The Academic God Becomes an Internet Sensation After Joining a Dating Show - Chapter 71 - The Entire Internet is Shocked

The scene erupted in uproar.

Evidence blanketed the ground like snow, fluttering beneath the glaring lights. Reporters shoved past one another, snatching at the sheets with trembling hands. Cameras clicked wildly, flashes slicing through the chaos.

A sea of bowed heads scanned the words. Line by line, the truth bled into the air. Gasps rose, overlapping.

“My goodness… this is utterly horrifying…”

“Who knew he was such scum?”

“Poor Qing Lin… That dad is disgusting, help!”

Below, a reporter blurted out of turn, “Is any of this true?!”

Qing Lin raised an eyebrow. “Are you blind?”

The reporter shut up immediately.

Morning sunlight spilled across the plaza, gilding the boy’s neck and shoulders, his pale skin glowing faintly gold. When he looked up, the amber in his eyes caught the light, sharp and cold, locking onto the crowd.

He spoke evenly.

“I know many will say I was weak—that I was foolish, even saintly, for paying off such a disgusting person’s debts. Honestly, I think it’s ridiculous myself. But back then, I weighed the pros and cons. I had no other choice.”

The reporters exchanged looks, their murmurs rippling louder. This wasn’t just news—this was an earthquake.

How could someone so young have endured all this?

Yet Qing Lin stood tall, posture steady, not a single tremor in his voice.

“My deepest regret,” he said slowly, “is that I once harbored even a shred of hope in him—that I didn’t send him to prison sooner.”

____________________________________________________________________________

Weibo went into a frenzy.

News that Qing Lin and Shen Xuzhi had returned to Hangzhou spread like wildfire, with everyone speculating that Qing Lin must have felt guilty and couldn’t continue filming, so he had to rush back to take care of things.

The first twist came from a video posted on Shang B0ze’s official Weibo account. The star of the clip was Shang Miaomiao.

In the video, the little kid held a phone, pressing his chubby face close to the camera, brows furrowed in frustration. He had probably seen some of the online comments criticizing Qing Lin and was so upset that he could barely speak clearly. His round face nearly filled the screen, and the camera wobbled as he moved.

In a tiny, high-pitched voice, he declared firmly, “You’re not allowed to insult Linlin! Why is everyone saying mean things about Linlin?!”

“Linlin is a good person! Why are you saying bad things? You’re all big bad guys! Miaomiao hates you!”

The video was short—barely ten seconds. Clearly self-recorded, clearly uploaded to his father’s Weibo by the child himself.

Shang Boze had originally planned to visit Shang Miaomiao yesterday, but the boy ignored him entirely. After asking, “Why didn’t Daddy come?” he’d snatched his father’s phone, searching for Linlin.

Upon seeing Linlin being scolded online, the little one grew furious. Fumbling with the device, he tapped randomly until, by accident, the video went live.

Everyone knew exactly what kind of star Shang Boze was.

The video caused an immediate sensation.

At first, people assumed it was just childish mischief, a clip that would be deleted within minutes. But to their surprise, Shang Boze left it untouched.

Then, to everyone’s greater shock, Shang Boze posted an explanation himself.

[@Shang Boze: Qing Lin is a good child. Don’t believe rumors, don’t spread rumors.]

The entire internet was stunned.

An Academy Award-winning actor, weighing in directly—his simple statement poured gasoline on the fire of public curiosity.

And before the uproar had even cooled, another voice struck.

An unexpected figure reposted a marketing account’s slanderous article, adding only one sentence.

[@AKZ Wenle: [Repost] Are you guys idiots?]

The entire internet froze.

Bai Wenle had always carried the image of a sunshine boy online—cute, playful, and rarely harsh, even in the heat of competition.

On the dating show, he hadn’t shown any real hostility toward Qing Lin. He eventually softened, but no one had expected him to openly defend Qing Lin now, when the internet was tearing him apart.

