Freezing cold water suddenly rushed into Yu Cheng’s lips, tongue, and nasal passages, followed by a heavy, suffocating sensation that swept over him.
He choked on a large mouthful of water. His fingertips, which had been soaked until they were almost white, instinctively grabbed a handful, clutching desperately at the icy rim of the tub, and he snapped fully awake with a start!
The moment he broke the surface of the water, it felt as though he had finally escaped from a silent, gloomy abyss and tumbled back into the familiar, bustling world of the living.
The light overhead filtered through his half-closed eyelids, stabbing uncomfortably at his vision.
In his ears was the buzzing vibration of a mobile phone.
For a moment, the surroundings fell completely silent.
A cool breeze slipped in through the tightly drawn blinds, mixed with damp moisture. Even the pothos plant placed beside the bathtub rustled softly under the sudden chill, making Yu Cheng shiver involuntarily.
The bathroom door was suddenly pushed open from the outside:
“Why aren’t you answering your phone!”
Yu Cheng wiped his face with a hand, narrowing his eyes as he looked over.
His manager, Sun Can, strode quickly toward Yu Cheng, chattering away as he walked.
“How many times do I have to tell you, you need to tone down that temper of yours.”
“His reputation and popularity are both higher than yours, he has several major investments under his belt, and the company is willing to back him. Judging by the current momentum, breaking into the first tier isn’t an issue. Everyone is rushing to kiss up to him; why on earth did you go and provoke him?”
The moment the last syllable fell, Sun Can traced Yu Cheng’s dripping hair and brows downward, taking a glance at the slender, narrow waist wrapped in a bath towel inside the tub, its wet fabric outlining his attractive muscle contours.
Tsk, he wasn’t even listening to him talk at all.
Realizing something, Sun Can paused slightly, his gaze extending down to the rippling clear water in the tub before reaching out to test the temperature with his hand.
Sure enough, it had gone completely cold.
Yet Yu Cheng was just sitting there brazenly in the bathtub, his long legs bent and stretched out with nowhere to put them, a posture of absolute defiance.
Even more defiant than a few hours ago, when Yu Cheng had rolled up his sleeves to pick a fight with someone.
Sun Can withdrew his hand, the back of his fingers accidentally brushing against Yu Cheng’s ice-cold wrist, causing even him to let out a hiss of cold air.
Sun Can asked incredulously, “You didn’t get drunk and sit in here all night, did you?”
Yu Cheng didn’t make a sound. The tail of his eyes, usually so arrogant, drooped slightly for once. After a silent half-second, he suddenly raised his gaze, looking over with an expression full of indifference.
Sun Can’s throat caught. He thought to himself: Surely this young master isn’t about to throw a fit, is he?
Yu Cheng’s spoiled-brat temper was common knowledge to everyone.
Back when Yu Cheng had first entered the agency, some people even wondered if he might be some rich young master backed by a powerful tycoon. But more than half a year had passed, and while he caused plenty of trouble, no one had ever stepped up to back him.
If not for this face, he probably would have been abandoned by the company long ago.
After all, even in the entertainment industry, someone who could grow up looking like Yu Cheng was already a huge cut above other artists; even if he were just a wooden stake standing there, he would be a gorgeous wooden stake.
It was just a pity that this gorgeous wooden stake came with a mouth and a stubborn, overbearing temper.
Once yesterday’s incident continued to ferment, if they could only protect one person in the end…
As for who the company would choose, even a fool knew the answer without needing to ask.
Sun Can was pulling his hair out in frustration. Enduring Yu Cheng’s near-apathetic gaze, he bit the bullet and said, “Why don’t you go and apologize to him? He cares a lot about saving face. Just say a few nice things and explain that it was all just a misunderstanding because you were drunk. Once he softens up, I’ll pull some strings in a bit to arrange for the two of you to go on a show together and clear the air about your relationship.”
Yu Cheng ignored him, stepping out of the bathtub as if in a trance, leaving a trail of water across the floor.
He casually grabbed a bathrobe and draped it over his shoulders, staring blankly at himself in the mirror.
From behind came Sun Can’s helpless voice: “Your Weibo account will be managed by the company for the time being. The password has already been changed.”
Yu Cheng raised a hand to brush through his hair, the wispy locks on his forehead slipping between his fingers to reveal a smooth brow.
