Chapter 36: Chapter 36: I Did I hurt you? Did I hit you?

Jennifer, Ashley, Mochakat9 – Thanks for your support, guys! 😊 It keeps me going 💪 Happy reading! 📚🙂

The sudden outbreak caught everyone off guard.

But what was even more unexpected than Jiang Qi suddenly assaulting the extras was that the powerless staff couldn’t restrain him.

Several people tried to restrain the teenager together, but for a moment, they couldn’t hold him down as he abruptly surged up, and even some of them were “accidentally injured.”

The scene was chaotic, and the crew couldn’t hide it. For a while, no one bothered to stop the media from taking photos outside the laser pens and blocking the special outlets for Reuters. Flashlights flickered incessantly, and the paparazzi’s eyes gleamed with excitement at finally catching such an “explosive” scene.

In the narrow and filthy Chen Kong Alley, almost all the “ugliness” of human nature was gathered, revealed without reservation.

Mockery, violence, bloodiness, madness—until Zhi Qi appeared.

The appearance of the little girl was even more abrupt than Jiang Qi’s outburst, making people feel even more unprepared. She tightly hugged the man’s waist and kept calling his name in front of everyone until Jiang Qi’s originally bloodshot eyes gradually calmed down, and a trace of sanity seemed to return to his light-colored pupils.

Jiang Qi lowered his eyes, staring blankly at the little girl in his arms.

Zhi Qi’s eyes were watery, and there was a visible bruise on her fair neck, particularly prominent against her snowy skin.

His pupils contracted as if shocked, and his voice, when he spoke again, was hoarse, “Did I hurt you?”

“No.” In fact, it was indeed Jiang Qi’s inadvertent swipe that caused it, but Zhi Qi choked up, shaking her head repeatedly and denying, “Jiang Qi, you didn’t hurt me. It was my own fault, you… you…”

“I hurt you.” Jiang Qi’s tone was almost affirmative, his eyes full of confusion as he murmured, “I… I actually hurt you, did I hit you? Damn it, I actually hit you, I still can’t control…”

The more he spoke, the more chaotic his expression became, and the pain in his mind felt like a drill stirring, unspeakably bitter. Jiang Qi groaned and squatted down, his long fingers constantly pounding his own head.

His eyes were bloodshot, with faint blue veins appearing on his forehead.

“Jiang Qi, Jiang Qi!” Zhi Qi couldn’t help but cry, kneeling in front of the man and hugging him, “Don’t be like this.”

There were still many words that she hadn’t had a chance to say—don’t hurt yourself, please.

But amidst the chaos around them, Jiang Qi’s mind seemed to be on the verge of exploding.

Under the “encirclement” from all sides and the overwhelming sense of guilt and shame, the teenager finally couldn’t help but faint.

Seeing this, Zhi Qi actually breathed a sigh of relief.

It was better for Jiang Qi to faint than to hurt himself.

A few years ago, she had witnessed his uncontrollable state during a “illness” episode, hurting himself and others. It was an unforgettable experience, so Zhi Qi never wanted to see it again.

Zhi Qi lowered her gaze slightly, looking at the young man lying in her arms. His sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, with his straight nose and tightly pursed lips below, made Zhi Qi blink a few times. Several teardrops fell unconsciously onto Jiang Qi’s face, then slowly slid down along the delicate contours of the young man’s face.

Everyone watching this scene was almost stunned.

After a while, Qiu Heng regained his composure and dialed 120.

*

The hospital corridor was quiet.

Outside the ward, a crowd had gathered: Qiu Heng, Xiao Yongfei, Qiu Mi, and others, even Shen Lei rushed over from the set, because the images of Jiang Qi’s ‘outrageous act’ in the afternoon had quickly spread all over the internet, landing on the front pages of all websites.

The news of “#Celebrities brutally beating an extra actor to the point of fracturing bones#” was rampant, unable to be suppressed, stirring up a frenzy everywhere. Netizens, known for their sharp tongues and quick judgments, swiftly tore Jiang Qi apart.

From his past controversies to his recent arrogance.

From his attitude of disregarding others to today’s violence.

…

When even the ‘wall’ of Jiang Qi couldn’t stand firm, it was clear that his reputation had hit rock bottom.

The PR department of Chen Ding invested money in deleting posts, hiring internet trolls, and whitewashing, but it was futile. Xiao Yongfei’s phone kept ringing incessantly. He stood in the stairwell, frowning as he listened to the chaotic reports on the other end. After a while, he said in a low voice, “We can’t control it…”

“Then stop trying.”

With this incident, if it couldn’t be controlled, Jiang Qi’s days in the entertainment industry were surely numbered.

While his previous imprisonment could be whitewashed due to unclear reasons, this time he had become a confirmed ‘problematic artist’, and the company probably wouldn’t continue to invest resources in him.

The so-called ‘lucky star’ had fallen.

Xiao Yongfei stood in the stairwell, lost in thought, until the cigarette burned down to his fingertips, snapping him out of his reverie. He laughed bitterly.

He had waited for so many years for such a ‘promising’ artist, only to see his career end in this manner.

But now Jiang Qi had a lot of trouble on his plate. He would have to compensate for intentionally injuring someone, and the contract with the company included provisions for reputational damages, which he had violated… Xiao Yongfei wondered if the kid could come up with that much money.

Thinking this, he shook his head helplessly and turned back into the hospital corridor.

