episode 11
"With such a large age gap, it's obviously a case of unspoken rules."
Ji Ruoyang put his phone away, clicked his tongue twice, and looked quite serious.
He Xun had already opened Google and gathered information about Mo Wenjin.
Mo Wenjin, 55, is the chairman of Hotai Medical Devices Co., Ltd.
At the bottom of the profile page, there is also a recent news item about this person: Mo Wenjin, chairman of Hetai, donated 1 million yuan to the city's nursing home, demonstrating great love.
In the photo, Karen Mok, dressed in a suit and looking quite respectable, is seen carrying an honorary plaque with the director of a nursing home, facing the camera with a kind and amiable smile.
He Xun sometimes finds it very interesting to dig into these people.
The more good they display in public, the more evil they will compensate for it with in private.
As for the gentleman judging actions rather than intentions, that's another matter.
Seeing that He Xun remained silent for a long time, Ji Ruoyang assumed he was scared and quickly patted his shoulder, saying, "Don't be afraid. Although you have a frail and pale face, you are a male servant of the Mo family. Apart from our young master Mo, no one dares to sexually harass you."
“…” He Xun, “Thank you for the comfort.”
"To be honest, being a celebrity isn't all that great, especially for the really beautiful ones. You have to be constantly on guard against older men taking a liking to you." Ji Ruoyang sighed, his mournful tone sounding as if he had seen through the illusions of the world. "Don't be fooled by the young, handsome, and rich CEOs in TV dramas. Where are those people in real life? They're all greasy, balding old men! Someone like our Young Master Mo is already the best of the best."
He Xun looked noncommittal.
That's exactly how it is.
......
As the melodious bells rang, the banquet officially began with a speech by the host, Mo Shilin.
He Xun's doorman duties were over. After saying goodbye to Ji Ruoyang, he carried a box of returned invitations upstairs. However, as soon as he stepped into the brightly lit villa, he suddenly stumbled and fell onto the lawn with the box.
Seeing that he was about to make a fool of himself, a pair of rough hands quickly wrapped around his wrists and then straightened him up.
A hint of disgust flashed across He Xun's handsome features, but when he looked up again, everything was calm.
The man who helped him up was a stranger, around thirty-five years old, with ordinary features and a plain demeanor, but his custom-made suit was quite expensive. When he looked up, a look of amazement flashed in the man's eyes.
"Are you alright, little brother?"
Instead of letting go immediately, the man lingered his hand between the man's slender wrist and forearm in an ambiguous and unrestrained manner, his cloudy eyes conveying an unspeakable hint.
He Xun believed he walked very steadily, and the other person was most likely taking advantage of his blind spot while he was carrying boxes to deliberately trip him.
He pulled his hand away expressionlessly and said in a businesslike tone, "Thank you, I'm fine."
As He Xun broke free, the man suddenly gasped, staring at the reddening tiger's mouth, his expression slightly surprised.
"You wouldn't have guessed it, it's quite powerful."
He didn't know that He Xun had already shown leniency because of the banquet.
In any other situation, he would have been sprawled out on the ground long ago.
At the same time, a heavily made-up male celebrity swaggered over, and after stopping, he crossed his arms and looked He Xun up and down with a hostile expression, as if he had come to catch him cheating.
He Xun ignored him and straightened the box himself.
"This is really something. These days, everyone wants to climb the social ladder."
The male celebrity glanced at He Xun's attire with a look of disdain, snorted coldly, and, angered that the man was focusing his attention on someone else, kicked the box next to He Xun.
Upon seeing this, He Xun couldn't help but press the tip of his tongue against his cheek.
Why do they all insist on practicing with him?
So annoying.
The moment the other person raised their leg, he sharply raised his eyes and kicked the box open with a bang!
The male celebrity stumbled and almost did a split, and he was so enraged that he raised his hand to hit him.
He Xun clicked his tongue lightly, tilted his head slightly, and stretched out his long arm to easily restrain the other person's two wrists. Then he reached through the other person's waist, grabbed the other person's hands, and quickly twisted them behind their back!
The next second.
There was a loud thud!
A male celebrity knelt on the ground like a prisoner being escorted by police, headfirst.
The surroundings were quiet for a moment, then suddenly became boiling like water in a kettle, and all sorts of gazes came in like snowflakes.
"Holy shit! How the hell are you so strong? You're squeezing my hand so hard it hurts!" The male celebrity, his face flushed, gritted his teeth and shouted in a muffled, almost humiliating voice.
He Xun smiled, his two protruding canine teeth looking cute, but his hands tightened, the veins on his long, fair hands bulging: "If there's anything, I hope you can discuss it with this gentleman privately, instead of making things difficult for a servant like me."
The male celebrity winced in pain, his once handsome and arrogant face now almost contorted in agony: "You, you, you let me go right now!"
The man beside him silently covered his face, feeling inexplicably embarrassed.
He must have been out of his mind to book this damn thing, right?
All I do all day is ask him for money and resources and cause him trouble!
