The ultimate victory of the competition, in the end, still went to Yan An’s team.
To gather enough for the vet’s fees, Ming Yi’s team had given almost all the belongings they had earned previously. At that point, no one cared about winning or losing. When the results were announced, there was no reaction on Ming Yi’s face. Ever since Huang Tao left last night, he had been somewhat out of it.
Finally, the show reached its conclusion. Ming Yi began packing his suitcase absentmindedly. As he was nearly finished, his two teammates suddenly entered the room. A soft, warm bundle was thrust into his arms, whimpering and whining. Ming Yi held the little Song Xiong in his arms, momentarily stunned.
“Ming Yi, take Song Xiong back with you,” Shen Pan said seriously. “If he is left here alone, he will not survive.”
Ming Yi reacted slowly, attempting to decline. “At my home, it might not be convenient to raise him. Perhaps you two could”
“I think you like Song Xiong more than we do,” Ji Nian interrupted. “And you need him more.”
Shen Pan chimed in, “Look, he prefers following you too, right?”
Ming Yi was speechless. He instinctively looked down at the puppy in his arms. Song Xiong lay on his back, dazedly licking his lips, his damp, bead-like eyes filled with innocence. Confused, Ming Yi found himself agreeing to take the dog.
Before leaving, both Ji Nian and Shen Pan added Ming Yi on social media. Shen Pan had a good impression of him; although he was quiet, he was a decent person with no hidden agendas. He was steadfast and hardworking. She felt he was worth befriending. After adding him, Ji Nian pulled Ming Yi aside to whisper.
“This doctor is very good. When I was under a lot of pressure during filming, I often went to him for counseling.” Ji Nian pushed a business card to Ming Yi. Ming Yi clicked it hesitantly, finding it was for a certain psychologist.
“You cannot keep suppressing yourself. If a person is wound too tight, things will eventually go wrong,” Ji Nian patted his shoulder and blinked. “Go for a consultation. Tell him my name for a 50% discount. Do not be surprised; he is my relative. That is the family rate.”
Ming Yi knew Ji Nian was worried his grief might affect his mental state. He pursed his lips, unsure of what to say, and could only sincerely thank Ji Nian for his kindness. Ji Nian gave a bright smile and said seriously, “Ming Yi, cross this darkness, and there will be light ahead.”
As he watched Ming Yi’s car drive away, Ji Nian’s gaze softened. There was one thing he had not told Ming Yi. That night, he had actually heard Ming Yi talking in his sleep. Ming Yi kept saying things like “It is so dark and cold,” “Save me,” and “Do not leave me.” Ji Nian could not wake him from the nightmare, so he could only sit by the bed, patting his back to comfort him.
Ming Yi had actually quieted down, as if getting just a little bit of warmth was enough to satisfy him. This was clearly not normal. Whatever that nightmare was, Ji Nian hoped Ming Yi could completely break free from it after returning.
Ming Yi brought the puppy home in a daze. It was only when he stood at the villa’s entrance holding Song Xiong that he suddenly realized the problem. In Ming Yi’s heart, this was never his home; it was Xie Yunxie’s home. He felt he had no right to place his personal items here, let alone raise a puppy.
As Ming Yi stood at the door hesitating, wondering how to discuss the dog with Xie Yunxie, the door suddenly opened. A tall man appeared, fully disguised in sunglasses and a mask. Ming Yi froze, instinctively stepping back while clutching Song Xiong. “Who are you?”
The man raised his hand and removed his sunglasses, revealing familiar grayish-blue eyes. He said like a conspirator, “It is me, the imposter Xie Yunxie.”
“…”
As expected of him. After a few days, he appeared again with a ridiculous new move. Ming Yi asked blankly, “Why are you dressed like this?”
“I was afraid you would feel uncomfortable seeing this face so suddenly. I wanted to give you a buffer.” Xie Yunxie took off the mask as well. His gaze fell on the chubby puppy. Having heard about the events on the show, he did not ask questions. He only said, “Why not bring him in? Why are you standing at the door?”
