Chapter 22: CH 022

TL: Moonlit

When getting into the car, Lin Hanchuan went straight to the driver’s seat, leaving Ran Xing momentarily stunned as he entered the passenger seat.

Clear-jointed hands rested on the black steering wheel, accentuating their fair and jade-like appearance. The nails were neatly trimmed, displaying a healthy pale pink hue at the fingertips. They were hands that had never engaged in any heavy labor, exuding an air of aristocratic refinement. Unconsciously, Ran Xing found himself captivated by those hands.

“Feeling hot?” Lin Hanchuan noticed Ran Xing’s slightly flushed cheeks and turned on the air conditioning.

Blushing, Ran Xing shifted his gaze away, gripping his own fingers tightly. Due to years of manual labor, his knuckles were slightly deformed. At first glance, they could be considered decent-looking, but they were nowhere near the flawless hands of Lin Hanchuan.

Lowering his gaze, Ran Xing pinched his own fingers and asked, “Your… your relationship with your father seems to be not so good…”

The moment the words left his mouth, Ran Xing regretted it. He had been too intrusive, and his question was abrupt, hitting a sore spot.

“Indeed,” Lin Hanchuan replied calmly. As he wasn’t the original owner, he couldn’t fully grasp the complex emotions of the original owner regarding his parents. His tone remained even, without a trace of emotion.

Recalling how Yan Weilou had almost been arranged to lead a straightforward life, the only act of rebellion he had committed was refusing the demand for a heterosexual marriage and choosing Qiu Hongguang, a male, as his “partner.”

Lin Hanchuan could understand Yan Weilou’s actions, but he would not make the same choice as him.

Unconsciously, Ran Xing looked at Lin Hanchuan. Even though his tone sounded calm, at this moment, the man’s presence felt somewhat heavy. Ran Xing’s mouth moved several times, and for the first time, he cursed himself for being inarticulate and unable to say any comforting words: “You… don’t be sad…”

“I’m just feeling a bit nostalgic,” Lin Hanchuan replied, his eyes focused straight ahead, watching the traffic flow on the busy road. His tone and expression didn’t reveal any emotions.

Observing Lin Hanchuan’s focused profile, Ran Xing couldn’t help but feel a pang of tenderness. Even though this man was powerful and rational, he inappropriately developed a feeling of heartache. He felt even worse about Yan Weilou’s parents.

“Not all parents are qualified to be parents,” Ran Xing suddenly spoke up, his voice soft yet resolute. “They don’t love you, but there will always be someone who loves you.”

Lin Hanchuan glanced at Ran Xing from the corner of his eye, seeing his serious expression, his dazzling red hair contrasting with his fair skin. His eyes reflected a depth and certainty beyond his years, pure like a determined elementary school student making a vow.

Compared to Yan Weilou, who was born into wealth and had no worries about food and clothing, Ran Xing had struggled and grown amidst rugged obstacles. He had pushed away the heavy stone that pressed upon him and grown into a slightly crooked juniper tree—unattractive yet vibrant with life.

Feeling a twinge in his heart, Lin Hanchuan earnestly responded, “You are too.”

Ran Xing suddenly lifted his eyes and looked at Lin Hanchuan, who was completely focused on driving, unaware of the underlying meaning behind those words.

Whether it was a sense of disappointment or relief, Ran Xing turned his head to look out the window.

·

Qiu Hongguang’s scandal had caused a stir on the internet for a while, but the enthusiasm of the onlookers was limited, and his gossip soon got overshadowed by other more sensational and outrageous scandals.

However, in the past two days, the most eye-catching news undoubtedly revolved around Yanshi Film Industry’s top agent setting up arrangements for paid companionship for their artists.

From the exposure of this news to rapidly dominating the trending topics on various social and online platforms, it only took a short day.

Despite Yanshi Film Industry’s PR department’s efforts to suppress the trending topics, whenever they managed to suppress one platform, it would resurface on another. It was like playing a game of whack-a-mole, with an endless stream.

Within a few days, artists who had been forced into paid companionship came forward, releasing chat records with their agents. With this revelation, Yanshi Film Industry was pinned to the pillar of shame.

“Yanshi Film Industry, such a big company, and they did such a thing… It’s unimaginable how chaotic the management is in those smaller companies.”

“No wonder they say the entertainment industry is messy; it’s like a big dyeing vat.”

“Yanshi Film Industry is even a listed company. Aren’t they afraid of investigation?”

“What investigation? As long as there is an investigation, those small celebrities will be considered willing to accompany, voluntarily, you know.”

“They’ve only exposed one agent now. What about the other agents? Are there similar forced companionship behaviors? Expose them all together.”

As the industry leader, Yanshi Film Industry’s trouble shook the entire entertainment industry, making both big and small companies tread carefully.

“He’s provoking me!” Yan Minghui realized at the first moment of the incident who the mastermind behind it was. Fuming with anger, he smiled bitterly and tugged at the corner of his mouth. “He’s challenging me.”

Yan Weilou’s mother’s gaze appeared somewhat vacant as she stammered for a moment before ultimately saying nothing.

“Does he think he has grown wings?” Yan Minghui stood up and paced back and forth in the living room. “I am his real father, I taught him everything he knows. Yet he dares to try these childish methods to bring me down!”

Yan Weilou’s mother hesitated several times, trying to gauge Yan Minghui’s expression, and cautiously spoke up, “It may not necessarily be him…”

Seeing Yan Minghui’s increasingly terrifying expression, Yan Weilou’s mother reluctantly swallowed her remaining defense.

