This time, the heat couldn’t be suppressed. No matter how furious Song Jie was, she couldn’t stop the netizens’ passion for watching the drama.
A certain forum quickly pieced together the truth of the matter. The incident started with Song Jie buying promotional articles to smear Yang Anni. While Xu Ziyan had debunked the “sugar daddy” theory, the phrase “sugar-daddying” had still clung to Yang Anni a bit. Even if it didn’t affect her, it was still disgusting.
Thus, the “sugar daddy” himself, Ding Yao, personally stepped into the fray to claim his rightful girlfriend. It seemed like he was forcefully dispelling rumors, but in reality, every word was calculated; not a single one was superfluous.
Ding Yao posted a picture saying he wanted to give his girlfriend jewelry. That jewelry was incredibly precious, one-of-a-kind in the world, and was something his mother had acquired. The set in Song Jie’s hands was either fake or obtained from Mrs. Ding.
From the way Ding Yao specifically emphasized the words “Mrs. Ding”, the latter possibility seemed greater. Then the brilliant point emerged: Song Jie was most likely Old Man Ding’s mistress and had shamelessly taken Mrs. Ding’s keepsakes.
Looking back, was Song Jie targeting Yang Anni so fiercely because Yang Anni was Ding Yao’s girlfriend? And was Ding Yao stepping in to personally tear apart this old mistress? Was Song Jie’s son also going back to the Ding Family to fight for the heir position?
Although the netizens’ speculations had not a shred of evidence, everyone increasingly felt this was the truth.
A tiny piece of wealthy family gossip had actually unraveled into a full-blown wealthy family drama. The drama-watching crowd discussed it with gusto and fervor. Since Song Jie’s debut, her words and actions over decades were all put under a microscope by everyone, striving to dig out the story of her being a mistress.
Xu Ziyan also joined in watching the drama. She had knowledge of the world plot and knew more about this matter than anyone else. Using a side account, she occasionally leaked bits of information to the netizens.
【Song Jie came from a poor family and was funded by Mrs. Ding to attend high school and university. Later, when she visited to express her gratitude, she met Old Man Ding.】
【Song Jie was internally insecure yet arrogant. Discovering Mrs. Ding was around her age but had such a superior background drove her mad with jealousy. She became Old Man Ding’s mistress, took money without compunction, used capital to get into various film crews—the true originator of sugar-daddying.】
【Song Jie told her son she was forced by Old Man Ding, that it was unavoidable at first, and later she compromised for his better life. That’s why her son hated the Ding Family and went back specifically to snatch the family business.】
The netizens didn’t know if these details were true, but they couldn’t resist the drama getting juicier. The messages Xu Ziyan sent out spread rapidly. Moreover, netizens noticed that while Song Jie’s fans had initially been fierce, spraying attacks with full force, a large number of fans had now fallen silent. Something must have hit a nerve.
Song Jie’s fan groups were also engaged in heated discussions. Most of her fans were attracted to her looks; she was truly, stunningly beautiful. Just looking at her face felt like seeing Nuwa’s graduation project (a mythical level of perfection). That’s why, despite having no representative works in her decades in the industry, she still had many loyal fans with high engagement.
Precisely because fans had liked her for so long, they knew many things about her. For instance, she really did come from a remote village and was really funded for her education. Because Song Jie never mentioned it, even if fans had dug it up before, they never brought it up. This time, someone exposed that Mrs. Ding was the benefactor.
Various fan groups kept @-ing Song Jie’s assistant, demanding to know if this was true.
Then there was the matter of Song Jie bringing capital into crews to play the female lead. Long-time fans knew about it and had even crafted a beautified love story for Song Jie—something about a tycoon falling for her but unable to marry her due to the vast status difference, always protecting her and her child, supporting her acting career so she could do what she loved. Since no scandal was exposed, everyone chose selective deafness and blindness, not thinking about whether the tycoon had a wife.
