Chapter 709: Chapter 709
He Jinxia went through the engagement party in a daze, her mind wasn’t really there, and she kept zoning out.
Sometimes, she even wondered if it was all just a dream.
It was only after the meal, when the families exchanged keepsakes, that Jinxia felt a sense of solidity as she touched the emerald bracelet given by the Sheng Family, feeling a hint of warmth coming from it.
The bracelets came as a pair, one for her, one for Sheng Yan, one small, one slightly larger, and they could fit together perfectly, symbolizing an inseparable bond.
The He Family gave Sheng Yan a jade Guanyin pendant, an heirloom that had been in the family for a good hundred years. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ novel[f]ire.net
There’s a saying that men should wear Guanyin and women Buddha, so with Sheng Yan wearing the Guanyin, the Buddha was left for Jinxia.
After the keepsakes were exchanged, the parents on both sides breathed a sigh of relief.
On the Sheng Family’s side, they were happy to legitimately welcome the bride into their home and no longer worried about losing this virtuous daughter-in-law to someone else.
As for the He Family, Mrs. He felt much more at ease, not worrying that a baby might suddenly appear, bringing shame to her grandchild with their name unsanctioned.
On another note, it also took into consideration Sheng Yan’s work. Having an early engagement would allow him to work with a more settled mind.
In ancient times, people said to establish a family before a career, showing the importance of forming a family first.
In the evening, as He Jinxia lay in bed, she tossed and turned, unable to sleep, and couldn’t help but pull out her phone to text Sheng Yan.
He Jinxia: [(╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻]
Sheng Yan, busy with who knows what, seemed to be glued to his phone, replying in mere seconds.
Sheng Yan: [With the world being so beautiful, my lady is so irritable. This won’t do, won’t do.]
If Jinxia were by his side, she would definitely see this man crafting a post for his social circle.
He Jinxia: [You and my mom kept it from me. What are you plotting? Spill the beans now, and you can avoid fifty lashes!]
Sheng Yan: [Eh, kept what from you? Isn’t the date in July set by you, my lady?]
Jinxia’s face flushed as she stared at the word "my lady," feeling a bit heated; somehow, this scoundrel knew she was sensitive to those two words. In past encounters in bed, he would specifically say those words into her ear.
He Jinxia: [Shameless╭(╯^╰)╮!]
Sheng Yan: [Why be shameless when it can’t win my lady’s affection?]
He Jinxia: [Stop muddying the waters and trying to dodge the issue. First, tell me why you kept it from me!]
Sheng Yan: [Actually... this is... a... wonderful...]
Sheng Yan: [Misunderstanding.]
He Jinxia: [Bullshit, let’s see you talk your way out of this one!]
Sheng Yan then explained the ongoing issues since her return from M-country to Huaxia last month. Bai Bing wasn’t as understanding as Xie Jiahui, constantly feeling wronged, and went out of her way to get close to him.
God knows what got into her, but she abandoned her previous cautious approach and frantically sought opportunities to get close to him, causing the film crew to struggle with their shoot in M-country.
Furthermore, she called a bunch of paparazzi to follow them, ordering them to snap pictures anytime she appeared in the same frame as Sheng Yan. She also aggressively bribed several newspapers to release many rumors of her and Sheng Yan.
Sheng Yan wasn’t someone to be trifled with; the instant those photos went public, he appeared on a talk show in M-country that very day and clarified that Bai Bing was just an obsessed fan and that he had no feelings for her.
Why do superstars command such awe from the media?
It’s because superstars have a massive fanbase, and their fans are highly cohesive. To put it simply, fans have a strong ability to stir things up.
Take Sheng Yan, for instance. As long as Sheng Yan gives an explanation, his fans can come up with numerous derivative versions and imagine a whole series of scenarios in which their idol has had to compromise and is forced to appear on a show to clarify things.
These fans are much more sophisticated than the blindly devoted ones. They clarify on behalf of their idol out of love and even actively gather evidence for him.
Soon enough, hashtags like #BaiBingShamelesslyThrowsHerselfAtShengYan#, #BaiBingCrazySasaengFan#, and #BaiBingAbusesHerFamilyBackgroundToBullyOthers# were raging nonstop.
And these claims had solid reasoning, each backed by evidence captured by passersby, making it impossible to refute.
Sheng Yan himself always acted uprightly, so he wasn’t afraid of being investigated by fans. Some even vaguely uncovered the incident that happened at that banquet, which was perfectly handled by Sheng Yan’s agent in M country.
The incident in M country, due to Sheng Yan’s previous strict orders not to report it, was known by the domestic media, but no one dared to report it under the threat.
Nowadays, the rights of celebrities are increasingly protected by the authorities, and the law is becoming more and more comprehensive. Suing someone for violating privacy or personal rights is a sure win.
If they leaked it, Sheng Yan’s side could find a reason to sue.
The official scrutiny in this area is strict, and offences can lead to prosecution!
That is to say, indirect disclosure of privacy or intentionally letting others know, even if it’s not passed on to the public media by these people, the courts can still hold them accountable!
The storm that occurred in M country was effortlessly resolved by Sheng Yan, and He Jinxia was kept in the dark throughout the whole process, with no one informing her.
As for Mrs. He, the true facts of the matter were "accidentally" let slip by Aunt Rui, who knew that Sheng Yan was in high demand.
The Sheng Family worried He Jinxia might run off as their daughter-in-law, and certainly, the He Family worried that other temptresses might lure Sheng Yan away.
No sooner had Mrs. He thought this than she "very accidentally" heard Aunt Rui reveal that He Jinxia told a friend that they would have an engagement party with Sheng Yan in July.
At this, Mrs. He simply stopped fretting and resolved to settle on July.
For this, she even made a special trip to see Aunt Rui and listened to the legendary recording. Aunt Rui naturally wouldn’t admit that it was her son who went through great lengths to secretly record it, instead saying it was recorded inadvertently, and that her son sent it to her to show off.
Thus, the engagement in July was decided on, in a mix of coincidences and rational development.
He Jinxia was overwhelmed with shock as she listened to everything, murmuring, "Actually, the things I said to Xie Jiahui back then were on purpose, I didn’t really..."
Sheng Yan, who was video-calling Jinxia, immediately interrupted, "I always honor my promises, and I take your words seriously."
He Jinxia gave him a small glare, not believing for a second that Sheng Yan couldn’t see through her pretext. What was he doing, mentioning noble virtues?
It was pointless to discuss any further. No matter how much He Jinxia second-guessed herself, it couldn’t change the fact that she was now Sheng Yan’s fiancée.
The two cuddled under the covers, sharing their innermost feelings, in an intimate embrace.
Sheng Yan had to catch a flight back to M country the next day to continue filming. "Dimension Space," which was being shot in M country, was nearing completion, and he had to return to the original filming location soon.
As the male lead, Sheng Yan was hardly ever around, which was problematic no matter how you looked at it.
This time, he managed to get leave because he told the director with utmost seriousness that he needed to attend to a once-in-a-lifetime event, convincing the director to let him go back.
He Jinxia felt like she had so much to say to Sheng Yan, but considering her fiancé had to take an early flight the next morning, she let him go to rest early.
However, as both were in high spirits, they didn’t end the video call, as if this allowed them to accompany each other, just silently watching over one another, content.