Everyone present, both men and women, became curious upon hearing Xie Yao had a lead. They urged Xie Yao to contact her cousin.
Xie Yao, as if in control of the situation, solemnly instructed, "No one on the entire internet knows who Nine is. When my cousin arrives later, I'll let her show you a photo, but you must promise not to leak it, otherwise, it will be very difficult for me."
Wu Yue immediately chimed in with gossip, "Xie Yao, aren't you just bragging? No one on the internet knows who Nine is. Are you sure your cousin will tell you?"
Xie Yao's expression turned proud. "Of course, I'm different from you all. I've known for a long time that Nine was going to be a lecturer at A University, but I wasn't interested in her, so I never asked. However, since you all want to know her true appearance so badly, it's no big deal for me to have my cousin come over."
Someone urged, "Then hurry up and have your cousin come. I'm so curious what Nine looks like. Online rumors say she's ugly and fat, a shut-in. I want to see how fat she is, and who weighs more between her and Shi Ma."
The people around burst into laughter. Shi Ma, who was being mocked, didn't seem to mind. He pushed his glasses up and chuckled foolishly.
Xie Yao scanned the room, asking triumphantly, "Do you all want to know what Nine looks like?"
"Yes, yes, hurry up. We're almost done with the meal."
Xie Yao's vanity was immensely satisfied. She picked up her phone, feigning reluctance, "Since you all want to see, I'll have my cousin come over."
Xie Yao soon finished sending her message. She reveled in the flattery and admiration from those around her, but after a while, she noticed someone who was unmoved.
Quan Jiu.
Xie Yao silently cursed, "Hmph, do you think you can be the center of attention everywhere?" She sneered, "Beauty Quan, everyone wants to know Nine's true face, but you're the most unique, acting as if you're not curious at all. Should I call you unconventional, or someone who can't stand others being better than you?"
Zhang Ling immediately provoked, "People who have achieved success aren't something everyone can view with a calm mind. After all, she's just a freelancer. You must be envious."
Quan Jiu smiled gently, "What a coincidence, I'm quite familiar with her."
Zhang Ling scoffed, "So you know everyone, huh? Your knowledge spans the Pacific, right?"
Fan Qiu also chimed in, "No one on the internet knows Nine's true face except you. Aren't you afraid of bragging too much?"
Zhong Hong also wanted to retort, but her cheeks were still stinging. She was too afraid and could only manage a "mm" to show her agreement.
Quan Jiu just smiled and said nothing.
Guo Dongmei quietly asked, "Quan Jiu, do you really know Nine?"
"You know her too," Quan Jiu replied with a gentle smile.
Guo Dongmei felt suspicious but didn't ask further.
Everyone continued to eat and chat. Xie Yao sent messages periodically, urging her cousin. By the time the meal was halfway through, she finally stood up, excited, "My cousin is here. I'll go out to meet her. You all eat first."
As soon as Xie Yao left, the male classmates became lively.
"She's from the performing arts department, so she must be a beauty."
"With the great beauty Quan here, who can be more beautiful than her?"
They chatted amongst themselves.
Xie Yao, who went to meet her cousin, bumped into her as soon as she reached the entrance. She quickly stepped forward, grabbed her cousin, and rushed towards the hotel lobby.
Soon, Xie Yao returned to the dining hall with her cousin. The young men all smiled. She was indeed beautiful, but still not as beautiful as the great beauty Quan.
Xie Yao introduced, "Everyone, this is my cousin, Ren Kui."
Quan Jiu was somewhat surprised, not expecting Ren Kui to be Zhang Ling's cousin. Guo Dongmei glanced at Quan Jiu and then smiled, praising, "As expected of someone from performing arts. Xie Yao, your cousin is so beautiful."
Xie Yao proudly said, "Of course. Our entire family has high颜值."
Ren Kui, who was originally looking at Guo Dongmei, was startled by her gaze and then exclaimed joyfully, "Teacher Nine, why are you here?"
Quan Jiu smiled and nodded, acknowledging her.
Xie Yao was stunned at first, "Ren Kui, who are you calling?"
"Teacher Nine. She's right here at your table. Why did you call me all the way here?" Ren Kui asked, confused.
Xie Yao followed Ren Kui's gaze. Besides Guo Dongmei, it was the softly smiling Quan Jiu. She seemed to understand something instantly, but she couldn't bring herself to believe it.
"Are you sure you're not mistaken? Nine is here?" Xie Yao asked blankly.
Ren Kui directly went to Quan Jiu's side and introduced, "This is the famous, genuine Nine, and also our lecturer for this performance department intensive training."
Nine. Jiu. Quan Jiu. How could it be? It shouldn't be. Xie Yao stared blankly at Quan Jiu. The mysterious and powerful screenwriter rumored online was actually Quan Jiu?
Guo Dongmei, who was closest, looked shocked. After a long while, she finally found her voice, but it sounded stiff, "Quan Jiu, are you really Nine?"
"It's just a job," Quan Jiu smiled.
Guo Dongmei clenched her clothes tightly, her heart bleeding with hatred. She could barely maintain her stiff smile and stood up, "I'm going to the restroom."
However, no one at the table paid attention to her. All eyes were on Quan Jiu. Everyone was stunned.
Zhang Ling took a while to react, then stood up and exclaimed, "How can she be Nine? She's just a medical student who dropped out. And the internet says Nine is fat and ugly, not her at all."
Ren Kui was displeased with Zhang Ling's doubt, "This is my teacher. She even taught my class all day today. The adjacent class has Jin Xue, and our class has Nine. How could it be fake?"
Wu Yue felt like an idiot and instantly wished she could disappear into the ground. Fan Qiu's face also turned red and white, looking extremely unpleasant. Zhong Hong was so shocked that she forgot the pain in her face. After a while, she covered her swollen face and said enviously, "Screenwriting is just behind-the-scenes work. It doesn't earn much. My aunt is an editor who works in an office. She makes seven thousand yuan a month. It's nothing special."
Wu Yue quickly added, "An editor isn't a big star. What's the fuss about?" She completely forgot how eager they were to meet Nine just moments ago.
Ren Kui realized that they were trying to embarrass her teacher. She immediately retorted, "What do you know? A top-tier screenwriter like Teacher Nine earns at least tens of millions for a TV drama script. Directors like Wang Can and Zhao Ziwen are directors who have collaborated with our Teacher Nine."
At least tens of millions? Everyone in the hall was stunned. They might not earn tens of millions in their lifetime, but Quan Jiu could easily earn tens of millions for one drama. Wang Can, even though everyone was an outsider, still knew his name well. Zhao Ziwen was known as the most handsome director due to his good looks. Considering the many trending searches about Nine before, the people present didn't know what to say. This freelance profession was truly enviable and hateful, not just a little bit.