Volume One, Chapter 30: I Can't Find My Way Home

The broadcast was abruptly interrupted, and everyone returned to Yanjing City.

Li Luoqi, after overcoming his initial panic, sprang into action. He was harshly reprimanded by his company, but fortunately, they had no intention of abandoning him. Guan He had invested much effort into this program and was naturally unwilling to let a scandal erupt before it even aired. Both sides quickly reached an agreement to cover up the incident.

After all, only a handful of people were present. Their own staff were, of course, trustworthy, and the other four guests, so long as they wished to remain in the entertainment industry, would not dare risk offending Li Luoqi and the powerful capital backing him. The only trouble lay with Chi Xingwan and the other two. But even if they wanted to stand up for Zheng Zimo, without evidence, who would believe them?

So, there was no problem.

Guan He was already scouting for a new filming location, and Li Luoqi was busy seeking experts to exorcise evil spirits. Just when they thought everything was foolproof, two videos surfaced online.

It was prime time on a weekend evening, so the videos spread rapidly.

The first video showed scenes from the show’s recording: five guests sitting in the courtyard of the guesthouse, sharing heartfelt stories. Li Luoqi talked about his struggles, tears streaming down his face. His fans were moved, launching a wave of sympathy across all platforms, quickly propelling him to the trending topics.

However, another video soon appeared—an unedited recording from that day, showing Chi Xingwan defending Zheng Zimo and confronting Li Luoqi. The footage ran from the moment Chi Xingwan and her companions entered the room, all the way to Li Luoqi being forced to confess under the truth-telling talisman. Nothing was cut; it was all shown.

Netizens were stunned, debates erupted.

“Who would have thought Li Luoqi was this kind of person? You fans were just flooding the platforms with sympathy for him—how does your face feel now?”

“This video is chilling. Li Luoqi is terrifying—pretending to be Zheng Zimo’s friend, yet doing so many awful things behind his back, driving him to his death, and still not stopping. He even tries to steal Zheng Zimo’s story for himself. How can he sleep at night?”

“Li Luoqi is disgusting. People like him, as celebrities, only set a bad example for children. He’s unfit to be a public figure. Li Luoqi, get out of the entertainment industry!”

Soon, the hashtag #LiLuoqiGetOutOfTheEntertainmentIndustry shot to the top of the trends and stayed there.

While Li Luoqi was condemned, many sympathized with Zheng Zimo’s plight, expressing sorrow and apologizing to him.

“I heard that not only Zheng Zimo, but even his family were harassed. That’s too much. Those who cursed him back then, don’t hide—come out and apologize!”

“Even though saying this now is pointless, I still want to apologize to Zheng Zimo. I was one of those who followed the crowd and insulted you. Now that I know the truth, I wish I could slap myself.”

“I’m sorry, Zimo. I used to be your fan, but when those so-called scandals broke, I didn’t believe you and stopped supporting you. I truly regret it. If only more people had believed in and supported you back then, maybe you wouldn’t have chosen to leave this world.”

Li Luoqi, under a fake account, kept refreshing the page, watching the online comments as his heart sank lower and lower.

“Delete the videos, quickly!”

His agent had just hung up the phone, looking displeased. “We’re making inquiries, but we can’t find out who uploaded the videos. The platforms have been contacted, but their servers were hacked—they can’t delete them.”

“Were the videos released by Director Guan’s team? Those angles must have been shot by their crew.”

The agent replied impatiently, “I already contacted Director Guan. He admitted both videos were filmed by the program team, but denies that anyone from their side leaked them.”

He actually believed Guan He. After all, the exposure of the videos was harmful to Guan He, not beneficial. Yet the videos were indeed shot by the crew, and outsiders couldn’t easily access them. This had led to tension between his side and Guan He’s.

“So what should we do?” Li Luoqi was agitated.

The agent, equally frustrated, snapped, “This mess is of your own making. If you ask me what to do, who should I ask?”

It was the first time Li Luoqi heard his agent speak to him with such hostility. He dared not get angry, only felt panic.

“Brother, the company isn’t planning to abandon me, right?”

The agent glanced at him. “You’re facing a major scandal. Some sponsors have already demanded contract termination and compensation. The company will definitely freeze your career. Whether you’ll ever return depends on your luck.”

With that, the agent left without another glance. Li Luoqi was no longer worth his effort.

Li Luoqi collapsed to the floor, clutching his head, sobbing, “It’s over. I’ve lost everything. Everything…”

…

Chi Xingwan sat before her computer, slowly scrolling with the mouse. The screen was filled with comments about Li Luoqi and Zheng Zimo.

“Does this scene ease your anger?” Chi Xingwan asked Zheng Zimo, who stood behind her.

Zheng Zimo stared blankly, expressionless.

Ease his anger? How could it? The harm Li Luoqi had caused him would never disappear.

But what else could he do? At least now, his name had been cleared, and the wrongdoer’s evil deeds were exposed.

Zheng Zimo bowed deeply to Chi Xingwan. “Thank you, Master Chi, for restoring justice for me.”

Chi Xingwan looked back at him. “But you still have unfulfilled wishes?”

Zheng Zimo hesitated for a moment, then spoke, “I want to see my parents again, but they’ve moved and I can’t find my way home.”

Daidai, who was wearing the talisman Chi Xingwan had given, could also see Zheng Zimo. Hearing his words, Daidai recalled that it had been an orphan in life, with no home to return to, and was suddenly overcome with sorrow.

“Sister, please help him. Let him go home one more time.”

Chi Xingwan stroked its feathers. “Don’t worry, I’ll see this through to the end.”

For Chi Xingwan, finding a person was no difficulty. She closed her eyes, seeming to fall asleep, but in truth her spirit left her body and traveled to the Underworld.

When it came to finding people, no one was more effective than ghost messengers. Soon, Chi Xingwan learned from one of them the new residence of Zheng Zimo’s parents.

Early the next morning, Chi Xingwan set out with Zheng Zimo.

They arrived at a gated community with strict security. Zheng Zimo’s parents, to avoid harassment, had sold their previous home and bought a place here.

“I can’t get in. Maybe you should go on your own? Oh, never mind—they’re coming out.”

Right as Chi Xingwan finished speaking, an elderly couple emerged from the community. Zheng Zimo’s emotions crumbled in an instant.

“Dad, Mom, it’s me, Zimo! I’ve come home!”

No matter how loudly he called, the two elders remained unmoved. They could neither see nor hear him.

The couple got into a car and left. Chi Xingwan immediately ordered the driver to follow.