After Being Kicked Out, Seven Sisters Turned Against the Family One After Another

Chapter 23: Belief Is Existence:

Lin You had no time to explain everything to Li Ruochen, so he quickly said, “It’s not a physical issue. I can’t sum it up in a sentence or two. Let’s leave it at that for now. Ruochen, thank you…!”

Without waiting for a response, he turned around and began making phone calls. 

Seeing Lin You’s frantic state, like an ant on a hot pot, Li Ruochen hesitated but eventually left, comforting him as he walked away. “Lin You, there’s no obstacle you can’t overcome. Stay strong. If there’s anything I can help with, just let me know.”

Lin You gave a weak wave, and Li Ruochen reluctantly departed.

The phone call connected quickly. It only rang three times before Xuan Chi’s unhurried voice came through. “You’er, are you okay?”

Lin You, nearly driven mad by anxiety, felt a headache hearing how calm Xuan Chi sounded. Taking a deep breath, he asked, “Master, was it you who posted that Weibo just now?”

Xuan Chi sounded surprised. “Didn’t you ask me to post it? You said it would attract traffic. By the way, is it true, or did you make it up?”

Lin You was speechless. 

Even if he exaggerated, he had only mentioned an old man selling melons in the east of the city. But in Xuan Chi’s hands, it had turned into a story about a talking cow. When it came to spreading rumors, no one could match his master.

“Master, here’s the thing. I did make it up, but I only wanted you to briefly mention it. I didn’t expect you to write so much detail. I’m worried it might attract the public security department’s attention. Could you delete it immediately? It could cause trouble if someone takes advantage of it.”

Lin You felt he had explained himself thoroughly, but Xuan Chi, still calm, replied, “You’er, have you ever thought about something?”

Lin You restrained his impatience and listened.

“If I only briefly mentioned it, and there really was an explosion tomorrow night, what would happen when the authorities found out?”

Lin You froze, beginning to understand Xuan Chi’s point.

Xuan Chi continued, “I wrote on Weibo today that there would be an explosion at Sihai Restaurant tomorrow, and if it truly happens, this would resemble the warning signs terrorists give before an attack. It wouldn’t just be spreading rumors—it would be a crime.”

Lin You sighed in relief, realizing his master’s reasoning was sound. Xuan Chi then added, “Since it’s a rumor or prediction, let’s make it detailed. If there’s an explosion tomorrow, people will think it’s a coincidence. If there’s no explosion, it’ll just be nonsense.”

“But Master…” Lin You said worriedly, “Your post is too detailed. You even included the name and age of the injured. If something does happen, even if it’s coincidental, we’ll be attacked by black fans.”

“What I mean is,” Lin You continued, “there should be a limit to making up rumors. Yours is so detailed it feels real.”

Xuan Chi chuckled meaningfully. “How can you be so sure it’s just a rumor?”

“If you believe something,” Xuan Chi said, his tone turning philosophical, “then it exists.”

Lin You, exasperated by Xuan Chi’s cryptic remarks, protested, “Master, even if it happens tomorrow, this level of detail makes it seem more like an after-the-fact summary than a prediction.”

Xuan Chi coughed violently before responding, “You’er, don’t worry. I know what I’m doing.”

Hearing the cough, Lin You’s heart tightened. He began regretting involving Xuan Chi. If his master ended up in trouble, it was unclear whether his health could withstand it.

“Master,” Lin You said thoughtfully, “if you’re so insistent on being detailed, why not post this information on my Weibo instead? Delete the current one. I’m just a student; at most, I’ll get criticized and educated…”

Before Lin You could finish, Xuan Chi interrupted, “You’er, leave it to me. Isn’t it just a rumor? Focus on your studies. The college entrance exams are coming. As a boss, you must set an example for Jueming and Juehui.”

Before Lin You could reply, Xuan Chi hung up.

Lin You stood stunned for half a minute before storming off to his classroom.

The matter weighed heavily on Lin You’s mind all afternoon. Even when Zhang Xi wandered aimlessly in front of him, he didn’t bother to chide him.

By the end of the day, Lin You rushed to check Xuan Chi’s Weibo. To his relief, there were fewer than ten comments, most of them ridiculing Xuan Chi as crazy. 

Lin You finally relaxed.

After school, however, a new problem emerged: he had nowhere to stay. Before joining the Lin family, Lin You had boarded at school. But after moving in with Lin Yuan and Lan Lin, they had forbidden it, insisting it might lead to bad habits. For four years, he had lived in the basement.

Now, with no place to go, Lin You packed his bag and wandered outside. He ate a bowl of Yangchun noodles before deciding to sleep under a bridge for the night, planning to rent a place the next day. However, the mosquitoes proved unbearable, forcing him to leave.

Left with no choice, Lin You booked a night at an Internet cafe for 20 yuan. He didn’t even turn on the computer, collapsing onto a sofa and falling asleep immediately.

The next morning, he turned on a computer to check Xuan Chi’s Weibo. To his shock, a post that usually garnered fewer than 20 views now had thousands of comments. People flooded Xuan Chi’s page with various remarks.

Some claimed Xuan Chi needed psychiatric help. Others debated whether the post was a prank. One user even noted suspicious construction on Xiangcheng Road, the location mentioned in the post.

Among the chaos was a particularly bizarre comment: “Zhao Jing, stop being petty. If you want to stop me from marrying Ling’er, don’t resort to slander. Just claim Ling’er is pregnant with your child—it’ll make you look more like a man. If you dare, come to the wedding tomorrow and watch me kiss the woman you’ll never have.”

It was clear the situation was spiraling out of control.