Chapter 18

After a chaotic exchange, the cause and effect were finally laid bare.

Old Master Shao, having missed the earlier storm, subconsciously assumed Yu Congyan had simply come for a social visit. His tone naturally took on the weight of an elder’s authority.

"There are so many matters in this circle; it’s unreasonable to expect little Huan to know everything. There’s no need to make things difficult for him," Old Master Shao said with a wave of his hand.

He clearly intended to settle the matter and force the younger generation to make up and move on.

Beside him, Shao Huan looked as if he had just seen a savior, his posture straightening instantly. He had only been momentarily intimidated by Yu Congyan’s presence, but now, upon reflection, he thought: Even if he knew I was targeting Xia Wansheng, what could he possibly do? Would he really dare to report it to the old man? Even if he were scolded, it would be nothing more than empty thunder; at worst, he’d lose a month’s allowance. But Yu Congyan, on the other hand, would have to weigh whether he still had a chance to collaborate with the Shao family.

Either way, it didn't seem worth it.

"I’ve been busy working on a new song lately and haven't paid much attention to the industry. If President Yu really wants to know something, perhaps you should ask elsewhere," Shao Huan said, his heart now steady. He had only disliked Xia Wansheng; he saw no reason to keep tabs on his every move.

Yu Congyan paid no mind to Shao Huan’s posturing. Shifting the conversation, he said, "President Shao, since you aren't very familiar with the entertainment industry, why don't I enlighten you?"

His expression now carried the humble politeness of a junior.

Old Master Shao didn’t react immediately, assuming Yu Congyan was merely trying to save face after being rebuffed. He thought to himself that at least the young man knew how to be respectful to his elders—a decent quality.

Before Yu Congyan could speak, Shao Huan was already more nervous than ever. *This guy is pretending to gossip about the industry to the old man, but he’s actually digging at me! If he really exposes all the unsavory things I’ve done in the industry, I’ll never be able to use the entertainment business as an excuse to get money from Grandfather again to live it up! This man is trying to cut off my source of income!*

Thinking this, Shao Huan rushed to stop him. "Things in the entertainment industry are just trivial gossip, nothing worth hearing. Grandfather, you’ve been working all day; you should go back and rest," Shao Huan said, acting very obediently.

In reality, he was weeping inside. *It seems Grandfather can’t save me either.*

Though elderly, Old Master Shao was no fool; otherwise, he wouldn't still be in the core circle of the company. He brushed away Shao Huan’s hand as the boy tried to help him up, his expression turning grave. Seeing his grandson looking panic-stricken while Yu Congyan remained composed, he realized this was no ordinary chat.

"Since you’ve come all this way, President Yu, you must be prepared. If there is something on your mind, why not speak plainly in front of an old man like me so we can resolve it?"

He glared fiercely at his incompetent grandson, thinking he would give him a proper lecture once the guests left. But even if they were in the wrong, he couldn't lose face in front of an outsider.

Yu Congyan looked at the terrified Shao Huan and realized he truly knew nothing. Since the purpose of his visit had been achieved, and both were sensible men, he chose to quit while he was ahead.

"Then I shall take my leave. We can catch up another time," Yu Congyan said, letting the matter drop. It was clear that the machinations behind the scenes were not orchestrated by the Shao family. At least one wrong answer had been eliminated.

The only thing he knew was that Xia Wansheng’s personality had undergone a drastic change after that incident, but perhaps only the person involved knew what truly happened. Yu Congyan would never dream of picking at someone’s old wounds. He merely felt, in the course of their daily lives, a subtle sense of unease that made him prone to overthinking.

Memories, once the seal is broken, tend to lead one in a certain direction. For instance, what exactly had Xia Wansheng endured? Under what kind of despair would someone choose to give up their life after being doubted?

Lately, Xia Wansheng had been feeling that the way Yu Congyan looked at him was strange, but asking about it directly felt too abrupt. *Could I have messed up my performance in some weird way again?!*

Xia Wansheng thought this man was just too hard to deceive. For the sake of his own survival, he decided to limit his contact with him in the short term. Besides, he would be joining the program crew soon; once he was out and about, Yu Congyan couldn't possibly watch him play the "white moonlight" 24/7.

The future suddenly seemed worth looking forward to. This was a paid vacation right around the corner!

Xia Wansheng felt his life had become very fulfilling. Running between vocal lessons and program training, he had no time to contemplate Yu Congyan’s recent abnormal behavior.

One evening, Yu Congyan looked at Xia Wansheng, who clearly had no appetite, with a complex expression. "Is the food not to your liking?"

