Chapter 34: The Small-Time Star and His Short-Tempered Sugar Daddy (Part XXXIV)
Xiao Ji had his own plans; Cheng Nuo couldn’t withdraw now.
Fang Yinnian greeted the program team, called Xiao Lin, and immediately contacted Cheng Nuo’s manager.
Just as the call ended, several hot searches exploded on a certain social platform, squeezing into the top fifty within minutes and climbing rapidly.
#Shock! Film Emperor Cheng Nuo Steals Female Guest’s Underwear on Dating Show!#
#One City Misty Rain Guest List#
…
Fang Yinnian’s temples throbbed incessantly. He turned off his phone and cursed:
“Bastard. Told him to see a doctor if he’s sick. He does every f*cking birdbrained thing imaginable. Instead of being a proper Film Emperor, he insists on being a pervert.”
Xiao Ji comforted him indifferently, “Maybe it’s a misunderstanding.”
Fang Yinnian glanced at Xiao Ji. “He holds a grudge against you, yet you’re so kind-hearted as to speak up for him?”
Xiao Ji shut his mouth and went to pour water for Fang Yinnian.
Upstairs, Cheng Nuo, facing everyone’s doubts, couldn’t defend himself.
“I really don’t know. If I really took it, I wouldn’t have agreed to let you search my room.”
Su Yu looked at Cheng Nuo. “But the clothes were hidden very secretly. If it hadn’t fallen out on its own, I might not have found it.”
She hadn’t intentionally moved the stool to look at the top shelf of other people’s wardrobes earlier.
As luck would have it, it fell out right here at Cheng Nuo’s place. Su Yu didn’t know if others believed Cheng Nuo’s words, but she didn’t quite believe them anyway.
Lie previously had a good impression of Cheng Nuo. Once this incident came out, her favorability dropped to zero. With no desire to speak, she also turned and returned to her room.
Li Yun entered the room, gathered Gu Yao’s clothes, folded them, wrapped them in the hem of her shirt, and said to Gu Yao:
“Go back and rest first. You’ll have to discuss how to handle the follow-up with your manager.”
The group quickly dispersed. The program team discovered something was wrong. After understanding the situation, they were forced to stop broadcasting again.
This time, they had to wait for Cheng Nuo’s side to finish PR and see the processing results and public opinion trends before deciding whether to keep Cheng Nuo.
Xiao Ji and Fang Yinnian returned to their room.
He sat on the edge of the table, looking at Fang Yinnian. “Are you going to protect Cheng Nuo?”
Fang Yinnian hadn’t decided yet.
Before he could answer Xiao Ji, a knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.
The door wasn’t locked. Fang Yinnian called out, “Come in.”
Cheng Nuo entered and pulled out a chair to sit down. “Ah-Nian, I have something to say to you. Can you let Xiao Ji avoid this for a moment?”
Fang Yinnian wasn’t surprised by Cheng Nuo’s visit and spoke bluntly, “No need. Xiao Ji is my person.”
Cheng Nuo wiped his forehead. Just as he wanted to say something more, Xiao Ji stood up directly, went out, and closed the door behind him.
Fang Yinnian looked at Xiao Ji’s departing figure and lit a cigarette. “Speak.”
Cheng Nuo pondered for a moment and also lit a cigarette.
“I know, having reached this step today, our brotherhood should be coming to an end. After this program is filmed, I will terminate the contract with the company, and I will bear the penalty personally.”
Fang Yinnian had indeed been very disappointed with Cheng Nuo recently, but he had scolded what should be scolded and hit what should be hit; the anger in his heart had long dissipated.
He was petty, but with Cheng Nuo, for the time being, it hadn’t reached the point of turning into enemies.
“No need. I don’t care about your little penalty fee.”
“Listen to me first, Ah-Nian.” Cheng Nuo interrupted Fang Yinnian.
“There are some things I’ve held in my heart for a long time. Do you know Cui Fan?”
Fang Yinnian said, “Don’t know him.”
“Then go back and ask your father. Cui Fan was my biological father. His death was caused by your father single-handedly,” Cheng Nuo said.
Hearing this, Fang Yinnian’s expression instantly became sharp.
“Is this your purpose in approaching me?”
Cheng Nuo denied it. “When the incident happened back then, both you and I were young. Since I can remember, I was raised in the Cheng family. I only found out later. My foster father deliberately let me approach you, but honestly, what could I know as a child?”
“My feelings for you over these years aren’t fake, but the hatred between our two families is also real. I did have thoughts of backstabbing you, but I couldn’t do it, which is why I’m standing here showing my hand to you now.”
“But things being as they are, I know we can’t go back. I don’t want to hide it from you. I can’t bring myself to harm you. I only ask you to help me one last time, let me retire cleanly.”
“In the future, we go our separate ways. Whether dead or alive, I will absolutely never disturb you again.”
Fang Yinnian knew nothing about what happened back then, so bringing it up now didn’t evoke particularly deep feelings.
In just a few minutes, he thought about the countless bits and pieces of the past with Cheng Nuo. They had indeed accompanied each other to get to where they were today.
He didn’t fully believe Cheng Nuo’s words, but Cheng Nuo had indeed never done anything to backstab him over the years.
Since Cheng Nuo told him the truth, as long as he guarded against him in the future, it wouldn’t cause bigger trouble.
He took a deep breath and stubbed out the half-smoked cigarette in the ashtray. “Hope you keep your word and don’t appear in front of me again.”
Cheng Nuo laughed self-deprecatingly.
“I also want to remind you. Be careful of Xiao Ji.”
Fang Yinnian narrowed his eyes. “At a time like this, you still insist on dragging Xiao Ji down? I really don’t understand; what exactly did he do to hinder you?”
Cheng Nuo’s gaze held irony.
“He didn’t hinder me. Brother Nian, I just want to say, have you forgotten whose springboard Xiao Ji used to get in front of you? Have you never thought about why I helped him?”
If Fang Yinnian only felt a slight ripple in his heart when hearing about the origin between Cheng Nuo and his family, feeling indifferent, then now that it involved Xiao Ji, it became a turbulent wave. He instantly couldn’t sit still.
“What does it have to do with Xiao Ji?”
Cheng Nuo smiled. “Ah-Nian, you really haven’t changed at all over the years. Looking smart, but actually always trusting others wrongly.”
“If you had investigated carefully, you would know that after Xiao Ji climbed into your bed, he met with me privately.”
“I saw you watching his drama in the office and knew you were interested in him. I invited him to cooperate with me, approach you, get hold of your shady criminal evidence, and avenge my father.”
“But I regretted it and didn’t dare tell you, so I reminded you time and again to be careful of Xiao Ji.”
“Ah-Nian, guess whether Xiao Ji has revealed your affairs to me?”
…
Across the wall, 037’s alarm bells rang loudly: [Xiao Ji, Cheng Nuo showed his hand! He’s smashing the pot!]
Xiao Ji leaned against the wall, raising an eyebrow. Before he could ask 037 for details about the situation inside, Cheng Nuo pushed the door open and walked out.
He looked at Xiao Ji, sneered, and without saying a word, walked straight to the stairs and went down.
Xiao Ji looked at Cheng Nuo’s triumphant retreating figure, knowing things were bad, but he wasn’t overly worried.
He first went to the office where the program team was stationed to retrieve his mobile phone, then returned to the room door. After hesitating for a moment, he pressed down the door handle.
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