"Heh, it means your little skills are no match for my fans!"
Seeing Xu Mengmeng's displeased expression and her attempt to retort, Xia Weiliang immediately chimed in, "I'm really not trying to scare you. They're the ones who are scary. Once they find a weakness, they won't let go. If they don't tear me apart, they don't truly love me!"
A Ning couldn't help but laugh, raising her hand. "I can vouch for that. When I have free time, I like to browse 'Niangniang's' super topic... To be honest, I'm almost becoming a 'Liang Fen' myself! They're so witty!"
Xia Weiliang beamed with pride. "See what I've been saying? Every single one of my fans is a dragon among phoenixes in the dark arts! Their verbal sparring is second to none! It's no big deal when others criticize me, but when my Liang Fens speak up, I can't even breathe!"
"Sister, may I interrupt?" Wai Shao raised his hand. "Sister, are you showing off?"
"Hahaha…" Xia Weiliang couldn't stop laughing. "Even though I'm being so low-key, you can still see it?"
Situ spoke after a pause. "I can see it too. Is that too much?"
A Ning laughed and patted his shoulder. "Not at all, not at all, just a little impolite."
Watching them erupt in laughter, Xu Mengmeng's face darkened further. Even in a verbal spat, she should at least be the protagonist! What was the meaning of this? They weren't including her?
She cleared her throat and said coquettishly, "Miss Xia…"
Xia Weiliang seemed to recall something and asked Huang Yanyan, "Speaking of which, Brother Si Huo, can you give us an itinerary? You're not still keeping it a secret at this point, are you? You can keep a secret, but not the plane tickets!"
"Exactly! Uncle Si Huo, spill the beans. I need to do some preemptive Googling to learn about the local customs and traditions." A Ning was now the ultimate cheerleader, always the first to support whatever Xia Weiliang said!
Xu Mengmeng, being so blatantly ignored, had her features contorted with anger. Her chest heaved, and her fingernails dug tightly into her palms.
Staring at the people opposite her, she subtly pulled out her phone from her bag and switched it to camera mode.
Gathering her resolve, she approached Xia Weiliang and softly called out, "Sister Weiliang."
Xia Weiliang turned to look at her, blinking. "Something wrong?"
"It was my fault just now… Sister Weiliang, please don't be angry. As an adult, don't hold it against a child like me. Can you just stop making things difficult for us small artists, okay?"
Noticing the word "again," she seemed to want everyone to know that Xia Weiliang had already bullied her!
A Ning couldn't bother with her poker face anymore, tilting her head to look at Xu Mengmeng. Was this girl alright? Was this still not over?
Not just A Ning, but even Wai Shao, Mikoy, Situ, and the others could no longer pretend not to hear. The intention to provoke was too obvious! Everyone knew the director was filming normally, and not being discreet in front of the camera meant she wasn't afraid of causing trouble. But compared to Xia Weiliang, whose status and popularity were top-tier, she couldn't afford to be worn down by this! How frustrating it must be to be deliberately targeted for attention by someone scheming, and yet be unable to refute it!
"Uh, that…"
As the "birthday boy" of the day, Wai Shao felt it necessary to manage the situation. However, as soon as he spoke, Xia Weiliang patted his shoulder and stopped him. "Little brother, you rest. I'll handle this!"
Turning back, she smiled lightly and said directly, "As a senior, I have a few words of advice."
Xia Weiliang's smile vanished, and she spoke word by word, "The attention gained through gossip won't last long. Instead of wasting your energy on this, it's better to focus on improving yourself."
Feeling everyone's eyes on her, even Huang Yanyan's expression turned serious.
Xu Mengmeng knew there was no point in continuing. She sneered, staring at Xia Weiliang. "Anyone can say that, but don't you think it sounds particularly ridiculous coming from you? Everyone knows you gained traction because of the drama with Xia Yiran's family. So, if you can do it, why can't others?"
Everyone frowned. This was clearly a blatant attempt to latch on! The desperation was too obvious!
As the cameraman, Brother Qiao was meticulous, instructing his assistant, Xiao Shuai, to film from every angle, ensuring no blind spots!
Xia Weiliang curled her lips and said unhurriedly, "That's right, the gossip surrounding me is enough to fill a book. And to this day, I still don't know where my biological parents are!" She looked up at Xu Mengmeng. "So, for the sake of fame, you're willing to have an experience like mine?"
Xu Mengmeng faltered. Even if she was disdainful, she had to maintain appearances. How could she openly admit that fame was more important than family in front of everyone? Damn Xia Weiliang, she was digging a pit for her to fall into!
Xu Mengmeng forced a smile. "Miss Xia, you don't have to deliberately trap me with such words! Heh, I know you're a big star, and you're incredibly popular right now. How could you possibly look down on us small artists like us? But don't forget, he who does many evils will destroy himself!"
"What the…"
Hearing this, everyone present was taken aback. A Ning was the first to put her hands on her hips. "I say, do you know how to speak? What has Sister Weiliang done that's so evil? Is it really good to have such a venomous mouth?"
Situ also couldn't stand it and said coldly, "I've seen many people trying to latch on, but this is the first time I've seen such an ugly pose when they 'fall'."
Mikoy also sneered. "Heh, they want the attention but not the consequences!"
Wai Shao couldn't help but look at Xu Mengmeng with disdain. "I say, Miss Xu, we're not fools. We pretended not to hear what you said earlier, but you've gone too far! Sister Weiliang hasn't done anything to you, yet you've been displeased with her from the moment you met her."
Xu Mengmeng pointed at them, as if she had suffered immense injustice, her eyes reddening. "I know she's popular, and I'm an unknown. But you don't have to gang up on me like this, do you? So what if I'm an internet celebrity? Am I inferior because I'm an internet celebrity?"
"Hold on!"
Mikoy glanced at her coldly. "Stop going on and on about 'internet celebrity.' This is your personal behavior; please don't generalize it to the entire industry. You're not influential enough to represent this group."
Wai Shao nodded in agreement. "That's right, we refuse to be dragged down or represented! And… honestly, before this, I had never heard of you… sorry."
He was speaking the truth and had no intention of belittling her. In fact, he and Mikoy had millions of fans, making them major internet celebrities. As for Xu Mengmeng, she barely had six figures, and it was unclear if there were any fake followers among them. Not only could she not reach Xia Weiliang, but she could only look up to Wai Shao and Mikoy.
"You… you're bullying me too much!" Xu Mengmeng glared at Huang Yanyan. "Director! You must give me an explanation!"
Huang Yanyan simply spread his hands. "We will not interfere with the communication between guests."