Chapter 497: Chapter 497

The associate editor didn’t continue the conversation and led He Jinxia to the ground floor of the castle.

Deng Zhaoyan was still standing there, but the editor-in-chief had already left.

He Jinxia found it curious that Deng Zhaoyan still had the face to stay after everything that had happened; she must be quite something.

The reason Deng Zhaoyan did not leave was that she was stubbornly holding her breath!

She was certain that she wouldn’t be able to attend next year’s Harper’s Bazaar charity dinner, and if she left now before all the photographs were taken, and those big pictures were released later, what would netizens and journalists think when they saw she wasn’t in any of them?

If she had left earlier, before running into the editor-in-chief, there might have been a chance for her next year, but now that opportunity was lost, and Deng Zhaoyan did not want to give up the only one left.

Even under the strange gazes of other stars, Deng Zhaoyan insisted on standing straight and staying.

Seeing He Jinxia walk over in a new dress, she scoffed softly, her voice gentle yet speaking harsh words:

"He Jinxia, I fell for your ploy, but you won’t be pleased for long. Harper’s Bazaar definitely won’t invite you next year. Do you really think they won’t know that you set me up?"

He Jinxia’s eyes shimmered slightly. She hadn’t expected to keep her dealings with Deng Zhaoyan a secret from Harper’s Bazaar; she had gambled that the greatest fault lay with Deng Zhaoyan, and Harper’s Bazaar wouldn’t care about her, a minor player.

Now that Deng Zhaoyan had said so, it seemed Harper’s Bazaar did care after all.

He Jinxia smiled indifferently, not fretting about whether she could attend next year’s charity dinner.

Because she was a second-tier celebrity, she should endure Deng Zhaoyan’s suppression and do nothing, she was supposed to meekly suffer it all. That, she could not do.

He Jinxia: "Sister Zhaoyan, I don’t know what you’re talking about."

Deng Zhaoyan leaned in closer again, her tender voice chilling to the bone: "I won’t let you off!"

He Jinxia smiled as usual: "You’ve said those words to me many times, and I’m very much looking forward to seeing what happens."

Seeing the two of them gathered together, other stars feared trouble might arise. Some quick-witted stars called over Yu Yanyu, who was idly watching the drama unfold, to intervene.

Yu Yanyu walked over to He Jinxia very reluctantly. Deng Zhaoyan, seeing someone else approaching, coldly glanced at He Jinxia and then at Yu Yanyu, turned around with her head held high, and left like a proud swan.

Yu Yanyu shivered and muttered, "Aging witch, why is she looking at me like that? I certainly don’t fancy her type."

He Jinxia was speechless, certain that creepy gaze was one of admiration?

Yu Yanyu, very pleased with himself, touched his chin and said cheerfully, "My charm is quite something; even middle-aged ladies are falling for me. My fan base can finally expand beyond young, looks-obsessed fans!"

He Jinxia glanced at him and said with utmost sincerity, "Yu Yanyu, there’s something I’ve been wanting to tell you."

Yu Yanyu’s face lit up: "What is it? Don’t tell me you’ve also fallen for my looks? Don’t worry, I don’t mind if you become a fan of mine!"

He Jinxia: "I think you should get a medical check-up."

He Jinxia stressed: "Focus on checking your eyesight."

Yu Yanyu was baffled: ?

He pondered on the spot for quite a while before he suddenly realized what she meant. Wait, was He Jinxia saying that he—had bad eyesight?!

Bad eyesight... could it mean he wasn’t handsome?

Yu Yanyu slightly tilted his head, how could it be possible, he had always been this handsome, and his good looks had been verified by the vast majority of netizens!

Soon, the charity banquet was about to end, and all the celebrities gathered to take a group photograph.

According to He Jinxia’s status, she was assigned to the last row.

She had no desire to fight her way to the front, it was fine to honestly stay in that place.

Yet, Deng Zhaoyan, clearly an A-list star, was arranged to stand in the second row, even though her position was close to the center of the second row, it was still the second row.

The second row also included A-list actors, but only the superstars and those who had risen through the fashion industry stood in the first row.

Deng Zhaoyan had good resources in the fashion world, so logically, she should have been placed in the first row.

Right before the photograph was about to be taken, like a cockroach that could not be killed, Deng Zhaoyan brushed her beautiful long hair with a hand, subtly shifting her body, and with a step forward, she successfully squeezed half of her body into the first row.

The supermodel standing next to where she inserted herself despised her action inwardly but dared not show it on her face, fearing that her expression would be captured by the camera looking bad, so she had no choice but to endure it!

"Click," the photograph was taken, and from then on, whenever Deng Zhaoyan was involved in any bad news, this photo and the animated GIF would be dug up by reporters, who teased that she was flexible and could fight for at least another thirty years!

After the banquet ended, the celebrities gradually left the castle, while reporters staked out around the perimeter, rushing forward as they saw the stars emerge.

He Jinxia, upon exiting, took a quick look and felt that the reporters present outnumbered the stars themselves, with flashbulbs ceaselessly bursting and a buzzing noise that seemed even more like a party than the one inside the castle.

A reporter came to interview He Jinxia, asking for her thoughts on attending the banquet.

He Jinxia’s eyes flickered, a hint of strategy coming to mind, and she said with a smile, "I’m delighted to have participated in the charity banquet, where I met many esteemed seniors. I hope I have the opportunity to attend again next time."

Reporter, "Did anything interesting happen at the banquet? Tell us about it."

He Jinxia thought for a moment and said with regret, "Nothing interesting happened."

The reporter felt disappointed at her words but the next second, He Jinxia added, "Since this was my first charity banquet, there were many things I didn’t understand. I originally wanted to bid on an auction item.

I didn’t expect that the seniors were too enthusiastic and charitable, vying too fiercely for the auction items, and I didn’t manage to win any."

The reporter frowned slightly, sensing a profound opportunity in her words, believing that there might be some juicy stories to unearth, and quickly asked, "Who won the highest-valued auction item, and which celebrity participated enthusiastically in the bidding?"

That was exactly what He Jinxia wanted the reporter to ask, but on the surface, she pretended to be somewhat embarrassed and reluctant to disclose.

The reporter looked around, whispered, "The news will come out anyway, it’s only a matter of sooner or later. Tell me now for an exclusive, and I’ll give you some money, this much."

The reporter gestured with his hand.

He Jinxia firmly shook her head, "No, thank you, you should ask someone else."

The reporter thought she was playing hardball for a higher price and was about to increase his offer when He Jinxia suddenly turned and walked away, not giving him a chance to speak.

The reporter was left dumbfounded, as he had just felt he was onto something!

He Jinxia believed that the news... would surely come out anyway. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ N()velFire.net

But she didn’t want to be the one to reveal it; that act just now was for the reporter to see, to pique his curiosity.

Once curiosity was piqued, and they could not get an answer from her, reporters would naturally turn to other celebrities for comments.

There would always be a few celebrities who would reveal what happened at the charity banquet, driven by their own reasons.