T/N: In chapter 95, there’s a character named “Abota”. I changed it to a proper western name now, which is “Albert”. I have edited the previous chapters, but this is a heads-up if you have read ch 95 before the edit.
Song Tianlang looked around, growing a little anxious.
In a place like this, being accused of theft should have meant security coming over and taking Lin Zhu away immediately.
As long as someone took Lin Zhu away, that would be enough. He wouldn’t be able to interfere here anymore. Song Tianlang could first attend the networking event, win over the production team, and later brush it off as a false alarm…
He racked his brains, trying to think of something he could plant on Lin Zhu. But when he noticed the undisguised mockery on the guards’ faces, panic suddenly rose in his chest, along with an ominous premonition.
Lin Zhu stood still for a moment, then walked back toward him.
“What are you trying to do? This is America, you can’t—”
Song Tianlang’s new agent had witnessed Lin Zhu smashing the Huaying building. He stepped forward to block him, but Lin Zhu grabbed his wrist, yanked him forward, and drove his knee mercilessly into his chest.
The agent let out a muffled groan and crouched down in pain.
Song Tianlang turned deathly pale. “L-Lin Zhu… you’re Zhong Yao’s agent. Out here, you represent him, you can’t act recklessly…”
“Then I’ll take a leave first. I’ll be back to being his agent in a bit.”
Unhurried, Lin Zhu casually removed his neatly tailored suit jacket with the name badge and tossed it to the approaching guard.
The guard caught it, stepped aside, and stood at attention without looking sideways.
Song Tianlang’s expression completely changed. Before he could react, Lin Zhu had already hooked an arm over his shoulder, twisted his arm, tripped him, and slammed him hard onto the ground.
A sharp wave of pain shot through Song Tianlang. He almost screamed, but Lin Zhu pressed down on his back, forcing the pain so intensely that he couldn’t even make a sound. Cold sweat streamed down his temples.
“Stealing? You think too little of me.”
Lin Zhu narrowed his eyes, suppressing the surge of hostility stirred by those words, echoes of his younger days. He then twisted Song Tianlang’s arm further upward.
He had been restraining himself for quite a long time, trying to behave as a proper agent and follow the industry’s rules…
“S-sorry, I didn’t mean it…”
Terrified, Song Tianlang trembled uncontrollably, nearly crying from the pain.
His shoulder felt like it was being torn apart. Gasping, he struggled to apologize, “I won’t compete anymore! Please, please let me go—”
Lin Zhu looked far too harmless at first glance. Song Tianlang had always thought the rumors about him in the Huaying circle were exaggerated, but he never expected Zhong Yao’s refined-looking agent to strike directly, and with such ruthless efficiency.
Moreover… though he didn’t fully understand what was going on, the guards were clearly on Lin Zhu’s side. There was no way they would step in to help.
Too frightened to even call for help, Song Tianlang shut his eyes tightly, bracing for more. But the intense pain twisting his shoulder suddenly eased.
Panting, he turned his head with difficulty.
Lin Zhu’s expression was icy. He released his grip on Song Tianlang’s arm, still pinning him down with one knee against his back, leaning slightly forward.
“The things I want… I usually just take them.”
A chill shot through Song Tianlang. Before he could respond, Lin Zhu casually shoved him aside and slowly stood up.
Even after the brief scuffle, his breathing remained steady. His face hadn’t even flushed.
Lowering his gaze, Lin Zhu calmly straightened his cuffs and looked coldly at Song Tianlang and his agent struggling to help each other up.
“No manners. Is this how Zhong Yao taught you?!”
Song Tianlang’s agent, grimacing in pain as he rubbed his chest, snapped, “You’re nothing but a bandit! You—”
Lin Zhu raised an eyebrow, faintly amused. “I smashed your building months ago. And you’re only realizing now?”
The agent choked on his words, unable to respond.
Lin Zhu took back his coat, put it on meticulously, and smiled faintly. “I was never a good person to begin with. I’ve only been trying to behave because I wanted him to praise me…”
He wanted Zhong Yao to be happy, so he kept doing things that would make him happy.
But the two people in front of him… using only “acceptable” methods really wasn’t enough to vent his anger.
Letting out a soft breath, Lin Zhu pushed aside the heavy memories, flexed his wrist — which ached slightly from exertion — and took a step forward.
Song Tianlang and his agent were already terrified of him. Their faces, which had just regained a bit of color, turned pale again as they stumbled backward.
Buttoning the last button, Lin Zhu sighed lightly, bored, and adjusted his collar. “Don’t worry. When I’m acting as an agent, I usually don’t resort to violence.”
