Chapter 189: Trending Search

The drinks were brought over.

Huang Kai poured half a glass for everyone.

He asked Li Zhibai and Yan Liang, "Have we met before?"

"We've met at events," Li Zhibai said, "but you probably don't remember us. There were a lot of people at those events."

Huang Kai nodded. "I really don't remember meeting you, but I've seen your performance videos online, especially the one you did at the graduation gala recently. It was explosive—different from the versions I'd seen before."

"We specifically created new arrangements and choreography," Li Zhibai said.

"No wonder," Huang Kai said. "It's a pity, though, that your group disbanded as soon as the three years were up."

At this point, Li Qian chimed in from the side: "That's not a pity at all. They're doing quite well developing individually, and this way they don't have to split the money with everyone else."

What Li Qian said was indeed a fact.

However, as soon as she said it, an inexplicable awkwardness fell over the group, as if Lu Yan He and his group had disbanded simply because they didn't want to split their earnings equally with the others.

Wang Zhong said, "Groups have their advantages, and solo development has its own. In the long run, isn't solo development better?"

He looked at Lu Yan He and the others with an inquisitive expression.

Lu Yan He said, "We don't know either. We signed a three-year group contract when we debuted. From the very beginning, the group wasn't intended to last long. It's different from the MX model; they were determined to develop as a group from the start and signed long-term contracts."

Upon hearing this, Wang Zhong asked, "Then why did Ma Zhiyuan suddenly go solo?"

This involved many things, and none of them spoke; they just shook their heads, saying they didn't know.

"Oh, what's there not to know? I've heard all about it," Li Qian immediately said. "Isn't it just that Ma Zhiyuan had a falling out with MX's agent, Lin Suyang? The two were like fire and water, and Ma Zhiyuan had long felt he was the most popular one in the group and wanted to go solo. So, when the time was right, he left immediately."

Wang Zhong looked at Li Qian in surprise. "Where did you hear that?"

"My agent told me. Their sources are always very well-informed," Li Qian said without hesitation. "And, I also heard—"

Li Qian's gaze suddenly fell on Lu Yan He.

"I really do owe you an apology, Lu Yan He," Li Qian said, suddenly turning serious. "I mocked you a couple of days ago. At the time, I didn't know the truth of the matter and thought you had simply gotten into the crew by pulling strings, so I couldn't stand you. Later, I found out you got in through an audition, and I realized your former agent didn't like you at all and even organized an audition with over a hundred people just to stop you from coming to film *The Golden Age*."

Lu Yan He was suddenly stunned.

Li Qian's sudden apology left him not knowing how to react.

It even made him feel uneasy.

Li Qian picked up her glass. "I apologize to you. I'll drink to that."

As soon as she finished speaking, she tilted her head back and downed the drink in one go.

Lu Yan He looked at Li Qian in surprise, momentarily at a loss for what to do.

"Why are you drinking so fast?" Wang Zhong tried to stop her, feeling somewhat helpless, but he didn't succeed.

He turned to Lu Yan He and said, "I told you before, she's someone whose mouth moves faster than her brain. A lot of what she says doesn't go through her heart; she doesn't really have any malice."

Lu Yan He vaguely heard a hint of complaint in Wang Zhong's words, as if he were blaming him for being too petty about the matter.

He turned to Li Qian and said, "Actually, I understand everyone's lack of confidence in me. What you said at the time wasn't pleasant, but it didn't hurt me; instead, it ignited my fighting spirit. It was actually quite good."

He picked up his glass and lightly tapped it against Li Qian's empty one.

"Thank you." Lu Yan He raised his glass and drank it all in one go.

In the middle of the night, Lu Yan He went out to use the restroom.

The bar was rowdy, and the restroom was the same.

When he came out, he found Wang Zhong waiting for him at the door.

"Let's talk," Wang Zhong said to him.

Lu Yan He had vaguely sensed some hostility from him before, and at this moment, it felt even more obvious.

Lu Yan He followed Wang Zhong to a corner.

Wang Zhong's expression darkened, and he looked at Lu Yan He unkindly.

"Brother Wang, is there something you want to say to me?"

"I know that although you only play a small supporting role in *The Golden Age*, you have Chen Ziyan backing you, and now you've become a media darling with a bright future ahead. But there's no need to put on airs in front of us."

