chapter 20
The reporters, who had been attentively listening to Director Fang Hua’s speech, erupted into excitement upon Su Jinfan’s arrival. They pricked up their ears to catch every word from her lips and quietly pulled out their cameras.
In their line of work, braving wind and rain, their sole aim was to snag headlines for higher paychecks. Many among them were adept at twisting facts, and a significant portion of the articles penned by these journalists were fabricated—all for the sake of a sensational headline.
“Su Jinfan, what brings you here?” Li Qin, sensing the tension, swiftly stepped forward and asked in a hushed tone, mindful of the crowd.
“What’s the matter, can’t I come?” Su Jinfan handed her bag to Li Qin, showing no courtesy toward her. “Sister Li, why haven’t I seen you hold any press conferences for me? Or is it that everything was orchestrated by you?”
Li Qin was momentarily speechless. Online, discussions about Su Jinfan had barely quieted down for a few days when newly registered IDs began hurling insults at her in forums and message boards, even outright calling her an actress with no talent or morals.
Su Jinfan glanced at Director Fang Hua on the stage. “Director Fang Hua still hasn’t answered my question.”
Director Fang Hua, who had been smiling faintly earlier, now turned completely serious. Liu Xin glanced at Fang Hua and spoke up, “Director Fang Hua isn’t fond of speaking, so let me answer on his behalf…”
“Miss Liu, let me answer that myself.” Before Liu Xin could finish speaking, Director Fang Hua stood up from his seat.
Liu Xin was slightly taken aback by Director Fang Hua’s demeanor but nodded in response.
“As I mentioned earlier, Su Jinfan is indeed the most mature young actress I’ve encountered in the industry in terms of acting skills. And Director Liu Ming’s new drama is truly the most exquisite in terms of technique and shooting angles among recent works by new directors.”
Liu Xin seemed visibly embarrassed, turning her head away to wipe her face briefly. Meeting Director Fang Hua’s gaze again, he continued, “To be honest, I initially envisioned Su Jinfan as the female lead. Liu Xin’s acting skills are indeed inferior to Su Jinfan’s.”
After saying this, Liu Xin could no longer sit still, seemingly unable to bear such words, and spoke into the microphone, “Are there any other reporters who have questions?”
“This.” In an instant, the journalists exchanged glances, unsure of what to say.
Liu Xin, who had been sitting quietly, also began to lose composure, glaring at Su Jin with a murderous look, her lips pressed tightly together.
Su Jin had barged in halfway—what a bitch!
“What evidence does Director Fang Hua have regarding the plagiarism incident?”
“If Director Fang Hua praised Su Jin as a great actress, why did he ultimately choose Liu Xin?”
“Since Director Fang Hua said Liu Ming’s new drama is good, why did he mention Director Liu Ming again?”
The reporters were as excited as if they had been injected with adrenaline, firing one question after another at Director Fang Hua. The faint smile on his lips gradually faded away completely.
“Director Fang Hua must not know what’s going on, but I think you’ll understand the situation once you see this photo.”
Su Jinfan took out a photo, which showed the contract she had signed with Director Fang Hua.
“Is there any problem?” Liu Xin was completely puzzled now.
Su Jinfan glanced at her and said, “As you all know, films need to be registered. Although ‘Peerless Fang Hua’ hasn’t started filming yet, ‘Long Song’ has been recruiting actresses online for a long time. Moreover, as early as January last year, the plot of ‘Long Song’ was already registered on the film registration website, while ‘Peerless Fang Hua’ wasn’t published on the film registration site until mid-March.”
Su Jinfan spoke in a gentle tone, her words precise and unmistakable, prompting nods of agreement from the assembled reporters.
“Let’s also take a look at Liu Xin and Fang Hua’s private contract within the company.” Su Jinfan produced another photo and continued, “This contract states that if the film ‘Chang Ge’ is reported for plagiarism, Liu Xin will receive a 20% cut of the proceeds, while Fang Hua takes 80%.”
Su Jinfan paused briefly, then lifted her gaze to meet Liu Xin’s. “But I must say, Liu Xin, your attempt to deceive everyone was quite impressive.”
Su Jinfan’s gaze was focused, her demeanor naturally commanding without any hint of aggression. Yet her words remained humble and reasonable, devoid of any coercion.
“Director Fang Hua, I wonder how much Liu Xin paid you to stoop to this level?” Su Jin Fan’s words were blunt and straightforward. Director Fang Hua was slightly taken aback but met her gaze without hesitation. “Miss Su, are you implying that I would care about such petty money?”
“Of course, Director Fang Hua wouldn’t care about such a small sum, but what you do care about is your reputation, isn’t it?” Su Jin Fan reached out, showing a screenshot of their text messages. “What Director Fang Hua fears is being ridiculed by industry insiders, right?”
“Su Jin Fan, you went through my phone?” Liu Xin jumped up from her seat, pointing at Su Jin Fan and launching into a tirade. “Do you have any shame? Don’t you know it’s illegal to snoop through someone else’s phone?”
