Tao Mu was taken home by his Xiao Qi Dad and slept all night curled up in the blankets. When he woke up the next morning, the gossip that he was returned to the orphanage by his adoptive parents for abusing his younger brother when he was five years old had already spread all over the Internet.
Tao Mu also experienced such a thing in his previous life.
At that time, he had been back to the Shen family for more than four years, and the entire entertainment circle knew that he was incompatible with Shen Yu. No matter what movie or TV series Shen Yu made, Tao Mu would either steal Shen Yu's role or find a way to shoot similar movies and TV series with the same release schedule and the same theme, just to snipe Shen Yu.
Tao Mu's acting skills were better than Shen Yu's, but his popularity was not as good as Shen Yu's. In addition, before each film and television drama was released, Tao Mu was always sounded with various scandals, arousing the audience's disgust. Therefore, the end result was often that he not only failed to snipe Shen Yu he also ended up worse off, prompting Shen Yu's fans to ridicule him as "a masochist who actively seeks abuse."
In the previous life, when Yao Wenxiao instructed tabloids to break the gossip that he had been sent back to the orphanage by his adoptive parents for abusing his younger brother, Tao Mu was currently competing with Shen Yu for the ratings championship that year. Both of them filmed idol dramas with the spy war theme set in the Republic of China era, the protagonist being the Gary Stu growth type, with various old actor veterans as supporting characters.
Because Tao Mu's acting skills were better, his scenes with the actor veterans better showed off the ups and downs of the plot and was overall more thrilling. The adrenaline of audiences watching the TV drama also increased sharply, and they followed the drama episode by episode. As a result, by the time the TV series was halfway through, the ratings exceeded 3%.
In contrast, although the TV series starring Shen Yu was also on the pass line in terms of ratings. But because his acting skills were still immature, when acting scenes with the old veteran actors, particularly in conflict scenes, he would be completely suppressed, and the audience would inevitably get second-hand embarrassment. The two TV series were released at the same time, and the ratings starring Shen Yu were naturally not as good as Tao Mu's TV series.
When interviewed by the media, Tao Mu, who was finally able to one-up the other, naturally ridiculed Shen Yu as inferior to him in front of reporters. Verbal provocations such as "Wild ducks are wild ducks, even if the cuckoo occupies the nest it can not become a white swan" undoubtedly angered Shen Yu's admirers. Then the media broke the scandal that Tao Mu was sent back to the orphanage by his adoptive parents for abusing his younger brother. The scandal was first reported by Yao Wenxiao's Yuxiao Media and then other media followed up and forwarded it. There was even a TV station that invited Tao Mu's adoptive parents for a guest interview.
From the day of his debut, Tao Mu had not left a good impression on the audience. Seniors in the industry reprimanded him for acting like a bigshot and deliberately making things difficult for fellow actors (Shen Yu). Actors from the same crews as him also broke the news that he was irritable and difficult to communicate with, looking down on people because of his family background. In addition, Shen Yu's fans continued to expose his various black materials from over the years——for example, used to work in a nightclub, abandoning old friends after his fortunes changed for the better, arrogantly making it difficult for the actors of the same crew, etc. Various scandals continued one after another. Therefore, the audience's perception of him had always been bad.
This time, the media broke the scandal that he was sent back to the orphanage by his adoptive parents for abusing his younger brother. The audience who didn't know the truth just felt that Tao Mu was not a good person as expected. One could tell a person's character from when they were three years old, after all Tao Mu had just returned to his biological parents' house and was able to drive away his adopted brother. So at the age of five, he would abuse his younger brother because of jealousy did not seem inconceivable at all.
No one believed that Tao Mu was wronged. Even if he later found old neighbors in the neighborhood to help him clarify the rumors, no one would believe it. They even slandered those old neighbors and accused them of accepting his bribe money to help him speak out. These people anonymously cursed and scolded the old neighbor who helped him speak out on the Internet. Shen Yu's moronic fans even found and exposed the old neighbor's home address and workplace, running over to the workplace to make trouble. They cursed in public at the person who helped him speak, saying that she threw away conscience in order to collect dirty money and that she would end up with a sticky ending. It angered the old neighbor auntie so much that her high blood pressure acted up, but fortunately she was sent to the hospital in time.
