Chapter 17: So This Is the Truth
“When did you call me yesterday?” Han Cheng took out his phone and searched through the call records.
“Around nine in the morning.”
“There’s nothing.”
“Could it have been deleted?”
“Possible.”
Han Cheng opened WeChat and found his chat window with Jiang Yu. For the past two days, he’d been checking WeChat constantly, waiting for Jiang Yu to ask him for help.
He sent Jiang Yu a simple “Ah.” WeChat prompted that he and Jiang Yu weren’t friends. Han Cheng’s expression darkened.
He snatched Jiang Yu’s phone and called himself from it, but Jiang Yu’s end played a message saying the number was temporarily unreachable—despite the phone being perfectly fine in his hand.
Han Cheng searched his own phone for a while and found Jiang Yu’s number in the call-forwarding settings.
Han Cheng’s face darkened further.
Then Han Cheng used Jiang Yu’s phone to send a text to himself. The message went through, but after waiting a while, his phone still didn’t react.
As expected, Han Cheng found the message in his blocked SMS list—and Jiang Yu’s number was there as well.
Han Cheng’s face was now pitch-black.
His childhood friend really knew his way around phones. He’d blocked every possible channel Jiang Yu could use to reach him. No wonder he hadn’t received Jiang Yu’s plea for help.
Thinking about it now, Ji Xu dragging him out drinking, not throwing up at night but vomiting all over himself the next morning—it had all been premeditated.
“Ji Xu got drunk yesterday and threw up all over me, so I went to the bathroom to clean up. I only took off my coat—I wasn’t taking a shower.”
Han Cheng removed Jiang Yu’s number from call forwarding and the SMS blacklist, then re-added him on WeChat, explaining seriously to Jiang Yu.
“Oh.” Jiang Yu took back his phone, stuffed it under the pillow, and pressed down on it tightly.
“He deleted your phone number and WeChat while I was cleaning up his vomit in the bathroom. I couldn’t receive any of your messages.”
“Oh. He’s really smart. I don’t even know how to do that stuff,” Jiang Yu said with a forced smile, praising someone’s “white moonlight.”
“Are you angry? I didn’t intentionally refuse to help you. I’ve been waiting yesterday and today for you to come to me.”
“I’m not angry. I just made one phone call and didn’t contact you again after that. I didn’t know your phone couldn’t receive my messages. It was all a misunderstanding. Once Meng Yi speaks up for me, it’ll be fine—there’s no need to bother you.”
Jiang Yu fought the urge to roll his eyes. Was this bastard being tsundere? Did he need to be begged before he’d help?
“You used to come to me even when you were bullied just a little, asking me to get revenge for you.”
“When I was younger, I was melodramatic and impulsive,” Jiang Yu snorted despite himself.
Back then, he hadn’t known how cold-blooded this bastard was and thought he’d found true love. Of course he’d act spoiled and ask his lover for revenge—but with a boss, not causing trouble was the lesson he’d learned over four years.
“You’re only twenty-six—you’re still young. I like it when you’re impulsive.”
Han Cheng suddenly leaned over Jiang Yu, face to face, close enough to feel each other’s breath. His eyes were locked onto Jiang Yu’s, dark irises full of expectation, gleaming like a big wolfdog begging for food.
But Jiang Yu’s whole body instantly stiffened. This was clearly a wolf that ate flesh and left no bones, yet it insisted on pretending to be a big puppy like the youngsters. Not only was it not cute—it was downright creepy.
Those wolfish hands were also wandering restlessly over Jiang Yu’s body. Jiang Yu stiffened even more—his waist still hurt. Surely this bastard wasn’t thinking of doing something now…
“What are you thinking?” Han Cheng suddenly dropped the act in disappointment, sighed, and pinched Jiang Yu’s cheeks, pulling them outward. Jiang Yu immediately felt like he was about to be murdered.
Bastard—why are you using so much force?
“Ah, honestly, there’s nothing I can do with you.” Han Cheng sighed again, rubbing Jiang Yu’s cheeks. “Focus on recovering. Leave this matter to me.”
Aunt Chen arrived just in time with the examination results, saving Jiang Yu’s cheeks.
Jiang Yu had once fractured his lumbar spine. Because it hadn’t healed properly, it left behind lasting aftereffects.
Although the boy had only kicked him twice, the kicks landed right on the misaligned vertebrae, causing tiny cracks. This time, he would need a long period of rest.
After seeing the results, Han Cheng left. Jiang Yu received a painkiller injection and slept for a while. When he woke up, the IV drip had already finished, and Aunt Chen had been keeping watch.
As soon as Jiang Yu woke up, Aunt Chen happily said to him, “Mr. Jiang, those two kids who attacked you have been caught. Their parents want to come see you. Mr. Han asked me to ask you whether you want to meet them.”
“No.” Jiang Yu didn’t consider that good news at all. “Let Han Cheng handle it himself.”
“Aunt Chen, I’m hungry. What time is it now?”
