Chapter 2: The Fallen Child Star (2)

A single sentence made Xu Weiheng’s heart race.

His breath quickened involuntarily, and he instinctively took half a step back.

But quickly, he regained his composure. His right hand, hanging at his side, clenched into a fist as his face darkened:

“What kind of joke is this?”

“I’m serious. Are you wondering how I got in?”

Yao Rong set down the bowl of noodles in her hand and pulled a key from her pocket.

“I used the key you hid under the carpet to open the door. Do you remember who taught you that hiding place?

“Xu Weiheng stared at Yao Rong in shock.Yao Rong met his gaze, her voice restrained.”Take a closer look at my eyes, my mouth.”

“And my ID, along with the photos we took together.”

Yao Rong took out these two items she always carried, extending them towards Xu Weiheng.

He quickly withdrew his hand, hiding it behind his back to avoid contact with her.

Yao Rong had no choice but to remain where she was, keeping a three-step distance: “If you don’t want to look, that’s fine. But if you still doubt my identity, I can call my neighbors right now and ask them to find my marriage and divorce certificates in my house and send photos to you immediately.”

“……” Xu Weiheng fell silent for a long time before he spoke hoarsely, “No need.”

No documents were needed as proof.

He finally understood why Yao Rong had looked familiar.It was because his eyebrows, eyes, lips, and facial features – the best parts of his appearance – were all inherited from her.

This kind of blood-tied connection couldn’t be faked.

Yet strangely, Xu Weiheng found no joy in her presence.

He only felt it was absurd and ridiculous.

He had longed countless times for his biological mother to appear and take him away from that terrible home.

When he most wanted her to show up, she was always absent.

But now, when he was being cursed by the entire internet, in a miserable state, wanting to hide where no one could find him, she suddenly showed up.

However, he was no longer that child who would throw himself into his mother’s arms and cry for comfort when wronged.

Xu Weiheng lowered his eyes, looking at Yao Rong. His lips parted slightly several times, wanting to say something, but the fatigue from deep within robbed him of the strength to speak.

“…… Since you’re here, just sit for a while. I’ll go wash up.

“In the end, Xu Weiheng didn’t drive Yao Rong away. He left her with those words and turned toward the bathroom, locking himself inside.

Yao Rong didn’t disturb him.

So much had happened to Xu Weiheng in just these few days.

He needed time to process it all, and he needed time to accept her presence again.

In the bathroom, Xu Weiheng leaned against the sink.

It was his first time drinking so much alcohol, and waking up from the hangover was already difficult. With Yao Rong’s sudden appearance, it only added to his headache.

His ears started ringing slightly again. He held his chest, feeling nauseous.

Just then, a faint floral scent wafted into his nose.

Turning his head, he noticed a vase with sunflowers where only his dental items should have been.

Sunflowers again.

He scoffed, turned on the faucet, and splashed cold water on his face.

“Why come to me now?”

“Did you hear I became a star and want to get close to me for money?”

“With a son like me, aren’t you afraid of being laughed at…”

The sound of running water drowned out his murmurs.

After washing his face for a long time, Xu Weiheng finally calmed down a bit. He pulled out a makeup remover wipe, only to realize that his makeup had already removed at some point.

He tried to lift the corners of his mouth.But he found that he looked terrible when he smiled.

Even worse than when he cried.

Twenty minutes later, Xu Weiheng stepped out of the bathroom.

He intended to head straight back to his bedroom when Yao Rong called out from behind, “I made you a hangover soup.”

Before Xu Weiheng could refuse, she added, “It’s already done. If you don’t drink it, I’ll have to throw it away. At least have a sip.”

Xu Weiheng hesitated for a moment but eventually pulled out a chair and sat down at the dining table.

The hangover soup was warm, perfectly suitable for drinking.

He lifted the bowl to his nose and sniffed it. It was a bit sour, but the taste was acceptable, not hard to drink.

Whether it was a psychological effect or the soup actually worked, Xu Weiheng’s headache seemed to lessen after drinking it.

However, the sourness only aggravated his stomach.

The feeling of hunger from his belly became more and more apparent.

Xu Weiheng propped his forehead with his right hand, trying to think through his foggy mind: Did he have any leftover bread in the drawer of his bedroom?

“Your breakfast.”

Yao Rong had somehow returned from the kitchen, bringing out two bowls of noodles she had prepared earlier, pushing one toward Xu Weiheng.

“I searched the fridge and only found noodles, so I made something simple.”

“When I came over yesterday, besides buying flowers, I also packed dinner for you. But since you were drunk, I had to eat it myself to avoid waste.”

