Chapter 58

Lin Wei put away her resentful expression and, with an exaggerated smile, sat down right beside Xia Xi, initiating an awkward conversation. “Xia Xi, you sang really well just now.”
Xia Xi: “…”
Was it really necessary to force this? Couldn’t they just leave each other alone?
Hearing this, Xia Xi paused briefly before lifting her head to stare directly into Lin Wei’s eyes. She held the gaze for a long while, long enough for Lin Wei’s smile to nearly falter, before replying indifferently, “It was alright. Maybe a little better than your performance.”
Her expression was somewhat provoking, and her eyes held a clear indifference, underscoring her lack of concern.
This attitude cut deeply into Lin Wei, choking her words in her throat, leaving her feeling stifled and uncomfortable.
In truth, Lin Wei had anticipated some of the responses Xia Xi might give. She thought Xia Xi might respond modestly to show her grace, if so, Lin Wei could steer the conversation toward singing techniques and learn from her. Alternatively, if Xia Xi, due to her relationship with Luo Chu’an, showed hostility, Lin Wei could play the magnanimous and wounded party.
After all, based on Luo Chu’an’s descriptions, Lin Wei had assumed Xia Xi would be easy to handle, just a few provoking words, and she would fly into a rage. So, weighing her options, Lin Wei felt she couldn’t pass up this chance to tarnish Xia Xi’s image. Besides, if she could gain unexpected advantages by pretending to yield and show a little humility, why not go for it?
But she hadn't expected that this Xia Xi was not the same as the one from before. This Xia Xi didn't follow the usual script, she addressed matters, not people, and her words were so truthful they were hard to refute. Moreover, she never imagined Xia Xi's face could be so thick-skinned, accepting others' praises without a hint of humility. And as for her, Luo Chu'an's current girlfriend, Xia Xi showed no particular reaction, at least not as agitated or resentful as Lin Wei had imagined. She even began to wonder if Xia Xi truly loved Luo Chu'an as much as they had thought.
Xia Xi silently glanced at Lin Wei, who was sitting not far from her, and noticed that her expression could only be described as a kaleidoscope of emotions upon hearing her words. After a few seconds of thought, Xia Xi quickly moved to a spot far away from Lin Wei. Relieved to see that Lin Wei didn’t shamelessly try to approach her again, she let out a quiet sigh of relief.
She truly had no energy left to deal with such two-faced people, it was both awkward and frustrating.
Although Xia Xi often felt drained by social niceties, she had, after all, spent quite some time in the entertainment industry. She was no stranger to underhanded tricks, as the saying goes, she might not have eaten pork, but she’d seen pigs run. So, when it came to handling those who flaunted their petty cleverness, Xia Xi had her own effective methods.
Time and again, she managed to foil their schemes while leaving them fuming with frustration. Perhaps that was a talent in itself?
Because of the tension between Xia Xi and Lin Wei, the atmosphere in the lounge grew awkward. The staff exchanged glances and quietly made themselves as inconspicuous as possible, causing the already quiet room to become even more silent, so silent you could hear a pin drop.
"I actually sang the whole song! I’m so happy!"
"Right, Sister Jingyu! Not only did you finish it, but you sang it beautifully!"
Suddenly, an exceptionally sweet voice filled with relief drifted in from outside the lounge, making everyone inside chuckle with curiosity as they turned their attention to the door.
They saw Yang Jingyu holding up the hem of her dress, a genuine smile of satisfaction on her face as she hurried in with light steps. After glancing at Lin Wei and Xia Xi, who were sitting far apart, and taking in their expressions, she hesitated for a moment before choosing to sit next to Lin Wei, whom she had already greeted earlier. With a light laugh, she struck up a conversation, "Sister Lin Wei, both of your performances earlier were amazing! As someone who can’t sing or dance, I felt so much pressure!"
Me? A good performance?
Hearing Yang Jingyu’s words, Lin Wei shot her a complicated look. Recalling her own recent performance, a surge of resentment welled up inside her.
Was she deliberately mocking me? Could my performance really be described as "good"? It was probably terrible, enough to make others laugh at me.
Thinking this, Lin Wei turned to look at Xia Xi, who was sitting in the corner with her eyes closed, resting. She must be laughing at me inside, just like how I coldly watched her humble and ingratiating herself when she was with Luo Chu’an.
"Sister Lin Wei, are you okay?" Yang Jingyu’s cheerful mood was dampened by Lin Wei’s cold expression. Her tone turned cautious, and she couldn’t help but regret her lack of tact. Clearly, the other person was in a bad mood, and yet she had gone out of her way to talk to her, wasn’t that just asking for trouble?
"It’s nothing." Lin Wei quickly composed herself, a faint, elusive smile reappearing on her face as she said to Yang Jingyu, "I was just thinking about something else, so I didn’t react to what you said right away. Sorry about that."
"No problem, no problem." Seeing that Lin Wei had returned to normal, Yang Jingyu breathed a sigh of relief and waved her hand dismissively. "I wasn’t really saying anything important anyway."