Ming Yi opened his mouth. “Can I raise him here?”
Xie Yunxie looked confused. “You are the master of this place now. You can raise whatever you want.” The confusion on Xie Yunxie’s face did not seem faked, as if it was only natural. Seeing Ming Yi still dazed, Xie Yunxie thoughtfully reminded him, “Did you forget? I am an imposter, and that other guy went to hell. His inheritance should rightfully be yours to inherit.”
Ming Yi blinked slowly. That actually makes a bit of sense. Xie Yunxie stepped aside, his eyes showing a hint of a smile. Bathed in the warm indoor light behind him, there was a fleeting illusion of tenderness. “Do you understand now? Come in quickly.”
Ming Yi gave a quiet acknowledgment and finally walked into the brightly lit villa with Song Xiong. Xie Yunxie closed the door behind him, thinking of the image he had just seen on the video doorbell. He sighed softly. Under the night sky, the thin, frail young man holding his puppy looked so lonely. Even standing at the doorstep of his home, he hesitated, his eyes as desolate as an abandoned puppy. It made Xie Yunxie want to immediately open the door and pick him up.
Xie Yunxie had indeed opened the door. Although this place might not be a true home for Ming Yi yet, it could at least be a shelter from the storm.
Once inside, Ming Yi noticed the absence of the old butler and servants. “Where is the butler?”
When he first came to the Xie family, the villa was like a cold, orderly machine. Servants were busy like worker bees, and the old butler moved among them, as rigid and cold as a walking textbook. But reflecting now, Ming Yi realized he had not seen the butler since the night the imposter arrived.
Xie Yunxie walked past him and said casually, “The butler is unwell and went home to rest. Ming Yi, have you eaten dinner?”
Ming Yi’s thoughts were interrupted. “No.”
Xie Yunxie immediately headed to the kitchen. “I will bring it to you.”
Xie Yunxie vanished into the kitchen so quickly that Ming Yi did not even have time for pleasantries. He awkwardly placed Song Xiong on the floor to let the puppy explore. Song Xiong did not run away; instead, he whined and circled around Ming Yi’s feet.
“Good dog.” Ming Yi crouched down and stroked the fluffy head. Suddenly remembering the puppy had not eaten dinner, he took out his phone to buy some dog food. Just then, Xie Yunxie came out with the dishes. “Wash your hands and eat.”
“Wait a moment, I need to buy some food for Song Xiong first,” Ming Yi said, focusing on his phone. “He must be hungry.”
Xie Yunxie wiped his hands and walked over. Song Xiong, who had been lingering at Ming Yi’s feet, suddenly turned and barked fiercely at him. Seeing Xie Yunxie keep approaching, the puppy tucked his tail, trembled, and hid between Ming Yi’s legs.
“What is wrong?” Ming Yi looked down at the white dog head squeezed between his feet.
“He might be a bit afraid of me.” Xie Yunxie stopped and said gently, “You eat first. I will have the secretary buy it.”
Ming Yi was stunned. “Will that be too much trouble for your secretary?”
“He was coming to deliver documents anyway; it is on the way.”
Xie Yunxie was sometimes very easygoing and other times very decisive. Ming Yi watched him make a call: “Go buy some things for a puppy. I want the best of everything.”
When saying this, Xie Yunxie’s tone was cold, carrying the natural posture of someone in a high position. Ming Yi remembered Xie Yunxie mentioned he ran a pharmaceutical company before coming here. Owning a company that monopolized 85% of the inhibitors on the market, one could imagine the wealth and power Xie Yunxie once held. Why would someone like that focus so much attention on me? Ming Yi did not have any narcissistic thoughts; he simply thought rationally. Perhaps Xie Yunxie needed his cooperation to break free from the system.
