Chapter 34: Movie King and the Husky 17

“Wh-what is going on…” Tang Bin, wrapped in the blanket, was completely stunned.

He asked the question in a daze, both to Lin Moning and to the system, 3376, who had assigned him the mission earlier.

…Such an important piece of information about the male lead—shouldn’t it have been told to him in advance?

【Sorry.】 The cold electronic voice of 3376 sounded in his mind. 【My responsibility is only to issue tasks.】

“…”

Tang Bin tilted his chin slightly, stunned for a moment, and then blinked in confusion.

…Why did he suddenly feel like hearing 3376 say “sorry” just now felt so familiar? It was as though he had experienced this kind of situation before, at some point in the past.

But what exactly was that situation? Tang Bin couldn’t remember.

He couldn’t think about it aQCny deeper, though.

Because Lin Moning had already spoken.

“Sorry.”

In a swift and smooth motion, Lin Moning finished dressing himself, looking perfectly composed as if he was a refined person. It was as though he had never been that goofy, cute husky, Haha, but instead, it was all just a figment of Tang Bin’s imagination.

It was genuinely a refined appearance, not at all an insult to the word “refined.”

Tang Bin’s mind wandered, thinking quietly to himself.

…It must be that he had been shaken too much lately.

Seeing that his owner and benefactor wasn’t speaking, Lin Moning had no choice but to continue explaining. “That day I was injured, and I happened to be going through a physical evolution, which made me quite weak… I didn’t expect to meet you that day.”

“Anyway, I really appreciate you saving me. Well, you saved me several times.”

“Huh?” Several times? Where were the multiple instances?

Tang Bin didn’t understand why he said that, but the most pressing issue didn’t seem to be this.

He puffed out his cheeks and asked angrily, “So you… already knew about me… you!”

Suddenly, he remembered all the things he had confided to Haha, the dog, during those uncertain nights. Nearly half of it had been about Lin Moning…

Too much time had passed, and too many things had been said. For a moment, Tang Bin couldn’t recall everything he had told Haha.

But there was no doubt—Lin Moning had heard it all!

“Sorry.” Lin Moning apologized again, with deep sincerity, looking at him and saying, “I didn’t intend to eavesdrop on your thoughts and secrets.”

He just… hadn’t had the heart to leave in the beginning, and then, it became even harder to leave.

He couldn’t remember how many nights it had been, but this person, filled with anxiety and helplessness, could only sleep after holding onto him.

He couldn’t remember how many times he had heard this person rambling on, saying things like, “What would I do if Haha left me?”

And at some point, Lin Moning started to feel distressed whenever he saw the young man sad or upset—just thinking about it made him unable to bear it…

But at the same time, deep down, he knew that this kind of deception would only hurt the young man more.

Until yesterday happened…

It had to be said, their relationship had changed overnight.

Changed in a way that Lin Moning himself hadn’t expected—he hadn’t anticipated things would develop like this…

Tang Bin listened to his explanation. Actually, he wasn’t angry. It was his own choice to confide in Haha, and if anyone were to blame, it should be himself for not realizing that Haha wasn’t just an ordinary dog.

The real problem now was… just thinking about it made Tang Bin so embarrassed that he wanted to dig a hole and hide in it.

He burrowed back into his blanket and said to Lin Moning, “I didn’t say anything before, you didn’t hear anything.”

“Hmm, even if I heard, I don’t remember.”

“Okay.” Lin Moning nodded seriously.

He promised he would pretend he hadn’t heard anything, and if his benefactor didn’t want to bring it up, he could guarantee he wouldn’t mention it again.

The mutual understanding between them, coupled with Lin Moning’s overly proper attitude—without a trace of mockery—made Tang Bin gradually feel at ease.

At the end, he heard Lin Moning ask, “So… you’re okay now, right?” His tone contained a hint of concern.

But he wasn’t used to showing concern for others, and his voice sounded strange, a bit off-pitch, which made it not quite “Lin Moning.”

“Hmm?” Tang Bin was trying to understand what he meant by “okay.”

Lin Moning, with his strange tone, said, “I mean, your body… I might’ve… actually, you were too… enthusiastic, I… “

Tang Bin: “…”

Heat rushed to his face again, as if his face was on fire. He wanted to hide his face, from his neck all the way to his ears.

