The Second Fall - Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Bound During the Rut

If Rong Yushu was the sponsor…

Lan Cixing met those unique emerald eyes, feeling as though she had stumbled into a vibrant, wild forest. Her heartbeat slowed unconsciously, becoming abnormally distinct. The thump-thump echoed in her skull; it took a moment for her to realize that time hadn’t slowed down—her heart was simply racing faster and faster.

The beautiful fox-eyes suddenly curved. Lan Cixing quickly looked down, forced to admit that if the sponsor was Rong Yushu, she actually found it somewhat acceptable.

But then, Rong Yushu moved.

She stepped aside slightly, yielding half the space. A plain-looking woman in her late thirties walked forward. The woman wore thick lenses, her hair was combed perfectly straight, and her outfit was formal and rigorous—the stereotypical image of a successful middle-aged professional.

Upon seeing her face, Lan Cixing’s pupils shrank.

This person was Wei Lan, one of the founders of Shengqing Entertainment, a notorious titan within the industry. Unlike her tidy and rigid appearance, her character was malicious and tyrannical. Years ago, when Lan Cixing was still in the industry, she had been targeted by this woman. Her first manager had even conspired with Wei Lan, nearly sending Lan Cixing to her bed.

Lan Cixing never expected to see this person again four years after quitting. Calculating her market value now, Wei Lan’s net worth had multiplied several times over; she was no longer the minor capitalist Lan Cixing could easily escape.

Cold sweat slid down Lan Cixing’s temple. Today’s trip was likely to end in disaster. Her hand instinctively pressed against her pocket, but she forced herself to check the movement. She had family; they were her weakness. She feared that if Wei Lan failed to “buy” her, she would use her family as leverage.

“I’ve finally waited long enough for you.” As soon as Wei Lan appeared, she didn’t spare a glance for anyone else. Her wolfish eyes landed on Lan Cixing and stayed there, unmoving. “I’ve played with so many people that it’s started to get boring. I wonder if the current you can make me happy.” Her goal was clear: she intended to solidify the title of “sponsor.”

Lan Cixing looked at Xiao Jiu, the friend who had given her the job. This friend was unique; she had a subtle relationship with the software’s founder and wide information sources. However, she didn’t get involved in disputes and preferred to clarify everything before things started. If signing a model contract meant a sponsor was coming, she should have informed Lan Cixing in advance.

“Why are you looking at Xiao Jiu? I invested 35% into this show. Can’t I come and go as I please?” Seeing Lan Cixing’s obvious reluctance, Wei Lan sneered.

Lan Cixing saw Xiao Jiu shake her head at her.

“I’m sorry, I’m not short of money right now.” Lan Cixing steeled her heart and took a step back. No matter what, she had to struggle. After all, having received her wages from Rong Yushu, she had no need to do this show; she had only come because she thought it would be wrong to back out after signing. Had she known she would encounter Wei Lan, Lan Cixing wouldn’t have stepped a foot near the venue even if she had to pay the liquidated damages.

“I can facilitate your comeback.” Wei Lan seemed to have expected Lan Cixing’s reaction. Her tone was calm, filled with a sense of certainty. It was as if this were a great mercy bestowed upon Lan Cixing.

But… Lan Cixing knit her brows. She had never once thought about making a comeback.

Her eyes swept over the conspicuous Rong Yushu standing nearby. Lan Cixing steadied herself, controlling the tremor in her voice as she spoke again. “I also have no desire for a comeback.”

“Is that so? My informants said you’ve been hanging around Nian Guanqi’s film set lately.” Wei Lan assumed Lan Cixing was just bargaining.

Lan Cixing couldn’t help but look at Rong Yushu, who was leaning against the wall. From whom did the news leak? Was Rong Yushu hiring her as a bodyguard a setup coordinated with Wei Lan? She remembered the Rong family held shares in Shengqing Entertainment.

Lan Cixing clenched her palms.

Wei Lan gave her no chance to argue. “I said I can make you return, and naturally, I won’t let you suffer any more rumors. How about it? The price won’t mistreat you.” She didn’t even look at Rong Yushu.

Lan Cixing kept staring at Rong Yushu’s eyes, trying to catch even a sliver of emotion. Rong Yushu merely turned her head slowly, focusing her gaze from the void onto Lan Cixing. Her eyes were like a perfect mirror—undisturbed and emotionless. It stifled Lan Cixing so much she could hardly breathe.

Lan Cixing nearly punctured her palms with her nails.

“I am not interested in returning. I have another job now, outside of the entertainment industry. I’m sure you wouldn’t want to spend time dealing with matters in another field.” Lan Cixing had to refuse. Rarely did she keep her emotions in check, offering a polite refusal with a slight bow.

