An Xumo’s back hurt terribly. The spot where he had been struck burned with a sharp pain, and even the act of breathing tugged at the injury. The trainees were all around 20 years old; even without much skill, the force of a direct hit from a club was nothing to underestimate. An Xumo was thin, with little flesh on his bones, so the blow had landed directly on the bone. Just the sound of it at the time was enough to make one’s teeth ache.
But when Han Ming reached out to pull him up, An Xumo didn’t show much reaction. He withdrew his right hand from the man’s grasp, lowered his head, and softly said, “Thank you, senior. I’m fine.”
He walked a short distance away on his own, bent down slowly, and picked up the phone that had just been thrown down by the brown-haired trainee.
Chen Li had already ended the call. Her gaze shifted to the seven trainees standing in a row. The respect she had shown during the call had completely vanished, replaced by an expression clouded with uncertainty. Under her stare, the trainees grew even stiffer, each lowering their heads, wishing they could bury their faces into their chests, not daring to make a sound.
Chen Li was furious, but she had no intention of dealing with them directly. Zhou Jinchen’s status in Jin Dian was far more than just that of a popular star. The department Chen Li belonged to had little contact with the higher-ups, and she had never imagined that her first conversation with Zhou Jinchen would happen under these circumstances.
The person who had initially called Chen Li was Xin Zimai. When she answered and heard him bringing up issues about the company’s artist management, she was somewhat surprised, as such matters usually had little to do with someone in charge of trainees. But Xin Zimai insisted that she go to the trainees’ practice area, and since her office was just downstairs, she came to the dance studio. By now, it was already break time, and the studio should have been empty. Yet, as soon as she reached the floor, she was met with the sound of someone shouting angrily.
On the way there, she had run into Han Ming, whom she had previously mentored. Han Ming had just finished discussing a new choreography with the dance instructor and was about to leave after a quick greeting. But upon hearing the commotion, he didn’t feel right leaving Chen Li alone and decided to come along.
And now, two artists had gotten involved in the situation, making it impossible to handle quietly. Forcing down her frustration, Chen Li turned to An Xumo and asked, “Xiao An, right? I remember you. Are you hurt? Can you tell me what happened?”
An Xumo was looking down at his phone. The call on his screen was still ongoing. He didn’t know why the other party hadn’t hung up, but he was reluctant to end it himself—he hadn’t heard Zhou Jinchen’s voice yet.
Hearing Chen Li’s question, An Xumo looked up and glanced at the seven trainees, whose faces were ashen. None of them dared to meet his eyes.
“Thank you, Sister Chen,” An Xumo thought for a moment before saying, “I’m not sure. After training ended, they came over and pushed me into this room.”
Chen Li frowned. She was well aware of An Xumo’s situation—aside from his own abilities, he had no other backing. Yet today, Xin Zimai had personally stepped in to protect him, forcing Chen Li to reassess An Xumo’s position.
Regardless, this matter had to be handled in a way that satisfied the right people. After a few words of reassurance to An Xumo, she dialed a number. She then called out the names of the seven trainees one by one before saying to the person on the other end, “Pull out their contracts and send them to Director Xin.”
The moment she finished speaking, the trainees, who had been bracing themselves for a reprimand, felt their hearts sink.
This outcome was far worse than being scolded. Though Chen Li was an experienced manager, her authority was nowhere near that of Xin Zimai, who had long been involved with the company’s top-tier teams. Even with trainees, she didn’t have the power to dismiss them directly. But Xin Zimai was different—whatever action he chose to take against them would be well within his rights.
After handling that, Chen Li still paid no attention to the trainees. Instead, she turned to Han Ming and said, “By the way, you were looking for backup dancers for your new single last time, right? Xiao An happens to be one of the candidates. Things got a bit messy today, but at least you two got to know each other in advance. When the choreography is set, be sure to work well together.”
She said this to reassure An Xumo, but unintentionally, it was like driving another knife into the seven trainees’ chests. Their reason for attacking An Xumo in the first place was their resentment over him robbing the resources they wanted. Given that he had always been a loner with no background, they had acted so brazenly. But now, not only had An Xumo secured the opportunity, he had also gained such a powerful supporter.
The trainees were already drowning in despair, but Chen Li showed no intention of acknowledging them, leaving them without a chance to plead their case.
