Su Ning spent some time alone in the restroom, gathering his thoughts as he sorted through the original host’s memories that were slowly returning to him, finally coming up with a rough evaluation.

From his point of view, the original host wasn’t as innocent as he thought he was.

Even though Sang Le’s fall was unintentional, all the previous petty ostracism was indeed a result of the host’s jealousy and conniving attitude. With a poor personality, mediocre skills, yet an abundance of screen time, he had long been disliked by the audience. The exposure he received was not undeserved. Moreover, he had dragged an innocent Li Chu into this mess tonight just to escape, proving that this love-struck young master was indeed incompetent and selfish—a classic setup for a foolish, poisonous side character.

But for Su Ning, who had done nothing to deserve this, facing such a situation was utterly frustrating.

Since he’d been in the restroom for quite a while, Zhou Chunqing, who had been outside chatting with friends, noticed something was amiss. Cautiously, she pushed open the door, only to find Su Ning standing there, lost in thought.

His bangs were damp, swept casually to the side, and even with his disheveled hair, he looked incredibly attractive under the bathroom light.

No wonder this guy managed to secure his debut spot despite his lack of skills or character; it seemed it wasn’t just his family background. Even after such a public scandal, his fans were still eager to defend him.

“Young Master Su, are… are you okay?” Zhou Chunqing spoke up obediently, silently criticizing him in her heart. “Young Master Jiang sent someone over to look for you just now.”

Su Ning raised his brow, slowly turning his head. “What does he want with me?”

“I’m not sure. I told them you weren’t feeling well and were still throwing up, so he didn’t come in himself. He just asked me to pass on a message,” Zhou Chunqing answered dutifully, hesitating before repeating Jiang Chenfeng’s words, “Young Master Jiang said you’d better hurry over once you’re done, or else… he said tonight’s matter won’t end well if you keep dragging your feet.”

Despite her distaste for Su Ning, Zhou Chunqing found his words a bit offensive, and as a young girl mimicking his tone, she stammered awkwardly without an ounce of intimidation.

Su Ning looked at her and asked, “If I don’t go, will they make things hard for you?”

Zhou Chunqing knew well that Jiang Chenfeng intended to make things hard for her tonight. Even though she’d been away filming for a few months and might not have been on his mind, he certainly wouldn’t want her slipping out of his control. Tonight was the perfect opportunity to remind her of her place.

If Su Ning didn’t cooperate, Jiang Chenfeng would likely vent his frustration on her, making the coming days difficult.

Still, she didn’t need to explain all this to him; she kept silent, sensing that Su Ning had figured it out just from a glance.

“Sorry for dragging you into this.”

When Su Ning said this, he’d already moved closer to her, his tall frame towering over the petite Zhou Chunqing. He looked down at her with a surprisingly gentle expression in his eyes.

A rich young master like Su Ning, apologizing to her at a place like Diao Chun Jiang? Zhou Chunqing froze, then inwardly mocked herself for being foolish and soft-hearted.

An apology meant nothing, especially from someone who’d thrown Li Chu under the bus.

Still, as she looked at him with puffed cheeks, she couldn’t help but feel that the Su Ning on the trending topics seemed oddly different from the one standing in front of her.

This person didn’t seem that terrible.

Maybe his face was just deceiving.

“Let’s go,” Su Ning said again. “Try to avoid him as much as possible. Don’t worry; Jiang Chenfeng’s target tonight is me.”

“Oh… okay.” Zhou Chunqing suppressed her mixed thoughts and led Su Ning toward the main hall.

The venue was quite large, with a considerable distance between the restroom and Jiang Chenfeng’s private booth. As they walked along the corridor, they began to hear some odd sounds. Listening closely, it became evident that there was a faint, panicked voice coming from inside, pleading softly.

“Let me go.”

The voice trembled, almost fading away like a fraying thread, laced with fear, “Please… is there anyone who can… help me?”

Zhou Chunqing instinctively shivered, guessing the scene inside without even looking. Her tone grew anxious, “This is bad. Li Chu must be in there; this… this is wrong.”

Her friend, who was even more alarmed, hurriedly stepped in front of her as she reached the private room door, blocking her, “Don’t go in now. Young Master Jiang is angry. Going in now won’t help. Don’t do anything rash!”

“What’s going on?”

Two voices asked the question at once, and the friend finally noticed Su Ning standing behind them. Her face stiffened, and she quickly changed her tone, “Young Master Su, it’s nothing, really. Just a minor issue. Li Chu just arrived and isn’t used to the place yet. He’s young and has a strong temper, so he ended up slapping Young Master Jiang…”

Just then, the muffled cries suddenly stopped, causing a jolt in Su Ning’s nerves. His brows, which had been furrowed tightly, relaxed only as he pushed past Zhou Chunqing and her friend to enter the room. Before going in, he glanced back at them, instructing, “You two, stay hidden.”

Zhou Chunqing froze, looking as if she wanted to rush in too, but Su Ning held her back, his tone turning serious, “Let me bring him out.”

“Trust me.”

Zhou Chunqing’s friend also held her back. Both of them stared after Su Ning in surprise, watching as he strode into the room.

Left alone outside, they exchanged a glance, with Zhou Chunqing calming down and choosing a spot near the window to nervously peek inside.

This was the largest private room in the party venue. The moment Su Ning entered, the thick scent of alcohol mixed with heady perfume filled the air. A few people were lounging on the booth seats, embracing each other.

Su Ning frowned as he stepped inside.

He’d overheard that Zhou Chunqing seemed to have a unique connection with Li Chu, and if the name “Li Chu” was in the story’s synopsis, then he likely played a significant role. Even if he wasn’t the protagonist, he was likely an important supporting character tied to the main storyline. Besides, this mess was caused by the original host, so no matter what, he had to handle it.

