TF01 47

When Shi Yi went to find his family, Weisai’s lawyer also sought out Ying Ming.

He did not call ahead to set up a meeting and just showed up at Ying Ming’s house. When Ying Ming opened the door and saw the lawyer standing outside, he instinctively frowned.

It was obvious the other party wanted to come in, but Ying Ming blocked the entrance. “If you want to talk, let’s go somewhere else. My home isn’t a place to entertain guests.”

The lawyer did not say anything and simply followed him. They found a teahouse nearby, got a private room, and ordered a few things.

Once the tea and snacks arrived, Ying Ming told the server not to come in unless necessary. The server understood immediately, nodded, and left.

Ying Ming took a sip of tea. “Just say what you came here for.”

The lawyer nodded at his directness and pulled out a document. “I do not think I need to explain too much. Right now, Weisai’s competitors are using the rally incident to attack the company. We need some form of assurance.”

Ying Ming frowned. “What do you mean?”

“Take a look at this document first.”

He handed it over while sipping his tea. The steam fogged up his glasses, but he did not wipe them, simply drinking at his own pace.

When Ying Ming finished reading and set the document down, the lawyer also placed his teacup back on the table.

“What do you think?”

Ying Ming did not respond immediately.

Seeing his expression, the lawyer raised a brow as if he had expected this reaction. He smiled politely and added, “The terms are already quite generous. There is no need for you to be so stubborn.”

“This is nothing but coercion.”

“I see this as something beneficial for everyone.” The lawyer’s smile carried a specific implication. He rubbed his teacup, waiting for the mist on his glasses to fade before adjusting them. “Going abroad now would also help you avoid media harassment. It would be a relief for you too.”

The contract required Ying Ming to take an extended vacation in the United States. Weisai would cover all his expenses abroad, but in return, he could not accept any media interviews or participate in any public discussions.

At first glance, the offer seemed reasonable, but for an actor, disappearing from the public eye for a period of time could be devastating.

Otherwise, Ying Ming would not have gone as far as accepting Category III films just to maintain his status as an actor.

The contract did not specify a time limit. In essence, it was no different from being exiled and shelved.

As for the so-called expenses and accommodations, they meant nothing to Ying Ming.

He pushed the contract back. “There’s no way I’m signing something like this.”

The lawyer was not surprised by his refusal.

After a moment of silence, he looked up. “Mr. Ying, I hope you understand that the reason I am still here talking to you is because Weisai is willing to resolve this matter. Let me give you a little insight—the direct financial losses from this incident have already reached a level where some people might be driven to commit crimes over it. Of course, no one would actually do such things. I just want you to grasp the seriousness of the situation and understand that there are many ways to solve a problem. The option in front of you now is the most peaceful and the most suitable for you.”

After saying this, the lawyer smiled. “You’ve been in the entertainment industry for years. Even if I don’t spell everything out, I trust you understand.”

Ying Ming simply lowered his head and sipped his tea, making no response.

The room fell into an uneasy silence. With their opposing stances, the two of them sitting in this small private booth, drinking tea, made for an uncomfortable atmosphere.

After finishing about a third of his cup, the lawyer picked up the document again, flipped through it, then set it aside and looked at Ying Ming. “Or perhaps, Mr. Ying, you could suggest a way to resolve this.”

He smiled. “Everything is negotiable.”

Once again, Ying Ming was reminded why he disliked the lawyer’s smile. It was too calculating, too obvious in its intent. He took his time drinking his tea until he was satisfied, then finally set his cup down.

“First, let me make it clear. I wasn’t the one who leaked the rally incident.”

The lawyer responded with a knowing smile, saying nothing.

That kind of expression made Ying Ming want to punch him. He frowned and forced himself to hold back. “Second, since I didn’t accept the first contract right after the incident, now that things have escalated to this point, I have even less reason to sign this. Weisai’s problem doesn’t lie with me. Even if you remove me from the picture, it won’t fundamentally change the situation. Instead of wasting so much effort dealing with someone insignificant like me, why not focus on something actually useful?”

The real issue was Weisai’s competitor, not who said what.

Spending so much effort on him was completely missing the point.

The lawyer adjusted his glasses. “So, Mr. Ying, you’ve made up your mind?”

Ying Ming shrugged. “To me, this was never even a decision that needed consideration.” There was simply nothing worth weighing.

If he really followed Weisai’s arrangement and went to the United States, wouldn’t that make him the scapegoat, the perfect target for public outrage? At such a critical moment, suddenly fleeing abroad would make everyone assume he was running away to escape the fallout. It would be the classic case of a guilty conscience. He had done nothing wrong. Why should he act like a rat scurrying through the streets?

The lawyer simply watched Ying Ming without saying anything.

Perhaps he had assessed that Ying Ming had no room for negotiation. After a moment, he slowly began gathering the documents. Once they were secured in his briefcase, he stood up and shook his head. “Then I can only say, what a pity.”

Ying Ming frowned slightly but did not respond.

After the lawyer left on his own, he sat there for a while longer, drinking tea. When he had stepped outside earlier, he had already noticed some reporters tailing him. By tomorrow, there would probably be a fresh version of the story circulating again. These days, there was a new rumor every day, all kinds of speculation running wild.

