TF01 39

The moment Ying Ming heard Wang Le wailing over the phone about something happening to Shi Yi, his expression darkened.

Wang Yiqi was startled. He had never seen him look this grim before.

Ying Ming asked for leave from the film crew, saying he had something urgent to handle. He ignored Wang Yiqi’s persistent questions, ran straight to his car, and sped off. It wasn’t until he was nearing the bar that he finally understood what Wang Le had been trying to say. Shi Yi had gotten into a fight.

That made him freeze for a moment.

Shi Yi was the last person he would expect to get into a brawl in public. It felt almost surreal.

But the thought didn’t last long. When he spotted a reporter’s van parked outside the bar, his first instinct was that Shi Yi had been set up.

He rushed inside, pushing through the crowd. The moment he spotted Shi Yi at the center of the commotion, he grabbed him from behind and dragged him out.

Ying Ming wasn’t weak. Shi Yi nearly lost his footing from the sudden force.

Being pulled away mid-fight, his temper flared. “Fuck, you looking to die?”

Ying Ming didn’t stop for a second. “Shi Yi, there are reporters outside. Get the hell out of here.”

Maybe it was because the voice was too familiar, but the haze in Shi Yi’s eyes finally cleared. He steadied himself and turned to look. “Ying Ming?”

He wanted to ask what he was doing here, but the person dragging him toward the door clearly had no time for explanations. “There’s a back exit. Get out through there.”

Before Shi Yi could step out, he grabbed Ying Ming’s arm. “You said there are reporters?”

“Yeah. Probably called here by the guys you fought. Don’t make things worse.”

Shi Yi’s mess with Liu Li had already caused enough of a stir. If reporters got footage of him fighting Zhao Zicong in a bar, there was no telling how much worse things could get. The headlines would be a disaster.

Ying Ming understood that, and so did Shi Yi, but just leaving like this didn’t sit right with him. He frowned. “What about you?”

“For fuck’s sake. I’m a third-rate actor caught fighting in a club. This’ll blow over in three days, tops. How bad could it get?”

Like he had said before, the frustrating thing about being a celebrity was that bad press was still better than no press. This wouldn’t be a flattering story, but it was better for him to take the fall than for Shi Yi to be put on the chopping block.

Seeing Shi Yi hesitate, Ying Ming lost his patience and kicked him. “Stop being a dumbass. You want tk throw your own reputation away, fine, but you want to drag your family into this too?”

That finally gave Shi Yi a reason to leave.

Shi Yi hesitated for a moment. In the end, he glanced at Ying Ming once before slipping out through the back door.

The whole bar had been thrown into chaos so quickly that most people hadn’t even registered what was happening. Zhao Zicong, still struggling to chase after Shi Yi, spotted Ying Ming and immediately started yelling with a twisted expression. He was about to run after Shi Yi when Ying Ming turned around and punched him without a second thought.

The people nearby were dumbfounded. Zhao Zicong had already taken a beating from Shi Yi earlier and was barely holding himself together. Now that Ying Ming had jumped in and started throwing punches, he completely lost it and charged at him like a madman, kicking and swinging wildly.

But he was no match for Shi Yi, let alone Ying Ming.

Aside from his furious shouting, all the bystanders saw was him lunging forward over and over, only to get knocked back again and again. It was the same cycle until the police finally arrived.

When it came time to give statements, Ying Ming admitted without hesitation that he was the one who started the fight.

Zhao Zicong had already been sent to the hospital. As for the so-called witnesses, most of them had been too caught up in the spectacle to understand what was going on. Since no one wanted trouble, they all gave the same vague response when the police questioned them.

“No idea how it started. They were just fighting before we knew it.”

That was the truth. Nobody actually understood why Ying Ming had suddenly attacked Zhao Zicong.

Fortunately, the bar owner was an old acquaintance of Ying Ming’s. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have known about the back exit. When the owner, bartenders, and waitstaff gave their statements, they deliberately left Shi Yi out of it. They all stuck to the same version of the story, that Zhao Zicong and Ying Ming had a drunken misunderstanding, which led to the fight.

The reporters waiting outside, of course, only managed to capture footage of Ying Ming being taken away by the police.

When Wang Yiqi and the others heard that Ying Ming had gotten into a fight and was taken to the police station, they thought it was a joke.

“You’ve got to be kidding me. Ying Ming got into a bar fight?”

It sounded way too ridiculous.

But the reporters wouldn’t let up, constantly pressing the film crew for details. Wang Yiqi eventually lost his temper, shoved them aside, and stormed into the makeup trailer.

Then he started calling Ying Ming like crazy, but the phone was either off or out of service.

He finally tracked down Kou Jing and Haozi to get the full story. After confirming everything, he realized that Ying Ming really had been locked up for causing trouble while drunk. The situation was still unclear, but Kou Jing had already contacted a lawyer and was handling the paperwork.

“Who the hell did Ying Ming get into a fight with?” No matter how he looked at it, none of this made sense. He had known Ying Ming for years, and even if the guy did get into fights, he’d never be stupid enough to land himself in jail over it.

Kou Jing hesitated on the other end of the call before answering. “I heard it was Zhao Zicong.”

That was all Wang Yiqi needed to hear.

Fuck.