Later, when the situation got big, Tao Mu contacted the media and marketing accounts to condemn the illegal behavior of extreme fans. As a result, Shen Yu stepped out again to hold a press conference, crying with tears and apologizing for his fans. Saying that he was willing to pay for the hospital fees of the old neighbor and was willing to compensate the old neighbor for her losses.
Of course Tao Mu didn't need Shen Yu to make this favor. The situation began with him so he would naturally give an explanation to the neighbour. It was a pity that while the neighbour auntie was a very kind person, her kindness was not paid back. Just because she spoke a word for him, she was splashed with such a big pot of dirty water.
So Tao Mu was not going to clarify anything in this life. As Shen Yu's fans said, he simply had no way to prove that he did not abuse his brother that day. Maybe he deliberately used more strength than he intended when he touched his brother with his fingers, which made him hurt. That was why his adoptive mother beat him so hard.
Those old neighbors all stood outside the house, and no one saw the scene in the house with their own eyes. Since they hadn't seen it with their own eyes, they were not qualified to testify for him.
Even if they saw it with their own eyes, there was no video to prove it, so who could guarantee that what they said was true.
Anyway, Tao Mu was a vicious and jealous person who could not handle others being better off than him. No matter what this kind of person did, it was not surprising at all.
"Xiao Mu, are you okay?" Meng Qi stood at the door of the bedroom and knocked on the door: "I made you a lotus seed and white fungus eight-treasure porridge, and your favorite red bean buns, will you get up and eat some?"
Tao Mu silently got up from the bed, washed up without a word, and then sat at the dinner table.
While drinking porridge, Tao Mu finally remembered why he liked to eat sweets.
Probably because the previous life was too bitter.
"Don't bother with the rumors of those gossip tabloids." Liu Yao was particularly angry: "This group of people is too idle. I tell you, we will never let this matter end like this. Doesn't surnamed Yao just like to spread rumors, addicted to rumors? He has the Sheng'an Group as his backer and is not afraid of being punished, so let's not be courteous either. I will fight him to the end. I'll call Lawyer Zhou, and we will continue to sue him for spreading rumors. Motherf**ker, there's no evidence or proof at all. Just relying on that black-hearted couple's opening and closing of their lips to spew sh*t. Who the hell will believe it!"
"They must have accepted money from surnamed Yao, deliberately making trouble for us. Motherf**ker, don't really anger me. If they piss me off too badly, I will sue them for child abandonment. Make them not only unable to eat meat but also become even worse off."
Meng Qi also echoed next to him: "Yes. Xiao Mu, don't pay attention to these people. Everyone knows what kind of child you are. This kind of slander and rumor is obviously a means of revenge, and no one will believe it. Your fans and any netizens with brains won't believe it. Those who are willing to believe it are idiots or your antis. You don't need to care about such people at all."
Tao Mu was taken aback when he heard these words: "Not many people believe it?"
"Yeah!" Liu Yao didn't even bother to eat breakfast. He went into the bedroom and took out a laptop: "If you don't believe me, look at it yourself. Your Xiao Qi Dad and I kept watch all last night. Netizens who believe this kind of rumors are really not that many."
Only then did Tao Mu notice that Liu Yao and Meng Qi's eyes were red and bloodshot. With just a glance, he knew they stayed up all night.
"You.....didn't sleep at all last night?"
"Did you forget that your dad runs a nightclub? Sleep what sleep?" Liu Yao's demeanor appeared strong, but in fact he was indeed feeling a bit tired. He huffed and said: "As long as you don't hide in the bed and cry pathetically, then that's better than anything. It's no big deal, I will take a nap with your Xiao Qi Dad later. Sleeping during the day is more pleasant anyway."
Tao Mu lowered his head, blinked his hot eyes vigorously, and served a bowl of porridge respectively for Yao Dad and Xiao Qi Dad, and said lowly, "I didn't cry."
Liu Yao snorted and did not expose the lie of their little boy. Meng Qi smiled while drinking porridge: "It's okay to go online more. See what your fans and friends say. Everyone believes in your character. They will definitely not let their imaginations run wild just because of some unfounded remarks. As for people who question you because of others' biased words, you don't really need to care about this kind of person."
