Chapter 75

The headline of the article was extremely over-the-top, and the content was full of personal bias. It praised her endlessly, focusing particularly on how much Yuan Yi's grandfather liked her, which is why he gave him the century-old hotel. Was the reporter a fan of hers? The way she was praised in the article made her feel as though she and Yuan Yi were a match made in heaven. After reading it, she felt like they were destined to be together.

She had no idea about Yuan Yi inheriting the hotel, and even meeting with Xu Laozi was just today at noon. It hadn't even been ten hours, yet a media outlet had already pushed this article with such dramatic details, as if they had witnessed it firsthand. Something suspicious was definitely going on here.

As for the issue of asset division, Yan Xi wasn't going to ask Yuan Yi about it. She handed the phone back to Song Hai. "Dad, how did you find this article?"

"It's been pushed to my phone across the entire internet. If I hadn't seen it, then I'd be blind," Song Hai placed the phone on the coffee table and looked at his daughter in silence for a moment. "Is it true, as the report says, that Yuan Yi's parents really disliked you so much that they had him removed from the senior management of Longfeng?"

"Mm." Yan Xi noticed that her dad didn't seem very happy. "Yuan Yi's relationship with his parents is a bit distant. Even though he held a position at Longfeng all these years, he's been managing his own company, so not having management rights at Longfeng doesn't affect him much."

"Silly girl, I don't care how much property he has under his name. I'm worried about you being wronged." Song Hai sighed. "This situation with the Yuan family is like a slap in your face. Everyone knows that Yuan Yi's parents don't like you. Do you think that looks good?"

"I know Yuan Yi is innocent in this matter. His attitude toward how it's been handled is right, and he's acting like a man," Song Hai said, troubled. "But not all men are like your dad, serious and loyal in love. I'm afraid that Yuan Yi might blame you in the future, and in the end, it will be you who suffers."

"Who knows what will happen in the future?" Yan Xi thought it through and said casually, "At least right now, his heart is genuinely protecting me, and his feelings for me are real. If that day ever comes, we can just part ways. Right now, we're fine, and I can't make assumptions about him based on things that haven't happened yet. That wouldn't be fair to him."

"Your attitude comes from your mother," Song Hai, lost in thought for a moment, then snapped back to reality and smiled. "As long as you know what you want, and don't let yourself be wronged, I'll support you."

"Thanks, Dad," Yan Xi smiled softly. "I thought you were going to lecture Yuan Yi."

"Children don't get to choose their parents. Why would I take my frustration out on him?" Song Hai thought to himself, "Yuan Yi's not here, and saying a few nice things in front of you won't cost me anything. It'll just make you happy."

"Although I shouldn't be discussing Yuan Yi's parents, they really did go too far," Yan Xi told Song Hai some things she had heard about Yuan Yi's past. By the end, her tone was tinged with anger. "If they didn't want their life disturbed by children, then they shouldn't have had them. They wasted someone else's chance at life and now complain about how their lives are impacted—it's ridiculous."

"This world has all kinds of people. We could talk for days and still not cover it all," Song Hai handed Yan Xi a peeled pomelo. "Eat some, it'll help cool you down."

"Dad..." Yan Xi was speechless, holding the large pomelo, not sure whether to eat it or not.

"When I was young, I even saw parents who sold their children for money," Song Hai shook his head. "When the police took them away, they said the police were meddling. They thought because they gave birth to the child, they could do whatever they wanted with it, and no one had the right to interfere."

Yan Xi frowned in disgust.

"The human heart can be as good as it is evil. The world is so vast, and there are so many people—anything can happen. Don't let other people's matters make you so angry that you harm yourself. In the end, you'll be the one who suffers," Song Hai glanced at the time on the wall. "You should rest early. Don't overthink life's philosophies at a young age; it'll make you age faster."

Upon hearing this, Yan Xi immediately touched her face. "I'll go upstairs to take off my makeup."

Song Hai watched his daughter's back as she left, first sighing, then smiling in resignation.

As children grow up, they should be allowed to spread their wings and fly. Keeping them confined in a nest for their whole lives isn't love, it's harm.

The changes at the century-old hotel created a stir not only in the business community but also among bored gossipers. Some doubted the authenticity of the report, as it was written in such an exaggerated manner. How could such a big family like the Xu family be so fond of a female host? Moreover, Yuan Yi's parents clearly didn't like Yan Xi, so how could Old Master Xu turn around and give Yuan Yi the hotel? Wouldn't that be a slap in the face to his daughter and son-in-law?

