Yan stared at the rapidly climbing trending topic on her phone while riding the subway.
The speed at which it was skyrocketing was undeniably suspicious—no one would believe this wasn’t bought.
Refreshing the real-time Weibo feed flooded her screen with outraged posts: *"Get out of the entertainment industry!"*, *"Bin University must take strict action!"*, each dripping with fury.
But when she clicked into these accounts, it was obvious—every single one had only ever posted about past hot topics. The artificiality was practically suffocating.
The power of the internet was overwhelming. When an avalanche of identical information floods people’s screens, it becomes the only "truth" they see.
Videos, surveillance footage, written claims—everything screamed the same narrative:
*"Celebrity Gu Jiasui and a male accomplice repeatedly abused cats on campus by pricking them with needles."*
Gu Jiasui was no stranger to controversy. The long-lost heiress of a wealthy family, forever overshadowed by and jealous of child star Lu Jianian. After a dazzling performance on a girl group survival show, she withdrew—only to resurface a year later, admitted into Bin University.
When her college acceptance was first announced, many assumed she’d taken the art route, enrolling in the School of Fine Arts.
But the official screenshot from the *Bin City Admissions Examination Window* shut those rumors down.
A near-perfect score of 700 points on the national college entrance exam instantly made her the poster child for "academically gifted celebrities" in parents’ eyes.
Yet even now, two months into her enrollment, skeptics clung to conspiracy theories—*"The Lu family donated two buildings to Bin U!"*, *"Capitalists rigged her exam!"*—each claim so absurd it made her wonder if these people had skipped basic education.
Though Gu Jiasui had settled into campus life and barely took on acting roles, the spotlight never left her.
From the enrollment scandal that sparked clashes with Lu Jianian’s fans, to the wealthy family drama over a priceless antique inkstick at a birthday banquet—netizens devoured every twist.
But this? Animal abuse? The video clearly showed needles being pressed into a kitten’s skin, with timestamps spanning days. Public fury erupted.
*"Is this Bin University?! Someone said it’s the Campus Pet Association—so is this a club for torturing animals now?"*
*"Only cowards hurt defenseless creatures. It’s pure sadism."*
*"Is that guy next to Gu Jiasui her partner-in-crime? If the footage is out, why hasn’t anyone exposed them earlier? Are Bin U students bribed into silence?"*
*"@BinCityUniversity RESPOND! If our top university harbors high-IQ cat torturers, what future does this country have?"*
*"OMG I’ve heard rumors but stayed quiet. Industry insiders say Gu Jiasui’s nice-girl act is fake—she’s manipulative, desperate to please her bio family. Imagine the psychological damage after 18 years as an outsider!"*
Replies flooded in: *"Spill the tea!!"*, *"We need insider info!"*, *"Expose her! Don’t back down!"*
Yan’s frown deepened. This was blatant sensationalism.
She sighed. But when the mob rages, reason drowns.
Clicking into Gu Jiasui’s Weibo, Yan saw her last post was two weeks ago—a staged daily-life photo from her agency.
The once-harmless comments (*"Gorgeous!"*, *"Hi wifey!"*) now exploded with vitriol:
*"Is it true, sis? I’m heartbroken."*
*"How could someone so beautiful be so cruel?"*
*"Karma will gut you, cat-killer. DIE."*
Yan exited the app, only for other platforms to push the same headlines.
Zhu Jue tugged her hand. *"Our stop. Let’s go."*
Silent, Yan followed her out of the station toward Chu’s Family Diner.
*"They’ll handle it,"* Zhu Jue said gently. *"Lies stay lies, no matter how loud."*
*"I know. It’s just infuriating."* Yan pressed her lips tight. *"Jiasui and Xiao Qingnang don’t deserve this. One shady video shouldn’t rewrite the truth."*
*"Everyone saw them caring for those cats daily. That footage came from the association—someone sold them out."*
*"People shouldn’t be like this."*
Yan sniffled. Over the past few days, Gu Jiasui and Xiao Qingnang hadn’t just taken diligent care of the kitten Pangpang—they’d done so much more.
Under the guidance of the association members, Xiao Qingnang personally inspected every cat housed at the Bin University Campus Pet Association, as well as the dogs and cats visible around the campus.
Gu Jiasui donated to the association and commissioned custom pet shelters for the campus—small wooden houses and cozy nests—placed in the usual spots where the stray "campus pets" lingered. Each food and water bowl was labeled with a number and name.
These efforts weren’t just empty talk, nor could they be dismissed as “mere performative acts.”
If not out of genuine kindness and sincere love, why would anyone dedicate their time, energy, and money to such seemingly trivial things?
