Chapter 61

“Give me back my phone!” Yang Yunran was getting angry, reaching out to grab it, but Jiang Yi pressed him against the door panel. “Who is this person?”

Yang Yunran waved his arms. “Why are you going through my messages? That’s so rude!” He hadn’t seen what it was yet, until Jiang Yi thrust the phone screen into his face—

Veins bulged on Jiang Yi’s hand, and his rationality collapsed. He couldn’t control himself as he interrogated Yang Yunran, “Read it yourself, Yang Yunran. Who sent this? Your ex? Is she the one you love??”

Yang Yunran was bewildered. “Who? What’s wrong with you, why are you so angry? Is it justified for you to snatch my phone like this…”

Then he glanced at the message and also froze.

Meeting this afternoon, deeply in love and unable to extricate oneself?

“Today’s dancer, Jiang Fan?”

The contents of this message were very strange. Yang Yunran saw Jiang Yi, whose eyes seemed to turn red, staring coldly at him. He instinctively explained, “I don’t know this person. He seems to be a passionate fan of mine. He added me as a friend this afternoon, but I rejected him… Please don’t be angry…”

Jiang Yi mocked him, “Just a passionate fan?” he said, “Would a fan be passionate to this extent, saying you look at him with love? Remembering the passionate times? Is he your ex-boyfriend?”

“Stop making things up. I don’t have any exes left, except for you…” Yang Yunran was originally quite confident, but under his gaze, there was a hint of unease. Could it be… Is this someone the original host knew?

Upon careful consideration, he had only met Jiang Fan twice. The first time was a week ago when they were recording a program at the TV station. At that time, Jiang Fan’s expression was peculiar, as if he had something to say. But people in the entertainment industry were quite strange; few were normal. Male celebrities would casually mention sleeping with two or three female stars the previous night upon first meeting. Just staring at him wasn’t enough to arouse suspicion.

After all, Yang Yunran dressed mysteriously like a superstar, naturally attracting attention.

The second time was at this afternoon’s casting audition.

Jiang Fan did a floor-hugging dance and then asked for Yang Yunran’s WeChat.

In the afternoon, after adding him as a friend on WeChat, the verification message was also ambiguous.

Yang Yunran just thought he was being harassed.

Could it be something else? Was he one of the original host’s exes?

Yang Yunran was clueless about this and felt a bit flustered, but explained, “I really don’t know! Give me back my phone!” Yang Yunran raised his arm to retrieve it. “My assistant is here! I have to go, Jiang Yi, stop making a scene!”

Jiang Yi held his phone high, looking down at him, scrutinizing for a few seconds.

At the same time, Yang Yunran used Jiang Yi’s phone to call back the unfamiliar number.

Yang Yunran: “What are you doing!!!!”

Jiang Yi’s mouth curled with a cold arc, and his eyes lowered. “Meeting your ex to compare what’s better about me that makes you still think about him. Is it because he sweet-talks better, or is he better looking than me?”

Yang Yunran: “How is that possible, he’s very slick!”

Jiang Yi: “Do you know him? Do you admit it?”

Yang Yunran, looking angry: “I didn’t admit anything!!! Stop accusing me!”

The phone suddenly connected —

“Hello?” Jiang Fan’s voice was gentle. He cautiously called out “darling” and then breathed a sigh of relief, saying, “You finally answered my call.”

Yang Yunran was about to curse at him but Jiang Yi covered his mouth with one hand.

Yang Yunran protested, “Mmmph!”

Jiang Yi pressed the speakerphone button. “Hello.”

Jiang Fan’s voice hesitated, “Who is this? Where’s Yunran?”

Jiang Yi’s tone was calm, “He’s showering. Do you need something?”

Jiang Fan was still a bit smart, hesitating, “Are you his assistant or…”

Jiang Yi sneered, “What do you think?”

There was at least five seconds of silence from Jiang Fan’s end before he said, “Sorry, I dialed the wrong number…”

Then he hung up.

Because he wasn’t sure who had answered the call, Jiang Fan was currently the second most popular contestant in the entertainment industry’s hottest talent show, and couldn’t afford to take such risks. Revealing a scandal would get him torn apart by the company.

