Chapter 26 I'm the male lead's backer, I don't want to be a backer! ...

After the contract was signed, the leader warmly invited Si Qi and his party to lunch.

Seeing that Chu Feng, who was supposedly a germaphobe and disliked contact with people, did not show any resistance, Si Qi agreed. On the way to the hotel, he thought to himself, "Chu Feng looks just like a doctor in that uniform."

He savored Chu Feng's aloof and ascetic demeanor, and couldn't help but purse his lips, his fingertips gently caressing the area. "So captivating."

Xiuxiu looked bewildered: "Huh?"

He didn't quite understand Si Qi's standards for being attractive, but he felt that the main god of this world looked fierce, unlike the AI ​​of the previous world, making people afraid to get close to him.

However, Xiuxiu always knew Siqi well and knew that Siqi's preferences were not based on a person's appearance, personality, or even species, but on whether the other person was Chu Feng.

Even if Chu Feng were to turn into a slime one day, Si Qi would undoubtedly praise it loudly and unhesitatingly, extolling Chu Feng's glossy, gelatinous skin to the heavens, saying it was the most perfect slime he had ever seen in his life.

And it's a genuine feeling from the bottom of my heart.

So Xiuxiu didn't bother to delve into why this kind of main god was so appealing, and continued to bury herself in playing the game.

An hour later, Si Qi was having a pleasant conversation with a group of people from the research institute at the dinner table. Chu Feng sat to the side in silence, only occasionally uttering "um" or "okay" when someone mentioned him.

A phone call suddenly came to Si Qi's end. Si Qi paused slightly, picked up his phone, glanced at it, and his expression changed slightly.

Chu Feng, who had been eating quietly without making a sound but whose attention was actually focused on Si Qi, keenly noticed the change in Si Qi's emotions and realized that the person on the other end of the phone must have a close relationship with Si Qi.

Sure enough, Si Qi raised his phone and said, "A-Wu?"

He used a very familiar tone.

Chu Feng's ears perked up instantly, and he stopped eating.

Meanwhile, Zhou Wu, on the other end of the phone, was in a completely different situation from Si Qi.

Only two months after leaving the Si family company, Zhou Wu finally realized the feeling of being adrift after losing protection.

The agent who used to bring him all sorts of resources and scripts and keep a close eye on his schedule and career plans left long ago when he insisted on siding with Bai Qian after she had a dispute with Bai Qian.

The new agent was someone he found himself after leaving the company. In terms of both ability and connections, he was far less powerful than the top agent that Si Qi had personally assigned to him. In many ways, he couldn't guide him all the way like his former agent had, nor could he provide him with strong support. His role was more like that of an assistant who managed things behind the scenes for him.

This would have been more than enough for Zhou Wu, who should have had Si Qi's help. However, now that Si Qi has left the company and is no longer involved in the entertainment industry, it has become a clear weakness for him.

Many jobs now require him, as an artist, to actively seek them out, a far cry from the days when he could simply sit at home and have his agent bring him a plethora of suitable jobs to choose from.

He had never done anything like this before, and if he wanted to do it himself, he would inevitably be much slower than those seasoned agents. By the time he heard the news, the best pieces of the pie would have already been divided up.

For example, he personally went to the ancient costume drama "Thousand Loves" which he had been longing for for a long time to request an audition. However, before the audition even started, he was told that the male lead had already been cast and that he could only audition for a few minor supporting roles.

He didn't even have the right to stand on the starting line before he was declared a failure.

According to his inquiries, the production was invested in by the Si family, and the male lead was confirmed to be an artist from the Si family from the beginning. Zhou Wu was indeed originally cast, but didn't Zhou Wu terminate his contract and leave? So the role was naturally given to that big shot who had clashed with Zhou Wu at the company and was publicly warned by Si Qi.

The big shot just picked up a role that Si Qi had painstakingly worked to get, snatching it from right under Zhou Wu's nose—a role he had been eyeing for a long time and thought he had it in the bag.

Zhou Wu, who knew all this, was almost furious. He wanted to blame Si Qi for giving the role to that guy, but after thinking it over, he realized that it had absolutely nothing to do with Si Qi.