She could hardly remember her obedient and well-behaved son from the past. It seemed like a distant memory.

From childhood to adulthood, Yan Weilou’s life had been meticulously arranged: attending prestigious schools, hiring private tutors, gaining admission to renowned foreign universities, earning dual degrees in management and finance, and entering the company after graduation. Everything was done step by step without any mistakes.

But at some point, her son, who used to be compliant and reserved, suddenly changed as if he were a different person.

The memories were still vivid in her mind, and Yan Weilou’s mother felt a pang of sadness. She couldn’t help but feel aggrieved, “I sacrificed so much for him. I left the entertainment industry for his sake, gave up my career, ruined my figure for him…”

Yan Minghui didn’t want to listen to her ramblings; he was concerned about the company.

In the entertainment industry, there were always certain dark and unspoken rules. Yan Minghui didn’t think it was wrong for his artists to accompany others. On the contrary, he believed that any ambitious artist would willingly raise their glasses, hoping to leave a good impression on influential figures from various fields and secure a better future.

Although this behavior was not widely accepted by the public, after his anger subsided, Yan Minghui calmed down and made a phone call to his subordinates. “Fire that agent, issue a statement stating that this was his personal behavior, unrelated to the company. The company had no knowledge of it…”

“As for that exposed minor celebrity, I don’t want to see any of her works or news in the industry again.”

“Tell the PR department to control public opinion and minimize the impact. If that agent doesn’t cooperate, offer him a confidentiality agreement… Say that once the situation blows over, we’ll bring him back to another administrative position.”

After making these arrangements, the capable agent had been removed, but at least the company’s reputation was preserved.

Yan Minghui still had a lingering fire in his heart. When he saw Yan Weilou’s mother crying and looking aggrieved, his face darkened. “What kind of image is this? You have no trace of a proper Yan family matriarch. Actors are just actors; no matter how well-educated and nurtured they are, they can never reach the realm of refinement.”

Yan Weilou’s mother stiffened upon hearing those words.

Yan Minghui didn’t even notice her emotions. He waved his hand dismissively. “Since you have nothing better to do, why don’t you bring back that disobedient son and make sure he recovers the money invested in the movies.”

Speaking of this, Yan Minghui found it strange. Several hundred million in assets was not a significant amount for Yanshi Film Industry, but in terms of cash flow, it was a substantial sum. Not just for Yanshi Film Industry, but for any group, it was enough to revive a dying company.

Where did Yan Weilou get so much money? If Yan Minghui hadn’t known the ins and outs of his wife and son, carefully monitoring their bills and financial transactions, he might have thought that these two were colluding to drain his company.

Yanshi Film Industry was a business Yan Weilou had painstakingly built, and their rivals were not strangers—it was his own parents. If Yan Minghui hadn’t secretly gone to find Ran Xing, angering Lin Hanchuan, he wouldn’t have cared about the minor moves made by Yanshi Film Industry.

The manager of the PR department wasn’t surprised by the situation. He reported to Lin Hanchuan over the phone, “Yanshi Film Industry has plenty of opponents who would like to see them go bankrupt. By releasing that scandalous news, we don’t even need to fan the flames ourselves. Others will naturally pour oil on the fire.”

Unfortunately, it wasn’t his own doing. The PR department manager lamented, thinking that if he had handled the situation, he could have driven away most of Yanshi Film Industry’s agents.

Lin Hanchuan contemplated for a while and said, “There’s no need to worry about the aftermath.”

The PR department manager sighed with a lack of energy and replied, “Understood, boss.”

After hanging up, Lin Hanchuan stopped paying attention to Yanshi Film Industry. He stood in the corner, watching Ran Xing on the screen.

Ran Xing was already a beautiful person, and when he acted, he possessed a unique temperament that captivated people’s attention. Initially, the influential figures in the crew looked down on this young actor, but after working with him for a few days, they completely accepted him.

Ran Xing was focused and serious when working in front of the camera, but he transformed into a different person once he was off-screen.

After searching for a while, Ran Xing finally found Lin Hanchuan standing in the corner. His eyes lit up, and he rushed towards him.

A reddish strand of hair traced an exuberant arc in the air as Ran Xing’s eyes sparkled with undisguised joy. His entire being emitted unreserved happiness.

Lin Hanchuan’s previously furrowed brows slightly relaxed. He was even a bit surprised by Ran Xing’s clear and bright eyes. It was like a little dog, full of joy upon seeing its owner, tail wagging like a helicopter rotor, wishing to fly into their embrace. Its wet, glistening eyes were filled with trust and love.

After filming an action scene, Ran Xing’s forehead still glistened with sweat as he hurriedly approached Lin Hanchuan. “President Yan, is it true that I’ve been nominated for Best Actor?”

“It’s true,” Lin Hanchuan’s mood gradually relaxed along with Ran Xing’s happiness. He ruffled Ran Xing’s hair and said, “Your performance in «Sword Immortal» has been nominated for the Golden Plum Award for Best Actor.”

Ran Xing blushed, but he didn’t avoid eye contact. On the contrary, his gaze towards Lin Hanchuan grew even more fiery.

Upon hearing Lin Hanchuan’s affirmation, Ran Xing’s heart floated in disbelief, gradually descending. He looked at Lin Hanchuan with a mixture of shyness and intense admiration, unable to control himself any longer, and suddenly embraced him tightly!