The Vicious Cannon Fodder Despised by Everyone Really Doesn't Want to Go Viral - Chapter 46

Mu Yunji’s expression twisted instantly. He knitted his brows, managing to see a hint of provocation in Lin Zhiyu’s innocent expression.

“Who are you calling naive? Say that again.”

Lin Zhiyu glanced at him, giving him a look that said, “See, you really are naive,” before picking up a skewer of grilled chicken wings. He placed them on his plate and began to methodically pick off the meat with his chopsticks.

Seeing him eat so leisurely while completely ignoring him made Mu Yunji’s eyelid twitch again.

Mu Yunji tugged irritably at Dabing’s leash to pull the dog closer while intentionally mocking Lin Zhiyu. “Are you mute? You were quite the smooth talker when you turned Jian Panxia’s face green with your insults. Why are you acting like a wooden block now?”

Lin Zhiyu happened to pick off the piece of cartilage from the wing and crunched it between his teeth. After a moment, he looked up with a playful glint in his eyes. “So you still remember that. I thought a busy superstar like you would have forgotten all about that day by now.”

Mu Yunji roughly rubbed Dabing’s head and fed the dog some chicken breast. After watching the dog eat, he picked up a skewer of pork belly and tore a piece off with his sharp canine teeth.

The juice from the charred meat burst out, and Mu Yunji was caught off guard by the heat. Getting burned did nothing to improve his mood.

“Stop being so sarcastic,” Mu Yunji said. “If you had not meddled that day, I would have dealt with him long ago.”

Lin Zhiyu acted as if it were an afterthought. “Oh? I seem to recall someone being insulted so badly they could not say a word back. Their face was almost as black as charcoal.”

Mu Yunji felt a surge of frustration, and the corner of his mouth twitched uncontrollably. He suspected he must have been crazy or had water in his brain this afternoon to agree to eat with this infuriating guy.

“Lin Zhiyu!” Mu Yunji spoke through gritted teeth, his thumb rubbing against his chopsticks as if he were deciding how best to snap them. “I just did not want to waste time on a person like him!”

Lin Zhiyu gave a perfunctory hum, acting as if he did not take the words seriously. He divided the skewers on the metal tray into four portions. He gave one to Chen Chen and one to Mu Yunji’s assistant. When he handed the portion to Mu Yunji, he added an extra grilled kidney.

Mu Yunji’s assistant was flattered, and the surprise on his face was impossible to hide. In his experience, it was already impressive that Lin Zhiyu remained expressionless despite being provoked by Mu Yunji so many times. It was even more unexpected for him to consider the dining needs of everyone else so thoughtfully.

Chen Chen, on the other hand, accepted the food and continued eating without pause. He felt like he should not be there. Although the free dinner was attractive, the atmosphere was truly strange.

“I actually admire you a bit,” Lin Zhiyu said. “Being able to hold back your temper in that situation.”

As he finished speaking, he muttered softly to himself, “I thought you were more flammable than white phosphorus.”

This sentence did not escape Mu Yunji’s ears. He stopped mid-bite into the grilled kidney, and in the next second, he showed signs of another outburst.

“Wait, wait,” Lin Zhiyu said, quickly trying to soothe him. “Let me finish. I was not trying to stand up for you or anything that day. But he was insulting me to my face. I could not just sit there and take it; how pathetic would that be?”

Mu Yunji threw aside his skewer and snorted coldly.

“Besides, I do not like his high and mighty behavior, judging the choices of others.” Lin Zhiyu paused. When he looked up, his eyes met Mu Yunji’s searching gaze.

He suddenly noticed that in this light, the features of the two brothers, Mu Yunji and Mu Sui, were actually very similar. However, Mu Sui’s eyes were always deep, like the ocean at night; one could only see the cold stillness on the surface while the waves and undercurrents remained hidden in the depths.

Mu Yunji’s eyes, likely due to his hair-trigger personality, were always lively, like a wildfire that never went out.

It was only when he stared intently at someone like this that the unexpected resemblance appeared.

Perhaps because those eyes were somewhat like Mu Sui’s, Lin Zhiyu could not help but say the words he had not originally intended to say. “What is wrong with catering to fans? If you do not cater to fans, should you cater to him instead? Who decided that people who like classical music can only write classical music for the rest of their lives, or that people who like serious literature can only write serious literature?”

“If the listeners really thought you lost your original intention, how could your albums still sell so well? Is it because he, as an ‘insider,’ is so much more brilliant than ordinary people and can see further than them? Then he should try writing a song more popular than yours.” As Lin Zhiyu spoke, he felt as if he were a bit intoxicated by the sweet water and could not help but laugh. “I checked his social media later. Has he not written lyric songs himself that went completely unnoticed?”

Mu Yunji stared blankly at his face without speaking. The arrogant expression on his face vanished, leaving only an uncertain darkness in his eyes.

“Ah, I said a bit too much.” Lin Zhiyu did not notice the change in his mood and poked at the meat in his bowl. “I do not know what your original intention was, but I believe that only the wearer knows where the shoe pinches. Whether you stick to your roots or cater to the market, outsiders can never judge your choices because they are not you.”