Now the veil was torn away. If the capital used to get into those crews was from Ding Yao’s father, then Song Jie was unequivocally a mistress. If Mrs. Ding’s funding was also true, then Song Jie was an ungrateful wretch. How could fans stay calm?
Especially Song Jie taking Mrs. Ding’s keepsakes and flaunting them online—it was utterly shameless!
The netizens’ condemnation of Song Jie grew louder and louder. The topic shot straight to the top of the hot search list, followed by a glaring “Explosive” tag. The Ding Family was also pushed into the eye of the storm, and the nickname “Old Man Ding” went viral.
Xu Ziyan was lying on a deck chair by the swimming pool, enjoying the drama, when a servant suddenly came over to say Yang Anni and Ding Yao were visiting.
Xu Ziyan was surprised. “Why are they here? Please bring them over quickly. Add some more fruit and pastries, and ask them what they’d like to drink.”
“Right away, Second Young Miss.”
A short while later, the two arrived. Ding Yao’s face was visibly unpleasant, while Yang Anni looked a bit awkward and explained, “Dropping by so suddenly is really presumptuous. Ding Yao insisted on coming to discuss the company’s progress with you.”
Xu Ziyan was wary. “You’re not going to make me make decisions, are you? Full disclosure: I don’t work. Don’t even think about making me worry.”
Ding Yao sat down on the deck chair beside her, took off his sunglasses. “Relax. My old man kicked me out, so I finally have time to fully manage our new company. I just thought we could chat about the future direction. Casual talk, since we have nothing else to do anyway. Besides, there’s a mess of noise online. It’s irritating to look at. I’m here for some peace and quiet.”
Xu Ziyan found it amusing. “I’ve never heard of someone going to a rival’s house to find peace and quiet.”
Wasn’t that the truth? The Fu Family and the Ding Family had a relationship of never visiting each other. When the servant brought Ding Yao in earlier, her expression had been one of disbelief. Truly a “you live and you see” moment.
Ding Yao shrugged. “I don’t know about the old generations’ affairs. I was raised by my mom and even lived at my maternal grandfather’s house for several years. My mindset is nothing like the Ding Family’s.”
Fine. They were all cannon fodder; no one should look down on anyone else. A united front it was.
Actually, Ding Yao was anxious to come over and hear Xu Ziyan’s inner thoughts. The moment he saw those revelations about the past online, he guessed they were from Xu Ziyan. Only Xu Ziyan would call his dad “Old Man Ding” in her heart, so she definitely knew everything, in more detail than what he could find out through investigations.
He wanted to come and hear if there were any other matters. Suddenly discovering this world was different from his understanding made him somewhat uneasy. It seemed he only felt a bit more at ease staying by Xu Ziyan’s side.
Xu Ziyan pulled Yang Anni to sit down. “Perfect timing. My dad’s birthday banquet is coming up soon. You have good taste; help me pick out the dress I should wear that day. There are several sets I really like.”
Xu Ziyan opened the photo album on her tablet, and she and Yang Anni put their heads together to look at the dress photos.
Ding Yao suddenly received a call from Old Man Ding. The sound of Old Man Ding’s furious scolding was so loud Xu Ziyan could hear it from two seats away.
“You’ve grown some nerve, you unfilial son! Spouting nonsense online and dragging the company down with you. Are you dissatisfied because I removed you from your position? Is this your revenge? Have you considered how much damage the company will suffer?”
Ding Yao snorted with laughter. “Which word of mine mentioned you or the company? Can’t I give my girlfriend a set of jewelry that belonged to my mom? You and that messy woman outside getting affected—you should reflect on whether what you did was too immoral. Return my mom’s things intact. How dare she touch my mom’s belongings? Is she worthy?”
“You—”
Old Man Ding was still cursing when Ding Yao deftly hung up and blocked his number. The move was smooth and fluid, clearly not the first time he’d done it.
