The Beautiful but Obscure Star Is Targeted by a Scheming Movie Star - Chapter 19

“Alright, a warm welcome to each of our teachers.” The host took to the stage, inviting the artists one by one to introduce themselves.

“Would each of the teachers please introduce yourselves in turn, and also introduce the kitty you are teamed up with~”

The fans in attendance were utterly captivated by the adorable interactions between the artists and their cats.

“Ahhh, so cute!” “What were they raised on to be this adorable?” “All the teachers look so cute today, too, all fluffy and soft.” “So cute, I love it, I love it!”

“Alright, thank you to all the teachers for those introductions. Please take your seats now. We will have each teacher give a solo speech shortly.”

As the host finished speaking, everyone sat in the chairs below in their designated order.

As someone went up to speak, Gong Yingxiao sat beside Tang Jingran and asked in a low voice, “Still nervous?”

Tang Jingran moved away imperceptibly. “No.”

Gong Yingxiao wanted to say more, but the host was already calling Tang Jingran to the stage.

“Ahhh, Teacher Tang looks even more handsome in person!” “Holy crap, why do I feel like Teacher Tang is like a reserved cat himself?” “Setting everything else aside, his skin is just too fair.” “A divine visual!”

Tang Jingran walked onto the stage with a calm expression. Countless white spotlights hit that sharp, cool face; his dark brows and eyes made his lip color appear even more vivid and moist. His image was broadcast in real-time onto the large screen.

“Ahhh!” “Oh my god, oh my god!” “My heart can’t take it!”

The audience erupted into even more intense screams, waves of sound crashing one after another. Tang Jingran gave a very brief smile. It was a soft sound, but the people still caught it.

“Everyone, please settle down.”

The moment Tang Jingran spoke, the restless noise instantly quieted, though there were still a few uncontrollable gasps.

“Hello everyone, I am Tang Jingran.”

Tang Jingran looked directly at the audience with a calm expression. His diction was clear, and his bearing was poised and grand, showing none of the nervousness he had felt backstage.

Gong Yingxiao’s eyes meticulously traced that exquisite face. He tilted his head slightly, looking at him with a hint of surprise. But a second later, he let out a low chuckle.

Underneath the podium, Tang Jingran’s hand was deathly tight, gripping the side of his trousers.

“Thank you all for your love, and thank you to the Cat Cafe variety show for giving me the opportunity to meet everyone. Moving forward, I will continue to work hard to improve myself and bring you better works. I also want to thank everyone for loving my kitty partner.”

“Thank you very much.”

As he finished, he bowed to the fans in front of him.

“Don’t worry, Tang-Tang! I will always support you!” “Teacher Tang, I will follow you forever!” “Teacher Tang, keep it up!”

Tang Jingran smiled softly at the camera once more before stepping down from the stage.

Immediately after, Gong Yingxiao took the stage.

As Gong Yingxiao walked up, he gestured for the fans to remain quiet, and every fan cooperated perfectly, making no sound.

“Hello everyone, I am Gong Yingxiao.”

Gong Yingxiao’s voice was deep and magnetic, each word carrying clearly into the ears of everyone present. He stood under the spotlight, his posture tall and straight, carrying that unique aura that belonged only to him.

“Thank you all very much for your support and love. I also want to thank the Cat Cafe variety show platform for giving me the chance to have close contact with the fresh blood of this industry.”

“The time spent here has been very meaningful.”

Gong Yingxiao glanced toward Tang Jingran’s direction below the stage, but the other man was busy talking to Bai Wensheng next to him and wasn’t looking at the stage.

“Finally, thank you for this encounter.”

After every artist had finished their speech, they were invited back onto the stage, holding their cats, for a large group photo.

Once the press conference ended, Tang Jingran greeted Yan Jun and headed back to the dressing room to collect his things.

“Hello, Mother Zhang? I’m almost done packing…” Tang Jingran was packing his backpack in the dressing room when he received a call from Mother Zhang.

“Ran-ran, come quickly! The doctor says the situation is very bad. What should we do?” Mother Zhang interrupted him directly, her voice carrying a sob, sounding extremely anxious.

Hearing this, Tang Jingran’s heart skipped a beat. A premonition of disaster surged in his mind. He packed his things rapidly while trying to comfort her. “Mother Zhang, don’t panic yet. I’m coming over right now.”

Hanging up the phone, Tang Jingran only wanted to finish packing and get to the hospital; he didn’t even hear the sound of the door opening behind him.

When he turned around, he saw Gong Yingxiao looking at him with a strange expression.

Tang Jingran swung his backpack onto his shoulder and walked straight to the door. He frowned slightly and looked up at the other man. “Please move aside.”

Gong Yingxiao continued to look at him with that strange expression. After a long moment, he spoke.

“Are you sure you want to go out like that?”

With that, he reached back and locked the door. He approached Tang Jingran step by step, forcing Tang Jingran to retreat until he was pinned against the corner.

Tang Jingran reached out to push against his shoulder, but he couldn’t move him.

“What are you doing?”

Gong Yingxiao propped both arms on either side of Tang Jingran’s ears, looking down at his current appearance for a while before speaking.

“Are the ears on top of your head real?”

The moment he heard those words, all color drained from Tang Jingran’s face, turning him instantly pale. He covered his ears in terror, staring at the man in front of him.

