Chapter 25: Meng Yi Shows His True Colors
“Wait.” Han Cheng called out to the girl. The old man turned back, about to yell again, but Han Cheng spoke first to the girl. “You’re Meng Yi’s fan?”
The girl glanced at Meng Yi on the bed, his face cold, and shook her head. “Not anymore. From now on, I’m an anti-fan.”
“Then stay and listen. If you’re going to hate on him in the future, you should at least know how.”
“No staying. My granddaughter isn’t chasing stars, and she’s not becoming an anti-fan either,” the old man said, tugging at her to leave.
But the girl shook off his hand. “I want to stay. I want to listen.”
The old man glared. Han Cheng spoke first. “Sir, you just said he bullied your granddaughter. Don’t you want her to personally get justice for that?”
“What if you all gang up on my granddaughter?”
“Don’t worry. I guarantee your granddaughter will leave here safe and sound.”
“Grandpa, this is a hospital. Nothing will happen to me.”
In the end, persuaded by Director Wang and his granddaughter, the old man left. Secretary Liu locked the door, cutting off the curious onlookers outside.
Tao Ran’s father was impatient and got straight to the point. “Meng Yi, why did you frame Mr. Jiang Yu?”
Meng Yi was taken aback by the question and frowned slightly at the six strangers in front of him. “Who are you?”
“My daughter is your fan. Because of you, she went and beat up Jiang Yu. Now her leg is broken because of you, and the school expelled her over this. Jiang Yu said that as long as you explain why you harmed him, he’ll let my daughter go and allow her to return to school.
My daughter was expelled because of you. If you still have even a shred of conscience, hurry up and say why you harmed Jiang Yu. Don’t keep ruining my daughter’s life.” Wang Qianqian’s mother suddenly rushed forward, grabbing Meng Yi by the collar and crying hysterically.
Because of this, their whole family hadn’t been able to eat or sleep for days. Her daughter was only seventeen—she couldn’t have her entire life ruined over some celebrity. They were also afraid that Han Cheng still wouldn’t be satisfied and might retaliate against their family in other ways.
As Wang Qianqian’s mother yanked at him, Meng Yi felt as if his waist had been broken all over again. Yet no one stepped forward to pull the crazed woman off him.
Frowning slightly, Meng Yi saved himself. To maintain his figure, he worked out regularly; the muscles in his arms were well defined, and his grip was strong.
Though his waist was injured, his hands were fine. He grabbed Wang Qianqian’s wrists with both hands, using all his strength. She cried out in pain and immediately let go of his collar.
He then slapped her shoulder hard. Caught off guard, the woman fell heavily to the floor, landing against Wang Qianqian.
Meng Yi wiped his hands on the thin summer blanket with evident disgust. Seeing Wang Qianqian supporting her mother and glaring angrily at him, Meng Yi sneered contemptuously and said, “So you’re the culprit who beat up Jiang Yu? Thanks for venting my anger for me. I’d wanted to beat him up for a long time.
But that was your own decision. You bear the consequences yourselves. If you want to pin it on me, why don’t you ask the police whether they agree?
President Han, if you want to know why I framed Jiang Yu, then have Jiang Yu come ask me himself. Bringing so many people to bully someone who can’t even move—is he showing off how capable he is?”
“He really does have the ability to bully you. Jealous?” Han Cheng had also read Wang Huan’s report. The word “jealousy” really could drive people to do many irrational things.
But thinking about how down-and-out Jiang Yu was in the entertainment industry, practically nonexistent, Han Cheng couldn’t understand what Meng Yi had to be jealous of.
“Of course I’m jealous. Otherwise, why would I mess with him?” Meng Yi looked at Han Cheng, his eyes suddenly filled with deep affection and sorrow.
“Jiang Yu is inferior to you in every way. What is there to be jealous of? If you don’t want to say the reason, then don’t. There’s no need to make up a lie.”
Han Cheng looked at Meng Yi with a cold smile. Even at a time like this, he was still acting—and trying to seduce him? He’d seen plenty of fake affection before. He didn’t care for just anyone’s.
Sensing Han Cheng’s disdain, Meng Yi seemed tired. He closed his eyes and smiled faintly. “I’ll say it again—let Jiang Yu come to me himself.”
Han Cheng frowned; his patience was nearly gone.
Suddenly, Han Cheng was shoved violently to the side, crashing into the bedside cabinet and briefly experiencing what it felt like to have an injured waist.
Liu Yong broke out in a cold sweat, rushing forward to steady Han Cheng, and looked at the agitated Wang Qianqian with sympathy in his eyes.
This girl was really reckless—actually daring to crash head-on into a real tiger that was obviously holding back its fury.
“Meng Yi, what do you mean by that? Did you really frame Jiang Yu? Were all those rumors online about Jiang Yu bullying you something you orchestrated?”
Wang Qianqian looked as if she had suffered a devastating blow, even more unhinged than her mother.
Her idol was the bad guy? The righteous act she believed she was doing—standing up for her idol—had actually been a sneak attack on the real victim?
How was that possible? Her idol couldn’t be that kind of person. Her idol was supposed to be polite, talented, and a model young man officially recognized by the state.
No wonder Jiang Yu had told her to come see what kind of person Meng Yi really was. Could this be Meng Yi’s true face?
No. She didn’t believe it. She refused to accept it.
“It was me,” Meng Yi said smugly, his grin infuriating. “I should even thank fans like you. I read all the insults you hurled at Jiang Yu, and I was very satisfied.”