Xu Ziyan thought to herself: 【Was this in the original plot? Let me check. Huh? Could it be that because I got to know Anni, and teamed up with Ding Yao and Anni to start a company, Ding Yao stood up for Anni, which dragged out all these matters? As expected of the butterfly effect; the slightest change can affect the plot.
So following the original plot was fundamentally impossible. Making a living person like me act like a puppet, with words and deeds all according to the plot, avoiding all butterfly effects—it would definitely drive me crazy.
Indeed, this plot simply can’t proceed.】
She looked at Ding Yao. 【Speaking of which, in the original plot, Ding Yao was just a spoiled playboy, a second-generation heir. It was said he was spoiled rotten by his grandfather and mother, incompetent, his virtue not matching his position. So, the male lead scheming to force him out of the company and snatch his heir position were all highlights for the male lead.
But, haha, there’s also a very, very special highlight: the male lead isn’t even Old Man Ding’s biological son!】
The lemon water Ding Yao had just sipped sprayed out entirely!
Xu Ziyan and Yang Anni looked at him. Ding Yao had a flash of inspiration. “This lemon water is too sour…”
Xu Ziyan, puzzled, took a sip of the lemon water. It tasted fine. She continued her lament: “Song Jie was truly bold. Getting pregnant with a child from some young stud she was playing with outside, then just pinning it on Old Man Ding’s head, and ultimately becoming the Dowager of the Ding Family.
As for Ding Jie, after dealing with Ding Yao, he fought with Old Man Ding. Only after finally seizing the Ding Family did he learn he wasn’t the biological son. He specifically took the paternity test report to show Old Man Ding, angering him to death on his sickbed, taking revenge for all the humiliation he suffered while currying favor with Old Man Ding.】
She suddenly thought: 【So, that means both the Fu Family and the Ding Family, these mortal rivals, died by Ding Jie’s hand.】
She felt this plot was a bit like forcefully whitewashing Ding Jie, turning all his vicious actions into being deceived by his mother, enduring humiliation to carry out revenge. For revenge, blinded by hatred, of course he would use any means necessary.
Only after everything was settled did he learn his mother was just a gold-digger obsessed with vanity. So the male lead wasn’t wrong; if anyone was wrong, it was his mother misleading him. In the end, he’d show a bit of regret, sigh a few times, displaying that his heart wasn’t originally bad, and everything would be glossed over.
After venting this complaint, Xu Ziyan really didn’t want to see the plot develop this way. Why should everyone make way for such a male lead?
Yang Anni suddenly spoke up. “The hot searches are all gone. Ding Yao, did your dad spend money to take down the hot searches? Tsk tsk, how much must that have cost?”
Ding Yao’s mind was in turmoil. Covering up, he opened his phone and found the related topics had indeed vanished. Thinking about the Ding Family falling into an outsider’s hands entirely because Old Man Ding was besotted and foolish, he laughed in anger and quickly typed out another Weibo post.
【Well, well. So many hidden details? Should I be nervous? Set the mood? Then here’s a line: I inherited a huge fortune and hold company shares. I don’t know how carefree and happy I am. If I disappear one day, don’t ask—it’s definitely homicide!】
He just couldn’t swallow the fact that he ended up maimed and thrown abroad as a beggar in the original plot. If they disgusted him, he had to disgust them back. Taking down hot searches? He’d proactively provide the venue.
Sure enough, the moment he spoke up, drama-watching netizens quickly gathered in his comment section. His page directly became the latest drama-watching ground. The phrase “homicide” especially gave rise to countless conspiracy theories.
Song Jie’s reputation transformed from a “pretty vase” to the “Ungrateful Wolf Mistress”. Old Man Ding became the “Old Scumbag”, and Ding Jie was the “Little Ungrateful Wolf”.
Seeing this, Xu Ziyan, who loved stirring up trouble without worrying about its scale, seized the opportunity to say, “You should secretly get a paternity test done for your dad and your brother. In case you really tear faces with them one day and can’t win, at least it’s some evidence, right?”