Chapter 26: Chapter Twenty-Six: Misunderstanding

Luo Quan said, “I need to confirm a few things with Starfield-san—after all, so many people are driving the narrative this time, I have to tell friend from foe.”

Miki hesitated, “Starfield-san wouldn’t do something like that. She’s one of the company’s top idols—she has no reason to.”

Luo Quan said grimly, “Whether she has a point or not, I won’t know until I ask—just give me her address and phone number. Whatever happens, blame it on me; I already have enough problems, I don’t care about adding more.”

“Alright then, I’ll send you Starfield-san’s address and number right away.” Miki hung up, and less than a minute later, the information arrived.

Immediately after receiving the number, Luo Quan dialed it.

Dum—dum—dum

“Hello?”

Starfield Sakura saw an unknown number and hesitated, but ultimately answered.

Luo Quan chuckled, “Starfield-san, can you recognize my voice?”

“You’re… Luo Quan!” Luo Quan’s voice was unmistakable—Starfield Sakura recognized it instantly, her expression darkening.

“How did you get my private number? And what do you want?”

“What do I want? Don’t you know what you did? I don’t even know what I ever did to you to make you go to such lengths to ruin me.”

Starfield Sakura looked utterly baffled. “What are you talking about? I don’t understand a word.”

“Don’t worry—I’m not recording. I’m not like you, who relies on underhanded tricks. When I go after someone, I do it openly and honestly!”

“Today, we settle this. What exactly did I do to make you orchestrate so many people to attack me?”

Luo Quan was already agitated, and Starfield Sakura was no pushover—within five sentences, her temper flared. “Are you crazy? You call just to insult me? I have no idea what you’re accusing me of, but I did nothing. Say whatever you want online—I don’t care. This is insane!”

With that, Starfield Sakura hung up.

Luo Quan clenched her phone, teeth grinding. “‘Say whatever you want online’? You’re the one throwing mud—and acting like the victim.”

Wen Xia asked quickly, “Did she do it?”

Luo Quan frowned, thinking. “I’m not sure—but likely. But you won’t get the truth over the phone. She’ll never admit it.”

Yanagisawa Junko fretted, “Then what do we do now?”

Luo Quan said nothing, only stared at the address Miki had sent her—she already had her answer…

“Psychopath!” Starfield Sakura hurled cushion after cushion from the sofa into the courtyard, her bright eyes blazing with visible rage. In two years as an idol, she’d never been so humiliated!

After venting, Starfield Sakura took several deep breaths and sat down to calm herself. “Don’t get angry. Letting some no-name rookie ruin your health isn’t worth it. This arrogant upstart won’t last long. When she falls, I’ll make her regret every word.”

As her temper cooled, Starfield Sakura picked up her phone and opened Twitter, ready to promote her new drama.

But the moment she logged in, Luo Quan’s name was at the top of the trending list.

In recent days, Luo Quan had been trending on Twitter almost daily—Starfield Sakura always saw her name. But this time, the trend was negative.

“Two-faced rookie. Shame of the Japanese music industry.”

“Luo Quan, get out of Japan. No matter how good you sing, you can’t hide your arrogance!”

“Claims to be a pure goddess? Turns out she’s been **** since high school. Disgusting.”

“Got into Tokyo University through connections? Investigate her!”

Starfield Sakura scrolled for minutes—all tweets were attacks on Luo Quan. Though Luo Quan’s fans had tried to fight back in the comments, they were vastly outnumbered.

After all, Luo Quan had only debuted ten days ago—her fanbase was too small and too weak to withstand a full-scale online smear campaign.

After nearly ten more minutes of scrolling, Starfield Sakura finally understood the full scheme: first, someone leaked Luo Quan’s dirt to spark attention, then the Weekly Bunshun report followed—and it nearly killed her.

Recovery under these conditions was nearly impossible. Even if Luo Quan was innocent, the damage to her reputation was done. A hundred clarifications wouldn’t undo it—and these trolls wouldn’t believe her anyway.

Starfield Sakura had faced something similar before—but she’d returned home to develop her career, with little history in Japan, so the rumors were quickly debunked and caused little harm.

But Luo Quan was different. Three years living in Japan gave the trolls ample material to work with—and the Weekly Bunshun photos were the final, lethal blow.

Starfield Sakura knew exactly what had happened backstage during the MS show. Though Luo Quan had spoken sharply, she hadn’t said anything truly disrespectful to her senior.

They’d had tensions before, and Starfield Sakura had been angry—but she’d never intended to use it against Luo Quan.

She never imagined that moment had been captured by a hidden paparazzo—and turned into the sharpest dagger aimed at Luo Quan.

If Starfield Sakura spoke up for Luo Quan now, Luo Quan’s pressure would ease dramatically. Uncovering the mastermind behind the rumors and turning public opinion wouldn’t be hard.

But if Starfield Sakura endorsed the Weekly Bunshun report now, Luo Quan could become Japan’s fastest-fallen star—and likely the #1 on that list.

When that thought surfaced in Starfield Sakura’s mind, she felt a thrill. That phone call had fully enraged her. One sentence. A few keystrokes—and she could crush Luo Quan forever.

Unconsciously, Starfield Sakura found herself opening Twitter’s input interface, her fingers hovering over the keyboard.

But she didn’t type. She hesitated—then closed Twitter.

She pouted, haughty. “Pfft… I’m not some backstabber. Whether you survive this is up to you.”

She’d just put down her phone when the doorbell rang abruptly.

Starfield Sakura, still in slippers, hurried to the entrance. Through the peephole, she saw two broad-shouldered young men in suits, each carrying a brown shoulder bag, bulging with contents.

Starfield Sakura asked through the intercom, “Who are you?”

The two men immediately bowed respectfully. “Miss, we’re sales representatives from a health supplement company. May we have a few minutes of your time?”

Starfield Sakura hesitated, wondering how these salesmen had gotten into the apartment complex—but seeing them out in the summer heat, she softened.

To avoid being recognized, she took a mask from the entryway cabinet, put it on, and opened the door halfway—the security chain still attached to the wall.

“Tell me about your company’s supplements,” Starfield Sakura said, adjusting her hair.

“This is our company’s latest health supplement—extremely reliable…” The man on the right pulled a black cylinder from his bag.

The next second, he lunged at the door, jammed the cylinder into the gap between door and frame, and pressed the protruding button—*click*—the door was now locked in place.

Before Starfield Sakura could react, the man stepped aside. His partner pulled a folding steel axe from his bag, snapped it open, raised it high, and smashed it down on the security chain connecting door to wall.

Their coordination was flawless, their movements practiced—like seasoned professionals. Starfield Sakura had no time to react.

The axe’s impact rang out with Starfield Sakura’s scream. The chain didn’t break—but the screws holding it loosened.

Another swing. Then another. Then another. Starfield Sakura screamed and shoved the door with all her strength—but the cylinder blocking the gap was too sturdy. No matter how hard she pushed, the door wouldn’t budge.

Finally, on the fifth swing, the chain snapped free. The entire house was exposed. Starfield Sakura spun and ran inside. The two men surged in like tigers into a sheep pen.