Chapter 5

Back at the apartment, Lindsay logged into her Instagram account and promptly changed the password.

Oliver was the one who previously managed her account, but he didn't pay much attention to it. He only posted once every couple of months, and there was hardly any engagement.

When Lindsay opened the comments section, she wasn't surprised to find it filled with hateful messages. Most of the people insulting her were fans of Justin and Alex.

There was a time when she went out to eat alone with Justin.

Paparazzi took photos and exposed their childhood connection. Justin's fans accused her of using their idol for publicity, telling her not to have any inappropriate thoughts about him and that she was out of his league.

This was despite their relationship being secret; if it had been public, the backlash would have been even worse.

Oliver also didn't arrange any PR for her.

When she suggested it, he dismissed the idea, which made her consider leaving Harper Entertainment.

As for Justin, he handled the fan backlash with silence, offering no explanations or defense. He even suggested she was unsuitable for the entertainment industry and should leave, which led to a fight between them.

Looking back, Lindsay found it laughable. This was her childhood friend and boyfriend, who stood by silently while she was being attacked. His lack of response made it seem like she was indeed using their relationship for publicity.

Similarly, Alex's fans once attacked her when she was spotted practicing dance with him. They accused her of shamelessly trying to seduce and cling to him, calling her names and accusing her of trying to court both Justin and Alex at the same time.

She even trended on social media for this scandal.

Lindsay asked Alex to explain, but he claimed that the truth would clear itself and that explaining would only look like covering up. He said their relationship didn't need to be publicly clarified.

Oliver also didn't arrange for any PR assistance.

With both brothers doing nothing, she couldn't explain herself, as it would only make things worse and lead to more insults.

Not long after, Oliver took Olivia shopping, carrying bags and paying for everything.

Someone took photos and posted them online. The Harper siblings and Olivia didn't use their legal surnames in the industry; instead, they used their mother's maiden name, Lowe.

There were many celebrities, agents, and directors with the surname Lowe, so few people knew about the Harper siblings' family ties.

As a result, Olivia also faced backlash from Alex's fans, trending on social media.

However, this time, Alex didn't stay silent.

He not only posted on Instagram defending Olivia but also publicly revealed their sibling relationship.

Oliver promptly had his team manage the PR. They not only cleared up the misunderstanding but also promoted the deep bond between Alex and Olivia.

In her past life, Lindsay grew increasingly distant from Alex and Oliver due to this incident and decided to leave the Harper family and their company.

Unfortunately, before she could do so, she was kidnapped and killed.

Soon, the show's production team announced the cast on their official social media account.

Lindsay deleted all the posts Oliver had previously made and then shared the show's announcement.

As expected, besides continued curiosity about the mysterious male guests and excitement over Alex joining as a special guest, her comment section was filled with insults.

“What? Lindsay Summer is one of the female guests? Is this some kind of joke?”

“Among all the guests, she's the least popular with the lowest status. What was the production team thinking by inviting her?”

“Most likely, she got the spot through some connections, maybe with the help of a wealthy sponsor.”

“Yeah, seducing powerful men is what she’s best at.”

“Oh no, she's not chasing after our Lex, is she?”

Alex’s fans called him “Lex.”

“I bet she’ll cling to Lex during the show to leech off his popularity.”

“If that’s the case, it’s really disgusting. Lex only joined the show to be with his sister, not to deal with her. Please, stay away from him.”

“I have no issues with the other guests, but I really can't stand Lindsay.”

“She’s quite pretty. A year ago, she played a supporting role that impressed me, but I wonder why she never became popular.”

"She hasn't been around much lately. Instead, she's been busy chasing after top celebrities and movie stars. That's probably why she never made it big."

“Who knows if her beauty is natural? Or maybe her photos and videos are heavily filtered. I’ve never seen her without makeup.”

“Stay strong, Lex. Don’t let her taint you. Just focus on taking care of your amazing sister.”

After the insults towards Lindsay, the comments shifted to praising Olivia.

Comments like "a beautiful and kind girl," "a gentle and lovely angelic sister," and more filled the feed.

Lindsay immediately recognized that this was Oliver’s work, having the marketing team build Olivia’s image and set the narrative.

Casual viewers seeing these comments would be curious about Olivia, wondering what kind of innocent, angelic sister she was.

When the show began, they would naturally pay attention to her. Of course, Lindsay would also attract attention, but in a negative way.

Lindsay ignored the negative comments about her.

Given her current popularity and status, responding would only lead to more backlash and damage her reputation further.

To change the audience’s perception and gain their favor, she knew she had to perform well on the variety show. Popularity and talent would determine her standing and influence.

After closing the social media app, Lindsay looked up detailed information about the other guests.

Over the next few days, Lindsay focused on her health and prepared for the show.

During this time, Justin tried to contact her using someone else’s phone, but Lindsay hung up as soon as she heard his voice. Alex also reached out, and she promptly hung up and blocked him.

A week later, the variety show "Starting From Zero" premiered. It was the first live outdoor reality show. The production team claimed they would not use any beauty filters and assured there was no script, aiming to present genuine reality.

The guests had to travel from different locations to the recording city on their own, and the production team would then arrange transportation to the final destination.

The destination was a remote mountain village, requiring over five hours of driving from the city to the county and then to the village.

Lindsay was the first to arrive at the village. As soon as her car pulled up, the live broadcast officially began.

Due to extensive pre-show promotion, the renowned director's involvement, and the buzz surrounding the two mystery guests and the sibling duo, viewership numbers soared immediately, quickly surpassing one million, making for an impressive start.

Lindsay had delicate features, porcelain-white skin, and a tall, graceful figure. Today, she wore a cherry blossom pink tracksuit, light makeup, and her hair in a ponytail, giving off a vibrant and youthful energy.

As the live broadcast zoomed in, the audience saw Lindsay smile at the camera.

“The first person is that annoying Lindsay? I don’t want to watch her.”

“This must be in order of popularity. She’s the least popular, so the big names are saved for last.”

“I don’t want to see her. I want to see Lex and his sister.”

“She shouldn’t be on the show at all.”

“Oh my gosh, even without beauty filters, Lindsay’s looks are stunning.”

“Lindsay is so beautiful, she’s won my heart.”

Most of Lindsay’s fans admired her for her looks, and they tuned into the live broadcast after the official announcement. They were now glued to their screens, captivated by her appearance.

“I’m not sure about other aspects, but her beauty is indeed striking.”

“I’m starting to appreciate her looks. As long as she behaves well on the show, I’ll become her fan.”

In addition to Alex and Olivia's fans, other guests' supporters and casual viewers were also captivated by Lindsay's striking appearance.

The initial impression was that this girl was truly beautiful.

Next, the second, third, and fourth cars arrived one after another. Out stepped the popular singer Wendy Fox, the second-tier actress Sharon Kagan, and a talented actor named Leslie Nilson.

Wendy sported a trendy, casual sportswear outfit today. Sharon wore an elegant long dress. Leslie, who had a neat and friendly vibe, got out of the car and greeted the three female guests with a smile.

Lindsay smiled and politely greeted back, then also greeted the other two female guests with a smile.

Wendy returned Lindsay's smile and even started a brief conversation with her.

Although Sharon also greeted her with a smile, she maintained a cold and distant demeanor towards Lindsay, tinged with a hint of superiority.

Soon, another car arrived.