Chapter 118: Conflict

"Mr. Cheng, it is time for you to go on stage."

A stage manager pushed open the door and gestured to Cheng Yunyang, who was sitting in the back row.

Cheng Yunyang stood up immediately. His six-foot-three frame was exceptionally eye-catching. Having been discovered and exposed by various media outlets while still in university, he was hailed as the top campus heartthrob among all domestic universities. While there were suspicions of backroom dealings behind his sudden rise to fame, he lived up to expectations after graduation, stepping into the world of idol dramas and delivering a series of performances that satisfied the market.

Today, he boasted fourteen million followers on Weibo, and every time his new series premiered, it was highly likely to trend on social media. He was a popular young actor.

After Cheng Yunyang left for the stage, Han Yu looked over at Liao Yuan, ready to throw another jab. Suddenly, Zhang Henge, who was sitting nearby, spoke up: "Brother Liao, how old are you this year?"

"Twenty-five," Liao Yuan replied.

Han Yu was instantly incensed. "Hey, so you do understand human speech after all!"

Liao Yuan murmured to himself, "I understand human speech, but I don't understand barking."

Han Yu rose abruptly, his face turning livid. "Say that again?"

Two cameramen in the corner leaned over and quietly covered their lenses to avoid recording anything that shouldn't be captured. Having spent over a decade in the industry, they had occasionally witnessed such clashes between big names, and nine times out of ten, it ended with a camera being smashed.

An assistant director present, sensing the situation going south, hurried over and said, "Gentlemen, please, calm down. You’re about to go on stage to perform. Let’s resolve any issues in private later."

Han Yu turned a deaf ear. He glanced at the two cameramen and, seeing the cameras were off, walked up to Liao Yuan, loomed over him, and said coldly, "Say that again, and I’ll make sure you walk in here today and leave on a stretcher."

The assistant director, ignored, looked troubled. He turned back and quietly instructed an assistant to go fetch director Fu Yuntao, then turned back to offer a forced smile. "Han Yu, you are a senior, a superstar—why lower yourself to the level of an ordinary person? Calm down, please!"

Having said that, he scolded Liao Yuan: "Liao Yuan, what kind of attitude is that? Apologize to Han Yu immediately!"

Liao Yuan looked up and scrutinized the assistant director so intensely that it made the man uneasy. Only then did he say, in a nonchalant tone, "I understand human speech, but I don't understand barking."

"Get lost."

Han Yu snapped, shoved the assistant director aside, and swung a punch at Liao Yuan’s face.

Liao Yuan, however, was prepared. Bracing his hands on the armrests of his chair, he used the leverage to kick out, landing a strike squarely in Han Yu’s abdomen. At the same time, he leaned his upper body backward, dodging the punch.

With a thud, Han Yu stumbled back two steps and collided with the assistant director. Both men tripped and fell onto the floor.

The entire dressing room fell silent.

Han Yu’s face burned as if he had a fever. Did it hurt? No, not at all! But the fire in his chest was enough to make him feel like he was suffering internal injuries!

"I'll kill you!"

Han Yu, humiliated and enraged, stood up to charge at Liao Yuan, but he was forcefully restrained by Zhang Henge.

Zhang Henge held onto Han Yu’s shoulders firmly and tried to console him: "Han Yu, do me a favor. Settle this in private, okay? We are recording a show right now! Do you really want to end up in tomorrow morning’s headlines?"

Hearing this, Han Yu glanced at Zhang Henge, then suddenly turned and roared at the cameramen: "Turn those cameras off!"

The two cameramen timidly replied, "They’re off! They’ve been off for a while!"

Seeing this, Zhang Henge pointed at the security cameras on the walls and said solemnly, "Han Yu, think this through. There are security cameras everywhere here. If someone with bad intentions wants to ruin you, you’ll be finished for good! Ask yourself, is it worth going down with Liao Yuan?"

Han Yu sobered up instantly. A nobody like Liao has a cheap life; how could it be more valuable than mine?

He calmed down and said in a low, cold voice, "Fine, Henge. I’ll do it for you, but this isn't over! You, Liao, just you wait!"

With that, Han Yu shot a venomous glare at Liao Yuan, turned around, and strode out of the room.

Silence returned to the dressing room.

"Liao Yuan, you’ve made a huge mistake!" The assistant director regained his composure and pointed at Liao Yuan in a rage. "By offending Han Yu, not just you, but even Liao Meiqi will have a hard time surviving in this industry! You—you—it's one thing to ruin yourself, but why drag your sister into this? I really don’t understand why Director Fu would invite someone like you as a guest! Damn it, I’ve had the worst luck!"

After the assistant director stomped out, Su Han and Zhan Huo, who were sitting in the back, exchanged glances but said nothing.

"This is my fault."

Zhang Henge sat in Han Yu’s chair and apologized to Liao Yuan: "I shouldn't have asked you that."

Liao Yuan shook his head. "The conflict was already there. It has nothing to do with you."

"Brother Liao, what courage!" Zhang Henge praised. "To be so composed and dignified at such a young age, and to remain calm in the face of a crisis—that is truly impressive. At your age, I definitely couldn't have handled this situation as well as you did. I admire you, I truly do!"

Liao Yuan gave a simple "Oh" and said no more.

As the saying goes, "Unprovoked favors are always suspicious." Liao Yuan remained wary of Zhang Henge’s sudden friendliness.

As for Han Yu’s threats, Liao Yuan didn't take them seriously. If he said he could take on ten, he could take on ten. It wasn't just on stage; he could beat that sissy until he was crying for his mother in private as well.

Seeing Liao Yuan wasn't taking the bait, Zhang Henge coughed. "Brother Liao, I’m a few years older than you, so I’ll call myself your brother. I really feel a connection with you and can't bear to see you suffer Han Yu’s revenge. How about this: let's declare ourselves sworn brothers. If we do that, Han Yu won't dare touch you. If he does, he’s challenging me and my company. Don't worry, he won't dare risk a direct confrontation. If you still don't feel safe, you can join my side. I know you have talent. If you come over, we can work together. Once you make a name for yourself, you won't have to worry about the provocations of clowns like him anymore..."

Opportunities are fleeting. In Zhang Henge’s eyes, Liao Yuan’s current calm was a facade, and he must be panicking inside. Offering a hand now to bring Liao Yuan into his fold was the perfect chance.

However, Liao Yuan merely thanked him and remained silent.

Zhang Henge began to worry.

At that moment, Fu Yuntao received the news and rushed to the dressing room, followed by Fu Xiaoci, Liu Hai, and others.

Upon pushing open the door and seeing that no violent conflict had erupted, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Fu Xiaoci immediately began asking what had happened.

Just as she finished asking and was fuming with indignation, the assistant director returned, obsequiously ushering Han Yu back into the dressing room.