IOLYF Chapter 76

Finally, they managed to find some time to grab a meal together. Cheng Jing, full of excitement, told Mo Ming that if nothing went wrong, the role of the second male lead in Liu He Kun’s new movie, Temperature, was going to be his.

Cheng Jing was so happy that he ordered two bottles of soju. Normally, he rarely drinks, and his manager keeps a close eye on him, but this time, he couldn’t help but indulge a little due to his excitement.

He and Mo Ming were in similar situations. His performance in Remnant Sword had earned Liu He Kun’s favor, giving him an edge over the other competitors. He had no issue with playing a supporting role to Mo Ming. After all, being in Liu He Kun’s movie for the second time and landing an important role meant he was progressing faster than most actors in the industry.

With Remnant Sword and now Temperature, his transition was almost complete. If he was lucky, he might even win Best Supporting Actor.

“After they confirmed you as the male lead, I heard that Wen Ci was going to audition for the second male lead role. I thought I was out of the running,” Cheng Jing said, his face flushed from the alcohol. He laughed, “But then, Wen Ci didn’t even show up for the audition. I heard he backed out. Heh, I guess he didn’t want to play second fiddle to you.”

Yang Li sipped on her drink through a straw, “That’s understandable. Wen Ci has never played anything but lead roles since his debut. He has plenty of resources, so if he didn’t go for Liu He Kun’s second lead role, he probably has other lead roles lined up with big directors.”

“But what he wanted the most was Liu He Kun’s male lead. Mo Ming, you’re something else. The two of you are already at odds online, and now you’re taking food out of Wen Ci’s mouth. He must really hate you right now,” Cheng Jing said.

Mo Ming had been quietly eating, and when he heard this, he gave a noncommittal “mm.” Then he looked up and asked Cheng Jing, “By the way, you mentioned something about Xia Qing before. What was it?”

Cheng Jing took another sip and started talking about how Xia Qing wanted to make a comeback but was directly rejected by the company.

“He’s got a 15-year contract with Hong Yi. As long as Hong Yi doesn’t let him go, he’s stuck. He should count himself lucky. If I had taken up that deal back then, I wouldn’t have had as good of a time as he did these past three years. But I could never be that shameless, ruining someone else’s reputation for no reason. I’d never do that.”

Mo Ming was slightly stunned and looked at Cheng Jing, “What do you mean?”

“You know, he got to where he is by framing Zhou Xu. Oh, right, I saw online that you knew Zhou Xu back then. Were you guys…”

“Continue what you were saying,” Mo Ming interrupted him sharply, sitting up straight and fixing his gaze on Cheng Jing. “So Xia Qing framed Zhou Xu, and they approached you first, but you didn’t go along with it… Is that what you meant?”

“Uh… that’s what I guessed later on,” Cheng Jing said, rubbing his chin as he recalled, “They approached me, saying they wanted to set up some publicity stunt by dragging a popular singer through the mud. They didn’t specify which singer, but I was really eager to make it big at the time. Still, when I heard what they wanted to do, it felt too underhanded, and it could’ve landed me in legal trouble, so I refused. Afterward, the thing with Xia Qing and Zhou Xu happened. Xia Qing had just signed with Hong Yi and used that incident to climb the ranks. I figured he probably took over the job I turned down.”

Yang Li looked disgusted, “Your company is so scummy, using such despicable methods to promote people. Zhou Xu got roasted online back then… ugh, I’ll be steering clear of anyone from your company from now on.”

“So you see, I’m actually a person of principle,” Cheng Jing said with a wry smile. “But I can’t be 100% sure that what Xia Qing did was orchestrated by the company. It’s just my speculation.”

“Who do you mean by ‘they’?” Mo Ming asked. “Who were the ones who approached you with this?”

Cheng Jing noticed Mo Ming’s icy stare fixed on him. He blinked, slightly tipsy, and replied, “Oh, it was all pretty secretive. My agent and the head of marketing took me to meet someone they said was a high-ranking leader from Hong Yi. But later, I saw a picture online of a Dong Sheng Group event, and I realized the person I met wasn’t from Hong Yi at all but was one of President Pang’s assistants.”

Yang Li frowned, “I remember Hong Yi Media is a subsidiary of Dong Sheng Group. It’s a bit over the top for your company’s marketing to involve someone from Pang Yuan’s inner circle.”

“Who knows? Maybe they were just showing concern for the lower ranks. Promoting a star can bring significant profits to the company.”

“Concern for the lower ranks? I’d rather believe Zhou Xu crossed someone high up, and that’s why they targeted him,” Zhao Li said, resting her chin in her hand and sighing. “If that incident hadn’t happened, Zhou Xu wouldn’t have started drinking, leading to that car accident. If he really was framed by your company, then Xia Qing and everyone else involved in that scheme owe him a life.”

Mo Ming, who had remained silent and cold-faced, suddenly spoke up, “Zhou Xu couldn’t have been drinking.”

Zhao Li and Cheng Jing were taken aback.

Zhao Li said, “But the investigation showed there was alcohol in his system…”

“He never drank,” Mo Ming said, staring at the table, his thick eyelashes casting shadows like ink. “That incident didn’t make him depressed. He was planning to take Xia Qing to court and was optimistic about the outcome. Everyone thought he had turned to alcohol out of despair, leading to the drunk driving accident. But in reality, if that accident hadn’t happened, he was planning to go on a vacation to Beqiu Island the next day. He even bought two tickets in advance…”

Zhao Li and Cheng Jing stared at Mo Ming in shock. “You… How do you know that?”

“Because the other ticket was for me.”

“….”

The weather stayed clear for two more days…

Temperature was set to start filming at the end of February after the New Year, with script readings and other preparations also starting afterward. In the meantime, Mo Ming planned to stay with the theater troupe to keep his acting skills sharp.