He proposed terminating the contract, so it's not Si Qi's fault. Even if Si Qi could control the role's future after leaving the company, it's impossible for it to end up with Zhou Wu. It's a company-invested project; why should an outsider who's been dragging their feet on paying the breach of contract penalty get the biggest share?

Zhou Wu could only feel frustrated that he had proposed terminating the contract too early, and that he should have gained more benefits from the company before leaving. He gritted his teeth and accepted the outcome.

Listening to his girlfriend's constant complaints, "How could Si Qi do this?" "This was originally your role, you could have become a huge star because of him!" "It's such a pity, this script is really important," Zhou Wu could only patiently comfort his girlfriend, saying that if she missed this opportunity, there would be better ones in the future.

His girlfriend believed his story and, not only did she not mind his incompetence, she actively introduced him to many other scripts.

However, without exception, all of these scripts were insignificant small-scale creations. In terms of investment scale and team members, they were vastly different from the resources he had previously encountered, which inevitably made him feel disappointed.

He was frustrated because after leaving the company, all the jobs he got were much worse than before. Just when he was feeling stifled and upset, his fellow celebrities realized the "truth" that he had "fallen out" with Si Qi and that Si Qi would no longer help him because of the male lead in "A Thousand Feelings". They all started to snatch the resources from him.

The way they swarmed him, like hungry wolves trying to take a piece of his flesh, made him feel like a weak and vulnerable child clutching a gold brick, someone anyone could step on and steal.

But he also discovered that he had little room to fight back against these pressures.

After leaving the company, he had to rely on himself for everything. But as a newcomer to the entertainment industry who had only debuted a little over a year ago, what competitiveness could he have against so many celebrities and the huge management companies behind them? He couldn't compete in terms of experience and resources!

He could only grit his teeth and compete with those people, trying to retain the resources in his hands. He worked hard and struggled for things that were once easily obtained, even getting into fights that left him bloodied and battered.

This feeling of having to fight and struggle with others for "just a little bit of something" is so different from the past. Zhou Wu, who has had such a smooth life for so many years, can hardly help but feel embarrassed.

He realized that after leaving Si Qi's help, he was not as omnipotent as he had previously imagined.

Fortunately, he had his girlfriend by his side, encouraging him.

Under the unconditional trust of his girlfriend, who firmly believed he would become a world superstar, he quickly rallied. He thought that although he was currently struggling and working hard, his career would eventually develop step by step. Once he got through the most difficult initial period, he was sure he could adapt to the new rhythm and make a name for himself in the entertainment industry.

He had a good plan, but reality is always crueler than he imagined.

He tried hard to protect what he had from being stolen, but he soon realized that the previous petty squabbles were just commonplace, and he had not yet truly witnessed the cutthroat world of the entertainment industry.

It was a fashion show, and many well-known celebrities from all walks of life flocked to it, all dressed in their best clothes and wearing their most expensive accessories, making a grand entrance.

Zhou Wu's former company had close cooperation with many luxury brands, so he never had to worry about resources when it came to clothing. The top-tier haute couture brands would never be short of him.

Yu Li's ability to "wear various high-end brands without ever lowering his standards" has allowed him to maintain a high-class image since his debut. Fans therefore call him the "prince of the entertainment industry," showing off his numerous fashion photos to other celebrities' fans, repeatedly stating, "Our Zhou Zhou only entered the entertainment industry out of interest; if he's unhappy in the future, he might go back to inherit the family business." They boast that Zhou Wu only stayed in the entertainment industry because of his fans' pleas, making even more fans admire this "condescending" idol who would forgo a comfortable life to stay in the industry and support his fans.

But things are different now.

Now that Zhou Wu has left the Si Corporation, luxury brands are unlikely to offer him clothes on their own initiative. He tried to contact the fashion designer he had previously negotiated with, but the designer said that he had to wait until the Si Corporation's celebrities had chosen their clothes before leaving him any remaining ones.

What good clothes could be left? Zhou Wu refused without even thinking.

But he didn't have many more such high-end resources, so he relied on his connections to search around and only found a mediocre one to wear to the fashion show.

Not to mention the fans' great surprise, those who had always been at odds with him and wanted to kick him out of the competition took action first.