Other netizens defended her, saying that the female host, Yan Xi, had a very special charm. Although she didn't have many young fans, she was adored by older people. Many elderly loved watching her shows; she had a whole group of "grandmother fans" and "grandfather fans."

Some netizens argued that even if they liked her, they wouldn't humiliate their own daughter and son-in-law for her.

Those netizens were soon proven wrong. The popular male celebrity Xu Qiaosheng posted two photos on his Weibo account: one was of him and three others playing Mahjong, and the other was a group photo with the Xu family. Fans noticed that Yan Xi appeared in both photos, especially in the one with the Xu family, where she was seated next to Old Master Xu.

Netizen 1: "In the first photo, the serious man sitting next to Yan Xi looks like the older brother of Yuan Er Shao. I wonder how those who said Yan Xi wasn't welcome in the Yuan family feel now. They're even playing Mahjong together. Is that still not being welcomed?"

Netizen 2: "So the truth might be, apart from Yuan Er Shao's parents not liking Yan Xi, everyone else likes her?"

Netizen 3: "I strangely feel like this host is a legend."

Netizen 4: "Oh my god, why do so many people think Yan Xi is a desperate Cinderella trying to marry into a rich family? Look at her personal background, okay? Her dad is the owner of a big company, and she's the only child in her family. What does that mean? It means everything her dad has is hers. And do you know who Yan Xi's mom was? People who study painting should know the goddess Yan, who was hugely popular a few years ago. She passed away three years ago, and many artists lamented her death. Her paintings now go for millions, but you still can't buy them. This amazing goddess Yan was Yan Xi's mother!"

Netizen 5: "A dad who's a boss and a mom who's an artist—if this is what makes someone a Cinderella, I'd be happy to be this kind of Cinderella for the rest of my life."

Netizen 4: "I like watching Yan Xi's shows because they're so real. She doesn't create conflicts just for the sake of drama. Maybe it's because she doesn't have the pressure of life, so she can stay calm and do the shows with a clear mind. Who wouldn't want to be such a rich and beautiful woman? So those who call Yan Xi a scheming woman or a 'chicken' (low-class) woman, just save it. The rich young men won't even look at you no matter how much you criticize her."

Because of these comments, the netizens started arguing again.

At work, Yan Xi received curious glances from many colleagues due to the rumors online. She had already anticipated that this would happen when she came in today, and she adapted well. She went to Chen Pei's office to discuss the content for the program "Things Around Us."

Recently, the show had been receiving good reviews from the audience, and the viewership had consistently ranked first during the same time slot, so Chen Pei's mood was getting better. Seeing that Yan Xi came to find her, she knew she must have some interesting ideas for the program. She smiled and said, "Tell me, what great suggestions do you have?"

"I haven't said anything yet." Yan Xi sat down on the chair and handed over the planning document she had worked on overnight. "Sister Chen, I want to do an episode about parents and children."

Chen Pei didn't look at the planning document immediately but said, "You know, Xiao Yan, anything that involves family relationships tends to stir up a lot of discussion in society. As a program director, of course, I'd love for the show to get more attention, but those negative comments will definitely affect you. Are you sure you want to go ahead with it?"

"Let them criticize, it won't hurt me." Yan Xi was calm. "If the show can change the mindset of some people, then it's meaningful."

"If you think that way, I won't stop you. But be a little softer with your words, at least don't let the public turn their attention and criticism toward you," Chen Pei thought of Yan Xi having to deal with the complicated family relationships in the Yuan family and didn't want her to face more trouble. "It won't be good for you."

"Don't worry, Sister Chen. I know how to handle it." Seeing that Chen Pei didn't oppose her plan, Yan Xi felt relieved and cheerfully said, "After hosting the noon news, I'll leave early today."

"Why? You went to meet the parents of Yuan Er Shao yesterday, got a hotel, and now you're going again?" Chen Pei teased. "Are you trying to stir things up?"

"Sister Chen, stop joking with me. Today is my dad's birthday," Yan Xi said. "If it weren't for the fact that I'm the only one hosting the 'Noon News,' I wouldn't even come to the station today."

For the past few years, she had lived with her mom, and although she had sent her dad gifts every year, she had never been there to celebrate his birthday with him. Today, it was the first time in nine years that she would celebrate with her dad, and she didn't want to miss it.

