As expected of the Protagonist Shou-he had brains

The post was long, clearly prepared in advance. Yu Xiuyuan read it with a frown.

The statement began by saying Wen Lin had saved Yu Xiuyuan, without mentioning that he never showed up afterward, when Yu Xiuyuan was beaten even worse.

It stressed that Yu Xiuyuan only had a high school education, but Wen Lin "didn't look down on him" and often kept in touch.

It also said that after Wen Lin entered the entertainment industry and gained a large following, Yu Xiuyuan had come to him for help.

It claimed Yu Xiuyuan had insisted that Wen Lin "smear" him, saying he would "clear his name" afterward.

Though it wasn't spelled out, anyone with eyes could see the implication: Yu Xiuyuan had planned this from the start.

First, he had Wen Lin smear him, then he clarified everything. That way, Yu Xiuyuan could not only clear his name but also put his fans through another round of suffering to strengthen their loyalty.

He could even drag Wen Lin down into the mud, using Wen Lin's popularity as a stepping stone to gain more exposure.

Even the original owner offending people by standing up for Wen Lin was twisted into the original owner telling lies.

A perfect, airtight story. Every angle had been covered.

He had to admit, the Protagonist Shou lived up to his role-he had brains.

To come up with such a flawless story in so little time, leaving Yu Xiuyuan unable to defend himself... impressive.

Fang Yi's sudden reconciliation with Wen Lin was probably because of this negative trending topic too, right?

After all, seeing his beloved White Moonlight so wrongfully accused must have broken his heart, right?

After reading the long post and recalling the video in which Wen Lin had evasively accused him of school bullying, it really did seem convincing.

Without the original owner's memories, he would have believed it himself.

Sure enough, the netizens were stunned.

"What a twist. Gave me chills. Yu Dog really knows how to play the game."

"The more you think about it, the scarier it gets. Think any harder and my brain will fall out my nose. Mommy, I'm scared."

"Twist after twist. This drama is delicious!"

"Our Linlin has it so rough. He helped an ungrateful bastard and got bitten in return, yet he still wasn't going to expose Yu Dog. Linlin is too kind."

"Wen Lin really got screwed over. Even a random passerby has to spare him a second of sympathy."

Yu Xiuyuan put down his phone, breathing hard as he looked at Wen Lin with red-rimmed eyes. "You... how could you do this?"

He staggered back two steps. "So you were the one who led everyone to accuse me of school bullying in the first place. It was you all along... haha... ha... What a joke...

"And all this time, I thought you were my lifeline... I defended you at every turn.

"Did you ever feel even the slightest friendship toward me?"

Wen Lin turned on his acting skills too, tears hovering in his eyes, his voice filled with grief and indignation:

"You're still putting on an act even now. I regret ever saving you!"

Yu Xiuyuan wiped his eyes. He could see the smugness and mockery in Wen Lin's gaze, as though Wen Lin despised him for not knowing his own limits.

This was good. Let him get cocky first. Wouldn't it be more satisfying to deal him a fatal blow just when he thought victory was assured?

He gazed deeply at Wen Lin, as though bidding him farewell:

"If that's your decision, I accept it.

"But from now on... we're no longer friends.

"I won't tolerate you or give in to you, not even a little. So from here on out, don't provoke me again."

Seeing that Yu Xiuyuan had no way out, Wen Lin curled his lips. Since Yu Xiuyuan was no longer useful, all that remained was to destroy him.

Yu Xiuyuan closed his eyes briefly, tears spilling despite himself. He turned toward the director to hide them.

"Sorry for holding everyone up. Director, let's continue filming."

Ever since Wen Lin posted his lengthy statement, the show's live viewer count had been soaring. By now, it had surpassed ten million.

Seeing what looked like his tacit admission, the live comments went even crazier. Abuse flooded the screen, especially from those who had believed him earlier. They had gone berserk.

"Shameless! I actually believed him. What a disgrace."

"Yu Dog, get out of the entertainment industry!"

"I felt bad for you for getting bullied, and then you turned around and pulled this disgusting shit."

"I barely had time to feel sorry for him before he blindsided me."