He saw a group of people surrounding a girl — the rumored ‘Zhi Qi’ who had calmed Jiang Qi down by holding him. She sat on a public bench outside the ward, her delicate face expressionless, allowing everyone to surround her, while she stared blankly at the floor tiles.

Zhi Qi remained indifferent and silent, feeling the lack of goodwill from those ‘interrogating’ her. They all questioned her about Jiang Qi as if giving orders, but the girl had her own pride and refused to acknowledge anyone.

So Xiao Yongfei walked over and asked straightforwardly, “Miss, what is your relationship with Jiang Qi? Are you his girlfriend?”

Zhi Qi’s long eyelashes trembled slightly, but she remained silent, still pursing her lips.

“I’m his agent, with the surname Xiao.” Xiao Yongfei’s expertise lay in reading the microexpressions on people’s faces, and in that shattered moment in Zhi Qi’s eyes, he could tell that the relationship between the girl and Jiang Qi was not ordinary.

With a hint of politeness and restrained anger, Xiao Yongfei spoke as politely as possible, “Right now Jiang Qi is unconscious in the ward, and we can’t reach his family. There are some things I’m afraid I can only discuss with you.”

“…Go ahead,” Zhi Qi closed her eyes briefly. When she raised her head again, her black pupils remained determined. She softly said, “I am Jiang Qi’s family.”

This statement wasn’t a lie; it was truly how the girl felt in her heart.

Xiao Yongfei’s eyes flickered with some surprise, and after a moment of silence, he decided to speak the truth.

“The two extras that Jiang Qi hit, one is named Zhang Chao, and the other is named Chen Dongkui. Right now, they’re both lying in the hospital with fractures, soft tissue injuries all over, and ruptured knee joints… Do you know that these injuries, if confirmed, are enough for them to sue Jiang Qi for intentional assault?”

Zhi Qi listened silently, her lips turning pale. Her fingers, hanging to one side, unconsciously clenched, nails digging into her palm.

Of course, Zhi Qi understood what Xiao Yongfei meant. If those two wanted to, they could sue Jiang Qi and send him to prison. And since this would be a repeat offense, there was a high chance he would be sentenced.

“Jiang Qi didn’t do it on purpose,” the girl’s voice was very soft, almost in a daze. “Compensation… Can that work?”

Xiao Yongfei didn’t respond directly but brought up another matter, “Do you know that Jiang Qi has a contract with the company?”

Zhi Qi looked at the man in confusion.

Seeing her expression, Xiao Yongfei couldn’t help but sigh. “He signed a contract with the company that includes a clause about ‘not committing crimes that damage his image and reputation as an artist.’ If he breaches this, it will affect his endorsements, magazine deals, acting contracts, and he’ll have to pay compensation, like for the movie he’s currently filming.”

Xiao Yongfei paused and then looked at Qiu Heng, who was standing nearby with a stern face, before continuing, “Director Qiu, Jiang Qi’s public assault might lead to media boycotts. What’s your plan?”

Half of the movie has already been filmed, and now with the lead actor involved in such a scandal, it would likely need to be recast, restarting everything. This would waste manpower, resources, and finances.

But not recasting was not an option either. Continuing with Jiang Qi would likely mean the movie couldn’t be released. This is why public figures strive to protect their images, because once tarnished, it doesn’t just affect them but an entire chain of interests.

Qiu Heng remained silent for a long time before finally spitting out four words from between his teeth, “Handle it officially.”

What happened with Jiang Qi on his set, the assault, the scandal spreading beyond, although Qiu Heng appeared calm on the surface, he was practically dying of frustration inside. He glanced at Zhi Qi and said coldly, “An artist without moral integrity, be prepared to receive a lawyer’s letter.”

It seems that not only the two extras who were beaten might sue Jiang Qi, but Qiu Heng might also have a chance.

Zhi Qi’s body trembled, a blush quickly rising between her eyebrows.

“Can… can we not sue Jiang Qi?” The girl said in panic, at a loss for words. “We will compensate, we really will.”

Among the crowd, Zhi Qi was the only female, delicate and gentle, making people can’t help but feel pity for her—like Qiu Mi, who couldn’t bear to watch and sighed softly, turning her head away.

However, the focus now was not on whether one could bear it or not.

Xiao Yongfei shook his head, almost ruthlessly stating the truth: “If the law gets involved, it’s not just a matter of compensation or not, and we can’t intervene.”

“But Jiang Qi is sick.” Zhi Qi stood up in a hurry. “He’s sick, it’s you who let him return to Chen Kong Alley to film, it’s you who triggered his memory, otherwise, otherwise he wouldn’t have acted…”

The girl was alone and helpless, her voice becoming more and more choked, so hoarse that it became indistinct in the end. But even if it was indistinct, this group of people with sharper ears than anyone else could catch the key points.

Xiao Yongfei’s eyebrows twitched, and he asked hastily, “What did you say? Jiang Qi is sick? What illness?”

His repeated questioning made Zhi Qi’s head ache terribly. The girl leaned against the wall, her face pale, breathing heavily.

Not to mention that Jiang Qi didn’t want to recall those past events, did she want to?

But the people in front of her seemed like demons, forcing her to reopen the wound even if she didn’t want to, and then face the bloody self-torment inside.

Fine, they just wanted to know everything about Jiang Qi, right? Then she agreed.

Zhi Qi took a deep breath, the sharp nails in the palm of her hand woke her up, she adjusted her expression, and then looked coldly at the group of people in front of her.

“Jiang Qi was diagnosed with severe bipolar disorder when he was sixteen. If you don’t believe it, you can have a doctor come and check.”