Xu Zifan and his friends were going to a birthday banquet. The main character was the birthday celebrant of the Lin family. Even if they wanted to outshine each other, there would be the Lin family's ladies and misses; it wasn't their place to steal the spotlight. Therefore, Xu Zifan and Yao Kexin's outfits were conservative and appropriate—they wouldn't steal the spotlight from others, nor would they be relegated to the bottom of the class; they were outfits that were impossible to go wrong with.
Xia Shuangshuang's ideas were completely different from theirs. Xu Hao sent someone to pick her up for a makeover without giving her any instructions, so she asked the stylist to do their best to make her look her most beautiful. She already had her looks and figure improved by the system, and now, with this careful makeover, she was truly stunning and captivating.
Xia Shuangshuang looked at herself in the mirror and flashed a charming smile of satisfaction. She took out her phone to take a selfie, intending to post it on Weibo. Xu Hao was going to publicly announce their relationship tonight, and she was incredibly excited. She was sure to dominate the trending topics for a while and gain a huge wave of fans!
While posting on Weibo, Xia Shuangshuang mentally told the system: "Xiao Jiu, quickly draft a few press releases for me. I'll have an online army publish them after the banquet tonight. I want everyone to know that Xu Hao and I are truly in love, that I'm about to become the wife of the president of the Xu Group, and that Xu Zifan is blind to my true feelings..."
Before Xia Shuangshuang could finish speaking, the system interrupted her, [Host, Xu Zifan and Yao Kexin are trending on social media.]
Xia Shuangshuang paused, saved the edited Weibo post to drafts, exited, and opened the trending topics. She didn't even need to search specifically, because #XuZifanYaoKexinWarmlySpoilsFans# was already in third place. The trending topic contained photos posted by over a dozen fans; each of them had Xu Zifan and Yao Kexin's autographs, photos of themselves with them, and pictures of desserts and drinks from A-Pastry.
Their names clearly indicate who they're fans of; their past Weibo posts were indeed mostly about their favorite celebrities, having nothing to do with Xu Zifan or Yao Kexin. This collective photo post is reportedly because they waited outside the film set for most of the day without seeing a single actor, but unexpectedly encountered Xu Zifan, who was visiting the set. Fans took photos of Xu Zifan: getting out of his car, chatting and laughing with fans, carrying bags into the film set, and even holding Yao Kexin's wrist. There were also photos of Yao Kexin chatting and taking photos with fans, and Yao Kexin getting into a car and leaving with Xu Zifan.
There was even a short video of a fan saying they liked Yao Kexin, and Xu Zifan smiling and praising her. The highlight was his line, "I like her too," brimming with pride, practically screaming, "My Yao Kexin is the best!" Fans of both immediately shared and spread the message, happily indulging in the sweet moments and sending their blessings. What sparked the most discussion was that Yao Kexin had her assistant send her fans A-grade pastries and food. A-grade pastries are incredibly expensive; they themselves had never eaten them and would never have dared to buy them. But because of their interaction with Yao Kexin, they got to eat A-grade pastries—they were absolutely thrilled!
Most importantly, none of them were fans of Yao Kexin. They felt Yao Kexin was a really nice and warm person. Xu Zifan also had a super star-like presence, treating them like his own fans. These dozen or so fans were all currently following Xu Zifan and Yao Kexin, and they all said they'd made the right choice by staking out the place; they'd all become fans of Xu Zifan and Yao Kexin. They were a million times better in person than online, and they'd decided to become die-hard fans of both of them!
Xu Zifan and Yao Kexin's fans expressed their envy and jealousy, while other fans joined in the fun, saying they wished their favorite stars would treat their fans so well. The discussion heated up, and the trending topic quickly climbed to third place in less than half a day.
Xia Shuangshuang's expression grew increasingly grim. What was so special about A-grade pastries? Yao Kexin bought some A-grade pastries and immediately trended on social media, gaining a wave of fans. Even Xu Zifan, who wasn't in the entertainment industry, saw a surge in popularity. Why was it so difficult for her to gain followers and popularity? She had just taken a selfie and was about to post it when she saw these two trending. Wasn't posting now just asking for trouble? Most people would definitely accuse her of trying to ride their coattails, and she wouldn't achieve the stunning effect or the mystery of what kind of banquet she was attending!
Xia Shuangshuang frantically tapped her phone, deleting the Weibo post she had just saved, her joy completely gone. Xu Zifan and Yao Kexin were her nemesis; every time she thought of a way to gain followers, they would stand in her way like roadblocks, ruining her plans. She was now filled with anger and just wanted to find a chance to vent. Xu Zifan and Yao Kexin would definitely be at the banquet tonight, and she would make them call her "Little Auntie" in her most beautiful and elegant way! She wanted to see what would happen if Xu Zifan lost his composure at Old Master Lin's birthday banquet.
Xu Hao and Xia Shuangshuang arrived at the banquet first. Xu Hao frowned slightly when he saw Xia Shuangshuang, but since it was time to enter, he didn't say anything. He let Xia Shuangshuang take his arm and walk into the Lin family villa, reminding her, "Don't say anything out of line, remember that."
