Chapter 27 – Weakling

Zhong Jingyi froze completely. Those were the harshest words he had heard since returning to the country, bar none!

The fan club president and its members were all, without exception, too stunned to react.

The rich man covered his mouth, the rings on his five fingers glinting. “Oh no, your family is so rich. Now that I’ve told the truth, are you going to target me?” His cheeky expression was enough to become Zhong Jingyi’s nightmare for the year.

Zhong Jingyi trembled with anger, his eyes turning red. “Don’t twist the facts!”

The rich man then stroked his chin, deliberately showing off the Rolex on his wrist. “Twist the facts? Hmph.” A look of three parts coolness and four parts ridicule twisted his face. Then came the next sentence, “What does that mean?”

The air fell eerily silent. Luan Yuanzhou, who had been about to defend Zhong Jingyi, found the words stuck in his throat. Arguing was one thing, but arguing with an illiterate was just plain awkward.

Lin Ganzhi looked up at this master of arguments with admiration.

On the contrary, the rich man himself showed no sign of embarrassment. Instead, he said proudly, “I started conquering the seas with my dad when I was five. It’s normal that I don’t know many words. But my dad taught me two words: have shame. Do things with a clear conscience, and walk this earth with a human face. Otherwise, you’re just an animal.”

He was the king of backhanded compliments.

Lin Ganzhi couldn’t help but turn his face away, his shoulders shaking uncontrollably. Don’t say anymore, don’t say anymore. I’ll die of social embarrassment if I laugh out loud.

Zhong Jingyi’s tears were about to be scolded out of him.

“Ganzhi, why are you shaking?” Wenren Yi, the big oaf, had a strange light in her eyes.

The gazes of more than half the people focused on Lin Ganzhi. He coughed, quickly composing his twitching body. Years of acting training allowed him to suppress his glee at the drama. “It’s a little cold.”

It’s a little cold in thirty-nine-degree weather.

Zhong Jingyi: I’ll cold your grandpa!

In the end, it was Fan Feimiao who couldn’t hold back his temper first. “Don’t take advantage of Jingyi’s good temper to slander him like this! Everyone knows it was his brother who targeted Jingyi time and time again first!”

With someone giving him a way out, Zhong Jingyi finally couldn’t hold back his tears and started crying.

Luan Yuanzhou quickly hugged Zhong Jingyi. “The Luan family won’t let an outsider bully one of our own! If you have the guts, tell me your company’s name!”

As Luan Yuanzhou spoke, the atmosphere grew tense. Lin Ganzhi felt a little anxious for this big brother. The Luan family’s company was indeed a force to be reckoned with. Just as he was trying to think of a way to help him out,

“Mine’s huge. I’m afraid you’d lose all self-respect if I showed you.”

“You!” Luan Yuanzhou almost lunged at him.

But the rich man stood up straight, showing no fear at all. Lin Ganzhi wanted to give him a seal-like applause from behind.

In the end, it was Bi Wu who stepped in to mediate. “Everyone, my wife’s condition really requires a hospital check-up. Can we please put this matter on hold for my sake?”

Qi Lan coughed at the right moment.

Zhong Jingyi quickly gave Luan Yuanzhou a gentle tug. Qi Lan was a senior in the industry and had some background. His career was on the rise, so there was no need to offend her. But this man in front of him… he would not let this go!

“See, if certain people hadn’t come over, we would have already taken off,” the rich man said pointedly.

Zhong Jingyi’s face turned pale and then dark.

“Big brother, you might be cold because you’re catching a cold. Just throw your luggage on board, it’s not overweight. I have a few other planes, so don’t worry about scratching it. Relax, I have plenty of money! See these combat boots?” The rich man lifted his foot, showing off a pair of somewhat old black flip-flops, and raised an eyebrow. “Two hundred thousand!”

Damn!

In the end, Lin Ganzhi gleefully boarded the helicopter with his oversized luggage. It was his first time on a helicopter, and he couldn’t resist taking a picture. The azure sky, a jailbird-animal flying past, and the sparkling sea in the distance.

