Chapter 224

Lucy White listened to Felix Cooper's report, a knowing smile playing at the corners of her lips.

"Don't rush to clarify things just yet," she said, tapping her fingers lightly on the desk. "This controversy is perfect for promoting our new drama."

Director Jude Miller's xianxia drama was being filmed and released simultaneously, meaning it would soon reach audiences.

When the time came, viewers would judge the acting for themselves. Trying to clear her name now would only seem desperate.

"The more they criticize me now, the more curious people will be to watch when it airs."

A glint of cunning flashed in her eyes. "Let's give Lily Green a little push."

"Buy more troll accounts to praise her acting skills relentlessly. Make 'Lily Green Outshines Lucy White' trend everywhere."

Felix immediately caught on, chuckling. "Brilliant. She wants to climb over you? We'll send her straight to the stratosphere."

Everyone knew the principle of overkill. A little hype could be convincing, but when the entire internet was flooded with identical praise...

"It's just a shame you'll have to endure the backlash for a while," Felix said sympathetically.

Lucy waved it off. "Bad publicity is still publicity. Besides..."

She opened her phone's gallery, where several video clips lay untouched.

"When the time is right, these will come in handy."

Felix glimpsed a corner of the footage and nodded in understanding. "So you were prepared all along."

"But it's not time yet." Lucy put her phone away. "Let her enjoy her moment a little longer."

She'd noticed Lily's luck was rapidly draining lately. Once it hit a certain threshold...

"Oh, we should still address the diva rumors," Felix reminded her.

Lucy agreed. "I'll visit the set the day after tomorrow and ask Director Jude to help clarify."

After hanging up, Lucy scrolled through social media. The hashtag #LucyWhiteIsADiva had already climbed to the top three trending topics.

The most ridiculous part? Someone had even blamed her for Hugo Shaw's divorce.

But before she could respond, Hugo himself posted a clarification—along with another round of evidence about being cheated on.

More surprisingly, the drama's third female lead suddenly voiced support:

[@LinXiaowan: Working with Lucy is amazing! She treats the whole crew to bubble tea all the time—how is that being a diva?]

Soon, Ryan Choi, Director Jude, and other crew members reposted it. Even a production assistant shared photos of snacks Lucy had given them.

Lucy's fans immediately rallied, launching a massive counterattack.

[We always knew our Lucy was kindhearted!]

[How’s that slap taste, haters?]

Warmth spread through Lucy as she read the messages. Kindness paid off when it mattered most.

Felix moved quickly. That night, countless articles flooded every platform:

[Lily Green’s Acting Dwarfs So-Called Stars]

[This Is What Real Talent Looks Like]

Trending lists, live comments, forums—the entire internet seemed to praise Lily. Even food videos had comments like "Way better than Lucy White."

By the time Oliver Knight's team noticed something was wrong, public opinion had spiraled out of control.

"We can't suppress it now," the PR director said nervously. "The engagement is too high. Forcing it would backfire."

Oliver smashed a glass. "Idiots! We’ve been played!"

Meanwhile, Lucy leisurely sipped floral tea as Felix's message lit up her phone:

[Trending’s exploded. Now the whole internet’s asking who Lily Green even is.]

She took another sip, her smile deepening.

The real show was just beginning.