Unsure of where she had wandered to, Shi Xinxin looked up again. What greeted her eyes was a vividly colored sunset, as bright as flowers, and the familiar landmark of the city center plaza not far away.
She hadn't expected to find herself back here again after so much wandering. Just three hundred meters ahead and to the right was the Municipal People's Hospital.
This must be fate's entanglement. Shi Xinxin stared at the hospital sign peeking out from behind the buildings, her fingers slowly tightening around the hem of her skirt.
She wanted to find Yan Hao immediately and get everything clarified!
These were her memories, and no matter how unpleasant, Shi Xinxin wanted to fill in this blank.
She stood up, intending to head for the People's Hospital.
A sudden phone ring interrupted Shi Xinxin. She glanced at it – it was Yang Yue.
Thinking of how long she had neglected company matters and whether the company was in chaos, Shi Xinxin quickly answered.
"CEO Shi, please look at the Weibo trending topics. The situation is extremely urgent and requires your immediate attention!" Yang Yue's hurried voice came through the phone.
Yang Yue, who had always been calm and composed, had never sounded so flustered. Shi Xinxin realized the gravity of the situation and stood rooted to the spot, checking the trending news.
— CL President Shi Xinxin Has a Second Face, a Complete Scumbag Woman!
— Shi Xinxin Abandoned Her First Love and Even Eloped with a Scumbag, Utterly Despicable!
The subsequent trending topics were predictable without needing to scroll further. Shi Xinxin could imagine what they were like.
Although many of her fans were defending her under these hateful headlines, it seemed as though someone was orchestrating things behind the scenes. The fans' comments were quickly drowned out by a wave of paid commenters.
Shi Xinxin glanced at her main page. Her public Weibo had already been attacked by these paid commenters, with comments flooding in by the thousands.
Shi Xinxin's complexion visibly worsened.
"Yang Yue, who posted these? And who is secretly boosting these trending topics behind the scenes?"
The sound of typing came from Yang Yue's end. "CEO Shi, the company is investigating using professional methods and will have an answer soon. However, the current online sentiment towards you is not favorable."
As the leader of CL, Shi Xinxin's actions represented CL. If Shi Xinxin's reputation was ruined, CL's popularity in the business world would plummet.
Furthermore, the company was about to launch a new line of jewelry. This was not a time for mistakes.
Shi Xinxin suppressed her anger for the moment and calmly replied, "Alright. Once you find out who is manipulating this, send me the information immediately. Also, issue a clarification through the company's official WeChat account."
Yang Yue efficiently handled these tasks.
Shi Xinxin casually found a coffee shop, ordered a latte, and sat by the window, looking at her phone.
She clicked on the top trending topics. The headlines all featured words like "scumbag woman" in relation to Shi Xinxin, written to grab attention.
The general content was that Shi Xinxin had betrayed Sheng Chenjin's feelings five years ago and eloped with a scumbag. Later, upon seeing Sheng Corporation become the world's strongest, she abandoned her elopement partner and returned to the country, intending to rekindle her romance with her first love.
Midway through reading, Shi Xinxin was utterly speechless.
She herself was unaware of so many sensational events surrounding her. It seemed that the person determined to ruin her reputation was sparing no expense.
Shi Xinxin took a closer look. The authors of those popular trending topics were all public accounts, making them difficult to trace.
Shortly after, she received a call from Sheng Chenjin. He had just finished his work when he saw the trending topics on Weibo and immediately called her.
"Xinxin, where are you now?"
A server brought her latte. Shi Xinxin replied, "I'm at a coffee shop near the central plaza. I guess I've been out for too long. I don't like staying home; it's too stuffy."
There was a moment of silence on the other end. "Xinxin, don't worry. I've already assigned someone to investigate these trending topics at the fastest speed and to suppress all that negative sentiment."
His speed was more than double or triple Yang Yue's. Shi Xinxin was somewhat surprised.
Sheng Chenjin seemed to be speaking to someone else, and then his voice came through the receiver: "I've just found out. The person who contacted those public accounts is Ding Xi."
"Ding Xi?" Hearing the unfamiliar name, Shi Xinxin felt a sense of familiarity.
"Yes, Ding Xi, who caused such a scene at the banquet last time."
Shi Xinxin suddenly understood. She had never truly taken this person seriously, so she hadn't bothered to remember her name.
"Then, for what reason is she targeting me like this?"
Without needing to be told, recalling Ding Xi's resentful expression at the banquet that day, Shi Xinxin already knew the answer.
It was nothing more than their petty jealousy and unwillingness that drove her to such targeted actions.
"I will clarify this and have her contact the public accounts to delete the posts as soon as possible."
Shi Xinxin took a sip of her latte, its rich flavor spreading in her mouth. Something flashed through her mind, and she smiled faintly. "No need. She's invested so much effort; I imagine her intentions go beyond just ruining my reputation."
Sheng Chenjin understood her meaning. Ding Xi, as per the rumors, was indeed beautiful but brainless, arrogant, and foolish. She wouldn't be capable of devising such a detailed plan on her own, nor would she know so many popular public accounts.
Within their social circle, Shi Xinxin could count her enemies on fewer than five fingers.
Shi Xinxin said, "Su Li. She must be the one instigating Ding Xi to carry out this elaborate plan."
If Shi Xinxin guessed correctly, Su Li likely approached Ding Xi personally, and the two, with their shared malicious intent, reached an agreement.
In reality, it was exactly as Shi Xinxin had surmised; they had already formed a partnership.
Sheng Chenjin asked, "What is her objective in doing this? Even if it's to attack CL, with her current status and the companies under her name, she's not strong enough to contend with you."
Shi Xinxin had been pondering this question from the very beginning, trying to rule out suspects.
She explained, "CL is about to launch a batch of new products. Their design style and patterns are currently popular in the market, and there's a 50% chance they'll win this year's Baihua Award."
"I think Su Li is likely trying to attack us through this vulnerability and gradually bring us down."
Even through the phone, Shi Xinxin could detect the dissatisfaction in Sheng Chenjin's voice. "I've already sent Bai Feng to Su Corporation. I expect an answer soon. If Su Li's plan against you succeeds, I will retaliate tenfold."
This was likely the embodiment of endless favoritism and pampering.
Shi Xinxin responded with a hum, and her phone vibrated as Yang Yue called again.
She had probably found Su Li as well. "CEO Shi, Su Li and Ding Xi were seen together at the same mall today. I suspect it's them."
"Remove the word 'suspect.' It is them."