The Vicious Cannon Fodder Despised by Everyone Really Doesn't Want to Go Viral - Chapter 35

Ever since the incidents of campus bullying and the clubhouse escort scandal were exposed, Wen Lu had been living in deep waters and scorching fire.

Jin Qiushan’s side could not find any information regarding the source of the leak. Wen Lu originally thought that the only person out to get him was Lin Zhiyu. He assumed that even if Lin Zhiyu had a backer, it was at most some small boss with a few resources—someone who could not even be compared to a second-generation heir like Jin Qiushan.

However, he never imagined that the person behind Lin Zhiyu was actually the head of the Mu family. All of his provocations and schemes had walked straight into a trap. After the banquet that night, Jin Qiushan had completely abandoned him.

If the previous public outcry had only caused him to suffer nationwide condemnation while leaving a glimmer of hope for a comeback, now everything was utterly ruined. The company had blacklisted him, his manager Chen resigned, and breach of contract penalties from various variety shows, advertisements, and brand endorsements flooded in. Overnight, Wen Lu fell from heaven to hell. Even if he started a live stream, it would be banned within a minute.

He went to seek help several times but could not even see a shadow of Jin Qiushan.

No one could save him anymore.

Except for Lin Zhiyu.

Even if Lin Zhiyu was unwilling to speak on his behalf in front of Mu Sui, Wen Lu had no choice. He had to post the apology on Weibo, and he had to grit his teeth and pay the compensation. The only thing suffocating him was Mu Sui’s step-by-step suppression.

After hanging up the phone, his knuckles turned white from gripping his device. The only person who could bridge the gap to Mu Sui was Jin Qiushan, but when he tried to contact him again, the other end remained a cold “the party you are calling is busy.”

He smashed his phone in a frenzy, the screen cracking into a web of lines. He stared at the cracks for a long time before suddenly snapping back to his senses. He bent over to pick up the phone and opened Weibo with trembling fingertips.

An hour later, Wen Lu’s name set off another craze on the internet.

Having been absent for a long time, he posted a long Weibo message earnestly admitting his mistakes. In the post, he expressed regret, stating that during the filming of The Blue Bird, he had intentionally sabotaged Lin Zhiyu out of jealousy. He claimed he knew the wirework would not actually let them fall from the roof and thought it would only cause a minor injury to scare him. Therefore, he pretended to lose his balance and pulled Lin Zhiyu, but he did not expect that an unaware Lin Zhiyu would instinctively grab him back. This caused Wen Lu to suffer the consequences himself by hitting the eaves and breaking his arm.

He also confessed that out of spite, he had intentionally manipulated public opinion online by accusing Lin Zhiyu of entering the cast through the back door. Now, he was willing to take legal responsibility for his actions and begged for Lin Zhiyu’s forgiveness.

The accompanying image was a handwritten apology letter.

The comment section beneath the Weibo post was immediately flooded with millions of replies.

“Oh, Zhao Jinyu just cleared up the rumors about the Xie Yunce casting this morning, and here you are admitting your wrongs. You sure are quick to slide into a kneel, aren’t you?”

“Is it because you cannot make money anymore that you are regretting it and coming here to perfunctorily appease the audience?”

“If apologies worked, why would we need the police? It is already a bargain that Lin Zhiyu did not sue you for intentional injury.”

“Sisters, do not let him lead you astray. He did not mention a single word about the campus bullying or the clubhouse incident. Just because Lin Zhiyu has a voice now, he deserves an apology, but others do not?”

“Get lost! Looking at you makes me sick!”

By the time Lin Zhiyu saw the Weibo post, he had already returned to the filming set. He scanned Wen Lu’s chicken scratch handwriting and felt very little emotion.

Chen Chen peeked at him from the side and could not help but ask, “Brother Lin, are we just going to let Wen Lu off that easily?”

Lin Zhiyu tapped the script on his lap and said, “What else should I do?”

“I just feel it is too easy for him. He caused you such a serious injury. Every time I apply medicine for you, it looks terrifying.”

“Eight hundred thousand yuan. That is enough for me to injure my waist dozens of times over,” Lin Zhiyu said nonchalantly.

Chen Chen remarked, “That is not how you calculate it!”

Chen Chen pouted, still feeling unsatisfied. Even if Wen Lu apologized, his scandals were backed by ironclad evidence. No matter how much he wanted to return to the stage, there was no room for maneuver. Public opinion would not allow a person like him back into the spotlight. Wen Lu’s career was over.

Furthermore, Mu Sui would not let him go so easily.

Ultimately, Mu Sui did it to vent anger on behalf of Lin Zhiyu. Although the latter was reluctant to think that way because it would make him seem narcissistic, Lin Zhiyu could find no other reason for Mu Sui to target Wen Lu. Perhaps because he looked so pitiful the night he was drugged and the day he was injured, Mu Sui felt softhearted and helped him.

After all, for a tycoon like him, it was just a matter of snapping his fingers.

Lin Zhiyu was starting to wonder if the special fetish everyone speculated about in the original book’s comments was actually a liking for seeing people cry. He turned on his front camera to check himself out but did not think he looked particularly good while crying.

That being said, since Mu Sui targeted Wen Lu because of him, Lin Zhiyu could not disrespect his efforts. He could accept Wen Lu’s apology, but he could not beg Mu Sui for mercy. Doing so would make him seem ungrateful for Mu Sui’s kindness. As for whether Mu Sui would let Wen Lu go, Wen Lu would have to sincerely beg Mu Sui to quell his anger.

“The feeling of having a backer is quite nice,” Lin Zhiyu muttered softly.

