“Believe it.”
“Why?”
Han Xiao’s eyes, like autumn ripples, gazed at Xu Huo, “The evidence is already quite conclusive, isn’t it? Could it be that you’re also a sucker for looks, trusting me unconditionally?”
“Such sarcasm!”
Xu Huo fast-forwarded the first video to near the end and said, “You were standing at the entrance/exit, and there were even staff maintaining order in the corner of the video. It must have affected other passengers moving normally. If everyone was like Qin Yimo, treating this as a fan meet and greet, what would the result be?”
“Is that so?”
Jiang Ran pressed.
Han Xiao didn’t answer.
Her slender, fair fingers slid across the screen, pointing to another video, “Your observation skills are that good? Can you tell what happened in this one?”
“This one’s the most obvious, isn’t it? In the part of the video filmed, almost everyone, after knowing the destination, wore running shoes. Only Qin Yimo wore boots, not as overly dramatic as high heels, making them seem like normal attire at first glance. The blisters formed because she’s delicate…”
“As for you… that farm tool had rust on it. Combined with what Ranran said when she fell earlier, I think it’s because of that. Someone actually had an accident from a small wound.”
“Exactly! The director knew, that’s why he agreed to my request. I just didn’t expect the editing to be like that later; I was backstabbed.”
Jiang Ran pointed to the last video, “Then… what about this one?”
“That one was during practice. Qin Yimo said that faking a slap wasn’t impactful enough, it looked too weak. For the sake of the effect, she asked me to hit her for real. I just didn’t expect it to be secretly filmed and then taken out of context and posted online.”
Jiang Ran was shocked, “No way? And you didn’t explain that?”
“I did explain, but no one listened, did they? Later, I couldn’t be bothered anymore… Everyone’s attention was on the Qin family’s young lady. Rumors about me spread, that’s why I wanted to ask your brother for that song. Because it’s of excellent quality, excellent enough to shut everyone up. Only then will people refocus their attention on me, and I’ll have a chance to re-explain what happened back then.”
In the past, friends who couldn’t stand it advised her to just concede, but Han Xiao always refused.
She hadn’t done anything wrong, yet simply because two people started competing for resources, she got this result?
Was it Qin Yimo’s intention or her manager’s?
She didn’t know.
But did the dignified Qin family heiress need to make things difficult for her?
The two of them were completely on different paths; she didn’t need to worry about anyone stealing her resources.
She couldn’t understand it.
But having just entered the industry, if she bowed here and kowtowed there, could she still overcome challenges?
Could she still resist all incoming enemies?
There was no room for discussion on this matter, nor was it needed.
After hearing Han Xiao’s explanation, Jiang Ran almost couldn’t help but speak.
Han Xiao’s own expression, however, was calm, carrying a sense of despair greater than death.
The twists and turns in the entertainment industry were truly more melodramatic and exciting than an 8 PM prime-time drama.
Did she have to be so wronged?
It turned out that beneath the glamorous exterior, there was so much bitterness.
“What’s wrong?”
***
Han Xiao tilted her head and smiled, “Jiang Ran, do you want your brother to get revenge for me?”
“I originally wanted to use an original song for a ‘dimensionality reduction attack,’ but now that I think about it, my reputation is already so bad. I don’t want to drag your brother down and make him disliked. Besides, even if I win with that song, I’m sure some people will sarcastically say it’s just because the lyrics are well-written… So, I’ll have to rely on my own strength to make them face reality. Ah, a mere championship is already within my grasp.”
Xu Huo smiled, his respect for Han Xiao growing.
Perhaps having spent two years in the entertainment industry, Han Xiao’s emotional intelligence was significantly higher than her peers.
In that situation just now, most people would likely choose silence or a polite refusal.
From his perspective, it was naturally because she had been rejected before, and now she needed to maintain her dignity and avoid the twisted mentality of feeling owed if the other party didn’t help her.
If she had been more excessive, she might have even resorted to moral blackmail, subtly asking, “I’m in such a state, and you still can’t bring yourself to give me that song to help me?”
If she had truly done that, the atmosphere would have become awkward, and the pressure would have shifted to him, just like it was with Qin Yi’an earlier, making him feel uncomfortable.
But Han Xiao didn’t.
She asked, “Jiang Ran, do you want your brother to get revenge for me?”
This often makes people calm down, indicating that the other party is genuinely considering their feelings.
“Can you win?”
Jiang Ran frowned and asked.
Han Xiao patted her chest, “My looks are right here. How much would it hurt viewership if I got eliminated in the preliminary rounds? Beautiful ‘vases’ should be seen more often.”
Jiang Ran looked at the serious expression on Han Xiao’s face and was sure that at this moment, she needed comfort from others more.
However, she still underestimated Han Xiao’s psychological self-regulation ability.
After realizing that what lay before her was not a small problem but a huge difficulty, she drew energy from somewhere, slowly straightening her back, her expression gradually becoming more determined.
Before long, her whole demeanor returned to being full of vitality.
Unlike young girls who needed their emotions carefully managed, Han Xiao’s psychological self-regulation ability genuinely impressed Xu Huo.
She truly was someone who thrived in the entertainment industry; that determined gaze held a unique charm.
“But I’m still a bit worried. Do you know what I’m worried about?”
Jiang Ran shook her head in confusion.
“It’s my knees,” Han Xiao said, startling them.
“Knees?”
Jiang Ran looked at her, a puzzled expression forming fine lines around her delicate eyebrows, seemingly quite baffled by the word.
“Yes, my reputation is already like this. If my knees aren’t better when I go on the show, what do you think the comments will say?”
Han Xiao’s tone was relaxed and natural when she said this, different from her usual self, clearly indicating that the recent events still affected her somewhat.
“At that point, I’ll just have to cover them with foundation…”
Jiang Ran thought for a moment, her expression grave, “It’s all my brother’s fault.”
Han Xiao shook her head, “It’s my own fault.”
After speaking, she reached out and poked her own cheek, smiling sweetly, “Because I’m super tender! So even a small injury is really obvious…”
It was the first time Xu Huo had discovered such an amusing side to Han Xiao.
Afterward, the two chatted for a while longer.
Xu Huo didn’t bring up Han Xiao’s issues again, and Han Xiao evidently took this as him humbly accepting her opinion.
In a society where class differences were incredibly stark, people were more likely to accept the reality that circumstances were stronger than individuals.
So-called “allies of justice” were merely beautiful childhood fantasies.
In a sense, it was just being bullied.
Enduring it wasn’t shameful.
It was just a little unwilling.