The NF ceremony’s venue, Global Stadium, had a long red carpet in front of the door, and a tall isolation net was set up outside the carpet.
Beyond the isolation net, a multitude of fans supporting various artists gathered. They raised their lights and mobile phones, determined to seize another moment with their idols, showing resilience in the face of the winter cold.
Luxury cars arrived consecutively, accompanied by a cascade of cheers.
Xia Wan sat in one of the cars, glancing outside.
Tall buildings blocked the sun, but there were still a few warm, golden-red bits left in the sky, making the winter evening cozy.
“Sir,” the driver told Xia Wan, “We will be next.”
Today, Huo Yu had a crucial business meeting and he couldn’t make it, so it was just Xia Wan in the car.
To keep a low profile at the charity-themed event, Huo Yu’s donated items, as previously instructed, were not given to Xia Wan. Instead, they were handed over to Shen Yan, along with Shenzhou’s contribution, to be forwarded to the event organizer.
“Yeah,” Xia Wan replied, his gaze resting on the red carpet ahead.
A well-known anchor, who had been in the industry longer than Xia Wan, appeared before him. As soon as he stepped off the bus, many people called out his name.
“Brother Xian, Brother Xian, Da Xian, Da Xian…” echoed the crowd, calling out enthusiastically.
Hearing those excited shouts, Xia Wan felt a bit nervous.
According to Xia Wan’s belief, a product anchor’s success depends on the stuff and services they offer. Even if they have fans online, it’s not the same as being a regular celebrity with fans everywhere.
Tilting his head and cradling his chin in his hand, Xia Wan felt a growing nervousness, his thoughts swirling with a mix of uncertainty and unease.
He couldn’t help but worry that it might be a bit embarrassing if he stepped out of the car later and no one paid him any attention.
Before he could ponder on anything, the car came to a halt, and a staff member promptly opened the door for him.
Acknowledging the staff member with a thankful nod, Xia Wan automatically lifted his hand to straighten his tie. With a slight bend, he gracefully exited the car, aiming to make a composed entrance.
With the car window down, the surrounding sounds instantly grew louder. As soon as he stood still, a wave of cheers erupted from both sides. Someone shouted, “Brother!”
“Brother, brother, brother…” Many people crowded at the outer edge of the red carpet, waving signs with fiery red “w”s. The intense red color stretched far back, beyond Xia Wan’s view from his current position.
He felt a bit taken aback but also pleasantly surprised, as if the winter wind had been halted, and a warm feeling filled his heart with the repeated calls of “brother.”
After a brief moment of standing, Xia Wan leaned in that direction and gave a courteous bow.
As he approached, the voices from that direction grew even louder, blending with a boy’s enthusiastic exclamation: “Brother, you look so good in person, much better than on camera!”
The once orderly comments transformed into laughter as soon as his voice rang out, and even Xia Wan couldn’t resist joining in the laughter.
As he entered, the clamor outside diminished. The young staff member remarked, “You don’t realize how popular you are. It feels like you have more fans than some celebrities.”
Xia Wan stepped inside before he could respond, entering the venue.
Bright lights illuminated the space, and a majority of the guests had already gathered. The lengthy red carpet led to an interview stage, with reporters positioned on both sides.
Carefully, step by step, Xia Wan ascended the interview stage. With a smile, he accepted the staff’s signature pen and leaned down to sign his name on the wall behind him.
“Brother, brother, look here.” The reporters in the audience took pictures, and the guests not far away chatted and glanced towards the stage.
Many of them were familiar faces, and Xia Wan would occasionally spot them on TV or in trending searches.
Seated farther back, Xia Wan found himself at a table with eight people. Among them, three were fellow anchors, and the rest were up-and-coming talents in the entertainment industry. Xia Wan recognized most of them, and notably, there was Pan Xingwen, affiliated with Shenzhou Entertainment and previously involved romantically with Huo Yu.
Xia Wan greeted them politely, but only the two anchors responded enthusiastically; the others didn’t even lift their eyelids.
Xia Wan smiled and casually took his seat.
“Hey,” the anchor who entered the venue ahead of Xia Wan, Wang Xiaoxian, approached him. “We heard about your sales in November a few days ago. We were all amazed. Why are you so powerful?”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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Though they didn’t speak loudly, the young newcomers still wore expressions of disdain on their faces.
Observing the disdainful expressions, Wang Xiaoxian coughed slightly in embarrassment and halted the conversation.
At that moment, faint cheers from outside reached them, one after another, as if they could lift the roof. Xia Wan and the others instinctively turned their heads to look. After a while, Sun Baijiang entered, with staff following, making their way to his seat at the second table.
While passing the head table, Sun Baijiang paused and directed his gaze at Huo Yu’s vacant seat. A subtle sense of contemplation filled his expression, hinting at deeper thoughts.
As Sun Baijiang entered, several young individuals at Xia Wan’s table stood up in unison. Pan Xingwen, however, seemed unsure, hesitating on whether to stand up or remain seated.
After all, his big boss Huo Yu has a very delicate relationship with this well-reputed actor in the circle.
