Chapter 26: The Terrifying Cyberbullying

The voting results were in.

Mu Wei’en’s feather gown was indeed gorgeous and elaborate; thanks to behind-the-scenes manipulation, the longest voting window, and other tactics, she was, without a doubt, the top vote-getter.

To everyone’s shock, the contestant with the fewest votes was Mu You!

The group found this result unbelievable and began to question it immediately, as Mu You’s grass dress was truly beautiful. It was minimalist yet elegant, safe, natural, and harmless to small animals. She had even used fruit juices to dye the grass and leaves, adding small creative touches that made the outfit look even more vibrant and exquisite. Who could look at it and not call her clever and talented?

Even Mu Wei’en, upon seeing Mu You’s dress, felt a sense of admiration. She also noticed that Mu You hadn’t used any of the Red-billed Leiothrix feathers for decoration, but had instead carefully tucked them away. Could it be that she had misunderstood her?

Deep down, Mu Wei’en was starting to be "conquered" by Mu You. She felt the girl before her had changed significantly, though she couldn't quite put her finger on how.

"It’s unfair, absolutely unfair! Youbao’s dress is so pretty, how could she be in last place?" Lin Zimu looked down at his own shapeless, tattered leaf pants, his face full of bewilderment. If Mu You was in last place, where did that leave him?

"Yeah, yeah! I think Sister You’s outfit is beautiful! It should at least be in the top three!" Xu Maoli, a professional child model, believed Mu You’s outfit was fully qualified for a runway competition.

"Thank you all for the compliments. I think what you made is the most beautiful," Mu You said. She didn’t feel sad or dissatisfied with the results. She felt that as long as she had created a natural gown she was satisfied with and enjoyed the time spent close to nature, she was happy.

"But I still don't think it's right. Do the netizens have different tastes than we do? Who is even voting?" Jin Yiyi raised her child-friendly smartwatch, preparing to look it up online.

Hearing the discussion, Mu Wei’en pouted and ran over to the director, Wu Liang. "Director, I don't want first place anymore. It should be Youbao’s! I think her nature gown is the best!" she demanded stubbornly.

This left Wu Liang at a loss. How was he supposed to handle this? "Cough, Wei’en, the results were voted on by the entire internet. The rules of the game are that the person with the most votes wins. It cannot be changed at will."

Mu Wei’en frowned. Could it be that her mother and the others had deliberately suppressed Youbao’s vote count? Wu Liang saw the confusion in her eyes, but he dared not speak the truth. Initially, Mu You’s vote count had been very high—almost surpassing Mu Wei’en, who had paid bots helping her. But for some unknown reason, netizens suddenly started voting for other contestants, intentionally leaving Mu You at the bottom.

Wu Liang had only realized what was happening after checking the trending topics. He hadn't interfered; after all, the Mu family had already stated their intent to use Mu You as a stepping stone and a foil for Mu Wei’en. Naturally, the worse she looked, the better. He didn't dare expose the Mu family for fear of offending them, so he remained silent.

"Alright, Wei’en, let's accept the results. Now, I am going to announce the prize for first place and the 'punishment' for last place!"

Before Wu Liang could continue, Mu Wei’en shouted at him, "I don’t want the prize! I don’t want to be first anymore! It’s all this stupid dress’s fault—it almost got me pecked bald by a bird. It’s not pretty at all!" Haunted by her recent experience, she was genuinely afraid and felt she didn't deserve the top spot.

"This..." Wu Liang was truly at his wit's end.

Suddenly, a few people burst out of the woods. Dressed in warm hiking gear, they appeared to be hikers from a nearby trail who had stumbled upon the filming. Seeing the production in progress, they came over to join the excitement and say hello. Wu Liang wanted his staff to intercept them and ask them to leave, as the content was supposed to be confidential. Since they didn't have the authority to close off the entire mountain, he could only hope for cooperation.

However, an accident occurred.

"Look, isn't that the kid who’s all over the internet? The little Satan with an angel’s face and a devil’s heart!" one of them shouted, pointing at Mu You. The others noticed the girl in the crowd, and she was exactly as the internet described—looking sweet and angelic, but harboring a devil inside who abused animals and harmed her peers.

"Quick, record this and post it online, it’ll go viral for sure!" Before the staff could react, someone whipped out a phone and started a livestream, aiming the camera at Mu You.

"Everyone, look! I’ve found the devil! Double-tap and leave a comment of '666,' and I’ll rush over to teach her a lesson and vent our collective anger!" As he spoke, he picked up a stone and threw it at Mu You. It fell short, but had it hit, it would have surely caused a nasty bump.

"Hey! What kind of nonsense is that person spouting? Why are they attacking a child? That’s too much!" Jin Yiyi spread her arms to shield Mu You, like a mother hen protecting her chicks.

"A devil?" Mu You’s eyes dimmed. She felt a sharp pain in her heart. They were total strangers—why would they call her a devil and throw stones at her? These adults were truly strange. Why did they enjoy bullying a child?

Wu Liang finally snapped into action, ordering his staff to chase the intruders away and instructing all the children to hide in the trailers. He wasn't acting out of a sudden conscience, but because he didn't want the commotion to ruin his show and his career. In the entertainment industry, this was the last thing you wanted to encounter.

He couldn't help but wonder: were these people sent by the Mu family? What were they thinking? They couldn't even wait for the show to air, and their methods were far more vicious than his own. A normal person couldn't withstand such cyberbullying; even those in high positions struggled to escape unscathed, usually ending up stripped of their dignity. And this was a child with no one to protect her!

Even after years in the cutthroat entertainment industry, Wu Liang felt a chill run down his spine at the ruthlessness of the Mu family. He had seen too many stars disappear, commit suicide, or fall into deep depression because of cyberbullying.

The Mu family—they were truly, terrifyingly cruel.

"Everyone, look at this!" Jin Yiyi raised her watch, showing the content on the screen to the others.

"Youbao, you are..."

"Being cyberbullied."