Lu Yan He looked at Wang Zhong, puzzled. "I don't understand what you're talking about. What airs am I putting on?"

"Li Qian just apologized to you, what more do you want?" Wang Zhong said. "Are you still refusing to let Li Qian off the hook?"

"What?" Lu Yan He looked at Wang Zhong in surprise. "I'm not letting Li Qian off the hook?"

"Isn't that right? Since she apologized to you properly, why didn't you just accept her apology instead of threatening her with veiled words?" Wang Zhong questioned.

"Brother Wang, I think you've misunderstood. I didn't threaten her with veiled words, and I don't have the qualifications to threaten her right now."

"You don't have the qualifications now, but you might in the future. Weren't those words of yours implying exactly that?" Wang Zhong said. "What will it take for you to let this go?"

"I'll emphasize this one last time: I haven't refused to let this go. What I said just now is exactly what I think. I understand everyone's disapproval of me, but I will use my own performance to dispel that disapproval. Brother Wang, you don't need to overthink it. I never had any intention of threatening anyone."

Wang Zhong still looked at Lu Yan He suspiciously.

He didn't fully believe Lu Yan He's words.

"I hope you keep your word."

"Brother Wang, I also hope you don't come to work on me every time," Lu Yan He said. "From start to finish, this was actually a conflict between Li Qian and me. But you were the one who came as a lobbyist hoping I would let it go, and you were the one worried I would harbor a grudge and threaten Li Qian. Perhaps you are old classmates and you think you are doing this out of protection for an old classmate, but to be honest, I am not happy. Li Qian is your old classmate, but I am also an actor working with you on a film. In a normal work setting, we are colleagues. You cannot always demand that I take a step back and make this compromise."

Wang Zhong never expected Lu Yan He to say this to him.

His expression was momentarily stunned and somewhat ugly.

"I'm going back first." Lu Yan He nodded at Wang Zhong and turned back to the private room.

In the room, they had already started a game of Truth or Dare.

They played rock-paper-scissors, and the loser chose between truth or dare; the dare was to drink a glass of alcohol.

As soon as Lu Yan He entered, Huang Kai waved him over. "Little Lu, you're finally back! Come on!"

Lu Yan He understood the rules and quickly waved his hands. "No, Brother Ren, to be honest, my alcohol tolerance is very poor. That last glass already made me a bit dizzy. A year ago, I was a one-glass-and-out person."

Huang Kai heard this and said, "Then we'll allow you to participate in our game with just a sip."

They were using shot glasses, and one glass was only about two sips.

Lu Yan He didn't want to be a buzzkill, so seeing them say that, he nodded.

They played rock-paper-scissors, and Yan Liang lost.

Li Qian immediately asked, "Are you still a virgin?"

Yan Liang's cheeks turned bright red instantly.

Without a word, he picked up his glass and downed it in one gulp.

Li Qian laughed out loud. "Is that shyness, or are you afraid to admit you're a virgin?"

Lu Yan He was shocked; he didn't expect Li Qian to ask such a bold question.

This suddenly gave him a strong sense of crisis.

Huang Kai said helplessly, "Li Qian, take it easy. They've only just reached adulthood."

Li Qian said bluntly, "Kai, you really don't understand high school students these days. They play much wilder than we did back then."

Lu Yan He quickly shook his head. "I don't."

Yan Liang also shook his head. "Neither do I."

Li Qian shot them a sharp look.

"Keep pretending, you two!"

At this moment, Wang Zhong also returned.

He had already composed his expression and entered with his usual cheerful smile.

"What are you playing?"

Upon hearing about the game, Wang Zhong said, "Wow, you guys have been tricked by Li Qian, haven't you? She's a veteran at this game. If your skin isn't thick enough, no one can beat her."

Li Zhibai nodded, feeling the same way. "We've already seen the tip of the iceberg."

Li Qian immediately glared at Wang Zhong. "You're exposing me!"

Wang Zhong laughed. "I have to give them a heads-up, otherwise they'll blame me for manipulating the game with you later."

Dark Peach.

This was the name of the bar.

Xin Zixing got out of a taxi and walked toward the entrance of the bar.