Lin Moning probably hadn’t been in such a situation before, as his speech stumbled. But Tang Bin didn’t feel much better.

He wrapped himself tightly in the blanket and shook his head, saying, “I’m fine.”

“Oh, that’s good,” Lin Moning sighed in relief. “I was about to be drained by you.”

Tang Bin: “!!!”

His face flushed even more as he dove back under the blanket.

It wasn’t until later, when it became too hot, that he had to peek his head out again. He noticed that Lin Moning was still sitting by the edge of his bed, looking at him with calm eyes.

Because Lin Moning was staring at him intently, as soon as Tang Bin popped his head out of the blanket, he heard Lin Moning ask, “What does Young Master Rui want to do with that group of people from the Zong family?”

“Oh, right.” Tang Bin remembered what happened yesterday and asked in confusion, “So, what exactly happened yesterday?”

He vaguely remembered some things, but due to his state at the time, his recollections were disorganized… He couldn’t be sure that his memory wasn’t off.

“Lin Xiang and Zong Yuanyi teamed up to trick you into drinking a drugged cup of wine. Zong Yuanyi tried to assault you. I saved you. That’s it.” Lin Moning summarized in a calm tone, speaking succinctly.

Tang Bin: “……”

It seemed his memory hadn’t been too far off. Although he had fallen into the trap, he wasn’t entirely unaware of what was happening… It didn’t seem to be too embarrassing after all…

However, there was still one lingering question in Tang Bin’s mind:

“But… leaving aside Young Master Zong… uh, I mean, Zong Yuanyi, why would he do that? If this gets out, it would be shameful, wouldn’t it?”

As he spoke, Tang Bin couldn’t bring himself to ask any further questions.

This was because he could already see the coldness spreading across Lin Moning’s face, and his expression looked somewhat frightening.

Lin Moning said, “That drink not only had an aphrodisiac but also some hallucinogenic substances. With some special inducement, you would forget everything the next day. Who would you go to for justice then?”

“……”

“And…” Lin Moning’s tone became strange again at this point. He paused before continuing, “And Young Master Rui’s reputation precedes him. He frequently goes to nightclubs and bars to party, and he’s even kept a young celebrity. He’s always surrounded by a group of flirtatious women. Isn’t he just sleeping with Mr. Zong? If you go out to demand justice, no one would care.”

Tang Bin: “???”

Wait a minute… when did I become infamous?!

Tang Bin felt extremely innocent.

He had always been a well-behaved person, his heart was fully devoted to the male lead. How did it end up that he became… someone with such a messy personal life?!

If it wasn’t for Lin Moning clearly mocking him, he would’ve felt deeply wronged!

Despite that, Tang Bin still felt aggrieved.

He blinked and asked Lin Moning, “So you think I’m that kind of person?”

It was one thing for others to think so… but Lin Moning, who had been with him all the time in his dog form, should understand him better. If he even thought that way…

Tang Bin’s eyes turned slightly red.

At that moment, he heard Lin Moning respond more impatiently, “If I thought you were that kind of person, I wouldn’t have saved you yesterday!”

His tone was somewhat exasperated, but when he saw the person wrapped in the blanket with red eyes, he felt a bit reluctant to continue being harsh. Lin Moning looked visibly conflicted, as if he didn’t know what to do.

“Oh, right.”

Fortunately, Tang Bin was persuaded before Lin Moning nearly lost his temper. He felt that what Lin Moning said made a lot of sense, and his mood inexplicably brightened, quickly returning to normal.

He sincerely said to Lin Moning, “Thank you.”

Lin Moning stiffened for a moment and replied, “Protecting you is what I should do.”

Tang Bin smiled at him, looking a bit silly. This was a kind of expression he would never have shown in front of Lin Moning before.

But ever since he learned that Lin Moning was actually Haha, he didn’t mind anymore. After all, no matter how silly he acted, Lin Moning had already seen it.

Tang Bin was no longer afraid.

He had seen it and not pointed it out, even until now never asking about it. Tang Bin felt relieved because Lin Moning was that kind of person.

He couldn’t help but start to think back to all the things he had rambled on about to Haha these days… Hmm, it didn’t seem like there was anything related to the mission? Probably nothing outrageous either, or else Lin Moning would have definitely come to confirm with him.

That was really a close call.

