The lounge was deathly silent.
Chang Yan saw Zhao Zhe’s ashen face and had a bad feeling. He stammered, “Qi Yuqiu, d-don’t talk nonsense!”
The entertainment industry had low barriers to entry, and many artists had some degree of Black Material in their past. But someone with a murder case on their hands trying to make it in the entertainment industry? That was a joke!
Qi Yuqiu ignored Chang Yan. He leaned close to Zhao Zhe, his expression suddenly turning sinister as if possessed, his refined face taking on a ghostly look. He said, “She’s right behind you. When you sleep at night, have you ever heard that girl crying in the water? She was still breathing when they buried her, the icy river water flooding her mouth and nose…”
“No! I didn’t, shut up!” Zhao Zhe shouted, gasping for breath. He turned around in terror, but saw nothing.
Qi Yuqiu must be lying to him. He had changed his name, his age, and moved—no one could possibly know his secret!
Besides, he hadn’t done it himself. He had only helped drag her out. It was all that woman’s fault for being ungrateful. They hadn’t meant to go that far—who told her to go to the police!
“You’re framing me! I’ll sue you for slander!” Zhao Zhe’s voice was loud. He thought he sounded calm and imposing, but the other three people in the room saw the beads of sweat dripping from his forehead.
“You changed your name, you changed your address, but you’re still you. Justice may be slow, but it always catches up. Your retribution has come, which is why I’m reminding you to take care of yourself. Your good days are over.” Qi Yuqiu’s expression returned to normal as he sneered.
People like Zhao Zhe never thought their evil deeds were wrong. As long as their actions weren’t exposed, they could live comfortably, forgetting what they had done and strutting around proudly.
But evil begets evil. His luck had run out, and from now on, misfortune would cling to him. He might even choke on a sip of water someday.
As soon as Qi Yuqiu finished speaking, the lounge door opened. Chang Yan’s assistant walked in and said, “There are two police officers outside who say they need Zhao Zhe to assist with an investigation.”
After speaking, he gave Qi Yuqiu a complicated look.
Zhao Zhe collapsed to the floor instantly. He knew he was finished.
“I didn’t mean to! No, I was just too young. Yes, I was only sixteen that year. I was underage—you can’t arrest me!” Tears and snot streamed down his face, but he showed no remorse whatsoever.
Qi Yuqiu said coldly, “Save that for the police.”
After Zhao Zhe was taken away, Chang Yan stared at Qi Yuqiu in shock, unable to process how a minor celebrity, notorious for Black Material, had suddenly become so mysterious.
“Just now, that girl behind Zhao Zhe…”
Qi Yuqiu said seriously, “I was just scaring him. Did I act well?”
He needed money and couldn’t afford to lose this job. As for acting… he couldn’t do it, but he could learn!
Chang Yan said with a complicated expression, “Go back and rest. I’ll discuss the role with the producer again.”
Originally, the producer had planned to replace Qi Yuqiu, but now it seemed there was room for negotiation.
Before leaving, Qi Yuqiu didn’t forget to promote his business again: “Want a Peace talisman?”
Chang Yan hesitated, then said, “Well… give me one?”
Qi Yuqiu handed two talismans to him and Liu Rui, saying, “Five hundred each, buy one get one free.”
Chang Yan: …
When Zhao Zhe was taken away, many people in the crew saw it. As Qi Yuqiu walked out again, the buzzing discussions instantly fell silent, and those present didn’t even dare to glance in his direction.
Only one man dressed as an extra secretly took out his phone, repeatedly peeking toward them. Qi Yuqiu glanced at him, his eyes cold.
The young man sensed someone watching him and instinctively looked up. Seeing Qi Yuqiu smile at him, he couldn’t help but shudder.
“Freak, pah!” the young man muttered after Qi Yuqiu left. Then, looking at the photos in his phone gallery, he couldn’t help but grin—selling these pictures would earn him a tidy little sum.
However, when he tried to stand up and leave, he stumbled and fell hard, smashing his face and bleeding profusely. His phone flew out of his hand and landed right in a prop water tank.
Remembering the look Qi Yuqiu had given him earlier, the young man thought it was eerie. He quickly got up, fished out his phone, and ran off.
“Brother Qi, do you know that guy from earlier?” Deng Chao asked as they left the set.
Qi Yuqiu shook his head: “No, I just saw that he was about to face retribution for doing something bad, and since I didn’t want to sell him a Protective Talisman, I expressed a little sympathy.”
“Oh…” Deng Chao fell silent. Ever since yesterday, his Brother Qi had been acting strange. What was going on? He didn’t dare ask, and he didn’t dare say.
“By the way, Li Ge just sent a message saying a director wants to meet you. He’s waiting for you at Fengrui Hotel.”
Qi Yuqiu: “Really?”
Someone still wanted him for a role at a time like this? He wondered who had such good taste!
The two walked to the parking lot and found someone already waiting by the car.
The man standing by the car door wore a proper suit, gold-rimmed glasses, and meticulously styled hair—though the pink thermos he held somewhat ruined his overall image.
This man was Liu Hao, an assistant sent by the Min family to take care of him.
