The Vicious Cannon Fodder Despised by Everyone Really Doesn't Want to Go Viral - Chapter 13

The rain outside smashed against the car, tracing water marks across the windows.

Lin Zhiyu did not hesitate; he quickly folded his umbrella and slid into the vehicle. He still carried a hint of dampness, as his coat hems and pant legs were soaked through. The moment the car door closed, Jiang Yubai pulled out a few tissues and handed them over. In the dim light of the car, his well-defined knuckles seemed coated in a layer of white porcelain glaze.

Lin Zhiyu took the tissues and thanked him again, thinking to himself that Jiang Yubai truly lived up to his role as the protagonist; he was kind-hearted and repaid grievances with virtue. It seemed every beautiful quality in the world had been claimed by him.

The assistant driving glanced through the rearview mirror at Lin Zhiyu’s deliberate movements as he wiped the rainwater. The assistant let out a small huff and asked, “Infinite Entertainment is such a huge company; how can they not even arrange a car for someone?”

Jiang Yubai frowned, about to tell him not to speak out of turn, but Lin Zhiyu replied nonchalantly, “Jiangnan Leather was such a huge factory, yet the boss still ran off with his sister-in-law.”

“Huh?”

“Nothing, it is just a simple wish of mine,” Lin Zhiyu said.

The assistant clicked his tongue and muttered, “It is obvious you have done too many bad things and the company abandoned you. If you had not run into our Brother Yubai, you would be a drenched rat by now.”

Though his voice was not loud, in the confined space of the car, it reached everyone’s ears perfectly. Jiang Yubai tapped the back of the seat, signaling the assistant to focus on driving, and asked Lin Zhiyu, “Where are you going? I will have Zhang Ze drop you off first.”

Lin Zhiyu gave an address. However, after the assistant entered the name of the apartment complex into the navigation, he looked at the map location on the screen and fell into a deep silence.

“What is it?” Jiang Yubai asked.

Taking advantage of a red light, the assistant turned around and gave Jiang Yubai a complicated look. “Brother Jiang, do you know the price per square meter in this area?” Then he turned to Lin Zhiyu and asked, “You really live here?”

Only then did Jiang Yubai shift his attention to the screen next to the driver’s seat. This place, he remembered it.

“I do not live here,” Lin Zhiyu said immediately. “Since you have found out, I will not hide it. I have indeed been abandoned by the company, so I found a backup plan. Look, I am working here as a security guard on the night shift. The salary is three times what my classmate makes in civil engineering.”

“For real?”

Lin Zhiyu looked at him with crescent-shaped, smiling eyes. “Would I lie to you?”

The assistant glanced at him and curled his lip. “Serves you right.”

Seeing that the assistant had actually been fooled, Jiang Yubai said helplessly, “Stop teasing him.”

Lin Zhiyu shrugged and straightened his back under the assistant’s indignant gaze. “But Jiang Yubai, I really do need to formally say I am sorry to you,” Lin Zhiyu said, enunciating every word.

Although the original owner’s scandalous actions had nothing to do with him, he was currently living in that person’s skin and identity. It was best to resolve past grudges whenever possible.

A look of confusion appeared on Jiang Yubai’s face. “You mean?”

“About targeting you during the talent show, and laying hands on you at the Lin residence. I have thought a lot lately. I am sorry; I was in the wrong. If you need help with anything in the future, I will do my best to make it up to you.”

Lin Zhiyu spoke sincerely. Under the light, his eyes gazed at Jiang Yubai’s face with genuine honesty, devoid of any pretense; his gaze was exceptionally clear and pure.

Jiang Yubai hesitated for a moment before saying, “Grandma’s medical bills were also paid by you, were they not?”

At this, Lin Zhiyu froze, and his expression became a bit flustered. He had tried so hard to hide that day; how did Jiang Yubai know it was him? Seeing his expression, Jiang Yubai could not help but smile. “It really was you.”

“Do not be so blunt. It is embarrassing for a good Samaritan to be exposed.”

Perhaps it was the dim light in the car, but Jiang Yubai noted with some surprise that Lin Zhiyu’s earlobes had turned red. In all the time he had known Lin Zhiyu, this was the first time he had seen him like this.

“The doctor said Grandma’s condition is well-controlled, but because she needs dialysis every week, it is actually not easy,” Jiang Yubai said, observing Lin Zhiyu’s reaction. “Each session is four hours. Grandma is very resilient; she never cries out in pain and will not let me accompany her.”

Lin Zhiyu rubbed his hands together.

“Before, I was worried she would not be able to accept it, and I also thought you were unwilling, so I never told her the truth,” Jiang Yubai said. “If you want, we can find a time.”

Lin Zhiyu shook his head. “Let us not for now.”

“Why?”

“I will send the medical fees to you on time, but let us wait on the rest.” Lin Zhiyu winked at him teasingly. “After all, her eldest grandson is a red-hot star in the industry. When I went to the hospital that day, I heard the nurses mention you several times. If the elderly lady suddenly found out her grandson had pulled a disappearing act and turned into the despised Lin Zhiyu, she would be so heartbroken.”

Jiang Yubai was silent for a few seconds before saying, “Lin Zhiyu, you seem to have changed.”

“So the apology is sincere, and no longer pestering Mu Yunji is also sincere.” Lin Zhiyu specifically emphasized the name Mu Yunji. “I just want to live a good life now.”

He thought to himself that it would be even better if he did not have to go to this job. Jiang Yubai turned his head to study him, not quite understanding how the topic had shifted to Mu Yunji, but he said nonetheless, “It is good that you have figured things out.”

Mu Sui’s apartment had strict security; unregistered vehicles were not allowed entry. The assistant had to stop the car outside the main gates. Fortunately, the rain had subsided into a drizzle, spreading a misty haze under the streetlights.

