After Dumping the Scumbag Top, I Was Relentlessly Chased by a Top-Tier Idol - Chapter 9

Lin Yizhou wrenched his face away, dodging the man’s lips.

Song Chizheng sneered dismissively, pinching Lin’s cheeks to force his head back around. His eyes were ruthless: “What’s with the act? Weren’t you trying every trick in the book to get me to sleep with you before? Why start acting all high and mighty today?”

Stung by those words, Lin Yizhou suddenly burst with strength and broke free. With his hands finally liberated, he threw the door open, grabbed Song Chizheng’s hand, and executed a clean, swift over-the-shoulder throw, flinging the man right out the door. The entire movement was crisp and seamless.

It all happened too fast. Song Chizheng let out a wail of pain, finding himself temporarily unable to stand. He could only clutch his waist and look up at Lin Yizhou with a face full of shock and fury.

Lin Yizhou stood tall, adjusting his breathing. He spoke coldly: “The most pathetic thing I ever did was deluding myself into thinking you loved me too—staying by your side like a shameless fool no matter how you treated me. But that ends now.”

“Don’t come looking for trouble in front of me again, or suffer the consequences.”

With a loud thud, the door slammed shut.

Song Chizheng used the wall to pull himself up, staring at the closed door with eyes full of resentment. He punched the wall, causing bits of peeling plaster to rustle to the floor. Words hissed through his gritted teeth: “I will absolutely not let you off this easily.”

Behind the door, Lin Yizhou slid down against the wood until he was sitting on the floor. He clutched his chest tightly, his expression pained, looking like a man struggling for his last breath.

This is definitely the last time…

Two nights after signing his contract, Lin Yizhou received a call from his new manager, Cui Sula.

Prior to the call, the official social media account of Everstar Entertainment had posted an announcement officially welcoming Lin Yizhou to their roster.

Lin Yizhou had shared the post with the standard professional caption: 【It is an honor to join the Everstar family. I look forward to working with everyone.】

As soon as the news broke, the internet exploded into a cauldron of mockery and cynicism:

• “Yikes, it’s only been a few days? Found a new home that fast?”
• “Wow, Movie Star Lin really has some tricks. Which man at Everstar did he climb onto this time? Do they even compare to CEO Song?”

There were a few scattered comments congratulating him on escaping the Song Corporation, but they were buried so deep in the sea of vitriol that they were essentially invisible.

Lin Yizhou exited the comment section, and the first thing he saw was Shen Xu’s name.

#Shen Xu Personally Welcomes Lin Yizhou#

Doubting his own eyes, Lin Yizhou refreshed the trends. The hashtag didn’t disappear; instead, its status jumped from “Hot” to “Exploding.”

What followed was a string of new hashtags that left him dazed for several seconds. Every single one was related to him:

• #Everstar Artist Shang Yi Welcomes Lin Yizhou#
• #Everstar Artist Shangguan Xiani Welcomes Lin Yizhou#
• #Everstar Artist…#

There were exactly twenty-eight posts, all perfectly formatted and neatly aligned, as if they had undergone special training.

Netizens commented sharply:

• “Is Everstar’s team-building project this year just ‘Tie-Lin-Yizhou-to-the-Hot-Search’?”
• “Good lord, this lineup… Did Lin Yizhou save Everstar’s life in a previous reincarnation?”
• “Wow, Everstar, this display of ‘more money than sense’—isn’t this just a blatant flex against Lin Yizhou’s old company? (Dog-head emoji for safety)”

After scrolling through the trends, Lin Yizhou went back to the top and clicked on Shen Xu’s post. He saw that Shen Xu had reposted his original message with the caption: 【The Eternal Star, the heart of Everstar. Welcome back to your rightful place.】

Scrolling down to the comments, he saw that Shen Xu was actually replying to netizens in real-time:

User [That Shen Xu Guy]: Shen Xu? Bro? Blink if you’re being kidnapped? Shen Xu replied to @That Shen Xu Guy: It’s really me. Thanks for the concern.

