Lu Xingzhe not only had a rotten reputation, but also a venomous tongue. A single light-hearted sentence from him could make others keel over from anger on the spot, but he felt that cursing people out was child's play, a mere scratch. If he was going to play, he was going to play big.

For example, the matter of Su Ge faking his injury.

And for example, the matter of Sun Ming pressuring Xi Nian to concede the competition from off-site…

Lu Xingzhe enjoyed stirring up trouble. He opened a folder on his computer, then started editing a video he had copied earlier, specifically zooming in on Su Ge's "injured" hands. However, before he could finish editing, a familiar phone number called.

The caller ID showed Jiang Lun. This name was no stranger to people in the circle, as he was Su Ge's manager.

Lu Xingzhe was busy and hadn't planned on answering, but for some reason, he changed his mind. He reached out, grabbed the phone, brought it to his ear, and pressed the answer key: "What is it?"

Judging by his tone, they seemed to be acquainted.

Jiang Lun was a middle-aged man in his forties. Due to years of smoking, his voice was hoarse and unpleasant: "I want to discuss a business deal with you."

Lu Xingzhe's brow twitched, and he suddenly guessed the reason for the call. "Tell me. Seeing as you're a regular customer, I'll give you a ten percent discount."

Jiang Lun slowly uttered two words: "Xi Nian."

He said: "I don't care what method you use, whether you make it up or fabricate it, but within three days, I want dirt on him, the kind that he can't recover from."

Lu Xingzhe didn't speak. His fingertip slowly circled the tail of his eyebrow, knowing that today's program broadcast had made Xi Nian a threat to Su Ge's popularity. He said with a half-smile, "Tsk, so vicious."

Jiang Lun was currently in an overwhelmed state and didn't notice the hidden meaning in his tone. "Anyway, you won't be shorted on the money. Old rules, I'll transfer the deposit to your account in a bit."

This was a sure-fire deal. Who knew that after stroking his chin and thinking for a long time, Lu Xingzhe would unexpectedly refuse for the first time ever: "No rush, let's talk about it when it's time for delivery."

Jiang Lun didn't suspect a thing. "Alright."

In the entertainment circle, gossip is a bloodless knife. This was clearly not the first time Jiang Lun had used this method to clear obstacles for the artists under him. Lu Xingzhe perfunctorily brushed him off and then hung up the phone.

The night outside grew deeper. The rain, which had originally stopped, had started up again at some unknown time, pattering against the glass with a dense but soft sound that, for no reason, made the room seem even quieter.

After finishing the video, Lu Xingzhe got up from the computer desk and limped to bed to sleep. He didn't have the habit of turning off the lights; he liked the bright and spacious feeling. A blue and white jacket lay quietly at the foot of the bed, silently asserting its presence.

His leg still hurt a little.

Lu Xingzhe couldn't sleep. For the first time, he found the light a bit dazzling. Listening to the rustling sound of the cold rain outside, he didn't know why, but he was suddenly reminded of the night he was hit by a car.

The dark sky, the intersecting shadows of the trees, the man who appeared without warning. The aura from his lapels was slightly cool, carrying an indifference that seemed to seep from his very bones, yet his embrace was warm.

Lu Xingzhe considered himself anything but the type of pathetic creature who would be deeply grateful just because someone had saved him once, but in fact, the number of times he thought of Xi Nian was increasing.

As the person in bed was tossing and turning, the jacket slid down silently. Just as it was about to fall to the floor, a hand agilely snatched it.

Lu Xingzhe's gaze passed through the jacket, as if vaguely looking at another person. He remembered what Jiang Lun had just said, pursed his lips, and felt a bit of schadenfreude. He muttered to himself in a low voice, "This time, you've fallen right into my hands."

The ratings for Star Games had always been consistently high. After the first round of eliminations aired last night, the popularity of related topics soared. Besides the national starlet Shen Xilin's splendid performance in the gymnastics competition, another person's meteoric rise took everyone by surprise.

#Xi Nian's Stunning Performance on the Field, a Comeback Against All Odds#

#Star Games Top Contender Ranking#

In just one night, related trending terms about Xi Nian sprung up like mushrooms after rain. Even his ranking on the Superstar Leaderboard skyrocketed. His Weibo follower count and super-topic posts shed their former desolation, gradually gaining popularity.

[(Image)(Image)(Image) Xi Nian's godly visuals, come and drool! Sob sob sob, I must have been blind before, why did I never realize there was someone this handsome in the entertainment circle?]

[Is it that good-looking people don't like to post selfies? There are so few photos of my brother online. If I want to drool over his looks, I can only dig up competition screenshots. So humble.]

[I've never seen a face so cool yet so likable.]

[I was at the competition venue that day. Although Xi Nian seemed cold, he's a super nice person. Not only did he sign autographs for us, but he also specially brought us raincoats when it was raining. It would be a heavenly injustice if he didn't get famous.]

[I'm so envious QAQ]

Outside, it was still gloomy and rainy. The tall buildings disappeared into the clouds, so high one couldn't see the top. In this bustling city, people were constantly climbing, and people were constantly falling.

Xi Nian hadn't slept all night. He sat cross-legged on the floor, the ashtray beside him piled with burnt-out cigarette butts. He kept staring at his phone, watching with his own eyes how his Weibo follower count skyrocketed and how related hot posts were frequently forwarded. After staring for a long time, all the colorful pages turned into a single, cold piece of data.

