Chapter 26: The Nameless One

Jiang Rumeng dreamed of becoming a snow-white rabbit. She did not even dare to covet the beast forms of white foxes or white tigers; she would have been content with just a rabbit. Yet, her parents were so wretched. The more she witnessed the excellence of her aunt, her aunt’s partner, and their cubs, the more she felt like a pathetic worm in this household. Her genes constantly reminded her that she was not Jiang Yulian’s biological daughter; her mother was merely a rat from a trash planet. No one would ever love such a disgusting beast form, even if females no longer shifted into their beast forms after reaching adulthood. Their spiritual consciousness, however, remained in that form! Whenever they performed soothing, they had to release their spiritual consciousness. This was why she chose to study in the music department; she did not want to soothe any males, and she especially did not want it known that she, the refined young lady, actually had such a sordid origin.

When Jiang Qin was found, Jiang Rumeng truly felt as if the sky had collapsed. Especially since she was already an adult; if Jiang Yulian favored her own biological child, she would surely help her find a partner and make her move out. But she could not find a partner, nor could she be exposed for having lied about her beast form since childhood. She could not let anyone know that she was the descendant of a female from a trash planet! Therefore, she began to target Jiang Qin, wanting to make everyone loathe her. Yet, she was also afraid—afraid that if Jiang Qin were pushed too far, something would happen, and then someone would surely investigate. She lacked the confidence to deceive those people. Jiang Rumeng could only stir up trouble subtly while simultaneously pacifying Jiang Qin.

Originally, regarding the incident of falling down the stairs, she had already planned to explain to Jiang Qin that she had simply lost her footing, and that it was only because Mother was too worried about her that she had vented her anger on Jiang Qin. Then, she would speak well of Jiang Qin to Jiang Yulian, urging her to forgive her. In this way, she would gain favor from both sides while also sowing discord between the mother and daughter. She never expected that Jiang Qin would simply leave and likely even replace her optical computer. But it did not matter; Jiang Rumeng calmed down quickly. She believed she still held favor with Jiang Qin, and she was confident she could soothe her again. After all, she was the only one in the Jiang family who had reached out a helping hand when Jiang Qin was in difficulty and despair. However, her plan would have to change. She would need to use some genuine sincerity to win Jiang Qin over; after all, Jiang Qin’s talent could still be utilized. As long as she maintained the conflict between the rest of the Jiang family and Jiang Qin, she could easily remain on good terms with both sides. She had been blinded by jealousy before and had acted too hastily. Jiang Rumeng reflected on herself earnestly.

***

After finishing the song "Joy is Enough," Jiang Qin felt a wave of exhaustion. She just wanted to finish the last two songs as quickly as possible and rest. The comments in the livestream were becoming more positive.

[I don't understand the music, and I can't dance, but I can give the streamer a '666' with one hand.]
[When will the streamer resume work? I want to travel to Azure Planet.]
[The smart ones have already bought their tickets!]
[The streamer looks so tired; there is cold sweat on her forehead. Everyone, let's work hard so she can finish singing simply and get some rest.]
[Does the streamer have a genetic disease? You look unusually weak.]

Jiang Qin ignored these barbed remarks; they were just trying to nail her to the label of being "defective" again. She was weak because of malnutrition since childhood; neither her body nor her spiritual sea had received sufficient nourishment. There were also the issues of air and water pollution on the barren planet, as well as old, lingering injuries. That was right; despite living to eighteen, her body was truly like a leaky sieve. Jiang Qin planned to visit a hospital when she had time in the next few days. She would ask a doctor to recommend some agents, and once she earned enough money, she could buy them. However, the damage caused by long-term exposure to a polluted environment was likely difficult to resolve, and she did not know if the current interstellar medical technology could cure it.

Even a casual observer could see Jiang Qin’s withered state, so even passersby did not have the heart to make things difficult for a female. Only the paid trolls remained diligent. However, for the next two draws, Jiang Qin’s luck was good; the themes were both pop songs. For the first, Jiang Qin chose "Flower Fragrance." The second was "Nameless Person." As she played the guitar gently, her voice low and weary, she sang softly:

"I am a nameless person on this road,
I have no headlines, no one to comment,
I have to give my all just to trade for a common script..."

This demeanor was a far cry from the confident version of her at the beginning. It was like growth after stripping away all pretenses. Especially the later lyrics:

"Nameless person, I offer you a glass of wine,
A toast to your silence and every roar,
A toast to you bowing your back as you climb the mountain to reach the heights."

Was she not one of them, too? If she had not proven herself today, without evidence, this framing would likely have become a stain on her life that could never be washed away. No one would dwell on the fact that Lilia also lacked solid evidence. Because when both sides lacked proof, people would subconsciously believe Lilia, who appeared more professional. After all, she was a student at Doren University. Anyone who watched from beginning to end witnessed how difficult it was to prove her own innocence today. No one would question her need to steal someone else's music scores anymore. Someone holding over a dozen good songs had no need to steal three, especially since the gap between those dozen and the three was not significant. Jiang Qin had no reason to covet others' work. Conversely, everyone had seen Lilia's level of skill.

Those who had been swayed were now feeling regretful; they always subconsciously trusted those with better backgrounds. The discrimination against low-level planets had never ceased.

"Alright, today's livestream ends here. If anyone wants to frame me again in the future, please bring monitoring evidence or other concrete proof, okay? If you rely on just your mouth to describe my 'crime' again, I will not pay any attention."

As for calling the police, it was not that Jiang Qin did not want to, but she also lacked evidence to prove her own innocence. The main thing was that even if she called the police, it would be useless; there was no evidence to prove whose story was true. Even asking about the creative process would be futile; given the time that had passed, Lilia would certainly have prepared a response. Therefore, self-proof was her only path. After all, when someone says a rich person stole from a poor person, everyone’s thought is that it is impossible because there is no need. But when someone says a poor person stole from a rich person, everyone instinctively thinks it is possible. Jiang Qin, in the eyes of everyone, was that "poor person." That was why the netizens so easily believed Lilia. But after today, in people's eyes, Jiang Qin would become that "rich person." Whenever someone tried to frame her in the future, everyone's first reaction would surely be that it was impossible, because she possessed so much more; there was no need for her to be greedy.