"I understand, Brother Hao." Xia Shuangshuang took a deep breath. Seeing so many prominent figures in the banquet hall, her gloomy mood finally brightened, and her eyes filled with excitement. Having lived twice, she had finally entered the circles of high society! As long as she married Xu Hao, she would be a noblewoman in this circle!
Xia Shuangshuang tightened her grip on Xu Hao's hand slightly. She was determined to hold onto this man and become Mrs. Xu!
Xia Shuangshuang was stunning; her dress and jewelry were exquisite, instantly drawing everyone's attention. This feeling of being the center of attention made her straighten her back, flash her most perfect smile, and gracefully walk forward with Xu Hao. Most of the people present didn't follow the entertainment industry or trending topics, and didn't recognize Xia Shuangshuang. Seeing her arrive with Xu Hao, they were wondering which family she belonged to—perhaps someone who had just returned from studying abroad? Dressed so dazzlingly at the Lin family's ancestral home, she must either be a relative of the Lin family or come from a family even more powerful than the Lin family. Who could she be?
Until Lin Xiaoshao returned from the restroom
When the old man saw Xia Shuangshuang, he was surprised and whispered to his friend, "Isn't this Xu Zifan's ex-girlfriend? What's she doing here with Chairman Xu?"
Xia Shuangshuang's identity spread quickly, and everyone's expressions changed. Xu Zifan's ex-girlfriend? Xu Zifan, that playboy, has always liked dating minor celebrities and internet personalities. His ex-girlfriend is just a minor celebrity, right? Quite a few celebrities have brought people to this event today, including award-winning actresses and actors. They are certainly good-looking and pleasing to the eye, but what's with Xia Shuangshuang stealing the Lin family's thunder? Could it be Xu Hao's doing? And why is Xu Hao, the uncle, bringing his nephew's ex-girlfriend?
Xu Hao had initially assumed only a small segment of the audience would pay attention to Xia Shuangshuang, as such private matters within a wealthy family were of little concern to most. However, he never expected Xia Shuangshuang to dress so beautifully, attracting everyone's attention, which created an awkward situation. Everyone had a very high first impression of Xia Shuangshuang, assuming she had some special status, only to discover she was just a minor celebrity and his nephew's ex-girlfriend—a truly embarrassing situation. Attention and gossip are two different things; the situation was now beyond Xu Hao's control.
Xu Hao noticed the strange looks some people were giving Xia Shuangshuang and felt a pang of regret. He should have canceled the plan as soon as he saw Xia Shuangshuang outside and let her go home first. Now, this awkward situation was truly unmanageable. When he greeted Old Master Lin, he completely ignored Xia Shuangshuang, offering no introduction. This implied that she was unimportant and didn't need to be noticed, also serving as a way of indicating to the Lin family that Xia Shuangshuang's outfit wasn't at his behest.
Xia Shuangshuang's smile froze, and her fingers, which were holding Xu Hao's, almost pinched him hard! Xu Hao gave her a displeased look and continued exchanging pleasantries with the others. Given his status, it wasn't appropriate for him to go elsewhere at this time; he needed to stay and continue chatting with the bigwigs.
Young Master Lin loves to sing, and his family spoils him, letting him dabble in the entertainment industry; he's quite a popular singer now. He chatted with his friends for a bit, guessing, "Xia Shuangshuang is probably the spokesperson for Xu's new product, right? Otherwise, why would Chairman Xu bring her along?"
His friend laughed, "Finding a spokesperson for Xu Zifan's ex-girlfriend? Xu Zifan is bringing a new girlfriend later, won't that cause trouble?"
Young Master Lin swirled his wine glass, pursed his lips, and said, "Who knows? Today is my great-grandfather's birthday banquet. You keep an eye on things for me. No matter who's causing trouble, have security escort them out immediately. Don't let it affect my great-grandfather's mood."
"Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on it for you."
As they were talking, Xu Zifan arrived. He and Yao Kexin entered the banquet hall without attracting much attention. They walked up to Old Master Lin and saw Xia Shuangshuang. Yao Kexin paused, glancing at Xu Zifan with a puzzled look. Xu Zifan patted her hand and smiled at Old Master Lin, saying, "Old Master Lin, I am Xu Zifan, and this is my girlfriend, Yao Kexin. May you enjoy boundless happiness and longevity."
Yao Kexin handed the gift to the butler beside Old Master Lin, smiling sweetly, "Old Master Lin, this is a small token of my and Zifan's appreciation. We wish you good health and a long life."
Grandpa Lin didn't know who Yao Kexin was, but anyone who was specifically introduced as a girlfriend in this kind of setting must be serious. He smiled kindly and nodded, "Good, the Xu family boy has grown up quite a bit. Have fun tonight."
Xu Zifan then looked at Xu Hao and introduced him to Yao Kexin: "Kexin, this is my uncle, and the lady next to him... might be my aunt?"