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Criteria for choosing a wife – chapter 48

Opening Weibo, the top three trending searches prominently displayed the names Xia Yuan and Gu Yan side by side. Meng Xiyue tapped her finger.

The page opened.

Underneath a large block of text were several pictures. Meng Xiyue lowered her gaze and clicked on them.

In the first photo, Xia Yuan, draped in a coat, slightly raised her head to look at a tall man. The lighting made the photo hazy and ambiguous.

She swiped to the next one.

The two walked side by side, one tall and one short, in the snowy scene that looked like a romantic drama, warm and cozy.

The third, fourth… until the last photo.

In every shot, the angles made them look perfectly matched, a handsome man and a beautiful woman, a match made in heaven.

Meng Xiyue clicked on the comments.

“Who is this woman? How dare she stick to Yanbao, it’s disgusting.”

“Another one trying to ride on Yanbao’s fame. What kind of third-rate trash dares to come and leech off him? Get out of the entertainment industry.”

“That face is so stiff, definitely a plastic surgery face. Plastic surgery freak, get lost, don’t try to ride on Yanbao’s fame.”

“……”

Of course, there were also rational fans:

“Looking at the background, it should be at xx, the Republican-era drama Yanbao just took on. So excited~”

“Today’s entertainment news is so fake. This is clearly a filming location. Everyone calm down, don’t bring trouble to Yanbao.”

“……”

And passerby face fans:

“Who is this young lady? She’s so pretty.”

“Such a beautiful actress, why haven’t I seen her before?”

“Gu Yan is such a gentleman, walking on the side to protect Xia Yuan from falling.”

“Love it, love it. What kind of divine looks do these two have? Following them now.”

“……”

Meng Xiyue skimmed over the comments from rational fans and casual followers, her gaze landing on some intense remarks from brainless fans. Her eyes turned cold, and her fingers twitched.

She dialed an internal line.

Secretary: “President, what are your orders?”

The secretary heard President Meng’s calm and indifferent voice:

“Miss Xia is the brand ambassador for NS. She represents the face of NS. Contact the legal department and issue a lawyer’s letter to XX Entertainment News regarding this defamation incident.”

“Have the false Weibo posts removed within an hour.”

Secretary: “……Understood.”

The secretary thought the call was over, but then heard an additional instruction:

“Also, issue a lawyer’s letter for any comments under the posts that involve personal attacks on Miss Xia.”

Secretary: “……Understood.”

The secretary was left bewildered after hanging up. Indeed, Miss Xia Yuan is the brand ambassador for NS, but this was just an unfounded gossip piece. It hardly affected NS’s electronic products, which are known for their quality and technological innovation. Having an ambassador was just icing on the cake.

Yet, the president’s drastic actions left the secretary puzzled.

Her strange expression caught the curiosity of the other secretaries.

“What happened? Did the president give you a tough task?”

“Or is it another notice for overtime tonight?”

“Come on, tell us. We’re dying to know.”

There was no need to keep it a secret, so the female secretary explained everything in detail.

After speaking, the atmosphere was quiet for three seconds, then erupted into intense discussion:

“In my opinion, the CEO is standing up for Miss Xia.”

“Exactly, don’t forget, the CEO and Miss Xia have a great relationship. Last time, Miss Xia even brought soup over. I could smell the aroma from the CEO’s office.”

“Hey, why are you so hung up on this? I say, this is divine friendship. Quickly contact the legal department, don’t delay things.”

These secretaries had a very good impression of Xia Yuan. During their conversation, they searched Weibo and immediately felt it was unfair for Xia Yuan. A well-off young lady from a wealthy family, just experiencing life in the entertainment industry, was being scolded for no reason. Some of the comments were so sour you could smell the lemon through the screen.

Film set.

It was around three in the afternoon.

Xia Yuan had a scene where she falls into the water. In this cold weather, she didn’t have the dedication to do it herself, so a stunt double was used.

The stunt double had a similar height and build, wearing the same cheongsam. From the back, it was hard to tell them apart.

In this scene, the frail sister hears that her brother has been invited by the Japanese envoy. With the domestic situation in turmoil, warlords fighting, and foreign enemies watching, the country was in danger.

The sister knew what this invitation meant. Worried about her brother’s situation, she became distracted and accidentally fell into the pond in the middle of winter. Already in poor health, this fall left her with a lingering illness, making her even weaker and often bedridden.

Xia Yuan was stopped several times before she found the right frail and melancholic feeling. When she walked to the edge of the pond and fell, the director called cut.

Xia Yuan immediately walked out of the filming area, and the stunt double took over.

As soon as she walked out, Zhong Le came over with a phone, sounding anxious: “Sister Xia, you’re trending.”

Xia Yuan put on a coat, took a sip of warm water, and felt comfortable. She asked indifferently, “What trending topic?” thinking it might have been bought by the company.