First, there were countless comments predicting that his career had declined after leaving the Si Corporation. Then, data clearly showed that the quality of the resources he had access to had dropped significantly. In addition, there was a deep dive into how close his relationship with Si Qi was, yet he turned his back on Si Qi and broke his contract after becoming famous, leading to Si Qi being kicked out of the company...

Already feeling isolated and helpless in the entertainment industry, he was targeted and attacked by a group of people simply because of a single fashion show appearance. The sheer scale of the power of so many popular celebrities who wanted to eliminate this rising star from the competition, all working together to smear him, is unimaginable.

He ended up trending on social media because of a photo of his outfit at a fashion show. Rumors of him being unworthy of his reputation as a rich young master and completely failing after leaving the Si family were rampant. Although his fans were angry, they weren't afraid at first because Zhou Wu was a young master from a wealthy family, and his background and character were there. Even if he was slandered, he would quickly prove his innocence.

When Zhou Wu became famous in the past, they had encountered similar bloody storms many times, and each time Zhou Wu easily resolved them. This time it was just a minor incident.

To their surprise, the so-called minor squabbles escalated right under their noses, showing no signs of being controlled or resolved.

Fans, who had been waiting for days, finally got impatient.

"What's going on? Why isn't my brother responding?"

"Why wasn't there a reaction? He did react! But he only posted on Weibo saying that he admired the outfit and thought the brand's clothing was very good, and that was it!"

This kind of terrible PR, where they don't even know how to fight back after being attacked, infuriated the fans. They lashed out at the PR department on the personal studio's Weibo account, criticizing their inaction, and tried every means to refute the rumors in different places, providing a lot of data on Zhou Wu's resources since his debut to prove that Zhou Wu is not as bad as others have predicted.

Unfortunately, this approach has yielded very little result.

While those online trolls were spreading rumors that Zhou Wu was no longer capable, they didn't forget to argue with the fans who kept refuting them: "You all know those were his old resources. Now that Zhou Wu has left Si Qi, how could he possibly get these things?"

"What kind of bullshit rich kid is he? If he really were, he wouldn't need to wear clothes borrowed from brands. He could just wear his own clothes and the watches and accessories he bought himself, wouldn't that be enough?"

The fans couldn't stand such slander, so they took out the evidence they had collected from various sources and presented it to the group of online trolls.

“Our Zhouzhou attended elite schools from a young age, and went to international schools for junior and senior high school. She participated in various piano and equestrian competitions. You can find photos of her from when she was a teenager on the school's website and in her interest groups, as well as photos of her with the children of many big entrepreneurs!”

“Look at the photos. What kind of clothes is Zhou Zhou wearing? Even a simple brooch is worth tens of thousands of yuan. And look at the places he goes to. Are those places that ordinary people can go to?”

"Open your eyes before you speak! Let me tell you, spreading rumors is illegal!"

Fans were outraged, furious that these people were blatantly lying and slandering Zhou Wu. But the online trolls remained unrepentant even when faced with the facts, retorting, "Just because you wear nice clothes to high-class places doesn't mean you're from a wealthy family. Maybe you're just a lackey of some rich kid there? You claim to be from a wealthy family, but after all this time in the industry, no major family has come forward to claim you. Maybe you're an illegitimate child?"

They had already found out about Zhou Wu's situation from the boss, so they spoke with great confidence: "The titles like 'young master' are all made up by your fans. When have you ever seen Zhou Wu admit it himself? Creating a persona is the norm in the industry. Only you deceived fans are truly sincere."

"Zhou Wu has been no good since he left Si Qi. If you don't believe me, just keep watching. See what clothes Zhou Wu wears when he goes out to an event next time, and see what kind of drama he's filming next. You'll see for yourselves!"

The online trolls spoke with great conviction, while also mocking Zhou Wu for his marketing efforts over the years, claiming to his fans that he came from a wealthy family, which quickly brainwashed the general public, leaving them with a false and pretentious impression of Zhou Wu.

The fans were both angry and anxious, repeatedly urging the studio, but they didn't come up with any effective counterattack. Finally, they belatedly realized that something was wrong.

"Could it be that my brother is really like what they're saying?"

"I don't care about the quality of the clothes, but the PR response this time was too slow, completely different from before."

