Chapter 68
If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, Xiao Ziyu would never have believed that the pretty and elegant Wen Ci had any connection with the skinny and sloppy man in the corner.
Wen Ci said: "When I was a child, my father had a gambling addiction. After my mother passed away, he raised me."
At that time, my father's gambling addiction was not too serious. He ran a small restaurant, which was enough to provide enough food and clothing for both father and son. Seeing that Wen Ci liked classical dance, she went to the store to rent some DVDs for him to watch.
But gradually, Wen's father's gambling addiction became more and more serious. He began to be dissatisfied with small-scale gambling and gradually began to linger in various entertainment venues, staying there for the whole day.
Wen Ci leaned against the wall, the back of his head pressing a shallow dent in the soft wall: "After I went to college, he sold the restaurant and used the money to bet on a bigger company, but ended up losing everything. After that, he became mentally unstable."
Xiao Ziyu looked at the man huddled in the corner: "The money he owes..."
"I helped him pay back all the debts," Wen Ci said. He was almost numb when recalling that experience. "It was not until the debt collectors came to me at school that I realized he had borrowed millions of dollars in high-interest loans."
The tuition for the classical dance major is not low, and most of the students are students with artistic talents and have lived a privileged life since childhood. Although Wen Ci is among the top students in his studies, he always feels inferior in his heart. What's even more desperate is that he was already in debt before he even graduated.
He glanced at Xiao Ziyu and said, "That's why I said that you can't make money majoring in classical dance."
He graduated hastily and was eager to make a transition. After graduation, he signed with a random company to become an idol. He made his debut based on his actual strength and gained a lot of fans.
"There were three people who made their debut successfully in the company at that time," Wen Ci said, "and the other two quickly started taking on commercial jobs, but no work came to me."
It turns out that debut does not mean success. Wen Ci was confused for a while and finally understood that for an artist without background, strength alone is not enough, they also need capital.
Xiao Ziyu vaguely guessed something: "So you found Wu Xianyong."
"It seems like you already know," Wen Ci said with a wry smile, "In fact, he was the one who approached me first. At that time, Yuantai was going to record a promotional video, and their media came to our company to recruit people. Wu Xianyong just checked along the way, and he thought I was pretty good."
He stretched out a finger and waved it in the air: "Shooting a promotional video for Wanyi was the first job I received."
Xiao Ziyu felt incredible: "And then?"
"He offered to support me and give me some money," Wen Ci curled his lips, "but the price was that I could have fun as I pleased."
Xiao Ziyu didn't know what this "playing around" meant, so he confessed, "Actually, I saw the injuries on your body on the day of the opening ceremony."
"That one is very small." Wen Ci waved his hand nonchalantly, "Wu Xianyong signed me through Wenhua Entertainment. I finally have resources."
With a stage to show off his talents, Wen Ci quickly emerged in the entertainment industry and quickly became famous. He used the money to pay off his father's gambling debts, and then naively went to find Wu Xianyong, hoping to end the sponsorship relationship.
"Then he slapped me," Wen Ci seemed to be a little resistant, frowning and said, "After two years together, I know he has some habits that cannot be exposed, but I didn't expect that his desire for control is so strong."
The contract he signed with Wenhua Entertainment was for ten years. If he wanted to leave, he would have to pay a sky-high penalty. If he didn't leave, he would be subjected to inhuman torture.
Xiao Ziyu asked: "Why didn't you call the police?"
"My dad has gambled illegally many times. If the police are called, he will be the first one to go to jail," Wen Ci said. "I have been dealing with Wu Xianyong and taking care of my dad. If he needs to go out to film, contact the local gambling addiction treatment center and send him there."
"Actually, Wu Xianyong has gotten tired of me in the past two years." Wen Ci leaned against the wall and let out a long sigh, as if he had put down a heavy burden. Xiao Ziyu noticed that his Adam's apple was not very obvious.
Seeing people staring at him, Wen Ci just smiled and said, "Wu Xianyong likes younger boys. I am no longer as young as I was when I graduated from college, so... he forced me to get the injection."
"What needle?" Xiao Ziyu lowered his voice.
"Estrogen," Wen Ci said, "You may not understand, but anyway, it prevents development."
After the injection, his secondary sexual characteristics gradually became less obvious, his voice became soft and delicate, and his health was sometimes good and sometimes bad.
Xiao Ziyu was shocked beyond words. He had expected Wu Xianyong to be disgusting, but he didn't expect to be offline anyway.
"This time, he asked me to copy your video, and I knew that he was finally going to give up on me." Wen Ci smiled apologetically, "I don't know why he wanted to target you, but... I'm sorry, I just couldn't stand it anymore."
Wen Ci's mobile phone has always been equipped with eavesdropping devices and trackers, so whatever he does in any crew or program group cannot be hidden from the internal team of Wenhua Entertainment.
There were countless pairs of eyes watching the night dance under the moon that night. Anyone with a discerning eye could guess that Xiao Ziyu would use that self-choreographed dance as his final assignment.
When Wu Xianyong made this request, he was shocked at first, and then thought about refusing. What he got in return was a severe beating.
