over the sea.

Summer nights fell late, and Gu Lingyi lay prone, her hands resting on the edge of the tub, her chin propped on her palms, gazing at the "salted egg yolk" sun slowly sinking below the horizon.

After mentally preparing herself, she rose from the tub. Although Fu Linyuan had repeatedly assured her that the glass was one-way, so no one outside could see in, she hurriedly wrapped a towel around herself, the steam flushing her skin with a rosy glow.

Just then, Fu Linyuan knocked on the bathroom door. This floor was his private residence in Jiang City, accessible only with an elevator card. After exiting the elevator, there was a heavy door leading inside.

The entire floor covered over a thousand square meters, with the balcony alone taking up three hundred. Besides the bedroom and bathroom, there were functional rooms like a home theater, gym, and study.

No sound came from inside the bathroom for a long while, so Fu Linyuan knocked again.

At last, a clear voice came from within—it was Gu Lingyi, firm and strong: "Intruder!"

She grabbed the towel at her chest with one hand and opened the door with the other, scanning Fu Linyuan from head to toe, her chin lifted high. "What do you want? You better have something important!"

She nearly slipped, feeling like a pet whose owner howled outside the bathroom if left too long alone.

Fu Linyuan seemed unfazed by her attitude. Intentionally avoiding the sight of her fair skin, he stepped forward and draped the towel he was holding over her head, taking the chance to rub it gently. "Afraid one towel isn't enough."

"Also," he added, "your phone is ringing."

Gu Lingyi’s phone was out of power, plugged into his charger.

"Oh."

"First dry your hair," Fu Linyuan stopped her as she reached for the phone, his gaze dark and unreadable, as if seeking her consent. "Wear my clothes, alright?"

"Huh?" Gu Lingyi blinked, her almond eyes momentarily stunned. "What else am I supposed to do?"

The situation had happened so suddenly, and she had no other choice. She certainly couldn’t leave without clothes...

Squinting, Gu Lingyi asked, "Do you have other people’s clothes here?"

She snorted coldly, thinking the rumors might not be entirely false—this man was a dressed-up beast with a peculiar fondness for young girls...

Fu Linyuan interrupted her wandering thoughts without hesitation: "No."

He probably guessed she was overthinking and added, "The rumors are somewhat exaggerated."

"Oh," Gu Lingyi replied casually, turning back to the bathroom to dry her hair, saying nothing about whether she believed him or not.

Fu Linyuan placed his clothes on the bench at the foot of the bed and went to shower in the gym’s shower room. His black trousers were blotched with dark patches from where Gu Lingyi had kicked him.

Though he took a cold shower, his inner restlessness remained unresolved. He gulped down several bottles of ice water to quell the heat in his chest.

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However, when Gu Lingyi emerged from the room wearing his silk sleepwear, Fu Linyuan immediately felt those bottles of water had been wasted.

The dark navy silk pajamas hung loosely on Gu Lingyi’s frame. The V-shaped neckline, too large for her, draped boldly below her collarbones, faintly revealing two enticing curves.

Even more alluring were her long, straight legs beneath the hem—proportionate and flawless, with a striking contrast of light and shadow.

Gu Lingyi carried the pajama bottoms on her forearm, stepping in his slippers with a soft clacking sound as she approached the sofa where Fu Linyuan sat.

She raised her arm and tossed the pajama bottoms into his lap. "These won’t fit me! They could hold two of me!"

"Hmm," he murmured.

Thinking of the emptiness beneath the shirt, Fu Linyuan’s Adam’s apple bobbed as his voice darkened. "Then don’t wear them."

The hem fell about ten centimeters above her knees, so there was no risk of exposure.

Gu Lingyi picked up her phone from the coffee table and glanced at the latest messages.

There were messages from members of the Gu family and her manager, but unexpectedly, there was one from Qin Xiao as well.

Qin Xiao’s WeChat had been added when the protagonist worked for the racing team. Reviewing their chat history, it was mostly him bossing her around.

But now, new messages had appeared.

[Qin Xiao: Why are you stirring up trouble again? Haven’t you heard the saying—burning down the mountain will land you in jail?]

[Qin Xiao: You really are something.]

[Qin Xiao: Just stay put quietly until the reporters leave.]

The last message came about ten minutes after the previous ones.

[Qin Xiao: Your place isn’t safe anymore. Do you have somewhere to go? Need help?]

As she read, another message appeared.

[Qin Xiao: Where are you? You’re not hiding somewhere crying, are you?]

Before she could react, a WeChat call came through. The screen flashed with Qin Xiao’s name.

Gu Lingyi frowned. She didn’t think they were close enough to talk on the phone.

The ringtone echoed loudly in the spacious living room. Fu Linyuan put down his tablet and looked up at Gu Lingyi, who stood opposite the coffee table.

Her presence here was truly unexpected.

Everything had begun with the afternoon’s trending topic, sparked by a Weibo post from someone claiming to be a staff member.

The post included two photos from the studio’s makeup area—one showing Gu Lingyi in a green dress alongside the glamorous, vintage-style Gu Yanyue.

The other photo showed their skirt hemlines pressed together, the torn lace trailing on the floor.

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The caption read:

[Some people don’t become famous without reason! Naming Gu Lingyi here!

Jealous that Yanyue’s outfit was far better, she resorted to sabotage and tore her dress. Unbelievable! Such a person doesn’t deserve to be a star!]

Since Gu Lingyi’s name was still trending, the post immediately drew many responses.

[No way! She doesn’t seem like that kind of person at all!]

[Looks like yesterday’s Weibo was definitely about Gu Lingyi.]

[People who betray their close friends have no character! Such people should be kicked out of the entertainment industry!]

[Bullying our Yanyue! Kick her out! +1]

[Ah! I’m her fan! Finally found a star I liked... *sniff* and now it’s all ruined!]

[...]

As the discussions heated up, netizens voiced their opinions, but then the blogger posted another update.

[False alarm, folks! The info was wrong! Teacher Gu didn’t do anything! It was Yanyue who accidentally lost her footing! Ahhh—sorry everyone! Sorry, Teacher Gu!]

With all the previous posts painting Gu Lingyi as ill-behaved, this clarification seemed utterly unconvincing to the netizens.

No one believed it.

[Blogger, if you’re being threatened, blink once!]

[Here it comes! The capital behind Gu Lingyi is starting a cover-up.]

[Blogger, are you okay?]

[Protect our side @BetterThanCattle]

[...]

Despite the blogger’s earnest replies and efforts to clear the air, no one bought it. Instead, it only fueled the #GuLingyi# topic’s popularity.

Shortly after, a video pushed the topic into the top three trending searches.

The footage showed the studio’s front lawn, moving from thick smoke billowing on the second floor down to a crowd gathered on the grass.

Then a pixelated man in a shirt and trousers stepped forward, confronting Gu Lingyi.

Though the recording was noisy, some words were still clear.

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