“Previously, the Si family handled these issues, but this time it was a personal studio. The difference in their response speed and effectiveness is truly remarkable.”

“I don’t understand why my brother wants to terminate his contract. Wasn’t the company treating him very well before? They gave him all the resources first, and would often ask big names in the company to help him out. He could easily get on the trending topics list.”

"It is said that the president of Si's Group is also my brother's childhood friend, so the company's resources are always given to my brother first."

"But I heard that the CEO was fired by the company because his brother terminated his contract..."

"Oh my god, I really don't understand."

Fans were anxiously discussing in the group chat. Bai Qian, who had infiltrated the group, frowned and put down her phone. Looking at Zhou Wu, who was also extremely anxious about this matter but couldn't find an effective solution, she couldn't help but complain for the umpteenth time: "If Si Qi had been in charge of this, he would have solved it long ago."

In the year Zhou Wu rose to fame after his debut, similar troubles occurred frequently, but Si Qi easily turned each crisis into an opportunity, which in turn helped Zhou Wu become even more famous.

This crisis was nothing compared to the previous ones, but Zhou Wu was completely unable to retaliate effectively. He couldn't explain his "wealthy family background," and he certainly couldn't, like Si Qi, easily obtain top-tier resources to sign him and slap those who mocked him in the face.

A similar situation occurred in the original plot. The celebrities realized that Zhou Wu's background wasn't as good as he marketed, so they wanted to expose his lies and reveal his true colors. Many people became suspicious of Zhou Wu because of this, wanting to watch the drama unfold. After the hype started, Si Qi used his personal account to claim that Zhou Wu was his best friend since childhood, and then contacted his close friends in the second-generation elite circles to speak out. A series of powerful figures' children came one after another to vouch for Zhou Wu.

With such an impressive list of connections, even if Zhou Wu couldn't provide evidence of which wealthy family he belonged to, his social circle would still be something many people would look up to. Not only did it dispel the rumors of him being a pampered rich kid, but it also propelled him to trending status and wider recognition, making more people aware of Zhou Wu as a celebrity.

But it's gone now.

The matter was blown up again, but it was not stopped like in the original story. It did generate a lot of buzz and attention, and the general public did learn Zhou Wu's name because of this incident, but the impressions left behind were all the opposite of those in the original story.

The contrast between the before and after was too stark. Knowing the original story's direction, Bai Qian hated Si Qi's inaction even more. She said to Zhou Wu, "If Si Qi truly considered you a brother, he shouldn't have remained silent and pretended not to know anything at this time. If he were willing to step forward to testify for you and have his friends support you, you could immediately clear your name!"

Zhou Wu couldn't help but feel resentful towards Si Qi after Bai Qian kept mentioning "Si Qi, Si Qi".

He knew Si Qi well and knew that with Si Qi's abilities, solving such a small problem was nothing. But Si Qi was really so heartless as to not help at all, letting him be trampled on by a bunch of people in the entertainment industry.

He didn't blame himself for not being capable, because he was just a small-time celebrity, and it was normal that he couldn't solve the problem. But Si Qi had the ability to solve it, yet he didn't help him. What kind of behavior was that?

Wasn't it because of his girlfriend that he terminated his contract and left? Wasn't it because of him that the company fired Si Qi? He didn't do it on purpose! Why should Si Qi blame him for this, watching him ruin his reputation? Is his career and his reputation so unimportant?

Urged on by Bai Qian, he finally couldn't resist calling Si Qi, hoping that Si Qi could help resolve the trouble.

Si Qi answered the phone quickly.

Zhou Wu took a deep breath and said to Si Qi on the other end of the phone, "Xiao Qi, are you busy over there? I have something to tell you."

“Busy,” Si Qi’s first words were not in accordance with Zhou Wu’s plan. He said, “It’s not easy for me to make a living on my own. I have to start many things from scratch.”

Zhou Wu thought Si Qi was referring to his studio and complained, "You know about it too?"

Why aren't you coming to help?

"So I've been busy with company matters lately, I'm so busy I barely have time to breathe," Si Qi said. "I'm having dinner with our partners right now, and I have to keep working when I get back—do you need anything?"

