The Qiao family didn't take Qiao Zixin's threats seriously, but the police came knocking on their door the next day. Each of them had borrowed money from Qiao Zixin, and some families of three had borrowed separately, keeping it a secret from each other. Qiao Zixin had WeChat chat logs and bank statements; although not for everyone, she could only have records for two or three at most, because they had borrowed money more than once.
While owing money and not paying it back won't result in a criminal sentence or be enforced, the mere thought of the police coming to your door is enough to terrify ordinary people. Moreover, these are people who value their reputation; the strange looks from neighbors and colleagues are even more unpleasant for them than the police.
In the past, when Qiao Zixin came home, a few small pieces of jewelry and cosmetics she kept in her room would always disappear without a trace. The first time she made a fuss, before she could even find out who it was, her parents got angry, accusing her of treating their family like thieves, and saying that it was nothing since they were relatives who gave her small gifts.
This time, Qiao Zixin reported all these items as stolen goods and provided photos of those items that she had taken in her previous selfies. She suspected that the suspects were women and children from a few families, which narrowed down the scope and made the investigation easier. In fact, when the police came to her door, her cousin was wearing a platinum diamond necklace that she had lost!
Unable to work or attend school, the Qiao family members, along with many of Qiao Zixin's fans in the area, had their misdeeds exposed. Now, even those who don't follow gossip online know what they've done. Regardless of who's right or wrong in private, everyone treats the Qiao family as a laughingstock, and they're too ashamed to even hold their heads high when they go out.
Qiao Zhipeng was so angry that his eyes turned red. He cursed loudly at home, saying angrily, "Since things have already blown up, let's make them even bigger and make sure she can't be a star! Aren't there those shows where she can go on TV interviews? Let's go and complain, ruin her reputation, and see how arrogant she can be then!"
Mr. Qiao shouted angrily, "Shut up! Haven't you embarrassed yourself enough? What are you doing on the show? Making yourself a laughingstock? To say I can't afford to raise my son and that my stepdaughter has to support me? To say that the entire Qiao family are cowardly wimps who bully women?"
"So we're just going to let it go like this? If we don't go, Aunt Yu can go, right? She's our own mother."
"That's enough, don't bring this up again."
Qiao Zhipeng slammed the door and went back inside. On the surface, he didn't insist anymore, but in his heart, he was determined to deal with Qiao Zixin.
Qiao Zixin knew their personalities best and had already hired people to keep an eye on them. As soon as she discovered Qiao Zhipeng's plan, she directly transferred the debts they owed her to a debt collection agency. She didn't care about the money; she told the debt collection agency that she didn't want a single penny of the money she received. She only had one request: to scare them properly, without breaking the law, until they never dared to bother her again.
This debt collection company is run by a local gang leader who is said to be quite "righteous". Qiao Zixin has heard a lot about him and the locals have an instinctive fear of him, so it is the perfect company to ask him to handle this matter!
Sure enough, less than a week after the debt collection company took action, the Qiao family completely backed down. They still had to live in the area; how could they survive after offending a local thug? Although he hadn't physically assaulted them or verbally abused them, the daily visits from several burly, tattooed men were not only intimidating but also terrified them. Qiao Zixin's move was particularly ruthless, striking at their Achilles' heel, completely exploiting their weakness and making them afraid to provoke her again.
Most of them had never left their province in their entire lives. In their eyes, a young girl like Qiao Zixin, who was thriving in Yanjing, must have an exceptionally wide network of connections and be incredibly ruthless. They hadn't noticed before because Qiao Zixin didn't care, but now that they saw her associating with gang leaders, they were terrified and dared not even mention her name. They truly realized that this young girl had real power and was no longer someone they could bully.
The Qiao family members were treated like quails, and those who had taken Qiao Zixin's things were also frightened and returned them all. Those whose items were missing were asked to return the money at a discounted price; not one of them made excuses. Only then did the police treat it as a domestic dispute and let them go. However, they had been detained for two days, and it was as if they had been tainted; their reputations were truly ruined.
Qiao Zixin's reputation was not damaged at all this time. Her fans did a lot of work, and the company did nothing. The public relations manager even joked that these fans were all in reserve for the company's employees, just waiting for the company to recruit new staff so they could become new colleagues, and the fans were indeed looking forward to it.
After the Qiao Zixin incident subsided, she personally filmed a short video and posted it online. In it, she briefly recounted the whole story and then sincerely said, "I've always longed for a warm family. Since I couldn't start my own family, I especially cherish my original home. Many people ask me why I've always tolerated them? It's simply because... I didn't want to be penniless and have nowhere to go back to. But as everyone knows, what happened half a year ago... I was homeless and hit rock bottom. I longed for a warm harbor to embrace me, but I didn't go back to that home because I didn't hear any words of concern. I didn't want to go back and hear everyone's accusations and humiliation."
