Chapter 7 Designing a Trap

Noel's live broadcasts never used beauty filters or enhancements. He maintained his physique through years of fitness, earning him the nickname "Divine Visage." The high-definition camera silently captured Noel's expressions as he gently spoke, "This is my best friend's sister. I hope you all like her." The chat room fell silent for a few minutes, then suddenly exploded with numerous messages. Some provoked trouble: "Just because a guy and a girl are together, everyone assumes they're in love. Who says there must be romance between men and women?" "Ridiculous! They're childhood friends! And she's the friend's sister! So what? They grew up together!" "Noel is too gentle with his sister. I envy her! Oh, how I wish I were his sister!" At that moment, a particular message caught everyone's attention. "This is enough! Even though I'm a fan of Noel, I have to say, Noel's sister is a bitch! Check out what Noel's sister has done to her family!" After the message, a link was posted in the chat. Although the chat moderators promptly deleted the message and warned, "Please, all fans, pay attention to the order of the chat room. Do not bring up unrelated matters." Quick-fingered netizens had already taken screenshots, cutting out the live chat from their phones and searching the internet. It was a post by Daelin's friend, Fran, on their group chat. The content was Daelin pouring her heart out to Fran, all in voice messages. Fran had recorded these chat logs and posted them as a video on the group chat, attracting traffic by adding "Noel's Sister" to the mix. At 4:43 PM on 2013, Fran said, "Some people are so hypocritical. Just because they have a celebrity backing them up, they think everything's fine! Disgusting!" Apart from the video, there were also over a dozen screenshots of chat records. "My dearest Daelin (Note): I really don't know what to do. My sister seems to dislike me since she came back." "My dearest Daelin (Note): My sister has blocked me and won't answer any calls from home. It's all my fault. If it weren't for me, my sister wouldn't have such a bad relationship with our family." "My dearest Daelin (Note): But I don't even have a chance to apologize." "My dearest Daelin (Note): What should I do? What else can I do?" Next was the video posted by Fran. Listening to Daelin's choked voice, her usually sweet tone became immensely sorrowful. Daelin also had an account on the group chat, usually posting about her involvement in film and television projects, discreetly flaunting her luxurious lifestyle, uploading beautiful photos, and garnering quite a few fans. She could even rival third-tier celebrities. One of Daelin's fans discovered her account, and immediately, all her fans were furious, comforting Daelin in the chat. "My dear Daelin, it's not your fault." "Heartbroken for my sweetie, don't cry. If she doesn't want to apologize, we won't apologize either. It's her problem." "Am I the only one who thinks it's despicable to release this at such a time and speak like that?" "Yes, only you. #smile# #smile#" "Our little Daelin is so kind, even willing to give up her wealthy life. What more does that shameless woman want?" "It's truly despicable!" #Noel'sSisterOwesDaelinAnApology# quickly topped the charts on the group chat app. Of course, Noel saw these screenshots in the live chat. Facing the netizens' questioning, Noel smiled indifferently and said, "I'm sorry for that, Miss Daelin. I accidentally blocked your calls." After answering the last question, the live broadcast ended. Noel left the venue, while the online storm continued. Daelin hid in her room, pulling the curtains tight, staring fixedly at her phone screen. Most of the comments under Fran's post were from her fans, some were bought by the company, but the proportion of real fans was increasing, which pleased Daelin. The company agent sent her a message. "Well done. Continue according to the original plan." Daelin opened her computer, chose a family photo, and photoshopped her face as Catherine's. Her traffic was already enough, but her persona was thin. The company urged her to move on to the next step, attracting more random fans and solidifying her innocent, kind, and pitiful persona. She picked up her phone and posted a status on the group chat app, accompanied by the photoshopped family photo. "I'm sorry, I'm just extra. Sister, please come back." Immediately, there were tens of thousands of shares under the status, and the heat continued to rise. Daelin's fans comforted her while searching for the real battlefield - Catherine's group chat. However, Catherine was like a primitive savage, with no social information online. They couldn't find her account. So they rushed into the forum of the group chat, creating countless threads to curse Catherine, making immoral photos, obituaries, and memes, causing occasional passersby to pale and leave. At this point, not only Daelin's fans were celebrating. This farce lasted for an hour, and then most accounts were permanently banned for violating speech rules. Daelin had just finished showering, rubbing body lotion in front of the dressing mirror. Looking at her perfect figure in the mirror, Daelin smiled triumphantly. There were still a few days before the show started filming, and Daelin had to maintain her best physical condition. If she couldn't be the winner of the competition, then she would be the most beautiful and adorable girl in the competition. Glancing at her phone on the small table, Daelin smiled confidently. Catherine would definitely come to apologize to her. In a distant country, Country D. The snow at the foot of the Harls Mountains never melted for a thousand years. Regardless of winter or summer, the ski slopes at the foot of the mountain were covered with pure white snowflakes. After ending the live broadcast, Noel went to Country Q. At this moment, Catherine was ice skating with him. Catherine held Noel tightly around his waist, unwilling to let go. Noel, feeling helpless, held Catherine's shoulders to maintain balance and said, "Don't be afraid. You'll get the hang of it after a few falls." Though he said so, Noel's expression clearly showed his enjoyment. Catherine frowned, unable to believe that as a mercenary, she was fearless on the battlefield and in the jungle, but encountered difficulties in skiing. She let go of Noel and began to practice on her own, gritting her teeth. After a few falls, she wobbled on her own. An hour later, Catherine was able to pick up speed. By late afternoon, Catherine was performing simple jumps and maneuvers on the ice, graceful like a swan. Noel handed her a bottle of high-end mineral water, his eyes filled with admiration.