Chapter 49: The Clarification Article

[Ruan Cha is the illegitimate daughter whom the Ruan family just acknowledged. She’d been living in the countryside all along, raised by her mother who was once a mistress. Like mother, like daughter—is this really so shocking?]

[Wow! If she were just someone’s kept woman, that would be one thing, but to seduce a married man? That’s crossing a moral line. Good upbringing is important—let’s hope everyone has some!]

[Anyone with basic decency knows you should avoid married men. Her shameless actions are truly disgusting!]

The scandal grew hotter on the internet. Many parents, after reading the news, signed a petition demanding the school expel Ruan Cha for her severely problematic conduct.

At school, all the students began to avoid Ruan Cha as if she were poisonous—a venomous woman to be shunned.

While Ruan Cha was being mocked and reviled by everyone, on Weibo, Ruan Wei, acting as her elder sister, posted an article clarifying the situation.

Ruan Wei had developed an interest in acting since graduating from junior high, often appearing in bit parts on television and in movies, and had attracted a small online following.

Ruan Wei (verified): [There is too much hostility in the world these days. Just because of some baseless rumors, people feel entitled to hurl such vicious and insulting words at a girl they know nothing about. As Cha Cha’s elder sister, my heart aches to see this. Cha Cha has always been well-behaved at home; everything online is fabricated. I hope this world can show a little more kindness.]

At a time like this, Ruan Wei’s willingness to speak up for Ruan Cha made her fans all the more devoted.

But the netizens were unmoved.

[Birds of a feather flock together—they’re all the same.]

[You keep calling for kindness, but if you just behaved with some decency yourself, who would bother with you?]

Not long after, Ruan Wei herself became the target of online abuse, her name climbing the trending searches.

When Ruan Cha returned to school, Ruan Wei hurried to her side, anxiously asking, “Cha Cha, what’s on the internet isn’t true. Don’t pay attention to it. I believe you.”

Ruan Cha had seen the recent insults about her on Weibo. When she heard Ruan Wei’s voice, she glanced at her with a cold, indifferent look, her eyes glinting with sarcasm.

She completely ignored Ruan Wei, and when their classmates witnessed this, their impression of Ruan Cha sank even lower.

When Ruan Cha returned to her seat, the students around her began to whisper.

“That Ruan Cha is just ungrateful. Ruan Wei got torn to shreds online for her sake, and she still treats her sister so coldly.”

“Honestly, if my sister acted like that, I’d be tempted to beat some sense into her.”

“She shamelessly does all these disgusting things and drags her family down with her.”

Less than half an hour later, a video appeared on Weibo.

In the video, Ruan Wei kindly approaches Ruan Cha, trying to comfort her and hoping she wouldn’t be affected by the online gossip.

But Ruan Cha showed no gratitude; instead, she treated her sister with icy indifference.

In an instant, many who had previously criticized Ruan Wei began to change their tune.

“I thought Ruan Wei and Ruan Cha were cut from the same cloth, but now I see—an illegitimate child is an illegitimate child. You can’t hide what’s in your bones.”