Chapter 43

She had been an innocent young lady, so how did she suddenly become someone's girlfriend and, to make matters worse, was being labeled as the "other woman"? Everyone was saying she was the girlfriend of the second young master of the Yuan family—did anyone even ask for her opinion?

Mom, slap me twice more: "Xiaoxi, are you stupid? The guy has already carried the girl on his back—if they're not a couple, are they siblings?"

Xiaoxi: "Isn't it possible for someone to show kindness, help an injured person, and carry her to the doctor?"

Panda Gungun: "Are you telling a fantasy story? Even if a wealthy young master has a kind heart, he'd just hire someone to carry her. How could he carry her himself? He's from a wealthy family, a wealthy family!"

That's such a reasonable rebuttal, Yan Xi thought. It's clear that relying on herself won't clear up this rumor. After chatting with some well-known bloggers in the group for a while, she was about to shut down her computer when she received a message from the editor at the publishing house.

Mingming: "Beautiful lady, why haven't you posted any cute comic strips on Weibo lately? Did you go off to have fun with a handsome guy?"

Xiaoxi: "What fun? I'm injured and in the hospital, still not fully recovered."

Mingming: "Oh no, what happened? Is it serious?"

Xiaoxi: "It's fine, not disfigured."

Mingming: "Disfigurement doesn't matter, is your hand okay?"

Xiaoxi: "Not really, my hands have lazy syndrome, they won't get better anytime soon."

They teased each other for a while, and then Mingming told her that due to the great sales of Little Monster, they were preparing a reprint, and her royalties would be paid according to the contract.

Mingming: "Your book is selling so well, and the media even praises it as a rare heartwarming work. These achievements might make some of your peers uncomfortable. If anyone causes trouble on Weibo, try to control your emotions and don't let them find any weakness."

Xiaoxi: "I understand, no problem."

What's the big deal with being troubled by peers? Today, she was already trending as the third party in a love affair. Compared to that, anything else seemed insignificant.

Luckily, the media didn't capture her face, or she would have really gone viral and ended up being crucified by netizens.

The phone rang, and the caller ID showed Yuan Xiaoer. Yan Xi pressed the call button. "Is there something wrong, Yuan Xiaoer?"

"Have you seen those things online?"

"Mm." Yan Xi was tracing the patterns on the bedsheet, her mood relatively calm.

"Don't take those online comments to heart, I'll handle it," Yuan Yi said, hearing her calm tone, and added, "I've already had people look into it. The media doesn't have any clear photos of you. Even if the news can't be suppressed for now, it won't affect your life or work."

Hearing Yuan Yi speak so seriously, he finally gave off the image of the domineering CEO people talk about. Yan Xi laughed: "Aren't you afraid I'll take advantage of this to hype things up with the media, saying I'm the mysterious girlfriend, using it to gain some benefits?"

The person saying it didn't mean it, and the listener naturally knew it wasn't possible. Yuan Yi even thought that if she were really willing to do that, he... he would probably just go along with it.

"Although you don't quite match my aesthetic, having one more girlfriend isn't a loss for me, as long as you're willing."

"Zhe zhe, I don't dare to take advantage of such a cheap deal," Yan Xi yawned. "I'm a bit tired, I'll go to sleep now."

"Alright, good night."

Yuan Yi hung up the phone and immediately called Assistant Meng. "Did you find out about her?"

"Who is Wu Xuan?" After hearing Assistant Meng's explanation on the phone, Yuan Yi impatiently said, "Can't these entertainers pick names that are more distinguishable? Wu Xuan, Zhao Xuan, Wu Yixuan, Zhao Yiyi, who can tell who's who?"

"Make an example out of it, deal with it however you should, or else anyone will start using my private life for publicity," Yuan Yi's tone turned cold. "What do you mean by I'm not losing out? I suddenly have a girlfriend out of nowhere, is that fair? A woman's reputation is a reputation, but a man's reputation isn't? What era are we in, we need to talk about gender equality."

Moreover... Yan Xiaoxi, that unlucky woman, didn't do anything, yet she got cursed with a bunch of insults online. Why should she suffer for nothing?

Zhao Feifei anxiously stayed at home for several days. Her endorsement wasn't lost, her program invitations weren't canceled, and no platform had canceled their collaborations. The only thing that disappeared were the gossip posts online. All the Weibo public accounts seemed to have collectively lost their memory and stopped mentioning the matter.

Just when she thought the Yuan family had let the matter go, she received a piece of news from her agent. Wu Xuan, who was positioned similarly to her, had recently hit some bad luck. Not only had a major endorsement deal slipped through her fingers, but even the lead role in a movie she had secured was snatched away by another actress. Aside from that, there wasn't much else notable—her news had become increasingly scarce online, and even the negative reports about her had vanished.

