“You mess with Lin Chengdong, did you not think that Lin Chengdong would kill me?” Bai Yue asked, gritting her teeth.

Bai Yingchuan smiled, with a rare hint of stubbornness, “He won’t mess with you because he still needs you as a mascot. Without a big star like you, how could this trashy movie deserve a budget of over a hundred million? But Mom… haven’t you realized that you have the power to destroy him?”

“I destroy him? What nonsense are you talking about?”

“This whole time, whether I followed you to dinners or the calls Lin Chengdong made to my phone, I recorded all of them.”

Bai Yue paused, “You… you recorded them?”

“Yes, I also consulted a very good lawyer. According to the recording, Lin Chengdong has already stated in the recording that he handled ‘yin-yang contracts’ for you to evade taxes. If you turn yourself in voluntarily, as long as you pay the overdue fees and fines, you won’t go to jail.”

Bai Yue’s eyes widened as she looked at her son.

“Are you crazy? Adding the overdue fees and fines will probably amount to over fifty million! I haven’t even recouped the money I invested with Lin Chengdong before! Where would I get fifty million! And at my age, it’ll be impossible to make a comeback! Are you trying to ruin the rest of my life?”

“Ms. Bai Yue, face reality. Lin Chengdong is getting greedier and greedier, wanting more and more, and his schemes are getting bigger and bigger! He’s bound to crash sooner or later, and if you don’t save yourself now, your financial burden will snowball! Will it still be fifty million then? If you voluntarily confess to the tax authorities with a good attitude and pay the fines and overdue fees, social media isn’t as developed now, and as long as they don’t blacklist you, you can still come out and act! But in the future, when online media becomes mainstream, if you want to save yourself then, countless netizens can verbally abuse you to death, and that will be ruining the rest of your life!”

Bai Yue became fearful. She imagined herself with nothing, people she considered inferior pointing fingers at her online. The thought of falling from the clouds made her tremble.

“I don’t want to… I don’t want to pay that fifty million…”

“I have over twelve million. I’ll give it all to you. If it’s not enough, I can borrow more. Nothing in this world that money can solve is a big deal—don’t you want freedom? Do you want to be threatened by Lin Chengdong forever? Do you know that those PR companies he made you work with are actually owned by those big bosses? If you continue to cooperate with him, it’s equivalent to continuing to channel benefits to investors in the name of PR! These PR companies are those bosses’ private money bags, and you’re Lin Chengdong’s scapegoat!”

Bai Yue was stunned, “Those… those PR companies… I thought they were Lin Chengdong’s side business… He… he actually used me to benefit others?”

“Mom, you need to save yourself. If you don’t save yourself, you’ll just be buried with Lin Chengdong.”

Bai Yingchuan looked down at his mother, with a rare hint of pity and a final expectation, hoping she could stand up instead of being bent by fame and fortune.

“I don’t want to… Lin Chengdong is very cunning! He might not get into trouble…” Bai Yue was still consoling herself.

Bai Yingchuan sighed, “Then I can only save myself.”

“You… save yourself… what do you mean?”

“I’ll report you to the tax authorities.”

Bai Yingchuan’s words were like a sharp blade falling from above, piercing through all fragile illusions.

“I’m your mom! You’d report me!”

“Because I’m doing this for your own good too—right now, I can still afford your fine, but in a couple of years, I might not be able to!”

Bai Yue was struck. She knew her son’s worry was valid.

“Ms. Bai Yue, if you want to live long and go far, you have to be a bit ruthless with yourself.”

This was a classic line from Bai Yue’s first movie.

Bai Yingchuan turned and went back to his room.

He understood his mother, knew all her expressions, even those subtle wavering glances.

—Bai Yue had long wanted to take a bite out of Lin Chengdong!

It was now only a matter of time. Bai Yue should contact an accountant and tax advisor to help estimate the exact amount of tax evasion and penalties.

Bai Yingchuan sat in his chair, thought for a while, then called Jiang Ruotang.

---

“Hello, did you convince your mom?” Jiang Ruotang asked, holding the phone to his ear with his shoulder and leaning back in his chair.

“Not yet, but soon.”

Bai Yingchuan paused for a moment, then asked, “Jiang Ruotang, what’s your connection to Tangyun Culture Investment?”

Jiang Ruotang had already anticipated Bai Yingchuan’s question. After all, he was the one who directly introduced him to Gao Cheng, and he was the one who brought him to Dai Ming’s house.

Although Bai Yingchuan was young, he could keenly perceive Gao Cheng’s appreciation and respect for Jiang Ruotang, and Dai Ming’s closeness and even affection for Jiang Ruotang.

Given this connection, it was no surprise that Bai Yingchuan had figured it out.

But Jiang Ruotang was still quite interested and asked, “Why would you think that?”

“Your mother’s name is He Yun. Tangyun Culture Investment, isn’t that just your and your mother’s names?”

“Will you tell anyone?” Jiang Ruotang asked again, though at this point, he didn’t care if it was revealed.

This was equivalent to Jiang Ruotang admitting it to Bai Yingchuan.