Tang Bin patted his small chest under the blanket, and as his thoughts shifted, he suddenly widened his eyes and looked at Lin Moning again:

“Wait, I remember yesterday… you bit Young Master Zong’s hand?!”

And not just any hand—he did it in the form of a two-meter-high wolf! He crashed through the window of Lin Xiang’s house and charged in!

Even though it wasn’t part of human society, Tang Bin knew how shocking such an event would be!

He started to worry for Lin Moning. If it were an ordinary person, they might not have the energy or resources to investigate this matter. But now, it involved both the Zong family and the Lin family, and Lin Xiang’s villa might very well have security cameras… What if they end up finding out about Lin Moning?!

Having spent some time in this world, Tang Bin had learned a bit about the methods of high society.

The more he thought about it, the more anxious he became, and just as he was lost in his worries, he heard Lin Moning speak calmly, “I didn’t break Zong Yuanyi’s hand.” After all, biting it off would be quite disgusting…

“With timely treatment, it shouldn’t result in any serious disability. As for Lin Xiang, don’t worry about him. He doesn’t have the guts to investigate me.”

Tang Bin: “Huh?”

Tang Bin hadn’t fully processed what was going on when Lin Moning suddenly transformed back into Haha.

A few seconds later, there was a knock on the door— it was the nanny bringing Haha breakfast.

Since rejecting dog food once, Haha’s meals had been prepared by the chef. The food, except for the lack of salt and seasoning, was the same as what the Lu family ate.

Lin Moning’s breakfast today was poached salmon and chicken breast, accompanied by cauliflower and various other vegetables. The assortment was complete, and the presentation was exquisite. If it weren’t for the fact that it was dog food, no one would guess that it was meant for a husky… oh, no, a wolf.

By now, Tang Bin finally understood why Haha, who was usually calm and lazy, seemed unhappy when others called him a husky.

Because, purely based on his appearance, he was indeed a wolf, not a husky.

However, during his early years, he looked fluffy and round, undeveloped, and since people hadn’t seen wolves in a long time in this world, they naturally mistook him for a husky…

Ah well, it was all just a misunderstanding.

Tang Bin took a rest for a day, and by the next day, he felt fine again, so he drove Lin Moning, who had transformed back into Haha, to the company.

As for what exactly Lin Moning was… After spending an entire day playing a question-and-answer game yesterday, Tang Bin had already gathered some important information.

First, Lin Moning wasn’t human, but a wolf that could transform into a human.

In ancient times, some called their species werewolves, while others referred to them as gods.

In short, they were an existence that surpassed the modern human understanding.

Others might find it hard to comprehend, but Tang Bin, being a flower demon, had a deeper understanding of demons than humans. So, he quickly accepted Lin Moning’s true identity.

Secondly, and quite clearly, Lin Moning, even as a werewolf, was still young—just a juvenile wolf.

Their species could only evolve into their final form after going through several stages of evolution. Tang Bin had coincidentally found him during a period when Lin Moning had just undergone an evolution and was injured…

So, it was actually a stroke of luck for him.

After realizing the truth, Tang Bin couldn’t help but feel incredibly fortunate.

If he hadn’t saved this little wolf when he was injured, with Lin Moning’s personality and coldness, Tang Bin truly didn’t know how he would have gotten close to him.

Finally, as a god, Lin Moning’s abilities were extraordinary.

For example, he could split his body into two and maintain both dog and human forms, though this was very draining on his magical energy.

Also, even though he was still a juvenile, his true form was already about two meters tall. The reason he usually transformed into a small husky was simply because he didn’t want to attract too much attention.

With these things about the male lead in mind, Tang Bin had a better understanding of the situation. He drove to the company and ran into some employees from Huayu downstairs. They greeted him warmly and casually praised the dog sitting in the front passenger seat, still wearing a seatbelt.

“Hahaha, Young Master Rui brought Haha again today! Haha is so cute!”

“Is this the famous internet dog? No wonder it’s Young Master Rui’s dog, it knows it needs to wear a seatbelt in the car! So well-behaved! So cute!”

Tang Bin: “…”

The husky: “…”

Tang Bin forced a smile and politely exchanged pleasantries with them. Once he entered his office, he carefully set the wolf god down on the floor.

The wolf god looked indifferent, quickly transformed back into his human form, and casually pulled clothes out of Tang Bin’s bag, slowly putting them on.

