Chapter Eight: I Plagiarized?

The agent unlocked her phone and played the video circulating online for Lin Xinrou. The video's popularity was rising rapidly, even threatening to surpass the momentum of her debut performance of "Unrequited Love."

"The person who made this video must be from our industry. You can tell their musical foundation is solid—they analyzed your timing errors from every angle," the agent explained helplessly.

Now, it was nearly impossible to salvage the situation. Lin Xinrou's concert blunder had become an indisputable fact.

The comments below the video were mixed—some supported Lin Xinrou, others criticized her.

"So what if she missed a beat? Lin is human, not a goddess. Everyone makes mistakes. Does a slip-up mean Lin isn't talented?"

"Exactly! Even King Zhou and Queen Yu turned their mistakes into classics. Does that mean they're not skilled?"

"Mistakes aren't scary—awkwardness comes from panic!"

"King Zhou and Queen Yu made classics out of their errors. What about your so-called goddess Lin? Did she turn her mistake into a classic, or just pass the blame? It's obviously her fault, but she pushed it onto the backstage staff. That's a matter of character!"

In the entertainment world, a singer might lack ability, but poor character is unforgivable.

Lin Xinrou's mistake was originally a matter of skill, but after she shifted the blame to backstage staff, it became a question of character.

She hadn't cared much at first—after all, she was the leading act of Heart Trace Entertainment. It was natural her mishap would be amplified.

Besides her fans, many rival companies were watching her closely, eager for an opportunity.

But when she saw the ID of the person who posted the video, her expression darkened instantly.

That ID—she would never forget it in her lifetime.

"Love Rises with the Wind," Chen Nian's Weibo account.

"What does the company say?" Forcing herself to calm down, Lin Xinrou asked coldly.

"We're trying to contact the person who posted the video, but so far he hasn't responded."

"Don't bother. He won't take down the video."

"Then we'll have to implement the second plan—find someone to take the blame." The agent glanced at Lin Xinrou. "Don't worry, you're Heart Trace's top artist. We won't abandon you."

"But who will they find to take the fall?" Lin Xinrou asked.

"The company is discussing it. There should be an answer soon."

Just then, Ai Ting pushed the door open, her face crestfallen. "Xinrou, the company just notified me—I lost my bet with Luo Xiaoyi, so all of today's resources go to her."

Lin Xinrou and her agent exchanged glances, then turned their eyes to the newcomer Ai Ting.

After some deliberation between Lin Xinrou and the company, the blame was ultimately placed on this rookie singer.

Half an hour later, with the concert just concluded, Ai Ting sat before her computer.

"Brother Wei, Xinrou, if I admit the mistake was mine, will my popularity actually increase?" Ai Ting blinked, her confusion evident.

Lin Xinrou smiled gently, stroking Ai Ting's hair.

"That's right. As long as you admit your mistake sincerely and come across as an innocent little bunny, the fans won't blame you—in fact, they'll like you even more."

"Okay, I trust you, Xinrou!" Ai Ting's innocent smile returned, hope filling her heart once again.

Soon, the hashtag "Ai Ting Live Apology" shot up the trending charts.

Chen Nian sat at his computer, smiling as he saw the trending topic.

"Heh, our goddess Lin really knows how to avoid responsibility. Even with the evidence right in her face, she can still pass the blame."

"Hello, fans and friends. I want to sincerely apologize to everyone," Ai Ting sobbed in her live broadcast.

With her name trending, the broadcast's popularity was high—within moments, over thirty thousand viewers tuned in, and the number kept rising.

"Because of my mistake, I brought unnecessary trouble to everyone," Ai Ting said, calming herself to explain.

"But wait, what does this have to do with you? Wasn't it Lin Xinrou who messed up?"

"Is this some kind of hazing by entertainment industry seniors?"

"Come on, Lin Xinrou must have paid you to take the blame, right?"

Outrage swept the comments. Everyone felt Ai Ting, a newcomer, was being exploited by Lin Xinrou.

Especially when Ai Ting declared, "It's all my fault—it was my mistake," the audience's emotions reached a fever pitch.

"Really, it was because of me that Xinrou made a mistake," Ai Ting continued.

"'Unrequited Love'—Xinrou handled the first half, I was responsible for the second."

"But it was my first collaboration with Xinrou, and I was so nervous I forgot all my lyrics. To help me, Xinrou suggested we swap lyrics."

"You probably noticed—the second half of 'Unrequited Love' is much harder than the first. That's why Xinrou slipped up."

With Ai Ting's rambling explanation, Lin Xinrou, who had been cornered, suddenly found herself rescued.

"So, Lin made a mistake to help you?"

"As expected, our goddess Lin is beautiful and kind-hearted."

"But Lin Xinrou's mistake is a fact, and she did shift the blame to the staff, right? How do you explain that?"

"Exactly, Lin Xinrou messed up and passed the blame. How do you explain that?"

The netizens seized on the key issue, furiously typing and attacking their former idol.

"You've misunderstood. Xinrou blamed the backstage staff for my sake. She was afraid I'd feel guilty, so she temporarily shifted the fault to them to keep the concert going."

"In fact, she planned to go live and apologize right after the show, but someone with ulterior motives exposed her mistake first."

With Ai Ting's words, the comment section did a complete turnaround.

"I always knew Lin was beautiful and kind-hearted—she had her reasons!"

"You idiots just accused her of bullying a newcomer. She was clearly protecting her!"

"But with Lin's skill level, she shouldn't make mistakes, right?" someone questioned in the comments.

"That's true," Ai Ting nodded. "Normally, Xinrou wouldn't mess up, but do you know why she did?"

"Why?"

Curiosity filled the live chat.

Seeing the moment was ripe, Ai Ting sighed. "Everyone's heard the hit 'Sunny Days,' right?"

"Actually, that song was plagiarized from Xinrou!"

Her words detonated like a bomb, stirring an uproar.

Chen Nian, watching the livestream, pointed to himself, bewildered.

"I plagiarized?"

Well... maybe that's not wrong after all...