Chapter 21: The Charity Gala.

Xiao You laughed at that little expression that said, "I can't understand but I can try to accept it." "Yeah, who wants to listen to him?"

It seemed she had been meddling in other people's business. Sheng Yi wisely shut her mouth, but Xiao You seemed to have said enough. She pulled her and complained in a coquettish voice, "He's such a nasty person. I don't know how many women he's been photographed with."

"So, Shi Li is still better. He is chaste and upright, which is the best dowry a man can have."

Sheng Yi was amused by her statement, but also suspected that the person she was referring to was not the same person she understood.

She turned her head to confirm, "Who did you say?"

"Brother Shili," Xiaoyou thought for a moment, resting her chin on her hand, "I wonder what kind of angel he'll end up with."

Sheng Yi blinked. "Maybe Amy's type?"

Xiaoyou disagrees: "That's probably not his aesthetic sense."

Sheng Yi was taken aback: "Talking doesn't count?"

Xiao You was even more surprised, "These two people have absolutely nothing to do with each other, how could you have such a thought?"

After saying that, she remembered Sheng Yi's previous misunderstanding. She didn't expect that the girl hadn't come to her senses after all this time. "She went with that idiot Lin Hao. Such a nice girl has fallen into his trap."

At this point, her voice carried a hint of schadenfreude, "But energy is conserved, so what goes around comes around. He'll get what's coming to him later."

The sweet, delicate girl didn't hold back when she scolded Lin Hao; it seems Lin Hao really offended her badly.

Sheng Yi wanted to laugh, but before she knew it, the straw had poked her wound hard.

"hiss."

The sound of gasping for air sent a chill down one's spine.

Xiao You quickly moved closer, removed the hand covering her mouth, and couldn't help but gasp when she saw it clearly. "How could you do this? No matter how busy you are, you have to put your health first. If your health collapses, everything else is just a passing cloud."

When she first saw Sheng Yi and Shi Li Ge trending on social media, she thought they looked very compatible. Recently, thanks to the buzz surrounding their rumored relationship, Sheng Yi's career has reached new heights. She originally thought that she should be brimming with confidence in this situation, but to her surprise, she seems to be in a worse state than when they first met.

"Don't overwork yourself, remember to balance work and rest." Xiaoyou sat back down and took a sip of the milk tea on the table.

Sheng Yi had no idea where she got such a misunderstanding from. "No, I'm very free."

Xiaoyou said, "How could that be? I thought you were so busy every day that I didn't dare to ask you out."

Sheng Yi: "It depends on who you compare it to. A few months ago, I would never have imagined that I would have this much traffic. But to be honest, I wouldn't say I'm that busy. Business activities don't take up too much time."

Xiao You pointed out, "Actually, you can also do some screening of these business deals. At this stage, it's inevitable to want to show your face in public more often, but from a long-term development perspective, artists still need quality."

“Yes, I know,” Sheng Yi said.

Sometimes she wonders if she's asking for too much, or if that's just human nature—we can never be satisfied. When she wasn't popular, all she wanted was a chance to be seen, but now, she inevitably wants more.

Some people can thrive simply by gaining popularity, while others are propelled to the top step by step by leveraging resources. For someone like her, without any connections, to truly establish herself in the industry, she needs to build a solid foundation through a series of works.

However, she doesn't have a single decent role to her name now, and if people talk about her, she'll only be a source of amusement.

Xiaoyou was still helping her think, "Why don't you take advantage of this time to build up your network? That way, no matter how things develop later, it will be better than starting out."

She didn't know why Shi Li hadn't made any move yet, but given his personality, this situation wouldn't last long.

Sheng Yi couldn't help but feel anxious after hearing this. She had initially thought that Wen Shili's ignoring of the online messages was because he needed a scapegoat. But what if he didn't need her to cover for him...?

Could it be that the previous rumors about him and Mr. Kobayashi weren't just rumors? It's generally considered more in line with mainstream thinking to have a scandal with a woman than to be entangled with a man.

As the boss, Mr. Kobayashi naturally doesn't need to worry too much. However, since Wen Shili is an artist, he can't act too freely in public.

Setting aside all the wrong options, what remains, no matter how illogical, might still be the truth. Sheng Yi glanced at Xiao You and said with a headache, "Connections aren't something you can just acquire whenever you want."

Xiaoyou said, "The Spring Firefly Charity Gala next week will be a great opportunity."

Spring Firefly Charity Gala. These simple words, uttered by Xiao You, made it seem like a grand event open to everyone.

But Sheng Yi knew that it was a gathering exclusively for the top elite. Celebrities from all walks of life gathered together, taking advantage of the opportunity of public welfare to gradually expand their networks and facilitate the flow of resources.

Value is the currency that prevails in the world of fame and fortune, and it is also the key to knocking on the door of this banquet.

The place is frequented by political and business tycoons, and those in the entertainment industry who are invited already possess substantial financial resources. After decades of development, it has become a dream destination that everyone longs for but can hardly reach.

Some people go so far as to forge invitation cards to obtain an extremely valuable online identity code, enjoying a brief moment of euphoria amidst the adulation of the crowd; others try every means to spend a lot of money to secure a friendly participation spot in exchange for a less than three-minute appearance on the red carpet.

Over time, red carpet appearances have become a lucrative business, commanding exorbitant prices every year, and to make matters worse, they are limited in number. All proceeds from the sale of these appearances will be used to support charitable projects.