Pan Xingwen was torn, fearing that greeting Sun Baijiang might offend his boss, while also worrying that his reserved enthusiasm toward the actor could impact potential opportunities and resources.
Surprisingly, those who stood up didn’t greet him immediately as expected. Instead, they shared glances among themselves.
Only then did Pan Xingwen realize that Sun Baijiang’s gaze was fixed on Huo Yu’s vacant seat. With a subtle shift, he settled back into his seat.
It was only after Sun Baijiang took his seat that everyone surrounded him.
“Brother Jiang, Brother Jiang…” Pan Xingwen watched from a distance, feeling completely relieved.
Surrounded by people both inside and outside, Sun Baijiang was enveloped on all sides. He likely couldn’t even recall who had greeted him amid the crowd.
Just as he contemplated this, Pan Xingwen noticed Sun Baijiang glancing in his direction. His heart skipped a beat, only to realize that Sun Baijiang’s gaze was not on him but on Xia Wan.
Pan Xingwen pursed his lips and involuntarily stole another glance at Xia Wan. The moment he sat down, he had casually assessed the popularity of several individuals at the table, known for their beauty. But Xia Wan seemed far superior to others.
However, the other party seemed oblivious to this. He was engrossed in scrolling through his phone with his head down.
He wore a white dress, a silver-gray shirt, and a black bow with white edges. His hair was neatly combed up, giving him an elegant and noble appearance, akin to a little prince.
Really…..
It’s annoying. After all, being compared to a minor anchor is quite embarrassing.
Pan Xingwen involuntarily shifted his gaze. Though he looked away, Sun Baijiang did not.
Sun Baijiang was gazing at the outfit Xia Wan was wearing.
Although there were no obvious logos on the dress, Sun Baijiang recognized it instantly. It was a product crafted by the artisan in the store frequented by Huo Yu.
The artisan seldom worked directly nowadays. Even during his visits, it was the old man’s apprentice who attended to him.
Moreover, owing to the high demand and busy business, the construction period was quite lengthy, ranging from one or two months for a quick turnaround to the usual span of more than half a year for slower completion.
That outfit…
Huo Yu should have visited the store in person, and the old man made an exception to personally oversee the process, right?
Xia Wan and Huo Yu are truly a perfect match.
Like a pair made in heaven.
Xia Wan sensed Sun Baijiang’s gaze but chose not to look back.
He lowered his head and scrolled through Weibo, discovering that he had become a trending topic on a day when many celebrities gathered. Numerous pictures of him circulated on the internet. Netizens criticized his camera’s quality and were discussing crowdfunding to replace it with a high-definition camera.
Smiling as he observed the online activity, Xia Wan scrolled through the posts one by one. Suddenly, he felt a shadow cast over his eyes. Pan Xingwen and several others beside him also stood up, causing the chairs to make a slight, disorganized sound.
“Brother Jiang,” one of them greeted first.
Xia Wan lifted his head and saw Sun Baijiang looking at him.
“Can you come over and have a word?” he (SB) asked.
Xia Wan nodded, stood up, and walked to a corner of the venue with Sun Baijiang, disregarding the surprised looks from the people at the table.
“I’m sorry,” Sun Baijiang said. “I called you here because I wanted to ask if the press conference a few days ago didn’t cause any inconvenience or impact on your lives?”
“No,” Xia Wan replied.
Initially, he intended to express gratitude to Sun Baijiang, but after thinking about the scar on Huo Yu’s chest, he didn’t say it.
“Well…” Sun Baijiang hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to say. After a brief pause, he smiled and said, “That’s good.”
“Yeah,” Xia Wan agreed. “Shall we head back then?”
“That’s right,” Sun Baijiang inquired again, “Isn’t Huo Yu coming over?”
“Not sure yet,” Xia Wan responded.
After saying that, Xia Wan returned to his seat without waiting for Sun Baijiang to say anything.
“Hey,” Pan Xingwen, who was closer to Xia Wan, asked, “Do you know Brother Jiang?”
“Yeah,” Xia Wan replied, “I’m not really familiar with him.”
The others looked at him, but no one said anything.
“I genuinely don’t know him well,” Xia Wan explained.
“What’s unfamiliar?” Someone spoke from behind. Xia Wan turned around and saw Shen Yan coming.
Shen Yan, much like Huo Yu, is one of the bosses at Shenzhou.
In recent years, Shenzhou has experienced rapid growth. Aside from nurturing its own artists, it ventures into diverse cultural and entertainment investments, boasting a consistent influx of quality script resources. Compared to Sun Baijiang, Shen Yan is a true financial supporter.
For a moment, Xia Wan could hear people around him saying, “Eldest Master Shen.”
“Well,” Shen Yan smiled politely at the people at the table and eventually said to Pan Xingwen who was one of the artists from his company, “Keep an eye on it, don’t let the little…”
Shen Yan almost said “sister-in-law,” but quickly changed it to, “Don’t let Xia Wan drink. No exception, you know?”
“Mr. Shen,” Pan Xingwen asked with a hint of nervousness, “Who exactly is Xia Wan?”
