Chapter 4: The Fallen Child Star (4)

The latest episode of “Entertainment New World” was scheduled to begin recording at 8 PM.

Two hours before the recording was set to start, Xu Weiheng’s manager was desperately flattering the director, practically groveling at his feet.

He had no choice. With little reputation in the industry and no particularly outstanding artists under his management, the two-million-yuan penalty for breaking the contract would be enough to wipe out all of his savings from the past few years.

The director’s face was extremely displeased, but at this point, with Xu Weiheng unable to come and the show still needing to be recorded, he could only try to minimize the damage:

“Regarding the fact that Xu Ji and Xu Yiyuan are biological father and son, you… how sure are you”

The manager gritted his teeth and said, “Eighty percent!”

On the way here, the manager had been thinking about this issue.

Of course, he had no concrete evidence to prove Xu Ji and Xu Yiyuan were biological father and son, but as Xu Weiheng’s manager, he had witnessed their interactions up close. Their relationship seemed unnaturally natural.

Some things he had never considered before, but now that he thought about it, the manager realized Xu Ji and Xu Yiyuan’s facial features were indeed strikingly similar.

The more he considered it, the more convinced he became.

“I see,” the director stood up and walked out, “You’d better hope this is true.”

The manager breathed a sigh of relief. From the director’s tone, did it mean he wouldn’t have to pay the penalty fee?

But his relief was short-lived as he heard the second half of the director’s statement.

“If this is true, you’ll only need to pay two million. If it’s not, not only will you pay two million, but you won’t have a future in this industry. Even Xingyu Media behind you won’t be able to protect you.”

“Entertainment New World” was backed by a TV station. Blacklisting a small-time manager was just a matter of saying the word.

Even Xingyu Media wouldn’t refuse such a request.

The manager’s eyes widened, his legs went weak, and he collapsed onto the sofa.

Cold sweat covered his back as a feeling of deep regret grew wildly in his heart.

He had already agreed to let Xu Weiheng rest for half a month. Why did he covet the money offered by “Entertainment New World” and overstep his bounds by signing the contract?

The director went to the recording set, informed everyone that the recording would be delayed by an hour, and called for an emergency meeting with the production team.

Xu Yiyuan sat in the studio, letting the makeup artist touch up his face. He occasionally glanced towards where the director and others were, impatiently asking, “Why did they suddenly delay the recording?”

Xu Ji straightened his tie, pointed at Xu Yiyuan, and said with a chiding smile, “You, when will you ever change that impatient nature of yours?”

“Dad, I’m just worried that if we get back late, Mom will be concerned about us,” Xu Yiyuan defended himself, then looked around and casually remarked, “Xu Weiheng hasn’t arrived yet. Is he late?”

If Xu Yiyuan hadn’t mentioned it, Xu Ji wouldn’t have noticed.

Xu Ji’s face immediately darkened, his tone displeased: “What, is throwing his weight around on set not enough? Now he wants to do it to me too?”

Seeing Xu Ji’s anger, Xu Yiyuan quickly cracked a joke, making Xu Ji laugh. The annoyance that had risen because of Xu Weiheng was pushed to the back of his mind.

Director Chen sat nearby, thinking: The relationship in this family was indeed strange. The biological father and son were like enemies, while the stepfather and stepson were as close as a real family.

However, Director Chen didn’t interfere.

He rarely appeared on variety shows. This time, he came specifically to demonstrate his magnanimity, to “forgive” Xu Weiheng’s youthful indiscretion and give the young man a chance to start anew.

In fact, Director Chen didn’t dislike Xu Weiheng. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have invited him to star in “2050 II”.

Xu Weiheng was a child star he had discovered. The boy had always treated him as a mentor, respectfully calling him “Teacher Chen,” and visiting him during holidays. Unfortunately, “2050 II” had been a massive failure.

“2050” was hailed by netizens as “the beginning of a new era for Chinese apocalyptic disaster films,” becoming a beloved classic for countless fans.

So when “2050 II” was announced, it garnered immense attention and easily secured 300 million yuan in investments.

But what followed was a first-day box office of 160 million, plummeting to 80 million on the second day, and barely reaching 40 million on the third day.

Professional website ratings dropped from 4.2 to 3.4.

Netizens joked that “the era opened by ‘2050’ was buried by ‘2050 II’.”

The all-around failure of this film meant someone had to take responsibility.

So Xu Weiheng, full of vulnerabilities, became the perfect target for public criticism.

“Are the three of you ready? We can start recording now,” the director said with a smile as he approached, clapping his hands to get their attention.

Xu Yiyuan was startled and instinctively asked, “Xu Weiheng isn’t coming?”

The director looked at Xu Yiyuan, his gaze somewhat strange: “That’s right, he won’t be coming.”

Xu Ji said angrily, “What kind of tantrum is that unfilial child throwing? Director, I’ll call that brat now and make him come apologize to everyone.”

If this were at the Xu household, Xu Ji would have already started cursing loudly.