Unlike most women who came to bars, her attire wasn't sexy or sophisticated; on the contrary, it was just a plain T-shirt and jeans. However, with her long black hair flowing, her appearance was stunning, and as she walked past, she could hook people's gazes without any eye contact.

As soon as Xin Zixing entered the bar, she attracted a lot of attention.

She sat alone at the bar, ordered a special cocktail, and sipped it slowly.

Xin Zixing had been running around all day, so she wanted to come to the bar for a drink.

She had originally planned to go back in the afternoon, but after running into Lu Yan He and his group, she changed her mind.

She had drafted a proposal in the afternoon and sent it to the content editor of the website.

This proposal was to invite Lu Yan He, Li Zhibai, and Yan Liang to check in at Langhua together and make a record about Langhua on the Ye Mai website.

It was just that such a proposal certainly required funding.

And the remuneration for the three artists, Lu Yan He, Li Zhibai, and Yan Liang, was not a small expense. Even if the artists' side knew that this kind of work wouldn't pay much, even a low amount might not be exchanged for equivalent commercial returns.

Xin Zixing herself was worried that the proposal wouldn't pass, but at 7:00 PM, she received an affirmative reply.

It was just that she had to handle the artists' side herself, and only 50,000 yuan in work funding was provided in total.

Xin Zixing immediately asked her former colleagues for Chen Ziyan and Zhou Ping'an's contact information and wrote an email to each of them, explaining the theme of her proposal and the details of the cooperation.

Xin Zixing didn't hide the fact that she had run into Lu Yan He and the three of them in Langhua today.

It was just that she hadn't received a reply from the two agents yet.

Xin Zixing wasn't in a hurry. If she didn't receive a reply tonight, she would just continue to wait for the three of them in the hotel restaurant tomorrow.

She knew which hotel Lu Yan He was staying at.

When she worked at a fashion magazine before, Xin Zixing had dealt with artists many times and knew how to resolve these things.

Just as she was considering how to further advance this matter, someone sat down next to Xin Zixing.

"Is the lady alone?"

"No hookups, no chatting." Xin Zixing looked indifferently at the man sitting next to her. He was a very young man with a frivolous and flirtatious look on his face, wearing all designer brands. At first glance, the brand style wasn't obvious. Xin Zixing guessed he was probably a rich second-generation kid, but this didn't change her attitude.

"Is this the lady's first time here?" The other party seemed unable to understand her refusal, or rather, even if he did, he pretended not to.

Xin Zixing smiled slightly and asked, "If this isn't my first time here, should I know you?"

The other party nodded with great confidence. "There aren't many people here who don't know me."

"So Langhua is that small." Xin Zixing picked up her glass and took a sip. "I don't know who you are, but you're not my type, so let's not waste each other's time. I'm not here to find a man either."

The other party was stunned and looked at her in surprise. "You... are here to find a woman?"

Xin Zixing: "... Your comprehension is quite interesting. I'm here to find a drink, little brother."

A look of anger appeared on his face.

"You actually think I'm just a little brother?"

"Otherwise? Looking at you, you're at most twenty-three or twenty-four, right?" Xin Zixing rolled her eyes. "I'm already twenty-five."

"Little sister, this big brother is twenty-six this year." The other party suddenly smiled brightly, grinning to reveal a mouthful of brilliant white teeth. "Didn't expect that, did you?"

Xin Zixing was truly stunned.

"You, twenty-six?" She looked in disbelief at this guy who looked so fresh. She had previously guessed he was at most twenty-three or twenty-four, and that was being generous. "Take out your ID and let me see!"

The other party actually took out his ID immediately.

Looking at it: Name, Liu Yuanting; Date of Birth, December 4, 1997.

Xin Zixing looked at the photo on the ID and then at his face.

"What the hell! Which beauty salon maintains your face? Introduce me to it."

Liu Yuanting's face darkened again.

"This face of mine is natural."

"Yo, Liu Yuanting, picking up girls again!"

An untimely voice rang out.

Liu Yuanting frowned instantly, stood up, and looked at Mo Hebei, who had appeared out of nowhere.

"Mo Hebei, you actually got out of the detention center?"