Just as Lin Zhiyu was about to get out, he heard Jiang Yubai suddenly ask, “Are you living with him now?”

The Lin parents had long since cut ties with Lin Zhiyu, so naturally, they had not attended the wedding banquet. Jiang Yubai only knew that Lin Zhiyu and Mu Sui had gotten married, but he did not know the specifics. However, the land this apartment sat on was worth its weight in gold; the housing prices alone were staggering. Given Lin Zhiyu’s current financial situation, it was impossible for him to live in such a place on his own. Therefore, the only possibility was clear.

Jiang Yubai had held the question in the whole way, and only now, as Lin Zhiyu was leaving, did he finally prepare himself to ask.

Lin Zhiyu nodded and simply said, “Mr. Mu is a very good person.”

He hoped that when Mu Sui pursued Jiang Yubai in the future, Jiang Yubai would not reject him too harshly, lest Mu Sui’s spirit break and he come back to take his anger out on Lin Zhiyu. After thinking for a moment, Lin Zhiyu added, “Our relationship is also a bit unique. We live more like roommates; we do not interfere with each other.”

The subtext was that when Mu Sui pursued Jiang Yubai, he would be pure as driven snow, with no messy emotional entanglements. Jiang Yubai did not understand why Lin Zhiyu was explaining this. He looked at him blankly for a long time before finally responding, “Indeed. I heard that several investors for The Blue Bird originally wanted to replace you, but in the end, it was President Mu who made the final call to secure your role.”

Lin Zhiyu was shocked. “Who? Me?”

Did that not mean he was nearly close to not having to work? Were they not supposed to avoid behind the scenes operations? Why was the villain playing the anonymous benefactor?

Jiang Yubai watched as Lin Zhiyu suddenly deflated like a punctured balloon. Lin Zhiyu bid him a listless farewell, popped his umbrella, and stepped with a splat into a puddle by the curb. Before Jiang Yubai could warn him, he saw Lin Zhiyu stomp through several more puddles as if to vent his frustration before storming through the gates of the community.

Jiang Yubai thought to himself, “…”

The assistant said, “Did Lin Zhiyu go find a Taoist priest to perform an exorcism? I feel like he is a completely different person. Not only has his acting improved by leaps and bounds, but even his face looks more pleasant than before.”

Jiang Yubai replied, “Let us head back.”

“But the price of an apartment here is several times more than the villa your dad gave you, Brother Jiang. Did Lin Zhiyu find himself a wealthy benefactor?”

Jiang Yubai said in a low voice, “Do not talk nonsense.”

The assistant saw his expression and quickly shut his mouth. The Maybach restarted and vanished into the night.

The password lock emitted a beep and the air inside the house was freezing. Lin Zhiyu fumbled for the light switch, about to look for Mu Sui, when Xu Dongdong’s frantic phone call exploded in the dark foyer.

He was so startled he nearly dropped his phone. Upon answering, he was met with his manager’s eternally noisy and sarcastic opening, “Lin Zhiyu! Why are you provoking Jiang Yubai again? Do you think I do not have enough to deal with?”

Without a word, Lin Zhiyu put the phone down and practiced his routine of opening the Weibo Hot Search. There it was, in bold: #What exactly happened between Lin Zhiyu and Jiang Yubai in the car#.

Lin Zhiyu wondered if people could please not use such misleading titles. People who did not know better would think he and Jiang Yubai were engaging in some strange activity.

The top post was from a well-known industry marketing account. The photos appeared to be taken from the base of the building where the script reading took place. They showed him holding an umbrella, talking to Jiang Yubai in the rain, and then getting into the other man’s car. Several GIFs captured his and Jiang Yubai’s faces clearly. Perhaps fearing they would not stir up enough trouble, the posters had added captions next to their faces to brainstorm their internal monologues.

One moment, they claimed he was frustrated because he could not get a taxi, looking like an abandoned stray dog; the next, they said Jiang Yubai appeared like a saint, inviting him for a ride despite their past, only to receive a disdainful response.

Lin Zhiyu wondered if there was a possibility that was just the shadow from the streetlight and had nothing to do with him. Unfortunately, the meddling anti-fans and Jiang Yubai’s fans did not see it that way. A massive storm of arguments had already broken out under the Weibo post.

One comment read, “The entertainment industry version of the farmer and the snake. Jiang Yubai really should have let him drown in the rain.”

Another said, “How did these two get together again? Is it because today was the script reading for The Blue Bird?”

A third added, “Save me; does this mean Lin Zhiyu’s participation is set in stone? No, I cannot accept this!”

A fourth commented, “Did Lin Zhiyu buy this hot search himself? He needs the buzz for his comeback, so he is deliberately tying himself to Jiang Yubai. Please, you malicious person, walk on your own feet.”

One person noted, “Am I the only one who thinks this photo actually looks quite atmospheric? I have to say, Lin Zhiyu’s face is top-tier. In the rain, he looks like the male lead of a romance novel. Can someone hand him a modern script?”

Another person replied, “If you live long enough, you will even see Lin Zhiyu’s fans rising from the dead. The entertainment industry is always full of surprises.”

Finally, a comment asked, “Am I the only one curious about what happened in the car? Did they really not start fighting?”

The reposts for that last comment snowballed, reaching thousands of shares from curious onlookers within minutes. Lin Zhiyu stared at the hot search sitting high at the top of the list, while Xu Dongdong’s screeching continued in his ear.

He took a breath and held the phone far away from his ear. “Hello? Brother Xu? What are you saying? Something about Henan cuisine? I did not eat Henan cuisine today.”

Then, he swiftly hung up the phone. He wondered if that idiot Mu Yunji would see the hot search and come looking for trouble as well.