A gloomy afternoon.
Standing in front of the minimalist floor-to-ceiling windows, Xu Xiaoyou paused, the Ginkgo Curtain by her ear flickering at a fixed frequency.
The scenery of the mountains and forests was reflected in her eyes. The courtyard embraced nature, with climbing plants quietly growing within, creating a harmonious and pleasant scene. Clear spring water occasionally flowed from a small fountain, with various sculptures placed along the sides of the courtyard. At this mont, a sharp bolt of lightning cut through the cloud-covered sky, illuminating their sinister outlines, so of which were slightly broken, casting a cold and brooding gaze on the girl behind the window.
"Got it. I'll find a way to quell the public opinion as soon as possible, mm."
"Rest assured, this matter will be handled properly."
Xu Xiaoyou, who hadn't slept a wink all night, sighed softly, her face showing a trace of fatigue. Just as she was about to answer the next investor's call, the surface of the swimming pool in the courtyard rippled, and a figure in rose slowly erged, water droplets rolling off him as he leaned against the pool wall.
"How does it feel like to have your rising career encounter a Waterloo?" Ever asked.
Xu Xiaoyou ignored Ever's gloating, even if he didn't ntion it outright. She could guess what he was thinking: Nothing more than wanting to use this opportunity to have her seek help from the Dawn Society and join their seemingly great yet incomprehensible endeavor.
The public opinion ca too fast; from ferntation to full outbreak, it took just a short five hours. Such a serious and rapid public opinion incident even exceeded the control of dia companies with mature internal systems, let alone her small private dia.
From midnight to three o'clock in the afternoon, she had been dealing with matters related to public opinion.
The incident's origin was soone uploading a video to the platform, a clip of the initial lancholy Girl Band recording in a basent.
["The gold coins never drop, always looking at with that lewd gaze, it's disgusting."]
["Huh, but thanks to them, the dia company noticed us."]
["So what? Those fat slobs like , not you guys. Don't forget who is the most popular in this band. Without , the band would have broken up long ago, hehe."]
["Even adding all your fans together, you have fewer than . Without , do you think Chenguang dia would have noticed you?"]
["A bunch of accessories."]
The entire video wasn't long, only a dozen seconds, with all the words of the girl called Xiaong and other band mbers edited in. From the light pink-haired girl cursing the fans with cruel words, and finally the blue-haired girl storming angrily toward Xiaong, raising her hand as if about to hit, the video stopped right at that mont.
Undoubtedly, this was a malicious edit. The editor's intent was clear: taking things out of context, removing seemingly trivial, unimportant footage, and leaving only the parts with strong conflict. Yet, those trivial parts contained crucial information that could directly guide the public opinion to polarize.
The editor wanted to convey one ssage to the public.
"The blue-haired girl was once a mber of the lancholy Girl Band, essentially similar to those morally corrupt underground idols."
If it were just a normal discussion about underground idols, it wouldn't cause such a stir. They rarely appear in mainstream dia like Star of Art. Everyone knows these groups, debuting not through an agency but working under smaller firms, often have rather chaotic private lives. Outwardly, they seem glamorous and full of energy, but negative news about them often surfaces, such as fooling around with fans or smuggling and using banned substances.
Even if they gain so fa after debuting, being revealed as a forr underground idol would greatly negatively impact their careers. Let alone the fact that Tang Xin is 'the daughter of the Stars,' a keyword that's been the hottest topic recently.
The consequence of public opinion naturally led to the destruction of the beautiful fantasy people behind the Ginkgo Curtain had about 'the daughter of the Stars.' The drastic fall instigated an online outcry, instantly drowning Tang Xin in a ss of chaotic rhythms.
She rubbed her temples and turned around.
The walls of the living room were adorned with artistically atmospheric oil paintings, with a few harp and leisure chairs placed casually. An exquisite gemstone chandelier hung from the bright ceiling, its light dimd, while the fireplace below burned quietly, sending crackling sparks into the air. For the artistic atmosphere, minor safety hazards were negligible for the people of Star of Art.
Amy stood on the woolen mat, looking over worriedly.
"You, is Xin okay now?"
"I knocked on the door, but she didn't respond. I'm a little worried about her."
Xu Xiaoyou said nothing, taking a few steps to the second floor and heading toward the girl's room.
In the pitch-black room, the blue-haired girl sat on the bed, words from the people in the Ginkgo Curtain rolling before her eyes.
[Oh my, I didn't expect her to be like this.]
[So don't idealize others. Don't be fooled by her quiet appearance; it's all an act. Who knows what she does in private, probably even visited Life Daylight's gynecology clinic several tis, haha.]
[Social account Little Blue Bird on BuBird, I used to follow her, so disgusting...]
Faced with the overwhelming negative comnts, Tang Xin was deeply hurt by the words, biting her pale lips tightly. Until the knocking sounded, she slowly looked up.
"It's ," a gentle voice ca from outside.
The door was quickly opened, leaving a crack. Through the dim light of the room, Xu Xiaoyou could see Tang Xin's slender body. The girl clutched a brown guitar in her arms, poking her head out.
"Is there sothing, You?"
"Are you okay?" Xu Xiaoyou raised the bag in her hand, "How about eating sothing?"
"I'm fine." Tang Xin took the bag. "Don't worry, You, I'm writing music."
As if to dispel Xu Xiaoyou's worries and doubts, Tang Xin held up the score in her hand, the writing neat and tidy.
"There's a concert tomorrow, and I'm preparing."
Seeing that the other's spirit was relatively good, Xu Xiaoyou breathed a slight sigh of relief.
"Then rest early."
"Mm, you too, You."
After the door was closed again, Amy stood behind Xu Xiaoyou, looking disappointed: "Why does Xin treat differently, she doesn't respond when I knock."
Xu Xiaoyou said, "Alright, don't bother her when there's nothing. Who could be in a good mood facing this sort of thing?"
Ever ca over at this point: "Aren't you planning to do sothing, like letting her post a video response to the public opinion on her social account?"
Xu Xiaoyou sighed: "In an age of fragnted information, people behind the Ginkgo Curtain are nearly zero-rational, believing only what they see. The storm is so big now, letting her respond might only provoke a bigger stir."
As she was about to leave the villa, Ever's voice stopped her from behind, the youth's captivating eyes unusually calm, the peaceful smile on his face gone.
"In this situation, are you still planning to let her handle tomorrow's concert? Aren't you worried she'll get hurt?"
Xu Xiaoyou didn't turn back, just stood at the foyer, pulling on the black wool coat, slowly threading her arms through the sleeves. The dim light fell through the Palladian window, casting a shadow at her feet.
"There are staff and a Tuner at the venue, and those investors are watching too. I need to give them a response to show them my handling of this situation."
Under the youth's gaze, the slightly lonely shadow of the girl gradually walked away, disappearing into the forest at the end of the gradually darkening sky.
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