Earlier, Lin Moning had refrained from transforming back into a human because he didn’t want to startle the Luo family. Tang Bin felt a little sorry for him and said, “Maybe you should avoid turning into a puppy… I mean, a little wolf form. It’s fine to just stay like this.”

Lin Moning paused for a moment. For some reason, he shook his head, refusing the suggestion.

The busy day began. Not only had Tang Bin taken a day off yesterday, but Lin Moning hadn’t done anything either.

However, even though Lin Moning wasn’t a human god, his work ethic had never been something that could be criticized. He had contacted his manager early, rearranged his schedule after some discussion, and only then felt justified in taking a day off.

Although Tang Bin still didn’t understand why Lin Moning wanted to act in the first place.

He had finally gotten used to this world, only to realize that the world’s setting was so vast it far exceeded his imagination.

This led to the situation where, although he had accidentally become Lin Moning’s benefactor and inexplicably gained nearly a hundred points of favorability, there were still many things he didn’t understand or couldn’t figure out.

Unfortunately, the busy reality left Tang Bin with little time to fully comprehend all of this. The fact that he and Lin Moning had both disappeared for an entire night and a whole day had already spread throughout the company.

Of course, compared to even more explosive news, these small pieces of gossip were easily overlooked.

—The future heir of the Zong family was injured at Lin Xiang’s banquet and is currently in a coma with the severity of his injuries unknown. This news had been flooding the media since yesterday, becoming a hot topic that people couldn’t stop talking about. From yesterday to today, the topic had been trending at the top of the hot search rankings, with no sign of a decline.

The reason why this incident had attracted so much attention was because it involved not only the young master of the Zong family, but also the famous actor, Film Emperor Lin.

However, how Zong Yuanyi got injured, and the current condition of his injuries, were all subjects of intense speculation online. The debate was heated, and it even led to a fan battle between Film Emperor Lin’s fans. The truth still had no definite conclusion.

Tang Bin quietly observed for two days and had originally thought that Film Emperor Lin would investigate Lin Moning’s situation in a big way, but that didn’t happen.

In fact, these two days had been peaceful, with nothing unusual happening in real life, not even the slightest ripple.

“I told you earlier, Lin Xiang doesn’t dare to investigate me,” Lin Moning said.

At this point, although he was able to speak, he was still in the form of a dog, lying on the floor next to Tang Bin, doing what appeared to be sit-ups.

It was already evening, and Lin Moning’s human form was still at a studio recording a show. This dog form was one he had deliberately transformed into.

Now that Tang Bin knew his true identity and understood that maintaining two forms simultaneously was extremely energy-consuming, he felt a little sorry for him and had even tried to persuade him to just live in his human form, without having to keep up the appearance of Haha.

But after bringing it up a few times, Lin Moning had always rejected it.

It was a very straightforward rejection. Every time Lin Moning went out for work and wasn’t around, Haha would come out to keep him company, and when asked, he would only say he was worried that if he suddenly disappeared, the Luo family would be upset.

Tang Bin accepted this reasoning. After all, his father had always liked Haha, and while his mother and grandmother weren’t very proactive in getting close to him, they would still give Haha the best of everything. If Haha suddenly disappeared, everyone would probably be quite sad.

However, there was still one thing Tang Bin didn’t understand.

“So, what are you doing now?” Tang Bin asked curiously.

The dog that had been doing sit-ups had changed positions and was now doing push-ups (?). Since he was still in his furry form, it looked especially ridiculous as he performed these movements.

“I’m working out,” Lin Moning’s voice echoed in Tang Bin’s mind, while the dog on the floor continued enthusiastically repeating the same motion.

Tang Bin: “…”

Okay, Lin Moning had been so busy that he never had time to work out, but recently, his body had been getting better and stronger.

…Every time Lin Moning transformed from his dog form back to human form, Tang Bin could secretly catch glimpses of his physique before he put on clothes.

Tang Bin had been curious before about how Lin Moning, who didn’t have time to work out, could have such a good physique.

It seemed he now had the answer.

So, when he wasn’t at home before, this dog—no, this little wolf spirit—had been hiding in his room, working out!

“Can such exercise really affect a human’s physique?”

