Chapter 117: Deservedly Unpopular Despite Strong Promotion

Once the young heiress Qiao began her verbal onslaught, the damage was catastrophic.

The few influencers were shamed so thoroughly by her insults that they looked ready to jump into a river.

"Before you get a nose job, you should really look at your base. With features as flat as yours, you go and get a bridge like that? Do you think you're building a skyscraper? You can't just build a high-rise on a vacant lot!"

"And you—what’s cute are pouty lips, not sausage lips. Do you honestly think it looks good to have two sausages hanging off your face?"

"And you, with your double-eyelid surgery cut so deep and your inner corners opened so ridiculously wide—are you planning on playing the Snake Spirit from *Calabash Brothers*?"

"As for you... I’m speechless. I truly admire you for spending money to suffer through turning your face into that. Take a bow!"

Di Jia'er, standing nearby, was biting her lip so hard to keep from laughing that her mouth began to twitch. How was Qiao Qiao so good at tearing people down? It was simply legendary.

"Pfft..." Bai Lu couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing.

"What’s going on? Why is there a commotion? Don't you know it’s my birthday today? Are you looking for trouble on purpose?" The birthday girl finally arrived, fashionably late. The moment she saw Qiao Xianyi from afar, she understood everything.

The young heiress Qiao? Well, that explains it.

Qiao Xianyi’s anger flared further. "Huang Bao'er, what kind of riff-raff did you invite to your birthday party? It’s one thing to gossip behind my back, but they even insulted my friend as an 'ugly bitch.' Oh, and just now, some blind one mistook me and my friend for servers. Is this how you host your guests?"

The birthday girl was stunned by the heiress's questions. Who was bold enough to provoke Qiao Xianyi? Everyone in their circle knew that Qiao Xianyi was a firebrand not to be trifled with.

The birthday girl looked over and was even more bewildered. "Who are you people?"

The influencers, splashed with juice, looked at each other in silence. Everyone else present had already figured it out: these were just a group of low-level influencers who had snuck into the party to take photos, tag the location, and pretend to be wealthy socialites. If they could meet a few rich men and land a sugar daddy, even better.

The birthday girl clearly realized this too, and said with a smile, "Qiao Qiao, you can't blame me for this. You didn't tell me you were coming, and all our friends are on the fifth floor."

Qiao Xianyi snorted coldly, "Don't ever expect me to come to your birthday again."

"Qiao Qiao, please understand. It’s always like this—friends bring friends, who bring more friends, and a bunch of random people show up. I can’t exactly stand at the door and check every single invitation, can I?"

The birthday girl leaned into Qiao Xianyi’s ear and whispered, "I’m sorry for the poor hospitality that upset you. I apologize, but since it’s my birthday, could you please just bear with it for now? My father invited many of his business associates—could you just hold your temper for a bit? I’m practically begging you!"

Only then did Qiao Xianyi grunt, "Fine, since it’s your birthday." She grabbed Di Jia'er and stepped to the side.

Turning toward the influencers, the birthday girl’s tone turned cold: "I didn't invite you to my party. I don't know who brought you in, but excuse yourselves and leave immediately. My party is only for my friends."

The influencers scurried away, crestfallen. However, one of them muttered under her breath, "Relying on her father's power, are we? If not for her good dad, who the hell would even know who she is? Bitch! Her acting is so trash, she deserves to never get popular even with all the forced promotion!"

Bai Lu, hiding nearby, heard every word clearly. She reached out with a sweet smile and grabbed the influencer's wrist. "What did you say? I didn't hear you clearly. Say it again, louder."

The influencer tried to shake her off but couldn't. Qiao Xianyi, Di Jia'er, and the birthday girl walked over. Knowing she couldn't escape, the influencer gathered her courage and retorted, "Qiao Xianyi is a 'royal'—she gets lead roles the moment she debuts and has filmed so many dramas, yet she never gets popular. What, did I say something wrong?"

Bai Lu nodded earnestly. "You’re not wrong, but I don't like hearing it."

Guests from other floors, hearing the commotion, rushed over to watch the spectacle. Some people, eager to stir the pot, had already pulled out their phones to record.

The influencer gained confidence instantly. "You don't like the truth? What, are you going to hit me?"

Bai Lu tilted her head and suddenly gave a sweet smile. "That doesn't seem like such a bad idea!"

The influencer, certain that Bai Lu wouldn't dare strike in public, leaned her face—full of hyaluronic acid—closer to Bai Lu’s. "Hit me then! If you have the guts, hit me—"

*Slap!*

A crisp, sharp sound echoed. Bai Lu’s hand was still raised in mid-air.

Qiao Xianyi calmly pulled her hand back. "You were the one insulting me, so I’m the one hitting you. It has nothing to do with anyone else. Now, get out."

The influencer clutched her cheek. "Is there no law anymore? Just because you're a celebrity, you think you can just hit people? Is anyone recording this? Qiao Xianyi is assaulting people!"

The birthday girl intervened: "Security, get them out immediately."

The tantrum-throwing influencer was dragged out by security. It was easy to predict the storm that the video of Qiao Xianyi hitting someone would cause.

Bai Lu hesitated no longer; she reached up to remove her mask, wanting to help Qiao Xianyi draw some of the fire. It might sound shameless to say it herself, but the fact was that she was much more popular with the public than the young heiress was. If she helped shoulder the burden, Qiao Xianyi wouldn't be shredded quite so badly by netizens.

"Don't you dare waste my good intentions. It’s enough for me to be the one getting roasted; you don't need to join me." Qiao Xianyi saw through her plan and hooked her arm around Bai Lu’s neck from behind.

Bai Lu couldn't break free. "You're going to get destroyed by the public!"

"If you reveal your face, you'll get destroyed too. Bai Lu, you're looking out for me, and as your friend, I certainly won't let you suffer with me." Qiao Xianyi, possessing surprising strength, dragged her toward the upper floors by the neck.

Bai Lu was dragged up to the fifth floor in a chokehold, nearly strangled in the process. The environment on the fifth floor was vastly different from below. First, the atmosphere was worlds apart; second, the number of people had plummeted. Downstairs, there were so many guests that the servers were overwhelmed. Up here, there was a surplus of servers and only a dozen or so guests.

People were gathered in small groups, clinking glasses and talking in hushed tones. Di Jia'er glanced over and spotted Liu Nana. Liu Nana, dressed to the nines, was sitting beside a man, but next to that same man was another, much younger girl. The girl, whose shoulders were being held by the man, looked uncomfortable, clearly unused to such an environment. She bore a striking resemblance to Liu Nana.

"Look," Di Jia'er said.

Bai Lu and Qiao Xianyi, still struggling with each other, followed her gaze. Qiao Xianyi’s eyes flickered. "I heard that Liu Nana had a younger sister..."