Just as he was about to put his phone away and continue reading the script, the screen suddenly lit up. Zhou Ming’s name appeared on the caller ID.

Lin Zhiyu picked up the phone with a confused tone. “Hello, Assistant Zhou?”

However, the face that appeared on the screen was Mu Sui’s.

He was somewhere else today and was not dressed formally. His hair, which was usually combed meticulously, was only simply styled. This made him look much younger, like a fresh investment banking elite. He was not wearing a stiff suit but rather a casual coat. The outfit accentuated his broad shoulders and narrow waist. Lin Zhiyu did not know where to look for a moment.

With a subconscious glance, he noticed that the cufflinks on Mu Sui’s sleeves were the ones he had gifted. The green jadeite glowed with a deep, translucent light under the sun.

“Ah,” Lin Zhiyu rubbed his nose and instinctively praised, “I knew they would look suitable on you.”

Mu Sui seemingly did not expect this opening line. He curled his lips into a rare smile. He looked down at the cufflinks with a trace of softness between his brows. His fingers lightly brushed over the jadeite. It was a slow movement, as if he were teasing something. Lin Zhiyu felt strange but could not put his finger on it. As his gaze followed Mu Sui’s fingertips, he felt a flush of heat on his face.

“Your aesthetic sense in this area is quite good,” Mu Sui said unhurriedly.

Lin Zhiyu was stunned by the compliment. He snapped back and pulled at the corner of his mouth. “I am surprised President Mu remembers the gift. I thought it would be sent to the cold palace.”

The way the compliment was phrased made it sound as if he were implying Lin Zhiyu’s taste in other areas was lacking.

Mu Sui looked up at him with a strangely meaningful gaze. “Did you not say yourself that I liked it very much?”

“Uh,” Lin Zhiyu laughed dryly and decided to change the subject. “Why did President Mu suddenly call me using Assistant Zhou’s phone? Is something the matter?”

Mu Sui leaned back against his chair and tilted his head to look at a potted plant on the windowsill. Behind him was a cream colored bookshelf. The spines of the books reflected the sunlight, making the titles unreadable. Lin Zhiyu felt he was neither at home nor in an office.

“Nothing in particular,” Mu Sui said softly. “I just saw some very interesting things.”

Lin Zhiyu felt he was referring to Wen Lu’s apology, but based on his tone, it seemed like more than just that.

Lin Zhiyu was silent for a moment and could not help but ask, “What did you see?”

Mu Sui turned to look at the camera and let out a low laugh. His eyes, which were usually deep and calm, now held a hint of playfulness. “I do not want to say.”

Lin Zhiyu felt like hanging up the phone. He would have done so if he were not counting on Mu Sui to transfer the money on time next month. He did not understand why he was holding his phone and wasting time with him. Except for a former roommate who used to stare at his girlfriend in silence during video calls, Lin Zhiyu had never seen anyone do something so silly. Now, he was one of them.

Fortunately, Mu Sui did not intend to tease him for too long.

“I also saw Wen Lu’s apology,” he said. “Do you want to forgive him?”

Lin Zhiyu lowered his head and thought for a bit. Although he had an answer in his heart, he deliberately slowed down and said tentatively, “Whether I forgive him or not is not important to him. Whether President Mu forgives him is more important.”

As a result, Mu Sui threw the question back at him. “Do you want me to forgive him?”

Lin Zhiyu lifted his eyelids and suddenly met Mu Sui’s playful gaze.

“I actually,” he paused and could not help but tell the truth, “do not really want you to forgive him.”

Upon hearing this, Mu Sui’s eyes flickered slightly. Lin Zhiyu could not describe the feeling, but he knew there was something hidden in those eyes, like a dark undercurrent in water. It made it hard for him to breathe. He wanted to look away out of guilt but could not stop himself from taking another look.

Then Mu Sui looked up at the person in front of him and said, “Zhou Ming, turn the person away. Say I do not want to see him.”

“Wait!” Lin Zhiyu realized what kind of decision he had just caused. But facing Mu Sui’s dark eyes, he could not bring himself to retract his words.

Forget it. Wen Lu caused this trouble himself, so why should Lin Zhiyu worry about him? It just made him feel a bit like a seductive concubine bewitching an emperor.

After giving the order to Zhou Ming, Mu Sui looked back at the screen. A moment later, he changed the subject and asked softly, “How much longer do you have to film this movie?”

Lin Zhiyu counted on his fingers and murmured, “There are two more scenes for the nightmare ghost, then one for Shen Xiuming. Xie Yunce is almost done. There is a bit left for Changqing Town, the destruction of the Xie Estate, and the farewell to Xie Zhuoyu after everything settles. Why does it seem like there is more as I count?”

Was he not supposed to film for only one month?

Mu Sui laughed at his distressed expression. “When are the scenes for the nightmare ghost?” Mu Sui asked as if casually.

Lin Zhiyu blurted out, “Tonight and tomorrow morning.”

Mu Sui seemed a bit disappointed and said lightly, “Tonight is too late.”

Lin Zhiyu did not even realize what he meant at first. But when he snapped back and figured out the underlying meaning, he wanted to confirm it with Mu Sui. However, he heard Zhou Ming remind him from off camera, “President Mu, it is time.”

Mu Sui gave a cold “Mhm” and hung up the phone.

At the moment the screen went dark, Lin Zhiyu felt he heard an extremely soft, “See you tomorrow.”

His heart skipped a beat, and a buzzing echo filled his ears. Lin Zhiyu’s mind was in turmoil. He stared at the call duration on the screen, touched his forehead, and sighed softly. “What does he mean by that?”