Chapter 47 The Phantom Left Her Speechless
A guest suddenly fainting is already considered a live broadcast accident. The director and guests quickly helped him up and called an ambulance. Fortunately, Zhu Ziqi's fainting was only caused by emotional distress. After a short while, he got up and struggled to return to the camera.
Fearing that working while ill would cause serious consequences, the director repeatedly persuaded her, and her agent also gave her a wink. Zhu Ziqi finally agreed and was taken backstage by her agent to rest.
With the guest suddenly experiencing health problems, coupled with the rapid changes in information about Xia Mian, the executives and production team of Wandou TV need to be cautious, lest they say the wrong thing or make a wrong move and get themselves caught up in the storm.
In this situation, continuing the live stream was pointless. Following the production team's instructions, Qian Qian cut the remaining two topics and went straight to the closing remarks: "Alright, it's getting late, and our live stream is nearing its end. Does anyone have anything they'd like to say to the audience?"
Starting with Zheng Qiming, the guests took turns saying what they wanted to say to the audience, which was nothing more than that "Infinite Escape" was well-made and very interesting, and they hoped that everyone would pay more attention to it and give it more support.
Finally, the microphone was handed to Xia Mian.
Xia Mian cleared her throat: "I'd like to say a few words to my fans."
“A few days ago, when I was browsing Weibo, I saw a special message in my private messages. She gave a formal self-introduction and even edited a video of my first day participating in ‘Infinite’ for me. I really liked that video and watched it several times. I wanted to say thank you to her, but when I went to her profile, I found that she had unfollowed me.”
"That day, I exposed the scandal of being a kept man."
"I can imagine how disappointed she was in me back then. But I want to say to her, and to the fans who still support me after all my antics:"
"My past summer hibernation may not have been good enough, but I want you to believe me. I will definitely work hard to transform myself and become a better version of myself, just as I said."
To avoid online bullying and harassment of her fans, Xia Mian did not mention Liuli Jiang's name.
Ah... why am I getting a little teary-eyed?
So celebrities really do read fans' private messages?
I didn't follow Xia Mian in the past, so I don't know what he was like. All I know is that the Xia Mian I see now is handsome, smart, and brave.
I'm a fan now! I've really drawn strength from him.
[Does the internet really have no memory? Have you forgotten his flaunting of wealth and his superiority-seeking presentation slides on the plane?]
[I'm a hater, but I'm actually thinking of becoming a fan! Help me, help me, I've fallen so low, waaaaah!]
[Hahaha, I'm dying of laughter at the yellow text. You know, even haters are fans. I was a hater myself, but after a while, I actually developed a liking for it.]
To be fair, Xia Mian has undergone a dramatic transformation since "Infinite," and her character design is much more likable than before.
[His public image was determined by the company; it's just that the company changed his career path for him.]
There were quite a few malicious comments on the screen, mostly attacking him for flaunting his wealth and showing off his superiority. But perhaps his eyes were genuinely sincere, because more bystanders spoke up for him, and it was no longer a one-sided "Who is this?" and "He's a rich kid."
Even many haters have become fans.
Xia Mian glanced at the big screen. Because no agent was informing him and he couldn't get firsthand information, he was the most confused one.
The director signaled the end of the live stream, and the screen went black. The director then gave a speech acknowledging everyone's hard work and told them they could leave the group now, just be on time for the next raid.
When they got to Xia Mian's place, the director patted him on the shoulder and said, "Keep it up."
Xia Mian didn't say anything, thanked her, and turned to walk out.
His luggage was still at the hotel and he needed to retrieve it. Just as Xia Mian was about to cross the street, Zhu Ziqi suddenly jumped out of the van and blocked his way.
Her face was deathly pale, her lips were untouched by lipstick, and she looked terrible: "Xia, can I have a word with you?"
Judging from where the nanny van was parked, she was definitely waiting here on purpose to ambush him. Xia Mian was really interested to hear it, and gestured with her chin: "Go ahead."
