Chapter 10 – The Truth
That night, Lin Ganzhi went to bed exceptionally early. He was worried that if he didn’t sleep now, he would be too excited to fall asleep later in the night. Three million! Yan Shengping was no longer just a simple boss; he was practically a savior! He couldn’t treat his savior so plainly. Tomorrow, it had to be a Manchu-Han Imperial Feast!
With that thought, the little pink-haired kid forced himself to go to sleep early to get up and prepare!
—
Yan Shengping stared blankly at the table, which was almost overflowing with dishes. “What is all this?”
If yesterday’s breakfast was a home-style version, then today’s was a full-blown imperial feast. There were shrimp dumplings, siu mai, char siu bao, sticky rice in lotus leaf, steamed phoenix claws, rice noodle rolls, wife cakes, fried spring rolls…
Although there were many dishes, Lin Ganzhi had reduced each type to a three-person portion, so each dish was basically a one-bite affair. Beside each person was a small bowl of coconut milk and fragrant congee.
“Cantonese-style morning tea. I made a little extra~” Lin Ganzhi waited shyly for praise, his pink hair looking particularly energetic today!
Uncle Yan was also taken aback by the spread. This kid was really something else in certain aspects. “Ganzhi, what time did you get up to make all this? It must have been very troublesome.”
“It was fine. Five o’clock. If I get more familiar with it, I can do it even faster!” Lin Ganzhi did his best to showcase his strengths.
Yan Shengping gave Lin Ganzhi a deep look. Five o’clock. It was now eight. He had been cooking for three hours. Why? Just because he gave him three million last night? To him, that was a piece of cake. Logically, it should have been a piece of cake for the former Lin Ganzhi as well. Having been in the entertainment industry for so many years, he didn’t believe Lin Ganzhi was so easily satisfied.
So why was this?
Yan Shengping suddenly couldn’t figure it out.
A pair of chopsticks suddenly appeared in his line of sight, placing a crystal-clear shrimp dumpling in his bowl.
“Try it!” Lin Ganzhi’s smile was clean and clear.
Yan Shengping tried hard to suppress the emotions welling up inside him. He calmly said thank you and added, “No need for such extravagance tomorrow morning. If you’re tired, you can let Uncle Yan do it.”
Little rascal, is he concerned about him?
Lin Ganzhi was increasingly convinced that Yan Shengping was a genuinely good person! The kind you could give a lifetime’s worth of “good person” cards to!
After the meal, Yan Shengping chose not to go upstairs. He was honestly a bit uncomfortably full. Though he didn’t flop onto the sofa to air out his belly like the person next to him, who had no sense of decorum.
Does this person have no bones? Otherwise, how could he be so limp? Yan Shengping thought.
The online arguments were getting more and more serious, and they hadn’t stopped by this morning. The two experienced individuals tacitly avoided looking at Weibo, not wanting to upset themselves. Before long, Zhang Dianhuai’s call came in. Lin Ganzhi, who now considered Yan Shengping one of his own from the bottom of his heart, directly put the call on speaker.
“We’ve gathered most of the evidence yesterday. The company will issue a statement first. Don’t forget to forward it later. But I need to remind you of one thing: by doing this, we are indirectly offending Zhong Jingyi and his fiancé, Luan Yuanzhou. You and Luan Yuanzhou—”
Luan Yuanzhou? Lin Ganzhi shot up straight with a jolt. The cold gaze from his side sent a chill down his spine.
It seems it’s not good for a couple to be too transparent! Karma came knocking right away, didn’t it? Lin Ganzhi realized he was quite unlucky, so he could only rely on his acting skills, which never failed him!
Lin Ganzhi’s demeanor completely shifted from lazy to sharp. He became as prickly as a hedgehog, as if he had just heard his enemy’s name. “What about me and Luan Yuanzhou? His acting is decent, but unfortunately, he has poor taste and fell for Zhong Jingyi.” Lin Ganzhi tilted his head slightly. “Zhong Jingyi has already hurt my partner like this. Do you think I’m still afraid of some Luan Yuanzhou?”
Hiss!
Even Zhang Dianhuai’s teeth ached listening to this. Didn’t this guy used to chase after Luan Yuanzhou? Why was he acting so frigid now?
Could it be?
A knowing smile appeared on Zhang Dianhuai’s face. He pretended not to understand Lin Ganzhi’s words. “You don’t like Luan Yuanzhou anymore?”
Damn, damn, damn! You, who deserve to be sliced a thousand times!
This sentence was like a bombshell. Even Uncle Yan, who had been watching TV, looked over. Cold sweat was about to break out on Lin Ganzhi’s face, and he didn’t dare to look at Yan Shengping’s expression. What was he saying in front of his dear boss! How audacious!
The great actor Lin Ganzhi was struggling under immense pressure! His originally cold expression was now tinged with a bit of mockery. “Why would I like Luan Yuanzhou? Brother Zhang, you really don’t know me at all.”
Zhang Dianhuai: …No, I know you all too well.
Lin Ganzhi’s eyes were filled with deep affection. “The person I like is stronger than anyone else. Even when walking in darkness, he sees more clearly than anyone standing in the light. He’s not gentle, but he has a purer kindness than anyone else. He can tolerate the flaws others see in me. Even if he’s not good with words, I can feel his affection in his every word and phrase. He is my Mr. Yan.” After speaking, Lin Ganzhi’s eyes were already starting to redden, and the last three words were even tinged with a slight sob.
Then he looked at Yan Shengping with deep affection.
The gloom in Yan Shengping’s chest instantly dissipated, and a sense of helplessness welled up in his heart.
