[V Zhongxin Law Firm: Regarding the case entrusted to our firm’s lawyer Chen Zhuo by Gu Nanci, after investigating the entrusting party and careful consideration, as this case does not align with our firm’s moral stance, we have decided to withdraw the relevant entrustment and refund the corresponding high entrustment fee…]
It wasn’t just Zhongxin; several other well-known major law firms in the industry also stepped forward one after another.
[V Xinyang Legal Affairs: Truth cannot be covered up by the stench of money! Kudos to our peers!]
[V Linbei Yicheng Law Firm: Some young people shouldn’t mistake ignorance for fearlessness. If you’ve done wrong, you must take responsibility. Facts cannot be distorted by spreading a few rumors!]
[V Shenmin Legal Affairs: To become an artist, one must first cultivate virtue. How can someone so lacking in virtue and education still be an artist? We strongly urge the relevant authorities to conduct a thorough investigation…]
Some praised Zhongxin for not being swayed by money and upholding morality, while others posted condemnations of Gu Nanci for having no moral bottom line, making mistakes without showing any remorse.
Without exception, every word between the lines denied the authenticity of that lawsuit letter and criticized Gu Nanci for spreading rumors.
If before it was just ambiguous insinuations from Chang Qian and Si Chang’s side, this time, with multiple legal industry influencers stepping forward, no further explanation was needed. Their mere refusal to take the case thoroughly confirmed the bullying incident as fact.
[Hahahaha, I’m literally dying of laughter. Filing a false lawsuit? You really outdid yourself this time, Gu the Vase!]
[How can someone be this shameless? Even the lawyers couldn’t stand this distortion of right and wrong!]
[This shatters my worldview… The first person in history to have their entrustment withdrawn because the law firm’s conscience couldn’t bear it. Gu the Legal Illiterate, you’ve truly embarrassed yourself to the extreme…]
Unlike the previous bandwagon of mocking and bashing, public opinion had now fermented uncontrollably.
Most directly, the insults were harsher than ever before.
The screen was filled with personal attacks. Qi Qiaoqiao felt psychologically uncomfortable after reading just a few comments.
Her new idol had just been in the spotlight for a second before this happened. Frowning, Qi Qiaoqiao typed:
[Qiaoqiaoqiao: Wasn’t it said that Gu Nanci was wronged in that incident?]
[Qiaoqiaoqiao: What on earth is going on?]
[Woke Up and Fell Asleep Again: I feel like a confused melon-eating spectator. This scandal is getting more and more bewildering…]
[Su Su Su: …Offended that person from the Mo family. My dad just got a warning too.]
[Lemon Cheese: The Mo family? Mo Ran! That unpredictable Mo Shao?]
[Fa Er Ao Ao: So, suddenly I feel like Gu Nanci is quite pitiful. The Mo family has directly put out the word. Who would dare testify for Gu Nanci now?]
[Su Su Su: Sigh, in this situation, it’s really hard to find a way out. Public opinion is completely suppressed. Even if he’s truly innocent, he’ll be painted as guilty…]
[Su Su Su: @Qiaoqiaoqiao, maybe you should stop following him. The Mo family has made it clear they want to destroy Gu Nanci… He’ll probably be forced out of the industry before long. Chasing after him will only bring you trouble without any results…]
Qi Qiaoqiao stared blankly at the screen, unable to speak for a long time.
…
This was the largest-scale online bashing Gu Nanci had faced since his debut two years ago.
The overwhelming pressure even forced official media to step in.
Gu Nanci woke up early. His injuries had finally improved enough that practicing wouldn’t aggravate them, so he hurriedly seized the time to familiarize himself with his body and quickly learn the dance.
But then, Xi Ruqian came looking for him with a grim expression.
Recognizing Xi Ruqian as the leader who had unfairly deducted her points while protecting Wen Jiuyi and Cheng Yang that day, Gu Nanci felt puzzled.
Before she could figure out what this leader had to do with her, she saw Xi Ruqian’s gentle expression vanish, replaced by a cold face as he fired off a sharp accusation: “Why didn’t you notify me before hiring a lawyer!”
Gu Nanci narrowed her eyes.
Taking the phone, she glanced down at the still-trending hot search topic she had been studying, feeling a sense of absurdity wash over her. Her stunningly beautiful dark eyes were filled with mockery:
“I’ve said it, more than once.”
But you all thought it was a joke.
No one cared, no one stopped it.
Yet now, when she was fighting desperately to break free from the rumors, they all came to question her, trying to kick her back into the pit!
“…So now, your performance qualification is going to be revoked. Are you satisfied?” Xi Ruqian paused, his voice low and unreadable.
Gu Nanci’s pupils contracted slightly: “Revoked?”
Seeing Gu Nanci’s shocked expression, he mistakenly thought his words had been too harsh.
Moreover, even someone as cold and unfeeling as Xi Ruqian couldn’t bring himself to say anything more cruel when faced with that face.
Xi Ruqian sighed, a rare hint of patience emerging as he explained, something he hadn’t even realized himself:
“…You shouldn’t have acted on your own. The situation is too heated right now, and you’ve offended people you shouldn’t have. It’s best to step back from the competition for now.”
Although he had always treated Gu Nanci as a tool for generating black publicity, there was a difference between scandal-driven negativity and confirmed wrongdoing.
Being criticized for something ambiguous didn’t necessarily reflect on one’s character.
But if a joint boycott was confirmed, it would become an indelible moral stain!
Especially in the sensitive environment of Hongyu Entertainment, where every word and action was scrutinized, being sidelined or forced into retirement was almost a certainty!
Xi Ruqian prided himself on being fair. For Gu Nanci, as long as things didn’t escalate to a court ruling, nothing was truly set in stone.
Therefore, temporarily stepping back was the best option. At the very least, it would allow her to continue using half-truths and half-falsehoods to maintain her presence, with the possibility of returning to activities later.
After all, artists who were naturally destined for fame, effortlessly reaching the peak of black publicity, were truly rare.
And she had a face that made it hard not to forgive her!
Even Xi Ruqian couldn’t bear to give up on her just like that.
“Let’s do it this way. I’ll issue a statement for you, saying you’re temporarily withdrawing from the Debut Battle due to health reasons.”
“You should lay low at the branch office for a while… and if you have free time, try learning some vocal or dance skills! Your abilities are your own, and it’ll make it easier for me to arrange your comeback later…” Xi Ruqian offered a rare piece of advice, but before he could finish, Gu Nanci suddenly interrupted.
The young woman’s dark, gleaming eyes shone with determination as she spoke each word clearly: “So it’s just a suggestion, right?”
“Then, I refuse.”
“I want to participate in the competition and continue performing on stage.”