Chapter 89 "Pingchuan is coming over."
Under these circumstances, it's already difficult for fans and online trolls to control the comments. Zhao Wei first criticized Xia Mian:
"Think before you speak in the future, and don't always invite this kind of inexplicable criticism. Is it unfair to be scolded by the whole internet for criticizing others?"
I was just upset about the dream I had—Xia Mian couldn't tell the truth, so she could only explain, "I didn't mean it that way."
"Whether you have it or not, it will be misinterpreted by those with ulterior motives. This time you'll probably have to do some public relations. You're really something."
The so-called "public relations" should probably be about removing the trending topic, which would cost a lot of money. Xia Mian had been spoiled since childhood, and she didn't expect that a casual remark she made to her friend would be criticized. Feeling a little guilty towards the company, she quietly apologized to Zhao Wei: "I'm sorry."
"...What's the use of saying sorry? In any industry, it's a big no-no to talk badly about your colleagues. You have to change that. Okay, let's rest."
Zhao Wei was in a hurry to handle the public relations issue, so he gave a brief instruction and quickly hung up the phone.
How could I possibly sleep during summer hibernation? I'll go back and continue watching videos.
The rest of the comments, except for the part where Zhou Pingchuan appeared and diverted some attention, were all criticisms of Xia Mian.
Someone asked, "The editing here is so obvious. What happened on set that made it necessary to cut this part?"
“I saw a man walk by from the side just now. That superior jawline and long legs, wow, cutting it off might be related to him.”
"I've heard that rich people have a lot of grudges, and in order to avoid being assassinated, many domineering CEOs and heirs of wealthy families are unwilling to appear in front of the media."
Indeed, the Zhou family must have contacted the production team to cut out everything related to Zhou Pingchuan—except for the part where Xia Mian left her seat and went upstairs, which led to another round of malicious speculation in the comments.
Some say he was so jealous that he became twisted and ran to a secluded place to vent his anger and cry.
Some say he took the opportunity to seduce a powerful figure and wanted to marry into a wealthy family.
In short, he received no kind words; in the mouths of the people, he became an unforgivable demon.
Xia Mian couldn't stand it any longer. She exited the platform client, walked to the apartment window, and stared blankly at the lights of thousands of homes across the street for a while.
When he calmed down, he realized that Tang Wenhua had called him.
Xia Mian turned back, too lazy to make an excuse: "I didn't check my phone just now."
"It's alright. You don't need to record a show tomorrow night, right? Even if you do, cancel it for now, Pingchuan is coming."
Xia Mian had a vague premonition that Zhou Pingchuan said he would exchange gifts after Zhou Ting's wedding and go to Xia Garden tomorrow to discuss this matter.
Sure enough, Tang Wenhua couldn't contain his elation: "They said they'd bring my aunt① along to set the date together."
Xia Mian took a deep breath, and her suppressed emotions finally eased a little.
He didn't know if it was a backlash from forcibly changing the plot, but he felt like he was always in the eye of the storm, always in trouble.
Those troubles were like a tangled ball of yarn, and he didn't even know where to begin to solve them. Fortunately, Zhou Pingchuan didn't add to the chaos and took care of some of it for him.
"Hmph," Xia Mian thought to herself, "You're smart to know what's good for you."
So tomorrow, I'll be a little bit nicer to you.
***
Coincidentally, after a period of intensive recording, "Our Little Life" has reached its final stage, with only the last part, "Late Night Talk," remaining.
"Late Night Drinking Talk" is similar to an interview, with guests and observers drinking and chatting. Due to limited space, guests need to take turns recording. Xia Mian was scheduled for the later part of the show, and she hasn't really had anything to do lately.
The next day, at one o'clock in the afternoon, everyone in Xia Garden was already busy. They were wiping the floors and windows, removing weeds, pruning shrubs, changing the water in the landscaping—even the turtle shells in the pond that the old man kept for bringing good fortune had to be repainted!
The maid was puzzled. Wasn't today just a family dinner? Why was it even bigger than the wedding of Young Master Mingzhao?
The lady said that today's guests are the head of the Zhou family. Young Master Mingzhao's lover is also from the Zhou family. They are all family, so why is the difference so obvious?
The servants worked quietly, huddled together, while the head chef checked the banquet menu for the third time—the first two times were last night and this morning.
The menu consists of ten dishes: two appetizers, six main courses, and two desserts. To enhance the flavor of the dishes, the silver, porcelain, and cutlery sets alone need to be changed 6-8 times, and the accompanying wines are even more so, with almost every dish requiring a change.
“Let’s change the color scheme of the tablecloth too,” Tang Wenhua said, adding that he had to do everything himself for such an important occasion. “Pingchuan likes stable colors, but we can’t use too dark colors for a happy occasion. Let’s change it to a champagne and dark blue color scheme.”
The servant responded and hurried to the storage room.
Because of Zhou Pingchuan, everyone in Xia Garden was incredibly busy.
Xia Mian also went back a little earlier. He said that if he wanted to treat Zhou Pingchuan well, he had to be good in every aspect. First of all, his appearance had to be acceptable.
As autumn transitions into winter, before the heating is turned on, it's the most unbearable time in the north. He chose a black knitted cardigan, but felt like a widow when he put it on, so he changed into a light smoky gray one, with a white T-shirt underneath and jeans on the bottom, which was comfortable but not so casual.
He even put on a face mask, and while the mask was on, Xu Ning hurriedly sent him a WeChat message: [Xia, I don't usually check Weibo, I just found out you were being criticized because of me. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said those things!]
Xu Ning's main focus is on YouTube and Bilibili; she rarely checks Weibo. Xia Mian wouldn't hold a grudge: "[It's not your fault, it's my own problem]".
Xu Ning: [At the time, I didn't think too much about it. I just knew you knew Third Master, so I said it. I didn't know netizens would overinterpret it.]
Summer: [I told you it's nothing, you don't need to worry about it, it'll all be fine once things calm down.]
Xu Ning doesn't understand the entertainment industry, but in the current situation, it seems there's no other good way but to stall.
He still felt guilty: "Xia, is there anything I can do for you?"
Xu Ning: [Speaking of the reaction video the other day, seeing how you spend your money, I really thought we were in similar situations. I didn't expect you to have been working so hard on your own. I admire you even more now.]
Xu Ning: [And I think you're right. I heard that the Zhou family's son is asexual and a workaholic, and hasn't had a single scandal in all these years. Maybe he's already impotent.]
Xu Ning: [Judging from this, he probably won't get married in his life, and even if he does, it'll be a charade. So if you say "let it be," I absolutely agree. Netizens don't know anything and just spout nonsense, ignore them!]
Xu Ning is the kind of person whose emotions are quite pure. Once she recognizes someone as a friend, she will be 100% biased towards them, and her friend's enemy is also her enemy.
Seeing that Xia Mian's attitude towards her "relative" Zhou Pingchuan was not very friendly, he guessed that the two might have some grudge, so he started talking about him without restraint.
Xia Mian knew that Xu Ning wanted to comfort him, but when she saw half the screen filled with bad things about Zhou Pingchuan—especially the part about "no good"—she couldn't help but spit out the ice water in her mouth, soaking a large part of her T-shirt.
Just then, the housekeeper came to call him, saying that Madam wanted him to go out and greet the guests. Xia Mian didn't even have time to fix her clothes; as she ran downstairs, she texted Xu Ning: "I think... he shouldn't be single."
Xu Ning: [Indeed, given his wealth and status, many women would flock to him. But a cold and ruthless man like that would never spend money on others, would he?]
No, Xia Mian touched her nose.
It seems he... spent quite a bit.
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