Wei Lan didn’t buy it. She let out a “heh,” dissatisfaction overflowing from her face. “You certainly are a tough bone to crack. In that case, there’s no need to watch this show. I’ll give you one day to consider. If you insist on opposing me, I hope your compensation satisfies Qi Mo.” Qi Mo was the general head of the show. Only someone of Wei Lan’s status would dare call him by his name directly.

She turned and left, seemingly certain that Lan Cixing couldn’t refuse her threats and couldn’t afford the compensation for the show. The remaining three people stood there in a dead, stifling atmosphere. Lan Cixing’s breathing was uneven, her emotions trembling in her eyes like ripples.

Xiao Jiu spoke hesitantly. “I’m sorry. She only told me half an hour ago.”

Lan Cixing shook her head, her heart dead. She didn’t look at Rong Yushu again. So she hates me that much. Fine, what’s there to be surprised about?

“How much are the liquidated damages for the contract?” Lan Cixing thought she could leave her sister with her aunt and run far away to a remote town. Maybe that way, Wei Lan wouldn’t find her. At the very least, she would definitely not participate in tomorrow’s show.

“…Ten times. Two hundred thousand, but it has to go through a Viell account.” Xiao Jiu’s price wasn’t outrageous, but Viell accounts were tricky; they had a fixed daily quota and would close the channel once transactions were complete.

Lan Cixing could only wait until midnight.

“Sorry to trouble you. I can’t come tomorrow.” Lan Cixing didn’t want to stay at the venue for another second. She feared someone like Wei Lan would come looking for her again. If she could go back to being twenty, the first thing she would do is stop her younger self from entering the entertainment industry. This place was too chaotic; for someone without money or power like her, keeping her life was a success—how could she talk about making a name for herself?

She took two steps and brushed past Rong Yushu. Rong Yushu still maintained her bystander pose, her gaze slightly cold.

“…You’re here to watch me be a laughingstock, aren’t you?” Lan Cixing was finally provoked by that familiar chill. Her voice trembled for a moment as she asked in a low whisper. She couldn’t hold it back. From the first moment she saw Rong Yushu again to this very second, her heart had plummeted countless times, finally falling into the abyss to be sentenced to death.

Rong Yushu showed no emotion whatsoever. The white tea scent was also irritatingly intense, bothering her mind and stimulating her particularly restless scent gland today.

Lan Cixing held her breath. Rong Yushu hated her this much. Could they… just stop meeting?

Lan Cixing thought she wouldn’t get an answer. Not wanting to see even a glimpse of Rong Yushu, she lowered her head and hurried away.

“How do you know I’m not here to help you?” Rong Yushu’s voice drifted lazily from behind. It sounded so familiar, like a memory from long ago. It was as if the Rong Yushu from her memories—the one who would teach her acting and bring her to her private break room—was speaking.

Lan Cixing paused, her eyes dazed. Her head throbbed from the Wei Lan incident, making it hard to think, yet she could clearly distinguish that those words were spoken by Rong Yushu herself. It wasn’t the past, nor was it a hallucination. The tone was identical to the Rong Yushu of the last few days.

Lan Cixing whipped her head around, her curly hair swinging behind her and blurring her vision. The spot where Rong Yushu had been leaning was now empty.

Three seconds of breath. A faint scent of white tea lingered from afar. Lan Cixing exhaled sharply, covered her face with trembling hands, and left the venue as fast as possible.

Lan Cixing started packing as soon as she got home. She didn’t believe a word of what Rong Yushu said; once she had calmed down, she felt Rong Yushu was just mocking her. She could only rely on herself. On the way back, she had already planned her route and thought about what to say to her aunt. At the very worst, she would go for a mutual destruction. She would rather reappear in public and drag Wei Lan down with her than become her canary.

Lan Cixing opened her phone, waiting for midnight to make the transfer. She scrolled through her contacts, looking for anyone who could help. She couldn’t find a single person. People she knew in the industry hadn’t been contacted in four years. The friends she made in reality during these four years were in the same class as her; how could they possibly reach someone of Wei Lan’s level?

Scrolling back and forth, the only person she could talk to was An Yu. She thought for a moment and didn’t continue with her previous plan.

“Let’s break up.” Deciding to flee, Lan Cixing wouldn’t have the energy to chat with An Yu. She wanted to cut ties completely; anyway, her aunt would stop Lan Baian from online dating.

