Read Novel Full Chapter 856: Scam Artists are Not Cute! (24)
Chapter 856: Scam Artists are Not Cute! (24)
Shi Sheng and Xia Ling took their seats in the VIP section, drawing murmurs from the crowd as they shifted their gazes away. Master Yan was known for his eccentricity.
Arriving so early proved his odd nature. Unlike other bigwigs, who always made grand, last-minute entrances.
An Chen tightened his grip, staring ahead. It took a moment for him to relax his hand.
“An Chen, Xia Ling is truly on the rise this time,” Cui Liangye remarked beside him.
An Chen’s hand clenched again.
Cui Liangye patted An Chen’s shoulder, trying to console him. “Don’t worry, with your current popularity, he won’t surpass you.”
“Humph!”
An Chen snorted coldly, turning his head away from the VIP section.
Cui Liangye shrugged helplessly.
In the VIP section, Shi Sheng’s master scrutinized Xia Ling from head to toe with a stern expression. “So, this is the rascal you’re interested in? Aside from his looks, what’s special about him?”
Shi Sheng earnestly replied, “Isn’t being good-looking enough?”
That face alone could captivate thousands… Well, Xia Ling’s anti-fans didn’t seem to care for it.
A miracle, indeed. Even the most unpopular stars have a handful of fans, but for Xia Ling, it seemed people couldn’t help but badmouth him.
Her master’s face soured further. “Looks aren’t everything.”
Shi Sheng inquired seriously, “Then what should I consider?” ‘His body?’
Her master paused for a few seconds. “Character. I’ve heard he has a bad temper?”
Ever since Yu Sheng mentioned this to him, he’d been monitoring Xia Ling. The internet was filled with accusations—assaulting hosts, provoking fans, being late, acting like a diva.
‘How could such a person be with Xiao’guai?’
“He treats me well. Even if he’s bad to others, what does it matter? His kindness to me is what counts. For me, someone just needs to be pleasant to look at.”
Her master: “……” ‘Why do I feel like my disciple got smart after some time apart?’
“Let the youngsters be, Master,” Elder Yan interjected with a kind smile. “Xia Ling is a good kid, trust me. I’ll vouch for him.”
Xia Ling nodded slightly at Elder Yan, then looked seriously at the frowning master. “Xiao’guai is the only one I treat well.”
Elder Yan chuckled, praising Xia Ling further. “He may seem arrogant, but he has a good heart. Sometimes, appearances can be deceiving.”
With Elder Yan’s endorsement, Master Yan couldn’t continue the lecture in such a setting.
“Shi Sheng, why did you decide to speak up all of a sudden?” Master Yan’s primary reason for coming was to discuss this and Shi Sheng’s relationship.
“We’ll talk about it later, Master.”
After some thought, he agreed. This wasn’t the place for such a conversation.
He glared at Xia Ling before turning to converse with Elder Yan.
Shi Sheng winked at Xia Ling, scooting closer and whispering, “Impressive! You’ve got connections with the big shots?”
‘Didn’t think our family’s daughter-in-law[1] would be so powerful!’
Xia Ling smiled softly, holding Shi Sheng’s hand. “I met Elder Yan when I first started out.”
Back then, Xia Ling was a clueless newcomer. His first encounter with Elder Yan was at a competition.
Before the competition began, Elder Yan sat backstage alone, fiddling with a tablet, struggling to open a webpage. Xia Ling helped him, and surprisingly, the old man took a liking to him. In his especially hard years, Elder Yan had even tried to support him.
Everyone had their opportunities. Elder Yan was clearly a benefactor, though Xia Ling hadn’t capitalized on it.
Shi Sheng and Xia Ling chatted quietly, with occasional disapproving glances from Master Yan, creating a strange atmosphere until the award ceremony started.
“And now, we’ll present the award for this year’s Most Popular Star,” the host’s voice echoed through the hall. “Who could it be?”
As the host spoke, a video started playing on the big screen, featuring the debut MV of SHINE. Xia Ling, young and radiant, looked strikingly cool yet youthful.
Though Xia Ling wasn’t particularly suited for fast-paced songs. His strength lay in slow, ethereal ballads.
Xia Ling watched the screen, eyes darkening.
The video ended, and the host resumed. “And now, let’s welcome our Most Popular Star… Xia Ling.”
The hall fell into an eerie silence.
What was happening?
Xia Ling?
With so many anti-fans, how did he become the popular superstar?
‘Something shady is definitely going on!’
The spotlight fell on Xia Ling. Dressed in a sleek black suit, his face shone with unmatched beauty, arrogance in his gaze.
Those in the industry knew Xia Ling was incredibly good-looking, but their focus had always been on his bad behavior. This was perhaps the first time they realized how dazzling he truly was.
An Chen, sitting at the back, stared at the man in the spotlight, his gaze venomous. ‘Why him?’
‘Anyone but him!’
Popularity wasn’t determined by just one factor. Xia Ling’s anti-fans easily outnumbered others, and his albums sold better than anyone else’s.
Don’t ask why.
Anti-fans admitted they disliked Xia Ling but loved his music.
This love-hate relationship was the epitome of complexity.
To hate someone so much you end up loving them.
With his frequent negative headlines, Xia Ling rightfully earned the title of Most Popular Star.
Xia Ling didn’t care much for the award, grabbing the trophy and leaving without any acceptance speech, leaving the host awkwardly hanging.
This earned Xia Ling another title: King of Anti-Fans.
After the ceremony, Master Yan had to stick close to Elder Yan, so Shi Sheng and Xia Ling followed them to Yan’s residence.
Outside the venue, they encountered An Chen and Cui Liangye. An Chen’s face was dark, failing to hide his emotions.
“Congratulations,” Cui Liangye said, maintaining a smile.
Xia Ling, holding Shi Sheng’s hand, ignored them and walked past.
Cui Liangye awkwardly retracted his hand.
“Trying to be friendly with someone who doesn’t care,” An Chen sneered.
Cui Liangye smirked, not bothering to respond.
An Chen glared at the crowd of reporters surrounding Xia Ling, his expression souring further. An artist who didn’t care about his image, acting recklessly, yet still winning awards?
“Mo Mo, I need to head back to the company. Wait for me at the apartment.”
“Okay.”
Two figures passed by An Chen. He recognized the female voice, glancing up with a hint of surprise.
[1] – In case it’s not clear, Shi Sheng is calling Feng Ci the daughter-in-law of their family, lol
♡ translator’s corner ♡ :
ughhh sorry i know the Master Yan and Elder Yan stuff is probably so annoying to read. i’m still not super sure how to handle honorifics, esp bc in this chapter, the author kept referring to master yan as just “shifu” and that felt weird to read in english. probably i’ll switch to yan-shifu and yan-lao if something like this happens again.