Part 2
What?! Bai Sinian’s internal self was on the verge of tears. No matter how much he tried to explain, Bian Rui would never believe he was straight now, right? Ugh…
Bai Sinian nodded in despair.
“Alright, don’t worry.” Before leaving, Bian Rui turned back with a meaningful glance. “Liking a straight guy probably won’t end well.”
I know that already!
But I’m straight too! Ugh, even jumping into the Yellow River wouldn’t clear this up. Bai Sinian thought sadly.
Bian Rui could sense the awkwardness of someone having their secret exposed, so he quickly left Bai Sinian’s house, giving him space to digest the situation.
Bai Sinian collapsed onto the bed, lying in a starfish position, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Bian Rui didn’t seem like the type to judge others, but why did it still feel so painful? His chest felt tight. When others had mistaken him for being gay, it didn’t bother him as long as Bian Rui believed he wasn’t.
But now, he realized that the person whose opinion he cared about most was Bian Rui’s.
Even though Bian Rui said he would keep the secret and was unlikely to view him negatively, Bai Sinian still desperately wanted to explain. But how could he explain?
After Bian Rui left, Bai Sinian felt increasingly upset.
His feelings for the group were rooted in admiration, a fan’s love for their idols. It was mixed with the joy of seeing his “babies” grow, like a proud father. It was such a complex emotion, how could it have been misunderstood as being gay?!
Bai Sinian had no words to express his frustration.
He turned over in bed. After much thought, he decided to stop dwelling on it.
Rather than overthinking, it was better to live his life step by step and prove with his actions that he was straight!
As soon as he got to college, he’d find a girlfriend, and that would put all the rumors to rest!
That evening, Bai Sinian was scrolling through his phone, trying to kill time.
A few messages popped up in the group chat. He immediately opened it and saw that Cui Yeyi and Shen Bei had sent videos of themselves playing their instruments, accompanied by separate audio files.
Soon after, Fan Hongyi sent his as well.
Yes! Time to get to work!
Bai Sinian stayed up all night editing and stitching the videos together, adding subtitles, and finally producing a one-minute video.
The video featured clips that matched the lyrics, including viral footage of animal abuse, making it clear that their intent with this rap was to oppose the killing of stray animals.
At 4 a.m., Bai Sinian sent the edited video to their “Dazzling Star No Bibi” group chat, then collapsed into bed.
He’d wait for the group’s feedback, make any necessary changes, and then post it using the “Dazzling Star” account.
Bai Sinian slept deeply, not waking until noon.
His parents had already left for work. He ordered takeout, and while waiting, he checked his phone. The group chat was full of praise, except for Bian Rui, who hadn’t said anything. The others all thought the video was edited brilliantly.
Bai Sinian, having more experience than your average high school student, was also more sensitive to public opinion. He carefully considered each lyric, making sure there was nothing that could be easily misinterpreted or used against them.
After confirming it was all good, he posted the video on the “Dazzling Star” account.
Barely had he finished his takeout when his phone started buzzing nonstop.
**[Tears Cut Through My Artery]:** *Damn, why are there so many dogs on the internet!*
**[I Only Reply Randomly]:** *Maybe we should delete the video…*
**[Xiao Bei°]:** *Sinian-ge, are you okay? @ModelCryingForMe*
**[Tears Cut Through My Artery]:** *Delete what? No way, I’ll curse them back one by one!*
Bai Sinian’s hand shook, almost dropping his phone. He quickly exited the group chat and opened the video app.
He hadn’t expected that in less than half an hour, the video had already gained over ten thousand views, with more than four hundred comments. Half of the people supported their cause, while the other half were cursing them.
Some accused them of riding the hype, while others claimed they didn’t understand the issue and were blindly supporting it. Clearly, these people were siding with the animal abuser.
Bai Sinian was stunned. A decade later, even though there still wasn’t an animal protection law, public awareness had evolved to the point where almost everyone opposed animal cruelty. He hadn’t expected that, ten years ago, there were still people openly supporting it!
Fuming, Bai Sinian took several deep breaths. The insults were vile, even reaching the level of personal attacks.
So this was what online harassment felt like?
Bai Sinian felt like he might die of rage if he continued reading those comments.
The internet exposed many people’s ignorance, and even their cruelty.
Just then, the video was further boosted and shot up to the top three trending topics.
More notifications flooded in, with countless netizens sending private messages. Some were supportive, but many were hurling insults. He tried to block out the noise, but the words felt like needles, piercing his heart and suffocating him.
Bai Sinian turned off his phone and threw it aside.
The phone was still vibrating continuously. Someone was calling him, but Bai Sinian didn’t want to respond. He could only take a deep breath and adjust his state of mind.
In theory, there was nothing wrong with the video in terms of expressing its values.
The only issue was that it conflicted with the views of many cat abusers. These abusers only dared to speak from behind the anonymity of the internet, like rats hiding in the sewer.
At that moment, the doorbell rang.
Dragging his exhausted body, Bai Sinian went to open the door. Standing outside was none other than Bian Rui.
“Bian Rui? Why are you here?” Bai Sinian was still slightly out of breath.
When people are under too much pressure, they tend to breathe heavily without realizing it. Bian Rui noticed Bai Sinian’s condition wasn’t right and squeezed himself inside, asking, “Did you see the comments online?”
“Yeah.”
“Where’s your phone? Give it to me. I’ll delete the comments.”
This was a heavy task. Bai Sinian knew it and waved his hand. “Wait. Let’s think of a better solution.”
Sitting on the sofa with his phone, Bai Sinian handed it over, and Bian Rui sat down beside him.
With Bian Rui by his side, Bai Sinian suddenly felt much less agitated, and his thoughts became clearer.
“We can pick a few of the most liked offensive comments, screenshot them, capture the user IDs, and send them to a lawyer. A lawyer’s letter should scare them off a bit,” Bai Sinian calmly suggested.
Bian Rui squinted slightly at Bai Sinian, surprised that he had thought of this solution. He had assumed Bai Sinian was too upset to think clearly.
Although his emotions did seem low, it was impressive that he could still come up with such a proper course of action at a time like this.
Even many professional PR teams might not think of this.
“Give me your phone. I’ll take the screenshots. Then we’ll head to the police station to file a report,” Bian Rui, always calm, said.
The comment section was full of insults aimed at the entire “Dazzling Star” group, and Cui Yeyi and the others were already losing their minds. Several anonymous accounts were engaging in back-and-forth arguments with other users.
Bian Rui lowered his head, scrolling through the comments, taking screenshots, and preserving the evidence.
Bai Sinian poured him a glass of water. Looking at the calm and composed boy sitting on the sofa, Bai Sinian felt a sense of peace. Despite being only seventeen, still a minor, Bian Rui was handling the situation with such composure.
What a blessing it was to be a fan of someone so emotionally stable.
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