Shortly after dinner, the pet supplies arrived. The secretary was efficient, providing a very complete set of items. Ming Yi even found five different brands of high-end puppy food in the package. He picked one at random, washed the dog bowl several times, and poured out half a bowl. Fortunately, Song Xiong was not a picky eater and quickly began eating with gusto.
There were also pee pads, a dog bed, a crate, jerky, and various other things. Ming Yi was busy organizing them into categories. On the other side, after speaking with the secretary, Xie Yunxie came over and said, “The pet shop said it is best to take the puppy to a hospital for a check-up after he arrives home.”
Ming Yi nodded. “Okay, I will take Song Xiong tomorrow.”
Xie Yunxie watched him crouching by the cabinet, struggling to stuff cans inside. He looked so small and almost cute. Xie Yunxie could not help but crouch down beside him. “Shall I help you?”
Ming Yi’s movements paused. “No need. Go back to your work.”
Being rejected, Xie Yunxie did not push. He stood up and glanced toward the room; Song Xiong had hidden somewhere and was nowhere to be seen.
Back in the upstairs study, the system was still sighing in Xie Yunxie’s mind.
[It is ruined, completely ruined!]
[Ming Yi was supposed to have the collar on his neck and the shameful marks on his body exposed in front of everyone. Now that part of the plot is gone. Damn plot line, how can I save you!]
Xie Yunxie sat in his chair and looked through the documents from the secretary. “System, you should be glad this plot did not happen.”
[What do you mean?]
“Yan An is already in the middle of a controversy. If the news that the Yan family sent Ming Yi away for a marriage alliance was leaked now, do you think the Yan family and Yan An would be cursed at again?”
System: […]
Xie Yunxie took out an urgent file. “The plot line is a fragile thing. Now that the situation has changed, I think we cannot blindly follow the original script, or the plot will eventually collapse entirely.”
The system said warily, [What do you want to do?]
“We need to analyze the specific situation and treat the plot line with a dialectical attitude,” Xie Yunxie said reasonably. “The protagonist’s satisfaction points dropped mainly because he is trapped in a public relations crisis. The fact that Yan An occupied another person’s place is an objective fact that cannot be changed. Therefore, to turn public opinion around, we can only start with Ming Yi.”
The system showed some interest. [I am listening.]
“The audience curses at Yan An because Ming Yi is too miserable, which touches their hearts. So, we just need to make the audience dislike Ming Yi again.”
[How do you make the audience dislike Ming Yi?]
“That is easy,” Xie Yunxie smiled. “Make Ming Yi act in a terrible movie. Everyone knows his acting is bad, right? Look at this project.” Xie Yunxie quickly found a target. “A movie adapted from a popular IP, directed by a famous director, and highly anticipated by countless fans. However, the protagonist gong took away the highly anticipated lead actor. If we stuff Ming Yi in as the lead, he will definitely be cursed to death by fans. Then, no one will care about Yan An’s affairs.”
System: [That terrible movie. You want Ming Yi to fill that vacant role?]
Xie Yunxie said, “Is it not good to let Ming Yi fill it? It can compete directly with Yan An’s new movie. When the time comes, people will see who the clown is.”
Hearing this, the system analyzed the feasibility of the plan. Ming Yi’s acting was trash. Taking a backdoor to play a popular villain in a big IP movie would result in him being dragged through the mud. That movie was already destined to be bad; adding Ming Yi would just make it worse. It could never beat Yan An’s new movie, only serving as a foil to make Yan An look better. Satisfaction points for the protagonist would go up. It was perfect!
Ming Yi’s sudden bombshell a few days ago had shifted the plot line and dropped the satisfaction points, making the system furious. Now, using this vicious cannon fodder as waste utilization seemed like a viable plan. Closed filming meant no more bombshells could be dropped. Ming Yi only had less than a month left anyway; putting him in a film crew would ensure he could not cause any more trouble.
System: [Then go do some ideological work on him in a few days.]
Xie Yunxie chuckled. “Sure.”