Five minutes passed.
Zhou Yachen's livestream was gaining more and more popularity.
It topped the headlines on major platforms, with discussions exceeding a million engagements.
Ji Yanting's face darkened ominously, like storm clouds gathering on the horizon.
"I overestimated you." Ji Zhiyuan sent a message from his phone and glanced at the visibly agitated Old Master Ji. "Don’t worry, it’ll be handled soon."
Sure enough, a minute later, Zhou Yachen’s livestream was banned.
Though Ji’s Entertainment hadn’t invested in this streaming platform, Ji Zhiyuan was on good terms with its CEO—a single word from him was enough.
Shortly after, Ji Yanting’s phone vibrated.
Zhou Yachen’s voice came through: "Brother, my livestream account got banned by the platform. Can you help me get it unbanned…?"
"Do you really not know why your account was banned?" Ji Yanting’s voice was icy. "Inciting your fans, fueling online harassment—this could escalate into something serious. Zhou Yachen, did you even consider the consequences before acting?"
The cold, stern tone sent a jolt through Zhou Yachen, snapping him out of his delusion.
Ji Yanting had always been gentle with him—this was the first time he had ever called him by his full name.
He felt utterly wronged, muttering, "I worked so hard to land that big endorsement, and now it’s gone. My fans were just upset for me… What’s wrong with that?"
"You’re young, you’ll have plenty of opportunities in the future. But if you burn bridges with Ji’s Entertainment, no company will ever work with you again." Ji Yanting’s voice was frigid. "If this happens again, don’t call me brother anymore."
He hung up without another word.
"Great-Grandmother, I’m sorry." He turned to Rong Yu. "I failed to keep him in line…"
"You don’t need to apologize for him." Rong Yu stood up. "I still have an ad shoot to finish. Enjoy your meal—don’t forget to pay the bill."
Old Master Ji shot Ji Yanting a glare before hurrying after Rong Yu to the studio. This time, he’d keep a close eye—no one would dare cause trouble.
Ji Zhiyuan also left without a word.
Ji Yanting pressed his lips together.
He paid with his black card, exited the restaurant, and got into his car, sending Zhou Yachen a WeChat message:
"Post a public apology to Rong Yu on Weibo."
When Zhou Yachen received this, he nearly smashed his phone in fury.
That livestream account had millions of followers—he made a fortune from monthly livestream sales. Now, with it banned, he’d lost a massive income stream…
And instead of comforting him, Ji Yanting was ordering him to publicly apologize to Rong Yu?
A top-tier idol apologizing to some failed contestant? He’d be the laughingstock of the entertainment industry!
"I did nothing wrong. I won’t apologize," he replied. "The fans harassed Rong Yu—what does that have to do with me? Why should I take the blame?"
Dark clouds swirled in Ji Yanting’s eyes.
Perhaps he had been too lenient with Zhou Yachen all this time.
If Zhou Yachen had apologized, Great-Grandmother might have relented, and Ji Yanting could have convinced her to lift the brand ban.
But since he refused… maybe it was time for Zhou Yachen to learn a lesson.
Online outrage grew fiercer.
With Zhou Yachen personally fueling the fire, his fans charged ahead, while clueless netizens piled on. The hashtags kept exploding.
"My poor brother, his account got banned for no reason!"
"These capitalists are ruthless, crushing our Yachen like this!"
"Who is Rong Yu’s sugar daddy? Why are the big shots protecting her?"
"She definitely traded her youth for resources—no way she got this far on her own."
"Why hasn’t anyone dug up Rong Yu’s background yet? Netizens are slacking!"
"..."
It was Sunday, and the Rong family was gathered at home.
After finishing her piano practice, Rong Ruoyao sprawled on the living room couch and opened her phone—only for a trending headline to pop up.
She bolted upright. "Mom, Dad! Sister is trending!"
Shen Lin’s expression was complicated.
She had never thought much of her stepdaughter, but after joining that show, Rong Yu’s rankings skyrocketed. She even landed endorsements, rivaling Ruoyao’s own fame.
Her meticulously groomed daughter… outshone by this country bumpkin?
The bitterness in her heart was indescribable.
"Oh my god, Sister offended Zhou Yachen—the hottest star right now!" Rong Ruoyao gasped. "They were supposed to share a brand deal, but now it’s just Sister. Zhou Yachen’s fans are furious—they’re offering bounties to expose her private info!"
She looked at Rong Wangtian. "If netizens find out she’s the Rong family’s eldest daughter, our company’s products will be boycotted…"
Shen Lin exhaled subtly in relief.
With Rong Yu angering a top celebrity and facing fan backlash, her rankings would surely drop next round…
She said softly, "Don’t underestimate netizens. Last year, a star was exposed for cheating, refused to apologize, and taunted the public. His family’s business was reported into bankruptcy within weeks."
Rong Wangtian’s face turned ashen. "I never should’ve brought her back to Haicheng. Useless to the family, and now causing disasters! What do we do now?"
Shen Lin paused. "Make Rong Yu apologize publicly to Zhou Yachen. Otherwise, this won’t blow over."
Rong Wangtian pulled out his phone and called Rong Yu.
No answer.
"Sister must be busy," Rong Ruoyao said, unable to hide her envy. "Probably filming that Ji’s Entertainment ad."
Rong Wangtian stood and grabbed his coat.
He’d go find Rong Yu himself.
But after one step, he froze—he had no idea where to look.
He hadn’t even given her living expenses these past months.
Was it true, then? Had Rong Yu really latched onto some wealthy patron?
His expression darkened.
Just then, Rong Ruoyao gasped. "The—the hashtag exploded! Ji’s Entertainment’s official account just posted…"
She tapped frantically, expecting a retraction—an apology under public pressure, stripping Rong Yu of her endorsement.
Instead, it was behind-the-scenes footage from this morning’s shoot—Rong Yu and Zhou Yachen filming the ad for Ji’s Entertainment.
"LMAO, where are the haters now? Time to apologize!"
"Your ‘brother’ is so ‘talented’—he couldn’t even memorize a few lines for the ad. Had to count numbers instead. Pathetic."
"Support Rong Yu! Unprofessional hacks like him ruin the industry."
"Clearly, he got kicked out for being lazy, but his fans blame Rong Yu for ‘sleeping her way up.’ Disgusting misogyny."
"I knew Rong Yu wasn’t like that! Where are the slanderers now? APOLOGIZE!"
"..."
"Y’all just finding out about Zhou Yachen’s diva antics? The industry’s known for years."
"Two years ago, he was a nobody. How does a nobody even have the audacity to act like a diva?"
"Fun fact: Zhou Yachen is recognized as a younger brother by the award-winning actor Ji Yanting. With Ji Yanting spoiling him, he practically struts through the entertainment industry without a care..."
"Stop dragging Ji Yanting into this! Over the years, Zhou Yachen has snatched so many of Ji Yanting’s top-tier endorsement deals—fans like us are absolutely furious..."
"..."