“No,” Bai Yingchuan was happy to have secrets with Jiang Ruotang.

“Oh, I actually wanted to see Lin Chengdong go into a furious rage and come to me like a lunatic,” Jiang Ruotang chuckled mischievously. “That way, I could call the police and sue him for threats, intimidation, or something similar.”

Actually, before the college entrance exam, Jiang Ruotang didn’t want any unnecessary complications.

---

After a long pause, Bai Yingchuan asked again, “Are you using me?”

“Oh? Why do you think that?” Jiang Ruotang’s voice was faint, neither affirming nor denying, nor showing anger.

“First, you had me talk to Zhang Chun to get information, helping Jian Sha reclaim her copyright. This is equivalent to having me declare war on Lin Chengdong and, incidentally, subjecting his project to public scrutiny.”

“Are you unwilling?” Jiang Ruotang countered.

That very light, slightly drawn-out final syllable was like a cool snowflake falling on Bai Yingchuan’s heart.

“I am willing.” Bai Yingchuan lowered his eyes and smiled.

“Then what else have I used you for?”

“You had me sign with Little Sweet Fruit. Besides bringing traffic to Little Sweet Fruit, it was also to show Lin Chengdong and the capital behind him my value, to make them target me. And I couldn’t possibly be their tool. After all, the world is so big, and there are so many opportunities. Why should I follow Lin Chengdong down a dead end? So I will inevitably resist. If I resist, my biggest obstacle is my mother.”

Jiang Ruotang’s lips curved on the other end of the phone, “You two are mother and son; a mother’s heart is always with her child. She can control you in the name of maternal love, but as long as you’re decisive enough, you can also influence her.”

Bai Yingchuan closed his eyes, a self-deprecating laugh escaping his nose.

“If Lin Chengdong’s project, both the script and the lead actor, run into trouble, those big investor bosses will definitely go after Lin Chengdong, right? You’re waiting for Lin Chengdong to become desperate, either to turn on these bosses or to cause an even bigger mess.”

Jiang Ruotang asked again, “Don’t you like watching this?”

Even though they couldn’t see each other, Bai Yingchuan lifted his chin, his curved lips like carved lines, “I like it.”

“Then… happy cooperation?” Jiang Ruotang said.

Bai Yingchuan had to admit, being used by Jiang Ruotang was a very pleasant experience.

Because he used him, and also gave him another path.

Being able to cooperate, at least between them, they were no longer just ordinary classmates separated by several rows.

“Happy cooperation.”

---

Two gentle knocks sounded on Jiang Ruotang’s bedroom door. His back was pressed against the back of his chair as he leaned back slightly. “Come in.”

The door opened, and Lu Guifan entered with his backpack slung over one shoulder. “You were on the phone? Then I’ll…”

“I’m done,” Jiang Ruotang smiled at him.

Lu Guifan’s hand clasped his head, gently pushing his chair back. “Don’t get cocky. If you damage your brain, no one can save it.”

At that moment, Lu Guifan’s voice on the other end of the phone was like a blunt knife, scraping along Bai Yingchuan’s auditory nerve deep into his brain.

Some things, for him, were simply not worth caring about.

But he never expected himself to be like those characters in childish idol dramas, feeling a heart-piercing pain because Lu Guifan was by Jiang Ruotang’s side.

“Jiang Ruotang.”

Jiang Ruotang was about to hang up the phone when he heard the other person suddenly say his name. He responded, “Hmm?”

“To me, your meticulous planning is very charming.”

Jiang Ruotang was stunned for a moment. Should he feel honored to be called charming by Bai Yingchuan, the future “male Daji”?

Bai Yingchuan asked again, “But does he accept the real you?”

Jiang Ruotang turned his face and looked at Lu Guifan.

The other person was pulling out a chair, moving Jiang Ruotang’s paper in front of him. He took off his glasses, his long fingers wiping the lenses with a velvet cloth. His cold, lonely profile softened under the desk lamp’s light, making him alluring.

Jiang Ruotang swallowed, unsure how to answer Bai Yingchuan at that moment.

The prolonged silence from Jiang Ruotang suddenly made Bai Yingchuan’s previously piercing heart feel better.

“Good night, little CEO Jiang.”

Bai Yingchuan hung up the phone.

“What’s wrong?”

Feeling Jiang Ruotang watching him, Lu Guifan moved closer to him.

When Jiang Ruotang saw Lu Guifan’s dark, glassy eyes, he suddenly felt an inexplicable panic.

Bai Yingchuan’s question, “Does he accept the real you?” still echoed in his mind.

Could Lu Guifan truly accept this meticulously calculating version of himself, who was plotting against Lin Chengdong?

In Lu Guifan’s world, everything was orderly. He believed that hard work paid off. He didn’t appreciate those who copied homework to deceive teachers, and he would expose academic misconduct. His world had clear rules.

Could he accept the real him?

Jiang Ruotang knew it was foolish to be so worried over a single sentence. He had lived two lives, and his resolve shouldn’t be so easily shaken.