He bent down and picked up the file. “As an individual, I’ve already vented my anger. Now it’s time for me, as an agent, to deal with you properly…”
“You won’t be able to return to the country now. What will you do?”
He waved the file lightly. “Mr. Song, are you still planning to compete with Zhong-laoshi for this role?”
Song Tianlang flushed red, not daring to look up, retreating desperately.
Having already seen the solid evidence in the file, his agent didn’t dare speak up. His voice hoarse, he said, “Don’t get too arrogant. What you just did was assault! We’ll take legal action against you…”
They couldn’t hold their ground back home anymore. At the very least, they had to fight for this last opportunity.
The agent was about to press further, hoping to at least get Lin Zhu extradited back to the country. But from the corner of his eye, he spotted someone. His gaze lit up as he hurriedly pulled Song Tianlang. “Quick, it’s that producer!”
The agent immediately put on a smile and stepped forward to greet him, only to watch as the producer walked right past him and headed straight toward Lin Zhu.
“I only had an extra drink with the director and arrived a bit late. Now what should we do?”
The producer sighed lightly, draped an arm around Lin Zhu’s back, pulled him closer, and brushed dust off him with care, half-joking, “Young Master, I originally just wanted to help you put on a show and scare him. But now it seems I might have to go to the police station and testify to your innocence.”
Lin Zhu glanced at him and couldn’t help curling his lips. “When you were hiding by the wall just now, your coat corner was sticking out.”
“Perhaps I was too absorbed,” the producer sighed. “Such a wonderful action scene. You Chinese all seem to know martial arts…”
He quickly changed his tone, shrugging. “Unfortunately, I didn’t see anything. Otherwise, I’d definitely suggest to the director that we film a proper action scene for a handsome Chinese boy.”
The producer blatantly lied with a straight face, yet no one dared to contradict him. The matter was clearly going to be smoothed over just like that.
Song Tianlang panicked and tried to step forward, only to be quickly pulled back by his agent.
“Do you need my help to throw these two real thieves and bandits out right now?”
The producer had watched everything from the corner earlier. Dropping his teasing tone, his expression turned cold. “Or… would you prefer to let your sweetheart take revenge personally?”
Lin Zhu had only just told him today about the hardships of his childhood, about how he had never resorted to stealing or petty theft. The pride in the boy’s eyes back then had been shining.
In such helpless circumstances, even if someone did something wrong just to survive, as long as the consequences weren’t severe, they should still be given a chance to make amends. Not to mention being able to maintain integrity in a situation like that.
To come through that kind of environment without going down another path required extremely strong self-control.
For these two people to use that against him, getting beaten up like this was honestly letting them off too lightly.
Lin Zhu was just about to speak when the way he addressed Zhong Yao pricked something in him. His chest suddenly softened, his ears warming slightly, and the imposing aura around him quietly dissipated.
Lin Zhu: “……”
He scratched his ear twice and coughed lightly. “No need. Just wait until Zhong-laoshi arrives.”
The producer seemed to notice something interesting. Raising an eyebrow, he circled Lin Zhu curiously. “Did I say something wrong?”
Lin Zhu denied it quickly. “No, no!”
Why do Americans have this habit of saying “sweetheart”…
Why does it sound so nice?
Lin Zhu’s heart started beating a little faster. He couldn’t help zoning out for a moment, wondering if Zhong Yao had ever used that kind of term here.
Then the image was instantly crushed by Zhong Yao’s serious demeanor.
…Probably not.
With Zhong Yao’s personality, not to mention calling someone that, even if someone called him that, they’d probably get a lecture on traditional values.
Lin Zhu pressed his lips together, suppressing the untimely thoughts, and glanced back. “If we kick them out now, once they return to the country, they’ll just say they were squeezed out by Zhong-laoshi and lost the opportunity because of shady manipulation.”
He smiled faintly. “No matter how capable I am, I can’t stop them from sitting on the ground crying and clinging to someone’s leg, begging for sympathy.”
Song Tianlang, still dazed, felt a faint glimmer of hope upon hearing his voice and looked up.
Lin Zhu said, “I’ll need your help with something—please don’t tell Director Marlen and the others about what happened today.”
The producer crossed his arms, raised his brows, and nodded. “Alright.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t deny you the chance to audition.”
Lin Zhu glanced at Song Tianlang, his tone calm. “You can audition normally, be evaluated normally. The audition footage can also be kept… I won’t make any suggestions regarding the casting.”
He added, “You can even act opposite Zhong-laoshi…”
Song Tianlang’s eyes lit up. “Really? You’re willing to let me off? What do you want? Just say it, I’ll give you anything—”
Lin Zhu couldn’t be bothered to deal with him further. After saying what needed to be said, he turned and left.
