Chapter 275: The Old-School Tyrant CEO 19

Zhao Yixin looked around and saw that not a single person was speaking up for her. She pinned her final hopes on Shen Xiuyan.

She called out weakly, “President Shen… I—”

Seeing her persistence, Uncle Qi’s expression darkened completely. Causing trouble at a banquet he hosted, and targeting Shen Xiuyan of all people, was a blatant slap in his face.

He cast a cold glance at Zhao Yixin. Without another word, the bodyguards immediately twisted her arms and marched her toward the exit of the venue.

Zhao Yixin stared at the bodyguards beside her in disbelief. She was actually being treated like this in front of everyone.

She truly hadn’t expected these powerful figures to be so heartless. Weren’t they afraid of being accused of using violence against a weak woman?

Zhao Yixin remained in a state of shock until she was shoved out of the main gates of the estate.

Today’s banquet was hosted by the Qi Family, who held considerable prestige in this city. At this moment, a crowd of entertainment reporters had gathered outside the gates, hoping for a stroke of luck to catch some explosive news that would grab the public’s attention.

They hadn’t expected to actually hit the jackpot.

Wasn’t the person being escorted out by bodyguards Zhao Yixin?

She was a fairly well-known rising star at the moment. How did she end up being hauled out like this?

In an instant, a flurry of thoughts raced through the reporters’ minds. They immediately raised their cameras, scrambling to snap photos for fear that a slight delay would mean missing out on this bombshell.

Some had even already come up with explosive headlines for today’s trending topics.

【Shocking! Popular Starlet Kicked Out of Banquet.】

【Rising Star’s Failed Confession to Tycoon Leads to Forced Eviction.】

【Famous Actress in White Dress Surrounded by Bodyguards: A Collapse of Morality or a Distortion of Humanity¹?】

As for whether the truth matched their headlines, that wasn’t their concern.

As long as they could use Zhao Yixin to dominate the trending topics today, their long wait wouldn’t be in vain.

Blinding flashes went off around her continuously, accompanied by the rhythmic clicking of shutters. Eventually, the light became so intense that Zhao Yixin could barely keep her eyes open.

Someone rushed forward, holding a microphone high.

In their excitement, they nearly shoved the microphone into her mouth. “Miss Zhao, what happened inside? Why were you asked to leave on an occasion like this?”

“Miss Zhao, did you offend someone?”

Zhao Yixin finally realized she was finished. If today’s events were reported by the media, her reputation would plummet, and her public image might be ruined beyond repair.

Even if she wanted to give up on Shen Xiuyan and seduce other powerful men, they wouldn’t dare choose her after seeing today’s reports.

Tycoons would never want a wife who had been involved in a scandal. Even if they were willing, their parents certainly wouldn’t be.

Her face was pale, her eyes filled with terror, and her lips trembled uncontrollably.

She dodged through the crowd in a panic, refusing to answer their questions.

But the reporters followed her relentlessly.

“Miss Zhao, Miss Zhao, don’t go!”

“That’s right, tell us what happened. Did some powerful person bully you? Please, feel free to speak out. We will report it truthfully and let the public be the judge.”

Facing the aggressive questioning, Zhao Yixin didn’t dare look back. She walked faster and faster, yet she still couldn’t shake off the reporters who were like a pack of hyenas.

She frantically pulled her phone from her bag. “Where are you? Quick, come to the side gate and pick me up…”

On the other end, her manager heard the distress in her voice and panicked as well. “Yixin, what’s wrong? Take it slow, tell me.”

Zhao Yixin couldn’t calm down at all. She let out a sharp scream, “Hurry up!”

The person on the other end startled and immediately instructed the driver, “Move, go to the side gate!”

Zhao Yixin’s distorted, hideous expression was also faithfully recorded by the reporters.

Wow, the news just got even bigger!

The starlet who had always presented herself as pure, weak, and charming actually showed a face like this.

So her previous image was just a persona she acted out?

They were certain that today’s news would cause a massive uproar.

The reporters worked with even greater fervor.

*

The manager, who had been waiting not far from the banquet, took less than three minutes from receiving the call to arriving on the scene.

Seeing the blinding camera flashes, he knew things were bad. He immediately had the car stop in front of the crowd and shielded the disheveled Zhao Yixin as she got in.

After finally shaking off the crowd, the manager quickly pulled the car curtains shut and ordered, “Drive, now.”

The driver obeyed and sped away like a bolt of lightning.

Only then did the manager have a moment to pat Zhao Yixin’s shoulder and comfort her. “Yixin, Yixin, what happened?”

Zhao Yixin had already reverted to her usual pitiful act. She sniffled and said resentfully, “I ran into that gentleman who helped me last time. I just wanted to go up and thank him, but I don’t know what I said wrong, and he had me kicked out…”

The manager’s brow furrowed. “In a setting like that, he actually dared to publicly kick you out?”

Zhao Yixin gripped the manager’s hand tightly. “He seems to have a very unusual status… Brother Qin, what should I do? Everything was caught by the reporters today. I’m really finished this time…”

The manager pulled her into his arms to comfort her. “It’s okay. You have your Brother Qin here. I won’t let this get out of hand, so don’t worry.”

“Brother Qin, you’re so good to me. You’re all I have left…”

Even now, Zhao Yixin’s mouth was full of lies, trying to keep one man on the hook while eyeing another.

But the manager had long been completely infatuated with her and believed her act implicitly.

“As long as you know it.” The manager pinched her nose with a hint of flirtation.

After a moment’s thought, he said, “Since the other party has a status we can’t provoke, we can’t target him. Otherwise, it might make him even more displeased. Once the trending topics appear, I’ll release a statement saying you were feeling unwell. You weren’t kicked out; you asked the bodyguards for help to escort you out.”

Zhao Yixin murmured, “Will they believe that?”

The manager stroked her head. “Silly girl, in this media-driven society, you have fans. What are you afraid of? This content is for your fans to see. As long as they believe it, they’ll naturally help you explain. People love to fill in the blanks themselves. You won’t even have to say much; they’ll control the comments for you. Then I’ll hire some internet water armies² to stir things up. Who knows, we might even gain public sympathy and attract a new wave of fans.”

Zhao Yixin finally relaxed when she heard those words.

Translator’s Notes