Xia Wei Liang's tone carried a "I'm too dignified to bother with an idiot" kind of magnanimity.
But to the film emperor, it sounded entirely different.
"Heh, quite pleased?"
"Mm, a little. After all, there's still room for improvement."
What she admired most was Xi En's professionalism. In this day and age, it was rare to find an actor who took his work so seriously and didn't cause trouble.
Xiao Yi was one such actor, and he was the second.
And as someone who understood how to unearth people's excellent potential, she estimated she was the third.
"Then tell me, how do you want to improve things? Improve them until they fall under your skirt and give me another love rival?"
Xia Wei Liang froze.
"Teacher Xiao, what are you talking about! Even if I were as beautiful as a celestial being, not every man would fall for me! Take Teacher Xi En for example, he's definitely into the Xia Yi Ran type!"
"Xia Yi Ran?"
He chuckled.
Xi En wasn't blind.
"Keep your distance from him from now on."
"Why?"
The issue wasn't about who she associated with, but why he was interfering.
The man opposite her calmly said, "You know reporters love to fabricate stories. He's a professional and good actor, and he's the only golden signboard Huatian Entertainment has. Even if President Liu sold himself, he wouldn't be able to recruit a second one. If scandals about you were to surface again, it would be a blasphemy to Teacher Xi and a fatal blow to President Liu."
"Uh..."
It was clearly nonsense, yet it sounded so logical?
She was utterly speechless.
So, she furrowed her brow and replied, "I understand."
Xiao Yi was finally satisfied.
Only then did he get to the main point. "I know you don't care about what's being said online, but I won't be vague about clearing your name."
"What do you want to do?"
Xia Wei Liang knew Xiao Yi well enough; when he said something like this, it meant he had the thunderclap.
"She will disappear completely from the entertainment industry."
"Uh... actually, I think..."
"There's no 'you think,' only 'I decide.'"
"What, Teacher Xiao, do you want to endorse me? Xiao Yi, I have to say, you've gotten a bit too full of yourself lately!"
He laughed softly, "Put away your sympathy; some people aren't worth it. I can overlook Liu Yaozong being by your side, but Xia Yi Ran must disappear."
Xia Wei Liang pursed her lips, holding her phone, and looked down at her feet, her toes unconsciously poking the floor. "You know, if it weren't for her, I might not have gotten involved with you."
"It was also her who might have sent you to another man's bed."
"..."
KO—
Wait!
She suddenly realized that Xiao Yi knew everything from the beginning!
"Alright," Xia Wei Liang lowered her gaze and said, "I don't want to help her, I just don't want her to waste my time."
The meaning of time for her was not just rebirth, but a new beginning.
"So, let me handle the dark roles. You just need to enjoy the life in the sunlight."
Her heart warmed. "Then wouldn't I be taking advantage of you?"
He chuckled, "You can take advantage."
Just as she was about to express her gratitude, he said, "I'll find another way to collect my payment."
"..."
She had every reason to suspect the film emperor was driving.
After hanging up the phone, she couldn't suppress the smile on her lips, staring at her phone and caressing the screen.
She couldn't help but open WeChat and go directly to the first pinned conversation: [Thank you, Teacher Xiao, for caring so much about your juniors! Sending hearts♥♥]
Soon, a reply came: [Mm, I prefer another way of caring for juniors.]
Her face instantly flushed. She quickly exited WeChat, cupping her face with both hands, her smile stretching almost to her ears.
Casually turning her head, she was startled by two faces squeezed into distorted shapes outside the glass door.
"So... you could hear all that so openly?"
Song Yuan and Nuo Mi immediately resumed their normal expressions and turned away as if nothing had happened.
Song Yuan: "I told you long ago, for the reserved type, you have to be unrestrained to deal with them."
Nuo Mi: "No wonder Sister Wei Wei is so thoroughly captured by the film emperor. Amazing, truly worthy of my Brother Yuan!"
Xia Wei Liang patted her chest, maintaining a smile on her face.
Heh, no anger, no anger. After all, she was the reserved one.
Just as the two of them were leaving, the doorbell rang.
Xia Wei Liang was currently the most protected person in the entire neighborhood. Anyone ringing her doorbell had to be a neighbor or a familiar visitor.
So, Nuo Mi didn't think much of it and ran to open the door.
"Sister Huan, why are you here..."
Seeing the person standing beside Ji Huan, Nuo Mi froze, and finally, with a very unnatural expression, called back, "Sister Wei Wei?"
Xia Wei Liang walked over and, seeing who it was, her mouth opened. She didn't know what to call her for a moment.
"Wei Liang..."
Su Hui, with swollen eyes, rushed over and pulled her into a hug. "Wei Liang, I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."
Xia Wei Liang stood there blankly, feeling Su Hui's despair, which was close to collapse. She slowly raised her hands and hugged her tightly.
Nuo Mi stood beside them and quietly asked, "Sister Huan, why are you with Mrs. Xia?"
"When I arrived, I saw her outside the neighborhood, standing there for who knows how long."
Nuo Mi fell silent. In the end, the person who suffered the most in this whole affair was likely this mother.
She thought she had found her real daughter, only to discover it was a conspiracy. What was even more hateful was that there was no one left to pursue.
Liu Wan Quan was dead, and Bao Fang was also dead.
"Wei Liang... I, I really... I'm sorry."
Su Hui's expression was one of utter panic, and her eyes were so lost it was heartbreaking. She tightly held Xia Wei Liang's hand. "Yi Ran... she's not my daughter. My daughter... I don't even know where my daughter is..."
Xia Wei Liang looked at her with distress. The reason she wanted to pretend nothing had happened, not to dwell on the past, was to avoid such an outcome.
Su Hui was the mother who had raised her. Despite any misunderstandings, the kindness of upbringing was greater than the bond of birth. She didn't want to see her sad. She would have preferred to continue in error, allowing Xia Yi Ran to fulfill her filial duties in place of the true daughter of the Xia family.
Now, it seemed, most of it was wishful thinking.
She gently guided Su Hui to the living room, and they sat on the sofa. Nuo Mi poured her a cup of hot water.
Su Hui kept holding Xia Wei Liang's hand, her body trembling.
Looking at this pitiful mother, the secondary damage was far more intense than the first.
Perhaps it was a mother's intuition, but she no longer held any hope of finding her own child.
She lowered her head and asked in a hoarse voice, "Wei Liang, do you resent me?"
Xia Wei Liang shook her head firmly, "No, not at all. On the contrary, I'm very grateful."
Su Hui closed her eyes, tears streaming down her face.
"But I resent myself. We were obsessed with blood relations and forgot that the best daughter was right beside us, the one we raised with our own hands... I, I know I hurt you deeply, making you a child without a home overnight... I even, even when you decided to leave, secretly breathed a sigh of relief, so I wouldn't have to face you... What, what have I done!"
Su Hui covered her face, sobbing uncontrollably.