The producer clicked his tongue, looked at Song Tianlang with pity, and casually waved his hand for someone to throw the two of them out.
The party was in full swing, people chatting happily.
The producer quickly caught up with Lin Zhu and laughed. “He actually thinks that’s a good thing. If he got kicked out now, he could at least make excuses and save some face. But once there’s official footage and it’s compared side by side, Zhong will destroy all his confidence.”
“His intentions aren’t right…” Lin Zhu scoffed lightly. “Even if he hasn’t realized it yet, he already can’t act well anymore.”
That film three years ago had simply ridden the tide. There weren’t many strong competitors at the time, the director was good at guiding actors, and the script was excellent. Riding the wave of art films, it pushed Song Tianlang back into the spotlight.
Even ten years of lessons hadn’t woken him up. Once the opportunistic media hyped him up again, he thought he could handle any role.
Lin Zhu didn’t go into the hall right away. He stood by the window for a while, slowly letting the remaining hostility dissipate.
“Still… you really trust Zhong,” the producer said, looking at him curiously. “I thought you’d prefer something more direct, quick and decisive. Even bending the rules a little, no one would really know…”
Lin Zhu smiled and waved the document in his hand. “I never said I wouldn’t be direct.”
He had only said he’d give Song Tianlang a chance to audition, not that he’d let him off. By the time he left, the domestic team had already made preparations. As soon as Song Tianlang left, he would receive news of a reversal exposé back home.
Huaying’s PR department was always reliable. Once the reversal materials were released, they wouldn’t even need to do much. Public opinion would explode on its own and completely destroy Song Tianlang’s foundation.
Lin Zhu pressed his lips together and looked out the window. “My part can involve a bit of personal retaliation… but his part must be completely aboveboard.”
The producer raised an eyebrow. “Because he’s like an old-fashioned scholar? Someone who’d use an umbrella to push away a girl throwing herself at him?”
Lin Zhu: “……”
He coughed hard twice, his face gradually turning red.
For some reason, Lin Zhu felt even better than before.
“Because he once suffered unjustly.”
He rubbed his forehead and said slowly, “At the height of his fame, someone stabbed him in the back. He was betrayed by people close to him, smeared with false accusations, nearly had his future destroyed, and even his small acts of kindness were twisted against him…”
“What ordinary people can endure, and can’t endure… he’s endured it all.”
“He handled everything alone, went abroad alone, honed his acting skills alone. And when he came back, he acted even better than before.”
“Those kinds of tactics are only used when capital dominates everything, or when production teams can’t be trusted.”
Lin Zhu smiled. “This time, there’s no need to worry about that… resorting to manipulation and scheming to grab resources offline would just be pointless.”
“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear your flattery—” the producer laughed. “But thank you for trusting the production team. Just for that, I’ll make sure they conduct a proper evaluation!”
Lin Zhu coughed lightly and thanked him with a smile.
His expression had improved quite a bit. The producer patted his shoulder and led him into the hall.
Americans’ natural enthusiasm was even more intense under the influence of alcohol. Uncomfortable with crowded settings, Lin Zhu quickly dodged a few overly enthusiastic greetings and hid on a sofa in the corner, still shaken. “Why is it so lively today…”
“It’s Christmas, that’s why there’s this gathering. Didn’t you notice?”
Casting director Alberta and the producer, both with families, weren’t joining the crowd and were chatting in the corner.
After hearing the producer recount what had just happened, Albert admired the “formidable Chinese young man” he described, only to see that same young man turn shy and run away whenever someone got close. With a smile, he kindly handed Lin Zhu a chilled, low-alcohol sparkling drink.
“Christmas is meant to be spent with family. Right now, people should be under the tree opening presents, playing games, guessing riddles, and enjoying a festive dinner.”
Swirling his glass, Albert sighed. “Come to think of it, you haven’t been home for almost a month. Aren’t you going back?”
Lin Zhu didn’t dare drink alcohol. He waved it off, took a cola instead, and smiled. “Christmas is a foreign holiday in China. It’s mostly for shopping. There isn’t really a tradition of family reunions like this…”
With filming about to begin, the entire team was stuck here. Even if Lin Zhu desperately wanted to go back, he couldn’t afford to spend over ten hours flying.
Given Director Marlensius’ passion for the film, if Lin Zhu wasn’t around when needed, the director might just bring a plasma cannon to shoot down the plane.