Wen Ci was still smiling, but tears were streaming down his face. He kept apologizing, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."
The man in the corner heard the noise and started to get agitated, uttering incoherent howls.
Xiao Ziyu clenched his fists: "What Wu Xianyong did is illegal."
"So what?" Wen Ci asked back, "My case will not be accepted, my evidence is just a pile of garbage, and now I am implicitly banned by the industry, so it will be easy for Wu Xianyong to deal with me."
"We can help you." Xiao Ziyu blurted out.
"But I don't want to bother with this anymore." Wen Ci said, "I'm tired."
Xiao Ziyu insisted: "Since you feel sorry for me, you should take action."
Wen Ci shook his head and muttered something in a low voice. Xiao Ziyu vaguely heard the word "atonement".
The man's noise became louder and louder, attracting the staff. The leader asked them to leave: "The patient is aggressive now. It is recommended that you do not stay in the room."
After coming out, Wen Ci went back to the counter to handle the formalities. Xiao Ziyu stood beside him and watched him renew the management fee for his father for five years.
Wen Ci put on his mask and hat again, and his eyes curved slightly, just like when they first met and greeted each other: "Let's go, thank you for coming here today."
Xiao Ziyu felt that something was wrong, but before he could figure it out, Wen Ci had already crossed the road.
Vehicles were whizzing by on the Outer Ring National Highway, but he seemed unaware of it. He walked with his head down, step by step, carefully and slowly, as if he could not bear the weight of his body.
The sound of brakes suddenly rang out, and Xiao Ziyu was suddenly startled. When he looked up, a heavy truck was only a few inches away from Wen Ci.
The large truck had difficulty controlling its speed, so it could only honk its horn frantically. The piercing sound of the horn cut through the air, and Xiao Ziyu barely had time to think. When he came to his senses, his body was already in the air, crashing heavily into Wen Ci, and the two of them rolled into the green belt on the side of the road.
The heavy truck roared away, and a Cayenne not far away also braked to a stop. Yuan Heng held the steering wheel, his palms soaked with cold sweat.
Xiao Ziyu propped himself up, still feeling a little dizzy. He pulled Wen Ci up and said sternly, "You're going to die."
Wen Ci's eyes were full of disbelief. There was clearly no wire just now, but Xiao Ziyu was able to fly.
Xiao Ziyu was a little excited: "You've already thought about it, right? You said you didn't want to bother with it anymore, you said you wanted to atone your sins, and you even renewed your father's contract for five years..."
He felt dizzy and didn't know what he said. It turned out that Wen Ci's last smile was a real farewell. Feeling pain in the back of his waist, he swayed on the spot. Yuan Heng strode over and hugged the chattering man into his arms.
Yuan Heng felt something was wrong since Xiao Ziyu's location shifted towards the suburbs. When he couldn't get through on the phone, he searched along the national highway and came across the shocking scene.
The usually tall and resolute man was actually trembling a little: "Xiao Ziyu, you really irritated me."
Xiao Ziyu's pounding heart gradually calmed down. All his panic, anger and lingering fear had a place to go. It was inappropriate for two men to hug on the side of the road in broad daylight, but he didn't want to let go. Instead, he held the corner of Yuan Heng's clothes tightly.
Wen Ci fell to the side, and the impacts he received were greater than each other. The person who gave birth to him forced him into a desperate situation, and the person who was harmed by him was willing to sacrifice himself to let him live. He could no longer maintain the mask-like dignity, and tears welled up in his eyes, expressing both his release and his sorrow.
The two men who had recovered from their shock pulled Wen Ci up without further ado and stuffed him into the back seat of a business car. Going to a public place would attract too much attention, so Xiao Ziyu said, "He needs to take a break."
Yuan Heng started the car: "There is a Courtyard by Marriott in the city center."
Yuan Heng made a phone call on the way. The president came suddenly and the manager had no time to prepare. He almost called all the employees out for an impromptu welcome party.
"The fewer people, the better," Yuan Heng interrupted him, "Book a private suite, and no one can come up to disturb us."
All the way upstairs, Yuan Heng held Xiao Ziyu's hand tightly the whole time. Wen Ci was panic-stricken and numb, and the manager didn't dare to ask. Although no one noticed, Xiao Ziyu still felt his ears burning. Yuan Heng's palms were sweaty, but he was very steady when holding his hand.
After entering the room and locking the door, Xiao Ziyu was first taken into the bathroom and checked from top to bottom. The main part that was hit was the lower back, and there were some scratches on the elbow, but they were not serious.
He leaned against the glass table of the sink, hunched over with a bit of shame. Yuan Heng's fingertips moved along his bones inch by inch, feeling a slight coolness and itch, and the pain became insignificant.
"It's no big deal," he finally stopped, "The bruises need medicine."
Xiao Ziyu thought of the other party's rare panic and said apologetically: "I'm sorry, I didn't expect this."
"Don't do anything that will make you feel bad," Yuan Heng said, leaning down beside Xiao Ziyu, "I'll settle this with you when we get back."
