Chapter 3: The Fallen Child Star (3)

Due to the manager’s disruptive visit, time had been wasted, and the noodles in the bowls had turned mushy.

Neither Yao Rong nor Xu Weiheng intended to eat anymore. Before Yao Rong could act, Xu Weiheng took the initiative to carry the bowls and chopsticks to the kitchen.

As he placed the dishes in the sink, he noticed leftover dumpling wrappers in the trash can.

Suddenly, footsteps approached from outside. Yao Rong entered carrying two glasses of water, offering one to Xu Weiheng.

After their recent encounter, Xu Weiheng felt less resistant towards Yao Rong. This time, he took the glass directly without her needing to make excuses.

Seizing the moment, Yao Rong asked to stay longer: “I took a long-distance bus ride for several hours yesterday. My back is sore and my legs ache. Could you let me stay for a couple more days before leaving?”

Meeting her anxious yet hopeful gaze, Xu Weiheng softly replied, “Okay.”

He thought, regardless of everything, she was his biological mother. Letting her stay for a couple of days was the right thing to do.

…

Xu Weiheng brought Yao Rong a brand new set of bedding.

After changing the bedding, Yao Rong walked to the window and pulled back half of the tightly drawn curtains.

This simple act triggered a flurry of camera flashes aimed in her direction.

These paparazzi were indeed relentless.

Inwardly impressed by their dedication, Yao Rong quickly closed the curtains and went downstairs.

Shortly after, she leisurely returned to the apartment.

Just as she inserted the key into the lock, the door swung open from inside.

Xu Weiheng leaned against the doorframe, his expression cold: “Where did you go?”

Yao Rong’s face lit up: “I went downstairs to find those paparazzi and leaked some news to them. You won’t have to worry about them bothering you for a while.”

Xu Yiyuan, born just over a month after Xu Weiheng during Yao Rong and Xu Ji’s marriage, was an illegitimate child. Whether Xu Yiyuan’s mother had married Xu Ji or not, this fact couldn’t be changed.

The paparazzi chased trends, and naturally, the currently popular Xu Yiyuan had more news value than Xu Weiheng.

Xu Weiheng: “……”

Suddenly, Xu Weiheng felt Yao Rong stuffing something into his hand.

It was a can of Wangzai milk and a foldable straw.

He looked up, questioning her with his eyes.

Yao Rong said, “You’re still underage, so don’t drink so much alcohol in the future. If you encounter something unpleasant, drink something sweet instead. It’ll lift your spirits.”

Xu Weiheng: “……”

Though he wanted to throw the milk back at her, but as if possessed, he took it to his room. He sat on the windowsill, opened the can, and inserted the straw.

It was indeed very sweet, sweet enough to reach his heart.

In comparison, beer was far too bitter.

…

Yao Rong sat in the living room, searching for information on her phone.

Xingyu Media ^[1]Starlight Media was Xu Weiheng’s agency, known as a second-tier company in the industry with decent resources. They had produced quite a few minor celebrities.

However, the company’s reputation within the industry was mediocre.

For artists who could bring them significant profits, Xingyu Media naturally showered them with support and various resources.

For those washed-up artist, Xingyu Media showed no mercy. They would squeeze artists dry during their contract period, extracting every last bit of value from them.

Xu Weiheng had initially signed a three-year rookie contract with Xingyu Media, with only one year remaining now.

Given his mental state, staying with Xingyu Media any longer would undoubtedly lead to major problems.

When Yao Rong had just dismissed the manager, she was already prepared to help Xu Weiheng terminate his contract.

Following the standard termination process, Xu Weiheng would face hefty penalties to pay Xingyu Media.

If Xingyu Media had treated Xu Weiheng well, Yao Rong would have willingly paid the penalty according to the contract. But given their mistreatment, she wouldn’t pay a single cent.

They had forced Xu Weiheng into a public trial by opinion, recklessly giving him jobs despite being underage. Yao Rong intended to settle this score with them.

“System, can you investigate Xingyu Media’s financial situation?” Yao Rong, lacking a computer, turned to the system for help.

The entertainment industry’s finances rarely withstand scrutiny; usually, one investigation leads to one conviction. This request posed no challenge for the system.

[Found it. They can’t escape tax evasion charges.]

[I need some time to organize the information. Shall I send it to you when I’m done?]

“No, don’t send it to me.”

Yao Rong’s gaze lingered on a male artist’s Baidu Encyclopedia page.

