Chapter 68 The Irony of Facts
The winter wind was piercing; you'd shiver as soon as you stepped outside.
Yu Jingchen tucked the scarf around Fu Yanle's head, trying to completely cover Fu Yanle's head and transform him into an enhanced version of the Pearl Girl.
Fu Yanle rubbed his hand and said, "I'm wearing a hat, scarf, mask, earmuffs, and gloves. Even if I spin around like a top outside, I won't be cold."
He tugged at Yu Jingchen's scarf and let out a affected sigh: "In a few days, I won't even be able to wear a coat anymore; I'll have to wear a down jacket. I really envy people like you who can get through winter just by wearing a scarf and a coat, but that makes me look so pathetic."
"What's the point of comparing these things?" Yu Jingchen grasped his hand and walked towards the parking lot.
Fu Yanle liked to walk side by side with Yu Jingchen, and their shoulders had to be very close together, which he found to be a posture that was both intimate and reassuring.
Yu Jingchen was knocked off balance by Fu Yanle's bump, and tilted his head to ask, "Are you full? If not, I'll take you to eat something else."
Fu Yanle said with dissatisfaction, "I ate three bowls of rice, and you still ask me this? In your heart, am I a glutton? You are tarnishing my image."
"Do you know why there are so many controversies online? Over-interpretation is one of the reasons," Yu Jingchen said. "Besides, being able to eat is a blessing. Even if you eat three more bowls, I won't laugh at you. As long as it doesn't harm your health, I actually hope you can eat more."
"Okay." Fu Yanle's eyes darted around, and he seized the opportunity to say, "Then let's go get some ice cream!"
Yu Jingchen took out his car keys and looked at him expressionlessly.
"Being able to eat is a blessing!" Fu Yanle quickly said.
Yu Jingchen opened the car door. "Being able to take a beating is a blessing."
“Domestic violence!” Fu Yanle muttered under his breath, bent down and got into the car, ordering imperiously, “Fasten my seatbelt.”
Yu Jingchen didn't say anything, but bent down to fasten his seatbelt for him. Before leaving, he couldn't help but kiss his slightly puffed-up cheek.
"you--"
Fu Yanle was cut off as soon as he opened his mouth, the rest of his words stuck in his throat, swirling around in his mouth before finally swallowing back down. The seatbelt in front of him seemed to have become thicker and tighter, obstructing Fu Yanle's breathing. His hand fell on Yu Jingchen's coat pocket, then climbed to the collar, gripping it tightly.
The woody scent emanating from the car air freshener transformed into a pure mist as their breaths mingled.
Yu Jingchen stepped out, pecked Fu Yanle's reddened lips, and gently closed the car door. Fu Yanle gripped the seatbelt, her eyes following Yu Jingchen as he walked past the car, her breathing still erratic.
Yu Jingchen got into the car and asked, "Where do you want to go?"
“…Let’s go to bed,” Fu Yanle said awkwardly. “I’m a little sleepy.”
He gets sleepy after eating; he's definitely a pig.
*
Lin Qingtong sat on the sofa waiting for news. He didn't want to stay at Heyi Media anymore. He Yiqi had already given up on him, and Meng Xinqiu's attitude towards him had changed drastically. It would be better to take this opportunity to change companies. As long as he could successfully go to Huaying, he could not only switch to the big screen, but the old chairman of Huaying would also give Fu Sheng face and cultivate him.
But to this day, Fu Sheng has not given any response.
Lin Qingtong was a little impatient. She hesitated for a while with her phone in hand before finally calling Fu Sheng.
"Hello?"
"Dad," Lin Qingtong said softly, "Are you busy with work?"
Fu Sheng on the other end of the phone said "Oh," and then said, "You want to ask about changing companies, right? If that doesn't work out, you should stay at your old company. If you really want to change, you'll have to find a way yourself."
What!
Lin Qingtong could hardly believe it.
For Fu Sheng, this was just a simple matter of treating someone to a meal, so why would it be a problem? Was it that Wang Ruizhe wasn't giving him face? Or was Fu Sheng unwilling to owe Wang Ruizhe a favor?
Lin Qingtong suppressed her emotions and softened her tone, "Dad, actually, I thought about it before and felt that although Huaying Media is good, it's not the most suitable for me. More importantly, you and Chairman Wang have a personal relationship, and I don't want you to owe him a favor because of me. So I can choose not to go to Huaying, or any other company will do. Dad, can you help me this one more time?"
He knew that, thanks to Fu Yanle, Fu Sheng was most susceptible to being persuaded by gentleness and not by force, and preferred a docile persona. As long as he used a feigned retreat and said a few comforting words, Fu Sheng would not ignore him.
"Really? You're so thoughtful." Fu Sheng said cryptically, "So which company do you want to go to? There are so many entertainment agencies, but apart from a few giants, none of the others can compare to your original company. Are you willing to go there?"
Upon hearing this, Lin Qingtong gripped the hem of his dress tightly. How could he possibly be willing to accept this? At Heyi, besides Meng Xinqiu, who else could surpass him? If he left Heyi and didn't go to a better place, his resources would definitely decline. Losing the lead role in Fang Zhouji's new drama had already subjected him to a wave of ridicule in the industry. If things continued like this, the mockery would only increase. Therefore, he absolutely had to go to a company better than Heyi.
Besides Huaying Media, there's also Firehome where Gu Jiming works, Jun'an where Tang Wanbai works, and Yao—Lin Qingtong's heart suddenly raced. If he could go to Yaoguang Entertainment, wouldn't he be closer to Yu Jingchen? As long as he can climb the ladder, Yu Jingchen will eventually look up to him, won't he?