This time, I realized that place was no longer my home, and home has nothing to do with blood ties. Instead, it's my fans who, thank you, have made me feel true warmth. I no longer feel lost, because you are my safe haven, my strongest support. So this time, I'm letting go of what I should let go of, and cherishing what I should cherish. Like in the movies I've acted in, life is so beautiful; I want to love myself well. Of course, I love you all the most—my fans, you are the best!
Qiao Zixin's fans flooded Weibo with comments, all saying: "[My home is your home, we will always love you the most!]"
This time, Qiao Zixin's fans have once again made a name for themselves. They are not only organized and disciplined, but also full of hidden talents, earning them the nickname "the best" from netizens.
A generation of fans were impressed. Meanwhile, "Life Is Beautiful" broke box office records again, with many people seeing the female lead in the film as a reflection of Qiao Zixin in real life. Seeing the female lead's initial anguish was like seeing Qiao Zixin being relentlessly attacked online. Later, an angel led the female lead to experience the beauty of life, just as in real life, Xu Zifan pulled Qiao Zixin back to her former glory.
Especially in the later part of the film, the female protagonist truly lets go of all her troubles, learns to love life and pamper herself, just like Qiao Zixin now, having let go of the heavy burdens of the past and reborn. Viewers also projected their own emotions onto the film; everyone has their share of disappointments, and life is never smooth sailing. This film seems to possess a kind of magic, making one feel that if you haven't personally experienced the beauty depicted in the film, you've truly lived. Why dwell on the trivialities and troubles of daily life? We should strive to be more ambitious and experience life to the fullest!
There's also a huge fanbase for the Xu Zifan and Qiao Zixin pairing, who went to watch the show two or three times just to see their sweet moments, even engaging in lively debates about whether the handsome guy's silhouette at the end was an angel incarnate. Those who thought not cried buckets, questioning why Xu Zifan always had to leave Qiao Zixin in the drama, couldn't they just have a real happy ending? Others thought yes, happily declaring it official sweetness, that the two were a couple both on and off screen. They even edited together scenes from "A Mother's Strength" and "Life is Beautiful," making it seem like their past and present lives, so sweet it was satisfying, and it even trended on social media.
For various reasons, this film received rave reviews and became a box office hit. Three renowned directors specifically praised Xu Zifan, commending his ingenious plot arrangement. It not only evoked empathy from the audience but also sparked reflection on life. This is undoubtedly an excellent film, a classic of comedy!
Qiao Zixin and Xu Zifan's acting skills have once again been recognized, and film offers are pouring in. Casting them now is risk-free; it's practically a guarantee of box office success. Various popular variety shows and reality shows are also extending invitations to them. There are always gaps in filming schedules, and appearing on shows to maintain exposure is a common choice for many celebrities. Their popularity, if showcased on reality shows, will definitely boost ratings. Everyone wants to know what their idols are like in private, right?
Xu Zifan is Qiao Zixin's agent. He himself has no interest in becoming an artist and doesn't even look at the offers. He only screens Qiao Zixin's offers and finds a few that are not bad for her to choose from.
Qiao Zixin flipped through the pages and casually asked, "Didn't you say on New Year's Eve that you were going to prepare for a new movie? Aren't we going to film it ourselves?"
Xu Zifan said, "If you want to film, choose a script from our company that you like, and we'll prepare it ourselves. If you like these, we can invest and become the biggest investor, gaining a say. So you just need to choose the film you want to film."
"If I'm making the film, will you still be the director?"
"Um."
"Then I'll film our own movie." Qiao Zixin immediately closed the other scripts. It wasn't that she was blinded by love; rather, she trusted Xu Zifan. The movies Xu Zifan directed were both entertaining and meaningful, and the filming process was exhilarating, allowing her to showcase her acting skills to the fullest—the kind of movies every actor dreams of acting in. She had worked with those famous directors before, but none of them had sparked such a powerful chemistry.
Just like other famous directors' leading ladies being called "this girl" or "that girl," it's a recognition of their honor and talent. If Xu Zifan hadn't only ever used her as the leading lady, and if she weren't an award-winning actress, she would definitely have been called "Xu Zifan's Girl" long ago. Xu Zifan is a guarantee of film quality; as long as he's willing to act, she has absolutely no interest in acting in other people's films.
Xu Zifan nodded. "I suggest we take it to the next level and film a fantasy or sci-fi blockbuster. We can hire a foreign special effects company and make a Hollywood-style blockbuster. If it's done well, it will boost your career and benefit our company's development. It can also help us promote the new artists we've signed."
Qiao Zixin has been filming four or five movies every year for the past few years and has won several Best Actress awards. But if she makes ordinary films, she will stagnate and make no progress. Now that she has successfully turned her career around, she should find a way to take it a step further. She looked at Xu Zifan and did not ask him if he could make a good blockbuster. Instead, she agreed without hesitation, "Okay, let's make a science fiction movie. I have never made a science fiction blockbuster in the future world before."