Chapter 26: The Fallen Child Star (26) part 2

Ten minutes later, he returned to the living room. His face appeared calm, but a closer look revealed a startling madness in his eyes. Yao Rong noticed his unusual demeanor.

“Alright, that concludes today’s livestream. Tomorrow’s broadcast will begin at 6 AM as usual…” The host finished the script, ending the stream.

The guests, exhausted after a long day of filming, began leaving the room. Staff members also took the pets back to their quarters.

Xu Yiyuan followed behind a staff member carrying Ping’an upstairs. Suddenly, Ping’an let out several sharp, distressed barks. Before Xu Weiheng could react, Ping’an began struggling violently in the staff member’s arms.

The staff lost balance, stumbling backward and bumping into Xu Yiyuan. Ping’an was flung out of his arms, heading straight for Xu Yiyuan, who was about to tumble down six steps—

In a split second, Yao Rong reached out from behind, deflecting Xu Yiyuan’s fall and pushing him towards the stair railing. With her free hands, she swiftly caught Ping’an.

Xu Yiyuan’s chest slammed hard against the railing, the pain making him see stars.

Everyone in the stairwell was stunned by this sequence of events. Xu Weiheng reacted first, rushing to Yao Rong’s side. “Are you alright?”

Yao Rong handed Ping’an to Xu Weiheng and rubbed her arms. “I’m fine.” She had reacted instantly when Ping’an was thrown; her movements, though seemingly complex, were executed in a split second.

Xu Weiheng sighed in relief before checking on Ping’an. The dog trembled in his arms, whimpering softly, clearly in shock. He gently stroked its back, murmuring, “It’s okay, Ping’an. Don’t be afraid.”

Xu Ji and Xu Yiyuan’s mother pushed through the crowd to reach him. Before his mother could confront Yao Rong, Yao Rong spoke first: “Director Zhou, I suspect your staff intentionally tried to harm Ping’an. I expect an explanation from your production team.”

Xu Yiyuan’s mother’s face paled, her knees nearly buckling. The assistant director, sweating profusely, immediately responded, “We will thoroughly investigate this matter, Ms. Yao. Please rest assured.”

He glanced at Ping’an and added, “We’ll arrange a car to take you and Ping’an to the hospital for a check-up. Upon your return, we’ll provide a full report.”

“Alright, I trust the production team,” Yao Rong nodded.

“Wait! What about you pushing my son?!” Xu Yiyuan’s mother suddenly shrieked.

Yao Rong glanced back at her as if she were foolish. The assistant director interjected impartially, “If Ms. Yao hadn’t caught Xu Yiyuan, he would have fallen down the stairs.”

“But—” As Xu Yiyuan’s mother tried to argue further, Yao Rong smiled slightly. “Do you want Xu Yiyuan to fall down the stairs? You didn’t plan this, did you?”

Xu Yiyuan’s mother’s eyes widened in shock. “What nonsense! How could I harm my own son?”

“Who knows?” Yao Rong dismissed further debate and gently patted Ping’an, still nestled in Xu Weiheng’s arms. Taking Ping’an to the hospital was now the priority.

With the production team’s cooperation, the investigation proceeded swiftly. Within three hours, everything came to light—

Xu Yiyuan’s mother had bribed the staff responsible for caring for the pets. She didn’t instruct them to do anything drastic, just to make Ping’an struggle while being held. The plan was to pretend Ping’an had jumped out of their arms, colliding with Xu Yiyuan and causing him to fall down the stairs.

Xu Weiheng was astonished. “Weren’t you afraid Xu Yiyuan might be seriously hurt?”

The assistant director replied, “From six steps up, he would likely just suffer a fracture. It’s not too dangerous.”

Yao Rong interjected, “But that’s not all, is it?”

The assistant director nodded, smiling wryly. “You’re right, Ms. Yao. We discovered that Xu Yiyuan’s mother not only bribed the pet caretaker but also a cameraman. Their job was to film Xu Weiheng assaulting Xu Yiyuan.”

Xu Weiheng raised an eyebrow. Why would he hit Xu Yiyuan?

Yao Rong speculated, “If Xu Yiyuan falls down the stairs and Ping’an does too, he could deliberately provoke Weiheng, claiming it was all his design. Weiheng might act in anger and hit him. They could secretly film it, ruining Weiheng’s recently restored reputation. I imagine that was their strategy.”

The assistant director gave Yao Rong a thumbs up.

Xu Weiheng narrowed his eyes slightly. Looking at Ping’an, now calm in his arms, his expression softened.

He asked, “The production team promised an explanation. What do you have in mind?”

“We’ve already dismissed those two staff members overnight. We’ll post all the details about today’s incident on our official social media. The Xu family won’t be required at tomorrow’s recording, and we’ll pursue compensation from Xu Yiyuan and Xu Ji as per our contract,” the assistant director explained in one breath before cautiously asking, “Are you satisfied with this resolution?”

Yao Rong nodded amiably. “The production team is indeed fair. We’ll leave everything to your discretion.”

The assistant director laughed nervously. He knew that if his handling of the situation didn’t satisfy Yao Rong, she wouldn’t appear so agreeable.

At midnight, the official account of ‘Dear Family’ posted a lengthy statement detailing the entire incident and announcing the termination of contracts with Xu Ji and Xu Yiyuan.

Already under intense scrutiny, Xu Yiyuan faced even harsher public condemnation.

[Even a dog isn’t spared from his schemes. How much more vile can Xu Yiyuan be?]

[He owns dogs himself, yet he’s so cruel to others’ pets? Oh right, I remember—he doesn’t act like much of a dog lover despite owning them.]

[@RelevantAuthorities Doesn’t Xu Yiyuan deserve to be labeled a ‘disgraced celebrity’ by now?]

Perhaps as a chain reaction, following ‘Dear Family’s’ announcement, brands that had previously collaborated with Xu Yiyuan issued statements terminating their partnerships and seeking compensation from him.

Even official media outlets were stirred, reporting on the entire scandal.

Netizens no longer needed to post daily reminders for ‘Xu Yiyuan to leave the entertainment industry’. His exit had become inevitable.