Tao Mu didn't say a word. He lowered his head and browsed FlyNews and found that there were really many people who helped him speak out.
"I'm fainted. Why are they doing this again. Last time they said Tao Mu was ruthless and ungrateful. Last last time they said Tao Mu sold himself in a nightclub. This time, they even spread such ridiculous rumors as CEO Tao abusing his adoptive parents' son when he was just five years old. What's next? CEO Tao punching and kicking his biological mother when he was still an embryo?"
"A five-year-old child abusing his one-year-old brother or something. Can I ask what the abuse even entailed?"
"Didn't the reporter say it? He poked his face with his finger. Poking his younger brother to tears."
"So it's not that I'm ruthless and unreasonable! If CEO Tao blinded his adoptive brother with a finger, then I would believe the news to be true. But damn, a five-year-old kid touching his brother's face with his finger is now considered abuse? I used to grab food from my brother when I was a child, and my mother could barely separate us as we fought at every turn. Then what are we? Attempted murderer?"
"Am I the only one who noticed that the media broke the news that CEO Tao's adoptive parents sent him back to the orphanage just because they suspected that CEO Tao had abused his younger brother? Are there any netizens who know the law, please explain to us law dummies, is this a crime of abandonment?"
"Want to know +1"
"Want to know +2"
"Can you Tao Mu fans stop kneeling and licking your idol like morons? Did Tao Mu give you money or sleep with your person, why do you protect him one by one? Why don't you believe that the adoptive parents are telling the truth? In any case, they were also the people who raised Tao Mu for five years. People's hearts are made of flesh and blood. If there is no reason, which parent can be so cruel to send a child who has been raised by them for five years to the orphanage?"
"I also think the words of the adoptive parents are believable. Tao Mu's face is particularly fierce. In terms of physiognomy, this kind of face belongs to a typical mean, ungrateful and cold-hearted person. Moreover, Tao Mu's adoptive parents also said that Tao Mu became particularly gloomy and scary after the pregnancy was confirmed. I think that as a parent, being worried that the adopted son will be detrimental to their own son is understandable and sending the scheming adopted son away for the sake of their own son is excusable, right?"
"Fuck that! You can tell from a five-year-old child whether he is scheming or mean or ungrateful? And physiognomy. Oh, please. Why don't you say that you can palm read and say that Tao Mu will bring misfortune to his adoptive parents and younger brother and therefore his adoptive parents sent him back to the orphanage?"
"Compared to Tao Mu's fans, I think Tao Mu's antis are the ones disgusting, right? Who can even think of a five-year-old in such a bad light?"
"I think Tao Mu is already miserable enough? He was abandoned by his biological parents when he was born, and then abandoned by his adoptive parents when he was five years old. He grew up alone in an orphanage for so many years. Yet he can create such a big successful career at such a young age. He is practically a self-made inspirational model, okay? Don't you think that our Mu actually picked up the hero's script?"
"Haha, Tao Mu fans' filters are really deep. It's obvious that your Mu have been scheming and shrewd since childhood. An orphan, not relying on parents and family, actually managed to create FlyNews from scratch. And he can even go up against Yao Wenxiao who has the Sheng'an Group as his backing. Just because he seized the weakness of others discrediting him, he acquired dozens of newspapers and magazines outlets without spending a penny, and forced the Sheng'an Group to pay 150 million out of court settlement fees. In the end, he even sent Yao Wenxiao to the detention center for a fifteen days stay. These things suffice to show that your Tao Mu was not a white lotus since he was a child, okay? Then him abusing his adoptive parents' son out of jealousy or with intentions to seize resources is also reasonable, right?
"So what if he's not a white lotus? Did he eat your family's rice? I can personally prove that even if our Mu Mu is not a white lotus, he is a good person full of justice. If Tao Mu hadn't saved my life, I might have been abducted into the mountains by traffickers and face torture and abuse, and no longer having the opportunity to argue with you on the Internet. So I am especially fortunate that when I was in danger, I ran into Tao Mu who is not a white lotus....."
