"Damn, even the talent show company is apologizing?"
"Jiang Zhe, the son of an investor, is also apologizing. What the hell?"
"Badass, I thought Ji Xiaonian was blacklisted."
"Hahahahahaha, did we misjudge?"
"Ji Xiaonian is badass, does she have a backer?"
"Her backer must be powerful if they can override Jiang Zhe."
"The capitalists are apologizing, so there must be some shady business."
"Hahahaha, whoever can suppress capitalists must be backed by even bigger capitalists."
"Ji Xiaonian has a backer! Damn, no wonder she's so tough!"
"666666."
"Ji Xiaonian is the mysterious person herself. She writes great songs with high quality, so the entertainment industry must be backing her."
"The previous commenter is spreading rumors. She said it was just a coincidence."
"You believe that? Trust me, she IS the mysterious person!"
Netizens continued to debate fiercely, with the hot topic remaining in the top ten. Everyone was curious, and in a short time, all the celebrities in the entertainment industry began to pay attention to the mysterious Ji Xiaonian with her viral hot topic.
Meanwhile, the talent show director, Jiang Zhe, and Judge Teacher Zhou gathered together, their faces full of hatred, yet forced to swallow their anger.
"Why do we have to apologize to Ji Xiaonian?" Jiang Zhe was furious.
"Ancestors, this was President Jiang's decision," his agent said with a headache.
"What's her background?" Teacher Zhou was visibly displeased, as his reputation had taken a hit this season.
"Superstar Yu is backing her," the director said, wiping his sweat.
"So what if it's just a celebrity like Yu Luobai?" Jiang Zhe scoffed.
"Don't say that," the director warned, looking terrified. "Outsiders may not know, but we in the industry know that Yu Luobai's mother is the aunt of President Ye Jingzhan, the head of the powerful Ye family in Jingdu. The Yu family's business is now part of the Ye family's empire, so we can't afford to offend them."
"The Ye family?" Teacher Zhou was surprised, as they were the pinnacle of power in Jingdu. He had no idea Superstar Yu had such a background.
Jiang Zhe fell silent for a moment before asking in disbelief, "Is that true?"
"Absolutely true," the director confirmed.
"Ji Xiaonian's best friend is Shen Shuyao, you all know that, right?" the agent added. "Shen Shuyao's boyfriend is Ye Jingzhan..."
Upon hearing this, everyone was shocked, even the director looked incredulous.
"Forget it," Jiang Zhe said, his face turning grim. For the first time, he had to swallow his anger.
At that moment, Ji Xiaonian was unaware of how many people were discussing her behind her back. She had just gotten out of Pei Yuchen's car.
Pei Yuchen had parked the car, and the two were walking on the street. Seeing her sullen expression, he couldn't help but want to tease her a little.
"Why does Miss Ji look so unhappy?" Pei Yuchen asked with a smile.
Ji Xiaonian forced an expression even uglier than crying and laughed, "Mr. Pei is joking. I'm quite happy."
Yeah, right. After a tiring day of filming, she was finally able to leave work and go home. But instead, she had to come and have dinner with this villain, forced to continue their publicity stunt.
Pei Yuchen chuckled, turning to look at her. With the arrival of autumn, it had become cooler. Ji Xiaonian was wearing a loose-fitting denim jacket today.
Underneath, she had on a white long-sleeved top and a black pencil skirt that outlined her long, slender legs. She wore a pair of white sneakers, and with her young age, she looked like a student.
The two entered the restaurant and were greeted by a uniformed server.
Upon seeing them, the server girl looked surprised, as if she couldn't believe her eyes, but she quickly composed herself and smiled, "Welcome, do you have a reservation?"
Ji Xiaonian noticed that the restaurant's decor was quite upscale, though not as luxurious as the previous places they had visited.
She wondered if the food here was really good.
There were many people in the lobby, including groups of young girls who didn't seem to be there just for dining.
Ji Xiaonian hadn't worn a mask, causing a stir, and many people stood up to take photos.
"Oh my god, it's her in person! She's so beautiful!"
"Wow, Ji Xiaonian!"
"I love you so much, Xiaonian!"
"This restaurant must be a celebrity hotspot!"
"I got insider information that today would be a good opportunity for celebrity spotting. Hahaha, I didn't expect to see Ji Xiaonian."
Ji Xiaonian smiled shyly at the crowd and nodded, greeting everyone.
"Aaahhhh, she's so pretty!"
"Who's that guy with her? He's so handsome!"
"Is he Ji Xiaonian's boyfriend?"
"Doesn't seem like it. Judging by his demeanor, they don't look intimate. Could he be her rich backer?"
"They were saying online today that Ji Xiaonian has a backer."
Ji Xiaonian turned to the man in embarrassment. "Mr. Pei, I forgot to wear a mask."
Pei Yuchen hadn't considered that, feeling apologetic. "I'm sorry, I didn't expect so many people today..."
There weren't this many people the last time he came. Those girls didn't look like they were there for dining, even though they had ordered food. They seemed suspicious.
"It's okay..." Ji Xiaonian felt so embarrassed.
Seeing someone constantly taking photos, Pei Yuchen frowned and moved to Ji Xiaonian's left side, using his tall frame to shield her from view.
"Wow, he's so handsome. Is he a celebrity?"
"Doesn't seem like a celebrity. I've never seen him before."
"Xiaonian, Xiaonian, I'm your biggest fan!"
Ji Xiaonian smiled shyly in response, then hurried to follow the server to a private room.
Away from the crowd's gaze, Ji Xiaonian finally relaxed. It was strange - she felt like those girls in the lobby weren't there for dining, but more like fans waiting for celebrities.
"I'm sorry, there weren't this many people the last time I came," Pei Yuchen said, still puzzled.
Ji Xiaonian shook her head. How could she let the villain apologize? She quickly said, "No, no, it was my fault for not considering this. I forgot to wear a mask."
It had been so long, yet she still forgot this essential item. Ji Xiaonian chastised herself.
"Old Pei, you should have told me you were coming today!" A loud voice came from the door.
Ji Xiaonian turned to see a tall, burly man in a suit walking in.
Pei Yuchen greeted his acquaintance. "There are a lot of people at your restaurant today."
The man frowned, shaking his head helplessly. "My fault. I don't know who took a photo that attracted a bunch of fans."
"Who did they take a photo of?" Ji Xiaonian asked curiously.
"Oh? Your girlfriend? No way, she looks too young." The man looked at her in surprise.
Ji Xiaonian quickly shook her head. "No, no."
Pei Yuchen smiled without saying a word, while the man extended his hand. "Hello, young lady. I'm the owner of this restaurant and an old friend of Old Pei's. Just call me Gao Cheng."
"Mr. Gao." Ji Xiaonian was taken aback but greeted him.
"No need to be so polite. Hahaha." Gao Cheng was a burly man about 1.8 meters tall, muscular rather than fat.
"Did you take care of it? How do I get out of here?" Another familiar voice came from the door.
Ji Xiaonian turned towards the familiar voice and exclaimed, "Teacher Yu!"