User [Don’t Bother, I Hate Stupidity]: Shen Xu, is your boss out of his mind? Signing a piece of trash like Lin Yizhou? Has life been too smooth the last two years? Are you guys looking for a death wish? Shen Xu replied to @Don’t Bother, I Hate Stupidity: My boss says that since a piece of trash like you dared to mention him, you are the one with the death wish. [Don’t Bother, I Hate Stupidity] replied to @Shen Xu: Got it. So the man Lin Yizhou hooked up with this time is your boss. Shen Xu replied to @Don’t Bother, I Hate Stupidity: My boss says the lawyer’s letter is being prepared. Remember to sign for it.

User [I Just Hate the Rich, So What]: Typical capitalists. Buying a pretty vase to display is no big deal. Shen Xu replied to @I Just Hate the Rich, So What: Lin Yizhou isn’t a vase. He is the flower, and he is the vessel.

User [CP Precision Radar]: Shen Xu is online today and replying to comments? I get it—it’s just the old ‘co-worker shipping’ PR tactic to wash him clean. Shen Xu replied to @CP Precision Radar: Teacher Lin has nothing that needs ‘washing.’

While he was reading, an incoming call notification appeared at the top of his screen.

Seeing an unfamiliar number, Lin Yizhou frowned instinctively, but he answered anyway. Fortunately, the voice on the other end wasn’t Jiang Siyuan.

Jiang Siyuan had been persistently trying to ask him out for the last two days despite repeated rejections. Lin Yizhou had considered changing his number, but since it was his very first phone number, he couldn’t quite bring himself to let it go.

“Hello, is this Lin Yizhou?” It was a brisk female voice.

“Hello, yes it is,” Lin Yizhou replied politely.

“I’m Cui Sula, your new manager.” Her voice sounded sharp but carried a hint of exhaustion. “Before we get to business, can I ask you for a favor?”

“If it’s something I can help with,” Lin Yizhou replied, though he was puzzled.

“I don’t think anyone but you can help,” Cui Sula paused. “Have you seen the Weibo hot searches?”

“Yes, I was just looking at them.”

“Then did you see that little ancestor, Shen Xu, pick fights with netizens online?” She sounded like she was at her wit’s end.

“Yes, I saw.”

“We tried to tell him to stop acting crazy, and do you know what he said? He shut us down with: ‘Teacher Lin, the person actually involved, hasn’t said anything yet.’ Basically… it seems you’re the only one who can talk sense into him.”

Lin Yizhou couldn’t help but think of the nickname Shen Xu had given him on WeChat. He felt a strange, uncomfortable heat in his earlobe and reached up to pinch it. He hadn’t said anything when he saw that nickname because it was the man’s right to label his own contacts. Besides, he had clearly rejected the man; it was obvious his words didn’t carry much weight.

He paused for a moment before saying, “I’ll try my best. What should I tell him?”

“Anything,” Cui Sula said decisively. “Improvise.”

“Okay, please hold on for a moment.”

His screen was still on the comment page. He glanced down and saw Shen Xu’s latest reply.

User [The Flag Stands Tall]: If Lin Yizhou can ever become famous again, I’ll go to Xingcan Plaza and livestream myself running naked!!! Multiple Netizens replied: Oh wow~ Totally looking forward to it!! Shen Xu replied: When he goes live, someone please notify me. I’ll help call the police. This kind of behavior that corrupts social morals must be “washed” in a jail cell.

Lin Yizhou’s lips curled into an unconscious smile.

Right now, the internet was filled with nothing but sarcasm, mockery, and direct personal attacks. His private messages were a flood of insults. Even though he told himself he had grown indifferent to it all, he couldn’t deny that malice can be devastating. It was impossible to remain completely unaffected.

He had originally planned to uninstall Weibo for a while to find some peace. But seeing Shen Xu’s replies, he suddenly felt that the malice wasn’t so terrifying after all…

He exited Weibo and opened his chat with Shen Xu. After hesitating for a few seconds, he sent a message based on the actual situation: 【Manager Cui asked me to tell you to stop replying.】

He didn’t want to keep Cui Sula waiting too long. Just as he was about to speak into the phone, Shen Xu replied instantly: 【Okay, I’ll listen to you.】

“So, did you talk to him?” Cui Sula broke the silence.