“It can,” Lin Moning’s voice carried a slight panting sound as he said, “Because, essentially, there is no difference between the beast form and the human form. They are both me.”

“Oh,” Tang Bin was suddenly struck by another thought and asked in surprise, “Then if you can split into multiple clones, doesn’t that mean you can do many things at once?!”

Things like studying, working out, and working—there are only so many hours in a day for one person, and it’s hard to juggle everything. But if you had many versions of yourself, you could do everything at once, and then all the results would add up. Wouldn’t that be…

“Yes,” Lin Moning confirmed, “But I can’t split into many clones yet. I’ll need to evolve again before I can do that.”

Tang Bin: “Wow!” That was pretty impressive!

Why did other spirits have powers and skills? He had barely managed to become a spirit himself, yet he couldn’t do anything, and now he was sent to this world to complete tasks…

Spirits are better than spirits, just thinking about it was enough to make one feel down and lose their motivation for work.

Tang Bin decided to stop thinking about it.

He picked up a small fruit fork and poked a piece of fruit into his mouth, mumbling, “But why does Ah Ning need to work out? Your body is already great! Hmm, maybe a bit too much.”

Two months ago, Lin Moning still had a faint trace of abs, but his overall body was slim and looked fragile. Now, his muscular build was nearly impossible to hide.

Considering Lin Moning’s age and the current market environment, it seemed that the fresh-faced, soft and delicate type would still be more popular. Tang Bin was worried that if Lin Moning kept working out like this, some fans might unfollow him.

Unexpectedly, upon hearing his question, the young wolf spirit, who had been sweating on the floor, froze for a moment. Then, it did a flip and jumped up, dragging its tail behind it as it trotted over to a cabinet in Tang Bin’s room.

Lin Moning used his paw to paw at one of the drawers. Tang Bin had no idea how he managed it, but the drawer actually opened.

Lin Moning then jumped into the drawer and, when he came out, he was holding a magazine in his mouth.

He ran back and placed the magazine in front of Tang Bin, looking quite fierce.

Although in his juvenile form, Lin Moning’s body hadn’t changed much, ever since Tang Bin realized that this was actually Lin Moning, he couldn’t help but feel that his expression was much more mature. It now carried Lin Moning’s characteristic indifference and coldness, no longer the silly, adorable look from before.

“What’s this?” As soon as Tang Bin saw Lin Moning’s displeased expression, he bent down suspiciously to pick up the magazine from the floor.

The cover of the magazine showed a half-naked foreign man, his muscles bulging impressively, with a title that read “Champion XXXX” followed by a string of subtitles.

“Ah!” Tang Bin exclaimed.

It suddenly dawned on him that he had forgotten an important detail about the original owner, Luo Rui’s, preferences. When Luo Rui was a teenager, he didn’t like the delicate, pretty-boy types—he preferred these… muscular men.

And in one of the original owner’s drawers were countless magazines just like this, packed to the brim…

Tang Bin couldn’t remember how many nights the original owner had fallen asleep, lustfully admiring these muscular men’s physiques… He had completely forgotten about this, but now, these magazines had somehow been dug out by Lin Moning?!

“So, you want to get in shape like him?” Tang Bin asked, pointing to the person on the cover.

The little wolf spirit didn’t respond, looking fierce and serious, though it was unclear what he was thinking.

Tang Bin felt that he had just gotten an unspoken confirmation.

Tang Bin couldn’t help but take another careful look at the man on the cover, and then, imagining what it would be like if Lin Moning really did develop a body like that, all while still wearing a delicate, handsome face… it seemed oddly attractive?

Somehow, Tang Bin’s thoughts drifted back to the day when Lin Moning had thrown him onto the grass in that certain situation.

Because he’d been drugged, the memory was overly vivid. Now, if he replaced the image with Lin Moning’s body after he’d bulked up… as he thought about it, Tang Bin felt like his face was heating up.

“What are you thinking about?” Lin Moning’s cold, irritated voice suddenly rang in Tang Bin’s mind, startling him and snapping him out of his thoughts. He saw that in his dog form, Lin Moning was crouching there, looking at him with a serious expression, his eyes not at all friendly.

…If that face were replaced with Lin Moning’s human face, Tang Bin felt like his face would probably be turning completely red right now.

Tang Bin quickly shook his head and said, “I wasn’t thinking about anything.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Then do you like me like this?” Lin Moning asked again.

