Ch 162: The Cannon Fodder Won’t Play Along Anymore [QT]

Mu Jiangtao was dumbfounded.

After recovering, he turned his head to look at his equally bewildered eldest daughter: “I didn’t just hallucinate, did I?”

After her initial shock, Mu Lin had already regained her composure.

She had always been steady by nature. At his words, she nodded, a little relieved: “You didn’t mishear, Dad. Mu Xing really has grown up.”

She was eight years older than Mu Xing, had a boyfriend she was dating, but hadn’t considered marriage yet, throwing herself fully into her career—a typical strong woman.

She looked at Mu Xing, her tone gentle: “It’s good that you’ve grown up. These past six months, because of your situation, Dad almost hasn’t had a proper rest.”

Mu Jiangtao’s face darkened: “What nonsense are you saying?”

Mu Lin already knew her father’s temper, so she wasn’t afraid at all. She winked at Mu Xing.

Mu Xing laughed: “It really was me not understanding before. I know Dad cares about me.”

Such undisguised affection made Mu Jiangtao very uncomfortable.

He stood up with a stiff face: “I still have some matters, I’ll go handle them in the study.”

Seeing the old man walk away briskly, Mu Lin couldn’t help but laugh. She looked at her little brother: “I bet if we could see Dad’s expression right now, he’d definitely be smiling.”

Mu Xing laughed too, then after a long pause, spoke sincerely to Mu Lin: “I’m sorry, sis. Before, I really wasn’t sensible and caused you trouble.”

Mu Lin studied him for a long time, then shook her head: “No need to apologize. We’re family, don’t say that. As long as you keep being like this, Dad and I will both be happy. The past is the past—let it go.”

She lowered her voice and asked: “What’s going on with your divorce?”

Truthfully, even though her younger brother had been married for half a year, she as his sister had never even seen his partner.

This was really the first time she’d ever run into something this absurd.

Mu Jiangtao’s fury wasn’t just because of the flash marriage—this was part of it too.

Mu Xing looked awkward: “Actually… it wasn’t really a marriage. It was just a contract marriage. He didn’t love me, and I don’t love him anymore either, so we split.”

He explained the situation in a few sentences.

“Ridiculous!” Even calm Mu Lin couldn’t help cursing after hearing that.

“That Qin Song just treated you like a tool! He was using you the whole time—what were you getting out of it?” Knowing her little brother wasn’t very sharp, she still hadn’t expected him to be this foolish.

Mu Xing lowered his head, obediently taking the scolding: “Mm, I know I was wrong. I won’t be stupid again.”

He rubbed his stomach and said pitifully: “I’m so hungry, sis. I haven’t eaten today.”

Ever since receiving Qin Song’s message yesterday, the original body had been overwhelmed with sadness.

Even though it was a fake marriage, he had still been willing to deceive himself and cling to it.

He had no appetite for food at all.

But Mu Xing was different.

He was never one to wrong himself. Before, he’d been too busy handling a chain of events to eat. Now that he was home, feeling safe again, naturally he was hungry.

Aunt Chen came out of the kitchen carrying a tray, smiling kindly: “Freshly baked little cakes and cookies, young master Xing. Eat a little first to fill your stomach. Dinner will be ready soon.”

Mu Xing’s face lit up with a brilliant smile: “Thank you, Aunt Chen!”

While he was munching on cookies, his agent’s call came through.

The company he’d signed with was Changxin Entertainment, considered one of the bigger companies in the industry.

At the time, they had signed Mu Xing for his looks, and had actually invested quite a bit of hope in him, laying out a long-term development plan.

But before they even officially launched him, the news broke of his marriage to Qin Song.

The company hadn’t been informed in advance. There was no time for emergency PR, and they seemed furious that he had made such a decision on his own.

After marrying Qin Song, he’d been practically shelved for half a year, except for appearing with Qin Song once on a variety show.

It was that show where the backlash against him grew—going from being cursed by part of Qin Song’s fans to being cursed by nearly all of them.

Their interactions were stiff, without the slightest sense of rapport or affection.

Qin Song’s fans already felt it was beneath him to marry someone like this. Seeing the lack of CP vibe on screen only made them feel more indignant.

And Qin Song had never defended Mu Xing.

This was one of the things Mu Xing most disliked about him: outwardly he looked upright and kind, but in reality he was cold and heartless, never once treating the original body with even the respect due a friend.

He hadn’t even spoken a single word in Mu Xing’s defense.

Even a few words from him would have kept his fans from being so arrogant.

But Mu Xing, blinded by love, hadn’t been able to see through it.

Now, looking back with cold eyes, Mu Xing thought—Qin Song was indeed the kind of man who could drag an innocent admirer into his messy entanglement with Jiang Shengyu.

A cold, selfish bastard.

He looked at the incoming call.

It was no wonder Changxin Entertainment had ignored him. He hadn’t said a word about his marriage to Qin Song.

Now that he was divorced, he still hadn’t informed them.

