“Nope, ignoring him from now on," Lilah replied with a smile. Her eyes were already scanning the crowd.

ALL these young, beautiful faces. How was she supposed to pick out the so-called Strawberry Baby?

Effie, catching on, pouted. "She's over there. She didn't say anything today, anyway. Seems the company never planned to bring her. Whatever changed their minds?"

Lilah nodded, her gaze fixed on a nearby table. "Did they pre-choose the sponsorship?"

"Not exactly. The painkiller ad just got added yesterday. I practiced that script all night."

This particular brand belonged to Karol.

Karol's company was known for its diverse ventures. It wasn't a leader in pharmaceuticals anymore, but it still distributed various medicines.

This painkiller was one of them, a popular choice.

Lilah had a sneaking suspicion about the online mastermind behind this whole plan.

"I'll handle it," she said, and then marched straight toward Strawberry Baby. The girl froze, too late to vanish into the crowd.

She tried to flee, to pretend she didn't see Lilah, but a cold voice stopped her. “Leaving now might not be the smartest thing you do if you want to salvage your reputation."

Strawberry Baby, stunned, stammered, "I don't know what you're talking about."

“You don't need to understand," Lilah said flatly. “Just acknowledge what you've done."

Her stare was unwavering. "Think you can spread rumors online under a fake name with no consequences?"

“What did I say?"

Strawberry Baby wouldn't meet Lilah's gaze. She was clearly guilty.

A faint smile played on Lilah's lips. “Your face looks perfectly fine. Seems you're quite skilled at deception.”

The online photos portrayed an almost disfigured Strawberry Baby.

She'd either been miraculously and flawlessly cured over the past few days, or it was all a farce.

Lilah didn't need to think twice; there were no medical miracles, after all.

"The shooting of the variety show can't be kept secret forever. With enough digging, netizens will expose the truth about your face, sooner or later. To avoid being labeled a liar, come clean. Who put you up to that photo?" Lilah pressed, her voice a steely threat.

Effie, finally piecing together the whole story, rushed to Strawberry Baby. “Are you dumb? You think silence will save you?" she sneered.

"No, no..." Strawberry Baby, fists clenched, mumbled defensively, “I. I didn't spread rumors! I never said anything! You can't prove that."

"Really? You think that picture wasn't a blatant lie?"