Lin Ganzhi was overcome with the desire to share. He scrolled through his WeChat, stopping at Yan Shengping’s profile picture. The novel’s description of Yan Shengping suggested that he had never enjoyed life for himself. He had received an elite education since childhood, studied, worked, until he was defeated by the protagonist group. Had he ever taken a day for himself to see the world…

There shouldn’t be anything wrong with a married couple sharing photos, right?

As Lin Ganzhi hesitated, Wenren Yi patted his shoulder. His hand slipped, and the photo was sent.

Lin Ganzhi quickly put down his phone, his fingertips trembling slightly. He didn’t dare to look at it.

As the helicopter took off, Lin Ganzhi vaguely saw the deep resentment on Zhong Jingyi’s face. A great sense of satisfaction filled his heart. He would tell Yan Shengping about this when he got back, so they could both be happy.

Zhong Jingyi watched until the helicopter was just a black dot in the sky before retracting his gaze.

Zhuang Wenduan stepped forward and patted Zhong Jingyi’s shoulder.

Sensing Luan Yuanzhou’s murderous glare, he shrugged and pulled his hand back. “Jingyi, if you ever want to switch husbands, just let me know.”

“Hmph, in your dreams!” Luan Yuanzhou possessively pulled Zhong Jingyi closer to him.

The feeling of being the center of attention returned, and Zhong Jingyi’s expression finally improved. He shyly pushed Luan Yuanzhou away and then looked at Zhuang Wenduan, who had a lazy, playful expression.

Zhuang Wenduan was a genius director in the industry. Every movie he directed made its lead actor a star. But he had never cast the same actor as his lead twice, including himself.

This was the second reason he had participated in this crappy variety show. He had been so angry these past few days that he had almost forgotten his real purpose.

“Wenduan, I hear you’re looking for someone for your new movie?” Zhong Jingyi asked, looking at Zhuang Wenduan with innocent eyes.

Zhuang Wenduan’s smile faded a little. “Jingyi, your sources are as sharp as ever. You already know about something that’s just a seedling of an idea.”

Zhong Jingyi paused, immediately understanding the hidden meaning.

“Alright, when will you ever get over your habit of teasing people?” Luan Yuanzhou reprimanded his so-called childhood friend.

This time, Zhuang Wenduan’s smile truly faded. He was a very casual person. Apart from movies, nothing else was a big deal to him. He wasn’t interested, and it wasn’t that important. For his last movie, Zhong Jingyi had been semi-forced upon him. He had seen Zhong Jingyi’s hard work, but it wasn’t enough to make him the permanent lead in his films.

“Mm, I haven’t found anyone yet,” Zhuang Wenduan answered decisively.

Zhong Jingyi completely lost the mood to stay on this show.

On the plane, Wenren Yi was extremely interested in the rich man. “Rich guy, can I add you on WeChat?”

The rich man sitting in the co-pilot’s seat snorted coolly. “When you’ve developed the resolve to join the sea, then you can add me on WeChat.”

? He’s a chuunibyou too?

Wenren Yi, with her strange sense of humor, burst out laughing. “Alright, I’ll work hard on joining the sea first, cough cough cough!” Halfway through her laugh, Wenren started coughing. Que Jin, sitting next to her, quickly patted her back, looking very wifely.

Qi Lan was resting on her seat. Bi Wu, beside her, was carefully observing Lin Ganzhi. Lin Ganzhi’s natural looks were considered upper-tier in the current entertainment industry, and his skin condition was top-notch. The kid’s temperament and everything else were good. If he had some opportunities, he might not necessarily fail to become popular.

“Ganzhi, I have a few TV series resources on hand. Are you interested?”

Lin Ganzhi was stunned. He used to run himself ragged looking for resources, and now, just for saving someone, resources were being fed to him on a silver platter. He didn’t know whether to call it a turn of fortune or a strong, unsettling feeling of weightlessness.

After thinking for three seconds, Lin Ganzhi still shook his head.

This time, even Que Jin was surprised. Someone actually didn’t want resources from such a heavyweight Film Emperor? “Ganzhi, are you sure you don’t want to reconsider?”

Lin Ganzhi shook his head. “After this variety show, I’ll probably stay at home for a while. My husband’s health is very poor right now, and he needs me to take care of him.”

Now it was Qi Lan and Bi Wu’s turn to be surprised. It was obvious to any discerning person that Lin Ganzhi had been tricked in this marriage. Instead of rushing to escape, he was willingly taking care of that man who had been so heavily criticized?

