Who Is Playing Tricks?

Lin Qingyu extended her hand with an unchanging expression, and Han Ya reluctantly retrieved her phone from her pocket, passing it over. Lin Qingyu opened the school forum, and the first post that caught her eye was about "Tang Qiao, the second-generation heir." Three images accompanied the post, featuring a Bentley, Yu Qingmu holding an umbrella, and the silhouettes of Yu Qingmu, Duan Yi, and Tang Qiao walking.

Beneath the post, numerous comments praised Tang Qiao. Lin Qingyu's fingers rapidly scrolled through the content before tossing the phone back to Han Ya. She smirked, saying, "We can't be certain if he's really Tang Qiao's family!" With that, she rose from her seat and exited the cafeteria.

Han Ya hastily caught the phone and stashed it in her pocket. She exchanged bewildered glances with the other girls, uncertain of Lin Qingyu's intentions.

Meanwhile, at noon, the official Weibo account of the Ordinary Streaming platform made a formal announcement. "Congratulations to our new host, QiaoYou, for joining the Ordinary Streaming platform. Please give her a warm welcome!"

Simultaneously, a silver-blue V-shaped emblem appeared next to Tang Qiao's username on the Ordinary Streaming platform—QiaoYou V—marking her as an SS-tier streamer.

QiaoYou's fans flooded the platform, showering her with praise. Nevertheless, a few discordant voices emerged. "She's just a sensationalist streamer. Does the Ordinary Streaming platform have a lapse in judgment to grant her such high traffic?"

"Let's wait and see. The next time QiaoYou goes live, her true traffic will be revealed!"

Across town, in the neighboring city, backstage at a significant event hosted by the Ordinary Streaming platform. Chen Shuang sat before her vanity table. Her luscious dark brown waves cascaded down her shoulders, exuding allure. She lowered her head, her delicate fingers sliding across her phone screen. Her eyes landed on the latest Weibo post from the Ordinary Streaming platform's official account, and her expression grew icy. She powered off her phone and placed it on the table.

In the same dressing room, Xiao Die tidied her hair and makeup. She raised her skirt and approached Chen Shuang, her gaze fixed on the makeup mirror. "Shuang Shuang, don't let this upset you…"

"Why should I be upset?" Chen Shuang shut her eyes, her lowered lashes casting a chilly shadow. "Over the years, the industry has seen numerous popular streamers, but how many of them have truly thrived?"

Xiao Die leaned closer to Chen Shuang, her eyes also focused on the mirror. "Indeed, the path of a streamer is riddled with challenges, especially for those in the knowledge streaming category." Both she and Chen Shuang had spent five years in the industry, gradually ascending to their current SS-tier status, and not just through their knowledge.

Xiao Die smirked and added, "Newcomers usually stumble a few times before making it big."

Chen Shuang gazed at her radiant reflection in the mirror and couldn't help but smile.

…

The shift in online trends occurred without warning. A prominent history blogger stepped forward, publicly criticizing QiaoYou's chime-playing technique. "She completely ignores the melody! It's like random knocks! What a disservice to the chime bells and stone chime!"

Soon, two other history bloggers joined the critique, denouncing Qiao You's approach. "Chime bells and stone chimes have an illustrious history, symbolizing ritual and musical traditions among the elite during the Zhou Dynasty. Playing them haphazardly like this is a blatant disregard for these historical instruments!"

The video featuring the lullaby faced harsh censure from these historical bloggers, and a multitude of netizens watched and commented.

"Right! QiaoYou lacks any understanding of chime bells and stone chimes. She's squandering our nation's rich musical heritage!"

"We're boycotting QiaoYou! Boycotting her lullabies!"

At that moment, it seemed like a collective outcry emerged, as many people united in their criticism, citing "casual consumption" and "disrespect for classical culture." Of course, there were sensible netizens who came to QiaoYou's defense

"Didn't QiaoYou clarify? She used chime bells and stone chimes for lullaby imitation."

"Exactly. QiaoYou played the lullaby for our enjoyment."

"QiaoYou never claimed to be performing classical music with chime bells."

Nevertheless, despite netizens' attempts to reason, these critics persisted in accusing QiaoYou of disrespecting and failing to appreciate classical culture. This left some netizens seething in silence. Meanwhile, Qiao You's devoted fans were furious. Is there something wrong with playing a lullaby for everyone? These critics are even history bloggers! Their allegations are absurd!

At Ordinary Streaming.

"Someone is targeting Qiao You." Secretary Li noticed the online uproar immediately. The lullaby incident had occurred two weeks earlier, and now that QiaoYou had signed with Ordinary Streaming, it seemed someone was already targeting her. Something suspicious was afoot.

"Initiate an investigation," Xu Guangyi ordered with a serious expression. Several names of potential adversaries flashed through his mind. Who is orchestrating this campaign against Qiao You?