"You think those little tricks of yours can keep me locked up for long?" This person named Mo Hebei stood there in a slouching manner, with several people standing behind him, looking like they had strength in numbers.

Liu Yuanting: "Quite capable, huh? What, coming to cause trouble again? I don't mind sending you back in for a few more days."

Xin Zixing watched the two of them in silence.

If Liu Yuanting had a frivolous and flirtatious look on his face, Mo Hebei clearly had the look of a small-time thug.

Neither of them were good birds.

Xin Zixing couldn't be bothered to get involved in their conflict, so she picked up her handbag, took out two banknotes, pressed them under the glass, and got up to leave.

"Yo, beauty, why are you in such a hurry to leave?" Mo Hebei suddenly looked at her, and as her voice fell, a burly man behind him blocked her path.

Xin Zixing frowned slightly and looked at Mo Hebei.

"What do you mean?"

Liu Yuanting shouted: "Mo Hebei, don't drag others into our business. You're going to lay a hand on a woman with this many people?"

Mo Hebei sneered. "Don't provoke me either. You dared to report me for prostitution, so this grudge is settled. You want to pick up this woman, so I won't let you succeed!"

Liu Yuanting clenched his hands.

Xin Zixing looked at Mo Hebei with cold eyes.

"What do you want?"

Mo Hebei: "You accompany me for one night tonight, and I'll give you 100,000."

"I suggest you look in the mirror. Even if you gave me 10 million, I wouldn't sleep with you." Xin Zixing said with disdain, then glared at the burly man blocking her way. "Get out of my way!"

Liu Yuanting laughed out loud.

The more Xin Zixing's attitude had annoyed him before, the more satisfying it was now.

"Hear that, Mo Hebei? Even if you gave someone 10 million, they wouldn't be willing to sleep with you. Look at that face of yours."

Xin Zixing turned back and glared at Liu Yuanting, that dog who was adding fuel to the fire.

Mo Hebei pointed at Xin Zixing in anger and shame. "Say that again!"

Xin Zixing rolled her eyes, ignored him, and reached out to push the burly man blocking her way. "I said move!"

The burly man glared at her.

Liu Yuanting: "Mo Hebei, are you having fun? Making things difficult for a woman?"

Mo Hebei pointed at Xin Zixing and said, "I'll give you one more chance. Are you going to get in my bed tonight or not?"

Xin Zixing's eyes narrowed slightly, revealing a hint of seductive charm.

Suddenly, she lifted her foot and kicked the burly man blocking her way in the crotch.

This kick was unexpected; everyone present was caught off guard and watched this scene happen in shock.

The burly man couldn't even dodge it.

He let out a shrill scream.

"If you dare block my way again, I'll make sure you have no descendants!" Xin Zixing glared coldly at Mo Hebei. "What kind of turtle grandson, daring to act like a big shot in front of me."

Xin Zixing's momentum was truly too arrogant and too powerful, so much so that after several seconds, Mo Hebei looked at Xin Zixing with fear and didn't dare to react at all.

"Try blocking me again!" Xin Zixing pointed at Mo Hebei, threatened him, turned around, and walked away.

But at this moment, the burly man who had just been kicked in the crotch by Xin Zixing suddenly picked up a chair nearby, let out a roar, and rushed straight toward Xin Zixing.

Xin Zixing turned around in surprise, seeing him rushing over with a fierce look on his face, holding a chair, completely losing his mind, and smashing it down at her fiercely.

Xin Zixing's eyes turned cold; she turned to the side to dodge and immediately swung a chair she had at hand.

At this moment, a figure suddenly rushed over, hugged the burly man's waist, and shouted at her: "Run!"

It was actually that frivolous and flirtatious guy, Liu Yuanting.

Xin Zixing was stunned for a moment.

The next second, Mo Hebei grabbed a stool and smashed it fiercely onto Liu Yuanting's back.

"Ah—" Liu Yuanting let out a painful cry.

Xin Zixing came back to her senses and was furious.

Daring to come to a bar alone at night with such a face, of course, she had the ability to protect herself. Having studied karate for over ten years, Xin Zixing's combat power was always superior among ordinary people. At this moment, the chair in her hand became her weapon, sweeping horizontally, splitting vertically, and striking diagonally.

The bar was in chaos.

