The media had already arranged for press releases before the banquet even ended, all of them hyping up the film emperor’s astronomical bid of five million for the phoenix hairpin, presented to Xia Weiliang.
Consequently, Xia Weiliang genuinely earned the title of "Empress."
However, contrary to everyone’s expectations, in the VIP makeup room backstage, Xia Weiliang was indeed writing an IOU, word by word, on the table.
"I, Xia Weiliang… hereby owe Xiao Yi five million…"
The man sitting opposite, legs elegantly crossed, holding a cup of coffee, glanced over. "Don't forget to count the zeros properly."
Xia Weiliang looked up at him silently, then began counting, "One, two, three…"
Yan Zhi, standing by, kept his lips tightly pursed, afraid he would burst out laughing.
Initially, he had been quietly complaining about his boss. Everyone in the entertainment industry knew her story, so why get entangled with her?
But after this charity banquet, not only did he discover that Xia Weiliang wasn't as detestable as rumored, but the hype generated by her and their Boss Xiao was truly unprecedented!
As Lian Jun had put it earlier, usually, buying internet trolls or trending topics cost more than this. Now, it was perfect. They had the buzz, and it would likely continue to ferment for days. Furthermore, they were the creditors, with the IOU in hand. If anyone dared to fabricate stories later, they could sue!
See, with a lawsuit, another wave of trending topics was guaranteed.
Hearing a single sentence was more enlightening than a dozen.
At that moment, Yan Zhi’s mind was opened!
Although Xiao Yi was a film emperor, with his standing and status, he didn't need to engage in such trivial matters frequently. However, some benefactors needed to consider topics and trends. You couldn’t always remain in the clouds; you had to occasionally offer some sweet treats to those who supported you from below!
Look, the atmosphere of mutual benefit and cooperation was also established!
Considering all these advantages, Yan Zhi even started to see Xia Weiliang as a benevolent figure.
The IOU was finally finished. She took out her lipstick, stained her finger red, and pressed her handprint.
"Alright, I've also clearly written out the interest section. It will be offset by participating in the program. Also, uh… the repayment method is in installments."
She sounded a bit guilty at this point.
Xiao Yi had told her to handle it herself, how many installments, and how much per installment was up to her.
So, Xia Weiliang thought, if there was no interest, wouldn’t she have to spread it out over more installments?
Thus, she divided it into 1000 installments, each payment being 5,000.
Xiao Yi picked it up to read, raised an eyebrow upon seeing this, and his lips curved slightly upward.
Yan Zhi's eyes widened, his eyeballs nearly sticking to the paper. "Miss Xia, I must say, your installment plan is quite eco-friendly! What is this, planning to burden the next generation? One thousand installments? Twelve installments a year, that’s over eighty years to repay! What, do I have to go home and set up a longevity shrine for you!"
Xia Weiliang seriously considered it. "Not impossible." Su Dan Novel Network
Yan Zhi pointed at the IOU. "Brother Yi, 1000 installments? 1000 installments! Are you kidding me?"
Unexpectedly, Xiao Yi directly took the IOU. "I don't think there's a problem."
Yan Zhi was stunned.
Soon after, he sincerely crouched down. "Brother Yi, I'm a bit short on cash lately. Could you lend me some too? I won't borrow much, just a million! I also want to pay in 1000 installments…"
Xiao Yi merely glanced at him, said nothing, and Yan Zhi understood.
"Well, I prefer self-reliance. Such a life is more exciting."
Xiao Yi looked up at Xia Weiliang. "The media will likely publish many articles. Just pretend you don't see them. If there are any with harsh language or personal attacks, you don't need to worry about them; my legal team will handle it."
Xia Weiliang nodded with a smile. "Then thank you, Brother Yi. Regardless, I've been riding on your popularity and benefiting from your fame."
Yan Zhi rolled his eyes and whispered, "Heh, you admit it now."
Xia Weiliang pretended not to hear. She knew Yan Zhi's nature; even though she wanted to hit him every time he spoke, he was actually softer-hearted than anyone else.
After Xia Weiliang left Xiao Yi's dressing room, she was surrounded by various gazes all the way. The nine-tailed phoenix hairpin on her head was indeed exquisite and imposing, coupled with her widely recognized stunning beauty, she was the perfect Empress!
Many people came to greet her, acquaintances and strangers alike, calling her "Empress," "Empress."
Xia Weiliang had heard it often before and didn't pay much mind, responding generously to everyone.
Upon exiting, she saw Chu Qiao's car.
As soon as she got in, Chu Qiao hugged her excitedly. "Darling, you stole the show today!"
Xia Weiliang smiled at her.
In this circle, meeting someone as sincere as Chu Qiao was truly her good fortune.
Therefore, without a second word, she pulled Chu Qiao into an embrace, took out her phone, took a selfie, and immediately posted it on Weibo.
Chu Qiao had initially wanted to stop her, but Xia Weiliang glared at her. "Don't move!"
As expected, her selfie instantly climbed into the top three. Everyone also witnessed the true appearance of the five-million-dollar phoenix hairpin.
Along with it, Chu Qiao's popularity also rose. Some of Chu Qiao's fans present even revealed that Xia Weiliang had arrived in Chu Qiao's car, and that many actresses at the scene had avoided her. Only Chu Qiao, regardless of where she was, never forgot to keep Xia Weiliang by her side.
Now, Chu Qiao's previous brave acts were also unearthed.
Especially how she treated Xia Weiliang. When everyone avoided her like a plague, only Chu Qiao, whether in interviews or private comments, had never said a bad word about Xia Weiliang. Moreover, when encountering those who kicked her while she was down, the chivalrous Chu would step forward to retort.
Various videos and screenshots surfaced, perfectly portraying Ms. Chu Da Yong!
The facts proved that a righteous actress like her was truly rare. Her fans were delighted they hadn't loved the wrong person, and passersby also turned into fans.
Although Chu Qiao didn't care much about these things, she still appreciated Xia Weiliang’s gesture.
Xia Weiliang smiled and said, "I don't have much to repay you with right now, so I'm just doing what I can. However, once I become famous and rich, I'll definitely support you!"
This made Chu Qiao burst into laughter, but Xi Chi, sitting in the front row, couldn't laugh and cast a few glances at her sideways.
Xia Weiliang pretended not to see.
Even more amusing was that many celebrities who attended the banquet reposted or interacted, and more and more people from the industry joined in.
Anyone with eyes could see that, besides wanting to ride the wave of popularity, the most important reason was Xiao Yi behind Xia Weiliang.
What kind of pure relationship would make you push someone into the next seat and lend five million for an antique?
Are they trying to fool us into shipping a CP!