As she spoke, she moved closer to Lin Wei, warmly linking arms with her as if completely dismissing their earlier discord. The two now appeared as intimate as one person.
"Lin Wei, your singing just now was absolutely amazing. That's my favorite song," Yang Jingyu said, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Lin Wei. Her expression seemed utterly sincere, and even her flattering words sounded genuinely heartfelt. "To be honest, after hearing you sing it, I love this song even more. You brought out a different feeling, truly unforgettable."
The staff present were momentarily stunned by Yang Jingyu's words. They glanced at Yang Jingyu, then at Lin Wei, and finally at Xia Xi, who sat in the corner, detached and aloof. They exchanged puzzled looks, their eyes filled with deep confusion.
Did Yang Jingyu just say it was Lin Wei who sang beautifully, not Xia Xi? Had she mistaken the person to praise?
Unlike the others' bewilderment, Xia Xi had a clearer understanding of the situation and knew exactly why Yang Jingyu was shamelessly buttering up Lin Wei with such blatant lies.
Although Yang Jingyu publicly claimed to be a signed artist under Jiaxing Entertainment, Luo Chu'an's former agency, she was, in fact, signed under Luo Chu'an's personal studio.
For some unknown reason, Luo Chu'an's manager had taken a particular liking to her, showering her with numerous high-quality resources. Back when Xia Xi and Luo Chu'an were still together, she had witnessed the manager presenting Yang Jingyu with a plethora of excellent opportunities, allowing her to pick and choose. Some of these resources were even snatched away from Xia Xi, Luo Chu'an's official girlfriend, to make way for Yang Jingyu.
The relationship between them could only be described as extremely strained.
To be fair, the original host wasn't a petty person. Initially, she didn't mind Yang Jingyu snatching resources, as she had a fair amount of self-awareness. She felt that some opportunities might be wasted in her hands and was willing to let others choose first, one more Yang Jingyu didn't make much difference.
The problem, however, lay with Yang Jingyu herself, she was utterly incompetent. With no acting skills to speak of, nearly all the TV dramas she starred in flopped. After two years in the entertainment industry, she had no notable works to her name, yet she still enjoyed hijacking others' resources.
Before Xia Xi and Luo Chu'an broke up, Yang Jingyu had even snatched a food-related variety show from Xia Xi.
Xia Xi had already signed the contract for that show and was preparing to join the crew when Yang Jingyu took a liking to it and insisted that Luo Chu'an's manager secure it for her. This incident led to a fierce dispute between Da He and Luo Chu'an's manager. In the end, Luo Chu'an intervened, urging Xia Xi to be magnanimous and give up the resource to resolve the conflict, claiming it would benefit everyone. But Luo Chu'an showed no concern for Xia Xi's grievances.
From that point on, Xia Xi and Yang Jingyu became outright enemies.
During that period, the original host frequently argued with Luo Chu'an. She even grew jealous of Yang Jingyu, suspecting that Luo Chu'an was actually involved with her and merely using his manager as a cover to deceive her.
But later, Xia Xi realized that there was indeed nothing between Luo Chu’an and Yang Jingyu, and Yang Jingyu’s relationship with Luo Chu’an’s agent was merely that of friends, or more accurately, it was a one-sided pursuit by Luo Chu’an’s agent. Even though Yang Jingyu gave no response, the agent remained devoted without regret. Their relationship could be considered quite peculiar.
Thinking of this, Xia Xi narrowed her eyes and glanced at the way Lin Wei and Yang Jingyu interacted from a distance, feeling a sense of irony.
In the past, Yang Jingyu had never treated the original owner, Luo Chu’an’s nominal girlfriend, with such respect. When snatching resources from the original owner, she hadn’t shown the slightest hesitation, acting as if it were entirely justified. But now, she was treating Lin Wei with such humility. It seemed her current situation wasn’t easy, at the very least, resources weren’t as readily available as before.
"Your performance just now was really great!"
"Thank you."
Just as she was lost in thought, voices sounded from outside the door. The fourth contestant to finish singing entered the lounge. Xia Xi pursed her lips and stood up from her seat. When Yang Man walked in, she gave the girl a slight nod, offered a polite greeting, and then sat back down. Her attitude could only be described as perfunctory, a stark contrast to the enthusiasm displayed by Lin Wei and Yang Jingyu.
Meanwhile, Xia Xi’s former anti-fans, watching the live broadcast, immediately emerged. They flooded the comments, criticizing Xia Xi for her overly cold and impersonal attitude. They accused her of being arrogant and relying on her talent, forcing others to cater to her whims. They claimed she had no social skills and that interacting with someone like her would be incredibly awkward.
However, unlike before, there was now a small group of people who supported Xia Xi. They argued that her weariness with social niceties was understandable, after all, some people were naturally unsuited for interpersonal interactions, and that couldn’t be forced. Though their numbers were few, it was still progress, wasn’t it?