After saying this, he thought to himself that he should have stood up to that stingy boss who was always talking about “original intentions” and “dedication” just to avoid giving raises.

Even though he had resigned as soon as his internship ended.

“I admire people who stay true to themselves, but that should not be used as a tool to attack others,” Lin Zhiyu continued, looking back at the silent Mu Yunji.

Mu Yunji remained speechless. It was unclear what kind of emotions were brewing in his downcast eyes. Dabing, at his feet, was eating happily, his tail wagging against the floor.

After half a minute, he finally spoke slowly. “You really are a smooth talker.”

Mu Yunji’s tone was still sharp, but it carried an undetectable hint of softening.

He lowered his head to rub Dabing’s head, as if he were organizing his thoughts or hiding the complexity of his expression.

“I do not care what he said,” Mu Yunji said. “I have long been used to people pointing fingers. His opinion does not matter to me at all.”

Lin Zhiyu felt the atmosphere becoming slightly strange, as if things were heading in an odd direction.

He heard Mu Yunji continue, “What I care about is myself. When I heard his words, I could not help but think: ‘What if he is right? What if I really have changed and compromised just to make my music more acceptable?'”

Lin Zhiyu’s brow jumped. He thought to himself, I knew it!

But he only came here to return the favor for wasting time this morning; he never agreed to provide psychological counseling!

“That is normal. Everyone thinks like that.”

Mu Yunji’s Adam’s apple bobbed. The young man who was once so glorious on stage and high-spirited in front of his fans now wore an expression of indescribable confusion and unease.

“You do not understand, Lin Zhiyu. My music is something I have stuck with for ten years. It is the only thing I can say I will not lose to anyone else. If even that is questioned, then what do I have left?”

Lin Zhiyu felt somewhat helpless.

He wanted to say: You rich people should stop thinking about making money all day and care about the mental health of your children! Why do I, a villainous supporting character and part-time sister-in-law, have to listen to the male lead’s grievances?

But outwardly, he listened quietly and did not rush to speak. He picked the last skewer from the plate and held it out to Mu Yunji. “Here, take a bite.”

Mu Yunji frowned. “What are you doing?”

“To help you calm down. I called you naive, and you really are acting like a child.” Lin Zhiyu said, “Did I not just say it? The people who like your music do not care about those so-called theories on original intentions. If you really had changed, would they not know?”

Mu Yunji did not take it. He just stared fixedly at Lin Zhiyu, as if weighing the meaning of his words.

Lin Zhiyu simply took a bite himself. “Art is subjective. Do you think he is right just because he is judging others from a moral high ground? Everyone chooses a different path; there is no need to please everyone. Besides, whether your music is good or not is for your listeners and the market to decide. What does it have to do with him?”

Mu Yunji was slightly stunned, as if he were touched by those words. He leaned back in his chair and let out a soft sigh. His tension finally eased, though his tone was still annoying. “I never thought the day would come when I would hear something so intelligent from your mouth.”

Lin Zhiyu rolled his eyes unceremoniously, wanting to throw this tactless guy out.

Twenty minutes later, the meal ended in that strange atmosphere.

When it was time to pay, Mu Yunji leaned lazily against the checkout counter, waiting for Lin Zhiyu to pay. Lin Zhiyu was quite composed; he took out his phone and scanned the code to pay in one smooth motion.

“I do not want to treat you to dinner again,” he muttered softly as he put his phone away.

“Do not worry,” Mu Yunji snorted, his face written with an expression that said there would not be a next time for him. “Even if you want to treat me next time, I might not give you the chance.”

Lin Zhiyu smiled and stuffed the receipt into his pocket. He replied in a light tone, “That is good. After all, eating with a naive brat like you is quite exhausting.”

“Lin Zhiyu!” Mu Yunji finally lost his patience and let out a low growl.

Lin Zhiyu laughed even harder and quickly ran off with his assistant.

Watching that tall figure walk away, Mu Yunji clenched his fists and took a deep breath to suppress his anger. He cursed under his breath, “Naive? You are the naive one!”

He turned back and saw his assistant secretly stifling a laugh. His eyes turned cold instantly. “What are you laughing at? Are you laughing at your boss being bullied?”

The assistant quickly straightened his face and acted serious. “No, not at all. How could you be bullied, Brother Mu? I just think that compared to before, the current Lin Zhiyu is actually quite interesting.”

“Interesting?” Mu Yunji spoke through gritted teeth. “Is it your eyes that are blind, or mine?”

Despite saying that, the image of Lin Zhiyu’s casual and spirited demeanor involuntarily appeared in his mind. After thinking about it, he snorted, left his assistant behind, and walked out with the dog.

The assistant followed behind him. Seeing Mu Yunji’s clearly sullen but unwilling-to-admit-it expression, he could not help but comment silently: The interesting one probably is not Lin Zhiyu, but you, Brother Mu.