“Yes, I did,” Lin Yizhou replied, his voice a bit hesitant as he processed the speed of the reply.

“What did you say?”

Lin Yizhou paused, then told the truth: “I told him you wanted him to stop replying.”

“Tsk, did he answer?” she pressed.

“Yes.”

Cui Sula was surprised. “That fast? What did he say?”

“He said ‘Okay’.”

“Nothing else?” Cui Sula keenly sensed a slight unnaturalness in his tone.

Lin Yizhou took a quiet, deep breath and said naturally, “Nothing else.”

“Well, it seems my hunch was right; that little ancestor actually listens to you.” Cui Sula’s crisp voice held a hint of cryptic amusement, but she didn’t press further, quickly changing the subject. “I called primarily to ask you to come to the office tomorrow at ten. We should meet properly, and while we’re at it, discuss your future career direction. How does that sound?”

Upon hearing this, Lin Yizhou’s pupils dilated slightly. His dark eyes seemed to catch a layer of light, becoming bright and clear.

The heart that had been hanging in suspense finally settled back into place. Suppressing the surge of joy within, he tried to remain calm and said, “Okay, I will definitely be there on time tomorrow.”

No sooner had he hung up than the phone rang again.

—Lin Yidan.

He hesitated for two seconds before picking up. Before he could speak, an excited shout came from the other end: “Brother!”

?

Lin Yizhou moved the phone away to glance at the screen; it was indeed Lin Yidan.

“Yes? What is it? If you don’t have enough allowance, you can just text me like before.”

“That’s not it,” Lin Yidan’s voice remained high-pitched with excitement. “Brother, did you really sign with Everstar Entertainment?”

The news was trending fiercely online, so it wasn’t surprising she knew. He didn’t intend to hide it and gave a low grunt of affirmation.

“Um, Brother, you probably don’t know,” Lin Yidan paused, sounding a bit bashful. “Xingyue is a fan of Shen Xu—like, a total hardcore fan. She asked me to ask you if you could help get a signed photo of him.”

As expected. In his memory, whenever Lin Yidan suddenly called him “Brother,” it was because she had something embarrassing or difficult she needed him to do.

“I’m sorry,” Lin Yizhou spoke the truth in a gentle tone. “I think you should understand the gap between him and me. Even though we’re in the same company, we might not even see each other…”

He was interrupted before he could finish.

“What are you talking about, Lin Yizhou?” Lin Yidan’s face soured instantly, her voice dripping with disdain. “Shen Xu spoke up for you like that on the internet; shouldn’t you guys be very close by now? He’s never helped anyone like that before.”

“If you don’t want to help, just say so. Don’t give me all these messy excuses.”

The words fell, and the call was cut off immediately.

Lin Yizhou looked at his phone and let out a soft sigh. As expected, it had turned out like this again.

The next morning, to prevent a repeat of the previous traffic jam, he specifically left two hours early.

But he still got stuck.

For an hour, the car barely moved.

Perhaps because he used to wake up earlier than chickens and finish work later than bats—spending most of his time sleeping on set or near filming locations—he never realized just how crowded this city actually was.

Seeing himself falling into the same predicament as last time, he was just unbuckling his seatbelt when his phone chimed.

He checked the message: 【Shen Xu: Sula said there’s no need to rush. It’s okay if you’re late. She’s busy with something right now anyway, and you’d just end up waiting if you came now.】

Lin Yizhou replied with a simple “Okay,” but paid the driver and got out of the car anyway.

In the meeting room, Shen Xu looked at the reply and shook his head helplessly. He stood up to turn down the air conditioning slightly, notified the receptionist who was supposed to receive Lin Yizhou, and messaged Cui Sula as he left: 【Sula, you don’t have to pretend to be busy anymore. Just be a little bit late when the time comes.】

Cui Sula replied instantly: 【Roger that, Boss!】 along with a “standing at attention” emoji.

Lin Yizhou entered the meeting room three minutes early. He waited for about ten minutes, and just as the sweat on his body was starting to dry, Cui Sula pushed the door open. She was dressed in a sharp professional suit with a high ponytail, radiating the aura of a powerful career woman.