This male artist was once under Xingyu Media. He was ruined by them, and his mother, who raised him, died of a heart attack triggered by online abuse.

After that incident, the artist used an almost self-destructive method to publicly expose Xingyu Media’s dirty deeds in various venues, but was ultimately silenced by the company.

“Send that information to him instead.”

Reporting tax evasion required real-name reporting, which she couldn’t do herself. But this information was exactly what he needed.

As for Xu Weiheng’s contract termination, Yao Rong planned to discuss it with him after he woke up.

If he had no objections, she would hire a lawyer to sue Xingyu Media.

Such matters were better left to professionals.

Yao Rong closed the file and opened Weibo, searching for “Xu Weiheng”.

Xu Weiheng’s Weibo account popped up.

She clicked on it.

The first few dozen posts were all work-related promotions.

It wasn’t until she scrolled back to when Xu Weiheng had just debuted that she saw new content.

[Xu Weiheng v: Today I heard the children at the orphanage sing “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”. Each of them is a shining star.]

A group photo was attached below.

In the photo, fifteen-year-old Xu Weiheng was surrounded by children. Wearing a yellow hoodie, his face, bearing a five-point resemblance to hers, showed a youthful and bright smile. His dimples were faintly visible, and his slightly rounded eyes sparkled with vitality.

He looked like a young poplar tree thriving in midsummer.

Now, at just sixteen, his eyes reflected a kind of numb resignation, as if he was at the end of his life.

Yao Rong stared at the photo for a long time, then looked up at the closed bedroom door.

He said those children were shining stars; in her eyes, he should be the same.

As evening fell, the setting sun was blood-red.

Xu Weiheng woke up on the bay window, still hugging his knees.

He stared blankly for a while, then stepped barefoot onto the cold floor.

Opening the door, he was greeted by the enticing aroma of food.

The usually empty dining table was now uncharacteristically full of various dishes.

There were foods from the sky, land, and sea – a truly comprehensive spread.

Yao Rong was setting out bowls and chopsticks. Seeing him emerge, she quickly looked him up and down, and smiled slightly: “You’ve woken up just in time for dinner.”

She walked to the shoe cabinet, took out a pair of slippers, and continued as she approached him: “I didn’t know what you like to eat, so I made a bit of everything.”

She placed the slippers by the dining table.

“Put these on.”

Only then did Xu Weiheng notice he wasn’t wearing shoes.

Feeling somewhat dazed, he thanked Yao Rong.

During the meal, Yao Rong kept adding food to Xu Weiheng’s bowl.

She had prepared dishes that were easy to digest and appetizing, suitable for his current condition.

When Xu Weiheng couldn’t eat anymore, he stopped eating rice but made an effort to finish all the dishes she had put in his bowl before stopping.

After dinner, Yao Rong took a fruit knife and, while peeling an apple, beckoned Xu Weiheng to sit beside her to discuss the contract termination.

“I’ve consulted a lawyer. He said that in your situation, not only do you not need to pay Xingyu Media a penalty fee, but you can also claim compensation for emotional distress.”

“What do you think? If you’re okay with it, we can hire this lawyer to file a lawsuit right away.”

Xu Weiheng remained silent.

He lowered his head, his unkempt bangs falling forward, hiding his expression.

Yao Rong cut the apple into small pieces, put them on a plate, and handed Xu Weiheng a small fork: “Have some fruit.”

Xu Weiheng didn’t take it: “Enough.”

Yao Rong looked at him, not only not withdrawing her hand but using the fork to pick up a piece of apple and offering it to him again.

Xu Weiheng gritted his teeth, suddenly raised his head, and knocked her hand aside: “I said enough! I’m not eating, and I don’t need you to consider the contract termination for me!”

Yao Rong put down the apple and calmly asked: “Why are you refusing my help?”

Xu Weiheng laughed coldly: “Do you really not understand? Fine, let me ask you, you’ll be leaving in two days, right?”

“We’ll see about that in two days.”

“Whether you leave early or late, you’ll eventually leave A City, won’t you?”

Yao Rong had guessed what he was thinking earlier. Hearing his questioning now, she wasn’t nervous but rather relieved.

Over the years, she had been able to see Xu Weiheng’s photos occasionally and know about his situation, but given Xu’s father’s personality, he would never have told Xu Weiheng about her circumstances.

From when he was three until he was sixteen, thirteen years without a word— this was a knot in the hearts of both mother and son.

It was normal for Xu Weiheng to harbor resentment.