What shocked them even more was that Han Ming also spoke up. “Xiao An is very talented. I had already taken notice of him before. Don’t worry, Sister Chen—our collaboration will definitely go smoothly.”
The seven trainees found it increasingly unbelievable—just what was the origin of this An Xumo, that everyone seemed to be protecting him?
While resentment burned in their hearts, An Xumo remained unaware of their emotions. After briefly thanking Chen Li and Han Ming, he said apologetically, “Sorry, I still have a call to finish.”
Han Ming was the first to respond, “Go ahead. How about I walk you out?”
He exchanged a glance with Chen Li. Since she couldn’t gauge An Xumo’s background, she wasn’t in a position to insist on keeping him there, so she simply went along with it. “Go on, go on. You’ve had a scare today—get some rest. I’ll handle things here.”
Han Ming and An Xumo left the dance studio together. Outside, the sky had already darkened. An Xumo had initially wanted to decline Han Ming’s company, but the other insisted on leaving together, so he didn’t press the issue. He glanced at the still-lit phone screen, took a shallow breath, and softly called out, “…Hello?”
On the other end of the line, Zhou Jinchen, who had just listened in on the entire situation, wasn’t in a good mood either.
After leaving the task of reserving a restaurant to Xin Zimai, he had originally planned to call his long-estranged younger brother directly. But with An Xumo’s tight training schedule, by the time he dialed, An Xumo was already in class. Since the restaurant wasn’t far from Jin Dian, Zhou Jinchen decided to head there first and call An Xumo over when the time came.
However, upon arriving at the restaurant, his mood took a sharp turn for the worse. Xin Zimai, who hadn’t even had a chance to leave yet, was dragged into the restaurant along with him.
Holding up the printed meal order, Zhou Jinchen’s voice carried a distinct chill. “Oil-free stewed skinless chicken breast, avocado salad, non-fat yogurt. This is what you picked for dinner?”
Xin Zimai rubbed his nose. “Isn’t it healthy?”
Zhou Jinchen’s fingertips traced the row of numbers printed beneath the meal descriptions. The stark white paper bore visible gray smudges from his touch. His deliberately slowed voice carried an undeniable pressure. “Oh, it’s healthy, alright. So healthy that every single calorie is meticulously counted.”
Xin Zimai cleared his throat. “Well, actually, I found it strange too, but this is exactly what Xiao An’s manager instructed. I checked his contract—he didn’t sign a comprehensive agreement. The company is only providing him with idol-related resources. You know idols and actors have different demands. Maybe he’s just trying to maintain his figure?”
Zhou Jinchen gave him a blank look, then pulled out his phone and dialed An Xumo. He had intended to ask for An Xumo’s preference directly—if he wanted something else, they could simply change restaurants. But the moment the call connected, an odd crashing noise came from the other end.
The sounds that followed only grew more concerning. Zhou Jinchen frowned, pulling the phone slightly away to avoid being detected. In a lowered voice, he told Xin Zimai, “Call the person in charge of the trainees. Tell them something’s happening over there.”
Xin Zimai, who had been intently studying the calorie chart in an attempt to make himself invisible, was momentarily stunned. But seeing that Zhou Jinchen’s expression was dead serious, he quickly pulled out his own phone and dialed Chen Li.
Though somewhat confused, Chen Li agreed to check on the situation. However, getting there would take time. As the noises coming from the phone grew increasingly unsettling, Zhou Jinchen grabbed the plate of appetizers that had just been placed in front of him and, with a swift motion, smashed the pristine white dish onto the floor.
“Clang!”
The high-end restaurant had an elegant atmosphere and excellent privacy, but its layout was still semi-open. The sudden loud crash exploded through the refined music, instantly drawing the attention of everyone in the restaurant.
Xin Zimai couldn’t help but press a hand to his forehead, doing his best to maintain a composed expression under countless gazes. While hurriedly urging Chen Li over the phone, he made a silent vow in his heart—
…In the future, never, ever come to this restaurant again.
The author has something to say:
Didn’t get to the meal this time—sorry for the false lead (bows). But they’ll definitely eat in the next chapter…
Also, I’d love to ask everyone to bookmark this story and follow me as an author! You can do that by clicking into my profile. Thank you all~ -3-
I’m working hard on improving my writing style and hope you all enjoy reading~ Looking forward to today’s comments (☆▽☆). The progress bar for the update is already halfway there XD
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