Licheng.
A restaurant with excellent privacy.
Xie Li sat by the window, his red lips and white teeth giving him an innocent air, his smiling eyes curved as he looked at Lu Xingchuan across from him.
“Brother Xingchuan, it’s been three years. I really miss those days when we used to be together.
“Every day abroad, I was on edge, terrified that you’d forget me, your good friend.”
As he spoke, the originally innocent smile gradually took on a pitiful, tearful look.
“I dream of you every night. I dream of our past.”
Three years ago, the Lu family’s business had run into trouble and was nearly bankrupt.
Lu Xingchuan had been suppressed in the entertainment industry and could hardly get any resources.
Just when the whole family was on the brink of ruin, Xie Li suddenly left the country without saying goodbye.
Tears slid down his cheeks as Xie Li looked uneasily at Lu Xingchuan.
“Brother Xingchuan, I heard that… you, you’re engaged?”
When Xie Li first went abroad, Lu Xingchuan hated him.
He thought Xie Li was ungrateful and heartless.
After all, when Xie Li had first risen in the entertainment industry, it was thanks to Lu Xingchuan spending a huge sum to promote him.
Then, the moment something happened to his family, Xie Li ran off immediately.
But later Xie Li told him that the reason he had left without saying goodbye was that he had been diagnosed with a serious illness and feared dragging Lu Xingchuan down with him.
How could Lu Xingchuan possibly blame him?
He hurriedly explained, “No, it’s all rumors.”
Buzz~ buzz~ buzz~
Lu Xingchuan’s phone suddenly rang.
He glanced at it; it was his agent.
To reassure Xie Li, Lu Xingchuan didn’t step away and answered right in front of Xie Li. “Hello?”
“Xingchuan, bad news. Something happened on Weibo!”
As soon as the call connected, the agent’s anxious voice came through.
Lu Xingchuan’s brow furrowed slightly, and he immediately opened Weibo.
『Shen Yan: So happy!!!』
Shen Yan had posted on Weibo, and the attached image was…
『I’ve given you the money. Don’t pester me anymore. At tomorrow’s variety show, if you dare bully Little Li, don’t blame me for blacklisting you on the spot!』
Lu Xingchuan’s eyes narrowed, and fury instantly wrapped around his gaze.
He had been afraid of leaving evidence, so after warning Shen Yan once, he had immediately retracted the message.
That bastard actually took a screenshot.
And the note this person had for him on WeChat was simply: Lu Xingchuan.
What was worse…
Above this message was one from a long time ago.
Shen Yan had asked him, 『Are you coming home for dinner today? Today is my birthday.』
He had replied, 『No.』
Even though it was a rejection, that word “home” still stabbed hard at Lu Xingchuan.
This Weibo post had already pushed down the previous one about him and Xie Li, and in one leap it had become the top trending post.
『What? The dating variety show I’ve been looking forward to for so long, and that rat Shen Yan is going too?』
『Ahhhhh, my ship… can that bastard Shen Yan just get lost? I’m really annoyed just seeing him!』
『Shen Yan really is not to be trifled with. Lu Xingchuan gave him an early warning so Xie Li wouldn’t be wronged… what’s the problem with that?』
『Lu Xingchuan is the most outstanding man in the world.』
『Welcome everyone to check out Teacher Lu’s new drama!』
Lu Xingchuan’s fans were trying hard to control the comments.
But they couldn’t control them at all!
Shen Yan, as if he’d gone crazy, personally jumped into the fray!
Shen Yan: 『That’s right, I’m also going on this dating variety show, because my agent told me to be a foil for Xie Li, hahahaha! I wish them everlasting love, a perfect match of scoundrels!』
The attached image was a WeChat message from the agent.
『On the variety show, do what you’re supposed to do. Obediently be a foil for Xie Li. Dare to steal even a little spotlight, and just try it!』
Shen Yan: 『Touching, truly touching. Xie Li leaves the country in the front foot, and on the back foot he takes my two million and gets engaged to me under contract. Xie Li returns to the country in the front foot, and on the back foot he pays me four million in compensation to become single again. So touching. Why couldn’t he love me a little deeper? Eight million would have worked too!』
The attached image was the transfer record from Lu Xingchuan to Shen Yan.
All these years, Lu Xingchuan had always publicly claimed to be single…
…
Lu Xingchuan was so angry that his temples were throbbing.
He looked up and met Xie Li’s reddened eyes.
Lu Xingchuan’s heart instantly tightened. “Little Li, listen to my explanation…”
Xie Li pressed his lips together with a bitter smile. “I don’t blame Brother Xingchuan. After all, Brother Xingchuan and I were only good friends. I don’t have the right to interfere in your private life.”
Lu Xingchuan panicked. “It’s not like that…”
Xie Li cut him off. “Brother Xingchuan was just telling me that everything online is rumor. Then are the pictures Shen Yan posted photoshopped?”
Lu Xingchuan was so anxious his anger surged in his chest.
He really wanted to post on Weibo and say that it was all baseless, that it was all Shen Yan’s slander, fake photos, and rumors, but he was afraid Shen Yan would pull out even more evidence.
That bastard!
He must have seen Xie Li come back and gone insane with jealousy, unwilling to let go.
To be loved by someone like that is truly bad luck for eight lifetimes!
Burning with rage, Lu Xingchuan was about to say something else, but Xie Li had already stood up, speaking in a stubborn, sulky tone.
“Brother Xingchuan, we still have the show tomorrow. This is my first show since returning to the country. I don’t want to ruin it. I want to go back and rest early so I can appear in front of everyone tomorrow looking my best.”
Xie Li was leaving.
How could Lu Xingchuan let him go just like that?
In an instant.
He chased!
He ran!
In the hotel private room of barely twenty-something square meters, they actually chased each other for two whole minutes like a slow-motion replay!
Only then did Lu Xingchuan, like a madman, grab him and say, “Listen to my explanation!”
Xie Li shoved Lu Xingchuan away, his eyes red. “I don’t want Shen Yan to look down on me.”
Then he turned and ran!
“Shen Yan! I’m going to kill you!” Lu Xingchuan was so angry he was about to explode.
He grabbed his phone and called Shen Yan.
Shen Yan had just finished running a bath and was preparing to enjoy a nice soak.
“You bastard! I already gave you four million, so how do you still have the nerve to keep pestering me? Let me tell you, no matter what tricks you use, I will never feel anything for you! If you dare to provoke Little Li again, I’ll make sure your life ends tomorrow!”
Shen Yan lay comfortably in the warm bathtub, feeling the water wrap around him as he lazily stretched his legs.
“Four million was just to buy the recording that proves you cheated. Don’t make yourself sound so valuable.” Shen Yan took a sip of grape juice. “I posted on Weibo because your fans cursed at me. I was angry.”
Lu Xingchuan nearly blew a gasket and roared, “What do your fans cursing you have to do with me!”
Shen Yan said, “But those are your fans. I checked… it’s your die-hard fans, not your haters. Your die-hard fans represent you.”
Lu Xingchuan exploded with a curse. “Represent my ass! Who the hell do they think they are, even thinking they can represent me? You’re just unwilling to let go, so stop making excuses.”
Shen Yan was very satisfied. “I recorded that. You just said your fans represent crap. Give me one million, or I’ll post it on Weibo.”
Ah!!!!!
Lu Xingchuan was so angry he collapsed on the spot, just plain dead!
The End.
…
He sucked in another breath.
…
Sitting in the chair of the restaurant private room, still furious, Lu Xingchuan yanked at his tie and said darkly and viciously, “That counts as extortion. I can sue you.”