Seeing her not speaking for a while, Xia Yuan glanced at her and saw her hesitant expression, clicking her tongue.

She understood.

It definitely wasn’t a trending topic bought by the company. It was likely unfavorable news about her.

Without needing Zhong Le, she opened her phone, went on Weibo, clicked on the trending topics, and scrolled through several without finding any news about her.

“Getting bold, aren’t you? Daring to make fun of me,” Xia Yuan said, looking displeased.

Zhong Le was taken aback. She quickly checked her phone, only to find that the scandal which had been trending in the top three had suddenly disappeared, replaced by other news.

Her eyes widened in surprise. “It was just there! It was a rumor about you and Gu Yan,” she hurriedly explained.

Xia Yuan’s eyes narrowed in annoyance. “Nonsense.” After a moment’s thought, she asked, “How long was it up?”

“Over two hours.”

Xia Yuan’s expression turned grim. “Which gossip magazine was it?”

Zhong Le cautiously mentioned a name.

Xia Yuan nodded, indicating she had noted it, and began making a phone call.

Zhong Le assumed Xia Yuan was calling to reprimand the gossip magazine for spreading false news. However, as soon as the call connected, she heard Xia Yuan say:

“Meng Xiyue, don’t believe what you see online. It’s all nonsense. I don’t like Gu Yan; I only like you.”

Hearing this, Zhong Le quietly left to find Lin Qi for some warmth. Lin Qi was currently contacting her cousin to ask how to handle the situation. Seeing Zhong Le approach, she asked, “Why are you here?” Lin Xin’s call hadn’t gone through yet, likely because she was busy.

Zhong Le, feeling a bit warmer now, said, “No need to call. The trending topic has been removed.”

Lin Qi was puzzled. “Hmm?”

Zhong Le shrugged. “I don’t know either.”

Meanwhile, as soon as Meng Xiyue answered the call, Xia Yuan quickly explained, fearing that Meng Xiyue might be upset.

Upon hearing Xia Yuan’s straightforward confession, Meng Xiyue, who had been listening with a cold expression, glanced at Assistant Li, who was so shocked he turned to stone. Understanding the situation, Assistant Li quietly left the room.

He thought to himself, “This is way too clingy.”

After Assistant Li left, Meng Xiyue’s previously calm eyes sparkled like starlight, a soft and gentle smile appearing on her face. She said, “I know.”

Xia Yuan breathed a sigh of relief. Hearing Meng Xiyue’s voice, the longing of the past three days surged within her, and she said, both aggrieved and coquettish, “I miss you, Meng Xiyue.”

Meng Xiyue’s breath hitched. Her slender fingers held the phone, and she didn’t speak for a while. Her long eyelashes covered half of her pupils, and beautiful fragments of light flowed in her eyes. She replied, “I also,” paused for a moment, “miss you.”

Her voice was gentle and enchanting.

Xia Yuan’s ears tingled, and her heart itched. “Then I’ll come back tonight.”

Meng Xiyue said, “I’ll come to pick you up.”

Xia Yuan replied, “No need, I’ll come by myself.” She knew Meng Xiyue had been very busy these days.

She added softly, “When I come back, you have to kiss me.”

Meng Xiyue’s eyelashes trembled, and the soft touch in her memory melted and spread on her lips. “Okay.”

Xia Yuan was happy and hung up the phone with a smile.

She was looking forward to going back tonight to enjoy some time together.

Finally, she could sleep holding Meng Xiyue. She hadn’t slept well these past few days, and her skin condition had worsened. She planned to go back and do a face mask with Meng Xiyue.

When she turned her head, she saw Gu Yan not far away. Seeing her finish the call, he walked over. Gu Yan was wearing a dark green military uniform, which added a bit of sternness, but his smile was very sunny. “Miss Xia.”

Xia Yuan didn’t want to have any relationship with Gu Yan. She had only said a few words to him today, and it had already made the hot search. Such a troublesome person, she didn’t want any entanglement.

She completely lost the weak appearance she had in the drama. Her hands were casually crossed, her eyes slightly raised, carrying a cold charm. “What’s the matter?”

It was clear she didn’t want to deal with him. Gu Yan felt a bit awkward but still insisted, “I’m sorry, Miss Xia. I didn’t know it would implicate you.”

Xia Yuan didn’t bother with pleasantries and said directly, “If you know it implicates me, stay away from me next time.”

Gu Yan felt even more awkward. He didn’t know whether to leave or stay. “…Okay, I’ll be careful.”

Xia Yuan snorted and walked away in her high heels. Gu Yan watched her back, his expression dark.

At this moment, his manager came over and handed him a cup of warm water. “Gu Yan, you’re in the rising stage of your career. The company doesn’t allow you to date right now.” The manager saw how enthusiastic he was towards a small star and quickly reminded him. In his eyes, this small star was just a bit pretty, with mediocre acting skills and nothing outstanding.