If it weren’t for the reporters swarming outside, keeping him trapped here, he would have dragged Shi Yi out and beaten the shit out of him.

“I’m stuck dealing with the press on set. I don’t think I can leave right now. If anything comes up, let me know. If you need help, call me.”

“Don’t worry. It’s not a huge deal. I can handle it.”

Kou Jing sounded relaxed, wrapping up the conversation quickly before hanging up. He still had to wait for an update from the lawyer.

But despite what he had told Wang Yiqi, his brows were furrowed the whole time he was on the call.

If Ying Ming had just gotten into a fight with some random person, the worst that would’ve happened was a media frenzy. It wouldn’t have been a big deal beyond the news coverage. But what made Kou Jing uneasy was that the other party was Zhao Zicong. If it were anyone else, they could have at least discussed a settlement, paying damages if necessary. But with someone like Zhao Zicong, how were they supposed to deal with him?

That was a problem for later, though. Right now, the priority was making sure Ying Ming was safe at the station.

None of them had ever been locked up before, but they’d heard enough horror stories to worry. The last thing they wanted was for something to actually happen in there.

Fortunately, the lawyer soon informed Kou Jing that he could visit.

Ying Ming wasn’t getting released just yet, but at least the police didn’t seem eager to push things too far.

The lawyer he’d hired was clearly capable.

Once the paperwork was settled and they were finally allowed in, Kou Jing saw that Ying Ming seemed to be doing okay.

At the very least, he could still smile.

The first thing out of his mouth was, “Got a smoke?”

Kou Jing had no idea what to say to that. He just handed over a cigarette and lit it for him. He waited until Ying Ming had taken a couple of drags before sighing.

“Seriously, Mingzi, what the hell were you thinking? How did you end up fighting Zhao Zicong?”

Ying Ming grinned with the cigarette between his lips. “Guess I lost my mind for a second.”

“No shit you lost your mind!” Kou Jing’s frown deepened, his frustration written all over his face. “So what’s your plan now? Why the hell would you mess with someone like Zhao Zicong?”

“It’s fine.”

Ying Ming’s expression didn’t change. The handcuffs made smoking a hassle, and after struggling to take a few more drags, he eventually gave up, shaking his head. “Damn things are heavier than they look…”

On TV, they always seemed lightweight, but in reality, they dug into his wrists until they went numb.

Kou Jing was ready to explode. “You really don’t care if you get locked up for a few months, do you?”

Picking a fight and causing trouble wasn’t exactly the worst charge, but it wasn’t minor either. The evidence against Ying Ming was solid. If Zhao Zicong refused to let this go, things could get complicated.

But Ying Ming just raised an eyebrow. “I doubt it’ll get that serious. If Zhao Zicong blows this up, he’ll just embarrass himself. At worst, I’ll be stuck here for a few days while he vents. No big deal.”

Who the hell wanted to admit they got their ass kicked, especially someone like Zhao Zicong?

Ying Ming figured the worst that could happen was suffering a little while locked up, but it wouldn’t be serious enough to land him in prison.

Besides, he had some connections and friends. It wasn’t like he’d be at Zhao Zicong’s mercy.

Kou Jing knew there was no convincing him, so he could only grit his teeth and sigh, leaving two more cigarettes behind. “We’ll do our best on the outside, and we’ve already talked to some people. Just keep an eye on yourself. If anything happens, find a way to contact us.”

“Yeah, got it.”

Ying Ming signaled for him to leave.

Since he wasn’t being held for questioning but had been caught on the spot and taken in, there wasn’t much room to argue. Kou Jing’s lawyer had made arrangements, and the police confirmed the situation wasn’t serious. As long as Zhao Zicong didn’t push the issue, at most, it would just be a few days of detention.

Ying Ming had expected to be locked up for at least three to five days.

Zhao Zicong wasn’t the type to let things slide, but he also wouldn’t make a public scene. Ying Ming had already braced himself for a drawn-out stay.

But less than twenty hours later, he was released.

Wang Yiqi, Haozi, and Kou Jing came to pick him up. Wang Yiqi looked furious, like he was about to start a fight right then and there.

Ying Ming knew exactly why, so he just patted his shoulder. “Come on, was it really worth it?”

“Worth it? Are you kidding me?”

Wang Yiqi’s voice shot up. “Do you have any idea how much of a mess the crew is in because of you? If you really got locked up for two months, do you know how much you’d have to pay in damages?”

Movies made jail time seem like no big deal, but in reality, getting caught up in something like this was a nightmare for anyone involved.

Especially since Wang Yiqi knew exactly who Ying Ming had taken the fall for.

“Seriously, have you lost your damn mind? All this just for Shi Yi? Was it worth screwing yourself over?”

Ying Ming frowned slightly, but before he could speak, Wang Yiqi continued.

“And let me tell you, even if he did show up this time, he still owes you. If I see him anytime soon, I swear I won’t let it slide.”

Ying Ming smirked faintly. Haozi nudged him. “You won’t have to wait long.”

Kou Jing followed Ying Ming’s gaze, and Wang Yiqi turned around as well.

Shi Yi stood behind them, a cigarette between his lips, his brow slightly raised. “So how exactly are you planning to make this ‘not over’?”