Of course, he liked it.

It was exciting just to imagine it.

Tang Bin honestly nodded, but since he was still inexperienced and didn’t understand cultivation, he looked somewhat shy without meaning to.

Lin Moning clearly noticed this. He tilted his head, thought for a moment, and then went back to doing his workout, falling silent.

He left Tang Bin sitting there, confused—what was going on with Ah Ning?

Feeling at a loss…

A few days later, media reports confirmed that Zong Yuanyi had woken up and was resting.

The details of his injury at Lin Xiang’s house were also revealed: he had injured his right hand. Though emergency treatment saved the hand, it was still badly damaged, and after it was reattached, it couldn’t be used as before—pretty much making it almost useless.

As for how he got injured, everyone involved, including Film Emperor Lin, kept silent, refusing to share any details. No matter how hard the media tried, they couldn’t get any more information.

Zong Yuanyi losing his hand seemed like a fitting punishment for his reckless behavior.

As for whether the punishment was too light or too severe, Tang Bin couldn’t judge.

But since Zong Yuanyi was the one who had tried to hurt him first, now that Zong Yuanyi had woken up, Tang Bin felt he should at least seek an explanation.

Lin Moning’s opinion on the matter aligned perfectly with his.

Neither of them had spoken about what had happened that day. The Luo family and the media had no idea that Zong Yuanyi’s injury was related to Tang Bin.

But this matter couldn’t just be brushed aside. After all, Zong Yuanyi hadn’t apologized yet, and Actor Lin Xiang hadn’t paid any price for his involvement.

“I’ll go with you to find him,” Lin Moning said.

“Alright,” Tang Bin nodded in agreement, and they arranged a time to visit Zong Yuanyi in the hospital.

After Zong Yuanyi’s hand was reattached, he was transferred to a private hospital’s luxury ward to recuperate. After all, he was the heir to the Zong family, and his father, the head of the family, was furious upon learning of his injury.

He probably knew what had caused his son’s injury, since the wound couldn’t lie. But that was all. No further details were forthcoming. It was said that Zong Yuanyi refused to speak about it and never mentioned who he had been with at the time.

Tang Bin managed to gather this information through his connections in the circle.

He didn’t care whether Zong Yuanyi would reveal the truth. He just wanted an explanation.

But according to Lin Moning, the Zong family was at fault first. In situations like this, even if injured, they could only silently endure, unable to say anything.

After all, although he had been rescued, there was no concrete evidence linking Tang Bin to the giant wolf.

As for why Tang Bin hadn’t mentioned the giant wolf, he wasn’t sure.

Zong Yuanyi, still recovering from his severe injuries, didn’t look well. His face was haggard as he lay on the bed, no longer resembling the elegant young nobleman he once was.

“Don’t come over! Who let you in! Who let him in! Get out! Get out!”

Not only had he lost all semblance of gentlemanly behavior, but when he saw Tang Bin enter, he appeared to be quite frightened. He shrieked a few times and desperately tried to crawl back into the bed.

Tang Bin: ?

Tang Bin didn’t understand why Zong Yuanyi was so afraid of him, but as he walked into the room and stood still, he realized that Zong Yuanyi’s terrified gaze wasn’t actually directed at him. It suddenly occurred to him that what Zong Yuanyi was truly afraid of might not be him, but Lin Moning beside him.

…Could it be that Zong Yuanyi knew the giant wolf from that day was Lin Moning?

That seemed impossible.

Tang Bin glanced at Lin Moning beside him. The little wolf demon was still dressed like a fresh-faced young man, sporting a neat hairstyle and stylish clothes. His exterior was cold, but it didn’t detract from his good looks. He looked like a perfectly normal handsome guy.

The doubt passed in an instant, but just then, because of Zong Yuanyi’s screams, the bodyguards guarding the door rushed in.

They had allowed Tang Bin to enter because they knew his identity, but they hadn’t expected the usually calm and fond of Young Master Rui Zong Yuanyi to react as though he had seen a ghost upon seeing Young Master Rui. The bodyguards were somewhat confused, but they still tried to force Tang Bin to leave.

Zong Yuanyi’s reaction was indeed extreme. He was still shouting, and apart from saying “Go away, go away,” he couldn’t say much else, looking genuinely out of control emotionally.