Just then, Chu Bingbing sent a message asking Yan how far they were—she’d already arrived at the shop entrance.
They met up outside the store, and Chu Shen ushered his friends upstairs to his usual living quarters.
With limited seating in the shop and the weather turning colder, some customers had stubbornly lined up two hours early. Chu Shen could only sigh helplessly.
Sending his “precious troublemakers” upstairs freed up a few more seats downstairs, sparing others a longer wait in the chill.
The old house’s layout connected the living room to the dining area. The three of them sat on the sofa, Chu Bingbing fuming with indignation.
“I’m honestly speechless.”
“What kind of people are these? It’s definitely Jiasui’s little sister stirring up trouble again.”
She declared it outright.
While Chu Shen was busy, Chu Bingbing’s fingers flew across her phone screen, engaged in a heated online debate—crossing virtual wires to trade verbal blows.
Since her Weibo account [CC123] had reposted Gu Jiasui’s giveaway during the back-to-school controversy, she’d been labeled as Gu Jiasui’s “rich fan.”
So when the hashtag #GuJiasuiAbusesCats trended, countless users swarmed CC123’s page to “inform” her.
*“CC-jie, time to unstan. Your fave is trash—she abuses cats!”*
*“CC-jie, why not check out XX-jiejie? Beautiful, kind, sings and dances—investing in her is a sure win!”*
*“CC, look at my bias! Handsome, eloquent, amazing actor—even Director Q praised his potential!”*
*“Wonder how CC-jie feels now, lol. That reposted giveaway from two months ago is still up. Doesn’t that sting?”*
She could tolerate the “well-meaning” notifiers, but the ones gleefully rubbing it in left her baffled. What kind of people expected her to “unstan” and jump to another celebrity just to spend money on their behalf?
She’d shared a dorm with Gu Jiasui for two months—did these randoms really think they knew better than her?
**[CC123]**: Oh nooo, surely no one’s ignorant enough to forget that spreading rumors and damaging reputations is illegal? Editing videos, muting audio, fabricating a “cat abuse scandal” to incite cyberbullying—how fun. Didn’t you learn from last time? When the truth comes out, will you apologize to Gu Jiasui?
The moment Chu Bingbing posted this, discussions erupted.
*“Delulu fan alert. Get help, sis.”*
*“CC-jie, your denial is hilarious.”*
*“Rich folks aren’t immune to copium, huh? But she didn’t throw money at a repost this time—maybe even she’s doubting?”*
Meanwhile, Yan was messaging in the group chat. Gu Jiasui seemed unshaken, entirely unaffected by the chaos.
Since this involved both Jiasui and Xiao Qingnang, everyone was talking in the main group.
**[Ding Ling]**: Don’t come back to the dorm. Someone’s knocked on our door multiple times.
**[Lin Fan]**: @XiaoQingnang @GuJiasui Where are you two now?
**[Yi Zhi]**: Need me to come help?
**[Gu Jiasui]**: It’s fine. We’re in the office—association members are here, and a teacher’s reviewing the records.
**[Xiao Qingnang]**: Relax. The truth will surface soon. Over a hundred association members are our witnesses, and all surveillance footage is intact.
Seeing their calm replies, Yan and the others felt slightly reassured.
Chu Bingbing, brimming with confidence, kept at it. Since her account wasn’t verified, no one online knew who she was—this was just a sparring match to her.
By now, she’d grown too lazy to type and simply copy-pasted one line:
*“When this gets debunked, will you apologize? How?”*
If anyone replied with *“I’ll eat shit upside down if it’s fake,”* she instantly screenshotted it.
Honestly, Chu Bingbing lived for this—watching people set themselves up for a slap in the face. It was weirdly entertaining.
Initially, netizens had fixated on “Gu Jiasui” (bigger headline appeal), but as time passed, some began digging into the video’s male figure.
*“Isn’t this guy also from Bin University? He’s the mastermind—Gu Jiasui’s just an accomplice!”*
*“Looks like he’s the one doing the stabbing. Disgusting!”*
People kept tagging @BinCityUniversity and @BinUniversityCampusPetAssociation, demanding accountability: *“Cat abusers must not go unpunished!”*
Three hours into the frenzy, gossip pages and entertainment accounts were reposting the drama. Some even tagged video-editing bloggers to dissect its authenticity.
At this moment, a Weibo post from an editor with tens of thousands of followers finally made its way to many people’s homepages.
