The rubberneckers flooded into Tang Qi’s Weibo in a swarm, eager to see what else she could say.
Some didn’t even bother to look before spouting nonsense, declaring that if Tang Qi really had only given Eldest Uncle Tang’s family thirty-six thousand, they would curse her every single day until she left the Entertainment Circle.
Others said that even if Tang Qi gave three million or thirty million, it wouldn’t be too much. Because care and concern were priceless; without Eldest Uncle Tang’s family, Tang Qi wouldn’t have her success today.
This time, Tang Qi’s Weibo post was still just a single picture, with the caption: “My parents died in a car accident. They left behind sixty thousand in insurance money and a house.”
The picture was a photo of the insurance policy and the property deed.
In an instant, the previous cursing vanished. It was like ducks being choked by the neck, each one stretching their necks out, unable to make a sound.
Tang Qi’s response was simple and clear. Her parents had left an inheritance. Eldest Uncle Tang, as her guardian, must have taken that money to raise Tang Qi.
Tang Ju stared in terror at the insurance policy and property deed in the photo. He tremblingly asked Eldest Uncle Tang, “Dad, didn’t you say she didn’t have these things?”
“How could she have pictures of these? I hid them so carefully! What do we do now?” Aunt Tang was also dumbfounded. She sat on the floor, slapping her thighs and starting to wail.
Tang Qi’s fans immediately became energized: “I told you Tang Tang isn’t that kind of person! That Eldest Uncle Tang said he raised Tang Tang, and to do that he didn’t send his own kids to school! And now? Her parents left money! If you do the math, Eldest Uncle Tang actually made a profit!”
But some still held opposing views: “Do you know how much it costs to raise a child? Food, drink, and everything else, not just going to school and having a bite to eat. How could sixty thousand be enough?”
“The other side raised Tang Qi, Tang Qi must repay this kindness. She’s repaying kindness with enmity.”
“Over a decade ago, sixty thousand and a house wasn’t enough to raise a student? Eldest Uncle Tang is clearly lying.”
Some questioned the photo’s authenticity. Experts quickly explained that property deeds and insurance policies have official seals; forging them is illegal. A celebrity like Tang Qi wouldn’t do such a thing.
Both Tang Qi’s fans and her staff knew that even though she had presented evidence, the impact had already been made. The blow to her was still devastating. It was just that this evidence could reduce some of the criticism.
The previously one-sided situation began to shift slightly. Seeing many people starting to defend Tang Qi, Li Chengyu gritted his teeth and spent all his savings to hire an Internet water army.
The water army steered the topic, downplaying the fact that Tang Qi’s parents had left an inheritance. They kept saying that the grace of raising someone is greater than heaven, and that she should be filial to her uncle’s family.
Just when everyone thought this was the conclusion, Tang Qi posted another picture. This time it was a stitched long image, rich with text and illustrations, explaining everything clearly and distinctly.
She detailed the original host’s childhood experiences. Her maternal aunt had originally wanted to raise her, but Eldest Uncle Tang forcibly seized guardianship. Apart from basic school fees, she couldn’t even get enough food. At school during lunch, she spent it with an empty stomach, enduring hunger.
When she got home, she ate leftovers, did housework, and slept in the bathroom. If it weren’t for her consistently excellent grades—Eldest Uncle Tang feared gossip—she would have been sent out to work in her early teens.
At this point in the text, the picture included handwritten testimony from her homeroom teachers from elementary, middle, and high school. Each one bore the teacher’s signature and fingerprint.
In college, Eldest Uncle Tang forced her to send two thousand yuan home every month. She had to work herself to the bone, even fainting once at the restaurant where she worked.
Below this was her bank transaction history. During her freshman year, she had indeed been sending money to a specific account every month—two thousand yuan each time. And this account was indeed under Eldest Uncle Tang’s name.
Tang Qi collected testimony from all her former bosses at every place she had worked.
At the very bottom of the image, she stated that she had originally just wanted to live her life without any further contact, but she never imagined Eldest Uncle Tang would press her step by step. Now, she was going to sue to reclaim her parents’ inheritance. She would also pursue them for damage to her reputation. She had already reported it to the police for case filing; all the evidence she had posted had been handed over to the police.
Finally, there was a receipt for the case filing application.
The image ended there. The text across the entire picture was plain and straightforward, without even a trace of emotional appeal. Yet everyone could see within it the desperate struggle for survival of a child who had lost her parents.
The case filing was active and could be verified on the official website. No one dared to question the truthfulness of Tang Qi’s words. Compared to the crying and shouting of Eldest Uncle Tang’s family, Tang Qi’s evidence was far more effective.
Internet users calculated that, based on what Tang Qi said, her total expenses in Eldest Uncle Tang’s house were likely less than ten thousand. Eldest Uncle Tang effectively gained fifty thousand yuan and a house, all while working Tang Qi like a beast of burden.
Fans cried as they read. When they reached the part about Tang Qi having to sleep in the bathroom, they wished they could drag out Eldest Uncle Tang’s family and hack them to pieces. Many people typed through their tears: “Even a landlord in the old society wouldn’t torment someone like this.”
“They never treated Tang Qi as a person.”
“No wonder Tang Tang doesn’t want this family. I want to kill them myself.”
Some quietly deleted their curses against Tang Qi. Others went to apologize to her.
Of course, there were also those who refused to admit they were wrong. Stubborn to the end, they asked why she hadn’t said this at the start, why wait until now to explain.
They also questioned whether Tang Qi was just using this incident for hype.
