Lian Jun smiled, "Seeing as the person involved denied it so readily, I suppose there's nothing to it! It must be those reporters chasing rumors, don't you think? Yiyie?"
Xiao Yi leaned towards the car window, not particularly inclined to engage with him.
Lian Jun extended a delicate finger, "Look, our Yi Ge here doesn't object either."
Xia Wei Liang chuckled, "Mhm."
Soon, they arrived at a television station.
The group descended from the car, but Xia Wei Liang remained seated.
Xiao Yi turned to look at her, raising an eyebrow, "There's no need for a bodyguard in the car."
"..."
Xia Wei Liang took a deep breath and smiled, "Then, Yi Shen, you go for the interview. I'm neither a guest nor a staff member, so it wouldn't be very appropriate for me to go, would it?"
As she spoke, she cast a meaningful glance towards Lian Jun, "Jun Ge, what do you think?"
Lian Jun shook his head, feigning deep thought, "Hmm... you have a point there!"
Xiao Yi was direct, immediately turning to take out his phone and make a call, "Yes, bring a guest... Mhm, thank you."
He then put away his phone and turned to look at her.
Xia Wei Liang: "..."
Aren't even film emperors trying to ride on trends these days?
Is he afraid she's not obscure enough?!
You come for an interview, and I show up with a folk dance and a play, is that appropriate? Is it really appropriate? Don't I have any pride?!
Xiao Yi said nothing, just continued to stare at her.
Xia Wei Liang also looked sulky, adopting a defiant stance.
The two of them remained in a stalemate, leaving Yan Zhi and Da Yang bewildered, like two dogs whose owner was about to divide them, unsure of where to go, looking left and right.
Lian Jun suddenly chuckled and went to the car door, extending his hand to Xia Wei Liang, "Miss Xia, do you perhaps have many words you wish to say to the media? Don't worry, we've collaborated often, and I guarantee they won't trap you! If they do, I'll bury them first!"
With Lian Jun saying this, it would be difficult for Xia Wei Liang to persist.
She hesitated and reached out her hand, intending to take his and get out of the car.
However, before her hand could touch his, it was grabbed by another person, and in the next second, she was pulled down with considerable force. Xia Wei Liang lost her balance and stumbled forward—
Seeing this, Yan Zhi and Da Yang, with perfect tacit understanding, took a step to either side, further emphasizing the man in the center's prime position.
Thus, Xia Wei Liang fell directly into Xiao Yi's arms.
Xiao Yi braced her with his hands, glanced down at her, and said, "Stand steady."
Xia Wei Liang's cheeks flushed, and she quickly straightened up, afraid of being seen and having people say she "threw herself into his arms" or was "a starving wolf pouncing."
Staring at the man who had turned away, she muttered softly, "Tch, if I'd pounced like this before, you would have been overjoyed!"
The man's steps faltered, and he turned his head to look at her, "What did you say?"
"Nothing, nothing!" she quickly waved her hand, inwardly yearning for the Xiao Yi from her rebirth world.
Indeed, without comparison, there's no harm, and even comparing oneself to oneself is infuriating.
The three people following behind had had their fill of gossip. Lian Jun, with his arms crossed, said with amusement, "Is the iron tree about to bloom?"
Yan Zhi: "I don't know if it's blooming, but a sprout has definitely emerged."
Da Yang: "But... but Brother Yi used to say he wouldn't date women in the industry! No, he meant he wouldn't date women at all!"
Da Yang was a career fan of Xiao Yi, solely focused on Xiao Yi's career. Women would only hinder Brother Yi's progress!
Yan Zhi and Lian Jun both looked at him with sympathy: "Can a man's words be trusted?"
—
The program team only knew that the film emperor was bringing someone on the show, assuming it was a new artist the company was grooming. Little did they know, they had brought a dream gift package!
"Oh, isn't this Sister Wei Liang!"
"Wei Liang, welcome, welcome!"
"Brother Yi is the best to our station, bringing the Queen of Topics!"
"It's going to explode, it's going to explode! This episode will definitely be a hit!"
"Talented Film Emperor + Queen of Topics, who can surpass such a divine combination!"
The entire program team, from top to bottom, responded with the highest level of enthusiasm. The director immediately notified the station, and the promotional copy was adjusted without delay!
Front page headlines, trending searches, all arranged!
Xia Wei Liang plastered on a laugh that was anything but genuine, exchanging pleasantries with them while glaring accusingly at the leisurely man behind her.
She hadn't figured out what to say yet; was this forcing her to respond?
In the backstage makeup room, Xiao Yi's makeup was simple. His skin was naturally good and fair, requiring only a slight trim of his eyebrows.
Xiao Yi glanced at the makeup mirror in front of him. In the mirror, a pair of resentful eyes stared directly at him.
He curved his thin lips into a smile.
Beside him, the makeup artist reminded, "Sister Wei Liang, look this way... the eyeliner will be drawn crookedly..."
"Oh, oh."
Xia Wei Liang was quite cooperative, immediately withdrawing her gaze and obediently letting the artist work on her face.
One of her few virtues was that she never judged people by their status, treating makeup artists and crew members with the same courtesy.
Once the makeup was finished, Xia Wei Liang turned sideways. The room was left with just the two of them. There was no need to pretend anymore, so she got straight to the point, "Why did you bring me on the show?"
"Impulse."
"..."
He used her own words from the car against her.
Xia Wei Liang's gaze deepened, "What do you want me to say on the show? How to explain the hotel incident? I haven't even thought it through..."
The man suddenly turned to face her, his eyes as dark as the night, as if holding countless starlight, momentarily dazzling her vision.
"Tell the truth."
"I... I'm telling the truth, what the hell!"
Xia Wei Liang was exasperated, "What am I supposed to say? That I was really at the hotel that day? That I really spent the night with a man in a hotel? That I still don't know who that man is, only remembering a scar on his wrist?!"
The man, who had been calm moments ago, suddenly froze.
He slowly raised his hand and touched his left wrist...
"What's the use of saying all this? It would still confirm my messy private life!" Xia Wei Liang paced around the room, so agitated she wanted to curse.
"Xiao Yi, you... why are you always so domineering? You say whatever you want, without considering my situation?"
Xiao Yi narrowed his eyes, keenly catching a keyword in her words: "Always?"
"Yes!"
Xia Wei Liang nodded vigorously, and just as she was about to speak, she realized she had said something she shouldn't have. Annoyed, she turned her head away, "I usually see you in interviews and shows, haven't you always been like that?"
Xiao Yi looked at her suspiciously, "Just like that?"
"Then what else?" Xia Wei Liang pursed her lips and said slowly, "I don't interact with you much, I don't know you well..." Her voice held an indescribable sense of loss.
Xiao Yi's eyes tightened, and he suddenly said, "Then let's start now, interact more, get to know each other better."