Yu Cheng’s appearance was actually extremely deceptive. Normally, with his bangs resting loosely across his brow, he possessed a distinct youthful aura; when he lowered his eyes and kept quiet, a hint of obedience could occasionally be caught.
Yet the moment he glanced sideways, that impression was instantly blown away by his light-colored pupils. Paired with deep, sharp facial contours, he looked all the more arrogant, and even when the corners of his lips curled up, it always looked like a smirk, as if he were calling someone an idiot.
Sun Can met Yu Cheng’s gaze through the mirror and suddenly felt as though something wasn’t quite right with the person in front of him.
Especially that bewildered look in his eyes; from head to toe, it radiated a kind of helpless pity that completely didn’t match Yu Cheng’s usual persona.
For a moment, Sun Can couldn’t tell whether Yu Cheng’s brain had broken or his own had.
Suddenly, he heard Yu Cheng ask, “Who did you say?”
Sun Can didn’t react in time: “What?”
Yu Cheng reminded him: “Higher reputation and popularity than me, has several major investments, the company is willing to back him, and he’s a future top-tier A-lister.”
“Who did I offend?” After pausing for half a second, Yu Cheng added, “Who?”
Sun Can froze: “Did you blackout from drinking?”
Yu Cheng answered honestly: “I don’t know.”
To say he didn’t know was more like saying his head wasn’t very clear right now, and he genuinely couldn’t remember.
Though it sounded absurd.
With delayed realization, it felt as though he had just experienced an extremely vivid dream.
In the dream, he discovered that he was nothing more than a villainous cannon fodder in a stock-market-style web novel, who had pursued the protagonist Shou for years to no avail, acting unreasonably and making a ruckus…
He was simply a scummy loser who could do nothing but rage incompetently. Before the main plot had even reached the halfway point, he was counter-killed by all the Gongs combined, and his family going bankrupt was the least of his worries.
From wandering the streets picking up trash to being locked in a dark room and subjected to all sorts of mental humiliation, it was a suffering he simply couldn’t bear.
How could he possibly have turned into that wretched ghost of a person?
Yu Cheng’s expression was blank, which, combined with the lingering hint of alcohol on his breath, gave him a rather decadent look of a hangover to outsiders.
Sun Can couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy, mixed with exasperation: “You don’t even know who you provoked?”
Yu Cheng’s expression instantly became extremely subtle.
The person he provoked?
The person he provoked was only that one person.
Yu Cheng paused for a long moment before speaking: “Chu Hanfeng?”
As soon as the words left his mouth, Yu Cheng instinctively swallowed, and his heart began to twitch again.
Chu Hanfeng was the protagonist Shou he had obsessed over for years in his dream.
No wonder.
Not only did he come from a prestigious background, but he also possessed the handsome face of an unapproachable flower on a snowy peak; he was practically configured as the cold, elegant beauty Shou of a novel.
How could any normal person stay indifferent upon seeing him?
It was simply intoxicating.
He remembered the first time he saw Chu Hanfeng, his entire head had felt dizzy and light.
Just like right now.
Yu Cheng was quiet and silent for once.
Sun Can looked Yu Cheng up and down with a bizarre expression: “You got into a fight with Tong Shi because of Chu Hanfeng?”
Yu Cheng paused for a few seconds. Because he was tensing his neck, clean and sharp lines appeared along his slender throat, and his Adam’s apple bobbed slightly as he breathed: “…Tong Shi?”
Sun Can didn’t think too much of it and tried to persuade him: “I know Chu Hanfeng is your idol, and there are countless fans who charge blindly into the entertainment industry for love. But chasing stars is one thing, don’t bring your personal emotions into your work.”
“As for letting Tong Shi replace you as a guest star on that reality show, the company also considered that Tong Shi’s new drama is about to air, and Chu Hanfeng happens to be the male lead of that show. Having the two of them drop in together will make for good promotion, right?”
As Sun Can spoke, he secretly glanced at Yu Cheng’s expression.
Everyone knew about Yu Cheng’s fanatical attitude toward Chu Hanfeng.
Back when Yu Cheng first entered the public eye and gained recognition among netizens, it was because of a fleeting glance of him in the audience during one of Chu Hanfeng’s movie press conferences. He had been staring intently at the handsome profile on stage, and the screenshot had circulated all over the internet, prompting many people to ask who this handsome guy was.
