Chapter 24: Scandal Debut

“Quick, look! It really is Xiao Yaxuan—the one who sang ‘The Most Familiar Stranger.’”

“Is this real—actually her?! Wait, who’s that guy next to her? I never heard she had a boyfriend.”

“Who cares! What are you waiting for? Take photos!”

“…”

At the entrance of Taoyi Xuan during lunch hour, the previously calm and peaceful atmosphere instantly erupted as Xiao Yaxuan removed her sunglasses.

As the number-one hit on Taiwan’s KTV chart for twenty consecutive weeks, ‘The Most Familiar Stranger’ propelled Xiao Yaxuan, barely a year into her debut, to the status of Taiwan’s little diva, amassing a massive fanbase across the island and radiating outward to the mainland and Hong Kong.

The sudden appearance of such a major star at the entrance of a restaurant was bound to trigger an explosive public reaction.

Fortunately, those present were at least part of society’s backbone—roughly speaking, elites—with some personal decorum, and the restaurant staff were already seasoned in handling celebrities; otherwise, it was hard to say whether Xiao Yaxuan could have remained so composed.

“Elva! Elva! Can you sign my autograph, Elva?”

“Elva! I’m your loyal fan!”

“Elva! Is the man beside you your boyfriend?!”

“…”

After signing autographs and taking photos with fans and security personnel, Xiao Yaxuan turned and left with effortless grace. Thanks to her fame, Zhou Yi, who had merely been watching nearby, was also caught in the photos.

“Perfect. I bet within an hour, every entertainment newspaper in Taiwan will have my photo on the front page.” Unfazed, Zhou Yi even had the leisure to flash a sunshine-like smile at those snapping pictures, leaving them stunned.

“What, are you scared?” Xiao Yaxuan’s gaze held a hint of amusement at the man’s unexpected behavior.

“No, I just feel sorry for the media workers who’ll have to work overtime.”

Zhou Yi raised an eyebrow, his gaze lingering meaningfully on the woman: “Besides, shouldn’t I be asking you that? You just showed up so openly—your company must be ready to swallow your heart whole.”

“Really? Maybe. But I think they’re already used to my whims.”

Unconcerned, Xiao Yaxuan brushed her neatly trimmed nails, then turned her eyes toward the two men and one woman Zhou Yi had said were joining him for dinner tonight—a sly, satisfied smile tugging at her lips: “Besides, isn’t my being here tonight just a gathering of friends?”

“Poor paparazzi, played right in your palm. Women are terrifying.”

After a flat, emotionless remark, Zhou Yi led Xiao Yaxuan over to Liu Genghong, Zhou Jielun, and Wen Lan, smiling as he introduced them: “You look like you’ve recovered well. Let me introduce you—this is Xiao Yaxuan, a singer.”

“Elva, these are three friends I just met.”

As the mutual acquaintance, Zhou Yi had no qualms playing host. Though slightly nervous, Liu Genghong and Wen Lan, having seen big scenes before, quickly composed themselves and greeted her.

The opposite was true for Zhou Jielun.

Naturally shy and introverted, he even stumbled over his words.

“I couldn’t get a taxi, and since Elva and I share the same dance studio, she gave me a ride. Just tell everyone later it was just a friend gathering.”

Zhou Yi smiled and gave the three a rehearsed line.

Watching Xiao Yaxuan wave goodbye and leave as they entered the restaurant, the three sat there dumbfounded before slowly nodding in agreement.

Everyone in the entertainment circle understands publicity stunts.

The only question was: why would Xiao Yaxuan, this red-hot star, agree to a rumor with Zhou Yi? She was a treasure held tightly by Virgin Records.

To have her stir up gossip—wouldn’t that cost them dearly?

Was Warner willing to spend that much?

“Don’t worry, Zhou Yi, I’m tight-lipped.”

After Xiao Yaxuan left, the loyal Zhou Jielun puffed out his chest loudly, vowing he’d never betray a friend. For this, he even poured himself a drink—he rarely drank.

The warm atmosphere inside the private dining room bloomed with Zhou Jielun’s awkward sincerity.

Liu Genghong’s watch, Zhou Jielun’s pen, and Wen Lan’s wallet all ended up in Zhou Yi’s hands.