When Zhou Yi Xiang heard that Mo Ming had secured the male lead role in Liu He Kun’s movie, he was so thrilled that he called to congratulate him. But at the end of the conversation, he brought up that Han Shao Zhou had come to see him.

“He told me about what happened between you two…” Zhou Yi Xiang said with a hint of helplessness.

Mo Ming was silent for a few seconds. “Yes, it’s over between us.”

“If it were really that simple, would he have come to see me?”

“Did he… take it out on you?”

Zhou Yi Xiang laughed bitterly, “So you know he’s angry.”

“…”

“He didn’t lash out, though. Little Han didn’t seem too happy, but he was polite. He asked me about you and Zhou Xu,” Zhou Yi Xiang said slowly. “I told him what I knew. I was worried he’d bottle it up and do something drastic. In the end, he didn’t say much and just left. Who knows what he’s thinking now.”

“…”

By evening, it had started snowing lightly again.

Mo Ming spent half the day moving into his new apartment, which he had prepared a while ago. He rented out his previous apartment.

The new place was a bit farther from the Dashang Theater Troupe, but it had good transportation links and an elevator that required a keycard to use. Mo Ming lived on the 26th floor.

Exhausted, he was lying on the sofa with Xiao Han in his arms, resting, when his phone suddenly buzzed with a message from Xia Qing.

[Xia Qing]: “Let’s talk about Zhou Xu. Meet me in half an hour. Address:”

Mo Ming stared at the text.

He had told Xia Qing before that unless he was willing to come forward and clear Zhou Xu’s name, they had nothing to discuss, so…

He called, but no one picked up. Mo Ming sent two more messages, suggesting a different meeting place, but there was no response.

Cheng Jing’s words from the other day echoed in his mind, and suspicion had been growing like a snowball in his heart. Mo Ming didn’t hesitate. He put on his coat, got in his car, and arrived at the location within twenty minutes.

The address led him to a bar in the suburbs. Mo Ming entered, wearing a mask, and found a relatively secluded spot to sit. The electronic music was blasting, and the lights were dazzling, making it hard to make out anyone’s face.

This clearly wasn’t a good place for a serious conversation.

Mo Ming took out his phone and was about to send a message when someone suddenly slid into the seat next to him. He turned and saw who it was, and his brows furrowed in realization…

“You don’t recognize me?” Shen Qian said with a smirk.

Shen Qian wasn’t particularly handsome, but he had a trendy style, with short, chestnut-colored hair, three black earrings in his left ear, and an arrogant, fearless look in his eyes. He had the vibe of a high-profile internet celebrity.

“So, you’re the one who sent that message?” Mo Ming asked, not surprised. Shen Qian and Xia Qing had a casual relationship, so with Shen Qian covering for him, sending a message from Xia Qing’s phone wasn’t hard.

“Just wanted to see if you’d take the bait. Didn’t expect it to be this easy. I was even planning to ambush you at your place,” Shen Qian said, shifting closer to Mo Ming. “You really care about anything to do with Zhou Xu, huh?”

“What do you want?” Mo Ming didn’t shy away from Shen Qian’s proximity. Since he was already here, he didn’t mind hearing what Shen Qian had to say.

“Let’s get straight to the point. It’s simple. You drop out of Liu He Kun’s new movie, and we’re good,” Shen Qian said, leaning back with one arm on the back of the sofa, looking at Mo Ming.

Up close, Shen Qian couldn’t help but curse inwardly—this guy was ridiculously good-looking. His skin was so fair it practically glowed under the lights, like fine porcelain. His lashes were thick, and his eyes were long and narrow, with a watery gleam in them. His lips were plump and dewy, looking incredibly soft.

Shen Qian felt a twinge of desire. Even though he preferred women, he couldn’t help but want to shove himself into that pretty little mouth.

“If you’re saying this, you must have some leverage to make me listen,” Mo Ming asked calmly. “What is it?”

Shen Qian leaned in close to Mo Ming’s ear and chuckled, “We’ve dug up all the dirt on your family. I don’t mind making it public. Do you think Liu He Kun would still want to use you if that gets out?”

Mo Ming chuckled softly, still calm as ever. “If you really think that can sway Liu He Kun’s decision, why are you here negotiating with me? Just go ahead and spread it.”

That was something from many years ago, and Shen Qian wasn’t sure how much it could affect Liu He Kun. This stuff would come out eventually, but now wasn’t the right time.

“So, you’re refusing?”

“What if I am?”

“If you refuse…” Shen Qian sneered, “It won’t just be about airing your family’s dirty laundry… Think about it. No money, no connections, dumped by Xingci and thrown away by Han Ge, no one in your family to back you up. You get into trouble in Chuanhai, and there’s no one to stand up for you. You keep going against us like this, you’re just asking for trouble.”

Mo Ming seemed to ponder this and nodded slightly. “So, if I don’t go along with you, things will get really tough for me.”

“Exactly, that’s what I’m saying.”

“That does make me a little worried…” Mo Ming said softly, lowering his eyes. “Let me go to the bathroom. I’ll give you an answer when I get back.”

“Go ahead, no need to be nervous. We’re just having a friendly chat.” Shen Qian flashed a smile. “Want something to drink when you get back? It’s on me.”

“Anything’s fine.”

Mo Ming got up to head to the bathroom, then paused and turned back to ask, “How old are you?”

Shen Qian crossed his legs and spread his arms over the back of the sofa, “Nineteen.”

Mo Ming nodded, “Good.”

So he was over eighteen…

Author’s Note: Let’s light a candle for the naive little dumbass who has yet to experience the cruelties of society…