Chapter 31: Countermove
Yin Chengjue didn’t leave. He had simply changed direction to consult the doctor about Feng Chengda’s specific condition.
Right now, he was more interested in why Feng Chengda had ended up in the ICU—something that hadn’t happened in his past life. As for Su Zi and the illegitimate son, even if Yin Chengjue did nothing, they were already like rats scurrying in the streets. So, he absolutely refused to give them any chance to play the victim in front of him.
"Head trauma?" Yin Chengjue frowned slightly as he examined the X-ray images the doctor provided. "Who hit him?"
"The family members who brought him in said they encountered a group of thugs on the street. They weren’t robbed, but they were beaten up. They suspect it was a hired attack," the doctor explained.
Yin Chengjue: "Did they report it to the police?"
At this, the doctor’s expression turned complicated. "They claim to have guessed who hired the attackers and are afraid to report it, fearing retaliation…"
Yin Chengjue paused. "So, you didn’t file a report?"
The doctor sighed. "The patient’s family strongly objected and threatened to make a scene if we did. What could we do?"
Mentioning the family, the doctor glanced at Yin Chengjue. "You said you’re the patient’s son. Were those two earlier your mother and brother? You should persuade them—reporting it is the only way to resolve this."
Hearing this, Yin Chengjue’s thoughts churned, and a strange smile curled his lips. "Sure, let’s report it then."
"That’s the right attitude." The doctor patted Yin Chengjue’s shoulder.
"However, those two aren’t my family. They’re my father’s mistress and illegitimate son. My mother found out and is currently going through divorce proceedings," Yin Chengjue said.
The doctor’s hand froze mid-air.
Yin Chengjue continued, "Let’s report it. They probably think my mother and I hired people to attack them. That’s slander. We should let the police clear things up—otherwise, they’ll just keep smearing us with baseless accusations."
Finally understanding the implication, the doctor realized why Su Zi and Feng Changheng had been so adamant about preventing the hospital from reporting it.
They wanted to use the patient’s condition to frame someone else.
The doctor shook his head, thinking: Hospitals can treat illnesses, but they can’t cure the human heart. It’s far too complicated.
Su Zi and Feng Changheng were still putting on an act outside the ICU, playing the victims of Yin Chengjue’s bullying while feeding sob stories to private tabloid reporters. They kept shifting blame onto Yin He and Yin Chengjue, unaware that Yin Chengjue had already called the police. Their clumsy accusations would soon be shattered by hard evidence.
Yin Chengjue took the elevator down to the basement level. The moment he stepped out, a dark figure crashed into him!
Lost in thought, Yin Chengjue barely managed to steady himself before being knocked back into the elevator.
Looking down, he saw a man in a brown overcoat, sunglasses, and a large mask sprawled on the ground, groaning in pain.
Somehow, the sunglasses stayed perfectly in place despite the fall, stubbornly guarding the man’s appearance.
The one who crashed into him was the one who fell. Yin Chengjue was speechless. Just as he was about to ask if the man was okay, his gaze landed on two moles on the other’s neck—and froze.
This was the person who made him sick to his stomach even in his dreams—Ming Qian!
"Sorry, are you alright?" Ming Qian, still masked and bespectacled, scrambled up and grabbed his fallen hat. When his eyes met Yin Chengjue’s, his body stiffened.
The Feng Chengda scandal had been all over the internet lately, and Yin Chengjue’s face had appeared frequently.
Ming Qian, who had sneaked peeks at his phone during training, recognized him instantly. In fact, because of Feng Changheng, he loathed this face.
But seeing a photo of Yin Chengjue online was different from facing him in person.
Especially when meeting those pitch-black, icy eyes—Ming Qian inexplicably felt a chill down his spine, forgetting what he had even intended to do.
"You’re blocking my way." Yin Chengjue clenched his fists, knuckles cracking, but restrained himself to just spitting out those words through gritted teeth before shoving past Ming Qian and striding toward his car.
"You—!" Ming Qian was furious. "What’s your problem?"