There weren’t many people here; most had been cleared out just moments before. Apart from the group seated in the booth, a cluster of four or five people stood in a corner near the door.

With dim lighting, it was hard to see clearly, but he caught someone yelling angrily, “You should be grateful Young Master Jiang has his eye on you. Just behave. What are you pretending for?”

“Daring to slap Young Master Jiang in front of everyone? Who do you think you are?”

Jiang Chenfeng was still seated in his original spot, a conspicuous red handprint marking his cheek, and a cut on the corner of his mouth. The person next to him tried to hand him an ice pack, only to be pushed away as his eyes burned with rage.

The group around him, likely emboldened by his permission, looked eager to restore his wounded pride. One of them held a bottle, kicking at the figure in the corner. Growing impatient, he raised the bottle and swung it down toward the corner. If it struck, it could cause serious injury.

The bottle, however, never found its target.

Just as it was about to fall, someone reached out and yanked the man’s raised arm. The bottle flew out of his hand, crashing into the wall nearby and shattering into pieces.

The bottle-wielding man, standing too close and completely unprepared, was cut across the face by flying shards. Wincing, he was about to curse, only to freeze when he saw the newcomer.

“Su Ning? Uh… Young Master Su?”

Everyone in the room paused, sobering up a bit from the sudden turn of events. Their positions shifted slightly, allowing Su Ning a clearer view of the person cornered by them.

With a single glance, Su Ning’s expression darkened.

The boy cowering in the corner looked young, with an air of innocence, yet his condition was appalling.

His shirt was nearly torn off, a vivid red handprint marked his face, even more prominent than Jiang Chenfeng’s. He was drenched, his hair and clothes soaked, and he held a broken glass shard tightly in his hand.

On closer inspection, the sharp piece appeared to be from a shattered wine glass, clearly a weapon of self-defense. This sight kept the group at bay, creating a tense standoff. But if Su Ning hadn’t arrived, it was clear the boy wouldn’t have held out much longer.

The boy in the corner seemed stunned, as if he couldn’t believe someone had actually come to help him. He looked up at Su Ning, eyes misty, looking even more pitiful.

He looked incredibly young, resembling Zhou Chunqing a bit. Jiang Chenfeng’s type, it seemed, gravitated toward this sort of innocent appearance—big eyes, pure, like a high school student, or a lost ragdoll, utterly out of place here.

Seeing Su Ning’s darkened expression, the thugs hesitated, unsure if they should continue.

In terms of family background, they were merely Jiang Chenfeng’s cronies and were nowhere near Su Ning’s status. If not for Su Ning’s current predicament, even Jiang Chenfeng wouldn’t dare mess with him. Faced with this sudden shift, their confidence wavered.

“Why did you stop?”

Jiang Chenfeng’s voice cut through the silence.

“You’re all scared of him now?” Jiang Chenfeng scoffed, rising to his feet and approaching Su Ning with a sneer. “What are you stopping for? Afraid I’ll damage one of your trainees and you won’t be able to explain it to your dad?”

“Don’t worry, I’m not going to kill him. I’m just here to tame this unruly kitten.”

Su Ning heard this without replying, his brow furrowing even tighter. He continued to shield Li Chu, stepping closer to block the boy more completely.

Seeing this, Jiang Chenfeng seemed intrigued, sizing Su Ning up and down with a smirk. “Well, well, Su Ning. A few drinks have made you bold, huh? I didn’t know you had it in you to play the hero. Don’t forget, you agreed to this.”

“Without my help tonight, do you really think you’d still have a chance to stay in the show?”

Jiang Chenfeng had counted on this ultimatum as his trump card. For rich young masters like them, a debut might not mean much, but it mattered when it came to Shen Huai.

And it worked; Su Ning seemed to hesitate, glancing back as if considering, allowing Li Chu’s figure to become partially visible again.

“You’re right,” Su Ning said, “So come on over.”

Seeing Su Ning’s supposed retreat, Jiang Chenfeng felt triumphant.

He figured Li Chu had been shaken up enough by now. He’d just need to pull him close and console him, and the boy would cling to him like a lifeline, completely dependent on him. This tactic of giving a stick and then a carrot had always worked for Jiang Chenfeng, especially on young and powerless people like Li Chu.

Confidently, he took a step forward, reaching out toward the corner where Li Chu was crouched, but before his hand could reach, Su Ning grabbed his wrist.

“Su Ning, what the—ah!”

Jiang Chenfeng’s expression twisted mid-sentence.

In a sudden display of strength, Su Ning wrenched his arm in a hold, pulling him off balance and forcing him to his knees. The sharp pain shooting through his arm and knee left him momentarily paralyzed, unable to even stand.

Through his agony, he heard Su Ning speak.

The notorious second-generation “useless heir” who Jiang Chenfeng had always looked down on didn’t bow under pressure. Nor was he clueless enough to be easily manipulated. His tone was sharper and more forceful than ever, as if he’d come to life with a newfound resolve.

“You disgusting creature, take your hands off him.” Su Ning said coldly. “Touch this kid one more time, and the next bottle goes straight to your face.”

Su Ning had been in the industry for years, starting as an assistant and working his way up to top management. He’d built his empire through his relationships with the stars he managed, and though he no longer took on personal clients, protecting his artists was still second nature to him.

He’d always despised the kind of underhanded deals Jiang Chenfeng was attempting here. And there was no way he’d let anyone under his watch fall into this kind of trap.

In any world, a decent person couldn’t tolerate such a thing happening in front of them. This kid barely looked eighteen, and yet these people could still bring themselves to treat him this way!

Witnessing such a scene upon entering, Su Ning was genuinely furious.