Zhou Wu was speechless at Si Qi's words, and without caring about how busy Si Qi was, he said anxiously, "I've run into some trouble here, and it's quite a big deal... Haven't you been paying attention at all?"

“You didn’t know I was busy with the new company,” Si Qi retorted. “Besides, you decided to leave the company because you didn’t want to be controlled and found it annoying that people were interfering in your private life. In that case, why would I continue to interfere in your affairs?”

“I didn’t think you were being bossy,” Zhou Wu quickly explained, “I just wanted to better protect Xiaobai and didn’t want her to get hurt because of me…”

“I’m not interested in your girlfriend,” Si Qi interrupted. “I’ve already left the company and don’t plan to work in the entertainment industry anymore. I just wish you a long and happy marriage.”

Zhou Wu felt awkward about Si Qi's reaction: "You told me before that I'm currently in the prime of my career, when I rely most on fans and traffic, and that you don't want me to be in a relationship now. Even if I were, it couldn't be open about it; it would be best to keep the relationship a secret..."

How could Si Qi be so indifferent to his future development, knowing his situation, and still say such disheartening things?

Si Qi: "You've already terminated your contract because of this, how could I not know your determination? Of course I won't try to persuade you anymore."

Zhou Wu felt increasingly uncomfortable: "Don't say things in anger..."

Bai Qian, listening anxiously from the side, wondered why every time Zhou Wu called Si Qi for help or complained about Si Qi, Zhou Wu would end up apologizing to Si Qi. She snatched the phone and put it on speakerphone: "Si Qi, do you even consider Zhou Wu a brother? If you do, then help him out. It's not like it takes you much effort! Are you just going to watch him suffer? Don't you have any conscience?!"

Zhou Wu's heart skipped a beat, a bad feeling washing over him. Sure enough, Si Qi sneered on the other end of the phone and said, "I owe him?"

Zhou Wu: "I'm not..."

Bai Qian: "This isn't about owing or not owing, it's about how you behave! Your good brother is in trouble and this is your reaction? I really feel sorry for Zhou!"

Even at this point, he still hasn't forgotten to sow discord. Si Qi found it amusing: "You feel sorry for him? You helped him drive away the most powerful agent in the industry, made him leave the company and lose so many resources, and left him without a reliable public relations department to solve his problems. You even provoked me to tell me not to help him. How can you feel sorry for him? You created all the trouble yourself, and now you're blaming us, the people who are actually working for Zhou Wu, for not doing a good job. You're really something."

Zhou Wu stared in disbelief, while Bai Qian nearly collapsed with rage: "Si Qi!!!"

"Don't speak so loudly, watch your manners," Si Qi's tone remained gentle, but the content of his words made everyone aware of his displeasure: "I don't want to get involved in your affairs. If you're here to ask for my help, I'll make it clear beforehand that I'm busy and don't want to get involved."

Zhou Wu panicked and quickly took the phone from Bai Qian's hand, saying to Si Qi, "Xiao Qi, don't be angry, I really didn't mean it that way. I don't feel like you owe me anything, and I have no intention of breaking up with you! I consider you my best brother, so I can't help but contact you when I need something. We have such a good relationship, and for over twenty years you've been my closest person..."

Bai Qian couldn't stand hearing Zhou Wu say such things. Before, when she was reading the book, if fans slightly shipped Zhou Wu and Si Qi as a couple and misinterpreted Zhou Wu's lines, saying their dialogue was too ambiguous and romantic, she would verbally abuse them, telling them they should donate their eyes if they didn't want them. Now, Zhou Wu was speaking softly to Si Qi right in front of her, saying things like "we're the closest," and she instantly exploded!

"Zhou Wu! Can't you have any dignity? Si Qi is clearly stringing you along on purpose, using this kind of tactic to threaten you into giving in to him. How can you have no backbone at all!" Bai Qian's face turned red with anger. "Think about it yourself, if it were the Si Qi of the past, would he have helped you in this situation? Of course he would! Why not now? Isn't it because you're with me now!"

Bai Qian insists that Si Qi harbors ill intentions towards Zhou Wu, believing that Si Qi either sees Zhou Wu as a follower, a secret crush, or as a cash cow or his possession. If these messy thoughts weren't present, why would Si Qi, who in the original story would undoubtedly support Zhou Wu and solve all his problems, change so drastically?