Sun Can sighed. He saw that Yu Cheng still hadn’t answered, his rigid body gradually relaxing in the prolonged silence.
Right.
With delayed realization, Yu Cheng remembered that Chu Hanfeng had starred as the male lead in a renowned director’s movie right out of the gate, sweeping up major and minor domestic and international awards. Coupled with his prestigious background where he naturally leaned on a giant tree for shade, calling him an overnight sensation wouldn’t be an overstatement.
How could Sun Can possibly be talking about Chu Hanfeng?
Yu Cheng massaged his temples, momentarily unsure whether to call himself muddle-headed or just plain stupid.
Only…
Tong Shi?
Breaking into the first tier?
The images in his mind spun like a revolving lantern, and Yu Cheng pulled a sneering smile. That talentless pretty boy who only knew how to fake innocence in front of fans wanted to make it to the first tier too? By squeezing out tears and whimpering?
Because he sucked up to senior company executives, he thought he could cruise smoothly for the rest of his life?
Just at that moment, a ringtone blared loudly.
Sun Can answered the phone and conciliated with a few polite agreements, then hurried to urge him: “Hurry up and get ready. President Zhong is looking for you.”
Yu Cheng: “…”
Without Sun Can needing to remind him, Yu Cheng already knew the reason why the other side was in such a burning panic.
It was nothing more than the fact that he had almost beaten their precious Tong Shi, so someone had come to settle the score.
Sun Can rushed and hurried until he finally led Yu Cheng to the entrance of the company.
During the trip, Yu Cheng had leisurely dried his hair and changed into a fleece-lined white hoodie, the hem hanging loosely over the waistband of his casual pants, making him look like a dewy college student.
In the car, Yu Cheng had also conveniently applied for a burner account and browsed around his own verified Weibo page.
The comment section was overwhelmingly toxic.
Though that was to be expected; who knows who had leaked the commotion from the company banquet onto the internet, capturing the footage of him recklessly grabbing Tong Shi by the collar so clearly? His sleeves were rolled up high, looking as though he was about to land a fist on the guy’s face in the next second.
[This is bullying!]
[Help! I joined the fandom just because of the public service movie he acted in! That little assistant police officer was so handsome! How could it come to this!]
[My big brother is so miserable, just eating a decent meal and getting bitten by a dog.]
[I’ve had my eye on Yu Cheng for a long time. Previously, he used Chu Hanfeng’s popularity to build a starrer persona, bad luck!]
[How come Tong Shi didn’t fight back even when he was being bullied? Even as an outsider, my heart aches for him.]
[How does someone like Yu Cheng still have fans? Is there really no problem with looking only at looks and ignoring character?]
[I heard an ambulance even came; he must be hurt pretty badly. This is police-report level already!]
…
Actually, at first, it wasn’t as if no one spoke up for Yu Cheng or questioned the sequence of events.
Only for those voices to be shut down within ten minutes under the statements of a few gossip accounts.
[Internal news says they had a dispute over a slot as a drop-in guest for a reality show, but it was all an internal company arrangement. Tong Shi really is quite innocent.]
[Yu Cheng’s temper has always been bad, and his alcohol tolerance is terrible. It feels like this time he was purely drunk. Hope Tong Shi is okay.]
Yu Cheng casually flipped through a few pages, then re-opened the latest post on his main account, timestamped five minutes ago:
[@Yu Cheng V: I was wrong. I will never dare to drink alcohol again. (Cry)]
The person ahead of him suddenly stopped walking, and Yu Cheng almost bumped right into them, lazily lifting his eyelids.
The office door stood wide open, and Sun Can hurriedly plastered on a smile: “President Zhong, I’ve brought him here. Take a look…”
Hearing this, the few people currently in conversation glanced over simultaneously.
Sitting right in the middle, looking completely fine, was none other than Tong Shi, who was rumored to be heavily injured.
Their gazes crossed. Before the man sitting formally behind the desk could speak, Tong Shi impatiently furrowed his brows, a stark contrast to his shy and gentle image on screen: “What time is it? Why are you only just getting here?”
Yu Cheng looked him up and down and couldn’t help but laugh.
This guy can actually still laugh?!