“You could say that, but slander is also illegal,” Su Jin Fan couldn’t help but chuckle. “It’s true that the movie ‘Chang Ge’ doesn’t have the same level of investment as ‘Peerless Beauty,’ nor can it compare in terms of credentials. But let me remind you, Liu Xin, if you really want to involve lawyers, don’t forget—I happen to have a top-tier lawyer by my side.”
“Miss Su, don’t act on impulse.” Director Fang Hua looked at Su Jin.
As soon as these words were spoken, Shen Bai walked straight in from outside the door, catching everyone off guard.
“After several days of verification and examination, it has been confirmed that the overlap between the scripts of ‘Peerless Beauty’ and ‘Long Song’ is only ten percent. Therefore, only the background and character settings are slightly similar.”
With a faint smile, Shen Bai glanced at the numerous reporters present, then placed the certification document on the table and stared coldly at Director Fang Hua. “So, I’d like to ask Director Fang Hua, since you claim to have watched this movie, could you tell us what the final outcome of the film is?”
“According to Professor Lai Zhi’s analysis, ‘Peerless Beauty’ contains a significant amount of original string background music, with sixty percent overlap with ‘The Long Song.’ Does this mean Professor Lai Zhi plagiarized Director Fang Hua’s background music?”
This national treasure-level teacher has an excellent reputation both inside and outside the industry and has never plagiarized anyone’s work. Su Jin Fan’s performance in the theme song of ‘The Long Song Palace’ was even more undeniable, so the reporters below instantly erupted in uproar.
Now, to be falsely accused in return—while netizens were initially attacking Su Jin Fan, the internet must be completely paralyzed by now.
“The ending where the female protagonist becomes a nun—you can’t deny this also overlaps with ‘Peerless Beauty.’ Just this one ending has an overlap rate as high as twenty percent,” Li Qin said, sensing the situation was unfavorable, as he picked up the microphone.
“Heh, as everyone knows, ‘The Long Song’ has two endings, and the one officially screened in theaters isn’t this one—it’s the version where the female lead ultimately becomes the empress.” Shen Bai slammed the table fiercely, yet his expression remained icy. “In other words, you haven’t actually watched the movie.”
“Uh…” Li Qin wiped his sweat nervously, speaking with trepidation, “Actually, we came today to clarify whether there’s any plagiarism between the two dramas. But since Lawyer Shen has put it that way… we can’t really say much more.”
Liu Xin was just about to speak when Director Fang Hua stormed out of the room. The reporters swarmed around Director Fang Hua, hurling all sorts of biting and sarcastic questions.
“Well, let’s clarify things for ‘The Long Song’ then.” Seeing Shen Bai’s aggressive stance, Li Qin’s anger instantly dissipated.
“Speak.” Shen Bai took out the voice recorder.
With permission granted, Li Qin had no choice but to address all the media personnel present. “Friends from the media, there might have been a misunderstanding earlier due to staff oversight, leading to the mistaken belief that the plots were similar. However, after verification, it has been confirmed that the work is not plagiarized.”
This solution was what Li Qin considered the most face-saving approach.
Little did they know how the ensuing public pressure would criticize them, and their collaboration with Director Fang Hua was likely doomed as well.
“Mm.” Shen Bai nodded, then those beautiful eyes stared directly at Liu Xin. “Miss Liu, if you don’t want this matter to be exposed to the media, I hope you will immediately delete all Weibo posts and various forum threads containing any mention of plagiarism.”
Liu Xin remained silent, while Li Qin quickly chimed in, “Yes, yes, of course.”
However, even though the reporters on-site agreed to suppress the news, information still spread at lightning speed, with shares counted by the second.
[“Everlasting Song” Confronts “Peerless Beauty” Face-to-Face: Director Fang Hua Leaves Embarrassed]
【Director Fang Hua returned to China without accepting any interviews】
On Weibo, Elsa tried to fend off public pressure by directly posting that the mix-up was due to an internal company error—mistaking the two films—but fans still weren’t buying it.
During this time, Su Jin Fan didn’t engage in any damage control. She simply posted a Weibo update: “Life handed me sour and bitter lemons, but I turned them into sweet and tangy lemonade.” This confident, literary-flavored quote.
The script for *Chang Ge* was also released online. At first, people merely saw it as a good film, but upon noticing Liu Ming’s densely annotated revisions—even specifying the shape and appearance of a cup—they recognized the director’s meticulous dedication. Soon, many celebrities took the initiative to watch the film and praised it on Weibo. Through these connections, Su Jin Fan was unexpectedly vindicated.
A few simple photos completely shattered all the rumors and gossip.
Those who claimed she relied on men to climb the ladder—have you seen her standing in the rain for over an hour in “The Long Song”?
They said she had a bad attitude, but have you noticed her humility and the fact that she never engaged in any scandal-mongering all these years?
In the face of irrefutable evidence, all the lies and excuses crumbled instantly.
And she, completely and utterly, made her comeback—completely and utterly, she became a sensation.