As for the young male servant—to be honest, he didn't really intend to take him in; he just happened to be interested in him and wanted to take advantage of his good looks. After all, the other party was someone arranged by the Mo family, and he had just discussed a project with Yun Tu not long ago. He couldn't possibly offend Mo Shilin for a servant.
Furthermore, this male servant has an extraordinary air about him; he might be an informant that Mo Shilin deliberately planted.
"That's enough. There are quite a few reporters here tonight. You should know what's good for you."
The man regained his composure, looked down at the male celebrity who was still kneeling and struggling on the ground, and said in a low voice with a hint of reproach, "Quickly apologize to him."
Upon hearing this, the male celebrity was suddenly taken aback. He looked around and saw that several entertainment reporters wearing name tags had gathered around him at some point.
And... there are bound to be plenty of paparazzi lurking in the shadows...
He clenched his fists, bit his lower lip, and looked struggled.
He Xun keenly noticed his reaction, glanced sideways at the entertainment reporters around him, and a hint of mockery quickly flashed in his dark eyes.
This somewhat handsome male celebrity has a terrible personality. He dared to show his arrogant and domineering nature at such a large charity gala where celebrities gathered, so one can only imagine what kind of person he is in private.
People who lack both brains and emotional intelligence are unlikely to have many friends in the industry, and their relationship with media reporters is naturally not good either. That's why they are hesitant to be in situations where entertainment reporters are present.
He Xun had seen far too many similar minor celebrities before.
The canaries, blinded by their inferior copper cages, believe themselves to be phoenixes reborn from the ashes. Once they gain power, they become arrogant and disdainful of everyone, unaware that once their sugar daddies tire of them and find someone new, they will be the first to become donkeys.
He also didn't believe that the male celebrity in front of him could reach the top.
Anyone with a brain knows that becoming famous in the entertainment industry is not solely based on good looks. Anyone who reaches the top position, besides having good luck and having someone supporting them, does it also depend on their own hard work.
But the person in front of me is clearly not someone who makes a living through skill.
...Moreover, his financial backer showed no intention of protecting him whatsoever.
It's quite ironic.
"As long as you don't make things difficult for me, I won't make things difficult for you either."
He Xun, still smiling, squatted down, raised an eyebrow at the person, but his tone contained a hidden threat.
One second, two seconds, three seconds...
Just as He Xun was getting impatient and was about to turn the man around to face the reporters, the male celebrity finally looked up in a disheveled state, biting his lip tightly, and growled, "Sorry, okay?!"
"Can you let me go now?!"
Tsk.
It would have been better if we had done this earlier.
Hello, hello, hello everyone.
He Xun smiled, a hint of nonchalance creeping onto his handsome face. He released his grip, but not forgetting his duty as a male servant, he bent down and carefully wiped the dust off the male celebrity's knees: "Look at you, how could you be so careless? Luckily I caught you in time, otherwise you would definitely have been hurt. Be careful next time."
The male celebrity's handsome face turned red and then pale in turns, his expressions so varied they could fill a dye shop. After a long while, he suddenly shook off He Xun's hand and dragged the man's arm away.
Going back will probably lead to another major battle.
He Xun shook his head as he watched the two figures disappear into the distance, then picked up the box again.
"Wow, Shilin, your servant has some nerve."
Mo Wenjin held the pale-faced Ding Xiabing in his arms, but his gaze remained fixed on He Xun not far away. Under the glamorous night, his eyes lingered unabashedly on the other's waist and hips. "Don't let his cute face fool you, he has a ruthless streak in his bones."
Ding Xiabing, who was in his arms, clenched her fists and bit her lower lip hard, as if she was enduring something.
Mo Shilin averted his gaze, casually handed the wine glass to the waiter behind him, and slightly lifted his eyelids: "Second Uncle, are you calling for me?"
"How could that be? It's just that I've never seen such a handsome male servant here before. Are you keeping him hidden away? Or—" Mo Wenjin suddenly smiled ambiguously, quite different from his rumored image as a kind person. As he spoke, he pinched Ding Xiabing's waist hard. "He's already taken him to bed."
"My private life is none of your concern."
Mo Shilin narrowed his phoenix eyes, his seemingly smiling gaze carrying a hint of warning that was more intense than before.
Mo Wenjin's face paled as he sensed the hidden dissatisfaction.
In the past, his nephew, who was known for his ruthless methods in the business world, had been quite polite to him out of consideration for their blood relationship, and would always give him some face. This was the first time he had ever been treated so disrespectfully.
Besides, it's not uncommon for men to make dirty jokes, and his rather handsome nephew was recently featured in a gossip magazine. Who knew he would react so strongly to just one sentence?
What are you pretending to be?
Just wait and see how I'll report you to your father later.
Despite thinking this in his heart, Mo Wenjin didn't show it on his face. He suppressed the resentment that was welling up from the bottom of his heart and smiled even more brightly than before, with the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes deepening: "Hey, just kidding. Shilin, don't hold it against your second uncle. I have a friend ahead of me to say hello to, so I'll go ahead first."
