Assistant Bai Really Does Have a Three Year Old Child - Chapter 16

Bai Tan lowered his head, his hands tightly gripping the apology statement.

“I would like to thank every…”

“By the way, I remember you are currently working as Huo Yang’s assistant.”

“Yes.”

Bai Tan had only uttered three words when a sudden, surround-sound voice interrupted him.

The voice, emanating from the large speakers overhead, circled above the entire venue, deafeningly loud.

Bai Tan looked up in a daze; this dialogue sounded somewhat familiar.

The audience below also twisted their necks curiously, searching for the source of the sound.

“I heard the female lead of the drama he’s currently filming ran into trouble? There are rumors in the industry that she’s going to be replaced is that true? If she is, won’t all the previously filmed scenes have to be reshot?”

“This involves the crew’s privacy; I can only say ‘no comment’.”

“What ‘no comment’ is there between us? I’ve known about it for a long time.”

“Who told you the lead actress in Huo Yang’s current drama was being replaced?”

“I’m a writer; basically all my books have been adapted into films. I often have to communicate with screenwriters and participate in casting. Isn’t it normal to know a few industry insiders?”

“Whether it’s true or not, it’s a secret after all, so don’t spread it further.”

In front of her screen, Xiao Wan’s eyes widened, and she slowly sat up straight.

She couldn’t laugh anymore.

This was… the entirety of her conversation with Bai Tan back then.

Impossible! Her mother had clearly persuaded him to take the blame!

Bai Tan was also completely stunned.

The reporters below stared at each other in confusion:

“Is this…?”

“This is the complete dialogue of the recording trending online, without any cuts or editing.”

A deep voice rang out, standing very, very close to Bai Tan.

Bai Tan blinked, seemingly unable to grasp the situation.

It took a long time before he turned in shock to look at Huo Yang, who had just spoken.

“And what everyone heard on the internet was a maliciously edited version. I believe everyone has their own internal scale of judgment. As for what the truth is, I ask everyone to judge for themselves,” Huo Yang’s voice was polite and soft, yet powerful.

It resonated throughout the room.

“Teacher Huo, may I ask how you obtained this audio?” a reporter asked curiously from the floor.

“Due to the special nature of an artist’s work, assistants are often trusted people like relatives or friends. Since my new assistant and I had never met before, I had to be extra cautious. Therefore, I required him to record all conversations when meeting anyone to ensure my privacy would not be leaked.”

“Ah… then why did this assistant come forward to apologize? Since it wasn’t him, who is the other person involved in the audio? Is it the person who maliciously edited the video?”

Huo Yang replied:

“That is my assistant’s privacy, and I have no right to interfere. However, if everyone wants to know, I can provide a bit of information.”

As soon as these words came out, all the reporters stood up, stretching their arms as if they wanted to shove their microphones directly into Huo Yang’s mouth.

“On the second day after the incident, Director Guo gathered everyone at the studio to discuss this matter. My assistant provided the original, unedited recording to clear his name. However, later we were met by two uninvited guests, and after a secret conversation following their arrival, my assistant temporarily changed his story.”

Huo Yang’s tone was calm and articulate, as if these words had been rehearsed in advance.

“One is my assistant’s mother, and the other is the daughter from her second marriage. You should all know her the very famous author, Wan Wan.”

“Wow—”

The audience instantly erupted into an uproar.

In front of her screen, Xiao Wan’s blood froze at that moment, her body feeling as if it had turned to stone.

She even heard the sound of her petrified body cracking.

Kala, kala.

“I am not clear on the grievances between them, and I won’t make reckless claims. This is simply everything I saw and know,” Huo Yang said, then turned off his microphone.

After a long pause, he turned the switch back on for one final supplement:

“The reason I didn’t publicly introduce this assistant was that he is in his probationary period, and his stay was uncertain. But I can responsibly say that he is a very meticulous assistant who arranges matters big and small in an orderly fashion. Therefore, I hope everyone can be more tolerant of him and respect him.”

This time, after speaking, Huo Yang truly turned off the microphone.

For as long as he spoke, Bai Tan stared at him.

He had thought that no one in this world cared about the truth or his innocence anymore.

But Huo Yang cared.

Even though Huo Yang knew he was scheduled to film the adaptation of Wan Wan’s new book next.

He still chose to put everything on the line.

“Little Assistant,” Huo Yang whispered to Bai Tan behind the dead mic, still looking at the crowd below. “Look at the audience, don’t look at me. Everyone is waiting for your answer.”

Bai Tan took a deep breath, pulled the microphone toward him, and facing the sea of varied expressions, his voice was steady:

“The situation is exactly as Teacher Huo described. I guarantee with my character that the audio evidence has not been faked. As for the other party’s motives, I can only say that the human heart is hard to fathom. The reason I initially chose to admit to it was that people are often bound by things they haven’t been able to obtain their entire lives.”

Somewhere in the audience, a reporter sighed softly.

In the silent hall, that sigh was deafening.

Scattered applause began, followed by more and more people joining in, until it became like a tide, gradually drowning everything else out.

Bai Tan didn’t explicitly state Xiao Wan’s motive, but everyone had already pieced it together through the clues.

Divorced parents, a daughter from a second marriage.

And the thing one couldn’t get in a lifetime becoming the shackles that bound a person.

The bullet comments on the livestream were even more frantic than before.

Before the broadcast even ended, Bai Tan had already surged to the top of the Weibo trending searches.

I really couldn’t tell Wan Wan was that kind of person. Her stories are so gentle and healing, I’m so sad…

Stellar books, trashy person. Who knows if a person or a ghost is hiding behind a book?

