Chapter 24: Debuting with a Scandal

"Look, look! It really is Xiao Yaxuan, the one who sang 'The Most Familiar Stranger'."

"Really or fake—wait, it really is her?! No, who's that guy beside her? I haven't heard she has a boyfriend."

"Who cares? What are you standing there for? Take a picture!"

"..."

At the entrance of Fan Dian Tao Yi Xuan during mealtime, the previously calm and peaceful atmosphere instantly boiled over as Xiao Yaxuan took off her sunglasses.

As a hit song that topped the Taiwan KTV request chart for 20 consecutive weeks, 'The Most Familiar Stranger' propelled Xiao Yaxuan, who had debuted less than a year ago, to the position of Little Queen of Taiwan, accumulating a massive fanbase across the island and radiating to the mainland and Hong Kong.

One can imagine what kind of reaction from passersby would occur when such a huge star suddenly appeared at the entrance of a restaurant without any warning.

It was just that the people here were somewhat the backbone of society, barely qualifying as elites with a bit of personal quality, plus the restaurant staff were already well-versed in hosting celebrities; otherwise, it was hard to say whether Xiao Yaxuan could still be so at ease.

"Elva! Elva! Can you sign an autograph for me, Elva!"

"Elva! I am your loyal fan!"

"Elva! Is that guy beside you your boyfriend?!"

"..."

After signing autographs and taking photos with the security guards and some slightly excited fans, Xiao Yaxuan turned and left with a carefree air. Thanks to her fame, even Zhou Yi, who was just watching the show beside her, got photographed.

"Well, this is great. I dare bet that within an hour, my photo will be on the front page of every entertainment newspaper in Taiwan." With absolutely no psychological pressure, Zhou Yi even had the leisure to flash a sun-like smile at those taking pictures of him, leaving people stunned.

"What, are you scared?" Seeing the man's unexpected move, Xiao Yaxuan's eyes held a hint of amusement.

"No, I'm just expressing sympathy for those media workers who will have to work overtime."

Zhou Yi raised an eyebrow, his meaningful gaze landing on the woman: "Besides, shouldn't I be the one asking you? You just appeared so brazenly; your company probably wants to swallow your heart whole."

"Is that so? Maybe, but I think they must be used to my willfulness by now."

Unconcerned, Xiao Yaxuan brushed her manicured nails, then her gaze turned to the two men and one woman in the distance whom Zhou Yi said were having dinner with him tonight. A smile of a plan executed perfectly appeared at the corner of her lips: "Besides, isn't the reason I appeared here tonight just a gathering of friends?"

"Poor paparazzi, played in the palm of your hand. Women are terrifying."

After a emotionless, monotone sigh, Zhou Yi, who had brought Xiao Yaxuan to appear before Liu Genhong, Zhou Jielun, and Wen Lan, smiled and greeted them: "Looks like you're recovering well. Let me introduce you, this is Xiao Yaxuan, a singer."

"Elva, these three are friends I've known for a short while."

As the intermediary known to both sides, Zhou Yi took on the role of introducer without any burden. Liu Genhong and Wen Lan, who had seen big scenes before, were a bit nervous but quickly adjusted their mindset and greeted him—

In contrast to these two was Zhou Jielun.

Naturally introverted and shy, he even spoke with a bit of a stutter.

"I couldn't get a taxi, and Elva happened to be at the same dance studio as me, so she gave me a ride. Later, please just mention it was a friends' gathering."

Zhou Yi smiled and explained the cover story to the three of them.

After entering the restaurant and watching Xiao Yaxuan wave and leave carefree, the three confused people gradually came to their senses and nodded hurriedly.

We are all people of the entertainment industry; we all understand hype.

However, the only problem here is why Xiao Yaxuan, the current hotshot, would agree to create a scandal with Zhou Yi; she is the treasure held in the palm of Virgin Records.

Asking her to stir up a scandal, wouldn't that require a huge investment?

Would Warner be so willing?

"Don't worry, Zhou Yi, my lips are sealed."

After Xiao Yaxuan left, the loyal Zhou Jielun patted his chest so hard it echoed, declaring he would never do something like betraying a friend. For this, he, who rarely drank, poured himself a glass directly.

The fiery atmosphere inside the restaurant private room unfolded with Zhou Jielun, this inarticulate simpleton.

Liu Genhong's watch, Zhou Jielun's fountain pen, and Wen Lan's wallet subsequently fell into Zhou Yi's hands.

Because he had to drive later, Liu Genhong didn't drink, but Zhou Jielun and Wen Lan had no such concerns.