Finally pulling Jiang Yi’s hand off, Yang Yunran caught Jiang Fan’s statement and threw it at Jiang Yi: “Did you hear that? He said he dialed the wrong number!”

Jiang Yi looked at him with dark eyes, his voice heavy, “Is that so? He recognized you, and yet he still called you ‘darling’ until he heard my voice. What do you think I should believe?”

Yang Yunran replied firmly, “Many people online call me ‘darling’. Could you really threaten them all with phone calls? He’s just a rabid fan who got my number. Naturally, hearing your voice made him realize he dialed the wrong number.” Although Jiang Fan might indeed know the original host and their relationship wasn’t simple, at least Yang Yunran was adamant he didn’t know him, so he insisted confidently, “Give me my phone back quickly so I can leave.”

Doudou’s call came again, and Jiang Yi glanced at it, seeing the note “Assistant – Doudou”, so he answered the phone for him.

Doudou asked when he would be downstairs: “Do you need any help? Do you want me to buy you a… new outfit or something like concealer? I have that in my makeup bag…”

It was a subtle question about what happened when Yang Yunran and the guy with the dog left the hotel. Doudou asked it softly.

Yang Yunran sighed as he held his forehead: “I might need your concealer. Thanks, I’ll be down in a moment.”

After saying this, he hung up the phone, looked up at Jiang Yi, and locked eyes with him. Jiang Yi still had anger in his eyes and disappointment in him.

Yang Yunran suddenly gave him a kiss without warning.

He leaned in and kissed Jiang Yi’s lips lightly. Taking advantage of Jiang Yi’s astonishment, he reached for the doorknob and slipped out, saying, “My assistant is coming to walk the dog, so don’t follow me. You’ll only get me into trouble. And stop doing things like stealing dogs in the future, it’s not something an adult would do, Teacher Jiang.”

Jiang Yi opened the door, stopped at the door, and watched his figure run to the elevator. Yang Yunran was wearing a duckbill hat and a mask, his figure looking slim from the side, but maybe his butt was a little uncomfortable, and he quietly tugged at his pants.

Jiang Yi was reminded of his recent ordeal.

Jiang Yi brought Harry back into the room instead of chasing after him.

Yang Yunran hadn’t given him a good explanation. To be honest, that text message that looked like a reunion with his ex was hard to believe, making Jiang Yi doubt Yang Yunran’s words. He could tolerate Yang Yunran’s past, but his present and future had to belong to him alone.

When Doudou arrived, Jiang Yi handed her the dog leash.

Doudou looked up at him, a bit distracted, and then bowed, “I’m sorry for causing you trouble. I’ll take the dog away first.”

Jiang Yi politely asked, “Can I ask where he’s dining?”

Doudou lowered her head and said, “I’m sorry, I can’t reveal that.”

Jiang Yi looked down, “Were there many male stars who came for auditions this afternoon?”

Doudou’s heart raced: “Not many, just four or five in total… uh, I can’t say anymore! Gotta go!” She glanced back every three steps as she left. Why are all these good-looking guys gay?

Jiang Yi noted down Yang Yunran’s ex’s number. Using conventional means, he quickly found out his last name through a few tied apps.

*Fan.

With the help of automated programs, Jiang Yi discovered his correct surname approximately ten minutes later.

Jiang Fan?

Jiang Yi entered “Jiang Fan” into a search engine.

Perhaps the name was too common; the information that popped up had nothing to do with what he was looking for. Jiang Yi added a few defining words before “Jiang Fan’s” name.

“Male star Jiang Fan.”

After a series of selections, Jiang Yi quickly locked onto a star named “Jiang Yifan.”

“Jiang Yifan…?” Jiang Yi repeated the name, sensing something odd because “Jiang Yifan” sounded somewhat similar to his own name. Jiang Yi opened his biography and glanced at Jiang Fan’s meticulously retouched photos, his expression cold and somewhat disdainful as he scrolled down. “English name, Evan?”

Jiang Yi: “?”