It must be the scheming Si Qi who's playing tricks, otherwise Zhou Wu, as the protagonist, would never have encountered something like this!

“Zhou Wu, think about it yourself. With Si Qi’s abilities, unless he resigns voluntarily, how could the company fire him for something like this?” Bai Qian analyzed for Zhou Wu with a serious expression. Regardless of what he actually thought, she was determined to smear him: “If he can promote you in a year, he can promote others in a year! With that kind of ability, he would be popular anywhere! Do you really think that Si Qi’s inability to manage you after leaving the company is because he is powerless? He just wants you to suffer a bit so you will feel that he is important!”

Zhou Wu was well aware that his current predicament was partly due to Si Qi's neglect of him. He was aware of Si Qi's coldness towards him, but he didn't think it was because Si Qi wanted him to feel important; rather, he thought Si Qi was angry and wanted to make him suffer.

He gave a wry smile and said into the phone, "Xiao Qi, don't be angry. I really just wanted to be with Xiao Bai, that's why I left the company. It's not that I felt you were interfering too much... Let's find a chance to sit down and have a good talk, and make up?"

Bai Qian was furious with him: "Can't you listen to me! Si Qi just wants you to take the initiative to make up with him and go to him!"

Zhou Wu couldn't understand his girlfriend's thinking: "What's wrong with me going to see him? We're good friends, I don't want to lose him!"

"You don't want to lose him?!" Bai Qian's voice became shrill: "Good friend?! He doesn't consider you a 'good friend' at all!"

Zhou Wu frowned, his tone finally turning cold: "Xiao Bai, I know you're angry about what Xiao Qi did before, but you can't talk about Xiao Qi like that."

He felt that Bai Qian's words just now were completely intended to sow discord.

Just as Si Qi said, in the end, things turned out this way because of Bai Qian. Since he didn't blame Bai Qian for causing all this, he shouldn't blame Si Qi for refusing to help him, at least not with the same arrogant attitude as Bai Qian.

Moreover, he was afraid that if he blamed all the problems on Si Qi, as Bai Qian suggested, Si Qi would really break off all ties with him and never care about him again.

So no matter how cold Si Qi's attitude is now, he hopes that Si Qi can forgive him and make up with him. He really can't accept losing a friend like Si Qi at this time. That would be the biggest loss of his life!

He knew better than anyone how much help he had received from Si Qi, what a powerful backer he had once had, and how much benefit he would lose if Si Qi were gone...

So he deliberately criticized his girlfriend in front of Si Qi, hoping that Si Qi could feel his sincerity.

Bai Qian was furious, completely losing her composure. She couldn't maintain her previous persona of unwavering love for Zhou Wu, indifferent to fame and fortune, and serene and unassuming. She said fiercely, "You'll regret this! Si Qi has absolutely no sincerity towards you. He's just..."

"Alright!" Zhou Wu looked at Bai Qian wearily, "Xiao Bai, stop talking."

Bai Qian glared at him, then turned and left with a cold expression.

Zhou Wu, thinking that he would have to coax his girlfriend back after hanging up the phone, said to Si Qi on the other end of the line, "Xiao Qi, what do you think about us..."

Si Qi interrupted: "I told you on the day I terminated the contract that setting up a personal studio would be very difficult. What was your response?"

Zhou Wu: "…………"

He was very confident at the time, saying that he was never afraid of any difficulties.

But he said those things because he felt he had Si Qi behind him, and Si Qi's entire company could be his backer.

But how could he say such things to Si Qi?

Si Qi: "Since you know how many difficulties your personal studio encountered when it first started, you should know how many difficulties my company is encountering now. Take care of yourself, I also have a lot of things to do."

After saying that, Si Qi didn't want to waste any more words with Zhou Wu and hung up the phone directly.

He remembered that it was the same in the original timeline. Zhou Wu encountered trouble and asked the original owner for help. The original owner helped him get the clothing brand sorted out and resolved the crisis of his "rich young master" image. Because the process was too easy, Zhou Wu didn't have to worry about it at all. He thought it was just like many times before, a normal help between friends, and didn't take the original owner's efforts to heart at all.