Tang Bin realized that a conversation was impossible now.

No matter how Zong Yuanyi had figured out Lin Moning’s identity, it was clear he had been badly frightened.

He and Lin Moning walked out of the room, one after the other. Tang Bin shrugged at Lin Moning, signaling that there was no avoiding this now. You can’t communicate with a person who’s mentally unstable.

However, Lin Moning said that Zong Yuanyi could no longer be pursued for this, but Film Emperor Lin couldn’t be let off so easily.

Tang Bin didn’t really have any hopes for this. Punishing Zong Yuanyi was one thing, but Lin Moning was still a cub. Even though he had magical powers, he had to keep them hidden and couldn’t be too high-profile.

After all, Lin Xiang wasn’t just an actor, the Lin family behind him had power so great that even Luo Yuntian dared not provoke them. Seeking justice was extremely difficult.

“Forget it,” Tang Bin said. “Zong Yuanyi has already been punished enough. Let’s put this matter to rest. We still have a lot to do.”

“Mm,” Lin Moning responded vaguely without saying more, and Tang Bin took that as his agreement.

They were indeed very busy. Lin Moning’s popularity had been rising rapidly recently, and the number of commitments he had to attend to was increasing as well.

In addition, after careful selection, Huayu had chosen a TV drama and a movie for him. The TV drama was a high-budget production in collaboration with a well-known director. Although it was still a period drama, the male lead role Lin Moning played had no controversies and was quite a likable character.

As for the movie, it was also directed by a famous filmmaker and was planned for release during the New Year’s holiday season. The shooting schedule was a bit tight, requiring urgent filming.

It was indeed a hectic schedule.

However, after going through all these processes, by next year, Lin Moning would be visible to the majority of the audience. Thinking about it was quite exciting.

Tang Bin rubbed his hands together as he pulled Lin Moning along, unaware that after they left, another person had come to visit Zong Yuanyi.

Zong Yuanyi had been sedated and had fallen asleep. When the head of the Zong family heard that the Luo family’s young man had visited his son, Zong Yuanyi suddenly had a mental breakdown. He felt something was off. Just then, Luo Xu also came to visit Zong Yuanyi, and naturally, he was invited in by the head of the Zong family.

The head of the Zong family had always wanted to understand how his son got injured, why he was suddenly attacked by a beast, and what happened before the attack. But Zong Yuanyi was terrified and refused to speak. Lin Xiang also remained tight-lipped about the incident, claiming that he didn’t know anything. Despite the head of the Zong family racking his brain, he couldn’t find out the truth. To his surprise, someone had voluntarily brought it up to him.

Luo Xu didn’t need much prompting. He simply said, “Young Master Zong has always had a good relationship with my cousin Luo Rui. All I know is that when the incident happened, my cousin was with Zong Shao. Uh, in the same room.”

Zong Yuanyi, while quite capable and serious, did have some habits typical of an upper-class young master, such as enjoying playing around.

Recently, it seemed he had taken an interest in the young man from the Luo family. The head of the Zong family had heard about this.

However, as long as his son didn’t cause a major scandal, he didn’t want to interfere.

But now, trouble had arisen.

Considering Zong Yuanyi’s abnormal reaction when he saw the young man from the Luo family… the head of the Zong family naturally believed Luo Xu’s words.

—This must be related to Luo Rui.

Even though he had come to this conclusion, they still had no evidence. Moreover, the wound was clearly not something Luo Rui, as a human, could have inflicted.

So, for the Zong family to seek revenge… they would need to find other means.

Soon, Tang Bin realized that his rising career had suddenly hit a roadblock.

The signs were clear: not only were major media outlets focusing on him, but they were also bombarding him with all sorts of gossip, both true and false, as though they were gearing up to push him into the spotlight. Even the resources Huayu had painstakingly secured for him were all wasted, as any deals that hadn’t been finalized yet fell apart.

Due to his deteriorating reputation, Tang Bin somehow ended up dragging down the stock value of the Luo family as well. On top of that, he overheard Luo Yuntian on the phone with someone, and it seemed like other industries under the Luo family were also being affected?

Tang Bin didn’t ask, but he wasn’t stupid. Having spent a long time in the entertainment industry, he had developed a bit of sensitivity. He couldn’t shake the feeling that a series of incidents involving the Luo family had occurred recently. It seemed like the Luo family was being targeted.