Tao Mu was taken aback and clicked on the photo of this netizen. He was stunned to discover that it was the girl Yun Duo who had personally joined the online debate, telling all the netizens online that she went to H Town to play, was tricked into the MLM den by bad guys, and was almost sold into the mountains by human traffickers. Fortunately, Tao Mu led the police to find them at a critical moment.
Yun Duo's narration reminded forgetful netizens of a sensational case half a year ago. Someone suddenly realized——
"It turns out that in the case back then, Tao Mu was the one who came forth bravely and helped the police. God, this world is too small. I don't even know that my idol has done such a courageous thing."
"I remember that there were a lot of people who fell into the MLM den at the time? The police also caught a human trafficking gang because of this. It was a big sensation. Did Tao Mu help the police catch the bad guys?"
"But this girl is quite daring. Generally, girls who encounter such things would want nothing more than to cover it up, afraid of suffering secondary victimization. Little girl, you must protect your information. Delete this comment. Don't let more people know about you. There are too many vicious people these days. I'm really afraid of you being hurt."
"Agreed +1. Delete this information quickly."
"Even if you don't delete it, make sure to protect your privacy."
"Tao Mu has done more than this. I'm a group extra in H Town and I specialize in acting as a body double. I know a friend named Gou Rixin, who is also a martial arts extra from H Town. Basically, those who have been in H Town for a long time know this person. Just in September this year, Gou Rixin had a wire accident. At that time.....Later, it was Tao Mu who asked for leave from school and flew over to help catch the adulterer and the adulteress. He also took Gou Rixin to Beijing to see the best doctors....."
"I am Gou Rixin. I can prove that what the previous netizen said is true. With photos 1, 2 and 3, I am now undergoing rehabilitation at the First People's Hospital of Beijing City. The operation was particularly successful. The doctor said I will have a full recovery in two months. I am especially grateful to Tao Mu. Without him, I would not be where I am now."
"I am also a group extra in H Town. Tao Mu was no longer here when I came to H Town. I have never seen him. But I feel that even though Tao Mu only stayed in H Town for two short months, that he could do two good things, this person must be a really good person normally as well."
"Brother Tao Mu is very nice. He grew up in an orphanage, and he worked part-time to earn tuition and living expenses by himself. He also sent back money to the orphanage every month. Brother Tao Mu often brought us good food. He is really a good person. I forbid you to say bad things about him."
"The way I feel about it. If a person can do good for more than ten years, it is actually quite a difficult task. Us keyboard warriors on the Internet speak very lightly, but it's best not to hurt a good person. Just based on Tao Mu having done so many good things for so many years, so what if he really poked his brother so hard it made him cry when he was five years old? Who did not come from years as a child, who did not do one or two obnoxious things when he was a child? You can't give someone life imprisonment just because he poked his brother when he was five years old?"
"Yes. Upstairs +1"
"Upstairs +2"
"I think what upstairs said is particularly true."
Tao Mu read every comment. He discovered that there were indeed netizens who were maliciously speculating about him. But there were also more netizens, or his friends, who were willing to stand forward and help him speak out. There were also fans who have never known him but have always believed in him.
Although Tao Mu didn't know why in the same case, the reaction of netizens in this life was so different from that of the previous life. But Tao Mu really felt that he hadn't lived this life in vain.
It was really lucky to be able to be reborn again and meet so many such good people.
Tao Mu stared fixatedly at the computer screen. Suddenly, his cell phone rang.
Meng Qi didn't wait for Tao Mu to react, he stood up and went to Tao Mu's bedroom and then handed the mobile phone to Tao Mu after returning.
The call was made by Guo Yaning, a leading actress in the entertainment circle. When Tao Mu answered the call, he heard Guo Yaning's brisk voice on the other end of the receiver: "Hey, I say, big and busy boss Mr. Tao, my new album will be released next year on Valentine's Day. When will your venerable self be able to take time out and help me shoot the MV?"
"I have been waiting for so long that the dishes have already gone cold?"
Tao Mu smiled upon hearing this, and said warmly, "Sister Guo, thank you."
On the other end of the call, Guo Yaning hooked up the corner of her mouth and said with playful disgust: "Can you call me Sister Ya Ning? When you call me Sister Guo, why do I have the feeling that I am one of the neighborhood committee aunties?"