Ch 4: The Cannon Fodder Won’t Play Along Anymore [QT]

“Meow.”

From the sofa where Mu Xing was sitting, a little black head popped out—it was Mei Mei, who had hidden herself under a pillow after hearing the sound of the door earlier.

Before Mu Xing could say anything, Xu Wen’s door opened. He came out, looking anxious. “Have you seen Mei Mei?”

Mu Xing reached out and pointed beside him: the little gray ball had covered herself with the pillow, leaving only a round head sticking out.

Xu Wen let out a breath of relief, walked over, and bent down to pick Mei Mei up. “Why did you run out? You scared me to death.”

But when his hand reached out, Mei Mei swatted it away without mercy.

Xu Wen wasn’t surprised—this little princess had never been very affectionate, even toward him.

He was just about to coax her when, to his shock, the cat who had just swatted him turned her head, wriggled entirely out from under the pillow, leapt into Mu Xing’s lap, and flopped onto her back with all four paws in the air, softly begging for pets.

She was as sweet and docile as could be.

Like a completely different cat!

Xu Wen suddenly turned to glare at Mu Xing. “What did you do to my daughter?”

Mu Xing spread his hands innocently.

Xu Wen turned back to Mei Mei, his eyes shining.

He crouched down, calling expectantly, “Mei Mei, I’m your dad. Come on, let Dad hold you?”

But the devoted call of this father received no response—the heartless little cat poured all her affection onto another man.

When she didn’t get Mu Xing’s petting, she let out two dissatisfied whines and rolled over his lap twice, making Xu Wen green with envy.

“You really didn’t do anything? Then why is Mei Mei suddenly so close to you?” He was baffled.

Mu Xing truly didn’t know. Looking down at the soft bundle of fur on his lap, he couldn’t resist stroking her twice—the feel was excellent.

After a moment’s thought, he said, “Could it be… because I’m better-looking?”

Xu Wen: “…”

He looked at Mu Xing with a complicated expression. “I’m realizing you’re… a bit different from what I imagined.”

Mu Xing answered casually, “Oh. You never really looked me in the eye before.”

Xu Wen: “…”

He cleared his throat. “I’m just realizing now—you’re actually kind of interesting. If you’d been like this before, maybe we could’ve been friends.”

Mu Xing shook his head. “No.”

“What do you mean, no?” Xu Wen asked, puzzled.

Mu Xing finally took his eyes off Mei Mei and looked at Xu Wen. “If I’d been like this before, we could never have been friends.”

“…Why?”

“I don’t like you.”

Xu Wen froze, as if Mu Xing had said something incomprehensible.

Mu Xing looked at him, puzzled. “Where did you get the confidence to think that, after the way you three treated me, I wouldn’t dislike you?”

When Xu Wen stayed silent, Mu Xing lowered his gaze, pinched Mei Mei’s little ears, and snorted. “For the cat’s sake, I’m speaking nicely to you now. Otherwise, since we’ve already made things clear, I wouldn’t even want to look at you three.”

He stood up, tossed the very reluctant cat back into Xu Wen’s arms, and, just as he’d said, didn’t give him another glance.

*

Mu Xing didn’t care how much his words had shocked Xu Wen. He returned to his room, washed up, and lay in bed, thinking.

Thinking about what he should do.

He didn’t know where the original owner of this body had gone, but since he had come into it, he would take responsibility for it.

Sitting cross-legged on the bed, he sorted through Mu Xing’s memories.

Mu Xing hadn’t wanted to be a big star and had no great desire for money.

He was tired of his current life.

He didn’t hate anyone; in fact, he was grateful to Li Xin for showing him the outside world’s splendor.

But after seeing the splendor, he missed the free, unrestrained life of his hometown even more.

Moreover, after being hurt by so many haters, Mu Xing cherished even more the small group of fans who still liked and supported him.

Once he’d finished sorting through it all, Mu Xing thought: this person was a naive fool, but one that made people feel oddly sorry for and fond of.

Star Entertainment really didn’t deserve him.

Suddenly, his phone buzzed.

It was a call from Li Xin.

Mu Xing had just finished recalling the original’s experiences and was still feeling annoyed with Li Xin, so he didn’t bother answering and hung up.

After a few seconds of silence, the ringtone started blaring again.