Poor little assistant, such a heartless mom. Is the little assistant not her biological child? She abandoned her family to live a happy life, and now that she’s so successful, she makes the son she hasn’t cared about in years take the fall. How can she be so cruel!

Everyone stop arguing, Wan Wan was in the wrong, but she’s only eighteen, she’s still a child. Give her another chance and focus on her work; her writing is still quite good.

Lol, the ‘she’s just a child’ excuse is so classic. They say you can see the adult in the three-year-old; she’s this malicious at a young age, what will she be like later?

Not everyone in this world is qualified to be a parent.

Wooo, my heart aches for the little assistant. You are truly too kind, but please, stay far away from that mother and daughter in the future! Don’t be foolishly benevolent! They aren’t worth it!

Yang-ge is so handsome I’m gonna die! “Who among you dares to bully my little assistant,” ahhh!

Celebrating this! I’ve hated Wan Wan and her mom for a long time. They constantly trample on other authors, acting like she invented the entertainment industry genre when she’s just picking up others’ scraps.

The “Begging Bowls” can finally shut up.

What does “Begging Bowls” mean?

It’s the nickname for Wan Wan’s fans (Wan-fans). They spend all day stepping on others and accusing people of plagiarism, ‘begging’ for popularity from others. Isn’t that a begging bowl?

You’re right.

Netizens were talented; they quickly dug up the fact that when Huo Yang was interviewed and his clothes were ruined, it was also her doing.

And the one who turned the tide at the last moment was, again, Huo Yang’s little assistant.

How long has the little assistant been with our brother? Once the month is up, hurry and make him permanent! With him taking care of Brother, we are 100% at ease!

The little assistant is so cute, would he consider debuting on the spot and forming a duo with Yang-ge? [Dog head emoji]

Haha, I noticed too, he has great taste in clothes. No wonder he could bring us a brand new Yang-Yang back then. We praised the stylist for so long, and it turns out it was the assistant! [Cute]

Yang-ge, hurry and pack Xiao Bai up to take home, don’t let him be snatched by another agency!

Outside the venue.

The producer bowed to Bai Tan for the Nth time:

“Assistant Bai, I spoke without thinking, I am truly sorry.”

And attempted to shift the blame:

“Director Guo wasn’t decent either; he knew the truth but didn’t tell us, making us misunderstand you for so long. So sorry.”

Director Guo: “…”

Bai Tan smiled:

“It’s okay. I would have had the same misunderstanding in your shoes. Since the truth is out, let’s just leave it at that.”

“Good, good, as long as you don’t take it to heart.”

As the crowd dispersed, Bai Tan turned to look at Huo Yang. He walked over and bowed deeply:

“Thank you, Teacher Huo, for speaking up for justice and helping me out of that bind.”

Huo Yang looked at him. From this angle, he could only see the soft eyelashes peeking through the gaps of his hanging hair.

“Don’t mention it,” he said deeply.

“But how did you get the audio?” Bai Tan found it somewhat unbelievable.

“Director Guo gave it to me.” Huo Yang looked away, answering somewhat dismissively.

Bai Tan wanted to ask when Director Guo had secretly backed up the audio, but he suddenly heard Huo Yang let out a cold snort.

After the cold laugh, his attitude took a 360-degree turn from the press conference:

“I really didn’t expect you would agree to their unreasonable demands.”

Bai Tan lowered his head, not knowing how to explain.

“Just because she is your mother, you were willing to accept such a difficult request?”

“Yes,” Bai Tan responded obscurely.

He always remembered being a child and pestering his mother for toys; she was always unable to resist his antics and would agree to any request.

So, as a grown child, he found it difficult to refuse any of his mother’s unreasonable demands.

“Let it go. Her attitude today has already shown that you are dispensable to her,” Huo Yang said.

Bai Tan pursed his lips and nodded vigorously.

He had seen through it long ago, but he was just unwilling to accept it, constantly deceiving himself.

Huo Yang was still looking at his lowered brows; although he wasn’t crying, his eyes were moist.

Perhaps at this moment, he was still wondering how hard he had to work to obtain the maternal love that others possessed effortlessly from birth.

Huo Yang slowly raised his hand.

Just as his fingers were about to touch Bai Tan’s cheek, he quickly withdrew them.

The topic ended there. Huo Yang turned and strode away.

With one press conference, the “genius girl” fell from grace to become a “rat crossing the street” that everyone wanted to hit. The internet was incredibly lively.

The number of bookmarks for Xiao Wan’s new book which had reached hundreds of thousands after just a few chapters dropped at a visible speed.

From then on, the readers’ blacklists had one more name.

Fortunately, her foundation was solid. Although she lost many fans, she still stood at the top of the website’s rankings.

Xiao Wan was unwilling and terrified. She called Yang Yueqian, saying that if he didn’t come forward to help, she would have no choice but to put everything on the line and reveal that she was acting under instructions then no one would have a good time.

Yang Yueqian only laughed after hearing this:

“Suit yourself. When the time comes and you drag me down, I can go cry to President Zhang. What about you?”

Xiao Wan had heard of President Zhang; he was reportedly the head of a massive financial group with overwhelming power. Even government officials called him “brother” respectfully. He operated in both the legal and shadow worlds; making someone disappear quietly was as easy as turning over a hand.

No matter how much money she had, she didn’t dare cross such a person.

The fox’s tears finally turned into the wailing of genuine regret.

And her mother stopped ignoring her previously, if her father scolded her, her mother would rush out to protect her. This time, her mother allowed her father to scold her for losing face and remained upstairs, losing her appetite and refusing to see anyone.

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