When I came out of the bathroom, I saw that Wen Ci's mood had calmed down a little. He was sitting by the window, wondering what he was thinking about.
Seeing the two holding hands, he was stunned for a moment: "You..."
"Mr. Yuan is my lover." Xiao Ziyu spoke first.
"Is that so?" Wen Ci looked away, "That's great."
"You've already decided to die," Xiao Ziyu looked straight into his eyes, "right?"
He felt familiar with Wen Ci's desperate look, because once upon a time, he had been in a similar predicament.
"The living always have various concerns," Wen Ci pulled out the necklace hanging around his neck, which was a USB flash drive, "Maybe only when you die will you have the chance to speak."
"What is this?" Xiao Ziyu paused.
"It's evidence," Yuan Heng guessed, "What's the content?"
"It contains my confession and the contract that Wenhua Entertainment used to control artists. I'm not the only one who was forced to take the injection," Wen Ci said with a numb face. "Do you know Chaoyang Culture? Its former boss Huang Wei was once Wu Xianyong's pimp. I don't know how many powerless and low-level artists they controlled in that circle."
Xiao Ziyu gasped. He thought Wu Xianyong was the big fish behind Wen Ci, but he didn't expect there was a bigger net behind him. During the filming of "Maple Grove Evening", they had dinner with the investors, and Huang Wei deliberately provoked Yuan Heng. It turned out that he had colluded with Wu Xianyong at that time.
"If something happens to you at this time, it will inevitably trigger a tsunami of public opinion. The police will have to intervene in the investigation, and the evidence will naturally be made public." Yuan Heng said, "Is that so?"
"Mr. Yuan's analysis is good," Wen Ci held the USB drive in his hand, "Shu City is not Yunjing, Wu Xianyong's hand will not reach out so quickly, which can help me buy some time."
Yuan Heng said: "If you give us the evidence, I can help you achieve the same effect."
"Mr. Yuan is also from Yuantai, why should I trust you?" Wen Ci asked back.
"Because Wu Xianyong's purpose in attacking me was to warn Yuan Heng." Xiao Ziyu told the truth, "Yuantai has long been torn apart internally."
"So that's how it is," Wen Ci laughed at himself, "So you came here today for him."
"It's for him," Xiao Ziyu did not deny, "but it's also for a dancer."
Wen Ci was startled for a moment, then he continued, "You are very talented in classical dancing. I hope we can have another chance to compete in the future."
After leaving Wanyi, they went straight back to Qinglan Garden. Qinglan Garden is secluded and quiet, with pavilions and towers hidden among the trees. It is a good place to heal wounds, so Xiao Jinchuan took the person in first.
Wen Ci went back to his room to rest. Xiao Jinchuan stared at Xiao Ziyu and said, "Nothing happened, did it?"
This morning, Xiao Ziyu suddenly lost contact, and Yuan Heng rushed out to look for him and drove away his car.
Xiao Ziyu said obediently: "Don't worry, Mr. Xiao, it went smoothly."
Yuan Heng did not cover up: "Do you have any traumatic oil? Please look for it."
"Where are you hurt?" Xiao Jinchuan's voice tightened.
"I just fell down accidentally," Xiao Ziyu pinched Yuan Heng's waist from behind, "It's nothing serious."
Xiao Jinchuan did not allow for refusal and said, "Wait until the private doctor finishes examining Wen Ci, and he will examine you as well."
Fortunately, Yuan Heng didn't mention the most critical part. Xiao Ziyu was used to reporting good news but not bad news. After returning to the room, he said dissatisfiedly: "You are the only one who can talk. You made Mr. Xiao worry for nothing."
Yuan Heng didn't think there was anything wrong. His younger brother scared him, so of course he wanted to provoke his brother: "Then why did you touch my butt in front of Mr. Xiao?"
"I was just reminding you," Xiao Ziyu said, a little upset, "Don't change the subject."
"Why do you want to touch my lower back?" Yuan Heng suddenly moved closer to him, his breath blowing against his ear, "I just did it for you yesterday, and you want to do it again today?"
Xiao Ziyu was speechless and got back to business: "I've got the USB drive, what are you going to do next?"
"According to the evidence, Wu Xianyong not only sexually abused Wen Ci, but was also very likely a pimp," Yuan Heng said. "Qi Huai will come down tomorrow and take the USB drive back to Yunjing for backup. Wen Ci has disappeared in the past few days, so Wu Xianyong should not act rashly."
Xiao Ziyu breathed a sigh of relief: "It's finally over."
Yuan Heng played with his long hair: "You told Wen Ci that you went to see him because of me, is that true?"
A slight pulling force was felt, making people feel itchy. Xiao Ziyu said, "There is a second half to my sentence, but Mr. Yuan forgot it."
Yuan Heng imitated his tone: "I was provoked by Mr. Xiao, and my brain is not working well enough."
"Don't pick a fight with me." Xiao Ziyu turned his head, and finally he found an opportunity and kissed those lips.
As their breaths intertwined, Yuan Heng admitted: "Then I care about you, don't make me worry anymore."
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