Given her reputation, anyone who even expresses interest in attending this banquet will likely be ridiculed on forums for three days straight. Buying a red carpet spot? Her entire fortune wouldn't be enough to cover that.

She shrugged and said, "I'm penniless."

Xiao You winked and said, "It's okay, I have money."

Two young women, one sweet as a ripe fruit hanging from a branch, the other delicate as a newly opened bouquet, sometimes clapping their hands, sometimes lowering their eyes.

The young woman at the bubble tea shop, hiding behind the counter, thought to herself, "I've really seen something new today."

Meanwhile, across the street, someone else also witnessed this vivid scene.

Such a face can indeed make it easy for people to miss the dark secrets hidden behind it.

With Xiaoyou's accompaniment and sponsorship, Shengyi finalized her dress and hair the day before the banquet.

Xiaoyou personally helped her choose the dress; it was a white lace gown with a halter neck design that exposed her entire back, covered by sheer fabric, adding to its ethereal beauty.

Sheng Yi tugged at her collar, looking a little uncomfortable, and said, "How about we change into another one?"

Xiao You crossed her arms and made a "No" sign. "This suits your temperament better. A pure and innocent girl who has stumbled into the world of fame and fortune. I guarantee that no one can surpass you on this track right now."

At the event, Sheng Yi held onto her skirt, clearly regretting not having changed into a more flattering dress.

They had agreed to walk the red carpet together, but just before they were about to leave, Xiaoyou suddenly said that she had an emergency and would be late. She also said that she had asked a friend to look after her and told her not to be afraid.

The banquet started at 7 p.m., and the first two hours were free time on the red carpet.

On her way here, Sheng Yi browsed social media apps for a while, and all the various platforms were flooded with posts about the charity gala.

Trending topics like "Who has the worst red carpet look?", "A certain actress lingered too long and was driven away by security?", and "A certain internet celebrity was holding a brand's invitation card?" keep popping up one after another, making it dizzying to keep up with.

She couldn't help but feel a chill for herself; perhaps in a few minutes, she would be the next one to be driven away or ridiculed.

Xiaoyou's card must have come from CEO Lin. She could have had some courage when the two of them were together, but now that she's facing the battle alone, she's really a little uneasy about the uncertain future.

If you want to crash the red carpet, go ahead. Others might not even have the chance. Now that you're here, it would be a shame to back down at the last minute. Grit your teeth and give it your all; it'll be worth it for Xiaoyou renting a luxury car for you to give you courage.

To be honest, having a driver in white gloves and a black suit accompanying her actually made her feel quite smug, like she was being invited to a high-end dinner party.

Sheng Yi checked her makeup one last time in front of the mirror, switching her smile to the most photogenic angle. As soon as she got out of the car, she heard a commotion from the crowd.

She held onto the hem of her skirt, gazing at the dazzling scene of people vying for attention.

Representatives from the entertainment, fashion, and online influencer circles are going all out to gain greater exposure in just a few minutes in order to offset some of their initial investment.

With such grand ambitions, it's easy to overexert oneself. Thinking of this, Sheng Yi felt as if ants were crawling all over his body. In the eyes of others, wasn't he in the same predicament?

Beside the stretch Lincoln, a girl in a white dress arrives at the world of fame and fortune. The high-necked long dress conceals a section of her snow-white neck, graceful and slender like a tall-necked porcelain vase; the fitted design reveals her curves perfectly. She exudes a pure yet sexy charm, elegant yet lively.

The person holding the camera on the sidelines paused for a full half second before starting to snap photos. Sheng Yi was so blinded by the light that she could barely open her eyes, and only instinctively issued commands in her brain: wave, smile, step forward, bow.

Looking back, it was just a short red carpet event that lasted only a few minutes. The only difference was that the scene was much more spectacular this time.

But right now, a nobody who's never even walked a proper red carpet at a gala dinner—no, a nobody of the 18th or 17th tier—is incapable of thinking from the moment he steps onto the red carpet.

So she didn't know that the noise in the room was replaced by silence, and then instantly covered by even greater noise.

It's hard to believe that someone who was the center of attention just a moment ago could suddenly find themselves surrounded by a cold, deserted crowd. All the spotlights were now focused on the person who had just stepped onto the red carpet.

Later, when the camera's favoritism towards her was mentioned, a stunning photo taken today would be brought up countless times.

But at this moment, Sheng Yi knows nothing.

"Holy crap, am I seeing things? Sheng Yi is here too."

"Looks like this woman has made a lot of money lately. I wonder if she's spent all her savings on ticket sales."

"Is it possible that she has someone backing her?"

"As expected, it's so easy to ride on Brother Li's popularity. He was practically unknown just a few months ago."

"Finally, a beautiful woman is here to cleanse my eyes. I'm so tired of all those monsters and freaks in front of me."

"Sheng Yi so easily killed the game, it was like a goddess descending!"

The red carpet was broadcast live, and on the screen, netizens from all walks of life were using their keyboards to express their thoughts and opinions.

Suddenly, someone else remembered:

"If I remember correctly, Wen Shili attended the previous banquets, right?"

"Could I dream of us being together?"

"Please, please arrange this for the Spring Firefly Charity Gala organizers."

"Now that you're saying that, I'm no longer sleepy."

With her neck held high, she strained to muster every nerve in her body. Little did she know, another wave of enthusiasm had already swept across the internet.