**[Han Mei Talks Movies]**: About that trending "cat abuse" incident… Can we just point out how obvious the editing is? Let’s wait for the truth to unfold. Also, who "abuses" cats with acupuncture needles? [Screenshot.jpg][Screenshot.jpg]
The blogger, known as Han Mei, is a renowned video editor and film commentator. The post included enlarged images of the "needles" and highlighted flaws in the editing. As soon as it went up, like-minded followers flooded the comments.
*"Seriously, the editing is so sloppy… [facepalm]"*
*"Probably done by an intern—couldn’t even fake it convincingly [laugh-cry]"*
The comment section was filled with verified accounts, many belonging to influencers with tens or hundreds of thousands of followers. The reposts sent the hashtag into an even bigger frenzy. Some accused them of whitewashing, while others began dissecting the video in detail.
Meanwhile, at Chu’s Family Eatery, after closing for the day, Yan, Zhu Jue, Chu Bingbing, and Chu Shen finally sat down for a proper meal (they’d only had a quick fried rice lunch). Right then, Bin University and its Campus Pet Association’s official accounts posted a video in response to the flood of tags.
**[Bin City University V]**: Rumors stop with the wise. Shhh… Come meet the little lives on our campus. [Weibo video]
**[Bin University Campus Pet Association V]**: It all started when our member, Gu Jiasui, noticed Da Ju—our beloved campus cat—was missing. No one expected this would be the beginning of a new story. [Weibo video]
Both videos were identical. As the group at the table clicked play, countless netizens tuned in simultaneously.
The video opened with a shot of a plump yet agile orange tabby cat, darting away as students called out, *"Ju-zi! Ju-zi!"* (Tangerine).
*"This is Ju-zi, aka Da Ju—a legendary figure among Bin University’s campus cats,"* the voiceover explained.
*"One Sunday two weeks ago… we suddenly couldn’t find Ju-zi. The association members mobilized a search party…"*
The video cut to enlarged chat logs—timestamps, blurred names, and photos from the search.
*"They looked from afternoon until curfew, then resumed at 5 AM the next day."*
*"At 6 AM, Student Y found Ju-zi… along with a fresh litter of calico kittens."*
Photos of the five kittens and their mother, Ju-zi, appeared on screen.
*"But they noticed one kitten seemed sick. Before class, they rushed it to the vet—diagnosed with paralysis."*
The veterinary report was displayed, zoomed in for clarity.
*"They took the vet’s advice and sought acupuncture treatment."*
*"Enter X, a Bin University medical student. Born into a family of traditional Chinese medicine practitioners, he’s a nationally certified acupuncturist."*
A blurred traditional medicine license and student ID appeared.
*"And so—"*
*"They began treatment."*
*"They named the kitten Pengpeng."*
Next came a split-screen comparison: left, timestamped office surveillance footage; right, daily recordings by Gu Jiasui.
*"Day 1, Day 2, Day 3 of Pengpeng’s acupuncture…"*
By Day 15, the once-paralyzed kitten visibly reacted. The timeline stretched to the present—Day 20.
*"From complete stiffness to gradual response—15 days of effort. The road ahead may still be long."*
The video clearly showed feedings, massages, acupuncture sessions, and Gu Jiasui’s thrice-daily visits.
*"But we never give up on any life."*
*"Let’s all wait for the day Pengpeng runs across campus."*
*"Our gratitude to every student who cares for our campus pets…"*
The 10-minute video, though edited for time, left no room for doubt.
The comment section underwent a complete reversal:
*"Crying my eyes out rn. I’m so sorry, I was wrong."*
*"Cats: good. People: good. Gu Jiasui: angel. Acupuncturist: saint. Whoever edited that fake video: pure evil."*
*"Gu Jiasui—beautiful inside and out. I checked the surveillance timestamps against Bin University’s class schedule. She squeezed every free moment to care for that kitten. I can’t—"*
With the official videos released, the malicious hashtag finally died down. Buried comments from Bin University students resurfaced:
*"OMG, it was acupuncture all along! Hundreds of us from the Campus Pet Association visited. Whoever leaked that distorted footage—shame on you."*
*"You’ve no idea how much effort went into this. All you see is a lie. She handled that kitten’s waste, massaged it, funded the association’s sterilization projects. If you call this ‘abuse,’ I give up."*
At this moment, the attention of the online spectators finally refocused on the original account that had "exposed the female celebrity for abusing cats."
This was clearly a throwaway account, with only two exposé posts, claiming to champion justice and stating it was deliberately created for this purpose.
A small account with merely a few hundred bot followers suddenly sparked such a massive trending topic—the situation was becoming clear. Now, some amateur detectives stepped in to dig for the truth.
Less than an hour after the "female celebrity cat abuse scandal" turned into a heartwarming moment that could "lighten rigor mortis," a new bombshell dropped.