—

In the evening, Yang Yunran was having dinner with his boss.

Actually, Mr. Lin had always treated him fairly well, although Yang Yunran knew it was purely for business reasons. But all capitalists were like this; every company was the same, so there was nothing to pick at.

Mr. Lin had just heard about the dog-stealing incident and said, “Isn’t it inconvenient to bring a dog on a business trip? Next time, leave it at my place. We have a racecourse, and my son just came back to China. You can leave it with him for a few days… But isn’t your boyfriend a bit much? Why did he take your dog away while you were at work today?”

Yang Yunran added, “Ex, he’s my ex.”

President Lin raised an eyebrow and said, “Oh, you broke up? That’s good. Let Big Sis find you a better match. Your ex, the American one you talked about, is that the one who took my million?”

Yang Yunran: “Huh? What million?”

“Sis must have been drunk and got the wrong person,” President Lin chuckled and said, “Forget it.”

Yang Yunran: “Could you please clarify?”

Mr. Lin shook his head, and then the door to the private room was pushed open. Zhou Kai came in: “Sorry for being late. I just went to comfort the company’s artists. They’re all having dinner next door. Mr. Yang, look how much President Lin likes you. He’s only dining with you, and all the other artists are on the other side. When you leave later, wear your hat low. Everyone’s curious what you really look like.”

Yang Yunran: “Why are they curious about me?”

Mr. Lin said, “Some idiot online bought a water army to attack your appearance and even bought trending spots, using some fake photos. He claimed it was you and accused you of things you didn’t do. Forget about it, it’s finally under control.”

Yang Yunran: “I didn’t know, I haven’t had time to go online. Let me see.”

Then Yang Yunran opened his phone and saw a picture with the caption “Harry Ye Ye in person,” showing a face with thin brows and beady eyes.

Even more netizens said, “Hey, I’ve been hearing his songs everywhere lately. Today I saw his picture and realized he’s the son of that butcher in our village. They say his parents are siblings, so he was born deformed, a strange person…”

Although it had nothing to do with him, the phrase “born deformed” made Yang Yunran uncomfortable.

Because he had heard similar things many times when he was young. Some were unintentional, and some were intentional. There were sympathetic, horrified, and disdainful looks… He had seen them all.

Yang Yunran kept a straight face without saying a word. There were even more disturbing, unsightly attacks on his appearance. Zhou Kai took his phone away, “Mr. Yang, don’t look at it. You already wear a mask, it’s easy to arouse suspicion. We’ve had them deleted, and they’ll disappear from the internet soon.”

Yang Yunran: “Who did this?”

Mr. Lin said, “Tang Wenqiang, the mentor on your show. It’s nothing, I know his boss, I’ve warned him, there won’t be a next time.”

Yang Yunran thanked him, and Zhou Kai asked how the two songs were coming along. Yang Yunran said, “They’re almost done, one breakup song, one sweet song, just need to tweak the lyrics.”

He wasn’t as energetic and fluent as before. It took him a long time to revise a song to ensure it didn’t end up displeasing him.

To be honest, the few days after breaking up with Jiang Yi had produced a few frowning pieces, but the finished product was not very satisfactory to him.

Since Zhou Kai was there, Yang Yunran asked about Jiang Fan. The information about Jiang Fan made him feel somewhat strange and concerned.

Zhou Kai solemnly said, “Oh, is he bothering you again? I specifically told him not to contact you! This bastard, he just won’t listen. Does he think he’s got some fame now that he’s debuted and grown wings?”

Yang Yunran recalled Zhou Kai mentioning Jiang Fan once or twice, and his attitude was indeed strange.

Was he really the original host’s ex?

Yang Yunran tightened his grip on the glass and fished for information from Zhou Kai: “Do you know what relationship I have with him? How do you know? Did you investigate me?”

Zhou Kai: “I didn’t investigate; I just happened to know. I’ve taken over your live account, haven’t I? He used a small account to say some weird things…” He briefly explained the reason and then said, “But I’ve warned him not to harass you. Wait, I’ll call and scold him right away!”