Recently, he only saw Xia Wansheng at dinner. In the past, even when his schedule was packed, Xia Wansheng would find time to drop by the company area—never had he completely pushed him to the back of his mind like this. He must be intentionally avoiding him. Moreover, Xia Wansheng had barely touched his dinner for several days in a row. *Could his psychological state be affecting his physical health?*

Xia Wansheng shook his head in confusion. He couldn't exactly say that every time he went to see Old Master Feng and the production crew, everyone was force-feeding him snacks and pastries. Old Master Feng, in particular, treated him like his own grandson, nagging him to eat more, almost to the point of rolling up his sleeves to stew a large bone for him. But after the scallion-fried lamb incident almost blew his cover, Xia Wansheng wasn't going to take any more risks.

"It's nothing, just no appetite due to the heat," Xia Wansheng lied.

The air conditioner in the room chimed in at an inopportune moment: "The current indoor temperature is 26 degrees, the most comfortable temperature for the human body."

Yu Congyan: "..."

A cloud of silence hung over them.

After returning to his bedroom, Xia Wansheng received a message from the production crew. He found it a bit strange. Logically, reality shows required guests to know their personas and scripts in advance, but the directors seemed only to have familiarized him with the flow and basic plot. Xia Wansheng knew nothing about his persona or the script.

"So, I should just improvise?" Xia Wansheng asked.

The junior scriptwriter responsible for explaining the process nodded stiffly. Looking at the clueless youth before him, the writer offered a silent prayer for the star who was about to be smeared by the entire internet. The staff all knew that the key to such a show was the "show" itself; it was impossible that there was no script.

But Xia Wansheng was a special case. The chief director had explicitly instructed them to use the widest possible camera angles and capture the most "authentic" reactions that could be used to spark controversy, all to ensure he would be blacklisted by the entire internet in one fell swoop.

In short, they wanted everyone to see Xia Wansheng’s helplessness and persona collapse in high definition. The junior scriptwriter couldn't help but look at him a few more times, as he might not see him again after the show. The young man had watery lychee-shaped eyes—a look naturally suited for appearing innocent—yet the slight droop at the corners of his eyes gave him a sense of detachment, as if he were merely wandering through the mortal world, indifferent to worldly things.

Xia Wansheng, being on a formal program for the first time, naturally didn't know this was a trap the crew had dug for him to please Yu Congyan. When the time came, everyone else would have prepared lines and appropriate reactions, while Xia Wansheng would be left in the dark. As long as he couldn't keep up with a topic or exposed his original self’s vanity, he would be isolated and vilified on the spot.

The junior writer had initially felt this was wrong and considered a quiet warning, but the chief director had scolded him harshly: "The money for this show is invested by President Yu. He just wants us to make things a little difficult for a small star. If you want to be a hero, invest your own money, and I’ll promote you alone."

With that, the writer dared not be a whistleblower and could only hope Xia Wansheng would notice something was wrong on his own.

Unfortunately, Xia Wansheng was fully immersed in his vocal training, and since the crew didn't require him to memorize a script, he felt quite relaxed. After all, he was undergoing "devil training" under the personal supervision of Old Master Feng. Even with some talent, Xia Wansheng felt like his throat was about to be ruined. He felt like a sprout being forcibly pulled upward.

Old Master Feng seemed convinced that Xia Wansheng had been suffering in silence for years, and now he was determined to help him work hard in secret so he could shock everyone and clear his name!

"Little Xia, as my final disciple, the results you present this time represent my reputation to a great extent. You must not shame our master-disciple bond!!!!"

Early in the morning, after finishing a set of Baduanjin in the park, the two were strolling and chatting. Old Master Feng said this was to train his ears by listening to the various bird calls in the park; constant practice would improve his auditory sensitivity. This was a truth he had realized only after years of study. He thought to himself what a bargain it was for this kid to learn his secret techniques without much effort.

On second thought, Xia Wansheng had such a solid foundation and had never taken a master before, so becoming his final disciple was pure fate. Perhaps this was what they called the convergence of favorable timing, geography, and human conditions.

"You still lack an opportunity to showcase your talent. I’ve never even heard of that program; how can that be good?" Old Master Feng lamented. He had relied on his own skills for years and hadn't cared much for connections, and his relationship with old friends was as thin as water; for a moment, he really couldn't think of anyone suitable to give his disciple a hand.

Just as Old Master Feng was thinking, he ran into an acquaintance—his former junior fellow apprentice. Over the years, this man had opened training classes and made quite a fortune. Though he lacked real substance, he had taken in so many students that he inevitably encountered a few with high talent, and over the years, he had gained quite a reputation. Old Master Feng had always looked down on his style and had ignored him for years.

As they were about to pass each other, the junior apprentice suddenly grabbed Old Master Feng’s shoulder, surprised and delighted. "Senior brother, it really is you!"

The junior apprentice had grown quite plump over the years, his face ruddy—at first glance, it looked like he was flushed with excitement at seeing his senior. *Great! I’ve wanted to advertise my training classes with Old Master Feng for ages; I’ve finally caught him.* It was worth the half-month he had spent waking up early to wander this park. Hard work really does pay off.