The Trending Topic Herself: The Villainess is the Superstar!

Chapter 275: Give Me a Little Sweetness

Ryan immediately arranged for the team to minimize the negative impact of this matter. Fortunately, most of the content posted by those marketing accounts were just speculative rumors, and the dirt they had on us was insubstantial, so it wasn’t difficult to manage.

When Maya refreshed again, she found that the online public opinion had significantly changed, almost a complete reversal.

She mentally gave Ryan a thumbs up, thinking he truly is efficient in handling matters.

Kiki’s actions in this matter were not very clever, and seemed somewhat rash. Normally, she wouldn’t have acted so impulsively; it was likely due to the upcoming drama series launch. Tarnishing her own reputation would damage the ratings of ’Mirror,’ benefiting ’Spring Flowers.’

Just when she thought this was the end of it, the storm surged again.

Suddenly, an anonymous user claiming to be a "victim" released a lengthy video accusing her, showcasing Maya "bullying" a set assistant. Boosted by the marketing accounts’ efforts, it spread rapidly.

In the footage, Maya struck a domineering pose, while the set assistant looked tearful and miserable. The stark contrast between the strong and the weak instantly hit a nerve, accompanied by Maya’s scolding voice being heard.

Maya had plenty of previous dirt, but most of it was speculative or presented in photos; this was the first time something so explosive appeared.

In just a few hours, likes surpassed ten thousand, and the scolding exceeded a thousand comments.

Naturally, Maya also saw this video. The shooting angle was very tricky, clearly staged. Someone definitely targeted her, and it wasn’t hard to guess who manipulated things, linking it with previous incidents.

Maya couldn’t recall any episode of "bullying" an assistant; she suspected it was the previous owner who did it.

Maya thought for a moment, then called Ryan: "Hey Ryan, can you control what’s happening online now?"

Ryan’s voice revealed a hint of fatigue: "It seems someone’s got their eye on you lately, most likely it’s Kiki. But she couldn’t have done this alone; someone must be backing her. They must have planned this for quite some time to catch us off guard." He chuckled humorlessly.

"I didn’t expect someone to release a video. The person claiming to be a ’victim’ has already garnered a lot of sympathy with a post on Weibo. If this was the past, it wouldn’t matter much, but now your career is on the rise, and you can’t afford even a single blemish. It could even affect the airing of ’Mirror.’"

Knowing that Maya could handle it, Ryan laid out a factual analysis.

Maya squinted slightly, realizing this situation was not easy to handle.

"There’s something wrong with that video," Maya slowly said, "You might find some flaws in it; I don’t remember doing such a thing. Or perhaps it’s maliciously edited."

Ryan mused on the other end, "Okay, I get it."

Maya hung up the phone, casually slipping it into her pocket.

Then she heard Mrs. Wang calling her downstairs for dinner.

Because of Maya’s taste preferences, the dining table was filled entirely with Chinese dishes.

Sitting at the dining table, Maya seemed a bit absent-minded, picking at her food, unlike her usual self.

Maya randomly opened her phone to browse and noticed the situation was intensifying, but many familiar figures in the industry were speaking up for her, like Shane, Yvonne, Serena, Miles, and Nina almost immediately voiced support after the incident.

It surprised Maya, and then a complex emotion welled up inside her.

Having weathered so many storms across worlds, Maya wasn’t concerned with others’ criticisms or praises. Yet the level of drama... If her reputation took a hit, perhaps her metrics would drop.

Because of these metrics, Maya felt a slight headache.

Ian, sitting next to her, noticed all her little movements and asked, "What’s bothering you?"

Turning her gaze to Ian, Maya’s eyes lit up: "Honey, could you do me a favor?"

Usually playful and nonchalant, this was the first time Ian saw her act so vulnerable and docile. Her bright eyes seemed to be veiled in mist, and the novelty of it delighted him.

Yet he didn’t show it, raising an eyebrow he teased her, "There’s no free lunch in the world, and asking for help requires equal barter."

"Do we have to worry about that between us?"

Ian’s Adam’s apple bobbed; he couldn’t deny his heart fluttered when she mentioned "us."

"What do you want?"

That was the response Maya was waiting for. Having a CEO husband just came in handy; it’s not about being overbearing, but he could solve a lot of problems.

Maya explained what happened, and he frowned, seemingly displeased: "Is someone targeting you?"

Maya nodded frantically, "That video definitely has issues. The editor must be skilled, or Ryan would’ve found something by now."

"So, the first person you thought of asking for help was me, right?" His eyes flickered, finally stirred by the metaphorical stone in the calm pond.

Playing along, Maya said, "Of course, you’re the one I trust the most."

She asked further, "Is this issue easy to resolve?"

Ian nodded slightly, "It’s easily solvable."

Maya unconsciously breathed a sigh of relief; having someone to rely on felt really good, she spontaneously praised Ian to the skies.

Suddenly, she saw Ian rise, stepping towards her.

Maya was momentarily unsure of his intentions, only watching his movements.

His familiar scent approached, his palms resting on either side of her chair, leaning slightly forward: "Maya, I don’t want your money or your life. But you..."

"You gotta give me a taste of the sweet."

Ian’s eyes were undoubtedly beautiful, but always exuded some mystery, like a boundless ocean with no end in sight, leaving one unable to grasp limits. And now those eyes were less than five centimeters from hers.

A searing kiss pressed on the corner of her lips and quickly retreated.

Maya felt her heartbeat slow for a moment, then it returned to normal.

"You..."

He had already picked up his suit jacket, walking out, turning halfway, his expression soft and gentle.

"Give me half a day."

He turned back, gently tousling Maya’s loose hair, "Wait for me."

He said.