So he really was an ex… Yang Yunran rubbed his face, “Then do you know when I talked to him?”

Zhou Kai: “? How would I know that? You’re not thinking of getting back together with Jiang Fan, are you? Still love him?”

“Not at all, I just hope he stops bothering me. Warn him again for me.” Yang Yunran planned to clarify things with Jiang Fan later. He didn’t want to meet in person; a phone call would be best.

Mr. Lin sighed beside him, “How come both of your exes were such low standards?”

Zhou Kai was taken aback, “Two exes? Which two? How come I don’t know about this, Mr. Yang?”

Mr. Lin said, “I mean the one he dated in the United States before. I haven’t met him, so I won’t comment on his appearance, but I can comment on his character…”

Cold sweat broke out on Zhou Kai, “Oh, I see!! That one!!”

Zhou Kai immediately tried to change the subject, “There’s this internet celebrity named Zhao Youmo!! Mr. Yang, is he your friend? I heard from netizens that he actually used your private jet to show off. It got exposed; your English name was even sprayed on the exterior, and the interior looks exactly like the photos you previously posted on Weibo.”

“Oh, no, that’s his jet. He didn’t use mine to show off.”

Zhou Kai: “Huh? But wasn’t that your custom-made private jet you showed off before? It got exposed just yesterday, and netizens are mocking him for pretending your genuine rich second-generation private jet was his own. He probably still hasn’t responded…”

Yang Yunran didn’t know how to respond.

It seemed Zhao Youmo’s script for “Academic God Sweeps the Entertainment Circle” had finally caught up with him. Despite his efforts to avoid it, it looked like he was about to get humiliated.

Yang Yunran vaguely remembered part of the plot: the private jet incident was a catalyst. In the original work, Zhao Youmo should have quickly responded, changed the spray-painted English name on the jet, and then faced ridicule for impersonating the expelled fake young master of the rich family.

“This matter, it’s not easy to talk about… And regarding that Jiang Fan,” Yang Yunran suddenly recalled, feeling somewhat uneasy, furrowing his brows, he asked, “I remember, his English name is… Evan?”

Zhou Kai confirmed, inwardly cursing why they were still discussing ex-boyfriend topics. He glanced at Mr. Lin and brought up Zhao Youmo again: “Could it be that the private jet was sold to him by you?”

Yang Yunran replied, “No, it’s his jet now. I don’t own a private jet anymore.”

Both Zhou Kai and Mr. Lin looked perplexed. They hadn’t heard anything about Yang Liming being in trouble. Why was he suddenly selling off family jets? Yang Yunran continued, “Anyway, he’s not showing off. He’s a super rich second-generation now, not me.”

“Forget it, I’ll make a phone call outside. Excuse me.” Yang Yunran was bothered by Jiang Fan’s situation and decided to clarify immediately why both Jiang Fan and Jiang Yi used the same English name. He put on his duckbill cap, stepped out of the private room, took out Jiang Fan’s message, and was about to call back when he saw four tall, serious-looking bodyguards approaching him.

They seemed to have been waiting at the door for a while. Opening the door to the adjacent private room, they respectfully bowed and invited him inside.

Yang Yunran: “……?”

He almost thought he had offended some important figure. How come such a grand setup exists? Was this a ministerial-level leader? He apologized repeatedly and tried to return to his own room, but then the man from the room came out.

He was a middle-aged man who appeared to be in his forties, well-groomed, with a scholarly appearance but an air of superiority. Yang Yunran had encountered this kind of distance with many leaders before—some appeared friendly on the surface, while others made it hard to breathe under their pressure. This man belonged to the latter category. Moreover, there was a strange sense of familiarity about him, as if they had met before.

Yang Yunran didn’t recognize him personally, but he wasn’t sure if the previous owner had known him. So, he greeted tentatively, “Hello…”

The man nodded at him and spoke in a friendly and mild tone, “Yunran, hello. We’ve been in contact with Professor Chen Fangzhou today, but we haven’t heard each other’s voices yet. I’m Xu Xing. Would it be convenient for you to have a chat with me now about your biological father?”