"Holy crap, I’d blocked this exposure account before. I just checked why… and sure enough, I found it—damn! Back when I posted on my own Weibo about how Lu Jianian’s acting hadn’t improved since childhood, coasting on the same skills for twenty years, this person privately berated me for a month straight..."
"I just realized I’ve got receipts too! My DMs were muted, but I checked now and saw them. I’d just complained once about Lu Jianian’s excessive entourage at the mall, and this person sent me thirty hate messages."
"I once said Gu Jiasui was prettier than her, and got cursed at for a solid month and a half. Unreal."
The digging didn’t stop at the whistleblower. By analyzing the angle of the whistleblower’s secretly taken video, Gu Jiasui’s outfit that day, and cross-referencing office and hallway surveillance footage, the secret photographer was quickly identified.
The filming and even the theft of the surveillance footage were all done by the same person. According to a leak from a dormmate at their university, this individual was practically a delusional fan of Lu Jianian—their dorm room was plastered with Lu Jianian's posters from the bed to the desk.
When people realize they’ve been deceived, used as ammunition, and the truth takes a dramatic turn, some are quick to switch sides.
Netizens dug deeper and wider, with many scrolling through their own comment and DM histories.
"Girls, I just found out I also had interactions with that account—not in DMs, but in comments. At the time, I thought it was weird because I’d commented under Lu Jianian’s post, and the replies sounded like they came from her herself."
When this blogger posted the screenshot as proof, everyone lost it.
Holy sh*t? Was this malicious exposé account, which took things out of context, actually Lu Jianian herself?
Aren’t these two supposed to be sisters? Even though their fandoms have always been at odds, this trending topic was clearly designed to ruin Gu Jiasui—smearing her reputation, getting her expelled.
Soon, people began compiling all the trending searches related to "Gu Jiasui" and "Lu Jianian."
From their early family variety show, to Gu Jiasui’s idol audition, withdrawal from the industry, school controversy, and even last month’s birthday banquet—every single time, Lu Jianian was either on-screen playing the victim or posting subtle, pitiable remarks on Weibo, rallying her fans’ sympathy.
Any time Gu Jiasui had positive news trending, trolls would swarm like hornets, hurling endless mud and slander.
"You don’t feel the pain until the brick hits you."
Netizens pieced together the evidence, unraveling layer after layer, and the more they saw, the more horrifying it became.
"Folks, this is actually terrifying. Why does every post about Gu Jiasui end up mentioning Lu Jianian, always putting her down while propping Lu Jianian up? How can a family favor one daughter so blatantly?"
“Now I finally get why Gu Jiasui joined that idol show back then. Rewatch their family segments—even the nanny looked down on her. It’s like no one cared about her at all. A teenage girl probably just wanted to prove herself.”
"I remember Lu Jianian’s fans used to claim Gu Jiasui was the love child of some ‘concubine,’ brought back to steal the family fortune. Even though they share the same generation name, Gu Jiasui wasn’t even given the Lu surname, so the fandom always hated her."
“Wait, but Gu Jiasui is older, right? If she’s the older sister, how could she be the ‘external room’ child?”
The rumors quickly spiraled into chaos. When Yan saw this, they were utterly baffled.
As the rapidly shifting online discourse devolved into debates about "official wife vs. mistress" and "whether a mistress’s child has inheritance rights," hordes of netizens flooded the official Weibo of Lu Real Estate demanding answers.
Despite the account appearing dormant for two years, the company actually responded under the pressure.
**[Lu Real Estate]**: @Gu Jiasui is the sole biological daughter of Mr. Lu Youwei and Ms. Fang Mingqi of Lu Real Estate.
The moment this post went up, the verified blue checkmark glaringly official, the entire platform exploded.
WHAT? Gu Jiasui is the biological daughter? Then what the hell is Lu Jianian?
Finally, someone from Bin City’s high-society circles couldn’t hold back anymore.
**[Anonymous Socialite]**: I can’t stay silent! I’ve wanted to say this forever—Lu Jianian, an adopted daughter, acts like she outranks the actual heiress. Just because she got the Lu surname, she thinks she’s the real successor?
Riding on eighteen years of raised affection, she’s been bullying the future head of the family this whole time. Karma’s a bitch!
**[Certain Young Master]**: Gu Jiasui is the biological daughter. They held a private banquet when she returned, but kept it quiet for Lu Jianian’s sake. Never thought someone could be this delusional to overstep so hard.
Netizens: !!!
Yan and Zhu Jue, upon seeing the exposed scoop: !!!
Holy crap?! This is such a juicy scandal! The switched-at-birth heiresses are right in front of me?! This is wild!
