Reborn As Super Heiress

Chapter 1697: Chapter 1601: It’s Not Her

Moreover, Zheng Lixiang was well aware that domestic reporters were petty, and before she became a big star, these people were definitely not to be offended.

So after being surrounded by a group of reporters, she did not show any displeasure, nor did she reveal any signs of irritation; instead, she handled it all with a smile.

It wasn’t until they returned to the hotel that Huo Sining took out the video sample she had copied from the backstage control room.

A group of people gathered around the computer, trying to figure out what tricks Li Youyou and Yujiali were playing.

When the video first started playing, there was nothing unusual. It was just a normal editing sample of ”Kite Angel,” but less than thirty seconds in, the video flickered, and the film’s background suddenly changed.

A white room, dim lighting, shadowy figures, and those strange gasps and moaning sounds...

Seeing this scene, the expressions of everyone in front of the computer changed, especially Zheng Lixiang, whose face suddenly darkened.

”What’s going on?”

No one answered Zheng Lixiang’s question because everyone’s eyes were fixed on the video.

That strange and ambiguous sound lasted for several seconds, and gradually, the figure in the video slightly turned and raised its head.

A familiar face appeared before everyone’s eyes, and when the lead actress of ”Kite Angel,” Yang Xiao, who was initially watching with a look of curiosity, saw it, she suddenly stood up from her chair.

Yang Xiao’s face turned deathly pale, her eyes filled with shock and fear. She reached her hand out, pointing at the computer screen, stammering, ”What... what is this, why... why is it me?”

Yang Xiao couldn’t understand how the protagonist of this video turned out to be her!

Everyone was dumbfounded. One by one, they looked at Yang Xiao, their eyes filled with disbelief. Some even had looks of disgust and disdain.

Zheng Lixiang was somewhat annoyed as well and questioned Yang Xiao, ”Yang Xiao, what is going on? I think you owe me an explanation.”

Yang Xiao had just entered the entertainment industry not long ago, was not very old, and had been selected by Zheng Lixiang to star in ”Kite Angel” before she even graduated.

The girl seemed uncomplicated, with an innocent appearance and a smooth journey without many setbacks. Suddenly encountering such a thing, she was bewildered. When she heard Zheng Lixiang’s question, she was eager to explain but couldn’t speak for a while, and tears almost fell from her eyes.

”Director, this... it’s really not me, you have to believe me!”

Yang Xiao’s eyes were red, her expression both panicked and desperate.

But this weak explanation appeared to be an excuse to Zheng Lixiang:

”How can I believe you? Others might not recognize this face, but for our crew who’ve been shooting with you for so long, working together every day, could they not tell that this person in the video is you?”

”You should remember, when you first joined the crew, I reminded you that the entertainment circle isn’t as simple as you think. To last long in this industry, you must have principles and not be tempted by external fame and fortune. If you want to climb up, you must improve your skills step by step, not rely on unscrupulous shortcuts!”

”If it weren’t for Miss Huo, if she hadn’t happened to overhear Li Youyou’s conversation with that Yujiali, if she didn’t have someone who could help us sneak into the control room to swap things out, just think about it. If there was a single misstep, what kind of situation would we be facing at the Venice Film Festival today?”

”This edited video, if it were really shown on that big screen on stage, not only would our work for this festival be ruined, everyone’s hard work would go down the drain. Not just you, me, but even my company would become a laughingstock to the world! You wouldn’t have a future, and neither would I, Zheng Lixiang!”

Zheng Lixiang was very emotional, and her tone was severe and earnest.

She wasn’t concerned about who the male lead in the video was; she only knew that if Li Youyou’s plan had succeeded, her reputation would suffer greatly, and there would be no way for Yang Xiao to continue in the entertainment industry.

What a two-birds-with-one-stone plan, Li Youyou really had a skillful method!

Originally, Zheng Lixiang didn’t want to bicker with this woman Li Youyou; she didn’t think a minor TV star could affect her career, but now it seemed she was wrong.

This Li Youyou might not have much professional interaction with her, but when this woman became ruthless, she was truly hard to defend against.

Zheng Lixiang felt quite angry. She was angry at herself for not taking Li Youyou seriously, which nearly caused a major issue due to underestimating the opponent; and she was angry at Yang Xiao for not living up to expectations.

The reason Zheng Lixiang chose Yang Xiao to play the heroine in her film was because she saw Yang Xiao’s pure and kind image, the demure jade girl persona, which was very popular in the entertainment circle. If Yang Xiao could be ambitious and down-to-earth, coupled with Zheng Lixiang’s support, she was sure to have a place in the future entertainment industry. That’s why Zheng Lixiang was willing to invest so much effort into nurturing her.

However, she never expected Yang Xiao to agree on the surface but secretly do such things, getting caught with evidence, which made Zheng Lixiang feel she misjudged the person and completely lost hope in Yang Xiao.

Yang Xiao had never been scolded from a young age, especially not in front of so many people. She felt very wronged and wanted to explain but always hesitated to speak in such a crowded setting.

But with so many people present, if she didn’t explain, they would surely misunderstand her, possibly truly believing she was some irresponsible wandering girl, and she wouldn’t be able to protect her reputation.

Feeling humiliated, Yang Xiao closed her eyes briefly, her expression hesitant. After a struggle, she gritted her teeth and was about to explain.

However, just as she was about to speak, Huo Sining suddenly spoke up: ”This person is not Yang Xiao; it should be someone else. If this video is not synthesized, then Li Youyou must have found someone who looks very similar to Yang Xiao, deliberately making such a dim background to blur the face, making it hard to discern the truth.”

Upon hearing Huo Sining say this, the others all looked towards her.

Zheng Lixiang directly asked, ”Miss Huo, how can you tell that this person isn’t Yang Xiao?”