The fact that he was willing to express this anger in front of her now was actually a good thing.

Only with strangers do people not bother to hold grudges.

Starting to care meant that his heart was wavering.

“I will indeed leave A City,” Yao Rong said.

Xu Weiheng laughed bitterly, his laugh full of despair, as if saying: I knew it.

He had already been abandoned once by the woman in front of him, so it was only natural for her to do the same thing a second time.

But he couldn’t be as naive as his three-year-old self again.

Rather than having a few days of warmth and then losing it, he would rather prevent everything from happening from the start, not giving her a chance to hurt him again.

Just as Xu Weiheng was completely immersed in his own thoughts, he felt someone grip his hand.

A warm palm covered the back of his cold hand, the temperature startling him back to reality. He tried to pull his hand away.

But—

He couldn’t.

He tried again, still couldn’t.

Xu Weiheng finally understood one thing. This was how his manager had been forcibly dragged out of the door.

“Let go of me,” Xu Weiheng said angrily, but this anger seemed superficial, making him appear to be putting on a show of strength.

“Can you give me ten minutes?” Yao Rong bargained for herself. She needed to calm Xu Weiheng down so he could listen to her carefully. “In these ten minutes, listen carefully to every word I say. If after listening, you still decide to drive me away, I’ll leave immediately with my bags packed, and I won’t bother you anymore.”

Xu Weiheng: “…”

Xu Weiheng neither nodded nor shook his head, so Yao Rong took it as agreement.

“When we divorced, Xu Ji told me he would provide you with the best life and the best education. I thought, no matter what, you were his son, he wouldn’t harm you. I was wrong to trust him.”

“For these thirteen years, I’ve missed you so much, but I couldn’t find you. Later, when you became a celebrity, I felt that my sorry state would only drag you down, so I only dared to silently follow you on my phone.”

Yao Rong said a lot, a lot more.

She told Xu Weiheng about everything she had done.

In those days unknown to anyone, she had always been loving him in her own way.

Ten minutes had long passed, but Xu Weiheng forgot to call time.

He listened to these words in a daze, without making any response.

“… Every time you needed me before, I couldn’t be there for you. I feel very sad and sorry for that.”

“And this time, mom came late again.”

“I’m sorry, for all these years, you’ve suffered.”

Yao Rong hadn’t expected to immediately untie the knot in Xu Weiheng’s heart, but she was willing to apologize to him properly, seeking his forgiveness.

This was her failure as a mother.

“I will indeed leave A City, but this time, I plan to take you with me. Are you willing to move to a new city and live with me?”

Xu Weiheng’s pupils constricted.

Those surging emotions that had no outlet seemed to find a way to be released in an instant.

From the time Director Chen stood up to criticize him until now, Xu Weiheng hadn’t shed a single tear.

Even when his manager forced him to cry bitterly during the live apology, saying it would make some netizens feel he was pitiful and truly repentant.

But when Xu Weiheng stood in front of the live camera, he only felt his eyes were dry, unable to shed a single tear.

It was as if at that moment, he had completely lost the ability to cry.

But at this moment, he blinked gently.

A tear slid down his cheek.

As if triggering some switch, his tears began to flow more and more.

Xu Weiheng suddenly lowered his head, covering his face with both hands.

Warm tears wet his fingers, then overflowed through the gaps.

Yao Rong reached out and gently embraced him.

Xu Weiheng didn’t push her away.

When he was very young, he had always envied Xu Yiyuan, wanting to be able to run into his mother’s arms to cry and seek comfort when he encountered grievances, just like Xu Yiyuan could.

He had wanted to have such an embrace for too long.

So long that he thought he no longer needed this embrace, no longer expected his mother to appear.

Xu Weiheng cried for a very long time, crying until his whole body was violently shaking, as if he wanted to cry out all the grievances he had suffered during this time.

But he also cried very restrainedly, very quietly.

Yao Rong didn’t know what he had been through all these years to make even his grief so cautious.

However, being able to cry was good.

Being able to cry was a good thing; emotions suppressed in the heart were more likely to cause harm.

At the same time, a van stopped at the recording site of “Entertainment New World”.

“Xu Yiyuan!”

“Xu Yiyuan, look at us!”

Fans who had been waiting outside swarmed forward, frantically waving their support signs.

The young man wearing a white shirt got out of the van, blew a kiss towards the fans, his smile radiant, his eyes flying upwards, a picture of unrestrained arrogance.