Since Liu Genghong would be driving later, he didn’t drink, but Zhou Jielun and Wen Lan had no such restraint.

By the end, Zhou Jielun, shouting his thanks to Zhou Yi’s ancestors, nearly knelt before him—leaving Zhou Yi utterly bewildered.

Alcohol truly emboldens the timid.

Wen Lan wasn’t faring much better; after recounting her near-death experience, tears streamed down her face.

Their behavior left Zhou Yi both amused and exasperated—if filmed, this would surely become a black mark.

“No questions asked, Zhou Yi. If you ever need help, just say the word—we’ll do everything we can.”

Liu Genghong, the only sober one, spoke for the three.

“No problem. Unless something unexpected happens, I’ll probably appear on Xian Ge’s show to get noticed—then I’ll count on you, Genghong, to lend a hand.”

Zhou Yi smiled, accepting without refusal. Free connections? Why not use them.

But Xiao Yaxuan’s boldness had caught him off guard—she’d impulsively pulled off something huge, and he’d barely reacted in time.

After a full meal and drinks, the four, now more familiar, stepped out of the private room.

Liu Genghong supported the drunken Zhou Jielun, while Zhou Yi helped Wen Lan; paparazzi who had been lying in wait outside, alerted in advance, immediately raised their cameras and began snapping furiously—“click, click, click.”

“Where’s Xiao Yaxuan? Why isn’t she here?”

“I don’t know. Isn’t that the guy who was with Xiao Yaxuan? Why’s he with a different woman now? What was Xiao Yaxuan doing here? Claiming territory? Or catching a mistress?”

“The guy beside her looks like Liu Genghong… 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 in the backseat of the same car?”

“Who is this guy? He’s got Xiao Yaxuan on one side and Wen Lan on the other? Do you have any info on him?”

“…”

The paparazzi, snapping and exchanging whispers, stared at the handsome face in the lens—slightly drunk, utterly baffled.

The next day, every entertainment outlet in Taiwan published this explosive news immediately, though headlines and content were wildly imaginative:

“Explosive! Little Diva Xiao Yaxuan Secretly Meets Mysterious Man!”

“One Man, Two Women! Is Xiao Yaxuan Becoming the Mistress?!”

“Suspected Boyfriend of Xiao Yaxuan Exposed—He’s Holding Hands with Wen Lan?!”

“Claiming Territory? Or a Breakup Scene?! Little Diva Xiao Yaxuan Apparently Left Early!”

“Two Women Fight Over One Man! Little Diva Xiao Yaxuan Apparently Loses!”

“…”

One sensational headline after another, each capable of shocking the nation, ignited a frenzy across Taiwan as morning papers hit the streets.

Two top female stars fighting over one man—this plot was explosive anywhere, especially since one of them was the currently hottest star in Taiwan: Xiao Yaxuan.

“Zhou Yi, I helped you out big time—how are you going to thank me?”

Back home, Zhou Yi ate breakfast while flipping through seven or eight newspapers and new entertainment magazines, calmly rejecting a steamed bun: “How do you want me to thank you?”

“Come be the male lead in my music video, how about it?”

“Are you trying to make things worse? Xiao Yaxuan. The papers say you got dumped by a scumbag and lost to Wen Lan, who’s lower-ranked than you.”

“Won’t your company skin you alive? How can you even have the nerve to call me?”

“Pretty much. My company already grilled me last night. As soon as the paparazzi got the photos, they knew—and I got screamed at.”

Over breakfast, the Nokia phone on speaker emitted Xiao Yaxuan’s slightly frustrated voice: “I already told them it wasn’t true—it was just a gathering of old friends. The photos also show Wen Lan, Liu Genghong, and that guy Zhou Jielun.”

“I’m more curious about your reasoning. You must know what paparazzi are capable of.”

“Because I hated those paparazzi, so I wanted to mess with them. Then I remembered you’re about to debut, and you don’t seem to care about rumors—so I just gave you a little gift.”

“If you hadn’t said those things to me in my car last night, I wouldn’t have done this.”

Zhou Yi sipped his porridge, noncommittal: “Looks like you have a decent impression of me.”

