Chapter 98: A Little More Understanding

Sunlight spilled through the window onto the hospital bed, bathing the two girls in a soft glow as they spoke in low voices.

Though Shu Yuny"i's face was pale, though bruises darkened her features and one corner of her mouth was slightly swollen, her expression remained calm and gentle. Even in illness, she could not hide the tender, graceful temperament that seemed to rise from her very bones, like a clear spring in the mountains.

She and her younger brother had had an unhappy childhood, and yet, in another sense, a fortunate one. This girl, who seemed so fragile and delicate, had worked her way out of a life spent under another roof.

"And after that?" Lin Xi asked, a trace of pity flickering in her eyes.

"It wasn't until the moment I was accepted into university that I felt I was truly alive. At university, I met Su Chen. He pursued me for a long time, and we spent a very beautiful stretch of time together," Shu Yuny"i said as she recalled the past, a faint smile curving her lips, soft and serene.

"But later, something happened, and I had no choice but to break up with him. After that, for my brother's sake and for a living, I entered the industry while still in college and started as an extra. I didn't have an agency, so I had to find connections on my own. At banquet tables, those so-called higher-ups were all disgusting people who ate flesh and left no bone, always getting handsy. I had no choice but to play along with them, and those photos were taken." As she spoke, her gaze drifted, as though her thoughts had flown back to long ago.

She said it with such airy composure, as if she were telling someone else's story, but no one knew how much disappointment and helplessness lay behind it.

She did not seem saddened by what had happened today, as though she had already come to terms with the experiences of the past. Gentle people were always beautiful when they smiled, poised and generous, without the least bit of aggression. And yet, for some reason, whenever Lin Xi looked into those large, bright eyes, she always sensed a touch of sorrow.

Lin Xi's heart ached. Why must heaven torment someone so good?

It seemed that every time public opinion thrust her into the center of a storm, she remained composed and unruffled, like a seasoned veteran. She looked as though she had already been through so much, had amassed so much experience. But she was also just a young girl who could be fragile and afraid. Fate was truly unfair; her small shoulders were bearing far, far too much...

"Xiao Xi, I'm fine. I'm used to it." Shu Yuny"i smiled softly and took Lin Xi's hand instead, as if comforting her. Her words made Lin Xi's heart clench even tighter.

How much pressure must she be carrying inside? Lin Xi truly could not imagine it.

They always said that the wounds left by one's family of origin had to be mended over a lifetime. She did not know about Yuny"i...

"I'm just so heartbroken for you..." Lin Xi seemed to understand her character now. Children raised in such an environment were especially gentle, especially sensible; they thought of others and forgot themselves.

Shu Yuny"i suddenly lowered her gaze, her mood sinking. "I don't really think there's anything wrong with me. It was only after I noticed my brother becoming more and more withdrawn and timid that I started to feel helpless. Whether our parents are by our side or not no longer matters. I only hope he can have a happy childhood, at least not suffer as I did, always living in hardship just to survive..."

As the two talked, the ward door was suddenly pushed open.

"Sis." Shu Yiran pushed the door open and hurried toward them.

Shu Yuny"i froze for a moment, then took her brother's little hand. "Why are you here? Shouldn't you be at school?"

"That big brother brought me here," Shu Yiran answered obediently.

Was it Lu Yuxiu? Shu Yuny"i looked toward Lin Xi, and Lin Xi gave a slight nod.

She stepped out of the ward, leaving the space to the siblings. When she turned around, she saw Lu Yuxiu seated on the bench outside, waiting for her.

This was the hospital in Longcheng with the best privacy, so there was no need to worry about being photographed.

"How is she?" Lu Yuxiu drew her to sit beside him and asked.

Lin Xi let out a soft sigh. "Only now do I understand that a person may truly not be as glamorous as they appear on the surface. Yuny"i has really lived such a hard life. It makes my heart ache for her." Her mood had fallen into quiet desolation as well.

"Xiu, I keep feeling that Yuny"i is hiding something from me. Since we're resting anyway for this period, I want to spend more time with her." Lin Xi looked at him with some guilt. Their planned outing would have to be put off for now.

Lu Yuxiu slipped an arm around her shoulders, his voice calm and warm. "It's fine. I've already refunded the tickets. Just do what you want to do without worrying."

Lin Xi smiled, touched, and leaned into his chest with complete peace of mind.

"I'll call Sister Zhou." After thinking for a moment, Lin Xi still could not put her mind at ease.

The call connected, and Zhou Xin's voice came through. "Xiao Xi, what's wrong?"

"Sister Zhou, have you heard about Yuny"i?" Lin Xi asked.

"I've heard. Ah, these things in the industry are often exaggerated or outright false. Just look and let it pass," Zhou Xin said, sounding somewhat exasperated. "Yuny"i actually has a pretty good reputation in the circle, but this child really has awful general public favor. There's nothing to be done about her tendency to attract blackening attacks."

"Then..." Lin Xi bit her lip and considered it for a moment. "Sister Zhou, I really like Yuny"i, and I feel bad for her, so I want to say a few words for her on social media. Is that okay?"

Lu Yuxiu looked at her in surprise.

There was a brief silence on Zhou Xin's end before she spoke with hesitation. "Xiao Xi, at a time like this, the usual choice is not to respond. Just wait until the storm passes. If you speak out now, it may not help at all, and it could even affect you as well."

"But Sister Zhou, Yuny"i isn't that kind of person. The netizens have all been misled, and I really can't just watch such a gentle girl being attacked by everyone. She did nothing wrong." Lin Xi was resolute, determined from the bottom of her heart to help her, that fragile yet strong girl.

"All right then." Zhou Xin did not press further. "Since you're determined, then go ahead. We're not afraid of a storm of public opinion. You decide for yourself."

"Thank you, Sister Zhou~" Lin Xi said brightly.

After hanging up, Lin Xi instinctively looked at Lu Yuxiu, only to find his gaze full of approval. She knew he had always been on her side.

So Lin Xi no longer hesitated. She opened the social platform and began to type.

Lin Xi V: Public opinion, in any era and under any circumstances, can crush a person. And when the media or keyboard warriors make judgments before uncovering the truth, the harm done to an individual becomes immeasurable.

Yuny"i's heart, like her name, is warm. She is gentle, sunny, and cheerful, and she gets along wonderfully with everyone. But I don't understand why so many people, without knowing the full picture, began hurling abuse, until the malicious attacks have driven her into the hospital.

You can never truly understand another person unless you stand in her place and think from her perspective. But when you truly walk the road she has walked, even passing by it will make your heart ache.

I only hope everyone can be a little more understanding.

As soon as Lin Xi's post went up, it sparked heated discussion among all sides of netizens, with different stances: some understood, some thought Lin Xi had been misled, and some were simply there to watch the spectacle.

Outside the hospital, there were still a few shameless reporters crouching in wait, hoping only to get the first scoop.