The Movie Queen's Mouth is Blessed - Chapter 26

Li Biying threw a tantrum, barely eating a few bites before getting up and leaving with a scowl.

“Xiaobai.”

Gu Xue shook her head at Jiang Xiaobai, signaling she shouldn’t escalate the tension with Li Biying, as it might backfire.

Jiang Xiaobai just smiled.

Could she maintain a friendly relationship by not causing a scene?

That was a dream. Even when she hadn’t confronted Li Biying, the latter had still orchestrated the magazine’s smear campaign against her. Clearly, Li Biying had already seen her as a rival, and the conflict was irreconcilable. Why should she tolerate her?

Standing up to her at least made her feel better. Whether Li Biying would escalate things further was beyond her control, so she let it be.

After finishing her scenes for the day at 4 PM, Jiang Xiaobai changed her clothes. Dong Ran gave her a meaningful look, and Jiang Xiaobai quickly approached her.

“Is something wrong?” she asked as they returned to the hotel.

“Dou Fang has reacted.”

Dong Ran lowered her voice, even though she was sure no one could hear them. “Her agent contacted me. They said they can offer you this much if you agree to drop the matter, never mention it again, and delete the Weibo post with the screenshots.”

She held up one finger.

One?

It couldn’t be ten thousand or one hundred thousand; that would be a joke. It had to be one million.

Dou Fang, like the original owner of Jiang Xiaobai’s body, was just a minor star with a modest income. Earning one million would be a significant hit for her.

Not all actors were high-earners. The entertainment industry, like any other, had a pyramid structure. Only a tiny number at the top earned huge sums. Top-tier stars made a fortune, but mid-level and below earned far less than people imagined.

Even if they did earn a lot, there was little left after splitting with the company, paying their agents and assistants, and spending on high-end cosmetics, clothing, and accessories. Paparazzi were everywhere, and a simple grocery store trip could become a scandal if you looked too plain.

At events, high-end gowns were often worn only once. You could rent them to save money, but not always.

“One million, and I must delete the post and never mention it again? She’s dreaming,” Jiang Xiaobai chuckled. “Tell her two million is negotiable.”

Dong Ran stared at her as if she had seen a ghost.

“Why are you… agreeing to it?” Dong Ran was incredulous.

She had only mentioned it to inform Jiang Xiaobai, never expecting her to consider it. Given Jiang Xiaobai’s straightforward nature, if someone had wronged her, she would want to get even, not accept a settlement.

“Why not take the two million? It’s a substantial amount.” Jiang Xiaobai smiled.

Deleting the post? Even if she did, netizens already saved the screenshots and could resurface if needed.

As for not mentioning it, that was no big deal. When reporters asked about it, Jiang Xiaobai could simply give a meaningful look, and the entertainment journalists would spin a dramatic story about her being forced to compromise due to being in the same company as her enemy.

Thinking about it, she had nothing to lose. If Dou Fang could come up with two million, why not agree?

“Alright, I understand. I’ll negotiate with them.”

Dong Ran nodded, knowing the other side would likely agree. After all, Dou Fang was young, and if she could clean up her image, the cost was worth it.

“Xiaobai, are you short on money?” Dong Ran hesitated. “If you need it, I can lend you some. You can pay me back when you get your endorsement fees and the final payment for the drama.”

Dong Ran found Jiang Xiaobai’s reaction too strange. How could someone who hated injustice so much suddenly accept a settlement? She must be short on money!

Jiang Xiaobai, seeing the sympathetic and pitying look in Dong Ran’s eyes, felt uncomfortable.

“I’m not short on money, really.”

“Come on, don’t be formal with me. We’re family! Here, I’ll transfer you some money to help with emergencies. Dou Fang’s payment might take a few days, so take this for now.”

Dong Ran waved her hand generously.

“Sister Ran, I really have money. I’m not lying. The house I’m living in, I bought it myself…”

“I know you’re proud. This is between you and me. I won’t tell anyone. Don’t worry.”

“I’m not lying…”

Ding. A transfer message appeared on her phone: 200,000.

Jiang Xiaobai’s lips twitched, and she sighed, feeling helpless. “Alright, thank you, Sister Ran.”

She appreciated the gesture and felt touched.

Of course, she could show Dong Ran her bank balance to prove she wasn’t lying, but that might make things awkward. She would pay her back once Dou Fang’s payment arrived.

Two days later, Dou Fang’s agent responded. They first sent one million as a down payment, saying they would release the remaining amount within a day once they saw Jiang Xiaobai’s good faith.

The “good faith” meant deleting the Weibo post and agreeing not to mention the incident again.

Jiang Xiaobai agreed and deleted the post that day, causing a stir among netizens.

In the end, the netizens concluded, “The company must have forced her to delete it!

Jiang Xiaobai is pitiful, enduring injustice and having to keep quiet. The company doesn’t protect her; instead, it makes her suffer silently.

I’m a fan now!”

Thus, Jiang Xiaobai gained a new batch of fans for no apparent reason.

When she saw her Weibo follower count increase, she was initially surprised but couldn’t help but laugh.