After sending the message, it was already 11:58 PM. Lan Cixing returned to the Viell app, watching the clock. Midnight sharp! She used her fastest hand speed, but two seconds later, the app crashed. She tried five more times. When she finally got in, the daily quota had been reached, and Viell had closed transactions.

Lan Cixing bit her lip until it bled. The liquidated damages would double for every day she was late. And she could only take out 400,000 in savings at most. What was she going to do…

While she was biting her finger in anxiety, a message popped up on the app from Xiao Jiu.

“You’re quite lucky. Someone paid the liquidated damages for you. Something happened to Wei Lan’s company; she was just removed from the shareholder list by the show’s manager. A new shareholder arrived who doesn’t know you. This matter is resolved.”

Lan Cixing stopped breathing. She stared at the message for ten minutes until a new one came from Xiao Jiu.

“Alive?”

Lan Cixing finally processed the words. “I’m fine. Who paid the liquidated damages? Did a group as big as Wei Lan’s really have an accident today of all days?”

The whole thing was resolved too smoothly. Instead of relaxing, Lan Cixing’s intuition surged with waves of unease; her emptiness gave birth to intense anxiety.

“I can’t say. It wasn’t a coincidence; someone has been planning this. But I can’t say that either. Anyway, congratulations, it’s over.” Xiao Jiu’s words were vague.

Lan Cixing didn’t connect this at all with Rong Yushu’s “mocking promise.” Her lip twitched. This was why she was reluctant to take jobs from Xiao Jiu’s app. While the money was good, the danger was greater. It was a gray-area app; besides bodyguards and models, there were deep waters. Lan Cixing decided to hide the app. She probably wouldn’t open it again.

She exhaled. Closing her eyes, she fell asleep.

In a luxury mansion some distance away, Wei Lan smashed her third vase, her hands covered in blood. She knew those two were close in private! To think Rong Yushu had pretended to hate her. It was all because that woman’s acting was too good; she hadn’t seen through it at all. A huge loss.

Looking at her blood-stained hands, Wei Lan took out her phone to message her subordinates. If she couldn’t mess with the Rong family, she didn’t believe she couldn’t handle Lan Cixing, whom Rong Yushu was protecting.

The next day, Lan Cixing woke up from a nightmare. She checked her phone and realized she was drenched in sweat. Anyway… this matter should be over, right? Even the owner of the security agency messaged her, finally returning the long-term contract that had been delayed for ten days and asking her to sign it today.

Lan Cixing washed up, made breakfast for her sister, and went out. On the way, she scrolled through her phone and saw news about Shengqing Entertainment on the finance channel. Just as she was about to click in for details, a message from An Yu popped up.

Lan Cixing’s finger paused. After the tension of last night, nothing had happened. The only thing that had changed was her relationship with An Yu. They weren’t really dating anyway, right?

She entered the chat. An Yu’s message was more ridiculous than she imagined.

“Hmm? We weren’t dating to begin with. You mentioned breaking up to me before, did you forget? I’ve just been pursuing you lately.”

Lan Cixing actually stopped walking this time. Her eyebrows nearly twisted into a knot. Her sister had already broken up with An Yu? Then why was An Yu still so intimate with her?

Before she could think it through, she felt a sudden pain at the back of her head—a blow from a blunt club.

D*mn it…

The road to the security agency was remote, and the last stretch had to be walked. An empty place was perfect for an ambush. Lan Cixing fought through the dizziness to strike back by instinct; there were five of them. Normally, she could handle them easily even with a head injury, knocking one over and elbowing two others together.

However, they came prepared. After only two moves, Lan Cixing smelled a certain Omega pheromone scent mixed with a special drug designed to induce an Alpha’s rut. It caused a violent, throbbing pain in the back of her neck. They were so despicable they were inducing her rut to lower her combat ability!

Lan Cixing’s movements gradually fell behind. She took another hit and could no longer stand. “President Wei, we’ve got her. We’re coming back now.” Before blacking out completely, Lan Cixing heard the person holding her speaking into a headset.

As expected, it wasn’t going to be that smooth…

Lan Cixing closed her eyes. Her captors, still wary, brought out ropes to bind her. Just as they were about to lift her into the car, several people suddenly appeared and surrounded them.

“Who?!” The people Wei Lan sent were well-trained, yet they hadn’t heard the others approach, proving the newcomers were superior! The five people grew alert, shoving Lan Cixing behind them; this was the person their master wanted, they had to keep a close eye.

“I say, you’ve really started to annoy me.” A woman with blonde hair blending into the sunlight stepped out from behind her people. She had a pair of world-renowned green eyes, and right now, she was staring fixedly at the unconscious Lan Cixing, who had just entered her rut.

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