Su Ruowan was inconsolable. Swollen in the eyes, she gazed at Li Jingran and Su Mushi in guilt, distress, and self-reproach. Her voice was hoarse. "Mushi, Mom, I'm sorry. I embarrassed the Su family."
She never imagined things to wind up this way. She dreamed of a bright future and a positive outlook. Was the future crumbling down on her because of one slip-up?
No!
No way Jose!
She must rise and not give up! No one could beat her down!
Li Jingran did not have the heart to tell her daughter off after witnessing the latter dwelling in sadness. Li Jingran sighed. "Why didn't you come to me beforehand?"
"Muyan said everything will be okay." Su Ruowan pushed the blame to Su Muyan, bringing him down with her.
She could not let herself be the only one to be blamed for this. Su Ruowan would not have landed in hot water had Su Muyan done things right the first time.
The color drained from Li Jingran's face. "Your brother told you to do so?"
"No, don't misunderstand, Mom." Su Ruowan shook her head. "It was me. Don't fault Muyan. It was my fault. Muyan was only trying to help but didn't think this would happen. I've failed you."
Standing in a corner, Su Mushi was lost in his own world. Not only did Su Muyan procure songs and lyrics to build his image as a gifted musician, but he also dragged Wanwan into the mire.
This matter was more than met the eye.
Perhaps he should use this fact to his advantage so Su Muyan had a taste of what it was like to be forsaken by their father!
"You two should have thought it through beforehand." Words were futile at this point. Li Jingran had no choice but to clean up after the siblings.
Prior to her arrival, her husband had received the news and began pulling strings with the media to stop the plagiarism scandal from getting out. Surely, they could reduce the damage to a minimum.
In a way, plagiarism was not that big of a deal in showbiz and the music scene.
During the early days, there were certain TV shows, movies, and songs that were a hit in China, prompting its actors and singers to rise to fame. With the coming of the internet age, it was found out decades later that these were not original creations. However, the discovery was made light due to childhood nostalgia and the passing of time, enabling many to sweep the scandal under the carpet and move on.
The situation now was different, of course. Wanwan was caught red-handed on her first main stage performance before she even made her debut. This minor difference resulted in a catastrophic outcome.
"I'm sorry, Mom." This was the only thing Su Ruowan could say. Teary-eyed, she turned to Li Jingran. "What should I do? I don't want to give up."
"You should lay low for now." Li Jingran's hands were tied. "I'll think of something when this whole thing subsides."
With the matter blown out of proportion, there was no hope for Wanwan to debut. She originally stood a chance to come out on top.
It cast a shadow over Su Ruowan. She cried in distraught, "Mom, I don't want to quit."
She refused to drop out of the competition. No matter how bad the situation was, she would never withdraw from the competition. To quit was to retreat, and it would make her a laughingstock.
"Mom, Wanwan is right. She can't quit now," Su Mushi jumped in. "This is what Shen Xi wants – for Wanwan to drop out of the competition. She must be mocking and laughing at us in front of the TV screen."
Li Jingran never wanted to hear the name, Shen Xi. The thought of her made Li Jingran shake in rage. "Is she really that close with Mr. Xixi?"
"Mom, don't you get it? Out of all the times Mr. Xixi could've shown up, he chose to appear at Wanwan's premiere. It's clear as day what he's up to." Su Mushi changed the topic. "It's not that I suspect Muyan, but we should look into the person who produced the song and choreography. I believe they must be in it together!"
The way Su Mushi was putting it, the plot had now become a deliberate scheme masterminded by Shen Xi.
Su Ruowan gazed pleadingly at Li Jingran as she waited for an answer. She refused to quit! She had a wide fanbase and many of them had only come to know her, even if her popularity was slipping, there was still hope for her to debut.
She had put in a lot of effort and was about to reap the fruits of her labor. Su Ruowan refused to back down just yet!
"I need to discuss this at length with your father." Having made up her mind, Li Jingran glanced at the pair. "Remember, don't bring up Shen Xi to your dad."
Well, Shen Xi had to get past her first before that wicked brat could make a fool out of their family. Shen Xi was only jealous that Wanwan joined the competition and became the nation's favorite.
That wicked brat was only resentful that her husband did not let her join the show. Shen Xi had another thing coming to try and crush them this way!
As long as Li Jingran was around, she would not let Shen Xi succeed with her plan. If getting Wanwan to quit was what Shen Xi was after, Li Jingran was not going to let that happen. Li Jingran would show Shen Xi that no number of dirty tricks could stop Wanwan from debuting and making it big in showbiz.
She wanted Shen Xi to regret not coming back to the Su family and pay the price for her arrogance!
News about Su Ruowan's plagiarism intensified online, but oddly, Tianheng Entertainment, the management company owned by the Su family which managed Su Ruowan, took no action in controlling the public comments. The ungoverned comments section only put Su Ruowan at a disadvantage.
Many assumed that Su Ruowan would not dare to show her face anywhere. That was it for her career in showbiz.
More people called her trash and wanted her out of showbiz.
Unlike the majority's expectation, Su Ruowan did not leave the competition with a tail between her legs nor did she disappear from the public eye due to the shame or self-reproach for what she did.
On the contrary, she made a high-profile appearance after the show, conducting a press conference. Su Ruowan apologized to the creator, fans, and public for her mistake in a sincere manner.
Curling her lips into a smirk, Shen Xi watched the live broadcast of the press conference on her phone. She knew Su Ruowan was not going to give up so easily since killing a stubborn roach was not that simple!
It was good she did not drop out of the competition. Otherwise, Shen Xi would have no one to play with.. Now that Su Ruowan was without the all-rounded persona, she still had her good looks.