In the end, Zhou Jielun, who ended up shouting thanks to Zhou Yi's eight generations of ancestors, was on the verge of kneeling, truly leaving Zhou Yi at a loss.

Truly, alcohol emboldens the coward.

Wen Lan on the other side wasn't much better; having experienced life hanging by a thread, tears started falling as she spoke.

Their behavior truly left Zhou Yi laughing and crying at the same time; if this were filmed, it would definitely be a black history moment.

"Nothing more to say, Zhou Yi. If you need help in the future, just speak up; we will do our best to help you."

Liu Genhong, the only one sober, made the promise on behalf of the three.

"No problem. If nothing unexpected happens, I should go to Brother Xian's show to get some face recognition later; at that time, I'll count on you, Genhong, to give a hand."

Zhou Yi smiled and didn't refuse. Free connections, no use not using them.

However, he hadn't expected Xiao Yaxuan to be so bold; a spur-of-the-moment decision to play a big game, and he almost didn't react in time.

After eating and drinking their fill, the four people, now much closer, walked out of the private room.

After settling the bill, Liu Genhong supported the drunk Zhou Jielun, while Zhou Yi supported Wen Lan. The paparazzi who had been lying in wait outside, having received the news, immediately raised their cameras and went into a frenzy of "Click click" shooting—

"Where is Xiao Yaxuan? Why can't we see Xiao Yaxuan?"

"I don't know. Isn't that the man who was with Xiao Yaxuan? Why is there another woman beside him now? What was Xiao Yaxuan doing here before? Declaring sovereignty? Or catching a mistress?"

"The guy beside him looks like Liu Genhong... wait, isn't that woman Wen Lan from Wu Zongxian's company?"

"Is she the mistress? Or is Xiao Yaxuan the mistress? Why are they sitting in the back seat of the same car?"

"Who is this guy? Why does he have Xiao Yaxuan before and Wen Lan after? Do you have his information?"

"..."

The paparazzi, shooting while exchanging words, looked at the handsome face with slightly drunken eyes in the lens, completely baffled.

The next day, all Taiwan entertainment media published this explosive news immediately, but the headlines and content were a free-for-all of self-indulgent imagination—

"Explosive! Little Queen Xiao Yaxuan Secretly Meets Mysterious Male!"

"One Man, Two Women! Is Xiao Yaxuan the Mistress?!"

"Suspected Scandal Boyfriend of Xiao Yaxuan Exposed, The Latter Actually Holding Hands with Wen Lan?!"

"Declaring Sovereignty? Or a Breakup Scene?! Little Queen Xiao Yaxuan Suspected to Have Left Early!"

"Two Women Fight for One Man! Little Song Goddess Xiao Yaxuan Suspected of Defeat!"

"..."

One scandal after another, news sensational enough to shock the entire island, sparked a frenzy of heat across the Treasure Island the moment the morning papers hit the stands.

Two entertainment industry female stars fighting over one man—this content would be explosive anywhere, let alone with one of them being Xiao Yaxuan, who is currently at the height of her popularity on the Treasure Island.

"Zhou Yi, I've done you such a huge favor; how are you going to thank me?"

In the residence, Zhou Yi, having just woken up and eating breakfast, looked at the seven or eight newspapers and several new entertainment magazines on hand, and calmly rejected a steamed bun: "How do you want me to thank you?"

"Come be the male lead in my MV, how about that?"

"You think the situation isn't big enough yet, Xiao Yaxuan? The newspapers are saying you met a scumbag who seduced and abandoned you, and that you lost to Wen Lan, whose star power is lower than yours.

"Won't your company flay you alive? You actually have the mind to call me."

"About that, the company already criticized me last night. As soon as the paparazzi got the news, they found out too, and then I got scolded to death."

At the dining table, the slightly depressed voice of Xiao Yaxuan came from the Nokia phone on speaker: "I clearly said there's no such thing; it was just a gathering of old friends. Besides Wen Lan, there were Liu Genhong and that Zhou Jielun in the photos."

"I'm more curious about what you were thinking; I think you should be clear about the paparazzi's capabilities."

"Because I was annoyed by that group of paparazzi, so I wanted to prank them. I just happened to think you were about to debut, and seeing that you didn't seem to mind the rumors, I simply decided to gift you some fortune.

"If you hadn't said those things in my car last night, I wouldn't have done this."

"Looks like your impression of me isn't bad." Zhou Yi, drinking porridge, remained noncommittal.

One can only say, no wonder she's a rich girl; she is indeed willful enough.