“Mr. Qi, are we heading back?” Liu Hao adjusted his glasses, expressionless.
“To Fengrui Hotel.” Having skipped breakfast, Qi Yuqiu was genuinely hungry. If someone was treating, he definitely had to go.
Once in the car, Liu Hao handed the thermos to Qi Yuqiu: “This is today’s soup.”
Qi Yuqiu opened it and saw it was Chinese yam and black chicken soup—ah, for stabilizing pregnancy.
Under Liu Hao’s watchful gaze, he calmly finished the soup. Only then did Liu Hao start the car and leave the Film and Television City.
Sitting in the car, Qi Yuqiu remembered that the original owner had another car parked at the company. He thought he could sell one to pay off debts—keeping two cars for one person was just a waste of resources.
“Liu Hao, how much do you think this car could sell for now?”
Liu Hao: “Mr. Qi, you bought this car with a loan. The payments aren’t finished yet.”
“I see…” He’d check how much the one parked at the company was worth later.
“The other one was also bought with a loan.”
Qi Yuqiu: …
“The apartment in the city center is also mortgaged.”
Liu Hao calmly laid out the harsh facts one by one. Qi Yuqiu felt this person was excessively cruel, ruthlessly shattering his dream of quickly paying off the loans and living the Salty Fish life.
“You still owe the bank over ten million in total. No need to rush—take your time repaying it.”
Qi Yuqiu: “Well, that’s… not too bad?”
For a moment, he couldn’t tell if Liu Hao was comforting him or not.
Over ten million… at most, he could set up a stall in his spare time and raise the price of the Peace talismans… probably, he could pay it off, right?
Salty Fish sighed.
He took out his phone, and as soon as he opened Weibo, a series of notification sounds came through.
Zhao Zhe’s news had been leaked online. Although netizens didn’t yet know what had happened, it didn’t stop them from enjoying the drama. Without any public relations suppression, netizens were practically running wild.
Some thought that since the authorities hadn’t confirmed it, it must be fake news spread by Qi Yuqiu. Others believed that Qi Yuqiu’s prophecy had come true and started worshipping him as a deity in the comment section, which was otherwise filled with criticism.
Even worse, a small group of troublemakers began spreading rumors that he was backed by a sugar daddy and had used underhanded means to get Zhao Zhe arrested.
Qi Yuqiu let out a long sigh. If only he really had a sugar daddy—then he wouldn’t have to set up a stall under the overpass!
The Fengrui Grand Hotel parking lot had a dedicated passageway. After getting out of the car, Deng Chao led Qi Yuqiu toward the entrance.
Just as they passed two parking spaces, they heard commotion near a pillar by the passageway entrance. As they approached, they saw a seven- or eight-year-old child surrounded by people, lying on the ground with eyes tightly shut, face pale, and bloodstains around his facial features.
An elderly man who appeared to be the child’s grandfather was squatting on the ground, his eyes red with anxiety, while a man in a white shirt was examining the child’s condition.
“Oh dear, what happened? Has an ambulance been called? If not, hurry and drive him to the hospital!” Deng Chao asked as he moved closer.
A young bystander shook his head. “No idea what happened. The child was fine one moment, then suddenly collapsed when he got here. We’ve already called for an ambulance, and luckily there’s a doctor here.”
Qi Yuqiu walked over and saw a stream of Yin Energy rising from the base of the pillar, swirling around the child’s Spirit Platform and trapping him near the pillar. If he were moved away from it, he would surely lose his vitality within a short time.
The bloodstains around the child’s mouth and nose were likely caused when his grandfather tried to carry him away from the pillar.
After finishing his examination, the doctor asked the old man, “Has the child had any previous medical conditions, or is there a family history of hereditary illnesses?”
“No,” the old man replied, wiping away tears. “Xiao Xi is just a bit quiet and doesn’t talk much, but he’s always been healthy and rarely gets sick. There’s no history of hereditary illnesses in the family either. Doctor, what’s wrong with him?”
The doctor said, “I can’t tell without a thorough examination using medical equipment. Let’s get him to the hospital first. I have a car.”
The old man quickly stopped him. “We can’t move him, Doctor! This place is eerie. Xiao Xi starts bleeding as soon as he’s moved. What should we do? Can’t the hospital bring the equipment here?”
The doctor frowned and scolded, “This is no time for superstition. Hurry and carry him out.”
With that, he picked up the child and prepared to leave.
“Wait,” Qi Yuqiu quickly stepped forward to stop him. If the child were moved more than ten meters away from the pillar, he might not survive.
The doctor looked up and saw that the person stopping him was a very young-looking man. Impatiently, he said, “What is it? A life is at stake. Don’t waste my time, okay?”
Qi Yuqiu patiently explained, “This child really can’t be moved. Please put him down first, and let me try.”
“You try? Have you even graduated from high school, kid?” The doctor found it utterly absurd. A young punk who had no idea how crucial time was for a patient was still blabbering here.
He shoved Qi Yuqiu aside and strode toward his car.
But as soon as he took a step, the quiet child in his arms began convulsing, blood gushing from its mouth and nose.