At this moment, Wenle’s face was dark, his muttering filled with curses. In his eyes, the netizens were nothing but brainless fools. Even if he hadn’t gotten along with Qing Lin at first, he would never tolerate them indiscriminately attacking the brother he had already acknowledged.

But before the shock of his outburst could settle, another bomb dropped.

[@Chengqi CEO—Qi Youhuai: @Qinglin, if you need help, contact me anytime.]

The entire internet exploded.

Wait… Did I see that correctly?!

Qi Youhuai. CEO of Chengqi Group.

A man of untouchable status, a ruthless business emperor with the reputation of a cold-blooded demon king. Since when had he crossed paths with Qing Lin?

What was their relationship?

And why would a figure of his level step in at this moment?

The public barely had time to speculate before the homepage was hijacked by a new livestream.

The camera cut straight to Qing Lin.

He sat in silence, his face a mask of cold detachment. Then—with an audible slam—he tossed a thick stack of papers onto the table, documents scattering like a storm.

One by one, he laid bare Qing Baihu’s crimes amidst the chaos.

His pale eyes locked onto the lens, sharp and unyielding, as if piercing through the screen to Qin Baihu himself—and to the watching world:

“Do you want to die with me?”

The internet went dead silent.

Wha—wh—wh—wh—what the hell!!!

That little beauty is absolutely stunning!!

[Ahhh, so this is how it really happened wuwu! Sorry, sorry, I judged too quickly wuwuwu]

[I can’t believe this! His college choices were messed with! Is QBH even human? Do you have no shame?! Go die, you idiot!!]

[No wonder QL didn’t go to Tsinghua… I mean, Zhejiang University is great too, but seriously!! What kind of terrible dad is that!!]

[Aaaaaah Linlinlinlin, I love you! You deserve the best! You deserve to be loved wuwuwu.]

[Wuwuwu Linlin, this isn’t just about enduring it! You were so brave! You did amazing! Really amazing!! It must have been so hard, wuwu. Our baby is just so kind, wuwu.]

[How did you even survive those days?]

The situation twisted unexpectedly, and the internet erupted into chaos.

Posts attacking Qing Lin vanished almost instantly, and the heat skyrocketed—this was no longer just gossip; it was a full-blown social incident.

People who knew Qing Lin personally stepped forward, voicing support and rallying behind his fight to hold his father accountable.

[@QiaoWeilanSwag: Standing with Qing Lin in his fight for justice. Gamblers deserve to rot.]

[@NanYuyu: Wishing you happiness from now on, baby @QingLin.]

[@THJ-SuMingxuan: Top student! I’m with you! Stand up for your rights! Trust in the fairness of the law!]

[@G-NingYian: Qing Lin is truly a gentle soul. Netizens should think twice before judging without knowing the full story.]

[@(Wangchao)-Huang Jingzhong: Stand up for your rights.]

A wave swept across the internet, propelling the topic to the top of trending searches—

[Chopping through Qing Baihu — 99.9% cleared. Come give me the final slice!]

[One person, one cut—lend a hand!]

[Help +1]

[Help +1]

[Slashing!! Ahhh my Ling!]

[Supporting justice! Though it’s too late!]

Qing Lin had zero patience for following up on the online frenzy. Qing Baihu’s imprisonment was a foregone conclusion; only the sentencing required a court hearing.

Still, he hadn’t anticipated this tidal wave of public opinion. Excellent. Now Qing Baihu would spend several more years behind bars.

He didn’t want to linger in Hangzhou for even a second longer. With paparazzi swarming every corner, even a hotel was out of the question.

After a brief discussion with Shen Xuzhi, they decided to return to Dali, Yunnan.

The plane touched down in Dali, and Shen Xuzhi had already informed the production team. He took Qing Lin to a secluded homestay run by an old friend—a laid-back place that rarely opened and offered complete privacy. After a short conversation, Shen Xuzhi booked the entire building.

“Hey, you two big shots, what brings you to my place?” the owner chuckled.

Shen Xuzhi carried the luggage inside, then patted the owner’s shoulder. “Thanks for your trouble.”