"Xia, I know that recent events have affected you. I said something hurtful just now, and I'm really, really sorry. I have low emotional intelligence, so I hope you won't hold it against me."
The more Zhu Ziqi spoke, the redder her eyes became. She bit her lip and bowed to Xia Mian: "Xia, are you willing to accept my apology?"
Xia Mian glanced around and, unsurprisingly, spotted Zhu Ziqi's agent in the van. He was sitting in the passenger seat, his phone resting on his chest, seemingly playing on it, but actually, three cameras were pointed directly at them.
—He was recording a video.
Zhu Ziqi had a meltdown today. She acted too hastily and didn't handle things well, and now a lot of people online are calling her a "tea" (a derogatory term for someone who is overly critical or manipulative). Fortunately, her fans are quite capable and have been working hard to control the comments, preventing the controversy from escalating further.
However, once the edited version is released on the platform, it will undoubtedly attract more criticism from viewers. So they staged this "apology" performance themselves. If Xia Mian forgives them, the fans and studio can silence them with the outcome. If Xia Mian doesn't forgive them...
A pretty little girl apologizes to a grown man with tears in her eyes, but the grown man keeps holding onto her. Isn't that too narrow-minded and petty?
Xia Mian understood these principles. After all, he and Zhu Ziqi both made a living in the entertainment industry, so they had to save face for each other so that it wouldn't be so embarrassing if they met again in the future.
As the old saying goes, leave a way out for yourself, so you can meet again in the future.
Moreover, Zhu Ziqi's parents became famous early on and had been deeply involved in the entertainment industry for many years, so they must have had methods that ordinary people did not know.
Therefore, Xia Mian's best response is "understanding and forgiveness"—understanding Zhu Ziqi's hasty decision and forgiving her actions. After all, his reputation has improved, and Zhu Ziqi has apologized to him.
But—how could Xia Mian possibly let her go?
After this period of time, he was able to determine that what he needed to do was to serve as a control group for Zhu Ziqi.
Even the brooch incident was a despicable scheme orchestrated by Zhu Ziqi!
“There’s nothing to apologize for,” Xia Mian smiled. “What goes around comes around. If you’re truly innocent, why apologize to me? Excuse me, I’m leaving.”
He didn't look at her even once from beginning to end.
This is not the first time Zhu Ziqi has apologized to other celebrities. Perhaps out of fear of her parents, everyone has chosen to forgive her.
Xia Mian was the first to give her a hard retort.
Zhu Zihun's face turned purplish-red: "Fine, I'll let you go. How are you going to get there? By taxi?"
Poor people only deserve to take taxis.
No sooner had he finished speaking than a Phantom suddenly stopped in front of them, kicking up dust that covered Zhu Ziqi's face.
The dust would affect her skin, and she was about to yell at someone in a fit of anger, but when she saw the car model, she held back.
Those who can drive a Phantom are either rich or powerful. It's better to avoid trouble than to get involved in something that's not worth it for a little dust.
Just then, the Phantom's door slowly opened.
Should he apologize to her? Zhu Ziqi adopted a composed demeanor, intending to tell her it was alright. If the conversation went well, he might even make friends; after all, in this world, having more friends means having more options.
But then a deep male voice came from the back seat of the car: "Xia Mian, get in the car."
The car owner... is calling Xia Mian?
Xia Mian didn't even glance at Zhu Ziqi before getting into the car. She was left standing there alone, like someone performing a tragic one-woman show.
The Phantom started up, kicking up another cloud of dust. Zhu Ziqi coughed incessantly, choked by the dust, and felt even more resentful, so much so that he wanted to order his manager to drive the car into it!
But then I thought, what's the point of making summer sleep suffer physical pain?
That's the lowest level of punishment.
Zhu Ziqi suddenly let out a cold laugh, like a chilling venomous snake, sending shivers down one's spine.
With tears streaming down her face from coughing, she turned to the camera, the malice in her eyes vanishing in an instant, leaving her pale, fragile, and swaying precariously.
"Xia Mian...I'm...I'm sorry...Waaah..."
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