Chapter 9 He's Willing to Marry

"Without a comparison, there's no harm done. The photo trending on the hot search isn't even me, Yan Luoxi, at all. Who's so despicable to Photoshop me like that?"

"I was just saying, when did my chest become like steamed buns? This hater isn't professional at all, at least make the chest look bigger if you're going to Photoshop."

"Who did Luoluo offend for them to blacken her name like this? The more you think about it, the scarier it gets."

"This industry is such a mess!"

Netizens, with their wide reach, soon dug up photos of Yan Luoxi attending activities and compared them with the ones previously trending, effectively slapping the face of the slanderer. Some even created a technical post and published it in the 'Space' forum, sparking a hot discussion among many netizens.

Hot topics like "Yan Luoxi top attack" and "Yan Luoxi Tian Lingyun" were pushed to the top three trending searches by enthusiastic netizens.

Bystanders who saw the top three searches all related to Yan Luoxi were baffled - who is Yan Luoxi? In just one day, she had swiftly taken over the headlines of major media outlets, turning her into the subject of public discussion, making them feel as though they couldn't keep up with the times.

Everyone began searching for the name Yan Luoxi, and out popped a Baidu Baike entry. She hadn't appeared in many works; almost all the TV dramas she acted in cast her as the second female lead, and her most classic role was that of a little fox who gave everything for the one she loved and ended up wandering the six realms as a lonely spirit.

The little fox she portrayed left a deep impression, but although the main cast of that drama all found fame, her own celebrity had always been lukewarm - until this trending search, when she re-entered the public spotlight.

As Yan Luoxi lay on the couch scrolling through Weibo, seeing the positive swing in the tide of public opinion, she closed the app, stood up, and walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window before dialing a number, "Tian Ni, the Weibo campaign is going well."

Tian Lingyun, her legs crossed and licking yogurt from a cup, replied excitedly, "I told you, new media is also a significant advantage now, you just wouldn't believe me. Erluo, guess how many followers I've gained since yesterday when I released the article and Weibo post?"

"Ten thousand?"

"Oh, come on, can't you wish me better luck? It's a hundred thousand, a hundred thousand! If I knew that interviewing you would boost my followers this much, I should have smeared you sooner. Maybe by now, I'd already have five million followers." Tian Lingyun was jumping for joy, seeing those followers as if they were pink banknotes flying straight into her pockets.

Yan Luoxi responded with disdain, "So in your eyes, I'm only worth a hundred thousand followers, that's truly heartbreaking."

"No, no, no, you're worth a hundred thousand and one followers in my eyes."

Yan Luoxi: "..."

She hung up the phone and stood by the floor-to-ceiling window for a while. Her phone rang again, she glanced at the caller ID, her expression changed, and she silenced the phone, tossing it onto the flower stand nearby before turning to enter the living room.

Seated on the sofa, it took her a long time before she got up and walked over to the flower stand to pick up her phone. There were two missed calls and an unread text message.

She frowned; Lu Zhaoran's patience with her was just so-so. She opened the text message, and as she read its content, she was unable to contain her fury. "Lu Zhaoran, you're really overstepping the line!"

Like a whirlwind, Yan Luoxi stormed into Zuo'an Manor, one of Imperial Capital's renowned upscale villa communities. A year ago, an artist under Lu Zhaoran's management became a hit, bringing huge profits to the company, and he bought a multimillion-dollar mansion here.

She remembered when he got the keys to the villa, how he happily drove her there, proposed to her, and promised that as soon as the company stabilized a bit more, he would marry her and bring her home.

Standing outside the villa, she pressed the doorbell, and soon enough, someone came to answer.

The door opened, and Lu Zhaoran stood inside. Seeing her in a mask and cap, fully armed, he said indifferently, "Come in."

Yan Luoxi followed him in and with a "bang," slammed the door and angrily questioned, "Lu Zhaoran, what exactly do you want?"

Under the light, Lu Zhaoran wore a white T-shirt and beige casual pants. His usually impeccable hair was softly hanging over his forehead, giving him a lazy and casual appearance.

"You haven't had dinner yet, right? I'm frying steak, just wait a bit, it'll be ready soon." Lu Zhaoran's eyes had less sharpness and more softness, like a thoughtful husband preparing dinner with joy at his wife's return.

How ironic - he was sleeping with Lai Zhiyuan right under her nose; yet, he could still act as if nothing had happened when facing her.

Should she congratulate him for, after running an entertainment company for so long, he'd also learned how to act?

"Eating with a cheater, I'm afraid I might lose my appetite." Yan Luoxi tried to ignore the pain that was creeping up to her heart; her fingernails dug into her flesh without feeling the hurt.

Lu Zhaoran's hand by his side clenched tighter into a fist. He looked up at her, "Luoxi, no matter how many women I have outside, the one I'm going to marry is only you, and the title of Mrs. Lu belongs to only you."

"So you mean I should be grateful that you're still willing to marry me?" Yan Luoxi said sarcastically.

He wronged her, tainted what they had. What made him think that if he's willing to marry, she'd still be willing to wed?