"Why is it so noisy outside? Did something happen?"

Hearing the sudden banging sounds and several roars outside, Li Qian asked in confusion.

Lu Yan He also heard it.

"Is someone fighting?"

Several people looked at each other and couldn't help but go out to take a look.

Then, they saw a scene of a woman swinging a chair and beating three men to the ground.

They were on the second floor.

This scene was happening on the first floor, and they could see the whole thing.

Yan Liang said in surprise, "Isn't that Xin Zixing?"

"Yeah, how could it be her? How is she so fierce?" Li Zhibai was also stunned.

Lu Yan He didn't speak, stunned by the scene before him.

The light in the bar wasn't bright, but it was in this dim atmosphere that the scene before them added a bit of sharpness and unstoppable momentum to Xin Zixing's figure.

Those three men were beaten to the ground and climbed back up, refusing to admit defeat.

Xin Zixing fought one after another, like a god of war.

"Too scary." Li Qian showed a look of fear and leaned toward Huang Kai, who was beside her.

But Huang Kai didn't react at all.

Li Qian looked at him in confusion, only to see Huang Kai looking down in shock. That look didn't seem like he was seeing an unbelievable thing, but rather like he was seeing something more complex.

"Kai?" Li Qian called out again.

Huang Kai finally came back to his senses, dazed.

"Hmm?"

Li Qian: "What's wrong with you? Why are you so stunned?"

Huang Kai's mind was blank; he didn't know how to answer.

He didn't know what to say either.

Why is Xin Zixing still here?

Didn't she go back in the afternoon?

Huang Kai looked at Xin Zixing. He knew Xin Zixing could fight well and wasn't afraid of anyone, but this scene still shocked him.

He wanted to rush down, protect Xin Zixing, and let her stop fighting.

But he couldn't take that path.

Once he took it, his relationship with Xin Zixing might not be hidden anymore and would be exposed.

"Li Zhibai, where are you going?" Yan Liang suddenly shouted.

They saw Li Zhibai suddenly swing his arms and walk downstairs.

"These three men bullying a woman, they can do that!" Li Zhibai said. "I can't just sit by and watch."

Wang Zhong looked at Li Zhibai's back in surprise.

The next second, he was surprised to find that Lu Yan He had actually followed him.

Then, Yan Liang sighed helplessly and followed as well.

Wang Zhong looked at the three of them in surprise and said to Li Qian, "Why are the three of them as impulsive as elementary school students? Is this 'seeing injustice and drawing a sword to help'?"

Li Qian: "The three of them seem to know this woman."

Wang Zhong: "This is a bar! If they rush out like this, aren't they afraid of causing public opinion?"

Li Qian looked at him and didn't speak.

At this moment, Huang Kai suddenly moved too.

"Kai, where are you going?" Li Qian asked in surprise.

Huang Kai said, "Three kids can't stand it, can I just sit by and watch?"

"Someone has already called the police!" Lu Yan He followed behind Li Zhibai and shouted before Li Zhibai could make a move.

The three of them rushed to Xin Zixing's side.

Xin Zixing looked at the three of them in disbelief, and the fierce look on her face couldn't help but subside a bit.

Subsequently, the expression on Xin Zixing's face became even more shocked.

Because Huang Kai walked out from the dimness behind her and stood in front of her with a serious face.

He glanced at her and turned to look at Mo Hebei and the others.

"You three are so capable, bullying a woman. What are your names?" Huang Kai looked at them coldly.

With his appearance, shocked exclamations erupted all around.

Everyone recognized him.

"Huang Kai!"

"Is he Huang Kai? He looks so much like him!"

"It must be him, look, isn't that Li Zhibai?!"

"And Lu Yan He!"

"Damn, this is a big deal! It's actually them!"

Originally, a third of the people had taken out their phones to film, and now the remaining two-thirds had also taken out their phones.

This matter actually involved celebrity artists!

Mo Hebei looked at the suddenly appearing Huang Kai and the others in disbelief, unable to understand why some celebrity artists had suddenly popped up.

He stood up, his voice harsh but his heart weak, and looked at them.

"Mind your own business! She was the one who started it!"

Liu Yuanting was still lying on the ground; he had been hit hard by Mo Hebei just now and couldn't climb up for a long time.