For celebrities, sometimes the most terrifying thing isn't the negative press, but the lack of any news at all. If there's no exposure, what's the point of being a celebrity?

That was when Zhao Feifei realized—Wu Xuan had been frozen out.

After understanding all this, she was so frightened she trembled all over. If it hadn't been for her throwing caution to the wind and apologizing, could she have ended up like Wu Xuan, with even negative news becoming a luxury?

When Yan Xi returned to the TV station to work, her colleagues gave her a warm reception. Even Xiao Yang handed her a rose, which clearly looked like it had been picked from the flowerbed downstairs. She casually placed the flower in a glass vase. "Xiao Yang, the flower is beautiful, but don't pluck it. This is called destroying public property."

"How could I do something so uncivilized?" Xiao Yang chuckled. "I saw a flower that someone had discarded near the flowerbed, and when I thought about you coming back to work today, I picked it up for you."

"Beauty paired with flowers, how nice," he added with a grin.

Looking at the drooping rose, Yan Xi pulled it out and handed it back to Xiao Yang. "Here, it suits you perfectly."

"Xiao Yan," Chen Pei walked in briskly, "Is your wound okay?"

"Thanks for your concern, Sister Chen. It's almost healed," Yan Xi said, noticing that Chen Pei seemed to have something to say. She poured her a glass of water. "Please sit down, Sister Chen."

"I still have some videos to handle, you two talk," Xiao Yang took the opportunity to place the rose back into the vase and left Yan Xi's office.

After exchanging some pleasantries, Chen Pei shifted the topic to work. "The 'Midday News' show is undergoing restructuring due to both of its hosts being involved in incidents."

Yan Xi thought the station might be canceling her hosting position. She drank some water and stayed quiet.

"Teacher Zhang Hao's situation has been cleared up," Chen Pei's expression was a bit regretful and sympathetic. "He really wanted to help Xiao Lin find a job, but Xiao Lin, who had been assaulted before her death, couldn't take it anymore and jumped from a hotel. The suspect has been caught, but due to the impact on public opinion, the station has decided to remove Teacher Zhang from hosting."

Yan Xi understood this solution was in the public's best interest, so she had no comment. But Zhang Hao was innocent, trying to help a hardworking young person, only to be misunderstood, and almost lost his life. Although the police had clarified the facts, most netizens refused to believe it. They'd rather believe in the "scapegoat theory" than accept that Teacher Zhang was innocent.

In reality, Zhang Hao was just a small-time host—how could he have the ability to pay someone to take the blame? Did these netizens truly not know, or were they pretending not to?

Seeing that Yan Xi was upset, Chen Pei sighed. "I know you respect Teacher Zhang, but with the current public opinion still swirling and the station under fire, you must avoid commenting on anything related. Otherwise, you might get dragged into this."

Currently, Yan Xi's image was in a good place, and the satellite channel planned to air "Things Around Us" at 11 pm. This was too good an opportunity to ruin.

"Originally, the station hoped the rumors about Young Master Yuan's love life would overshadow Teacher Zhang's news, but the Yuan family moved too fast. Within one night, all news was handled quietly," Chen Pei lamented. "Why didn't they leak a bit more?"

Yan Xi thought to herself, if more details were leaked and the netizens discovered she was the "mysterious girlfriend," she would be buried by the public opinion.

"Forget it, let's stop talking about it. The station has its own plans. I'm here to discuss your work arrangements so you can be prepared." Chen Pei glanced at Yan Xi. "The station has decided that you will host 'Midday News' solo from now on, while Teacher Zhang will become the deputy head of the news department."

Switching from the front to behind the scenes, at least she still had a job, which was better than being dismissed. But Yan Xi was worried about how Teacher Zhang would handle the shift in mindset. Having been a host for so many years, wronged as he was, he was the one who deserved sympathy the most.

"With your ability, I believe hosting 'Midday News' on your own won't be a problem," Chen Pei noticed that Yan Xi didn't seem thrilled, so she didn't persuade her. Instead, she said, "Also, there's something I haven't told you. Starting next week, every Monday to Friday, at 11 pm, our satellite channel will air 'Things Around Us.' Xiao Yan, our program is going national."

At 11 pm, most people who liked watching TV were asleep, and those still awake were either on their computers or phones and didn't have a habit of watching TV, just like the morning 6-7 am time slot.

But for them, it was like becoming immortals. Even if it was just a minor achievement, it was still significant.

Being aired nationally meant more and more people would see their program. They were excited, even if it was only at 11 pm. It felt like an ascension.

