CHAPTER 295: CHAPTER 295: I’M BEING CYBERBULLIED

Sang Ning was scrolling through Weibo, keeping up with the latest updates, when an unfamiliar number called her.

She was planning to reject the call outright, but for some inexplicable reason, her finger pressed the answer button.

"Xiao Ning." The voice on the other end spoke first, seemingly addressing her.

Sang Ning hesitated for only a second before realizing it was Chu Tian’s voice.

"President Chu, did you call to impart some wisdom?" Sang Ning frowned slightly, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Chu Tian was already accustomed to Sang Ning’s tone. He cleared his throat a few times and adopted the dignified stance that a senior should have before speaking seriously: "Xiao Ning, I understand you’ve offended some influential figure and your current situation isn’t great. As a daughter of the Sang Family, you obviously don’t have the means to handle such matters. But as a daughter of the Chu Family, you have the right to our protection. We can fight for you."

"So—" Sang Ning’s voice was very calm, devoid of any discernible emotion.

"So, will you choose your ineffectual parents, or will you choose to return to the Chu Family? Don’t you already know the answer deep down? Only your father and I can save you!" Li Sulan’s voice suddenly rang out, sharp and grating, making Sang Ning’s eardrums buzz.

Apparently, Chu Tian had turned on the speakerphone while making the call. Hearing their conversation, Li Sulan had forcefully inserted herself into the exchange.

"Sang Ning, your mother is right. You have no choice. If you continue to insist on your own beliefs, we will completely abandon you," Chu Tian followed up on Li Sulan’s words, using a threatening tone to pressure Sang Ning into compliance.

The reason why Chu Tian and Li Sulan were so insistent on persuading Sang Ning to return to the Chu Family was, perhaps partly, due to the sentiment developed during their time together; familial ties like these aren’t so easily severed.

But more importantly, it stemmed from their bruised egos—they felt humiliated and their authority had been challenged by Sang Ning.

Both Chu Tian and Li Sulan were, at their core, deeply concerned with appearances. So, even after Chu Xi’s return to the Chu Family, they had steadfastly concealed the twenty-year secret of Sang Ning and Chu Xi’s swapped identities, determined not to let it become a scandalous topic among the social elite.

Sang Ning’s repeated refusals to return to the Chu Family were a direct blow to Chu Tian and Li Sulan’s pride.

A daughter choosing powerless, impoverished parents over ones with significant influence—how could this not infuriate them?

And so, this call became their last-ditch attempt to save face.

As they awaited Sang Ning’s response, Chu Tian found himself harboring an odd sense of anticipation. He hoped Sang Ning’s reply would once again be her refusal to return to the Chu Family.

Sang Ning didn’t disappoint him.

She said nothing and simply ended the call. By the time Chu Tian dialed back, Sang Ning had already blocked the number.

Though she didn’t say a word, her actions had made her decision clear.

Chu Tian set down his phone and looked at Li Sulan with a cold expression: "You heard her. Since this is Sang Ning’s choice, she’ll have to live with the consequences."

After ending the call with Chu Tian, Sang Ning had a hunch that rejecting Chu Tian and Li Sulan would provoke retaliation.

But she couldn’t predict what they might do next. At this juncture, the most suitable method of revenge seemed to be riding the wave of online negativity against her.

Looking at the rows of trending topics dragging her name on Weibo, Sang Ning detached herself, adopting the mindset of a bystander as she calmly perused one post after another.

Duan Wenhu seemed to have been pushed to her limit—the esteemed CEO actually stepped in personally to tear her apart.

Sang Ning suddenly recalled a saying: In reality, business tactics are often straightforward and crude, much like securing documents with trousers buttons.

At this moment, Duan Wenhu’s approach to dealing with her was equally straightforward and crude, involving direct verbal attacks to tarnish her image.

Admittedly, her methods were effective. At least under the Weibo post Duan Wenhu had made using Qingyue’s account, many netizens cursed at her with no restraint.

If Chu Tian hadn’t called, Sang Ning would already have been planning how to respond to Duan Wenhu’s loaded accusations.

However, after the phone call with Chu Tian, Sang Ning changed her mind.

If she responded to Duan Wenhu now, what if Chu Tian teamed up with Duan Wenhu for another big move?

By the time she dealt with Duan Wenhu’s accusations, Chu Tian could strike again.

Endless responses would only worsen her public image among the masses.

Thus, Sang Ning decided to wait—wait for them to reveal all their dirt on her before formulating her countermeasures.

Her company and agent were powerless to help Sang Ning now; the situation had completely exceeded the company’s capabilities.

Her company versus Shanghai Chuan Entertainment was like an egg smashing against a rock—a complete mismatch.

The company and agent had once again decided to let Sang Ning fend for herself, reasoning that surviving this ordeal might bring her some unexpected blessing.

After all, Sang Ning had faced online harassment before, and she was experienced enough. They trusted she could extract herself from this situation eventually.

Just after Sang Ning finished the call with Chu Tian, another person called her—her foolish younger brother Sang Chuan, whom she hadn’t contacted for a long time due to her busy work schedule.

Sang Chuan understood Sang Ning’s temper well. At this stage, her top priority was his academics. He could call her to chat, but any discussion outside of his studies would result in a scolding reminiscent of a menopausal woman.

So he took the initiative—just as the call connected, he burst into loud sobs, catching Sang Ning completely off guard.

Yet Sang Ning showed no sign of being disturbed. Despite the many stressful events of the night, she maintained her composure to the fullest while speaking with Sang Chuan, raising the topic he least wanted to address: his studies.

"Crying this hard—did you experience some setback in your academics? That doesn’t sound right. Your homeroom teacher said you’ve been doing well recently, and you even have the potential to crack the top ten in your grade. Or do you find your current coursework too easy, lacking challenge? If so, I’ll order some university-level textbooks for you right away; you can study them in your free time."

Sang Chuan stopped crying, his eye twitching slightly: "Can’t I call to vent about setbacks in life instead of academics?"

"Oh?" Sang Ning’s interest was piqued. For someone as carefree as Sang Chuan, with decent coping mechanisms, anything that could upset him enough to call and cry must be extraordinary.

"What setback did you encounter? Did you get dumped in a teenage romance?" Sang Ning thought about it for a moment; aside from academics, this seemed like the most plausible setback Sang Chuan could be facing right now.

Though he acted obedient around her, he had a fiery temper with others, so it was unlikely he’d been a victim of bullying.

"I’m being harassed online." Sang Chuan suddenly admitted.

Sang Ning: ???