That's what it's like when your family has no lack of money.

Thinking carefully, after leaving Yao Qian, who had always managed her like a strict father, the self-liberated Xiao Yaxuan was indeed the synonym for willfulness.

"What about you? What does your company say?" Xiao Yaxuan, who never pursued a so-called pure jade maiden image, didn't care about being scolded; after all, she wouldn't lose many fans. At this moment, she was actually more curious about the movements at Warner.

"What else can they say? Clarify it. I've already told my agent everything that happened last night and asked him to prepare a press release for the company.

"But my fame has now become a gift from the sky."

Thinking of the songs in his first album, Zhou Yi couldn't help but feel a bit of mischief: "How about this? I'll be the male lead in your song, and you can make a cameo as the female lead in mine, how about that?"

"If we do this, are you sure the rumors between us can calm down?" With a mindset of not minding if things get bigger, Xiao Yaxuan hesitated for a moment, then sounded somewhat puzzled.

What she did last night was a willful move targeting the paparazzi after being strictly controlled within Virgin, plus she actually liked Zhou Yi's face, so she went along with it a bit.

Everyone has a love for beauty; being a face-choosers isn't shameful.

"Well, the rumors between us probably won't die down, but the so-called drama of two women fighting for one man between you and Wen Lan can at least stop."

Zhou Yi was not wrong on this point.

Last night, because there were so many people, the scene where Xiao Yaxuan appeared was solid proof, impossible to fake.

But success came from the crowd, and failure also came from the crowd.

Liu Genhong, Zhou Jielun, and Wen Lan, who were traveling with them, would also be photographed by many people; no matter how the paparazzi edited it, original photos would inevitably leak out. Starting from this point, the so-called "love field competition" drama would be completely untenable.

Both Virgin Records and Warner Music, and even Wu Zongxian's Alpha Music, could see this point.

The reason Virgin was so angry was that they were troubled by Xiao Yaxuan causing trouble again without company approval, using her high popularity to boost the exposure of a pure newcomer like Zhou Yi for nothing.

And Zhou Yi happened to be a new singer that Warner was going to push this year; they couldn't even poach him.

A huge loss.

For Virgin Music, this was truly a huge loss.

To be honest, even Zhou Yi hadn't expected Xiao Yaxuan to be this willful. They had only met a few times and chatted a few times.

Even if she liked him and wanted to pursue him, there was no need to hand over such a big gift the moment the door opened.

But thinking about it, a big reason why this sister left Virgin Music later was that after becoming famous, she was controlled too strictly by her mentor Yao Qian, even having her dating suppressed to death...

Hmm, how to put it, it's hard to judge.

It's hard to say that Xiao Yaxuan's behavior last night didn't contain rebellious thoughts expressing dissatisfaction with Yao Qian.

"Alright, I'll ask the company later; hang up first, they're already calling me into the office to get scolded."

Xiao Yaxuan hung up the phone in a rush. Zhou Yi, having finished the last sip of his porridge, looked at the suddenly lit screen and could only sigh that this sister really went all out to pursue a man, directly gifting him a free boost in fame.

After finishing his meal and arriving at the company, the moment his left foot stepped into the rest area of the recording studio, the huge pile of entertainment newspapers and weeklies on the table caught Zhou Yi's attention—

Sun Yanzi and Zhang Shaohan, each holding two newspapers, were reading and discussing something. Seeing him arrive, the faces of the two women instantly became very strange—

"She, climbed into your quilt?"

Directly singing a line from Zhou Yi's "Hate Red Dream" from yesterday, Sun Yanzi asked with a hint of curiosity.

Zhang Shaohan, standing nearby, also had eyes full of expectation, waiting for the man's answer.

"No, pure and clean; she and I are just good friends."

Zhou Yi answered with righteous indignation: "I just treat her as a friend, but she wants to pursue me."

"..."

"...???"

The two women, who originally thought they had received clarification from the person herself, suddenly widened their eyes in shock: "What did you say? She wants to pursue you?!"

"Is that strange? I look so heroic and majestic."

Fluffing the bangs he had styled on his forehead, Zhou Yi plopped down on the sofa, spread his hands, tilted his head, and said: "There's a senior in the entertainment industry in the mainland who played Tang Seng; after being targeted by a rich woman, he was directly taken home with a huge sum of money, enjoying endless wealth and honor.

"Compared to that senior, this is nothing."

Just as he was speaking, the door to the lounge was pushed open—

"Zhou Yi, the General Manager wants you to come to his office; it should be to discuss the issue of your sudden rumors."