“Ganzhi, I know young people have their own ideas. I don’t need an immediate answer from you on this matter, but I want to remind you that youth only lasts for a few years. For you, this is the golden period of your career,” Bi Wu said earnestly, hinting without explicitly stating it.

The man in the co-pilot’s seat stopped his exaggerated performance for a moment, waiting for Lin Ganzhi’s answer.

“I know, that’s why I have to do what I won’t regret the most. He needs me now, so I have to be with him. He has been slandered by too many people and has lost a lot. I don’t want him to walk alone anymore.” A job with a monthly salary of a million. Hesitating for even a second would be disrespectful to the boss. Besides, he wasn’t ready to act yet, nor was he sure if he truly loved it.

Bi Wu was not an insider, so he couldn’t judge Yan Shengping. But for Lin Ganzhi to defend someone like that, they would be influenced to some extent, and their opinion of Yan Shengping would change. Because no matter what, the fact that Yan Shengping was a genius was indisputable.

“Alright, I respect your decision.”

Lin Ganzhi nodded like a chick pecking at grain and took out his little notebook from his bag. “I’d like to ask if you know any experts in stomach health? In traditional Chinese medicine.”

“Cough cough cough cough cough!” The rich man in the co-pilot’s seat coughed violently. If CEO Yan heard about this, would he kill him to silence him?

Bi Wu was stunned for a moment, then smiled. In the adult world, everyone has their own hardships. “I haven’t had any contact with that for now, but I’ll help you ask around when I get back.”

Lin Ganzhi nodded happily.

Wenren Yi tried hard to hold back her laughter, while Que Jin awkwardly turned her head away.

When they arrived in the city, Bi Wu took Qi Lan to the hospital, and Lin Ganzhi and the others bid farewell to the rich man and went straight to the airport.

At three in the afternoon, they finally returned to their city. Lin Ganzhi carried his gifts and rushed home without stopping.

When he finally saw his little villa, the heart that had been hanging in suspense finally settled. For some reason, he really wanted to see Yan Shengping right now.

“Uncle Yan! I’m back!” When Lin Ganzhi dragged his luggage out of the car, the driver’s indescribable expression was unforgettable.

Uncle Yan heard his voice and quickly came to open the door to welcome him. Seeing Lin Ganzhi standing in front of him safe and sound, he quickly reached out and patted Lin Ganzhi’s fluffy head. “Oh my, it’s good that you’re okay. You scared Uncle Yan to death, you child.”

On the way, Que Jin had also told him what happened. Lin Ganzhi stepped forward and hugged Uncle Yan. “Uncle Yan, it’s okay. I’m an amazing swimmer!”

Just as Lin Ganzhi was about to pull his luggage in, Uncle Yan rushed to do it for him. Seeing Uncle Yan easily lift the bag that he had struggled to drag from the main road to the front door for a full three minutes, Lin Ganzhi felt a faint sense of inferiority for being such a weakling.

“Did Ganzhi bring back all the fruits he picked? Oh, and there are shells too!” Uncle Yan looked at the contents of the bag without a hint of disdain, as if he were on a treasure hunt.

Just as Lin Ganzhi was about to proudly introduce his haul, he looked up and saw Yan Shengping, who shouldn’t have been in the living room at this time.

Handsome people are just different. Even simply crossing his legs and reading a newspaper looked better than most people. At a glance, it was like a fashion magazine cover. Under his dark hemp-colored coat, two long, slender legs were crossed. His cold, fair skin seemed to glow at the edges. When he looked up, his eyes were still sharp, even a little piercing?

Hm? Is the boss unhappy?

“Shengping, I’m back~” Lin Ganzhi quickly scurried over, his eyes shining brightly.

Yan Shengping slowly lowered the newspaper, a cold light in his eyes. “Is there nothing else you have to say?”

If Lin Ganzhi glossed over the rescue, he would… skip dinner!

Lin Ganzhi’s eyes flickered. “I saved a sister this morning, and it was super awesome!” Lin Ganzhi revealed a standard eight-toothed grin.

…

It would have been better if he hadn’t said anything. Hearing it made him even angrier.