Chapter 25: She Thinks So Ill of Me

Zhou Yan received a message from Zhou Jingyi, confirming that he had arrived with his team.

Glancing at Chi Ran through the rearview mirror, Zhou Yan saw him clutching his phone with a grim expression and immediately knew he was scrolling through Weibo again. Knowing full well that public opinion was overwhelmingly against them, Chi Ran still insisted on torturing himself by checking the comments.

As they neared their destination, Zhou Yan asked, "Are you going down there? Just keep your mask on so no one recognizes you."

Chi Ran put his phone away and remained silent for a moment before saying, "Forget it, I won't go."

He had just been reading Weibo; the crusade against Yu Ling was massive. Her page had been flooded with all sorts of vile vitriol. Those cruel words felt like a knife digging straight into his chest, twisting and causing him sharp, agonizing pain. Was she feeling devastated right now?

Chi Ran desperately wanted to call her. He stared at the new phone number repeatedly, but his thumb hovered, unable to press call. *Forget it,* he thought, *she probably doesn't want to hear from me.*

Rubbing his fingertips, he suddenly craved a cigarette, but he suppressed the urge. He turned to Zhou Yan and said, "Have Jingyi take the person directly to the police station for questioning, and make sure to have them record a confession video and send it over."

Zhou Yan looked at him in surprise. "Planning everything out so thoroughly?" This wasn't his usual style.

Chi Ran didn't want to engage in a debate; it was pointless. Instead, he shifted focus and began arranging the next steps. "As for that young model, Yu Yang, I’ve already spoken to her agent. They’ll resolve this internally; they just need to give me the result I want. When the time comes, frame it as a voluntary surrender, and she’ll still have to go through the process with Jingyi."

"Contact Yu Ling’s agent. Tell her that Yu Ling needs to go to the police station to assist Jingyi with the report and give a statement. Tell her to accompany her."

"Afterward, have her use the studio’s official account to release the evidence and videos we found. Keep a record of all those marketing accounts and trolls spreading rumors online. Once Yu Ling signs with Huanxing, we’ll issue legal notices in the company's name."

Hearing his last sentence, Zhou Yan was stunned. He swallowed hard and asked, "Yu Ling is signing with Huanxing?"

Chi Ran gave a subtle nod.

Zhou Yan felt there was more to it. "But Yu Ling had a bitter falling out with Jiashang a year ago. After terminating her contract, she started her own studio and declared she wouldn't join any other entertainment agency. Why would she join Huanxing?"

Chi Ran lowered his gaze, his eyes shifting with hidden thoughts. He didn't explain the reasoning, only saying, "Don't worry about that. She’ll join, regardless."

The more Zhou Yan heard, the stranger it felt. According to this, it sounded like Yu Ling didn't even know she was going to sign with Huanxing.

***

"Wait, what?!"

Realizing this, Zhou Yan’s eyes widened. He asked in disbelief, "Are you insane?"

Chi Ran picked up his phone and started scrolling through Weibo again, as if self-flagellating, reading the same things over and over. He ignored Zhou Yan.

This reaction annoyed Zhou Yan, but it also confirmed his suspicions. *What on earth did they say to each other in that phone call from Yu Ling?!*

Zhou Yan had a bad feeling. He rubbed his temples, which were throbbing, and tried to keep his tone calm. "Did you force Yu Ling to join Huanxing?"

Then, he clearly saw Chi Ran’s finger freeze for a split second as he refreshed the page.

Zhou Yan knew he had guessed right. *Good grief, what is this mess?*

He asked again, "Did you coerce her?"

Chi Ran remained silent. It didn't matter; Zhou Yan didn't need him to answer. He took the silence as an admission.

"You should have discussed this with her," Zhou Yan said, pained. "I know your intentions. Yu Ling’s studio is small and lacks connections, which only makes her an easy target. By joining Huanxing, you can openly provide her with resources and be her backing—it’s all benefits and no harm to her, but..."

Having said so much in one breath, Zhou Yan felt parched. He caught his breath and continued, "But Yu Ling has to be willing! If you really like her and want to be with her, you have to respect her opinion. How can you coerce her into joining? Isn't that just pushing her further away?"

Zhou Yan poured his heart out, trying to reason with him. He didn't know if Chi Ran was listening, but his own throat felt scorched. He grabbed a bottle of water from the car’s mini-fridge, twisted it open, and took a long drink.

After finishing, he tossed another bottle to Chi Ran. "Don't play dead. Did you hear a word I said?"

Chi Ran remained unmoved, and Zhou Yan sighed as he looked at him. Everyone is reckless when they first enter the world of love. They use inappropriate methods to express their "kindness," smugly convinced they are doing the right thing, never realizing it will only backfire. Hadn't he been the same way years ago?

Zhou Yan drank water, gulp after gulp, as if the mineral water were bitter wine drowning his sorrows. People never understand until they've been through it themselves.

***

Just when Zhou Yan had given up hope, he suddenly heard Chi Ran mumble, "She thinks I’m helping her to get something out of it. She thinks so poorly of me."

His voice was low and hoarse, sounding incredibly aggrieved.

Hearing this, Zhou Yan paused, his expression turning strange. He looked at Chi Ran with a complex gaze and said earnestly, "You haven't even spoken a word to Yu Ling, yet you're willing to do such a huge favor for her. How could she not think you’re a bad person? If she actually thought you were just doing a random act of kindness, that would be the real problem."

To be honest, Zhou Yan looked at Chi Ran as if he were an idiot. To be precise, Chi Ran was an idiot in his eyes right now.

Neither of them spoke, and the atmosphere in the car became awkward. Zhou Yan watched the expressions shift across Chi Ran’s face, struggling to suppress a laugh. Being stupid yourself is frustrating, but seeing your friend be even stupider about the same topic... Zhou Yan felt a strange sense of comfort. Though it wasn't particularly useful, it inexplicably made him happy.

But for Chi Ran, Zhou Yan’s words were like a wake-up call. Yu Ling didn't know he liked her, so it was perfectly natural for her to think that way. There is no such thing as a free lunch; anyone in her position would have that as their first reaction.

Having figured it out, Chi Ran felt as if the world had brightened. He said to Zhou Yan, with genuine sincerity, "I'll give you a raise in a couple of days."

Actually, Yu Ling did know he liked her. But for now, that wasn't important. What mattered was that Chi Ran heard the sound of police sirens approaching from a distance.

Zhou Jingyi had arrived with his team.