Chapter 26

Xia Xi had to admire the person who wanted to ruin her, they were truly cunning. Their actions were meticulously linked, clearly intended to gradually push her into a corner. Thinking of this, Xia Xi instinctively narrowed her eyes and let out a light laugh as she glanced in the direction Ye Xin had left. She knew that since their scheme had progressed this far, there were likely more moves to come.
However, this plan had a flaw. Xia Xi still had a slim chance of making a comeback in the entertainment industry, that was her continued role in the drama "Fate of Immortals," which had become the biggest variable in the situation.
For an actor, the most important thing is undoubtedly acting skills. Those who criticized Xia Xi repeatedly emphasized her poor performance. So, the root of the attacks against her lay in her acting. If her skills improved, perhaps all the problems would resolve themselves.
Therefore, Xia Xi's god-like acting skills in "Fate of Immortals" were her best method to stage a comeback.
If Xia Xi were still the original owner with poor acting skills, her performance in "Fate of Immortals" might have become the ultimate proof of her incompetence. Without Luo Chu'an's protection, it was easy to imagine her fate, netizens would naturally swarm to mock her without anyone needing to say a word.
But now things were different. Xia Xi was no longer the original owner; her acting skills were not only decent but also among the best in the entertainment industry. Sometimes, when acting opposite Lu Yisheng, she could hold her own without losing ground.
As the saying goes, "A man's wealth is his own ruin by causing others' envy." It was likely that her acting skills had already drawn jealousy from others,
Thinking this, Xia Xi made a reasonable guess: these people's next move would probably be to drive her out of the "Fate of Immortals" crew. Only by erasing Xia Xi's presence from the entertainment industry could they ensure absolute safety.
If she were merely blacklisted online, there would still be a chance for a comeback, Xia Xi could hire water armies to clean up her reputation. But if her resources were snatched away and public perception of her hit rock bottom, what director would hire an actor like her, who lacked both skill and audience appeal?
In that case, without good resources, Xia Xi would lack sufficient exposure, and her presence would gradually fade from people's minds.
Song Yuan, who had been feeling very anxious, was taken aback when she noticed that Xia Xi, the person at the center of the storm, was sitting calmly in her chair. She took a few steps forward, leaned in close to Xia Xi, and whispered, "Sister Xia Xi, have you thought of a solution?"
"Not really," Xia Xi pursed her lips, looked up at Song Yuan's worried face, and a flicker of amusement flashed in her eyes. She chuckled lightly and shook her head, her tone cheerful. "But I do have an idea now."
An idea???
Song Yuan felt a pang of frustration upon hearing Xia Xi's reply. She had assumed that Xia Xi's calm demeanor meant she had already devised a solution and was confident about it. But to get such an answer, she couldn't help but roll her eyes inwardly and grumble to herself, "Then why are you so calm? So calm! I'm about to die from anxiety!"
"Song Yuan, things aren't as serious as you think," Xia Xi said, her eyes growing even more amused as she watched Song Yuan's expression. She hadn't planned to share her thoughts with Song Yuan, but seeing the pitiable look on her face, she decided to offer some comfort out of kindness. "The online chatter isn't really a big deal. For now, we should just carry on as usual, eat well, drink well."
Noticing the flicker of confusion in Song Yuan's eyes, Xia Xi pursed her lips and continued, "Our top priority right now is to finish filming 'Fate of Immortals.' No matter how vicious the rumors online are, we'll ignore them, pay no attention, and offer no explanations. We'll handle the negative comments with a cold approach."
"Will that work?"
Xia Xi nodded, picked up the teacup beside her, and took a sip. "If netizens get tired of performing their one-man show online, they'll naturally move on to the next target for gossip. But,"
She suddenly paused.
"Sister Xia Xi, but what?"
"But this matter probably has more to it."
Xia Xi speculated that if there was someone in the "Fate of Immortals" crew scheming against her, their next move would undoubtedly be to drive her out of the production.
Just as Xia Xi had anticipated, one day after the online smear campaign against her had escalated, a flood of artists from the "Fate of Immortals" crew suddenly emerged, all scrambling to distance themselves from her. Among them were some whose names she recognized and others she didn’t. Some of these artists, who had been overly enthusiastic and affectionate toward her just the day before, calling her "sister" this and "sister" that, had now turned their backs without a second thought. Others, with whom she had no prior relationship, fabricated stories about how Xia Xi had supposedly wronged them.
Some claimed that just because they hadn’t greeted her, she had harshly reprimanded them; others alleged that Xia Xi, out of jealousy over their acting skills, had deliberately made things difficult for them…
Holding her phone, Xia Xi watched the flood of false accusations that had appeared overnight online, and the more she read, the more amused she became. The way these rumor-mongers spun their tales was so vivid and detailed that even she, as the person involved, momentarily wondered if she had actually done such things.
Truly a masterclass in storytelling.
In truth, when Xia Xi learned about these rumors, she wasn’t the least bit surprised. After all, the entertainment industry had always been like this, filled with deception and schemes. In her previous life, she had experienced countless such plots, gritting her teeth and shedding blood as she clawed her way up step by step.
The struggles here were like a war without gunpowder, a fight to the death. There was no room for unnecessary sentiment or genuine friendships; she had long understood that.
Just as Xia Xi was enjoying her own online gossip, the sudden ringtone startled her, causing her hand to jerk and nearly drop her phone.
"Da He?"
"Xia Xi, the situation is getting worse. The number of netizens criticizing you on Weibo is increasing by the day, and now actors from the 'Fate of Immortals' crew are suddenly exposing negative stories about you on set. It’s escalating rapidly online, and I’m afraid we might lose this project." Da He’s voice on the other end of the line was filled with exhaustion. "But as for the variety show 'Cross-Border Singing Joy,' I’ve been in touch with the director, and it should be fine. Even though there are so many people criticizing you online, as long as you have exposure, there’s hope for a comeback. Just relax and focus on preparing for the show."
"Mm, I understand." Hearing Da He’s voice, Xia Xi knew he must have been working tirelessly on her behalf all night. A warm feeling welled up inside her, at least she had someone she could trust. "Da He, have you found out who’s deliberately orchestrating this smear campaign against me?"
"Got it." Da He's voice on the phone paused briefly before continuing, "You guessed right, the ones scheming against you are Lin Wei, Ye Xin, Bai Yinghou, Fang Yingdi, and the others. Lin Wei’s motive is clear: she wants the public to gradually forget about her relationship announcement with Luo Chu’an. As for Ye Xin, she’s jealous of your performance in the 'Fate of Immortals' crew and wants to drive you out. Bai Yinghou, Fang Yingdi, and the rest are simply afraid the trouble will spread to them. They think that as long as Luo Chu’an sees it, exposing your scandals will be enough to divert public attention. So, for their own interests, they’re adding fuel to the fire."
Just as expected.
Hearing the news Da He brought, Xia Xi couldn’t help but narrow her eyes slightly and let out a quiet sigh of relief. Since things were unfolding exactly as she had anticipated, there was nothing to worry about.
Her already relaxed mood grew even more at ease, and she praised sincerely, "Da He, not bad, your efficiency is impressive. You managed to dig up all this information in just one night."
“...”