He… really likes me?
Now, not only was Yan Shengping at a loss, but even Zhang Dianhuai was starting to wonder if this was real. After all, he had witnessed Lin Ganzhi’s terrible acting skills. It was absolutely impossible for him to act to this extent.
Yan Shengping had fallen to this point, yet Lin Ganzhi was still willing to defend him like this. Had he underestimated Lin Ganzhi before?
“Alright, it was my lack of understanding of you. Find some time to come to the company next time, and I’ll get to know you better. Since you have no objections, then President Yan, what about your side?” Zhang Dianhuai asked.
Damn it! So you knew I had it on speaker all along!
Lin Ganzhi was seething with anger at this old fox!
“It’s fine. Let’s proceed according to the original plan,” Yan Shengping said, forcefully suppressing his emotions.
Zhang Dianhuai confirmed and hung up the phone.
Lin Ganzhi sat for a little while, then secretly glanced at Yan Shengping. Seeing that Yan Shengping didn’t seem to mind, he snuck another peek. This went on back and forth until Yan Shengping finally couldn’t take it anymore.
“If you have something to say, say it.”
Lin Ganzhi coughed. “What Brother Zhang just said, don’t take it to heart.”
Yan Shengping raised an eyebrow and said leisurely, “Which part?”
Hearing Yan Shengping’s tone, it didn’t seem like he was going to pursue the matter. Lin Ganzhi breathed a sigh of relief, then said shyly, “Me liking you is my personal business. Don’t feel too pressured~”
…Tsk!
Lin Ganzhi wanted to continue chatting with Yan Shengping, but Yan Shengping’s face suddenly turned pale, and he couldn’t help but cough. He turned his head to the side, revealing the light-colored mole on his neck, which added a touch of beauty to his sickly skin.
It had to be admitted, a Yan Shengping like this, based on looks alone, was unmatched by half the entertainment industry. Even the likes of Zhong Jingyi and Luan Yuanzhou would have to take a backseat.
Lin Ganzhi stood up and quickly went over to gently pat Yan Shengping’s back. His chin accidentally brushed against Yan Shengping’s nose. “Why are you coughing again?”
Yan Shengping’s eyes discreetly glanced at the collarbone at Lin Ganzhi’s neckline. His voice was a bit hoarse after coughing. “It’s normal. No need to be so nervous.”
Lin Ganzhi didn’t say anything. He felt that simply starting with food was no longer enough to completely cure Yan Shengping. According to the book, Yan Shengping had basically only slept two hours a day in the early stages to support that chip company. Two hours, it was a miracle he hadn’t died from exhaustion. His current state was nothing more than the after-effects left over from his body back then. It could be maintained, but a full recovery would be difficult.
Lin Ganzhi suddenly wanted to get to know some influential people. That way, he could at least nurse Yan Shengping’s body back to health before he left.
Zhang Dianhuai’s company was very fast in issuing a statement. By ten in the morning, the direction of public opinion on Weibo had gradually changed.
[The rumors on Weibo last night about our company’s artist Lin Ganzhi digging for wild vegetables are purely slanderous. Our company’s artist married Mr. Yan Shengping in October of this year. The couple’s relationship is harmonious. The location of the secretly taken photo was the villa where the two reside. At that time, Mr. Lin Ganzhi was planting vegetables in his home’s yard. (Attached picture)]
The picture posted was indeed of the vegetable patch Lin Ganzhi had photographed last night, along with the purchase information for the seeds at the time, and Yan Shengping’s home purchase information. The evidence was conclusive, and everything said was a hard fact.
As soon as this news came out, the blurry photo that had been circulating last night suddenly became very ridiculous.
Lin Ganzhi followed suit and forwarded the Weibo post: As we all know, normal people don’t dig for wild vegetables on an artificial lawn.
The words were concise and to the point, yet every word struck the heart.
The simple onlookers instantly formed a “hahahaha” mockery team.
[Hahahaha, I’m dying. I thought this picture was off from the start. Where would a normal person dig for wild vegetables in a place like this? It’s just that a certain person’s fans were spamming like crazy. My private messages on Weibo exploded last night. Hahahaha, you got slapped in the face.]
[I live in that neighborhood myself. There are no wild vegetables in the yards. If you can eat grass roots, then I take it back. Hahahaha.]
[Yan Shengping is so tragic. Although he’s not a good person, it’s still suffering to be randomly saddled with that kind of accusation.]
The picture that circulated last night was already very blurry, and it wasn’t certain where Lin Ganzhi was. Now that the evidence was out, the trolls who had been spewing insults without a bottom line last night instantly vanished.
Of course, there was still a group of people spraying insults about Lin Ganzhi and Yan Shengping’s character and deeds.
But the onlookers judged the matter on its own merits. They saw you cursing at their character, but why didn’t those who misunderstood them yesterday come out to apologize?
The comments section instantly became polarized. On one side were those who judged the matter on its merits, and on the other were those who stubbornly cursed the two as scum. But there was also a portion of people who stood up to question another matter.
[By the way, what’s with Zhong Jingyi coming out to apologize for his brother without even understanding the facts? Why do I smell a hint of manipulative tea?]
This kind of talk could be washed away by Zhong Jingyi’s fans in minutes, but the blunt truth made many who saw it feel a little uncomfortable. After all, in an era where manipulative schemers were rampant, everyone was more or less sensitive to this matter.
Yan Shengping didn’t look at his phone, but seeing Lin Ganzhi happily scrolling through his phone, he knew the company’s statement had been well-received.
In that case, he might as well give him another little gift.
Yan Shengping suppressed the smile that was about to appear on his lips.