When the station director first brought Yan Xi in, she thought of her as a rich girl who had entered through backdoor connections. She didn't expect much from her program, so she had no objections. However, Yan Xi not only had good hosting skills but also worked diligently, making "Things Around Us" a fixture in local audiences' hearts.

Never judge a book by its cover. Who would've thought this seemingly fragile girl would do such a great job?

With work settled, Yan Xi began to think about another matter. This weekend, Yuan Xiaoer was moving. Should she just stuff a red envelope with cash or buy a gift?

After her live broadcast of "Midday News" on Saturday, she left the TV station and went to a famous carving store to look for some auspicious decorations.

The store's carvings were masterpieces, with most of the items priced in the five-figure range, and some even higher. Yan Xi, feeling rather tacky, bought two rosewood carvings. After packaging them in an upscale manner, she hurried back home.

At the dinner table, Yan Xi ate dishes without soy sauce or chili and said to Song Hai, "Dad, I won't be home for dinner tomorrow. Yuan Xiaoer is moving to a new house, and he's invited me to join the fun."

"When you were in the hospital, he took care of everything for you so thoughtfully. You should definitely go," Song Hai said. "I'll pack a red envelope for you to take with you."

"Okay," Yan Xi casually replied. Noticing that Song Hai didn't ask any further questions, she couldn't help but ask, "Dad, aren't you curious about how I know Yuan Xiaoer?"

"I wish I could investigate every friend you have, and send all the bad boys away. But you've grown up," Song Hai smiled, his chubby face appearing very kind. "I don't want to be an authoritarian parent, and I trust you can handle your relationships well. But one thing you must remember—if you ever feel wronged, you must tell me. Don't keep it to yourself. Your mom and I raised you so you could live a happy life, not to let you suffer."

Yan Xi felt a warmth in her heart. She blinked her eyes, which were a little teary, and said, "Dad, thank you."

"There's no need to thank each other between father and daughter," Song Hai patted her head, feeling a little melancholic inside.

It seemed like just yesterday, Yan Yan was still a little ball of fluff, and now she had grown up so quickly.

On Saturday morning, Zhang Wang was forced to get up early to help Yuan Yi with moving. It wasn't until after ten o'clock that he finally had some time to check out Yuan Yi's new house.

"Yuan Xiaoer, don't you feel lonely living in such a big house by yourself?" He walked around the villa. "You've probably spent quite a bit on this place, right?" Given the location, size, and the property service, he could only imagine how much it had cost. It seemed like Yuan Xiaoer was determined to live here.

"I think it's fine," Yuan Yi glanced at the childhood friends playing outside. "It has a garage, a garden, and even a swimming pool. After all, it's a place I plan to live in for a while."

Zhang Wang remained silent. The villa was decorated in a family-style design. Was Yuan Xiaoer perhaps longing for a warm, happy family?

Although Zhang Wang had reservations about love and marriage, subconsciously, he wanted to compensate for the lack he felt in his childhood, which was why he had given himself a swimming pool, a lawn, a garden, and even a game room.

But no matter how perfectly the house was decorated, living alone in such a house wouldn't provide the kind of fulfillment he sought.

Coming back to himself, Zhang Wang smiled to cover his thoughts. "Why did you bring Aunt Li here? Isn't she working for your parents?"

"Maybe because I pay her a higher salary?" Yuan Yi casually replied, looking at the time. It was already past ten-thirty. Where was Yan Xi? Why hadn't she shown up yet?

"Stop checking the time," Zhang Wang said impatiently. "It's only a little past ten. It's not mealtime yet. You've been checking your watch all morning. If you keep doing that, I'm afraid it'll have more holes."

Yuan Yi didn't respond. He got up and went to the door to look outside.

Strange. He had already informed the property management, so Yan Xi should have had no trouble getting in. Could something have happened on the way? He took out his phone and dialed Yan Xi's number, but then hung up. Forget it—what if she was driving? It was dangerous to talk on the phone while driving.

Yan Xi parked her car outside Yuan Yi's villa gate and called him. "Yuan Xiaoer, open the door for me."

The gate opened quickly, and as soon as her car was parked, she saw several limited edition luxury cars in the yard, their gleaming surfaces almost blinding her in the sunlight.

"Yan Xiao Xi, you finally arrived," Yuan Yi knocked on her car window. "It's almost noon, and you're really fast."

Yan Xi got out of the car holding a gift box and slammed the door behind her. She said to Yuan Yi, "I've sacrificed my weekend sleep-in for you, so you better appreciate it."

Yuan Yi scratched his nose and didn't reply. Hearing "sacrificed for you" made him blush.