He stood up to greet her, but froze when he saw Shen Xu following her in.

Seeing him stunned, Cui Sula took the initiative to explain: “This little ancestor is on vacation these days. He’s got nothing to do but wander around the company. When he heard I was coming to meet you, he said he wanted to come ‘fanboy,’ so he tagged along. You don’t mind, do you?”

Shen Xu leaned out from behind her, his standard “peach blossom” eyes curving into crescents as he raised a hand to wave: “Hi… my ‘God’ in the making.”

Hearing him use a term like “God” or “Idol,” Lin Yizhou felt an inexplicable sense of relief. He turned to Cui Sula and said, “I don’t mind.”

“That’s good then.” Cui Sula sat in the main seat. Noticing Lin Yizhou’s slight frown and tense posture, she smiled. “You don’t need to be so stiff. Relax a little.”

“Or rather, is there something you want to ask me?” She saw his hesitation.

Lin Yizhou nodded. After a moment of silence, he finally asked calmly, “I wanted to ask… that day you went to the Song Corporation, did he… make things difficult for you?”

Cui Sula knew what he was really asking and roughly knew what kind of answer he hoped for. However, she chose to tell the truth. After all, things that don’t exist cannot be manufactured through packaging. “No. He only said one thing: ‘There really are people willing to pick up trash.'”

“Trash?”

Lin Yizhou lowered his eyes, murmuring the word. A self-deprecating smile quirked at the corner of his mouth.

That description was truly apt.

Since birth, he had always been someone unwelcome and unloved—someone who was only kept because of his sister.

Suddenly realizing something, Lin Yizhou snapped back to the present and looked up. His expression had already returned to normal, his voice steady and emotionless: “Okay, I understand.”

In truth, he didn’t know why he had asked that question, even though he had guessed the answer.

After calming down that day, he had wondered for a fleeting moment: was it possible that Song Chizheng still… cared about him a little?

They had once exchanged stories of their pain. The man had been willing to show him his hidden scars, and Lin thought he understood him.

But the facts were now glaringly obvious. The person the man had wanted sympathy from in the first place wasn’t him.

From beginning to end, everything he received from that man—whether it was tenderness or cold agony—was only because of another shadow that lived within him.

Shen Xu, standing to the side, shot Cui Sula a look.

Receiving the signal, Cui Sula said kindly, “Zhou-ah, you know our company considers you a rare treasure, right? That’s why we spared no expense to ‘snatch’ you from over there.”

She emphasized the word “snatch” to show how much they valued him.

“When I said I was coming to see you, my other artists were all pestering me to come along and say hi. But they’re all too noisy, so I kicked every single one of them back.”

Lin Yizhou looked up, recognizing her kindness. He smiled slightly. “Thank you. I will work hard.” To repay the company’s kindness.

“Right, work.” Cui Sula took the opportunity to shift the topic, pushing a folder toward him. “Shen Xu mentioned that your current priority is projects with quick returns. I’ve organized the resources suitable for your current status, and I think this survival reality show is the best fit.”

“The appearance fee is objective. Plus, if you’re voted the ‘Best Survivor’ at the end, there’s a 1-million-yuan bonus.”

“Most importantly, according to the director, this season will be broadcast primarily via livestream. This ensures that the guests show their truest selves to the camera, so you don’t have to worry about malicious editing by the production team.”

“Yizhou, I don’t think my judgment of people is wrong.” Cui Sula patted his shoulder and said seriously, “On the show, you just need to be your true self. People will like you. Everything will get better and better.”

Lin Yizhou’s hand paused as he flipped through the program details. This was the first time someone had told him: You just need to be yourself, and people will like you.

Just be himself.

Shen Xu watched him, looking as though he wanted to say something but was holding back. He could only signal Cui Sula again.

Following his lead, Cui Sula placed a hand gently on Lin Yizhou’s shoulder: “What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing.” Lin Yizhou snapped out of it and continued reading the file. After a moment, he closed the folder. “I’ll do it.”

Cui Sula was about to speak when she was cut off by the previously silent Shen Xu. He spoke nonchalantly, “I suggest… Teacher Lin should think about it a little more?”

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