Meng Yi’s admission completely broke Wang Qianqian. That petty, self-satisfied expression drove her over the edge.
“How could you do this? How could you be this kind of person?!
I’ve liked you since your debut—I followed you for four years! If anyone said even one bad word about you, I’d gather people and go after them.
For you, I cursed people online, fought people in real life, and even neglected my studies just to watch your videos and boost your rankings.
This time too, it was for you—I took my classmates to teach Jiang Yu a lesson for bullying you. And it turns out we beat up the wrong person!
If it were someone else framing Jiang Yu, we might have nothing to say. But this was you!
How could you do something so underhanded?!
You were supposed to be kind, polite, talented—a good person the country even invited to sing promotional songs.
How could you frame someone? How could you?!
My classmates were dragged down by me—expelled from school, one of them even lost a leg. I get gossiped about by the neighbors every day, and now I don’t even dare leave the house. And the real culprit is you! You! Do you have any conscience at all, you bastard?!”
The more Wang Qianqian spoke, the more worked up she became. In the end, she swung her hand and slapped Meng Yi hard across the face.
The loud smack instantly silenced the ward. Wang Qianqian herself was startled and finally calmed down a little.
She had used all her strength. A thin line of blood immediately appeared at the corner of Meng Yi’s mouth.
His left cheek swelled up on the spot, a vivid handprint clearly visible—just looking at it hurt.
“Heh… heh… hahahahaha!” Meng Yi suddenly burst into laughter, louder and louder.
Turning back to Wang Qianqian, the capillaries in his left eye had burst as well, bloodshot red. Paired with his manic laughter, his terrifying expression made Wang Qianqian retreat several steps.
Did I ask you to like me? Did I ask you to boost my rankings? Did I ask you to curse people for me? Did I ask you to beat people for me? Wasn’t it your own choice to grovel at my feet? Chasing idols until you lose your mind—isn’t that your own problem?
“Fine, don’t you all want to know why I framed Jiang Yu? Then I won’t say it.
Jiang Yu sent you here, didn’t he? You can go back right now and tell him—if he wants to know, he can come ask me himself.
What kind of rich young master is he? He’s nothing but a toy people can knead however they like. Even with someone backing him, he’s still doing terribly. Without anyone supporting him, he’s nothing. How is he better than me? In what way is he better than me?”
Meng Yi wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and looked at Han Cheng.
“So you really don’t want to say?” Han Cheng asked coldly.
Meng Yi sneered. “What else does President Han want to do to punish me? Go ahead. I’m already a dead pig that’s not afraid of boiling water. I’ll take whatever you throw at me.”
Han Cheng frowned at him for a moment. Once he was sure Meng Yi was determined not to speak, Han Cheng didn’t waste any more time and turned to leave.
“President Han, President Han, we really tried. He just wouldn’t talk. President Han, please let us go, President Han…” Tao Ran’s father followed after Han Cheng, crying and begging.
Tao Ran’s mother dragged the dazed Tao Ran after them. Wang Qianqian still wanted to question Meng Yi, but her parents pulled her away. This madman was nothing compared to Han Cheng.
Watching Han Cheng’s resolute retreating figure, Meng Yi finally lost control and burst into tears.
He quickly covered his eyes with both hands. His face hurt too much—it had to be the pain in his face that made him cry.
Inside the ward, the old man’s granddaughter sat on his bed, completely stunned. She seemed to have heard far too many shocking things today.
Ignoring Tao Ran’s father’s incessant pleading behind him, Han Cheng glanced at the crowded onlookers in the corridor—almost everyone was holding up a phone.
He quietly instructed Liu Yong, “What happened today is not allowed to spread online. Suppress it.”
“Yes.”
The group returned to Jiang Yu’s ward, with Tao Ran’s father still pleading nonstop.
Han Cheng turned back and shot him a glare. Tao Ran’s father forced a fawning smile and finally shut up.
At last, it was quiet. Han Cheng looked at the bewildered Jiang Yu and said, “They didn’t manage to ask anything out of him. You don’t need to worry about Meng Yi anymore—I’ll make him talk.”
Han Cheng’s face was dark. He was just a minor celebrity—he didn’t believe he couldn’t deal with him.
“Mr. Jiang Yu, it’s not that we didn’t try. It’s that Meng Yi refused to speak. He said if you want to know, you can go ask him yourself. Mr. Jiang Yu…” Tao Ran’s father, seeing the mission fail and his son’s return to school in jeopardy, hurried to explain to Jiang Yu.
Han Cheng cut him off. “Shut up.”
Han Cheng didn’t want Jiang Yu to meet Meng Yi. Meng Yi was unstable now, capable of anything. With Jiang Yu’s bad back, if things turned physical, Jiang Yu might not be able to beat him.
“President Han, this really has nothing to do with us. It was Meng Yi who refused to talk,” Tao Ran’s father said, clearly not in a good mental state either, eyes bloodshot, desperately trying to explain, waving his hands restlessly and darting his gaze between Han Cheng and Jiang Yu.
Suddenly, Tao Ran’s father’s eyes locked onto Jiang Yu. He lunged toward Jiang Yu’s bedside, startling everyone in the room.
Without a second thought, Han Cheng lunged forward and threw himself over Jiang Yu, shielding him tightly.
But Tao Ran’s father dropped to his knees with a thud by Jiang Yu’s bedside and started kowtowing again, his head hitting the floor over and over.
