Chapter 496: Chapter 496

Was it really necessary for a mere second-tier celebrity to lower her dignity and bid in the low-priced area?

Banning a second-tier celebrity isn’t that difficult, is it? Just let the word out that whoever hires He Jinxia don’t bother inviting Deng Zhaoyan. Why ruin the rules for a minor star?

In this hands-on confrontation, Zhaoyan ended up lowering her own status instead.

And now, it’s even worse, she couldn’t even win one of the low-priced auction items and had to go over and start trouble by throwing wine!

Some celebrities couldn’t help but shake their heads secretly, coming to the conclusion: Deng Zhaoyan was too petty.

Because of the news Geng Ni leaked in advance, many celebrities had a preconceived notion, which made Zhaoyan’s reputation drop further.

The arriving editors-in-chief and deputy editors saw Zhaoyan spill wine on He Jinxia, and they couldn’t help but change their expressions.

Deng Zhaoyan’s face was a blank, staring at the wine on the ground, lost in thought. She intended to throw the wine, but she hadn’t moved a muscle—how did it... get spilled?

Upon the editor’s arrival, she didn’t even glance at Zhaoyan but said to He Jinxia, "Your dress is wet, you should go change into another one."

He Jinxia said somewhat embarrassedly, "Hello, editor, I didn’t bring another dress with me."

The editor nodded slightly at her, "No problem."

She turned to a deputy editor and said, "Take her to change."

The deputy editor nodded, stepped forward, and gestured for He Jinxia to follow her.

After the deputy editor took He Jinxia away, the editor finally turned to look at Deng Zhaoyan, her face openly showing disappointment.

She said softly, "Zhaoyan, you’ve really disappointed me. Bidding in the low-priced section is one thing, but you actually resorted to physical altercation."

Deng Zhaoyan’s face changed slightly, and she said with considerable grievance: "Editor, I didn’t lay a finger."

The editor countered, "I know you want to say it was an accident, but even if I believe you, will the other celebrities believe it?"

Deng Zhaoyan’s lips parted, speechless.

She had also considered this situation just now and forcibly restrained herself from throwing the wine, because no matter how she explained it, nobody would believe her.

The celebrities wouldn’t believe her, and neither would the editor. Orıginal content can be found at novel⟡fire.net

But she really didn’t spill it, she didn’t intend to, it was He Jinxia who carelessly bumped into her, hitting her arm and causing the champagne to spill!

Deng Zhaoyan hurriedly explained, "Editor, it really was an accident, He Jinxia bumped into my arm, and my champagne glass was full, so it just..."

The editor interrupted, "I don’t believe it."

She looked deeply at Zhaoyan, "Whether it was a real spill or a fake one, I don’t want to know. You’ve broken Harper’s Bazaar’s rules, and next year I will not invite you to the charity dinner, and next year’s Harper’s Bazaar publications will also not invite you to shoot a cover."

After the editor finished, she walked away without looking back, leaving Deng Zhaoyan alone in disarray.

A chill ran from the soles of her feet to her spine, and Deng Zhaoyan suddenly understood why her agent had asked her to leave the auction as soon as it ended, not to linger—it was to avoid the editor-in-chief of Harper’s Bazaar from approaching.

Once the editor spoke up, it was a done deal with no turning back. She should have left quickly, perhaps her team could have communicated with Harper’s Bazaar and settled the matter.

Deng Zhaoyan’s hand was tightly clutching the wine glass, a strong sense of injustice welling up inside her.

Despite the warm heating in the castle, she felt as if she had fallen into an ice cave.

Until this moment, she hadn’t understood anything, she had fallen into He Jinxia’s trap!

If He Jinxia hadn’t raised her paddle to bid so frequently at the auction, she wouldn’t have wanted to outbid He Jinxia, leading to her purchasing many items.

He Jinxia must have been toying with her on purpose!

He Jinxia had known full well that she was targeting her, yet she continued to bid nonchalantly, luring her to make bids, and yet she had no reason to claim this was He Jinxia’s conspiracy.

The items in the low-price zone were meant for second-tier celebrities to bid on, she should never have gotten involved!

Even the incident with the wine, it was He Jinxia who had intentionally angered her, wanting her to lose her composure. Although she had managed to control herself, it was He Jinxia who had bumped into her wine glass, and now everyone thought she had done it on purpose.

At this moment, Deng Zhaoyan felt an unprecedented chill and sense of grievance.

Meanwhile, He Jinxia was taken by the deputy editor to the dressing room in the castle.

The dressing room was piled with a dazzling array of clothes, including everyday wear as well as formal gowns for evening events.

Since He Jinxia was wearing a black dress, the deputy editor picked through the options and quickly selected another black dress for her.

Out of habit, the deputy editor chose a gown that best fit He Jinxia’s figure and showcased her looks and elegance.

The deputy editor handed the gown to He Jinxia, asking her to change into it, with a terse and somewhat serious tone.

He Jinxia felt that she didn’t like stars who asked too many questions, so she didn’t say much, took the dress, and went into the room to change.

A few minutes later, He Jinxia walked out in the gown, and the deputy editor’s eyes lit up.

Fortunately, the deputy editor was a woman, which made He Jinxia a little more at ease. Standing in front of the mirror, she couldn’t help but raise her hand to cover her chest area and said with embarrassment, "Isn’t the front too revealing?"

The deputy editor dismissed her concern, "Not at all, many gowns these days are designed , just wear this one."

Having worked with the main editor for years, the deputy editor had adopted their assertive and decisive manner of speaking, acting swiftly and resolutely.

He Jinxia did want to change into a different one, but in the presence of the deputy editor, she had no grounds to ask for a change, nor did she have the clout to insist on it.

Honestly, for Harper’s Bazaar to be willing to lend her a new gown was already a sign of how much they valued He Jinxia.

Even in He Jinxia’s eyes, it seemed more like a way to put Deng Zhaoyan in her place.

After changing into the gown and going out, the deputy editor deliberately paused to ask He Jinxia some questions about the auction, which seemed like small talk.

He Jinxia grew vigilant, readying herself to respond, while pretending to be ignorant.

Deputy editor, "I saw you bidding many times, did you win any auction items?"

He Jinxia sighed, "I thought the items at the beginning weren’t too expensive, so I wanted to bid on one of them for my collection. I didn’t expect my seniors to be so enthusiastic, in the end, it went beyond what I could afford and I didn’t dare to continue bidding, so I didn’t win anything."

Deputy editor, "Do you know who was bidding with you?"

He Jinxia looked perplexed, "I don’t know, if you want to bid you just raise the paddle. I didn’t pay attention to how many celebrities were raising their paddles, but I know Sister Zhaoyan was also involved in the bidding. The host would announce the name of the celebrity who won each item after the bidding."

Seemingly reminded of something, she smiled and said, "Sister Zhaoyan and I seem to have a similar taste. Every time I want to bid on an item, she’s also interested in it. The things I like, she likes too."

Hearing this, the deputy editor turned her head and gave He Jinxia a meaningful look.