Chapter 146: Biting Back

After seeing the success stories, Sun Ying felt an undeniable surge of temptation. Biting her lip, her eyes fixed unblinkingly on the bottle of hair growth serum sitting on the table, she asked Wang Miao'er, "Are you certain that after I use your hair growth serum, I will definitely be able to grow real hair?"

Wang Miao'er smiled, her eyes filled with confidence. She nodded and said, "Surely the many success stories in your hands are enough to convince you? Besides, Wang's Pharmaceuticals is a major enterprise; we have no reason to ruin our reputation over something like this, do we?"

Hearing this, Sun Ying felt reassured. She returned the documents, picked up the bottle of serum, and, with a glint of greed in her eyes, muttered, "Fine, I accept your terms."

"Splendid. From today on, Wang's Pharmaceuticals will provide you with a series of treatment plans to help you grow a head of thick, dark, and beautiful hair. By then, no one will ever call you 'the bald princess' again."

Wang Miao'er smiled and tucked the documents into her bag. Just then, the dishes they had ordered arrived, but after reaching their agreement, neither woman had any appetite; both were eager to return home to begin the next phase of their plan.

Back home, Sun Ying wasted no time. She applied the serum to her scalp according to the instructions, feeling a refreshing, cool sensation that made her imagine her thick, luscious hair sprouting at any moment.

The next morning, Sun Ying woke up to find no results and felt a bit discouraged. However, she knew the serum wouldn't work overnight, and she still had to carry out the task Wang Miao'er had assigned her. Without consulting her manager, she went online and publicly attacked Xie Qingtang, calling her a quack, accusing her of slandering her, and spreading false rumors to attack her character.

The post caused an immediate uproar online. When her manager found out, she rushed to Sun Ying’s home and demanded, "Sun Ying, what are you doing? Do you realize the impact it will have on you as a public figure to publicly attack someone on social media?"

"What? Am I supposed to just sit here and take it? That strange Xie Qingtang was the one who said I had severe hair loss and mocked me as 'the bald princess' behind my back. Why shouldn't I hit back?" Sun Ying replied dismissively.

Her only concern now was the efficacy of the serum Wang Miao'er had given her. To achieve that goal, she cared nothing for what she said online or the consequences that might follow.

"Boss, you've been attacked by a celebrity. Sun Ying is publicly calling you a quack and a liar online," reported Zhou Jinfan, a self-proclaimed internet expert, who immediately brought the news to Xie Qingtang.

After finishing with a patient, Xie Qingtang took her phone and saw that Sun Ying had indeed called her out by name, refuting every diagnosis she had previously made. Having seen such patients before, she tossed the phone aside indifferently and scolded Zhou Jinfan, "During work hours, keep your focus on your job. If you keep scrolling through social media, are you trying to get me to dock your pay?"

"Boss, don't threaten me. Don't you know that half of Cunshantang's revenue comes from our online store? As a public figure, Sun Ying attacking you like this is hurting our store's reputation. This is a big deal; I am working!" Zhou Jinfan argued.

Hearing this, Xie Qingtang frowned slightly. She hadn't realized that a simple, well-meaning observation would bring such trouble upon herself. "It seems being a good person really isn't easy," she muttered.

At first, Zhou Jinfan wanted Xie Qingtang to post a rebuttal, but she felt it was unnecessary; after all, the truth would eventually come to light. However, her silence led most netizens to side with Sun Ying, as her hair appeared perfectly fine in photos, showing none of the thinning or balding Xie Qingtang had suggested.

Soon, many of Sun Ying’s fans began leaving malicious comments on Cunshantang’s online store and flooding it with negative reviews, causing the store's reputation to plummet.

Upon hearing the news, Wang Miao'er laughed heartily and sent a whole case of the serum to Sun Ying.

After receiving the shipment, Sun Ying was overjoyed. She secretly applied the serum, hiding it from her manager, and dreamt of her hair growing thick and lush.

"Dad, have you seen the news online? That wretch Xie Qingtang is trending. I didn't think she was capable of chasing clout like this—publicly claiming two prominent female stars are suffering from severe hair loss and are practically bald," Shao Bin said with a smirk as he shared the news with his father, Shao Siming.

Given that Cunshantang was currently under fire and its reputation was declining, Shao Bin—who despised Xie Qingtang—was delighted.

"I didn't expect her to dig her own grave before we even made a move. Since the blade is already out of the sheath, let's buy a whetstone and sharpen it. We might as well make it a clean cut to avoid future trouble," Shao Siming said coldly.

Shao Bin paused, confused. "Dad, what do you mean?"

"Since the netizens have already built a ship to crash into Cunshantang’s reputation, we might as well provide the wind to help it sail," Shao Siming said calmly, casting a dissatisfied look at his slow-witted son.

Realizing what his father meant, Shao Bin smiled deviously and nodded. "Don't worry, Dad, leave it to me."

As Xie Qingtang continued to ignore the social media storm, the initial fervor began to slowly die down.