Gu Suian walked over, having regained his composure. His gaze swept over Wen Feiran and Zou Yuxing as he asked, "What exactly happened?"
"It's a long story..." Wen Feiran opened her mouth, but could only manage to utter these four words with difficulty.
Everyone was present except for Meng Jingxiu and Meng Zizheng.
They waited for five minutes before Meng Zizheng finally arrived, looking completely lost and disoriented.
He forced a smile, but his eyes were full of sadness. "Meng Jingxiu is not coming back."
The viewers in the live stream were frustrated by his lack of competitiveness.
[I'm speechless. Meng Jingxiu stole your identity, and you still genuinely treat him like a brother!]
[Can someone slap him? Please wake up! You're the real young master!!]
[I can't stand it anymore! How could he be so thoroughly brainwashed? Meng Jingxiu has completely revealed his true colors, yet he still acts like he's thinking of Meng Jingxiu's best interests.]
[I think that staff member did a really good job of scolding him. Let's quickly pull him back and scold him again in front of Meng Zizheng.]
The related hashtag trended on social media, with the seemingly unrelated individuals Meng Jingxiu and Meng Zizheng being revealed to be the real and fake heirs of a wealthy family. The sensational hashtag immediately attracted netizens' attention, quickly rising to the top of the trending list.
The top-ranked video after clicking on the entry is a staff member eating sunflower seeds while reviewing the situation with Wen Feiran.
"Those who are favored are fearless. Love has no conditions attached. Even if your parents didn't start from scratch, you still have to climb up from the bottom of the entertainment industry to prove that you are worthy of being their child!"
"Even though you've been absent for over twenty years, you're still that loved child, the one who was given the name Meng Jingxiu even before you were born. Now that you've been recognized, this is your home. Just enjoy it; you don't need to do anything!"
"Are you out of your mind? Meng Jingxiu isn't related by blood. Ultimately, he's the one who needs to prove himself more. Why should he be sitting comfortably in another private room discussing the collaboration with the director, while you have to endure humiliation and be forced to drink? I think the alcohol's all gone into your head!!"
Meng Zizheng huddled in his blankets, repeatedly clicking on the video as if he were being tortured, engraving every word into his heart. His whole body felt like it was being gnawed at by ants, and his eyes were already filled with tears.
He as
Orphan
Growing up, I didn't receive an elite education, can't play the piano, don't have many hobbies, and am just an ordinary person.
When he stood in the Meng Family's clean and tidy living room, he felt out of place, like mud under his feet soiling the clean carpet.
His deepest desires stirred within him; he longed for a home, for love, for recognition. But the more frantically he craved these desires, the more his underlying inferiority complex seemed to pull him deeper into an abyss.
He believed he was unworthy, and no matter how good his parents were to him or how earnestly they tried to make amends, he felt he wasn't the child they hoped for. Disappearing from the spot might be the best option for him.
Therefore, he easily believed Meng Jingxiu's words and tried very hard to prove that he was worthy of being the original "Meng Jingxiu" and also worthy of love.
But his heart was already twisted.
Meng Zizheng slept all night, biting his lower lip in a self-torturing manner. Only after tasting the rust did he let out a long sigh.
The next day, everyone stared at the tightly closed door in the corner.
Su Shangting had already caught up on his studies and was very regretful for not being there. He wouldn't have stood quietly in the corner; he would have rushed up to talk to Meng Jingxiu and, incidentally, scolded Meng Zizheng to wake him up.
Su Shangting is a pampered young master who grew up in a loving environment. He has a high sense of self-esteem and a strong sense of worthiness. Apart from Wen Feiran, his true friend, there is nothing in this world worth fighting for, let alone swallowing his pride and lowering himself to prove himself.
He rolled his eyes without any attempt to hide it. Recalling Meng Zizheng's submissive manner, he became furious and stormed over, intending to drag Meng Zizheng out.
Before Wen Feiran could stop him, Su Shangting rushed to the door, but the door opened the next second.
Meng Zizheng's face looked terrible, with dark circles under his eyes almost reaching his chin, but his eyes had changed. He no longer suppressed his emotions, and they were filled with a vitality and light that he had never seen before.
"I quite like my name," Meng Zizheng said, emphasizing each word. "Zizheng."
Even if he has been absent from "Meng Jingxiu's" life for many years and no longer possesses that name, what does it matter?
He is who he is.
Chapter 37 Deadly Vest
Meng Jingxiu had already "died" in the game and was unable to participate in the remaining recordings. With this incident, he chose to avoid the limelight and flew back that same day. However, things didn't go as planned, and the controversy continued to spread online.
Meng Zizheng was previously an invisible figure, has been thrust into the spotlight and is receiving much attention. Public opinion is very sympathetic towards him, and people are very happy to see that he has awakened from Meng Jingxiu's brainwashing, hoping that he can receive compensation.
But the emotional conflict and shift were too great, exceeding Meng Zizheng's limit. He couldn't get over it immediately. He was often seen lost in thought, staring blankly at a corner, or sitting silently at the dining table.
Although Wen Feiran and the others couldn't fully empathize with him, they were all understanding and didn't disturb him.
The recording continued. They had enough information and clues; all they needed to do was find the most crucial piece to piece together the whole story.
They had already read the diary they found in the study many times, but unexpectedly, a new page suddenly appeared when they returned.
Zou Yuxing held that piece of paper and studied it for a long time using various methods, almost to the point of soaking it in water and burning it.