Xi Nian should have been happy, because this was what he wanted. But after the happiness, there was an indescribable feeling, as if God was playing a joke on him.

He had struggled so much in his past life, ending with his reputation ruined, all for a day like today. But things that were once within sight yet beyond reach were obtained so easily in this life. Luck was truly something no one could predict.

The System had been monitoring his situation. Seeing Xi Nian press his hand to his forehead without speaking, it quietly landed beside him: [Actually, sometimes if you hold on a little longer, the ending might not be so bad.]

The cigarette between Xi Nian's fingers hadn't burned out yet. He flicked the ash. "Stop feeding me chicken soup for the soul."

Once a person reaches a certain age, they understand all the principles they're supposed to. They know murder is illegal, they know not to pocket things they find, but so what? They still end up living their lives in a thousand different ways.

So the System had learned long ago that preaching was useless; electric shocks were necessary.

Its voice always carried a crackling electric sound, as if serving as a reminder: [Don't go down the wrong path...]

In this life, reach the peak cleanly.

At these words, Xi Nian paused. Then, the spark singed his fingertip, and he retracted his hand as if he'd gotten an electric shock. He stood up from the floor, thinking the System was too naive. Why not take a shortcut when there was one? Of all the glamorous people in the entertainment circle, how many of them had clean hands?

Lu Xingzhe had been staking out the place downstairs. It wasn't until the afternoon that he finally saw Xi Nian leave. Seeing this, he tapped his fingertips on the steering wheel for a moment as if pondering something, but in the end, he decided to start the car and follow.

Those familiar with Xi Nian knew that he didn't like to run around. Apart from work, he basically stayed at home. He had just received a notice from the hospital to go for a follow-up on his injuries, which was why he had gone out.

Lu Xingzhe tailed him the whole time. He thought that Xi Nian, going out at this time, would most likely be heading to a place like a bar, but he didn't expect him to go to the hospital. Vaguely guessing something, he didn't follow him upstairs but continued to wait in the car.

About twenty minutes later, Xi Nian came out of the hospital carrying a bag of medicine. Lu Xingzhe saw him get into his car and was about to follow when, unexpectedly, an inconspicuous black sedan started tailing Xi Nian before he could.

At first, Lu Xingzhe didn't pay it any mind, thinking it was a coincidence. But when the other car followed closely through several consecutive intersections, he finally realized something was wrong. There was a bend in the road ahead. Lu Xingzhe subtly accelerated to overtake the car. As he was parallel with it, he glanced over and saw a black camera on the passenger seat through the window.

Lu Xingzhe retracted his gaze. So, it was a colleague.

Most likely sent by that old fox, Jiang Lun. After all, he wasn't the only paparazzo in the entertainment circle. Hiring one more person was one more layer of security.

Lu Xingzhe enjoyed stirring up trouble. He dialed a number on his phone. It was answered after just two rings. A familiar male voice came from the other end, which turned out to be Xi Nian. His voice was a little hoarse from smoking too much. "You need something?"

Lu Xingzhe followed from a distance, clicking his tongue at the words. "So cold. I'm kindly tipping you off."

Xi Nian didn't believe he was that kind. "What do you mean?"

Lu Xingzhe deliberately drove his car into Xi Nian's blind spot. "You'll know if you look back."

Hearing this, Xi Nian glanced in his rearview mirror and saw a black sedan following him, driven by a tall, thin man. He instantly understood what was happening but didn't care. "So there's a tail."

Since Lu Xingzhe could call to tip him off, it meant he was also nearby. Xi Nian's words had directly included him in the insult.

Lu Xingzhe chuckled. "I'm being kind. It would be bad if you got photographed while you were out whoring."

Xi Nian subtly slowed down. "You called just to say this?"

Lu Xingzhe said, "Of course not."

He paused, and his voice was suddenly coated with a layer of ambiguity, clinging like strands of honey. "To discuss a business deal with you."

Xi Nian felt that this sentence was very familiar, as if he had heard it somewhere before but couldn't recall where. Lu Xingzhe had always been an unpredictable person, and he still hadn't figured out his patterns. Hearing this, he didn't immediately agree. "I don't think we have any business to discuss."

Lu Xingzhe's hair was messed up by the cold wind from the car window, and a few strands poked his eyes. He subconsciously squinted. "You can refuse."

…

Hearing this, Xi Nian thought for three seconds. Even knowing it was a trap, his curiosity got the better of him. He wanted to know what little scheme Lu Xingzhe was plotting. "Alright."

The tall, thin man's tracking skills were truly terrible. Xi Nian had noticed him the moment he left but had simply been too lazy to bother with him. Shaking him off now was a matter of minutes. He drove around the vicinity in a large loop, and after confirming that the other car was no longer following, he drove home and parked the car downstairs.

Xi Nian opened the car door and got out. Just as he was about to contact Lu Xingzhe, a glance from the corner of his eye caught a familiar figure not far away, and his steps halted.

Lu Xingzhe limped up to him. For a change, he was wearing a white casual shirt today, still with a baseball cap on and his camera in hand. Upon seeing Xi Nian, the corner of his lips curled up, and he let out a frivolous whistle.

Xi Nian: “…”

He looked like a hooligan at first glance.