"Go ahead, go ahead. If anything comes up at the station, I'll call you," Chen Pei smiled and said. "Among all the famous hosts here, you've been here the longest."

Yan Xi didn't know how to respond to this and could only laugh it off, pretending to be clueless.

As for the other hosts, she didn't know much about them. Using others to highlight herself could easily backfire.

"Boss, the publicity plan and all the media contacts have been arranged. The few companies that were still hesitating called today and said they're willing to fully cooperate with our publicity efforts," Assistant Meng placed the publicity plan in front of Yuan Yi. "Also, the publicity department from Changfeng called and said they could offer us free promotion."

"Changfeng?" Yuan Yi leaned back in his chair, speaking lazily. "Forget it. My old man is probably looking for an opportunity to criticize me. If I use Changfeng's resources, he'd probably lecture me about it."

"Boss, there's something I shouldn't mention, but since we're so familiar with each other, even if I do, you won't hold it against me, right?" Assistant Meng sat down in the chair, a flattering smile on his face.

Yuan Yi raised an eyebrow. "Do I seem like the type to pick on people for no reason?"

Assistant Meng: That's hard to say.

"Although you've always focused on your own business, you've kept a relatively low profile. To those who don't know you well, everything you have now seems to come from your family background rather than your own abilities." Seeing that Yuan Yi didn't seem upset, Assistant Meng continued, "As long as you succeed with a few projects and raise your profile a bit, then to others, you'll be known for who you truly are. Mr. Yuan will be Mr. Yuan, and even Miss Yan..."

Yuan Yi's expression grew more serious. "Go on."

"Even Miss Yan won't be called a femme fatale anymore," Assistant Meng said with a dry laugh, noticing the somewhat intimidating look on Yuan Yi's face. "People are always so realistic."

After a brief silence, Yuan Yi looked at the mobile game publicity plan in front of him. "You're right. In the end, it's because I'm not successful enough that it's causing her to be gossiped about."

Assistant Meng: "No, boss, I didn't mean..."

"Once this mobile game novel is released, I plan to develop a game aimed at women. In the gaming market, women can hold up half the sky. As long as the game is well-made, the profits and reputation won't be worse than those of male-oriented games."

"But we've never tried making games for women. What if it ends up losing money?" Assistant Meng regretted speaking out.

"It's okay," Yuan Yi gently tapped the desk. "I just want everyone to know that this game is a gift I'm giving to Xiao Xi. You're right, I was too low-key before, which made people think I would give up on Xiao Xi for a small stake in Changfeng."

Assistant Meng: No, boss, I didn't mean that you're too low-key. If you keep acting so high-profile, single people might start cursing you.

"Assistant Meng, thank you," Yuan Yi looked up at him and said. "Thank goodness you reminded me about this. Otherwise, I'd have kept letting Xiao Xi suffer. I used to worry that being too high-profile would bring her trouble, but now I realize that being too low-key isn't good either. It makes some people think I don't care about her."

Assistant Meng: Boss, wake up! The video of you and Song Chao fighting over jealousy has already gone viral online. If that's considered low-key, then there's no such thing as a high-profile love in this world.

"Developing just one game might not be enough," Yuan Yi said seriously, looking at Assistant Meng. "What do you think about investing in a movie based on Xiao Xi?"

Assistant Meng: "I think... Miss Yan might not like this way of showing affection?"

Indeed, people in love, regardless of gender, tend to have below-average intelligence.

"You're right. If someone else plays Xiao Xi, they probably won't capture her cute side," Yuan Yi began reminiscing about the moments he'd shared with Yan Xiao Xi. Conscience told him that Xiao Xi, this woman, wasn't exactly "cute," but when it came to a woman he loved, what use was conscience?

"Then let's first develop a game," Yuan Yi decided, setting the plan in motion. "Assistant Meng, have someone contact a planner skilled in female-oriented games, and get this plan on track."

Assistant Meng: So why did I even speak up earlier?

Determined to be high-profile, Yuan Yi quickly arranged a luxurious birthday banquet for Song Hai at the newly acquired Century Grand Hotel and then dispatched a luxury convoy to bring Song Hai to the party.

He was gearing up to please his future father-in-law.

Meanwhile, Song Hai, still handling business at the company, had no idea he was about to become a trending figure on the internet.