Gong Yingxiao reached out with one hand to catch the slightly bristling tail nearby and gave it a light sniff at his nose.

He gave a low laugh. “So you’re a little cat.”

Every hair on Tang Jingran’s body stood on end. He used all his strength to shove Gong Yingxiao away.

The man was caught off guard and pushed back into a nearby chair; the chair fell over, making a piercing sound.

Tang Jingran’s chest heaved violently. He stared at Gong Yingxiao with eyes full of defensiveness, his gaze icy cold.

Gong Yingxiao had never seen him look at him with such cold eyes before, and for a moment, his heart felt a pang of distress.

“Don’t worry,” Gong Yingxiao raised his hands to soothe him. “I won’t do anything. Don’t be afraid.”

“Okay?”

Tang Jingran retracted his tail and ears and ignored him, walking straight past him.

Seeing this, Gong Yingxiao grabbed his arm, forcing him to face him. Tang Jingran, unable to break free, stopped struggling and looked at him coldly.

“Let go.”

Gong Yingxiao sensed that the other’s emotions were unstable and tried to calm him down. “Calm down for a second. Can we talk?”

“Calm down? Talk?” Tang Jingran chewed over those two words several times, his tone filled with mockery. “Calm down about what? Talk about what? What is there for us to talk about?”

“What do you mean?” Gong Yingxiao’s eyes were dark as he stared at him.

Tang Jingran looked back fearlessly. “You know exactly what I mean.”

“Let go!”

Tang Jingran broke free from his grip and brushed off his sleeve. He even let out a laugh—a laugh bright with blatant irony—and continued, “The game I played with you during this time is over. Oh, and also, thank you for your hard work.”

“But now, I’m bored.”

“That’s all.”

“I have things to do. I’m leaving.”

Just as he turned around, a sharp pain shot through his wrist. Gong Yingxiao’s palm gripped his wrist with such force that it felt as if he were trying to snap it.

Tang Jingran gave a sneer, speaking with indifference. “Do you have something else?”

Gong Yingxiao looked at Tang Jingran’s face full of mockery; his own expression could be described as calm—a calmness that was terrifying, with a dangerous sense of a coming storm. Yet, on the surface, he still maintained his gentlemanly poise, if one ignored the force in his hand.

“You consider this a game?” Gong Yingxiao’s voice was frighteningly deep, a dangerous light flashing in the depths of his eyes.

“Yes.” Tang Jingran’s wrist hurt, and his heart had begun to tremble, but he maintained that stubborn expression on his face.

“Bored?” Gong Yingxiao laughed out of anger.

“Yes.” Tang Jingran nodded with a smile. “Bored.”

“That night, why did you come?” Gong Yingxiao took a deep breath, leaning in close to Tang Jingran.

“You looked after me, so it was only right that I looked after you.” Tang Jingran’s tone was as flat as if he were stating the most mundane fact.

You looked after me, so I looked after you.

That’s it.

Gong Yingxiao’s usually praised gentlemanly demeanor was shattered. He threw Tang Jingran’s wrist aside, his voice coated in a layer of frost.

“So, you were just paying back a favor?”

Tang Jingran rubbed his pained wrist and nodded. “Yes.”

Gong Yingxiao gave a cold laugh. “Remember what you said.”

With that, he opened the dressing room door and left first.

Silence returned to the room. Tang Jingran stood frozen for a few seconds before slowly crouching down to ease the pain in his heart.

Everything was like this.

A few seconds later, Tang Jingran gathered his emotions and rushed out the door toward the hospital.

“Are you the patient’s family?” The doctor hurried out of the emergency operating room toward the tall young man.

Tang Jingran nodded. “Yes, I am the patient’s son.”

“Alright, then the family should be prepared.” After saying this, the doctor rushed back into the operating room.

Looking at the closed operating room door, Tang Jingran’s legs suddenly gave way. He was caught by Mother Zhang beside him.

“Ran-ran, Ran-ran, what’s wrong?” Mother Zhang anxiously led Tang Jingran to a nearby chair.

“I’m fine.” Tang Jingran’s hands shook uncontrollably, his eyes fixed on the closed operating room door in terror.

Director Mother, I beg you.

Please be okay.

After an unknown amount of time, the heavy, closed doors opened. The doctor pushed out a single bed covered with a white cloth.

Tang Jingran’s vision went black. He fell from the chair to the ground, and ignoring the pain, he scrambled and stumbled toward the bed.

His hands shook so much that it took several tries before he successfully lifted the white cloth, revealing that familiar, kind face inside.

Tang Jingran felt as though his heart had been seized by an invisible hand, the pain so intense he could barely breathe. He stared at that face in total disbelief.

Tears escaped his eyes uncontrollably, dripping onto the bedsheets and blooming into small stains.

Mother Zhang was also weeping uncontrollably beside him; she reached out with trembling arms to hold Tang Jingran’s shoulder, collapsing against him.

The doctor stood by silently, wanting to say something but ultimately finding no words.

“Please accept my condolences. We did our best.”

“The patient suffered a cerebral hemorrhage caused by an acute stroke. Resuscitation was unsuccessful.”

Tang Jingran’s eyes were bloodshot, his voice trembling.

“Okay. I understand.”

The once clear sky was now covered by layers of dark clouds, interspersed with several claps of thunder.

A thin, drizzling rain began to fall.

Penetrating.

Silent.