Frowning, Mu Xing picked up. “What is it?”

Li Xin’s voice came through the line: “That video’s been posted online, and it’s getting a lot of attention. Get on Weibo and make a clarification.”

Video?

Mu Xing realized it was the one from earlier backstage, recorded by those two fangirls, showing Li Xin scolding him.

“What exactly do you want me to clarify?”

Li Xin, as if it were obvious, said, “Log into your account and say you feel very guilty about your mistake tonight. As for the video, say the audio was doctored, that you and I get along well, and that I’ve always taken care of you. Say the video was maliciously edited to smear me and the company.”

Mu Xing asked doubtfully, “But the video’s real—will netizens believe that?”

Impatient, Li Xin replied, “As long as you and I both insist it’s fake, I’ll take care of the rest.”

“Oh,” Mu Xing said. “I refuse.”

He hung up decisively and, before the next call could come through, blocked his agent’s number.

Before long, someone knocked on his door.

When he opened it, Captain Chang Yiming was standing outside.

“You probably know why I’m here, right?” Chang said. “Brother Xin wants you to post something on Weibo to clear up the misunderstanding.”

Without a word, Mu Xing shut the door.

From behind the door, Chang Yiming said, “Think carefully, Mu Xing. If you refuse today, you’ll completely offend the company. Do you not want to keep working in this industry?”

Mu Xing said, “Lately I’ve been having the same dream.”

Chang Yiming: “?”

Mu Xing said sincerely, “When I wake up from it, I feel enlightened—I think going back home to farm suits me better.”

Chang Yiming: “??”

Mu Xing: “That’s right, I really don’t want to keep working in this industry.”

Chang Yiming: “…”

*

Li Xin was furious.

He was good at controlling artists—but only those who still wanted to stay in the industry.

His harshest threat was always to blacklist them.

Faced with Mu Xing, who had suddenly lost all ambition, he was completely at a loss.

He tried threatening him by canceling some group activities, but Mu Xing didn’t care at all. He even went to the members’ residence in person, only to be told that Mu Xing had been going out early and returning late every day, and the other three didn’t know his schedule.

What was Mu Xing doing?

He was exercising.

Li Xin’s cancellation of his schedule suited him perfectly. He had recently found a somewhat secluded little park, where many elderly men and women worked out in the mornings.

Young, good-looking, and sweet-talking, he quickly won the affection of the older crowd, joining them every day for Baduanjin and Wuqinxi, eating three regular meals on time.

In just a week, his cheeks had rounded a little, and his complexion had improved a lot.

Li Xin could do nothing to him, so he cut off all his activities and ignored him completely.

Which was exactly what Mu Xing wanted.

*

Four months later—

Dressed in white sportswear and wearing a baseball cap, Mu Xing walked into Star Entertainment.

He successfully obtained his termination contract.

Li Xin looked at him with a dark gaze. In four months, the man in front of him had changed a lot, almost back to the way he’d been when Li Xin had first met him—

That same startling aura and brightness that had shocked Li Xin, who was used to seeing handsome men and beautiful women.

“You’d better really quit the industry,” Li Xin said coldly. “Otherwise, no matter what new company you find, I’ll make sure you can’t stay in this circle.”

Mu Xing ignored the threat and instead extended an invitation. “I’ve already bought tomorrow’s train ticket. Before I go home, I’d like to invite you and my three teammates to dinner.”

Li Xin sneered. “At this point, you don’t need to pretend to be nice.”

Mu Xing puffed his cheeks. “But if you don’t come, I’ll feel regretful.”

He looked at Li Xin expectantly. “Brother Li, for the sake of our two years together, one last meal?”

In today’s white sportswear, he looked especially young. His delicate features and black-and-white eyes seemed to hold a spring of clear water, and for a moment Li Xin was dazed, thinking he really did look like those overly sentimental fans’ description of “deer eyes.”

Against his better judgment, he agreed.

Mu Xing then invited Chang Yiming and the other two members, booking a famous private restaurant with excellent privacy.

Then—

He neatly beat the four of them up.

“I told you, you all owe me an apology,” he said, looking at the four bruised and battered on the ground. “We need to settle the accounts before I go.”

“Now we’re even.”

“Goodbye—forever.”

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