The only response was the loud slam of a car door.
Ming Qian gritted his teeth, his disdain for this arrogant rich kid deepening.
He had come here because the Hey Brother, Let’s Debut! program had given them a few days off to rest after intense training. Worried about the trainees’ health, the production team didn’t want anyone collapsing from exhaustion.
Ming Qian had rushed to find Feng Changheng, learning he was at the hospital. He couldn’t wait to ask why Feng Changheng hadn’t bought votes for him during the performance—why his ranking was so far from the top ten.
Distracted by these thoughts, he hadn’t noticed Yin Chengjue stepping out of the elevator.
Now that Yin Chengjue was gone, Ming Qian shook off his daze and quickly took the elevator up.
But the moment he stepped out, he saw a group of uniformed officers escorting a struggling Feng Changheng and a shrieking Su Zi toward him.
Instinct took over—Ming Qian yanked his hat low and hid behind other elevator passengers, avoiding notice.
Feng Changheng, busy arguing with the police, didn’t spot him.
As the elevator doors closed behind them, the crowd buzzed with gossip. Behind his mask, Ming Qian’s face turned deathly pale.
His mind was a mess. He didn’t know what had happened to Feng Changheng or why he’d been arrested. But one thought pierced through the chaos: If Feng Changheng falls, what do I do? Without vote manipulation, how can I debut?
Ming Qian clenched his hat, hiding his panic.
But soon, that panic hardened into resolve.
One Feng Changheng wasn’t enough.
To debut, to rise in the entertainment industry, to climb to the top—a despised illegitimate son wasn’t nearly enough!
Then he remembered the business cards slipped into his pocket after his first performance.
He’d initially dismissed them, but one name stood out—a fairly renowned director. On impulse, he’d kept it.
Staring at the elevator where Feng Changheng had disappeared, Ming Qian made up his mind.
____
Yin Chengjue’s good mood had been ruined by the basement collision.
Back home, he went straight to the gym and punched a sandbag for two hours, imagining Ming Qian’s face on it.
Drenched in sweat, he wiped himself down and picked up his phone, noticing a red notification on a long-silent chat.
His fingers moved faster than his brain, opening the messages—
Big Fish Spreads Wings: [Video]
Big Fish Spreads Wings: Here’s the full dance I promised you! [Salty fish poking excitedly.jpg]
Big Fish Spreads Wings: The show gave us five days off—I can use my phone the whole time! [Salty fish overjoyed.jpg]
Yin Chengjue understood now. No wonder he’d seen Ming Qian. Hey Brother, Let’s Debut! had given them a break.
After the first performance, they needed time to recover.
He clicked the video, saved and downloaded it before replying: "Rest well. Eat more."
An instant reply popped up—a photo of a bubbling hot pot, crimson with chili peppers.
Big Fish Spreads Wings: Eating now. Hot pot is heavenly. [Salty fish overjoyed.jpg]
Fresh from his workout, Yin Chengjue’s stomach growled at the sight of the spicy feast.
But Rong Yu wasn’t done—more food pics followed, all of Yin Chengjue’s favorite dishes.
Yin Chengjue’s stomach: Gurgle gurgle gurgle…
Digging Three Feet Deep: You’re making me hungry. I haven’t eaten yet.
His resentment practically seeped through the screen, ready to snatch food from the pot.
Big Fish Spreads Wings: Here, have some through the screen.
Big Fish Spreads Wings: [Photo]
The image showed chopsticks holding a freshly boiled slice of lamb, glistening with red chili oil.
Digging Three Feet Deep: How am I supposed to eat through a screen? If anything, I should come eat in person.
Big Fish Spreads Wings: Haha, come then! I’m eating alone anyway. My so-called friends are all on blind dates—no one’s free today. [Salty fish sighing.jpg]
Yin Chengjue had been meaning to discuss signing Rong Yu. Seizing the opportunity, he agreed.
Digging Three Feet Deep: You said it. Send me the address.
Big Fish Spreads Wings: [Location]
Hmm
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