"Disgusting! Linlin is so kind, and you treated him like that! Drop dead, Yu Dog!"

"Yu Dog, get out of the entertainment industry!"

"You scheming bastard! Drop dead!"

"Boohoo... my songs... I still want to hear him sing..."

"Just quietly saying... Yu Dog's expression looks a little off. I'm sticking around. Feels like there's more to this."

"More to this, my ass! He has nothing to say, so he's desperately trying to save face."

"Anyone who still believes Yu Dog now is a fucking idiot, right?"

No matter how much they cursed, everyone stayed in the livestream, waiting to see what happened next.

The director's hands shook with excitement as he watched the rapidly rising engagement, but he was also a little worried about Yu Xiuyuan. He didn't dare let the abuse continue like this. If the livestream got banned, he'd be screwed.

He quickly set up blocked keywords and stepped forward to announce, "Next, everyone will work together to prepare tonight's dinner. After dinner, each of you must write a 'confession letter.' No opting out. Guests who choose each other will automatically pair up for tomorrow's date activities, while those without a mutual match will have a group date at the villa."

Everyone responded enthusiastically, easing the awkward atmosphere. After all, Yu Xiuyuan's reputation had been bad to begin with. They were used to it.

Only Li Rou and Yun Chuan frowned, looking at Yu Xiuyuan with concern.

Yun Chuan even stood and walked toward him, frightening Yu Xiuyuan so much that he wanted to bolt on the spot.

He hastily backed up two steps and said, "I'll just wash the dishes."

Seeing him retreat in fear, Yun Chuan smoothly turned away to pour himself a glass of water.

Yu Xiuyuan had just breathed a sigh of relief when Lin Qingnuan's voice drifted over. "It's been two days, and we still haven't tasted your cooking, Little Yu. Everyone else has made an effort, whether they can cook or not. Are you going to slack off by yourself again?"

Yu Xiuyuan hadn't expected Best Actress Lin to be the first to kick him while he was down. Was a nobody like him really worth a best actress's personal attention?

When Lin Qingnuan had commented on his change of style earlier, he'd already sensed something was off. Sure enough, he hadn't imagined it.

What he didn't know was that Lin Qingnuan had resented him for a long time because of the attention Yun Chuan paid him.

Now that his reputation was in tatters, people would only applaud her for taking a shot at him.

Yu Xiuyuan had chosen dishwashing earlier because he wanted to fade into the background and get less screen time. Now that the best actress had objected, he might as well go stir-fry something.

As though he hadn't noticed any malice, he joked with a smile, "I was worried everyone wouldn't want me joining the fun in the kitchen. Since Best Actress Lin wants to taste my cooking, I'll shamelessly go show off a little. I don't like washing dishes anyway."

With that, he cheerfully went to the kitchen to check the ingredients.

Wen Lin, Fang Yi, and Su Ziming, who had been about to head into the kitchen, stopped in their tracks and returned to their rooms, claiming they had something to do.

Just then, Yun Chuan finished his water, stood, and headed straight for the kitchen.

Lin Qingnuan secretly gritted her teeth. She refused to believe Yun Chuan could still have a favorable impression of Yu Xiuyuan after all this.

Left with no choice, she followed him into the kitchen.

Lin Xi and Li Rou were left staring at each other. After some hesitation, they went to the kitchen too.

When Yun Chuan entered the kitchen, he saw Yu Xiuyuan putting on an apron and asked casually, "Where are the aprons? I need one too."

Yu Xiuyuan raised a hand and pointed at the east wall without speaking.

Lin Qingnuan happened to come in just then. She took an apron and handed it to Yun Chuan.

After he slipped the neck strap over his head, she circled behind him and offered as naturally as she could, "I'll tie it for you."

Yun Chuan turned around. "No need. I can do it myself."

Lin Qingnuan tilted her head with a smile. "All right, then. Let me know if you need anything."

Yun Chuan nodded, then walked over to Yu Xiuyuan.

"What are you planning to cook? Need any help?"

"No, no. I can manage on my own."

"Your hand is injured. Try not to touch raw meat, seafood, or anything like that. You'd better avoid washing vegetables too."