The incident of the two playing in the snow eventually ca to the knowledge of Mrs. Sheng and Mrs. He.
So, both mothers also ran out, and it was only just that they didn’t grab their ears to drag them inside the house!
He Jinxia and Sheng Yan were seated in the living room, getting lectured, each holding a bowl of ginger soup. Once they finally managed to get through it and the parents left, He Jinxia glanced at Sheng Yan and couldn’t help but burst out laughing with a "pfft."
Sheng Yan gave her a look and asked indifferently, "What are you laughing at?"
He Jinxia’s eyes curved slightly, her clear gaze brimming with a warm smile, lighting up her entire deanor.
"Nothing, just thought it was funny. I didn’t expect you’d join in doing sothing like this."
Sheng Yan paused, then the next second, he asked insincerely, "Do I not look like soone who would do such things?"
He Jinxia nodded firmly, "Yeah, right, not at all."
Sheng Yan, looking at her calmly, said, "That’s because you don’t know well enough."
—Go on, keep making things up!
He Jinxia, oblivious to the godly face’s unflinching lies, smiled and nodded, "I thought you were like a distant, aloof deity, not doing what mortals do."
Leaning against the armrest of the sofa, Sheng Yan supported his forehead with his hand and said lazily, "Deities eat Jade Dew nectar; I just eat common grains."
He Jinxia thought for a mont, "Then let apologize, I had so misunderstandings about you before."
She leaned in, curious and slightly anxious, and extended her hand, "Here, let’s reintroduce ourselves. I’m He Jinxia, twenty-one years old, a budding actress."
Sheng Yan looked down at her hands, fair as cream and slender as green onions, and was silent for a while, without saying a word.
Just as He Jinxia thought he would refuse, Sheng Yan suddenly reached out, gently squeezed her hand, and then very politely let it go.
"Hello, I’m Sheng Yan, twenty-six years old, a top-tier superstar."
Just when He Jinxia was a bit troubled by the vast difference between the titles "budding actress" and "top-tier superstar," another phrase from Sheng Yan suddenly floated by her ears:
"This ti, you won’t have to wait several days before washing your hands."
He Jinxia paused, looked up, and t Sheng Yan’s dark eyes that held a hint of jest.
He slightly tilted his chin, speaking deliberately and slowly, "We’ll be seeing each other a lot more in the future."
He Jinxia: "..." Suddenly at a loss for words.
Thinking of sothing, Sheng Yan’s lips slightly curled, and he said lightly, "I look forward to your performance in the entertainnt industry."
He Jinxia: "Yes, Master, I will try hard."
Whenever He Jinxia recalled this incident later, she found it utterly absurd.
Where was there any misunderstanding?
Sheng Yan was still the sa cold, aloof, haughty Ice Emperor!
*
Days swiftly passed, and with the end of the New Year’s three-day holiday, He Jinxia formally joined the drama team and attended the press conference held by "Small Bridge, Flowing Water, People."
During the New Year’s period, many interesting events had occurred. For instance, Ji Jiawen, who had previously recorded a variety show together, posted a Weibo on New Year’s Day saying, "Ha, soone’s really putting on a good show," which instantly triggered a barrage of mockery from He Jinxia’s nurous fans, accusing her of clout chasing.
Ji Jiawen personally entered the fray and argued with netizens, claiming innocence and asking which eye had seen her specifically ntion He Jinxia.
He Jinxia’s fans had long found Ji Jiawen displeasing to the eye, a consequence of Ji Jiawen’s choice to confront He Jinxia during the show’s recording.
The more bitterly she had confronted her initially, the more fierce the backlash she faced now.
As the situation escalated, it appeared that the Water Army had joined the battle, setting the rhythm by calling He Jinxia’s fans brainless and irrational, ready to bite like mad dogs at anyone who dared criticize Fat Emperor.
Before long, cyberbullying was once again brought up, and the situation took a turn, making Ji Jiawen the victim of cyberbullying. Although He Jinxia wasn’t the aggressor, her fans were the leaders, and she too was criticized for being indirectly responsible.
Spectators were eagerly watching the excitent, comnting here and there until Tonghua Entertainnt issued a stern warning that brought the incident to a close.
He Jinxia had been watching the whole Weibo drama unfold. An hour after Tonghua Entertainnt issued its letter, she also posted a Weibo:
"The innocent clear themselves, rumors stop with the wise."
Her fans left nurous comnts praising her magnanimity, and they also noticed that her Weibo hopage’s personal signature had changed from "Singing is the happiest thing in the world" to a brief but powerful five words—
"Speak with talent!"
In the drama crew’s resting room.
He Jinxia, dressed in her period drama costu, was resting with her eyes closed, stealing a mont of peace before the press conference began.
The door opened, and Luo You walked in, handing her a piece of paper listing the questions she would likely face at the upcoming press conference.
The drama crew was holding a press conference to promote the new drama. Only the dia that had gone through rigorous vetting could attend, and they wouldn’t ask questions casually, otherwise, they would be blacklisted by the entire crew.
"The reporters all want to interview you. You just need to focus on discussing Small Bridge, Flowing Water, People. Do not talk about the movie Chen Xiaohui, Go Forward! after all, that belongs to another crew," Luo You advised.
He Jinxia glanced at the note. Luo You had already discussed most of the questions with her; they were roughly what she had expected. After scanning them all, she felt reassured and said, "I understand the asures."
Luo You humd in response but couldn’t help but add like a nagging mother:
"Your popularity is skyrocketing now. For questions that are clearly traps, just pretend you didn’t hear them and smile. No matter how reasonable your answers are, the dia will twist your words for the sake of viewership. In the end, your status is still too low."
A low status made her easy to manipulate; if she were a top-tier star, the reporters wouldn’t dare to spread rumors about her unless they had solid evidence.
Without evidence, just mouthing off, top-tier stars’ fans could drown those self-dia who issued press releases with just a spit each.
He Jinxia gave him a smile and said calmly, "Brother Luo, don’t worry. If I don’t want to answer a question, I won’t say a word about it."
Luo You responded with a "Good," then he paused, his expression becoming serious as he brought up another matter.
"As you beco more popular, managing your fans should also be on the agenda. Your ’Tikeeper’ is continuing to grow. If left unchecked, it could likely expose you to negativity. Tell , what kind of fans do you want?"
He Jinxia pondered briefly, then looked directly at Luo You and said, "My aspirations have never changed; I don’t want to be an idol, just an actress, speaking through my talent."
"Good!"
Luo You’s eyes sparkled with a smile, and he began clapping in approval. "I’m delighted you have this realization. Although you now have imnse popularity, as if you could easily get anything with a wave of your hand, it’s all just a superficial appearance!
The lifespan of female stars in the entertainnt circle is very short. Only talent and works do not fade with aging or beauty as ti goes by. Talent grows over ti, and works beco classics through ti’s testimony.
I know now how to manage your fans. The next ti soone tries to ride on your coattails, it won’t end like it did on New Year’s Day."
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