Now that Si Qi is no longer helping him and leaving Zhou Wu to handle his own affairs, he finally realizes Si Qi's importance and understands that he owes everything he has today to Si Qi. His attitude suddenly becomes incredibly good, and he's even willing to criticize his beloved girlfriend for Si Qi's sake, completely unlike the cold-blooded person from the original timeline who would warn the original owner not to interfere in his private life whenever Bai Qian was mentioned.

So this kind of thing is all about who cares less about whom. The original owner cared about his childhood friend, which is why he was morally blackmailed by Zhou Wu and Bai Qian. Because of the phrase "If you don't help, you're not a brother," he repeatedly helped Zhou Wu solve trouble after trouble, only to be taken for granted by them, becoming the biggest victim of their schemes.

Now that Si Qi doesn't care about Zhou Wu, Zhou Wu is afraid. He worries that if he loses Si Qi as his powerful backer, his future will be difficult. His attitude suddenly becomes extremely humble, and he realizes that it was wrong of him to forget his brothers after having a girlfriend.

But so what? Si Qi isn't the kind-hearted original owner.

Putting his phone back in his pocket, Si Qi returned to the private room and sat down again.

Chu Feng's gaze lingered on him subtly. The observant Si Qi subconsciously smiled and looked back, only to be met with Chu Feng's gaze quickly withdrawing, which made Si Qi slightly taken aback.

It seems that Chu Feng in this world really doesn't like to interact with people... Si Qi thought to himself, then turned his head and heard the leader of the research institute greeting him, so he looked away and picked up where the leader left off.

Over there, Chu Feng subconsciously avoided Si Qi's gaze, then realized that his behavior might be misinterpreted by Si Qi as disdain, and a sense of annoyance welled up in his heart.

He wanted to go back to Si Qi and make her understand that this wasn't what he meant, but Si Qi was no longer paying attention to him and was focused on someone else.

At this moment, the resentment in his heart and the desire for Si Qi to focus his attention on him made Chu Feng finally understand his feelings for Si Qi.

He liked this person and fell in love with him at first sight.

According to the "prophecy," if he continues to maintain his current aloof, cold, and taciturn personality, his affection for Si Qi will gradually twist into something extremely wicked. He will use his abilities to force Si Qi to do things that he himself cannot forgive.

He didn't want this to happen; for Si Qi's safety, he should stay away from Si Qi.

But can he really go through the rest of his life without ever thinking about him or seeing him again?

Or perhaps, it was precisely because he restrained himself from contacting Si Qi that his suppressed emotions towards Si Qi would one day erupt, evolving into a result that he himself could not control.

He needs to make changes...

Otherwise, his relationship with Si Qi would eventually turn out as predicted in the prophecy.

Just like him and his family back then.

For the first time in over twenty years, Chu Feng had the idea of ​​proactively contacting someone and reversing the prophecy.

Perhaps... he could cultivate a friendly relationship with Si Qi, or perhaps they could become lovers.

That way, he wouldn't become so twisted as to force Si Qi to do that kind of thing.

Thinking this, Chu Feng cautiously looked at Si Qi, wanting to see if there was any possibility that her crush might fall in love with her.

Then, he met Si Qi's eyes once again.

Si Qi smiled at him without reservation, not minding his cold expression just now.

Chu Feng was overjoyed and finally met Si Qi's gaze directly without any hesitation, taking the initiative to strike up a conversation with someone for the first time in his life.

He said, "Can I add your contact information?"

The leader standing nearby was so surprised that he dropped his chopsticks on the table. Si Qi's eyes sparkled, and his smile grew even brighter as he said to Chu Feng, "Of course!"

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Author's Note: --

Xiuxiu (proudly pushing up her sunglasses): Hehe, Xiuxiu knew it! Even the cold and aloof God could not resist Master's charm!

Chu Feng (looking around blankly): Cold-blooded iceberg?

Who is it?

#To avoid becoming so twisted as to force Si Qi into his trap later, Chu Feng decides to win Si Qi over early#

#As expected of a highly educated person, they've got a good plan.#

#Chu Feng: I thought I was pursuing Si Qi, but Si Qi thought I was an unattainable beauty#

#Si Qi: How did I inexplicably become a victim in someone else's mind?#