No wonder she’s a rich girl—she’s truly capricious.

When you have money, you can afford to be like this.

Think about it: after leaving Yao Qian, who had always treated her like a strict father, Xiao Yaxuan, now free, became the very definition of capriciousness.

“What about you? What did your company say?” Xiao Yaxuan, who never played the pure-girl image, didn’t care about being scolded—it wouldn’t cost her many fans. Right now, she was more curious about Warner’s reaction.

“What else can they say? Deny it, of course. I already told my agent everything from last night—he’s preparing a PR statement.”

“But my visibility just got a free boost.”

Thinking of the songs on his debut album, Zhou Yi couldn’t help but feel mischievous: “How about this—I’ll be the male lead in your music video, and you’ll be the female guest star in mine. Deal?”

“If we do that, are you sure our rumors will ever calm down?” Xiao Yaxuan hesitated, then asked, still eager to stir the pot.

Last night’s stunt was her rebellion against Virgin’s tight control—and she’d done it partly because she liked Zhou Yi’s face.

Everyone likes beauty. A crush on looks? No shame in that.

“Well, our rumors probably won’t die down—but the ‘two women fighting over one man’ drama with Wen Lan can stop.”

Zhou Yi was right about this.

Last night, the scene where Xiao Yaxuan appeared was undeniable—solid proof, no room for fabrication.

But it was also the crowd that ruined it.

Liu Genghong, Zhou Jielun, and Wen Lan were all photographed too. No matter how the paparazzi edited, original photos would surface—so the “romantic rivalry” narrative collapsed completely.

This was obvious to Virgin Records, Warner Music, and even Wu Zongxian’s Alpha Music.

Virgin was furious because Xiao Yaxuan had pulled another stunt without company approval, using her high popularity to boost exposure for Zhou Yi—a complete newcomer.

And worse, Zhou Yi was Warner’s flagship new artist this year—they couldn’t even poach him.

Total loss.

For Virgin Records, this was truly a total loss.

Honestly, Zhou Yi hadn’t expected Xiao Yaxuan to be this reckless. They’d only met a few times, talked a few times.

Even if she was attracted to him, wanted to pursue him, she didn’t need to hand him such a massive gift right out the gate.

But then again, she later left Virgin largely because after becoming famous, her mentor Yao Qian had controlled her too tightly—even her love life was suffocated…

Hmm, hard to judge.

It’s hard to say whether Xiao Yaxuan’s actions last night weren’t also a rebellious jab at Yao Qian.

"Alright, I'll check with the company later—gotta go, they're already calling me into the office for a scolding."

Xiao Yaxuan hung up quickly. Zhou Yi, having just finished his last spoonful of porridge, looked at the suddenly lit screen and could only sigh: this girl really went all-in when it came to chasing men—she’d just handed him free publicity.

After lunch, he arrived at the company. The moment his left foot stepped into the recording studio’s lounge, a pile of entertainment newspapers and weekly magazines on the table caught his eye—

Sun Yanzi and Zhang Shaohan each held two newspapers, reading and discussing something. When they saw him, their expressions turned utterly strange—

"She crawled into your bed?"

Sun Yanzi sang a line from Zhou Yi’s song “Hate Dream of the Red Chamber,” then asked with a hint of curiosity.

Zhang Shaohan beside her also watched him with eager anticipation, waiting for his answer.

"No, absolutely clean—I’m just good friends with her."

Zhou Yi answered confidently: "I treat her as a friend, but she’s trying to seduce me."

"..."

"...??? "

The two women, who had just believed his clarification, now stared wide-eyed in shock: "What? She’s trying to seduce you?!"

"Is that surprising? I’m this handsome and brilliant."

He brushed his neatly styled bangs aside, plopped onto the sofa, and leaned back with arms spread: "There’s this veteran actor in mainland China who played Tang Sanzang—some wealthy businesswoman spotted him and just dumped a fortune to take him home. He’s been living in luxury ever since."

"Compared to that guy, I’m nowhere near that level."

As he spoke, the lounge door opened—

"Zhou Yi, the general manager wants to see you—he’s probably going to discuss your sudden scandal."