Albert, also unable to go home, nodded and decided to drag him down with him. “I know, but in New York, families are reuniting everywhere. Just look out the window. Behind every light is a happy family…”
Lin Zhu: “……”
The producer took a sip of wine and sighed. “Exactly. I really miss my darling. Around this time every year, if I weren’t stuck here by Marlensius, we’d be at home enjoying a turkey dinner and celebrating with champagne.”
Lin Zhu: “……”
Albert perked up. “My darling wife is adorable. She talks with me for a long time every day and even sends me little gifts. Last time she gave me handmade chocolate, and I couldn’t bear to finish it.”
The producer smiled. “Mine too. Even at my age, she still treats me like a child. Every Christmas she gives me a gift, and it’s always wool socks. I already have over thirty pairs in different colors…”
Albert added, “She messages me every day, telling me what she did… She’s so cute, always speaks like an innocent little girl.”
The producer said, “Mine writes me emails. We prefer communicating that way. She even writes me love poems. I’ve collected over three hundred.”
Lin Zhu: “……”
He was too far from Zhong Yao. And since both of them were so busy, they mostly used voice calls rather than messages. No gifts to exchange, no chat logs to show off.
Lin Zhu drank cola to drown his sorrows, downing two big gulps, and silently unlocked his phone.
At this hour… Zhong Yao might not be awake.
He had heard that filming for [Serving the Sovereign] was progressing rapidly. Not wanting to disturb Zhong Yao’s rest, Lin Zhu didn’t call. Instead, he quietly sent two messages asking about the year-end variety show they were supposed to attend together.
Zhong-laoshi had turned that show into a “sweet vacation with his agent.” The whole team had worked seamlessly, handling everything from negotiation to finalization without involving Lin Zhu. His only project he hadn’t had a hand in.
It was already Christmas, and New Year’s was approaching. If they didn’t go soon, it’d be too late…
Even if it meant using the show as an excuse to drag him back…
Lost in thought for a moment, Lin Zhu suddenly saw Zhong Yao’s reply.
Zhong Yao: [Just saw this. What are you doing?]
Startled, Lin Zhu checked the time twice and quickly typed back.
Lin Zhu: [At a party… seems like a Christmas gathering.]
Lin Zhu: [Ge, are you awake? Why so early?]
Zhong Yao: [Something came up. I’ll tell you later.]
Zhong Yao: [Did you drink?]
Lin Zhu quickly replied: [No no, just cola.]
His face warmed. His fingers brushed the screen as he typed: [If I drink, I’ll go running again… and you’re not here to chase me.]
Thanks to those two nearby, he suddenly had the urge to say something sweet.
Even if just through text…
He glanced at the casting director and producer still exchanging “friendly fire,” his heart beating faster.
As long as Zhong Yao replied, he could show it off no matter what!
Even knowing Zhong Yao was unexpectedly good at sweet talk, Lin Zhu still felt nervous, staring at the screen in anticipation.
After a moment, the reply finally came.
Zhong Yao: [It’s Christmas. Have a drink.]
Lin Zhu froze.
That wasn’t what he expected. Slightly confused, he typed quickly.
Lin Zhu: [No, no drinking! I’ll only drink when I’m with you. Outside, I won’t touch it!]
This time there should be something nice, right?
Almost anxious, Lin Zhu waited. Finally, Zhong Yao’s reply appeared.
Zhong Yao: [Isn’t going out for a run good?]
Lin Zhu: “……”
Completely baffled, Lin Zhu hesitated to reply, but more messages followed.
Zhong Yao: [I couldn’t register, so their security won’t let me in. Guess I’ll have to trouble you.]
Zhong Yao: [If you come out for a run, I’ll be able to hold you.]
Lin Zhu stared at the message, reading it three times, his heart pounding wildly.
…He didn’t misunderstand, did he?
His heartbeat racing, he gulped down more cola, watching as Zhong Yao sent a location.
……
Maybe there was alcohol in that cola.
Lin Zhu felt lightheaded. He put down his phone and looked up dazedly.
Albert and the producer were now in full combat mode, politely smiling while stabbing each other with words.
Albert: “My darling wife is the most elegant woman I’ve ever met. If photos could capture her beauty, I’d show you.”
Producer: “My sweetheart wife is the most elegant old lady I’ve ever met. If photos weren’t so inadequate, I’d show you too.”
Lin Zhu coughed softly, blushing as he interrupted.
Both turned to look at him.
“M-my darling…”
Clutching his phone, Lin Zhu stood up, his face red as he mimicked their syrupy tone. “Came to spend Christmas with me… he’s outside.”
His cheeks burned, his lips curling up uncontrollably. “I-I want you to meet him.”