Shen Yan raised his hand, patting Xia Wan on the shoulder, and told Pan Xingwen, “Just keep an eye on him today. Who knows, the role you’re aiming for might be secured later.”
“No?” Xia Wan raised his head in confusion. “What’s wrong if I have a glass of wine?”
Shen Yan remained silent and simply told Pan Xingwen, “When the opportunity comes, it’s up to you whether you can catch it or not.”
In an instant, the gazes of the people at the table toward Xia Wan turned subtle, and Pan Xingwen became even more excited, “Don’t worry, I’ll never let you down.”
After Shen Yan left, Pan Xingwen focused all his attention on Xia Wan. Even when Xue Wenxuan came to talk to Xia Wan, he boldly rejected him, saying, “He doesn’t drink.”
Xue Wenxuan, not taking offense, casually put his arm around Xia Wan’s shoulder and engaged in a brief conversation before eventually allowing him to return.
“How does he know so many important people?” A hushed discussion sparked on the table as soon as Xia Wan walked away.
“Didn’t you notice Mr. Shen’s attitude?” someone remarked, directing the question to Pan Xingwen, “Don’t you know him?”
“How would I know this?” Pan Xingwen responded.
“It seemed,” someone had commented, “that he is probably with some big shot of your Shenzhou.”
“Tsk…,” someone’s tone had a slight sourness, “No wonder he became so popular even as a rookie. He has just started his live broadcast industry and in just a few months he became such a hit. Turns out he is hooking up with a big boss.”
“Did you notice he was wearing a ring on his ring finger? Maybe he’s married?” someone asked.
“That’s impossible,” Wang Xiaoxian interrupted, “He has been wearing that ring since he debuted. It would make more sense to wear it on the ring finger, right?”
“Actually, I’ve watched his live broadcast,” said a young star. He cleared his throat comfortably, “He did talk about relationship matters in a previous live broadcast and mentioned that the other person was the most perfect person in the world.”
“That’s not true,” Pan Xingwen raised his head proudly, “Besides our Mr. Huo, Mr. Shen is the only boss at Shenzhou.”
“The problem is, he also knows people from the Xue family.”
“If he’s connected to Shen Yan, it’s normal for them to know each other, and he’s even brought products from the Xue family. Tsk, this was the first time that the Xue family promoted their products. They also gave him the chance to sell products through a live broadcast.”
“Stop talking, stop talking, he’s back.” Someone whispered.
Xia Wan returned to his seat and noticed nothing amiss, except that the glass of wine in front of him had been swapped for plain water by Pan Xingwen.
He pursed his lips and lowered his head to send a message to Huo Yu: “Eldest Master, have you given Shen Yan any tasks?”
Huo Yu’s response was slow, taking a considerable time before he replied with just one word: “Yes.”
The event on stage had officially started. Initially, the host announced donated items in groups.
The primary focus of this event was to support medical care and education in remote areas. That’s why most of the donations were from ambulances and libraries.
The rankings were announced in order of the amount donated. Xia Wan heard Xue’s name first, followed closely by Huo Yu’s.
He looked up at the stage and couldn’t help but curl his lips into a smile.
Then he lowered his head and playfully messaged Huo Yu: “So overbearing!”
Huo Yu didn’t address his previous question, but this time he responded promptly: “I will pick you up later.”
Xia Wan didn’t reply again and tucked away the phone with a smile.
After the list was announced, the auction commenced.
In the audience, people started rearranging their seats. Familiar faces whispered together, and those discussing business and investments were not far behind.
By the second half of the dinner, the rumor about Shen Yan and Xia Wan had already spread widely on the internet, but Xia Wan remained unaware of it.
During the picture time at the interview session, Xia Wan stood in a corner of the place with his tablemates to make it easy to take photos.
After talking about charity, the reporter shifted to personal matters.
“Xingwen, Xingwen,” the reporter began with Pan Xingwen, “Can you comment on the rumor involving you and Mr. Huo that surfaced a while ago?”
Pan Xingwen was about to respond but noticed Xia Wan’s stern glance. For some reason, under that intense gaze, he found himself momentarily distracted, absentmindedly touching his nose and forgetting to answer.
Suddenly, a reporter chuckled, saying, “Xingwen and Xia Wan have quite similar figures.”
“My husband said my shape got better,” Xia Wan couldn’t help but grumble in his mind.
“Brother,” a female reporter handed the microphone to Xia Wan with a smile, “can you address the rumors about you and President Shen Yan? I heard you both are married. Is that true?”
“Huh?” Xia Wan slowly opened his eyes. He didn’t know how or when the scandal with Shen Yan had spread. Moreover, the speed of its development was too fast. How could he get married to Shen Yan in just two or three hours?
He was about to reply when a cold voice from behind him stated, “It’s fake.”
Xia Wan turned around, and to his surprise, he saw Huo Yu standing there.
He was dressed in the same black attire as Xia Wan and approached with a stern and cold expression.
Thank You for the new chapter ♥(ˆ⌣ˆԅ)
I’m so glad HY finally arrived
Oooh, HY about to set the records straight. Thanks for the chapters!!
Going public 🥰