The Luo family was large and had many industries under its belt. It wouldn’t be easily shaken at its foundation.

But it was enough to make Luo Yuntian take notice.

Luo Yuntian’s investigators quickly found out what was happening. It turned out that the Zong family had joined forces with the Lin family behind the scenes.

The Zong family’s main development direction was the entertainment industry, which, in theory, didn’t have the power to shake the Luo family. However, with a little help from the Lin family, things were different.

As Tang Bin dug deeper, Luo Yuntian finally realized that the whole situation had been triggered by his own son.

That evening, Tang Bin was called to Luo Yuntian’s study.

“Is this about Zong Yuanyi’s injury? Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

Tang Bin lowered his head, hands behind his back, acting like a schoolboy who had done something wrong.

He never expected that after he had let the matter with Zong Yuanyi go, the Zong family would act like thieves accusing others of theft, even trying to shift the blame onto him.

But no matter what, it was still his fault that the Luo family had been dragged into this.

“I know I was wrong, Dad,” Tang Bin said in a small voice.

“This isn’t the time for apologies,” Luo Yuntian said, demanding to know what had happened. Tang Bin obediently explained the situation, though he glossed over the part about how he had detoxified himself.

He was still afraid that it would scare Luo Yuntian.

If this had happened before, Luo Yuntian might have suspected that his son was hanging out with the wrong crowd and got into trouble with Zong Yuanyi. However, over the past few days, Luo Yuntian had closely observed Tang Bin’s words and actions and could not believe for a second that Tang Bin had intentionally caused trouble.

Luo Yuntian completely trusted Tang Bin, which made him even angrier. “If that’s the case, I’m going to demand an explanation from the Zong family and that Lin Xiang!”

“I’m sorry, Dad,” Tang Bin instinctively hunched his shoulders. He had never seen Luo Yuntian so angry before, and he felt even more afraid. He couldn’t stop apologizing through his tears. “Sorry, Dad, I’ve caused you trouble.”

“Stop, stop! What are you talking about?” Luo Yuntian couldn’t bear to see his son cry. He immediately said, “You’re Luo Yuntian’s son! Whoever bullies you, I’ll make sure they pay. I’ll fight for you, even if I have to risk everything! You’ve done nothing wrong, and you don’t need to apologize for this!”

“Wuwu…” Tang Bin couldn’t help but cry harder after hearing that.

This time, though, it was from being touched.

Luo Yuntian quickly comforted Tang Bin. “Don’t worry about this, I’ll take care of it. But from now on, you need to be more careful when you go out. If that entertainment company causes problems, we’ll shut it down! Your safety is the most important thing!”

“No…” Tang Bin shook his head vigorously, repeatedly assuring his father that it was his own fault last time. After this incident, he would definitely be more careful.

After finally calming Luo Yuntian down, Tang Bin left the study and suddenly felt very tired.

He couldn’t help but run back to his room, burying his face in the fluffy fur of Lin Moning in his wolf pup form. He still didn’t feel right.

He had wanted to work hard to repay the Luo family, but in the end, not only did he cause trouble for Luo Yuntian, but he also brought trouble to the Luo family.

“What’s wrong?” Lin Moning’s voice echoed in his mind. The fluffy wolf pup body stayed still, letting Tang Bin bury his face in it.

At that moment, Lin Moning’s other human form was filming in another city, and it had been days since they last saw each other. Tang Bin missed him a little.

He told Lin Moning everything he had learned from Luo Yuntian earlier.

Because Lin Moning had been helping him and sharing the burden, Tang Bin had never been afraid. But tonight was different, especially when he realized that he might have dragged the Luo family into this.

“…It’s okay,” Lin Moning reassured him. “I promise, no one can touch the Luo family.”

It was clear that Lin Moning, who wasn’t used to comforting others, still had an awkward tone, but his voice was so pleasant that Tang Bin quickly stopped crying and smiled. He felt much better.

Later, Lin Moning kept him company and talked to him until very late. Eventually, Tang Bin fell asleep, holding the little wolf pup.

At that moment, he didn’t realize that in just one night, a significant event would occur when he woke up the next day.

And this event would bring about earth-shattering changes.

—The head of the Lin family, Lin Chan, announced the next heir to the Lin family!