However, he cared about Lu Guifan, so he cared about Lu Guifan’s attitude and opinion.

“Ruotang, where are the pajamas I left here before?” Lu Guifan’s voice sounded, pulling Jiang Ruotang’s thoughts back.

“Oh, by my pillow…”

As the words left his mouth, Jiang Ruotang realized… how could he have forgotten to put Lu Guifan’s pajamas back in the closet?

Ahhh! He swore, he only liked the smell of Lu Guifan’s pajamas, liked the grainy feel of the little cotton balls… He hadn’t done anything out of line with the other’s pajamas!

If Lu Guifan knew he kept his pajamas by his pillow, he might think he was “creepy”!

“You specially took them out for me, thank you.”

Lu Guifan’s single sentence saved Jiang Ruotang.

“No… no problem…”

Fortunately, Lu Guifan was naive… No, no, no… he was anything but naive.

It wasn’t early, so Lu Guifan explained a problem to Jiang Ruotang, but Jiang Ruotang was physically present but his mind seemed to be elsewhere. Lu Guifan didn’t point it out, merely tidied up the desk.

“Sleep, we still have school tomorrow.”

Jiang Ruotang: “Oh…”

A knock on the door, with a hint of displeasure in its rhythm.

“Who is it? Come in!”

The door was pushed open, and it was Zhao Changfeng standing there with his hands on his hips.

This guy had returned to Sheng City from the capital this afternoon. After getting back, he showered and slept until an hour ago.

“I say, certain people who claim to be my brother and my class monitor, do you still remember Zhao Changfeng by Daming Lake?”

Jiang Ruotang: “Uh… do you need something?”

“Do I need something? You monopolized the class monitor at school, and now he’s even at your house, yet you completely ignored me! Wasn’t your reason for tricking him into coming home that both you and I needed the class monitor’s tutoring?”

Zhao Changfeng seemed to have grown taller during his tryout. His once boyish features had become more defined, and his jawline was sharper. It seemed he had matured a lot.

“Ruotang, you sleep first. I’ll go see Changfeng.” Lu Guifan got up and left with Zhao Changfeng.

Only he was left in the room, so quiet that he could faintly hear the rustling of tree branches outside the window in the night wind.

He had initially forgotten what Bai Yingchuan said, but at this moment… Jiang Ruotang started to ponder again.

In his previous life, he and Lu Guifan had lost touch after graduating from high school. All their knowledge of each other came from their simple, less complicated student days. Even when they met again later, Jiang Ruotang was recuperating, and his life was very simple.

So, whether in his previous life or this one, perhaps… Lu Guifan had never truly understood Jiang Ruotang.

---

Close to midnight, Lu Guifan gently pushed open the door. He thought Jiang Ruotang was already asleep, but unexpectedly, he was still sitting at his desk. The light from the desk lamp illuminated his face, and he was clearly unaware that Lu Guifan had entered, still immersed in his own world.

He looked a bit somber, troubled by issues unsuited for his age, with a heartwarming mix of childishness, dilemma, and melancholy in his eyes and brows.

Lu Guifan propped one hand on the desk, slowly approaching him until he completely blocked the light. Jiang Ruotang felt the shadow change before his eyes and suddenly snapped back to reality.

He turned his face and met Lu Guifan’s eyes.

Against the light, a glimmer still shimmered in those pupils, like a wisp of moonlight illuminating a deep pool, making Jiang Ruotang’s heart suddenly skip a beat.

Just a second ago, Jiang Ruotang had still felt that Lu Guifan knew nothing about him, but at this moment, he felt that everything about him had long been seen through by the other party.

“What are you thinking about?” Lu Guifan asked softly.

Jiang Ruotang could say “nothing,” or that it was because of Jian Sha’s infringement case. In short, it would be easy to brush it off.

But Lu Guifan had never tried to fool him, so Jiang Ruotang felt that he should also be honest.

“I… I was thinking, if you knew the real me, would you think I have too many ideas, too many schemes, and keep your distance?”

“Oh? What ideas do you have? What schemes?” Lu Guifan asked, pulling up a nearby chair, leaning back, and looking at him with a relaxed and lazy attitude.

“I… I discovered that Lin Lu’s father, Lin Chengdong… has always had ill intentions towards our family, so I wanted to strike first.”

Jiang Ruotang looked at Lu Guifan, carefully observing the emotion in his eyes. As long as he revealed the slightest hint of displeasure, Jiang Ruotang would stop.

“Hmm, you told me that before. No wonder when you first entered high school, the first time I saw you interact with Lin Lu, I thought his attitude towards you was strange.”

“How strange?”

“Pampering, indulging, and exploiting, anyway, not like a friend.”

Jiang Ruotang scratched the back of his head. So, it wasn’t just Zhao Changfeng, that simpleton; even Lu Guifan, who never meddled, saw through it, yet he himself had been strung along by Lin Lu all this time. It seemed he really was the aircraft carrier of fools.

“Let’s get back to your ‘striking first’,” Lu Guifan subtly raised his chin. “How did you strike?”