Gu Yan smiled obediently. “Brother Chen, I know.” After speaking, he lowered his head and drank the water.

Seeing him so obedient, the manager felt relieved. Gu Yan was the most worry-free artist he had ever managed.

Gu Yan finished his drink and handed the cup to his manager. “Brother Chen, I’m going to review my lines.”

The manager nodded and left him alone.

Once the manager was gone, Gu Yan sat in his chair, holding the script, his gaze falling on Xia Yuan not far away.

Others might not know Xia Yuan’s identity.

But Gu Yan knew she was the daughter of the Xia family. He had seen her at a banquet once, surrounded by admirers.

As soon as Xia Yuan finished filming, she went to the Xia Corporation to find her brother.

Xia Ke was pleasantly surprised to see her. “Finished filming?”

Xia Yuan casually sat on the sofa, took a sip of the coffee the secretary brought in, and cleared her throat. “Brother, I won’t be coming home tonight.”

Xia Ke knew exactly what that meant. If she wasn’t coming home, she must be going to Meng Xiyue’s place.

Xia Ke started his gentle persuasion again. “Yuan’er, can’t you spend more time with your brother?”

Xia Yuan wasn’t falling for it this time and pouted. “Brother, I haven’t seen Meng Xiyue for three days.”

Xia Ke tried to reason with her. “Yuan’er, you two just got together, and you’re already living together. It’s not good.”

Xia Yuan didn’t care. “Whatever, if you don’t agree, I’ll run away from home.”

Xia Ke sighed. “Do you really like her that much?”

Xia Yuan smiled sweetly. “Yes, I like her very, very much.”

Seeing her so deeply in love, Xia Ke felt a headache coming on. He asked, “What about Meng Xiyue? Will she always like you? What if…”

He didn’t finish the sentence. Matters of the heart are unpredictable, and he worried that Xia Yuan might get hurt. Moreover, they were in a same-sex relationship. While he admired Meng Xiyue, Xia Ke didn’t dare to place Xia Yuan’s future entirely in Meng Xiyue’s hands.

What if Meng Xiyue changed her mind halfway? What would happen to his sister then?

Xia Yuan didn’t understand Xia Ke’s concerns. She pouted. “Brother, Meng Xiyue likes me a lot. There won’t be any ‘what ifs’.”

Meng Xiyue couldn’t possibly not like her. Xia Yuan was extremely confident about this.

Seeing Xia Yuan’s confident and proud demeanor, Xia Ke found it amusing. “How do you know?”

Xia Yuan boasted, “Brother, Meng Xiyue secretly had a crush on me back when I liked someone else. Now that we’re finally together, there’s no way she doesn’t like me.”

Xia Ke was shocked. “…A crush?”

Xia Yuan blushed slightly, feeling a bit awkward. “Yeah, she even stole a kiss from me while I was asleep back then.”

Xia Ke was once again shocked. Thinking of Meng Xiyue’s cold and indifferent face, he couldn’t imagine her doing something like stealing a kiss. But seeing Xia Yuan’s shy expression, it seemed to be true. He cleared his throat, “Yuan’er, as a girl, you should be more reserved.”

Xia Yuan knew her brother had agreed. She grabbed her bag. “I just want to be with Meng Xiyue, I don’t want to be reserved.”

“Brother, I’m leaving now. You should get off work early too, don’t always work overtime. Hurry up and find me a sister-in-law.”

Watching her cheerful figure as she left, Xia Ke felt a bit melancholic.

The sister he had raised for so long was flying away.

As soon as Meng Xiyue opened the door, a soft and slender body rushed over and hugged her tightly.

“Meng Xiyue, you’re finally back.”

Smelling the familiar scent, Meng Xiyue reached out and hugged her back. “Yes, I’m back.”

Xia Yuan looked up, pouting. “You promised to kiss me.”

Meng Xiyue immediately lost her usual reserve. She lowered her head, and in a long and gentle kiss, their longing for each other seemed to melt away.

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Criteria for choosing a spouse

Criteria for choosing a spouse

择偶标准[穿书]
Score 9.2
Status: Ongoing Type: Native Language: chinese
Meng Xiyue unintentionally traveled into the book "Deep Love: The Delicate Wife Runs with the Ball," but fortunately, she was just a passerby. Watching the frustrating love between the male and female leads, Meng Xiyue set her standards for a partner: someone with correct principles, a sound mind, calm in situations, and preferably not obsessed with love. Then one day, Meng Xiyue encountered the vicious female supporting character from the book... Guide for consumption:
  1. A sweet story, approximately 180k words in total.
  2. The unemotional Meng Xi Yue × the imaginative drama king, Xia Yu An.
  3. 1V1

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