After saying that, he grabbed Ding Xiabing and slipped away.
*
Pushing open the door leading to the stairs, the noise outside is quickly shut out.
He Xun had only taken two steps when the motion-activated lights in the corridor suddenly turned on, and someone took the box from his hands. A faint smell of alcohol also filled his nostrils.
"Were you bullied just now?"
A melodious male voice rang out. He Xun looked up and saw Mo Shilin casually open a door, throw the box inside, then turn around and lean casually against the wall. His suit jacket was gone, and his well-tailored white shirt was dazzlingly white under the dim light.
He Xun's eyelids twitched.
Tsk.
It's already annoying enough.
This big bad wolf even deliberately came looking for us.
"Didn't you see everything just now?" He Xun said, lifting his leg to leave. After taking two steps, he seemed to remember something, turned around and looked at Mo Shilin, his tone very respectful. "By the way, I'm sorry, I may have hurt your guest just now. Whether you want to deduct his salary or something else, it's up to you. I have no objection."
"How do you know I won't side with you?" Mo Shilin stopped him, gripping his shoulder with his left hand, his eyes lowered, his voice hoarse from the alcohol.
That's a bit presumptuous of me.
He Xun thought expressionlessly.
"If you're drunk, go home and rest early. I still have work to do."
He shoved the person aside rather rudely and walked straight upstairs without looking back, his brisk and light steps creating a slight breeze.
Mo Shilin's hair fluttered slightly. He was stunned for a moment before watching He Xun's departing figure and clicking his tongue softly, "Why is his temper getting worse and worse?"
*
He Xun, known for his temper, went up to the third-floor storage room as Mu Xianglu had instructed.
The villa's storage room is different from what people usually think of as a place to store junk. It is not only spacious and clean, but also has a neat and soft little bed placed by the window with European-style decoration, which is the minimalist Instagram style that is popular online.
He Xun was too lazy to turn on the light, so he used the light from the window to find his way to the bedside and sat down. After resting for a while, he took out his phone, opened a social media app, and entered Ding Xiabing's name into the search bar without hesitation.
The villa's internet speed was smooth, and Ding Xiabing's account [@小丁爱吃冰] quickly popped up.
He Xun clicked in and, as if it were a professional habit, started reading the other person's earliest post in chronological order.
Ding Xiabing comes from a poor family. Her hometown is in a remote mountainous area. Both her parents died, and she lived with her disabled grandmother, whose blood relationship with her was unclear, from a young age. Like most children in mountainous areas, she dropped out of school before graduating from elementary school and stayed home to farm.
Despite such a hellish start, fate still managed to give him a handsome appearance, so handsome that every volunteer who went to teach in the mountains would sigh with regret upon seeing his face.
And this reward finally manifested itself in him when he was 17, enough to change the course of his life.
On a sweltering summer day, the crew of a slow-paced variety show went to the mountains to film. On their way up the mountain, they happened to run into Ding Xiabing, who was carrying a sack and trudging home. The director, who was glaring at the cameraman, spotted Ding Xiabing's natural rural charm and fresh, beautiful face. He immediately ran up to him with a big smile and asked if he was interested in becoming a star. He even invited him to star in a low-budget art film that he would direct.
Having lived in a remote mountain village for seventeen years, Ding Xiabing had no reason to refuse.
Perhaps because he had suffered so much in the past ten years, God took pity on him. The low-budget micro-movie that no one paid any attention to suddenly became a hit after it was released. Several actors in the film also received a lot of attention. Ding Xiabing, the male lead, had the highest popularity and soon signed with a company, thus officially entering the entertainment industry.
But this was just a lucky start.
Because he lacked connections and background, Ding Xiabing, even after signing with a company, couldn't get good scripts. He was always given supporting roles that others had rejected. But the entertainment industry is never short of good-looking people. People like him, who are not from a professional background and have no connections, often couldn't even get supporting roles. In the end, he could only act in fast-paced web dramas.
But he proved his worth, with every web series he starred in becoming a hit. Coupled with the booming short video and internet era, Ding Xiabing has finally reaped the rewards of his hard work and accumulated a considerable fan base. Looking at his social media account alone, with over a million followers, a substantial number of reposts and comments, and a low percentage of inactive or fake followers, these figures are truly impressive for a relatively unknown actor like him.
He deserves the title of the top web series creator.
only--
On the surface, Ding Xiabing's posts seem to be getting better and better, but the frequency of his posts has been decreasing over time. Since August of last year, he has only posted one post, which was a public relations message for the TV series. Moreover, his skin tone has become increasingly pale compared to the healthy tan he had when he first debuted.
A person's skin color undergoes a significant change...
Aside from the fact that a serious illness has weakened the body, it is closely related to mental state.
Perhaps... it's because of the medication?
He Xun was rubbing his chin in thought when he suddenly heard a loud crash outside the window, followed by a man's muffled groan and the sound of a body violently slamming against the wall.
His face darkened, and he abruptly pushed open the window to look at the source of the noise.
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