Brother Hu, the boss of the restaurant where she used to work, directly posted a video online. He stated he was willing to testify for Tang Qi. Back then, Tang Qi didn’t even eat the staff meal, so hungry she would feel dizzy and see stars. She worked desperately for her tuition fees.
He also released photos of Tang Qi working at that time. In the photos, Tang Qi was thin and frail, her eyes dull and lifeless. She wore clothes stained with grease, looking like a speck of dust in the corner, her entire being etched with suppression and hardship.
Brother Hu also said that he had wanted to step forward from the very beginning of this incident, but Tang Qi had said she wanted to give Eldest Uncle Tang a chance. And after Tang Qi became popular, she didn’t become distant from them. When an employee’s family previously had difficulties, Tang Qi had also donated money.
Someone who still held kindness in their heart for former colleagues—how could she be a White-Eyed Wolf?
The people who had been cursing Tang Qi online were instantly left speechless. The reversal of events came so abruptly that it even slapped their faces swollen.
At this point, a true reversal had occurred.
It was then that those who had been eating their melons rationally jumped out: “Don’t you think Eldest Uncle Tang’s family is just being completely unreasonable? They claim they don’t want money, just to see Tang Qi, but step by step they’ve been pushing Tang Qi to a dead end. I said it before their family seems like ‘seasoned green tea b#tch’ and got chased down three blocks with curses.”
“I think their family just wants money.”
“An employee at Eldest Uncle Tang’s hotel said, one day they overheard them asking for one hundred million. I swear this is true; if I’m lying, may lightning strike me.”
Now the internet users understood. They had been used as knives, manipulated to pressure Tang Qi so they could go demand money.
They thought they were justice, but ended up as executioners.
Tang Qi’s fourth Weibo post was also sent out at this moment. It contained only one sentence: “Please remain calm, and wait for justice’s judgment. The internet is not a lawless place. Reject all forms of condemnation.”
But her words didn’t have much effect. Countless people rushed to Eldest Uncle Tang’s Weibo to scold him furiously. Others went to their hotel to block them.
This era never lacks people who believe themselves righteous.
Even more people lined up to apologize under Tang Qi’s Weibo, row after row. There was even a Trending Search: “Apologize to Tang Qi.”
Eldest Uncle Tang was stunned, collapsed on the sofa. “How could she have the insurance policy and property deed? I clearly burned them.” Without the policy and deed, none of what Tang Qi said afterward would have been as effective.
Tang Ju was also dumbfounded. They and Li Chengyu had spent a large sum buying off their fellow villagers back home. But they never imagined Tang Qi would find her former teachers and former bosses: “In just these few days, how did she get hold of all this stuff?”
Aunt Tang looked at the two terrified men: “Then… can we still get the money?”
“All you think about is money! If you had treated her a little better back then, would she be showing no mercy now?” Eldest Uncle Tang seemed to find an outlet, directing a furious tirade at Aunt Tang.
Aunt Tang was not about to be outdone. The two of them quickly started fighting.
The System livestreamed their chaotic pandemonium to Tang Qi. Tang Qi had no interest, and even less time, to watch this. At this moment, she was sitting beside Luo Xue, who was silently weeping.
Tang Qi was amused but also felt a slight twinge of heartache. She reached out to wipe her tears: “This is all years ago.” She didn’t understand why Luo Xue could cry so much. It truly justified the saying: women are made of water.
A teardrop from Luo Xue fell onto the back of her hand. The scalding temperature made Tang Qi instantly pull her hand back, her heart involuntarily trembling.
“Stop crying. I’m fine, aren’t I?” She paused, then took a piece of candy from her pocket, coaxing her like a little child: “Have a candy and stop crying, okay?”
The System jeered: “Kiss her, and she’ll definitely stop crying.” As soon as it finished, it was sent to solitary confinement.
“Why… didn’t you tell me before?” Luo Xue’s heart ached fiercely. Just thinking about how hard Tang Qi had worked during their freshman year, while she had spent so much money on that bastard Li Chengyu, filled her with unbearable sorrow.
Each time she thought about it, she hated herself a little more. Hated herself for not helping Tang Qi sooner.
“I was stubborn. I was headstrong.” Tang Qi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “It’s my fault. My pride was too strong. I should have told you earlier.”
Luo Xue wiped her face haphazardly several times: “It’s not your fault! It’s mine for not noticing you sooner…”
Tang Qi chuckled softly: “You’ve turned yourself into a little tabby cat.” She switched to a wet wipe to clean her face.
“When did you gather your evidence?” Luo Xue asked between sniffles. Tang Qi’s wiping motion didn’t stop. She said softly, “I thought about this day the moment I debuted. The evidence was slowly collected over these past two years. If they hadn’t come looking for me, I wouldn’t have released it. But since they came looking for me… then they have to spit it all out.”
Even if she was merely a Tool Character before, after witnessing so many worlds, she had at least this much foresight.
Luo Xue bit her lip. Tang Qi seemed to see right through her thoughts: “I was going to tell you. I was just afraid you’d cry. Oh… my little ancestor, please don’t cry.”
At this, Luo Xue looked like she was about to cry again. Tang Qi got a headache. Sure enough, having a close friend was also troublesome. Usually protecting and keeping watch, and now having to fear her tears.
For some reason, watching Luo Xue cry made her feel particularly terrible.
Knock, knock, knock. A knocking sound came from the door. Tang Qi stood up as if escaping: “I’ll go open the door.” Luo Xue wiped her face. Tang Qi, thinking it was her assistant, opened the door directly: “Is there something from the company?”
She hadn’t expected to see Shao Xin outside. Shao Xin was holding a plate of pastries. Seeing the door open, her face held a smile completely free of resentment: “Senior Sister, I came to see you.”