But at this time, he immediately shouted: "Bullshit! It was clearly your people who started it!"

Lu Yan He said, "There are so many people here, I believe everyone saw who started it. Someone has already called the police, and they will be here soon. You can tell the police then."

Mo Hebei looked at these few people who had suddenly appeared in annoyance, judging that the current situation was already unfavorable to him.

Of course, he wouldn't be foolish enough to stay in this place. He said, "Let's go!"

"Want to leave?!" Li Zhibai blocked the way in one stride. "Everyone stay here honestly and wait for the police!"

Mo Hebei scolded Li Zhibai: "You damn little celebrity, stop meddling in my business here!"

Xin Zixing had calmed down a little.

She said, "Li Zhibai, you don't need to stop him. Even if he runs now, the police will find him sooner or later. The monk can run, but the temple can't."

She didn't want Li Zhibai and the others to get involved in this matter. If a conflict occurred and they fought, it would be wrong for a public figure like Li Zhibai no matter what.

Lu Yan He also pulled Li Zhibai.

"That's right, we don't need to stop him."

Li Zhibai then stepped aside.

The police arrived, but Liu Yuanting, who was seriously injured, needed to go to the hospital first.

Xin Zixing's gaze swept across Huang Kai's face and fell on Lu Yan He and the others. "I'll handle the follow-up here. Thank you all for coming to help today; otherwise, I don't know how rampant those people would have been. You should go back and rest first."

Lu Yan He asked, "Will you be okay alone?"

Xin Zixing nodded and said, "Don't worry, I've handled things much more complex than this I don't know how many times."

Lu Yan He and the others looked at each other.

After all, the police had arrived, so there wouldn't be anything else.

They also knew that their identities weren't suitable for getting involved, so they left.

Late at night, Chen Ziyan had finished her face mask and was ready to wash up and sleep when she suddenly received a message.

She opened it, took a look, and immediately clicked her tongue secretly in her heart.

Lu Yan He and the others were on the real-time trending list again.

This time, he was on it together with Huang Kai and the others.

The ins and outs of the matter were described very clearly by the people at the bar.

"When they appeared today, it's no exaggeration, I had that feeling of knights appearing. You weren't at the scene, so it's hard to feel that emotion. That girl had to deal with three men alone, even if it looked like those three men weren't her match, but that sense of oppression, I think any girl can understand. It was at this moment that Huang Kai, Li Zhibai, and the others suddenly rushed out, stood in front of the girl, and forcibly stopped those men. Too cool! I announce that from today on, they are all my idols! I've become their fan!"

Chen Ziyan watched the videos filmed by the people at the scene, from all angles.

In fact, the role Lu Yan He played in it wasn't obvious.

The more critical people were Huang Kai and Li Zhibai, and the person who rushed to the front was also Li Zhibai.

When such a thing happened, several people stood out without hesitation to protect the girl.

After watching, Chen Ziyan was worried about Lu Yan He getting involved in such a thing, but on the other hand, she was also very gratified.

She was willing to see her artist be such a person with a sense of justice.

Although she said so, Chen Ziyan still called Lu Yan He immediately.

"You caused quite a big scene today," Chen Ziyan said. "Weren't you filming? Why did you run to a bar?"

Lu Yan He explained.

Chen Ziyan: "So impulsive, how did you know that girl was being bullied?"

Lu Yan He said, "Sister Ziyan, we all know her."

"Ah?"

"Uh, it's a long story." Lu Yan He didn't know how to tell Sister Ziyan about the story of frequently running into Xin Zixing.

A day comparable to an idol drama sounded too unreliable.

Chen Ziyan said: "In any case, when encountering such things, you can't be impulsive, and you can't just stand up for others out of a simple sense of justice! You are an artist; if you say one wrong word or take one wrong step, you can easily fall into a huge public opinion crisis. This time, others are praising you for protecting the girl, but next time, they might scold you for being in cahoots, understand? No one knows what kind of trouble you will get involved in."

Lu Yan He gave a sheepish "hmm."

"Are you hurt?" Chen Ziyan asked.

"No, they were already done fighting when we found out."

"Okay, as long as you're not hurt." ===== CHAPTER 190 =====