Showbiz Scandal: The Official Announcement of My Ex and Myself

Chapter 539: I Won’t Be Someone’s Trophy for Show-Offs

But you don’t hit a smiling face; Yu Xia’s rebuttal was still relatively polite."The way President Yuan spoke, it’s as if I’m just someone who waits to be taken care of without doing anything myself. That kind of notion should be avoided, as it can easily create the idea among children at home that they don’t have to work for anything. I like acting, so I became an actress, and my brother supports me a lot. It’s just like how you enjoy investing in actresses for movies. These are just personal ways to develop oneself, nothing strange about it."

Behind her, He Ci secretly gave her a thumbs up where others couldn’t see.

Xi Heng also held back a laugh under the pretense of adjusting his cufflinks.

President Yuan’s face didn’t look very good.

Someone came out to ease the situation; everyone present was there to keep appearances, so they changed the topic accordingly.

The conversation between the actress and the investors didn’t last long, and both parties ended up talking about their own things and dispersed.

Yu Xia left with the male actor who initially brought them over, and he looked at her several times, as if wanting to speak but holding back.

As they were nearly back to their seats, she calmly asked, "Does Brother Wan have something to ask me?"

They graduated from the same film academy, so calling him "Brother" felt normal.

Wan Ze smiled gently, "I wanted to ask something. I heard that after you broke up with Mr. Xi from Lin Yu, you’ve been dating other actors. I usually don’t follow gossip much, but this was quite the buzz. Don’t mind me asking, but do you regret breaking up?"

Yu Xia tilted her head, watching as the lighting inside was completing its final adjustments, flashing across the venue like a color change for a height measurement.

In this light and shadow, she looked at Wan Ze for a moment and asked instead, "Can I ask why you think I would regret it?"

"To be frank, capital still dominates in the entertainment industry. Actors, especially actresses, are easily swayed by it, just like what happened earlier. This could have happened to any actress. But if everyone knew you were Mr. Xi’s girlfriend, perhaps President Yuan wouldn’t have dared to say a single offensive word.

I’m saying, his presence is like your umbrella of protection. Everyone likes to indulge in such a sense of security, and few can refuse. So, after dating someone like that, very few would choose another insider, also swayed by capital."

Yu Xia pondered for a moment, realizing that his point was: Xi Heng can protect her, while Xie Qingci cannot.

With the principle of friendly exchange of views, she calmly replied, "If the first thing I need to consider when doing something is whether I need an umbrella of protection rather than whether I’m happy or if I like it, then I might as well just stay home, eat, and wait for death; a boyfriend won’t always be a reliable support, but my brother would be.

Moreover, even with an umbrella, people really wouldn’t dare offend? That President Yuan just knew my surname was Yu but still spoke sarcastically and disgustingly. As long as my report card only says I’m an accessory to someone, anyone can stomp on me.

In contrast, if I achieved everything on my own, even with a support system, others would think of it as merely the icing on the cake. If they met me, they’d shake my hand rather than place a hand on my waist and treat me as nothing more than a showy appendix. Then, even if my boyfriend is an internet celebrity from the eighteenth tier, no one would dare look down on me."

Wan Ze was silent for a while, and then he said, "I thought you would say that your current boyfriend also supports you, like protecting you as much as possible."

"Of course he will, but I didn’t get into a relationship with him for that reason. I feel like you’re too concerned with added conditions, Brother. Romantic relationships are about pleasing oneself, not about finding a tool person worldwide."

The sound system in the venue began to emit sound, reminding everyone to take their seats.

Wan Ze sighed and gave a gentle, scholarly smile: "I have indeed overthought things. Okay, I’ve taken up enough of your time. Go back to your seat."

He gallantly helped lift her skirt a bit.

Yu Xia said "thank you" and followed the staff guiding her to her seat.

The agent and the artist weren’t seated together, so He Ci made exaggerated facial expressions at him before heading to a corner on the other side.

With the event starting, there was no more communication, and the artists around sat properly, not interacting but all looking towards the stage.

The first half was rather dull, as the platform’s representatives summarized the year’s performance.

However, the big screen on stage showed whoever the camera landed on, and each freeze-frame was followed by cheers from invited fans.

Yu Xia was caught by the camera twice; one time, it lingered long enough that she couldn’t pretend not to see, so she merely smiled at the camera.

Then came another enthusiastic wave of screams.

People on stage couldn’t go on with their lengthy speeches and handed the stage over to the hosts, announcing the start of the second half.

The second half was a mix of variety shows and movie and drama PK events.

The big screen displayed clips of "breakout moments", "highly popular series", and clips of the "best variety programs", taking everyone on a recap journey, giving artists a direct feel for how well their projects were received.

Coincidentally, Yu Xia appeared in the most notable and highly popular clips several times.

From "Different Paths" to "Burning Spring," from "Infinite Escape" to "Walking with You," her name stayed in the top three searches on the platform, her popularity consistently high.

Moreover, it was questionable if the video editors did it on purpose, as the clips of her and Xie Qingci were magnified to the point of impossible to ignore, and even in the clip from "Burning Spring," there was the scene where she lifted Xie Qingci’s chin and spoke closely.

As soon as the video played, the screams from the back grew even more frenzied, along with the heckling from other guests.

Yu Xia maintained her smile without any further reaction, until the awards were being announced and she stood up under the spotlight to walk up to the stage when the presenter revealed the "Best Actress Loved by Audience" of the year.

Going up the steps, Xie Qingci suddenly came to mind.

The conversation they had before walking the red carpet was indeed about high heels; Xie Qingci remarked that her heels were too high, and some stages were indeed slippery, making it easy to fall while ascending steps.

He was concerned that there might be no one beside her to support her, fearing she might stumble.

She didn’t take it seriously then and said that actresses had all sorts of tricks for strutting in stilt-like high heels, and they had to get used to going on stage alone anyway.

Xie Qingci then said, "I can’t be back this time, but the next time you win an award, I’ll be sitting below watching you. When you go on stage, I’ll be able to hold your hand going up. Every woman in high heels and haute couture needs a knight like that."

She had expressed disdain for the term "knight" at the time, but now thinking back, she wished she could echo his sentiment.

She realized that she indeed needed a knight like that, someone who could witness the opening of the journey of glory with her.

Stepping onto the highest stair in her high heels, she released the dress gripped in her hand, walked over to take the trophy, and spoke her win distilled into a sentence toward the camera:

"I will not stop here; the road ahead is still long."