However, Xia Weiliang was not lacking in discernment. The reason she was friendly to her was that she was at a low point in her life, ostracized by everyone. As a respected and virtuous elder artist, Xi En’s geniality was a mark of his cultivation. She couldn't be oblivious to that.
Now that he had finished his well wishes, it was also an implicit dismissal. Did Xia Weiliang have the nerve to stand there like a warning sign?
Therefore, she plastered a smile on her face, "I won't bother Brother En."
As she turned to leave, Xi En called her back.
After a moment’s thought, he said, "If you can put aside your prejudices and reconcile with Yiran…"
"Impossible."
The girl, who had been wearing a sweet smile, seemed to transform into someone else, even her expression turned cold.
Xia Weiliang’s teeth itched with hatred at the mere mention of that name. She knew that Xi En had mentored Xia Yiran, so naturally, he would believe her over herself.
However, whether he believed her or not had never mattered to Xia Weiliang.
She turned around, discarding her subservient demeanor. Her eyes were clear and bright, her attitude neither humble nor arrogant. There was even a hint of mockery in the corners of her eyes:
"Are you very familiar with me? Do you know what kind of person I am? I suppose your understanding of me is all from a third party. So, Brother En, you also use your ears to understand people?"
With a mocking smile, she turned and pulled open the door, exiting.
Xi En slowly furrowed his brow. Just as Xia Yiran had said, Xia Weiliang was indeed adept at sophistry.
Yet, for some reason, he felt an indistinct discomfort…
After coming out, Xia Weiliang patted her chest vigorously.
She was already a person who had been "exported and re-imported" [referring to being in disgrace and returning]; couldn't she be more magnanimous? Why bother arguing with these people who hadn't developed mentally!
Come on, inhale~ exhale~ inhale again~
After a few rounds of breathing, her sharp eyes spotted Yan Zhi emerging from the resting room on the other side.
There!
Xia Weiliang was ecstatic. But just as she was about to go over, a misaligned nerve in her brain suddenly connected correctly, and she thought of a terrifying problem!
The man in the hotel this time was not Xiao Yi.
Her footsteps froze as if nailed to the ground, and all the blood in her body seemed to solidify. She had actually mixed up such an important fact! How could she have eagerly come to see Xiao Yi, not realizing that in this life, Xiao Yi had nothing to do with her…
The door over there opened again, and a familiar figure walked out.
Startled, Xia Weiliang instinctively shrank back into the gap between the two sets of sofas placed opposite.
Her trembling hands covered her cheeks, and tears began to stream down uncontrollably.
Ever since she woke up that day, she had been acting strong. After rebirth, she could turn the tables against all odds. She didn’t believe she couldn’t do it this time!
But… but this single point had completely crushed her!
If she hadn’t fallen in love with Xiao Yi, it would have been fine. She would have treated it as being bitten by a wild dog; after a night's sleep, she would still be able to make a comeback!
But now it was different. It felt like there was no point in doing anything.
She had always thought she was open-minded and wouldn't care about such things. Heh, turns out she was no different from the common folk; she was a hopeless, ordinary person!
Previously, she had hoped that everything that happened after her rebirth wasn't a dream. Now, everything had changed. She wished it had been a dream! Then she would have completely lost all hope and could have accepted, with a clear conscience, that she was still that Xia Weiliang who was spurned by everyone!
Huddled there, Xia Weiliang, small and fragile, covered her face with her hands, her shoulders trembling violently.
Given the circumstances, crying herself to death would be useless. Tomorrow's newspapers would at most carry a single headline: "Faded Star Dies," and it would certainly say she died of shame.
She forcefully wiped away her tears and opened her blurry eyes…
A pair of black leather shoes appeared before her, a very stylish design.
She had been too engrossed in her crying. Now, her brain felt severely deprived of oxygen, and she couldn't react quickly. Subconsciously, she looked up…
As her eyes met those deep, dark eyes, Xia Weiliang felt a tightening in her heart, followed by a sharp, piercing pain.
She didn't want to cry, but seeing the man she longed for, her tears were already beyond her control.
Xiao Yi frowned, his hands in the pockets of his suit pants. He looked down at the woman sitting on the ground, who was staring at him with wide eyes, her expression complex, tears trickling down her cheeks.
How to describe her expression as she looked at him?
It was as if… she was looking at a long-lost lover, one she loved to the bone. But, she was also enveloped in immense sorrow.
"Brother Yi!"
Yan Zhi ran over. Xiao Yi remained silent for two seconds, then turned to block her.
"Brother Yi, the interview session is in ten minutes."
"Alright, I know."
Yan Zhi remained standing there, blinking.
He knew, but shouldn’t he go over now?
Xia Weiliang remained huddled there, afraid to make a sound. At this moment, she was as pathetic as she could possibly be. She subtly glanced at the man blocking her, like a towering mountain shielding her from the wind and rain.
But…
But this mountain no longer belonged to her!
Thinking of this, Xia Weiliang felt even more heartbroken.
"You go first, I need to make a call."
She heard Xiao Yi say this.
"Oh." Yan Zhi found it a bit strange; what call was so important that he had to step out to make?
However, he didn't overthink it and went to communicate with the event staff.
Xiao Yi turned sideways, no longer looking in her direction. Instead, he sat on a single sofa nearby, his fingers lightly tapping the armrest. Sudan Novel Network.
"Such a serious car accident, and you survived. This is destiny."
Xia Weiliang bit her lip, remaining silent.
She was afraid she wouldn't be able to control herself and would rush into his arms without a second thought.
"Life is long, and you’ve only lived for a little over twenty years. There is still plenty of time to make amends and strive."
Xia Weiliang sniffled, then, before getting up, she quietly pulled down the brim of her hat.
She forced herself to suppress the urge to look back at him and turned to leave.
She knew her back looked like she was fleeing in disarray, but she couldn't bear to stay in the same space as him any longer.
Her heart ached to the point of suffocation.
Xiao Yi turned his head to watch her, his furrowed brow unrelaxed.
Then, he glanced at his watch. A faint, thin scar was visible on his wrist…
Xia Weiliang blended in with the crowd of fans as she left.
She wandered home in a daze and collapsed onto her bed.
She had walked back directly from the awards ceremony. Along the way, her emotions had calmed down considerably, and her mind had become much clearer. Many things had naturally fallen into place.
In fact, regardless of whether she gave up on Xiao Yi, one thing would not change: she had to pursue her career and clear her name!
She clenched her fist and slammed it heavily onto the bed. She would make Xia Yiran, that little b*tch, crawl back to wherever she came from!
Xia Weiliang regained her fighting spirit, jumped up from the bed, and began to focus on her career path!
First, she needed help.
Picking up her phone, the first person she contacted was naturally her boyfriend-like, supportive Yuan Ge.