Chapter 294 - 228: Let Me Process This

The reception room was a whirlwind of activity. Everyone was watching Ni Bingyan paint, a cacophony of languages filling the air as people chattered excitedly. Very few of them were speaking English.

To avoid looking awkward, Wei Shuojie had been standing there with a faint smile, pretending to be a woman of few words. When she heard her phone ring, she was so relieved she could have cried.

’I wonder which little angel is so perfectly in sync with me.’

A glance at her phone revealed it was her distant cousin. Knowing he wasn’t the type for idle chit-chat, she quickly excused herself to the people nearby. She then took her phone to a corner of the room and chose a seat where she could still see Ni Bingyan just by looking up.

"Hello? Gangzi, what’s up?"

In the past, they hadn’t been particularly close because they lived so far apart. It was only after she signed Ni Bingyan, a native of Rongcheng City, that the two of them started communicating more often.

There were far too many cases of celebrities getting backstabbed by their own families, and it was a threat she had to guard against.

Wei Shuojie was experienced in this regard and had, of course, made preparations in advance.

Her distant cousin worked at Chili Channel, so she had asked him to keep an eye on Ni Guangli’s activities and to let her know if anything seemed uncertain.

The cousin had received plenty of help from the Wei Family in the past, so his cousin’s small request was hardly an inconvenience.

"Sis, are you still at Fashion Week?"

"We just got here yesterday. It wasn’t easy getting here, so we won’t be heading back so soon."

"Well, you might have to come back earlier than you think."

"What’s wrong? Don’t beat around the bush. I’m out right now, so let’s make it quick."

"Boss Ni is at the station recording a show right now, and he’s dropping some major bombshells about Sister Bing!"

Wei Shuojie: "..."

’I knew it! This day was bound to come sooner or later!’

"What did he say?"

Her cousin, who had been craning his neck to peek from outside the recording studio, immediately replied:

"Hold on, don’t say a word. I’m taking you inside, listen for yourself."

Wei Shuojie agreed, then pursed her lips and pricked up her ears to listen.

After a burst of static from the other end, a wave of cheers came through.

The program’s formal recording started late. By the time it began, everyone on Wei Shuojie’s end of the line had already finished dinner.

Just as Gangzi brought the phone inside, Wei Shuojie heard Ni Guangli saying, "...I’m worried she’s under a lot of pressure at work, and she’s doing this because she’s having psychological problems..."

Wei Shuojie’s expression changed instantly.

Unfortunately, being abroad, she was too far away to do anything about it. Her hands were tied.

Fortunately, it was a pre-recorded show, which meant there was still room to maneuver.

’Alright, I’ll listen patiently. Let’s see just how you plan to screw over your own daughter.’

While Wei Shuojie was grinding her teeth in anger as she listened to Ni Guangli stir up trouble, Ni Bingyan found the crowd’s enthusiasm impossible to refuse and had picked up a brush to begin painting.

It hadn’t been easy to find all these tools over here.

They had put forth a sincere effort to get the supplies and just wanted to see a traditional Chinese painting created live; Ni Bingyan couldn’t bear to let them down.

As for the others, their requests poured in: some wanted her to paint the party scene, some wanted to be depicted sitting down, some hoped she would capture them mid-conversation with a friend, and one person, unhappy with their outfit, even asked if she could paint them in something different...

None of these were difficult requests.

They were all out to have a good time, so what mattered most was that everyone was happy.

Ni Bingyan obliged them all, one by one, drawing a chorus of cheers from the crowd.

Especially when it was their turn to be painted, they would not only strike a pose but also have someone film them or take photos, wanting to witness the precious moment they were immortalized in the painting.

The painting took the better part of an hour. Although it was a traditional Chinese painting, its subjects were a group of foreigners, creating a rather unique artistic style. Nevertheless, every person was rendered with lifelike detail, earning it unanimous praise.

Seeing her begin to wash her brushes, the guests rushed to invite her for photos.