“Nothing better to do…”

Muttering his thoughts, he finished the entire pot of tea before finally getting up. After calling for the bill, he ignored the reporters waiting outside, hailed a random taxi, and headed home.

Before he even arrived, he spotted someone standing at his door from a distance.

His first thought was that it was a reporter. Annoyance flashed across his face, but before he could fully show his irritation, the car moved closer, and he recognized Shi Yi.

As soon as he got out of the car, Shi Yi strolled over. While paying the fare, Ying Ming glanced at him.

“When did you get here?”

Shi Yi had his jacket draped over his arm and had clearly had a bit to drink. “I have only been waiting a while. I forgot to call before coming over.”

In truth, he had been certain Ying Ming would be home at this hour no matter what, so he had not bothered calling.

The reporters waiting outside recognized Shi Yi. As soon as they saw him, they raised their cameras to take pictures. But the young master, who had already been drinking, frowned and said, “If you dare take a single shot, however many pictures you take, you better be ready to swallow every single one of them.”

His features were already sharp and well-defined. Under the dim lighting outside Ying Ming’s house, with only the car’s headlights casting a glow, Shi Yi’s expression carried an even stronger sense of pressure. The reporters hesitated for a moment, watching the two of them enter the house and slam the door shut with force.

As soon as they stepped inside, Shi Yi let out a scoff. “They’re asking for it.”

Ying Ming tossed him a bottle of water and chuckled. “For most people, talking to the paparazzi like that is what’s really asking for it.”

People who made a living off fabricated stories channeled all their emotions into malicious attacks on others.

Sometimes, it wasn’t about celebrities handling their relationships with the media poorly. The truth was, in the eyes of those reporters, celebrities weren’t even considered real people. They were just tools that kept their bellies full. They didn’t care how they used them or what the consequences would be.

Shi Yi only responded with a dismissive smirk. “It’s exactly because you people compromise with them too much that they keep pushing their luck.”

Bullies preyed on the weak. The more lenient you were with them, the more they would take advantage.

Ying Ming knew that discussing this topic with Shi Yi wouldn’t lead to anything productive. Instead of continuing the debate, he leaned against the counter, popped open a chilled beer, and asked, “So, what brings you here?”

Shi Yi raised an eyebrow and smiled. “Nothing urgent, just wanted to let you know I’ve handled the Weisai situation.”

“Oh?” Ying Ming was surprised. “How did you take care of it?”

Just earlier, someone had come to talk to him about contract issues, yet now it was already resolved?

Shi Yi didn’t go into detail. He simply waved a hand dismissively. “Don’t worry about how I did it. Just know that things will start improving soon. For now, no matter who comes to you with what, don’t respond. They’ll back off on their own.”

His father hadn’t explicitly told him anything, but Shi Yi knew that his reaction meant he had already given tacit approval.

Ying Ming didn’t press for details. Instead, he lifted his beer slightly in a silent toast of appreciation. The two of them exchanged a knowing smile.

Maybe it was because he had been coming over more often lately, but Shi Yi was starting to feel a strange sense of familiarity with Ying Ming’s storage room. From the moment he walked in, Smoke Ring had been crouching nearby, staring at him with wide eyes and its usual expressionless face.

Feeling a sudden impulse, Shi Yi squatted down beside the cat and reached out to pet it. “How long have you had this cat?”

The moment his hand moved closer, Smoke Ring lashed out with a paw.

Luckily, Shi Yi had quick reflexes and pulled back just in time. He raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Damn, it’s got quite the temper.”

Ying Ming watched the scene unfold with amusement and took a sip of his beer. “It actually belongs to a friend. They left it with me when they moved, and they never came back to pick it up. I’ve just been keeping it here, though I have no idea when I’ll have to give it back.”

“So it’s just here on loan?”

Shi Yi was a little surprised, but when he heard Ying Ming say he wasn’t sure when he’d have to return the cat, he shook his head in disapproval. “If they really wanted it back, they would’ve asked by now. I think they just got lazy and dumped it on you.”

Ying Ming didn’t argue. He only smiled without saying anything.

After a while, Shi Yi remembered he had a few documents to handle and glanced around. “Hey, do you have a computer? Let me borrow it.”

Ying Ming pointed at a nearby cabinet. “Top shelf. Just pull it out.”

There was a desktop upstairs in the study, but most of the time, Ying Ming preferred using a laptop. It was easy to carry around and didn’t take up much space.

Shi Yi turned it on, only to find it locked with a password when he reached the login screen.

“What’s your password?”

“2401.”

Shi Yi frowned. “2401? That’s a weird one…”

It wasn’t a birthday, a phone number, or even a proper date. Curious, he asked, “Is that part of your ID number or something?”

Ying Ming just smiled. “None of the above.”

Seeing that he wasn’t going to explain, Shi Yi didn’t press further. He logged into his email, sent a few replies, and once he was done, stretched lazily before flopping onto the couch. “I don’t feel like going home today. I drank earlier, so I probably shouldn’t drive. I’ll crash here for the night.”

The man who had just finished a bottle of beer nodded casually. “Suit yourself, but you should go sleep in the guest room.”

It wasn’t like the couch was some kind of lucky charm.

Shi Yi only narrowed his eyes with a smirk. “Didn’t we already share a bed once? What’s the hassle? Let’s just do that again.”