Forget the company not bothering with him— even if they had wanted to manage the fallout, it was too late for PR.

Mu Xing answered the call.

His agent, Zhong Ling, was a veteran at Changxin, having guided many top stars to fame. Back then, it was precisely because he had faith in Mu Xing that he’d taken him on.

On the other end of the phone, Zhong Ling’s cold voice came through: “You divorced Qin Song. I can’t control you anymore. Come to the company tomorrow so we can talk… no, forget it. Where are you living now? I’ll come find you tomorrow. Keep hidden and don’t let the paparazzi spot you.”

This divorce news was huge. Since they couldn’t find Qin Song, the entertainment reporters were scouring everywhere for news about Mu Xing.

Mu Xing hesitated for a moment. “Hold on a second.”

He walked over to the study. “Dad, my manager wants to come see me tomorrow. Can he come here?”

Mu Jiangtao was in an excellent mood right then. Though not entirely willing, he still gave a light grunt. “Do as you like.”

Zhong Ling sneered on the other end. “What, even meeting you requires approval?”

Mu Xing didn’t really mind him and explained, “Sorry, Brother Zhong. I had a falling out with my dad not long ago. He’s still mad at me. He’s never agreed with me joining the entertainment industry. If I don’t give him a heads-up, he’ll be upset again when he sees us tomorrow.”

He reported an address.

Zhong Ling thought he’d misheard. “Where did you say?”

Mu Xing repeated it.

Zhong Ling was silent for a while, then suddenly blurted out, “Mu Xing, don’t tell me you’re one of those young masters from a rich family who came into the industry chasing a dream, planning to go home and inherit billions if you don’t blow up?”

Mu Xing laughed. “Hahaha, how could that be?”

Zhong Ling let out a breath of relief.

Mu Xing added, “My sister’s there to shoulder the family stuff. I don’t need to inherit the business. I’ll just hold my shares and wait for dividends.”

Zhong Ling: “…”

The next morning, Mu Xing went to a salon and dyed his flashy silver hair back to black.

He was handsome, having inherited the looks of his artist mother—fair skin, delicate features. Otherwise, Changxin wouldn’t have signed him so directly or given him to Zhong Ling.

The silver hair looked fashionable, but it didn’t really suit him.

At least when Zhong Ling saw him now, the first thought that came to mind was: if Mu Xing had looked like this from the start, maybe the haters’ insults would have been much less.

Why? Because the kid looked far too obedient now. Young, fresh-faced, with a clean and soft aura like a high schooler untouched by the world.

He sat there in the luxurious Mu family villa living room, quiet and well-mannered. Zhong Ling looked at him and felt a strange sense of unreality.

Mu Xing was actually the young master of the Mu family.

He recalled the rumors online: people said Mu Xing must have used some dirty tricks to climb up, chasing after Qin Song’s fame and wealth. Now he’d gotten his retribution—divorced in just half a year.

Qin Song’s fans were frantically digging around, terrified their idol would be cheated out of assets in the divorce.

One wondered what they’d think if they knew who Mu Xing really was.

Zhong Ling had originally come with a belly full of fire, ready to scold him. But faced with Mu Xing’s identity and this obedient demeanor, he suddenly couldn’t say the words.

Before, he’d hated Mu Xing for squandering his future.

But now? In Mu Xing’s world, that so-called “future” was nothing more than a game. Just a rich young master having a bit of fun.

He sighed. “So what’s on your mind now?”

Mu Xing asked, “I remember I still have a variety show and a drama contract signed, right?”

Zhong Ling nodded. The drama had been lined up early but delayed due to production issues. The variety show was signed last month—the company figured he still had buzz, even if it was infamy, it was still popularity.

Mu Xing said, “I’ll finish recording the variety show and filming the drama. After that, I’ll terminate my contract. Just calculate the penalty fee and let me know.”

These two projects were the breaking point in the original storyline.

Because both involved Jiang Shengyu.

It was where he got mocked as nothing more than a fish eye compared to a pearl.

Everyone cursed him, everyone told him he was a cheap imitation who could never measure up to Jiang Shengyu.

That was why Qin Song dismissed him.

The original Mu Xing’s regret and unwillingness were rooted here. Since he’d inherited this body, Mu Xing felt obligated to shoulder that burden and prove himself.

Finally, he said to Zhong Ling, “Brother Zhong, sorry. I caused you a lot of trouble.”

Zhong Ling stared at him wordlessly.

What else could he say?

The boy spoke so casually of paying the penalty fee and even apologized sincerely.

As he left the Mu family villa with his briefcase, he couldn’t help but sigh: having money really was nice.

Look at the way he acted, so free and willful.

And online, all those haters assumed Mu Xing was devastated, heartbroken to death over the divorce.

Yet here he was, clearly not taking it to heart at all.

That talk of liking Qin Song? Probably just a fan’s impulsive crush in the heat of the moment.

Let’s see who’ll be dumbfounded when the truth comes out.

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