Holding the finished painting, Victor had his assistant take a large group photo of them all. Then, everyone took turns getting individual photos with her.

It took quite a while to finish all the photos. Afterward, everyone immediately started posting pictures and videos to their social media—Twitter, Instagram, and the like. Once they were done, they came back to ask for her account names, wanting a mutual follow.

Everyone else was posting from their main accounts; for her to create a new, secondary account just for this would feel a bit disrespectful.

Even though they had all exchanged private emails and phone numbers, this sort of public affirmation of their connection was still essential—it would let the world know she was on good terms with them.

Ni Bingyan could only pin her hopes on Sister Wei, wishing that her agent had been managing these sorts of accounts for her.

If not, she would just have to miss out on this great opportunity.

Searching the room, she found Wei Shuojie in the corner on a call, her expression shifting from pale to livid. Ni Bingyan immediately walked over.

"What’s wrong, Sister Wei?"

Wei Shuojie forced a smile, put her phone away, and looked up at her.

"Have you been doing charity work this whole time?"

Ni Bingyan, not knowing why she was suddenly asking this question, simply nodded.

"Yeah! Whenever I think of it, I donate a little bit."

Wei Shuojie felt that it wasn’t just foreign languages that were hard to learn; Chinese was proving to be quite difficult as well.

Was that "a little bit" as in a trivial amount, or "a little bit" with a few extra zeroes tacked on the end?

"Why didn’t you ever tell me?"

Wei Shuojie was a little unhappy.

Not telling her something this important, forcing her to find out from somewhere else—the girl was being an absolute idiot!

Stared at like that, Ni Bingyan felt a little awkward, but she still answered honestly:

"I don’t want people accusing me of doing charity just for publicity. I also don’t want to be guilt-tripped into donating every time some disaster happens, only to get criticized whether I give too much or too little. It’s much better this way. I do it purely based on my own will, with no psychological burden whatsoever."

Her words were practical, and Wei Shuojie understood her concerns, but she still felt a little uncomfortable.

’It felt like she didn’t say anything as a way to guard against me.’

’As if she were the noble, virtuous one, and I was just some petty, profit-driven villain.’

It was normal for her to feel this way; even Bingyan’s own father had found it hard to stomach when he first discovered it.

"That’s not important. Do I have a Twitter or Instagram or anything like that?"

Realizing the reason for her agent’s sour expression, Ni Bingyan relaxed and cut straight to asking about the accounts.

’As an adult, as long as what I do in my spare time doesn’t negatively affect my work, there’s no need to report every single detail to my work partner.’

Evidently, Wei Shuojie had also come to understand this logic. She sighed and asked, "Yes, we do. Why?"

"They’ve posted on Twitter and Instagram and asked me to follow them. I feel like it would be rude if I didn’t post something too."

Ni Bingyan handed her the phone to show her.

"What?"

Wei Shuojie’s eyes widened as she scanned the screen filled with one effusive compliment after another. "Hold on," she said, surprised. "Let me process this."

The father was making trouble on the other side of the world, guaranteeing she wouldn’t have a moment’s peace for the foreseeable future. Then she turned around to find that the daughter, while she wasn’t paying attention, had also pulled off something big.

A celebrity’s social media account isn’t a private chat group; there are unspoken rules about what gets posted.

It was one thing for them to invite her to a private gathering. It was another thing entirely for them to publicly follow her, post enthusiastic photos together, and lavish her with praise.

Connections can’t be monetized instantly, but the benefits they bring are enormous.

Studies have shown that you can connect with any stranger in the world through a maximum of six people.

At this realization, Wei Shuojie’s energy surged. "Quick, give me the phone! I’ll log you in. Follow them back immediately, and then make a post!"

’So what if she didn’t tell me about her charity work? It’s not like she was out committing crimes.’

’Doing good deeds without seeking recognition just shows this kid has outstanding moral character!’

’And she’s always giving me these huge surprises. Isn’t that a good thing?’

’What the hell was I so worked up about!’