It was only because they were in public that he slightly restrained himself.

But even so, he still referred to Xu Weiheng as an “unfilial son” at every turn.

The director’s expression grew increasingly peculiar.

Not just him, but others in the production team also had varying expressions.

Before knowing about the blood relation between Xu Ji and Xu Yiyuan, they thought Xu Ji’s stance of siding with reason over family was very righteous. But now, knowing the inside story, they found Xu Ji’s behavior distasteful and even began to sympathize with Xu Weiheng.

What kind of father had he ended up with?

“It’s fine, let’s proceed without Xu Weiheng,” the director said with a slight smile. “However, this means we’ll have to change our recording format. I hope the three of you don’t mind?”

After the production team’s recent meeting, the director and others decided to turn this episode into an interview-style show, focusing on discussing Xu Ji and Xu Yiyuan’s relationship.

The more they appeared to have a deep “father-son bond,” the more shocking it would be when this episode aired and the truth came out.

…

After Xu Weiheng’s intense crying session, the system notified Yao Rong that his self-destruction value had dropped to 85.

Yao Rong took a set of clean clothes from her luggage and asked Xu Weiheng if she could use the skincare products he had placed on the washstand.

Since divorcing Xu Ji, Yao Rong had begun neglecting her appearance and self-care, letting her life fall into disarray.

But what could this attitude towards life bring her, other than pain for those who cared and joy for her enemies?

Yao Rong needed to not only save Xu Weiheng’s life but also improve her own life.

She hoped Xu Weiheng would find the courage and conviction to stand up again, to rediscover his direction in life, to live openly and honorably. To achieve this, she needed to set an example for Xu Weiheng by improving herself.

After showering and completing her skincare routine, Yao Rong returned to the study to find a brand new, unopened set of skincare products on the desk.

This set was more suitable for her skin type and needs than the one in the bathroom.

Yao Rong smiled slightly and went to knock on Xu Weiheng’s bedroom door.

“Do you need something?” Xu Weiheng’s voice came from inside.

“Nothing really, I just wanted to tell you that I really like the skincare set you prepared for me.”

“…It was sent by the brand, not something I prepared for you.”

There was a hint of awkwardness in the young man’s voice. Yao Rong continued with a smile, “Well, then I’m benefiting from your connections.”

Hearing Yao Rong say this, Xu Weiheng actually felt a bit proud.

Immediately after, he caught himself and felt somewhat disgusted with his reaction.

What was there to be proud of?

“When you’re done with it, ask me for more,” Xu Weiheng lied blatantly. “I have plenty more.”

Yao Rong didn’t believe him. He had only debuted two years ago and had no notable works; the brand sending him one set of products was already quite generous.

But she still smiled, with a hint of teasing in her tone, and praised him: “So generous.”

After saying goodnight to Xu Weiheng, Yao Rong returned to her room. The system informed her that all evidence had been sent to that male artist.

Yao Rong asked, “You covered your tracks, right?”

The system replied, [Rest assured, with this world’s technology, they can’t trace it back to me.]

Yao Rong thought for a moment and asked, “Has he received the files yet?”

[He received them ten minutes ago and is currently reviewing them. It will probably take some time to verify the authenticity of the data.]

“That’s good. Let me know when he reports it.”

The next day, just before dawn, Yao Rong woke up.

She changed into comfortable clothes and went jogging around the neighborhood.

Her physical condition wasn’t great, and she started feeling tired after just two laps.

She readjusted her breathing and pace, completing five laps before stopping. She then bought two breakfast portions from a nearby shop to take home.

Xu Weiheng was already awake.

He had cried so hard last night that his eyes were still very swollen and red.

Afraid of embarrassing him, Yao Rong tried hard not to laugh out loud, but her voice still betrayed a hint of amusement: “I bought some eggs, they’re still warm. You can roll them on your eyes; the swelling will go down quickly.”

Xu Weiheng: “…”

He tried to maintain a serious expression, but his ears still betrayed him by turning red for a moment.

To divert Yao Rong’s attention, Xu Weiheng asked, “The lawyer you mentioned last night, what’s their contact information?”

“Have you decided to terminate the contract?”

“Yes.”

Yao Rong probed, “Are you willing to meet him and communicate face-to-face? If not, we can also send him photos of the contract.”

Seeing Xu Weiheng nod, Yao Rong’s eyes lit up.

His willingness to communicate with outsiders and actively resolve his own problems indicated that things were starting to move in a positive direction.

…

After returning home from the “Entertainment New World” recording site, the manager couldn’t sleep all night.

Initially, he deeply regretted exploiting Xu Weiheng against their agreement.

But this morning, he received a call from the CEO of Xingyu Media.

On the phone, the CEO coldly informed him: “The director of ‘Entertainment New World’ called me. You’ll have to resolve the breach of contract fee yourself. You’re Xu Weiheng’s manager, and if you can’t even make him obey, don’t bother coming to work tomorrow.”

Then he hung up.

