Showbiz Scandal: The Official Announcement of My Ex and Myself

Chapter 497: Xie Qingci Secretly Met with a Girl at Midnight!

The photos were blurry, taken at night when the surrounding lights were dim. If she weren’t familiar with Xie Qingci’s silhouette, she almost wouldn’t have recognized him.In the first photo, he was wearing a mask and hat, coming out from behind the glass doors of a club, with a woman in a purple dress following him. Both of them had their heads down with no eye contact, looking like they had accidentally bumped into each other.

In the second photo, Xie Qingci was standing by the car with his head down as the woman turned her head to talk to him.

In the third photo, the woman grabbed Xie Qingci’s hand.

She wasn’t initially angry because she believed Xie Qingci had no such intentions, but upon seeing the arms touching in the third photo, her face still turned cold.

"Which paparazzi took these? Pay to intercept them first."

He Ci: "I asked. They drove a hard bargain—three million for the three photos."

"Three million?" Yu Xia laughed shortly, "They really think they’ve captured some kind of earth-shattering scoop. Inform his agent to buy them and clear things up first."

She didn’t even mention "Xie Qingci" by name, just referred to him as "him," and for a second, He Ci mourned for Xie Qingci.

He confirmed with Mr. Yang that they were aware of the photos, but they were still negotiating with the paparazzi.

About the woman, there wasn’t much else mentioned, but He Ci had a mind to remind him to quickly call back and explain. However, before he could hang up, Yu Xia had already dialed Xie Qingci.

Direct and intolerant enough.

He Ci perked up his ears to listen to their conversation.

As soon as the call connected, Yu Xia asked a few routine questions.

"Have you eaten? Do you have shooting later?"

"Is the work over there finished? Going to the next place?"

"Uh-huh, is anyone with you?"

It seemed that Xie Qingci answered no, then Yu Xia sat up, her voice softening by eight degrees, like a final tenderness before an execution.

He Ci: Here it comes, here comes the main part.

"I got news that you were photographed meeting a girl at the club last night. What’s going on?"

On the other end, Xie Qingci moved away from the phone for a second, seemingly asking Mr. Yang for specifics, and quickly explained, "A misunderstanding, that was my classmate. She encountered some trouble inside, and I happened to pass by and help her."

"Then why did she hold your hand?" The tone of this question instantly dropped.

Even across thousands of miles, Xie Qingci could sense her ill mood. Not delaying nor concealing, he immediately added, "She asked me a question. Sister, are you jealous?"

"Straighten your attitude, what question did she ask you?"

"She asked if the house next to the high school you visited."

Yu Xia frowned.

Recalling last night’s incidents, Xie Qingci’s expression was also unpleasant.

Chu Yao was his high school classmate and also a university department mate.

When he met her at the club, he really helped her out of pure classmate camaraderie without ignoring her request. Just when he was about to leave, she stopped him and asked:

"I watched your program, and you said you met Yu Xia at eighteen, right after high school graduation. Did you enter the entertainment circle for her, or did you have connections before the talent show?

After the college entrance exam, I went to your house area looking for you one day. I saw a woman with long hair entering your house with a key. Was that Yu Xia?"

Xie Qingci denied it immediately, "You’re overthinking it."

The tone was sincere because by that time, he and Yu Xia had already broken up, so Yu Xia couldn’t have come looking for him.

The memory-provoking question bothered him, and he left coldly, ignoring her lonely figure under the neon lights through the car window.

Unexpectedly, they were photographed, and they had only just learned of that. Mr. Yang was still negotiating with the paparazzi, but the price had been hiked from three million to five million.

Mr. Yang also said—

"The paparazzo probably thinks that if these photos reach Yu Xia, there will be hell to pay, believing you’d surely shell out the money to maintain your beloved public persona with Yu Xia, however unwilling."

He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

After explaining everything from the beginning, another thought suddenly flashed in his mind, and he hesitated before asking:

"After graduation, did you look for me?"

At that time, he kept running out, sometimes staring at her poster on the roadside for half a day, rarely staying home.

If she had come to see him after the breakup and went right in, what did that mean?

Suppressing his rapidly pounding heart, he asked again, this time with more certainty, "Did you come looking for me?"

"Yes, I did look for you." Yu Xia admitted very briskly.

Her mind was clouded at the time, so, unbeknownst to her, she went over once more, but didn’t see him. She just sat in that rented place for a while before leaving.

"But that’s not the point," she wasn’t dwelling on past matters and got straight to the issue, "She just thought we knew each other after your graduation, so that’s not too bad."

Xie Qingci was silent for two seconds and asked her, "I thought your reaction would be bigger."

He thought Yu Xia would treat him like she treated Yu Zhi back then if she thought he was a hassle.

"Ever since you mentioned on camera that we first met at eighteen, I’ve been preparing. Does your classmate have feelings for you?"

Xie Qingci: "Maybe."

"Lurking around your place, that’s either affection or a bit creepy. Ask her what exactly she wants—money, help entering the entertainment industry, or something else."

She spoke more decisively than any manager, like she could hand him over on a silver platter if the other party really wanted him.

Throughout, all he could do was nod and agree, then prepare to hang up to resolve the matter.

"Wait," Yu Xia called him back, her voice low and level, "Negotiate well. If there’s any more physical contact, I’ll scrape a layer off your hand."

Xie Qingci: "...Got it."

He Ci was nearby, vigorously rubbing the goosebumps on his arms and the hair standing on end.

Xie Qingci was truly brave, deeply loving someone like this. How is he a male flirt? He’s a knight daring to venture!

After hanging up, Yu Xia sat in place without moving, her expression thoughtful as if pondering something interesting.

He Ci figured she was thinking—"How to kill the vixen who touched my man," "How to wash Xie Qingci thoroughly from head to toe," "How to prepare to cook the humanoid monster if there’s any more physical contact."

Scarier than dismembering boiled broccoli.

"Do you want to go and see the location?" He Ci cautiously asked, "Being alone in a cramped, quiet space lends itself to wild thinking, and more likely to lead to trouble."

Yu Xia gave him a glance, "Not on postpartum confinement. Didn’t you tell me to sit tight here? Auditions are in two days."

"True, true, then first wait calmly for two days. Would you like me to book you an aromatherapy massage to clear some blocked energy?"