The noodles were still hot, looking very appetizing.

The clear broth was sprinkled with finely chopped vegetables, emitting a rich aroma.

This steaming fragrance instantly alleviated Xu Weiheng’s hunger.

But after glancing at it, he pushed the bowl away: “You don’t need to tell me what you brought. Also, how did you know I lived here?”

Yao Rong replied half-seriously, “I learned from the internet that something had happened to you, so I tried many ways and contacted some old friends. They were also worried about you, so they put in a lot of effort to help find out where you live now and how to contact you.”

Yao Rong’s explanation wasn’t without flaws, but it was plausible.

The number of people who knew Xu Weiheng’s address wasn’t too many, but not too few either; otherwise, how would those paparazzi be lurking downstairs?

Moreover, Xu Weiheng didn’t have the energy to think deeply at the moment. After receiving a roughly acceptable answer, he pulled out the chair and stood up.

Yao Rong had been watching him with her peripheral vision and immediately noticed his movement.

She put down her chopsticks, looking troubled.

“The ingredients are yours, and the kitchen is yours. I borrowed your ingredients and kitchen to make breakfast for myself, and just happened to make an extra bowl of noodles for you. Just consider it a favor and eat a bit; otherwise, if you don’t eat, I won’t feel comfortable eating either.”

Although he knew she was speaking nonsense, Xu Weiheng still felt compelled to sit back down when he saw her ready to dump the noodles.

Yao Rong blinked and poured some sesame oil into his bowl.

She seemed to have figured out Xu Weiheng’s temperament.

Stubborn and prickly.

But as long as you smoothed his fur, he would retract his intimidating thorns.

Xu Weiheng stirred the noodles with his chopsticks, mixing them evenly.

He ate very slowly, chewing each bite carefully.

The noodles were indeed as delicious as he had imagined, but as usual, he had little appetite. After a few bites, he could barely swallow anymore, so he had to force himself to gulp it down.

Yao Rong said, “If you can’t eat anymore, don’t force yourself.”

Appetite issues couldn’t be resolved quickly; there was no need to force himself like this.

Xu Weiheng acted as if he hadn’t heard and issued a dismissal: “After you finish this meal, you should go back.”

Before Yao Rong could respond, the sound of keys being inserted into the lock echoed from outside.

Xu Weiheng’s manager burst in angrily, ready to confront him.

“Xu Weiheng, I sent you so many messages last night. Why didn’t you reply?”

Xu Weiheng frowned: “What’s the matter?”

“I’ve arranged a job for you.”

Xu Weiheng was taken aback, then stood up, suppressing his anger: “You said that as long as I agreed to apologize on the livestream, you’d give me half a month off.”

The manager spoke righteously, his words coming so fast that no one could interrupt, as if he had lit a firecracker.

“Making you apologize on the livestream was for your own good, and arranging this new job for you is also for your own good. Go check Weibo and see what the netizens are saying about you. Since your apology, public opinion has noticeably improved.”

“This new job I’ve arranged for you is an interview with ‘Entertainment New World.’ They’ve invited you, your dad, Xu Yiyuan, and Director Chen.”

“The people from ‘Entertainment New World’ have hinted that your dad, Xu Yiyuan, and Director Chen will publicly forgive you during the show. With their forgiveness, your reputation will be almost cleared. You’re still so young, and there are countless paths ahead of you. Do you really want to carry this infamy for the rest of your life?”

From beginning to end, the manager was waving the flag of ‘I’m doing this for your own good’.

But such words could only fool the naive.

He had come to Xu Weiheng’s apartment purely because ‘Entertainment New World’ had offered a high price.

As for Xu Weiheng’s well-being?

What did that have to do with him?

Forcing Xu Weiheng to apologize on a live stream was equivalent to forcing him to accept all the blame.

“Alright, it’s about time.” The manager glanced at his watch, reaching for Xu Weiheng impatiently. “Change your clothes and come with me immediately. If we’re late, you can’t afford the penalty for breach of contract.”

But before the manager’s hand could touch Xu Weiheng, it was intercepted.

Yao Rong had somehow moved to Xu Weiheng’s side, standing in front of him.

“Of all the things you just said, there’s only one sentence I agree with. He’s still so young, his life has just begun.”

“As for the rest, it’s all nonsense.”

Xu Weiheng’s eyes widened slightly, staring at Yao Rong’s back, listening to her reprimand the manager on his behalf.”

‘Entertainment New World’ wants traffic, you want money, Xu Ji, Xu Yiyuan, and Director Chen want good reputations. The only prerequisite to satisfy your desires is to use Xu Weiheng as a stepping stone. You really have quite a scheme going.”

