Xia Wei Liang’s popularity was such that even Director Zhou felt a pang of jealousy, yet he couldn’t help but smile as he watched her.
After all, they had shared a small stool and copied notes together, a past that made Director Zhou find the girl incredibly endearing.
After descending from the stage, she was immediately called to the main table and seated at the center position between him and the producer.
“Well, your acting is passable, but you do have a certain degree of professionalism.”
“It’s all thanks to your excellent guidance, Director Zhou!”
“Spare me the flattery, it doesn’t work on me.”
As Director Zhou spoke, he tossed a script at her. “Take this back and read it.”
“What’s this?”
Just as she was about to open it, Director Zhou glared at her. “You’ll look at it when you get back.”
Xia Wei Liang was sharp. She immediately understood and leaned in to whisper in his ear, “Is this a secret manual for acting? Is it your lifelong, ultimate skill and hard-earned wisdom? Will my acting soar to the heavens if I read it?”
Director Zhou unceremoniously poked her forehead with his finger. “Stop thinking about all these crooked paths! A secret manual, indeed! Have you been reading too many wuxia novels? Just take it and go, stop talking so much!”
“Yes, yes, yes! I’ll set up three incense sticks for you morning and night when I get home!”
At that moment, the producer sitting beside them, who had been smiling at her all along, chimed in, “Miss Xia, I’ve heard about you for a long time, but only meeting you in person makes me realize how unreliable rumors are! Miss Xia’s beauty makes any words sound hollow…”
Xia Wei Liang was too familiar with this situation. She knew exactly what the producer was angling for and was about to deploy her escape tactic when Director Zhou shot him a glance. “You should stop it. She’s not someone you can have ideas about. If Film Emperor Xiao finds out about what you said today, you might as well disappear from this industry.”
The producer held some status in the industry, and only Director Zhou dared to speak to him like this.
Initially, he was rather dismissive. She was just a female star, having connections was inevitable, but how strong could those connections be? He had dealt with A-listers and top-tier stars; would he be afraid of this Xia Wei Liang?
However, the moment Director Zhou mentioned Xiao Yi, the producer immediately backed down.
Others might not know, but the big shots in their circle were very aware. Not only was he the behind-the-scenes boss of Yi Xiao Entertainment, but the Xiao family was simply not something ordinary capital could afford to offend!
The producer’s face darkened. He quickly raised his wine glass and stood up to toast Xia Wei Liang. “Miss Xia, I had a bit too much to drink just now and lost my senses. If I’ve done anything to offend you, please don’t take it to heart! I’ll punish myself with three cups!”
With that, he downed three cups of wine consecutively.
This display left Xia Wei Liang a bit bewildered. “Oh, it’s okay, it’s okay, you just had too much to drink, so your words naturally become…”
“Drinking too much is no excuse.”
The sudden voice startled her.
Xia Wei Liang whipped her head around and saw the person standing behind her, currently glaring at the producer with cold eyes. “Xiao Yi, weren’t you not coming?”
Xiao Yi curved his lips slightly, not bothering to avoid the others. He reached out and put his arm around her shoulder. “If I didn’t come, what if someone else got ideas about you?”
The producer was now sweating profusely, wiping his forehead incessantly. “Teacher Xiao, I apologize. I didn’t know she was with you.”
Director Zhou, while drinking, said, “Alright, the drinks have been punished, and this matter is now behind us! Besides, today is a celebration banquet. Although I don’t like doing these useless things, you, kid, shouldn’t think about ruining my event!”
Xiao Yi could ignore the wishes of a big shot, but he could still listen to Director Zhou.
Coupled with Xia Wei Liang tugging at his sleeve, he added, “It’s enough now! With my beauty, wanting to commit a crime is understandable.”
Xiao Yi was amused by her. She was quite pleased with herself!
When he looked again, others were already noticing them. The esteemed big producer, the financial backer of the movie, was now standing obediently opposite Xiao Yi. Anyone seeing this scene would find it quite bizarre.
“If you really drank too much, then it’s fine. But don’t drink so much next time, and don’t covet people you shouldn’t.”
The producer nodded repeatedly. Fortunately, there was no one else at their table, otherwise, the producer’s dignity would have been completely lost.
Xia Wei Liang also let out a sigh of relief. She knew Xiao Yi had a temper, but she didn’t expect it to be so fierce! He dared to confront even the producer. What, are you going to fly to the sky?
Unexpectedly, Xiao Yi turned to look at her, his expression turning cold again. “Xia Wei Liang, come here.”
He pulled her hand and started to leave.
Only then did the producer slowly sit down. Director Zhou, not afraid of being annoying, leaned over and said with a grin, “I’ve told you about your bad habit long ago. Now look, you’ve kicked an iron plate, haven’t you?”
The producer was still in shock and kept patting his chest.
The performances and lucky draws on stage continued. The lights on stage were dim, and not many people noticed them.
However, Su Yu Xi clearly saw Xiao Yi striding towards Xia Wei Liang, then taking her hand and leading her out of the banquet hall without any hesitation.
He quietly picked up his wine glass and drank the entire thing, startling Xi Hong, the manager beside him.
“Why are you drinking so much? I told you not to drink. Your face swells up when you drink, what will you do for filming tomorrow?”
She quickly snatched his cup and glared at him. “No more drinking!”
Su Yu Xi lowered his gaze and smiled self-mockingly. “The person I like cannot be kept, and now I can’t even drink to my heart’s content…”
Xi Hong looked at him suspiciously. “You seemed off just now. When you were talking to Xia Wei Liang, anyone could tell you had feelings for her…”
However, she didn’t object. Instead, she patted his shoulder and praised him. “Good, good, you’ve thought it through! Do you know how popular Xia Wei Liang is now? Take this movie for instance. To put it nicely, she’s the third female lead, but in reality, her scenes add up to something like a cameo. Yet, she became popular! A few scenes went viral. You say, isn’t this like God feeding you food?”
Seeing his dejected expression, Xi Hong clapped her hands. “Got it! You maintain this state, and I’ll take a few more photos later, establishing a persona of a deeply devoted unrequited love! This heat will be stable!”
“Forget it.”
Su Yu Xi didn’t want to do that, but as soon as he spoke, several shutter clicks echoed.
On this side, Xia Wei Liang was led out of the banquet hall by Xiao Yi. When they reached the entrance, she stopped him. “You… this atmosphere isn’t right! Tell me, what have I done now? Give me a heads-up first, so I can prepare to lie for you.”
Xiao Yi stopped, slowly turned around, and a smile spread across his face, carrying a prelude of deadly charm.
“Why is Su Yu Xi here?” Su Dan Novel Network
“What a surprise! He’s also one of the cast members!”
“Why was he smiling at you?”
“What else… should I cry a few times?”
Xiao Yi’s expression darkened further. “Xia, Wei, Liang!”
“Oh dear, alright, alright, I get it!” Xia Wei Liang stepped forward and hugged his waist, rubbing her cheek against his chest. “I’m warning you, don’t scold me anymore. I have a temper too.”
He stared at her and suddenly smiled. “Come, give grandpa a kiss.”