“You still have the nerve to laugh?!” Tong Shi was already bottling up anger inside. Last night, he had merely thrown a few sarcastic remarks at Yu Cheng, never expecting it to set Yu Cheng off. Yet he had been completely powerless against Yu Cheng, losing all face in public.
Seeing the curve of Yu Cheng’s lips at this moment only made Tong Shi even more furious.
Without even weighing his own worth, just relying on a face to try and get famous, and even wanting to chase Chu Hanfeng, did Yu Cheng think he was worthy?
He was nothing more than a minion meant to be trampled underfoot.
He had all the illness of a young master, but none of the fate.
So what if his ambitions were higher than the sky? In the end, because of a single word from him, he had lost the opportunity he had worked so hard to get.
Seeing Tong Shi’s expression grow increasingly ugly, Sun Can swallowed back the nice things he hadn’t managed to say, instinctively turning back to follow Tong Shi’s line of sight, and caught sight of the mocking smile lingering at the corners of Yu Cheng’s eyes and brows.
“What’s wrong with me? I haven’t even said anything yet.” Yu Cheng tucked his hands into his pockets. “I was naturally born with a smiling face. I don’t have any plans for plastic surgery yet.”
“Who are you insinuating got plastic surgery?!” Tong Shi forcefully suppressed his anger. After a mental struggle, he still didn’t dare to step forward and approach Yu Cheng.
Yu Cheng had always been ungrateful and unyielding; there was no guarantee Yu Cheng wouldn’t go crazy and swing at him again, and nobody would be able to pull him off.
The atmosphere grew near-stagnant.
Yu Cheng swore to heaven that he genuinely had no prejudice against plastic surgery, and had no idea which of his words had hit a nerve in Tong Shi to make him so angry his face turned red.
Meanwhile, Sun Can broke out in a cold sweat for Yu Cheng and quickly chimed in, attempting to change the subject: “President Zhong, regarding that show…”
The man sitting in the primary seat had long since lost patience. A meaningful gaze lightly swept past Tong Shi’s angry face and finally landed in Yu Cheng’s direction: “There’s no need to talk about the show anymore. After discussion, the company unanimously agrees that whether it’s the tone of the program or the required promotional effect, Tong Shi is the most suitable candidate for Home.”
With that, he paused for half a second, his tone deep and grave: “I’ve already made things clear over the phone. Actually, there was no need for the two of you to make a special trip here. In light of what happened last night, since he doesn’t know how to cherish his feathers and has damaged his own image, the company will make corresponding adjustments to all of Yu Cheng’s upcoming schedules based on this.”
“President Zhong, I’ll figure something out about what happened last night. As long as the company gives its full cooperation, I believe…”
“Got it,” before Sun Can could finish speaking, Yu Cheng’s nonchalant and indifferent voice sounded out, “We’ll follow President Zhong’s arrangements.”
In an instant, the surroundings fell utterly still.
Not expecting Yu Cheng to have changed his temperament and agreed so readily, even Zhong Kun, who had seen plenty of big scenes, was stunned for a moment. He looked Yu Cheng up and down several times before swallowing back all the threatening words he had already prepared, completely forgetting what he was supposed to say next.
Actually, Yu Cheng himself felt that if it were the past, he probably would have already started slamming his fists on the table with President Zhong in a fury.
Just like in the dream, fighting recklessly to snatch back the guest spot, only to end up with an empty bamboo basket in the end, neither waiting for Chu Hanfeng’s surprise appearance, nor escaping being maliciously edited to look lazy and ill-tempered after getting injured during a game segment, inviting a massive wave of anti-fans.
Now it seemed it was all heaven’s will.
As for subsequent resources…
Coming into this entertainment industry in the first place had entirely been for Chu Hanfeng.
He was thoroughly enlightened now: wise men never fall into the river of love.
Especially a river like Chu Hanfeng.
Wasn’t gaming fun, or was food not delicious?
Why insist on squeezing into the middle of the protagonists’ romance only to get plotted against until going bankrupt and picking up trash?
Since Chu Hanfeng was untouchable and he couldn’t afford to play with him, couldn’t he at least afford to hide?
Wasn’t staying alive great?
Whoever wanted to snatch it could snatch it.
Anyway, he wasn’t snatching anymore!