“He clearly hasn’t done anything wrong. Why are you forcing him to apologize and admit to those false accusations?”

“Who are you!” The manager was about to go crazy. Where did this madwoman come from, with such great strength? He used all his might but still couldn’t break free from her grip. “Let go of me!”

Yao Rong fulfilled his request.

She directly dragged the manager to the door, took the keys from his bag, kicked his thigh with her knee, then let go. The manager fell hard on the floor outside the door, inhaling sharply in pain.

Just as Yao Rong was about to close the door, the manager shouted fiercely: “Wait, if Xu Weiheng doesn’t go to participate in the recording of ‘Entertainment New World’, he’ll have to pay a large penalty for breach of contract.”

Yao Rong turned back to ask Xu Weiheng: “Did you sign a contract with ‘Entertainment New World’?”

Xu Weiheng’s expression was complex as he shook his head.

“You heard that, right?” Yao Rong looked down at the manager who was struggling to get up. “Whoever signed the contract is of course responsible for paying the penalty for breach of contract.”

The manager’s face changed several times. The person who signed the contract with ‘Entertainment New World’ was actually him.

Xu Weiheng had always been easy to manipulate. In the past, whenever he arranged work for Xu Weiheng, even if Xu Weiheng was very unwilling, he would still obediently do as told in the end.

He was tempted by the price offered by ‘Entertainment New World’, so he signed the contract on Xu Weiheng’s behalf on the spot.

Now hearing what Yao Rong said, the manager suddenly panicked: “Does Xu Weiheng dare to defy the company’s arrangements? If he defies the company’s arrangements, he’ll have to pay an even larger penalty!”

“You don’t need to worry about that aspect. You’d better think about how to explain this to ‘Entertainment New World’,” Yao Rong smiled slightly. “If you can’t think of anything, I have a good idea here.”

“Xu Ji accused his own son of beating his stepson in front of the media, and everyone praised him for being impartial rather than favoring his own child. But what if Xu Yiyuan is also Xu Ji’s biological son?”

“Using a legitimate son as a stepping stone for an illegitimate son, how’s that for a news story?”

Didn’t ‘Entertainment New World’ also invite Xu Ji and Xu Yiyuan as guests?

If ‘Entertainment New World’ doesn’t plan to cover this story, that’s fine too.

There are still six or seven paparazzi camping downstairs.

Rather than trying to drive them away, it’s better to divert the disaster elsewhere.

Yao Rong closed the door. As soon as she turned around, she heard Xu Weiheng’s question.

“…You just said that Xu Yiyuan is Xu Ji’s biological son?”

If this was true, the impact on him would be too great.

Great enough to overturn everything he had known.

He had countless times felt resentful because Xu Ji loved Xu Yiyuan far more than him, reflecting on whether he had done something wrong, whether he was not as good as Xu Yiyuan, which led to his biological father loving his stepson far more than his own son.

It turned out the truth was so despicable.

— He was the son of the ex-wife, while Xu Yiyuan was the illegitimate son born of true love.

From the moment of birth, he was destined to never be able to compete with Xu Yiyuan.

“Yes.” Yao Rong’s tone was certain.

Although she had never done a paternity test for Xu Ji and Xu Yiyuan, this conclusion wasn’t difficult to draw.

ZXu Ji had never concealed anything, even his favoritism was blatant.

Yao Rong knew what Xu Weiheng was thinking. She walked in front of him, raised her hand, tentatively stroking his hair: “It’s not that you’re not good enough, it’s that he doesn’t deserve to be your father.”

Xu Weiheng’s body stiffened, instinctively moving to avoid her, but quickly, he forcibly suppressed his instinctive reaction, his gaze fixed tightly on Yao Rong’s eyes: “Do you believe that I never hit Xu Yiyuan, that I never did those things?”

Even though he hadn’t done anything wrong, everyone was denying his character, destroying his personality, making him experience a social death.

No one would stand up for him, let alone seek justice for him. That feeling of being abandoned by everyone was too helpless, so he felt the world was terrible.

Even he thought of himself as a terrible person.

But now, he saw that after he asked this question, someone actually nodded without hesitation.

“I believe some things are slander. And some things you might have actually done, but you must have had your reasons, and the fault doesn’t lie with you.”

It was like a spring rain falling after a thunderstorm.

The spring rain nourishes all things, bringing the world back to life, with grass and trees sprouting.

After all the terrible things that had happened, this person standing before him, both unfamiliar and familiar, was the first to stand up for him and say, “I believe you.”