“Not at all, not at all. No big deal,” the owner replied warmly. “Oh, right! If you get bored, I’ve got a motion-sensor game set up in the courtyard. Just got an awesome set of golf clubs recently.”

Shen Xuzhi glanced toward the large screen and motion controllers in the courtyard. “Great. Next time, I’ll treat you to a round of golf.”

The owner laughed and waved them off.

Evening had fallen, the sky completely dark, but the air was pleasantly cool, carrying the faint scent of the mountains.

Qing Lin needed some fresh air, so Shen Xuzhi accompanied him to the courtyard.

After a day of chaos and running around, fatigue weighed heavily on him.

Shen Xuzhi watched quietly as Qing Lin sat in a chair, eyes fixed blankly on the sky. He wanted to speak but didn’t know where to start.

Seeing Shen Xuzhi hesitate, Qing Lin straightened in his seat. “I’m fine, Mr. Shen. Don’t let my appearance fool you—I never forget a grudge. I tried to accept it, truly. He did adopt me and treated me well for a year… even if it was just one year.”

He lowered his head, a wry smile touching his lips. “Looking back, I was such a fool.”

Shen Xuzhi’s heart softened at the sight of that smile, every time it appeared.

The owner had prepared a BBQ for them, and Shen Xuzhi told Qing Lin to stay seated while he tended the grill. Soon, the scent of sizzling meat, charcoal, and cumin drifted through the air.

Unable to resist, Qing Lin closed his eyes and walked closer to watch.

“It smells amazing,” he murmured.

Shen Xuzhi picked up a freshly grilled piece, sliced it into small chunks, blew gently to cool it, and held it to Qing Lin’s lips. “Try it.”

Qing Lin’s chest fluttered at the gesture. “You’re…”

“Pursuing you,” Shen Xuzhi replied simply, as naturally as commenting on the weather, as effortlessly as the evening breeze rustling through the Dali leaves. Yet the words stirred something deep inside Qing Lin.

He gazed into Shen Xuzhi’s eyes. “May I ask… what is it that you like about me?”

Shen Xuzhi hesitated. There were too many reasons, too countless to enumerate—a lifetime’s worth, and still it wouldn’t be enough.

“Who’s there?!”

Suddenly, Qing Lin’s voice cut through the calm, sharp and alert.

Shen Xuzhi’s head snapped toward the movement in the grassy courtyard. Behind a tree, a figure crouched, trying to stay hidden.

“Who’s there?” Shen Xuzhi stepped in front of Qing Lin, guarding him instinctively.

The figure emerged from behind the tree—clearly a paparazzo who had followed them all the way here, hoping to capture a glimpse of the duo in this secluded retreat.

The paparazzo raised his hands nervously. “Relax, relax. I just have something to show you.”

He pulled out his phone and played an audio clip.

“That bastard Qing Lin! His relationship with that big star Shen Xuzhi is totally fake! I saw the contract they signed! It’s definitely a contract of servitude!”

“He’s just after your ass! Think you’ll get paid if you please him well enough?”

Qing Lin’s body trembled violently. Shen Xuzhi could feel the shaking through the space between them.

“Who would have guessed, Qing Laoshi. You are really trying to climb into wealth. This is what Qing Baihu yelled last night when he was drunk. He was alone in the park, and I was the only one who heard it,” the paparazzo said. “Want me to leak it? Just—”

Before he could finish, Shen Xuzhi seized a nearby golf club and swung with all his strength.

In an instant, the paparazzo’s phone shattered, its screen flying over ten meters away.

“Ah!” The man let out a wail, clutching his arm as if the bones had snapped, doubling over in pain.

Shen Xuzhi lifted his eyelids slowly, casting a dismissive glance.

“Fake news is boring. I’ll give you something far more explosive—and guaranteed authentic.”

His arm shot forward, the club descending with swift precision. It hovered a mere centimeter from the paparazzo’s nose.

“It wasn’t Qing Lin climbing the social ladder—”

“…it was me harboring a secret crush.”