Not only did he have to pay two million in compensation, but he was also likely to lose his job. The manager didn’t dare to resent the director of “Entertainment New World” or the company’s CEO, so he directed his anger towards Xu Weiheng.

If Xu Weiheng hadn’t refused to participate in the variety show recording, how could he have ended up in this situation?

Anger consumed the manager’s mind as he drove towards Xu Weiheng’s apartment. He instinctively reached for the keys in his bag, only to remember they had been taken away. He resorted to pounding on the security door.

“Xu Weiheng, open the door!”

“Open up quickly, I know you’re in there!”

Just as he was about to kick the door, it opened from the inside.

Standing behind the door was a middle-aged man in a suit, wearing gold-rimmed glasses: “Are you Mr. Xu’s manager?”

After experiencing being thrown out by Yao Rong, the manager was wary of strangers appearing in Xu Weiheng’s home.

But soon, his anger towards Xu Weiheng took over again.

The manager shouted, “I’m his manager. Who are you? Call him out here. He’s violated the terms of the contract, and I’m going to make him pay!”

“I’m the lawyer Mr. Xu hired, my surname is Zhou. Regarding the contract matters, you can communicate with me. There’s no need to disturb Mr. Xu’s rest.”

The manager frowned, not expecting that Xu Weiheng had already hired a lawyer. Ignoring the lawyer’s words, he pushed past him to force his way inside.

When he finally entered the house, he was confronted by Yao Rong, who was recording with her phone.

Yao Rong saved the video and said to Lawyer Zhou, “Mr. Zhou, this gentleman has trespassed and disturbed my son’s and my rest. I have video evidence here. Please help me report this to the police when you leave.”

Lawyer Zhou nodded, “Don’t worry, Ms. Yao. I’ll handle these matters.”

The manager sneered. Having been in the entertainment industry for so long, he wouldn’t be intimidated by such minor threats.

“What trespassing? Don’t joke around. Even if you call the police now, they’ll likely encourage us to reach a settlement.”

However, being blocked by Lawyer Zhou and Yao Rong had indeed weakened the manager’s confrontational attitude.

But thinking of the two million yuan and his job, anger once again filled the manager’s chest. He turned to look at Xu Weiheng and cursed, “It’s all your fault. Now I’m not only stuck with a two million compensation fee, but I’ve also lost my job. You’re not doing well, so you don’t want me to do well either, is that it?”

Enraged, the manager lunged at Xu Weiheng: “Let me tell you, if you don’t compensate me for these losses, I’ll make your situation even worse! Don’t think having these two helpers will do you any good!”

But before he could reach Xu Weiheng, Yao Rong tripped him, causing him to fall hard on the ground, yelping in pain.

Xu Weiheng looked down at the manager, who now appeared weak and pathetic.

At that moment, he suddenly realized clearly that the manager he once thought was powerful was actually just a bully who preyed on the weak and feared the strong.

The manager could manipulate and oppress him not because he was particularly capable, but because he hadn’t stood up for himself and lacked the courage to fight back against injustice.

The manager grew increasingly irritated by Xu Weiheng’s gaze and threatened, “What’s with that look? Pity me? Look down on me? Don’t think you’re so great just because you’ve hired a lawyer. Terminating the contract won’t be easy! Just you wait and see. Don’t think I don’t know how much money you have. Even if you use all your money, you can’t afford the breach of contract penalty with the company. You’ve made things difficult for me, and I absolutely won’t let you off!”

But the manager was disappointed.

Xu Weiheng, who had always been submissive, actually spoke up to refute him this time.

“Before you think about making me suffer, worry about how you’ll pay that two million yuan. You can’t even save yourself, so don’t bother wasting energy on me.”

Saying this, Xu Weiheng looked up at Yao Rong, as if seeking courage from her.

Yao Rong’s eyes were full of encouragement as she nodded at him, signaling him to continue.

Xu Weiheng took a deep breath and pulled out a voice recorder from his hoodie pocket.

This was specifically bought for Xu Weiheng by Yao Rong. She told him that whenever he encounters people from the management company in the future, he should immediately start recording to protect himself.

He wouldn’t intentionally harm anyone, but to survive in this industry, he needed to have a sense of self-protection and couldn’t sit by and let others hurt him anymore.

“Don’t think about threatening me either. I’ve recorded everything you just said. If any new rumors about me appear online, I’ll immediately assume you released them.”

“My situation is already this bad, it can’t get much worse. If you want to keep dragging this out with me, I’ll absolutely see it through to the end!”

The manager was stunned by Xu Weiheng’s words. The anger clouding his mind subsided, and a trace of clarity returned, gradually bringing back his rationality.

He intuitively realized one thing: the current Xu Weiheng was different from before.

The old Xu Weiheng could be easily manipulated, but now, perhaps driven by a “nothing left to lose” attitude, he had shed his previous cautiousness and was no longer easy to control.

“Fine, just you wait!”

With this parting threat, the agent scrambled to his feet, not even bothering to brush the dust off his knees, and fled the apartment in a sorry state.