Lin Qingtong pursed her lips and said, "Firehome focuses on cultivating idols, while Junan's resources are more geared towards movies, and all the good resources have been given to Tang Wanbai. So, after considering everything, I think Yaoguang might be more suitable for me."
"Yaoguang? Under Zongchen's command." Fu Sheng couldn't help but laugh. "I think you really have no self-awareness. Don't you know what good things you've done? You still dare to get close to Yaoguang. Putting aside whether they even like you or not, even if they let you in, do you think you'd have a good life? Seriously, are you stupid or just plain stupid?"
Lin Qingtong was stunned by the barrage of scolding. "No... Dad, have you misunderstood something? I—"
"Were you behind those two trending topics about Fu Yanle? He graduated from Nanjing University, didn't you know that? Have you forgotten that your college entrance exam score was a full 100 points lower than his? And that 'sugar daddy' story, you actually made up such a thing, are you out of your mind? Wang Ruizhe knows it was you, and she even called me at noon to mock me!"
Fu Sheng took a breath.
"All these years, if it weren't for Fu Yanle's generosity, would you and your daughter be living such a wealthy life? Instead of keeping a low profile, you dare to provoke us again and again. Don't you know that Fu Yanle is a fierce and valiant warrior? If you really anger him, he could weld you to death with one punch! Don't you have any self-awareness?"
Lin Qingtong's face was pale. No wonder Fu Sheng wouldn't help him get into Huaying again. It turned out that he knew about these things. But Fu Sheng never cared about him and Fu Yanle. How did he know?
Fu Sheng took a sip of water and continued, "If you want to court death, fine, but if you drag me down with you and we get yelled at and beaten, then you better stop acting and get as far away from your mother as possible!"
"But Dad, I'm your son too..." Lin Qingtong choked out, "You can't do this to me..."
Fu Sheng said, "I've been damn good to you! Before you came of age, Fu Yanle didn't spend a single penny of my money. He bought his own car and house. You get a million yuan a month for living expenses and you also have three houses and cars. If people told others, they would think you were my real son!"
"But he has inherited shares and the Lu family as his backer, while I have nothing!" Lin Qingtong cried, "Dad, what you're doing is unfair to me..."
Fu Sheng reacted with extreme anger, “The inheritance shares should rightfully belong to him. If they don’t belong to him, then who do you think they are? Old Master Lu just likes him and is willing to support him. If you’re not happy about it, go to the Lu family’s doorstep and offer yourself up. See if they’ll even notice you!”
"But if I weren't an illegitimate child, would I be worse than him?" Lin Qingtong suddenly stood up. "If Dad really disliked me that much, why did he keep me in the first place? And then he didn't care about me at all!"
Fu Sheng slammed his fist on the table and roared, "Go tell your mother! She gave birth to you without telling me, then brought you to my house and made a scene, which angered Fu Yanle's mother to death! And you still dare to talk to me about what happened back then?"
"But is this all her fault? If it weren't for Dad's cooperation, would she have given birth to me? Was Fu Yanle's mother's death solely my mother's responsibility? Can Dad absolve himself of all responsibility?" Lin Qingtong shouted hoarsely, "Besides, all these years, you haven't even cared much for Fu Yanle? Do you think you deserve to be called Dad?"
“I don’t deserve to hear him call me that, but you don’t deserve to call me that either. You’re nothing but a tool your mother used to scheme against me and extort money from me. I’ve already done more than enough by being deceived by your obedient and docile mask all these years!” Fu Sheng said coldly. “Do you need me to tell you how your mother drugged her own brother-in-law and then gave birth to you?”
Lin Qingtong was speechless. Indeed, this body belonged to an illegitimate child, and the original owner's mother was a source of shame for him. If she hadn't been a mistress, the original owner wouldn't have been an illegitimate child, and he, as the protagonist, wouldn't have been inferior to Fu Yanle, this cannon fodder, in every way!
“I may not be a good father, but only Fu Yanle can criticize me, resent me, and ride roughshod over me. Who do you think you are? Know your place. If you’re really tough, you can leave the Fu family and live on your own. If you don’t have that ability, then don’t pretend to be innocent after getting the benefits. Keep acting all innocent in front of me!”
Fu Sheng hung up the phone.
The busy tone was like a hammering, smashing Lin Qingtong's body open, tearing her self-esteem to the ground.
"Ah!" Lin Qingtong overturned the water glass and fruit plate on the coffee table and buried her head in her hands, panting.
No, I cannot leave the Fu family.
For many years, although people in the industry did not know that he was the illegitimate son of the Fu family, Fu Sheng's existence did provide him with an invisible layer of protection, making everyone think that he had a powerful backer. If he left the Fu family, this layer of protection would disappear.
Meng Xinqiu and Gu Jiming are no longer his protectors. If even the Fu family is gone, wouldn't he be at the mercy of others?
Lin Qingtong took a breath and closed his eyes in thought. It seemed he couldn't change companies anytime soon, especially not Yaoguang... No, wait!
Lin Qingtong finally realized that he had offended Fu Yanle, but what did that have to do with Yao Guang? Why was Fu Sheng so certain that Yao Guang disliked him?
"..." He stared blankly at the messy coffee table, and the voice that sounded so much like Yu Jingchen's, "Brother Chen," echoed in his ears again. Could it be...?
No, impossible...
Lin Qingtong picked up her phone and sent a message with trembling hands.
Author's Note:
You can be reckless, but don't sweetly drag me down with you.
The Fearsome Fighting Buddha: Fu Yanle
Fu Sheng
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