Rebirth of a Nation's Darling – Prince Charming

Yu Xi was stunned. He stared at Si Huang’s gentle gaze and suddenly felt envious of that woman. However, he quickly forced this feeling down.

The makeup artist, on the other hand, was furiously scrolling through Weibo again.

“His Highness is soooooooo kind and gentle!!!!! Oh, I wish I could turn into a cat, curl into his arms, and beg him to stroke my fur! His Highness said that we can’t leak too many pictures until the official film crew photos are released, but after a bit of persuading, he gave in and let me take more pictures! [Heart emoji] [Heart emoji] I have made up my mind—I’m going to dedicate my phone screen to His Highness from now on! Slurp, slurp, slurp!”

Run, Penguin Egg, Run: “What the heck are you saying? Have you turned from a weird aunt to a small cat in one day? What an interesting turn of events!”

Calm Shameplant: “Enough, blogger! This is shameful!”

A Cabbage Named Zhen: “Not happy! Not happy! Topless pic! Topless pic! [Hmph emoji]”

Caramel Pudding: “I know exactly what you mean, blogger! His Highness is really that nice. I’ve known this for ages! [Heart emoji] [Smiley face]”

The makeup artist scrolled through Weibo giddily as she stared in admiration at the picture of Si Huang on her phone screen. Suddenly, she heard a loud “ding”—it was a private message notification from Weibo.

She tapped on it to look at it and saw that it was a message from the girl with the ID Caramel Pudding.

Caramel Pudding: “Hello, dear. Welcome to His Highness’s first order of knights. Penguin Group Number: 261824808.”

The makeup artist tapped on the number and joined the group. There weren’t a lot of members, but they were all online and they welcomed her very warmly.

Caramel Pudding: “Ding, ding, ding! Welcome! Please swear an oath as a new knight of the order!”

The group immediately went silent. The makeup artist sensed a strangely solemn atmosphere that made her emotions calmer.

The slow swell of these emotions made her smile excitedly. It had been a long time since she’d had the urge to pursue someone, which was how she felt when she thought of Si Huang or during her limited interactions with him.

Her hands swiftly tapped the keyboard on her phone.

Rose With Thorns: “I hereby swear to be kind to the weak. I swear to fight against violence with valiance. I swear to strive against all wrongdoings. I swear to fight for His Highness. I swear to aid my sisters in arms. I swear to treat my comrades with sincerity. I swear that my love for His Highness will never waver until my last dying breath!”

“Your Highness! Your Highness! We have more golden sparkles!”

Si Huang’s eyelids trembled as she drove the car. The corners of her lips curled into a smile.

As Si Huang busied herself with her school leave application and the arrangements for long-distance travel, the internet exploded with news about her once again.

The picture of Du Qiang, the makeup artist from The Sovereign Journey, with Si Huang on Weibo had been shared across the internet like wildfire in just one short day. The related discussion on Si Huang had grown hotter too. The Sovereign Journey’s official crew had also released information on its actors.

The male lead, Feng Cang, would be portrayed by An Yiyuan from Gold Star Entertainment. The female lead would be portrayed by the golden girl of this generation, Guan Li. Mr. Qianji, the most widely-discussed role, would be portrayed by a newcomer, a previously unknown 16-year-old student, Si Huang.

The internet had a wide outreach. Someone soon uncovered some information on Si Huang. He should be highly competent. After all, he was the eldest heir to Prime Entertainment. However, some people had managed to uncover Si Huang’s education majors—calligraphy and dance. This created a mighty uproar.

He was an empty vase, nothing more than a pretty face who had manipulated his connections and used money to buy the role… These accusations spread like wildfire. Although people aimed these claims directly at Si Huang, no one dared criticize the authority behind The Sovereign Journey. After all, the highest authority behind the film was Old Tie.

Si Huang and Yu Xi monitored these reports and accusations and set up a meeting at the Kingford library.

“What’s the plan?” Yu Xi asked.

Si Huang seemed very calm. “You really shouldn’t be asking me. This falls under your job description.”

Yu Xi took a deep breath. “I understand, but I don’t want this to affect you. If you panic…”

“I won’t panic,” Si Huang replied. “This is nothing.” She looked at Yu Xi and remembered that he was still a far cry from his future self, the man he would be ten years later. Finally, she reminded him, “The whole point of this is to crush me by using public opinion. Remember what Director Liu said? No one can actually harm me as long as I refuse to step down.”

“But your reputation…” Yu Xi said.

Si Huang pursed his lips and smiled. His eyes glowed with confidence. “Let them be. The more they criticize me, the harder they’ll fall once I’ve proven my worth. Besides, I guess you could consider this free publicity for me.”

Yu Xi was speechless. He stared at Si Huang’s smiling face, unsure what to say. ‘The gossip mongers’ greatest failure probably lies in their ignorance of Si Huang’s mental strength. He’s so calm, confident, and steadfast that he really doesn’t seem like a 16-year-old kid at all...’ he thought.

“How are things going with your university?” Si Huang asked.

“My leave application has been approved. All I need to do is come back in time for my end-of-term exam,” Yu Xi replied.

“Must be nice to be an academic tyrant!” Si Huang exclaimed with a hint of envy in his voice.

Yu Xi stared at him in surprise. “Is there a problem with your leave application?”

Si Huang shook his head sadly. “No.”

‘Then what’s going on?’ Yu Xi wondered apprehensively. He would soon discover it and develop a greater understanding of Si Huang.

Si Huang gave Zhao Limei a call before she left to tell her that she did not need to come in for work again until she returned home and that she would pay her as usual.

Zhao Limei had somewhat begun to understand Si Huang as a person, so she agreed without hesitation. She immediately began cooking after getting home, but only Yu Ling arrived on time. Her son was late. “Mom, my big brother’s taken a trip to Central City. He’s received a last-minute investigation assignment,” she explained. “Don’t worry, he’ll give us a call in his spare time.”

Zhao Limei didn’t question her daughter and gave Yu Xi a call, reminding him to take good care of himself. She came back to find her daughter with her head buried in her phone screen.

“Eh? Isn’t that Young Master Si?”

Yu Ling immediately lifted her head. “Do you know him, mom?”

“Ah, he’s my current boss.” Zhao Limei did not notice the change in her daughter’s expression and murmured, seemingly to herself, “He’s very good-looking and he’s not spoiled or difficult to deal with, like other wealthy heirs. He’s a good kid, but there seems to be some sort of conflict between him and his parents. He moved out to live on his own and has refused to go home.”