“It’s four in the afternoon. What would you like to eat? I’ll go make it for you.”
“Shrimp wontons.” Jiang Yu thought for a moment—he felt a little homesick.
“I’ll go buy shrimp.”
“No need to cook, Aunt Chen. Just order some takeout—I’m hungry.”
“Alright. We’ll get takeout tonight. I’ll also buy some groceries and cook for you tomorrow. You can’t eat takeout all the time.”
“Okay.”
Aunt Chen carried her bags to the ward door, then suddenly turned back to Jiang Yu and said, “Mr. Jiang, there’s a lot of good news online. You can check the trending topics.”
Jiang Yu watched Aunt Chen leave, took the phone from under his pillow, and opened the trending list.
Trending #1: Wang Hao’s film trial shoot concludes; eight actors cut—Meng Yi the biggest name among them.
Trending #2: Meng Yi refuses to respond to why he was cut by Director Wang.
Trending #3: Meng Yi says he and Jiang Yu have been good friends for four years. Jiang Yu’s waist injury is four years old, and Jiang Yu did not bully him.
Trending #4: Meng Yi condemns unethical media for spreading rumors; Han Entertainment sues Qingluan News and thirteen other rumor-spreading outlets.
Trending #5: Meng Yi’s fans apologize to Jiang Yu.
Trending #6: The entire internet apologizes to Jiang Yu, including the thirteen media outlets sued by Han Entertainment.
Trending #7: Ji Xu and President Han enjoy a sweet dinner together.
At a glance, most of the top trending topics were about Meng Yi, both good and bad. Jiang Yu was surprised that Meng Yi had been cut by Wang Hao.
Back then, Meng Yi had paid a huge price to secure the second male lead role. Zhuang Feng’s perverse methods were not something as simple as spending one night could cover.
That kid must be devastated after being cut—and yet he hadn’t forgotten to help clarify the rumors for Jiang Yu. After thinking it over, Jiang Yu called Sister Bai.
This time, Sister Bai’s call finally went through. “Hello, this is Bai Ling from Han Entertainment. May I ask who’s calling?”
So polite? Jiang Yu was taken aback. Had Sister Bai not saved his number?
“Sister Bai, it’s me—Jiang Yu. What new gimmick are you pulling now?”
“Oh, Jiang Yu.” Upon hearing Jiang Yu’s voice, Sister Bai’s refined, commanding tone instantly turned into a rough, no-nonsense one.
“I lost my phone and got a new one, along with a replacement SIM card. All my contacts are gone, and I’m busy tracking down old numbers.
There are a few people I can’t find—you should have their numbers. I’ll send you a list on WeChat later; send me their contact info.
I was just released from Wang Hao’s set. I only just got the replacement SIM card, and I haven’t even logged into WeChat yet. I only just learned about your situation—sorry for letting you be misunderstood for so long.”
“It’s fine. You and Meng Yi already helped clarify things.” Jiang Yu paused, then asked, “Sister Bai, what’s going on with Meng Yi? Why was he cut by Director Wang?”
“Don’t mention him. He deserved it.” Sister Bai suddenly flared up, her resentment obvious.
Jiang Yu was stunned again. It had only been two days—how did it feel like so much had happened?
“What happened, Sister Bai? How did Meng Yi make you this angry?”
There was silence on the other end. If Jiang Yu couldn’t hear Sister Bai’s heavy breathing from anger, he would have thought she’d hung up.
“Sister Bai?” Jiang Yu tried again.
“It’s fine to tell you. Jiang Yu, just don’t get angry when you hear this.”
“I won’t. Go ahead.”
“The cyber-bullying and misunderstanding you went through this time were actually all Meng Yi’s doing.
Before entering the production for the trial shoot, he bought bot accounts to hype the topic of you bullying him on Leisure Life. When we entered the production, he secretly threw away my phone, cutting me off from the outside world.
Wang Hao wouldn’t let me leave—leaving would count as breach of contract and I’d have to pay liquidated damages. So I was trapped on set for two days.
If President Han hadn’t personally gone to the set yesterday and dragged both Meng Yi and me out, I wouldn’t have known this kid had done so much behind my back.
That little bastard got me chewed out by President Han and even cost me a huge fine.
Meng Yi’s role was cut by President Han. He’s basically been half–blacklisted now.
Doesn’t he like sleeping his way to resources? From now on, even if he wants to sing a single song, he’ll have to spend a night with some boss to get the chance. If he doesn’t, he’ll never step onto a stage again.
I won’t represent him anymore either. Over the next few days, I’ll be scouting a new artist to start from scratch. Of course, I’ll still be managing you.
Focus on recovering. Once you’re healed, whether you want to sing or act, just come find me.”
Sister Bai truly never failed to drop bombshells. Jiang Yu stared at the ceiling in shock, not even sure what he was feeling anymore.
His mind blanked out for a long time before he could only manage one thought:
Between people… can there really not be just a little more sincerity?
