Chapter 479: Chapter 478: We Are Friends

I have to say, Zhao Xiaoting truly was a professional actress; the art of performing had seeped into every aspect of her daily life.

She even looked beautiful when she cried.

Her expression, a mixture of suppressed grievances and pearly tears, was truly a pitiable sight.

"Alright, if you keep crying, you’ll ruin your meticulously applied makeup."

Yan Feifan reminded her, then immediately asked, "What on earth happened?"

"At a party like this, would someone really dare to cause a scene?"

Zhao Xiaoting quickly used the pad of her pinky to gently dab the corner of her eye. She then took a small compact mirror from the handbag slung in the crook of her arm, checked her reflection, and finally seemed to relax.

"I ran into a senior from a few years above me. He... was being a complete jerk, and the things he said were horrible."

Yan Feifan’s expression darkened. Just then, the handsome Youth beside him suddenly asked, "Did he hit on you before?"

"And you turned him down?"

Zhao Xiaoting glanced at the Youth, then at Yan Feifan, and said hesitantly, "We went out in a group two or three times, but he started getting handsy with me, so I stopped talking to him."

"I hadn’t seen him for a year."

"We happened to run into each other at the party tonight, and he tried to get handsy again. When I dodged him, he just suddenly started insulting me."

Yan Feifan looked around and said, "Where is that bastard? Point him out. I’ll go teach him a lesson for you."

Joy flashed across Zhao Xiaoting’s face, but she immediately shook her head. "No, it’s fine, Mr. Yan. Let’s just forget it."

"In our line of work, it’s common to have to put up with some mistreatment."

But Yan Feifan said assertively, "How can we just let it go?"

"We’re friends. How can I just stand by and do nothing after finding out you’ve been bullied?"

"Zhao Xiaoting, don’t worry about this getting out of hand."

"I’m not in your circle. If this blows up, he’s the one who’ll get hurt the most, not me."

Zhao Xiaoting realized he was right. Pointing toward the southwest side of the courtyard, she said with a hint of excitement, "He was just over there..."

Yan Feifan strode in the direction Zhao Xiaoting had pointed.

Zhao Xiaoting hurried to keep up.

Seeing there was a scene to watch, the handsome Youth also tagged along...

With Zhao Xiaoting’s guidance, Yan Feifan quickly found the bastard who had bullied her.

This guy, Cao Yan, was tasting wine and chatting with two other young men.

When Yan Feifan saw one of the men, he felt both pleased and relieved.

It was Shao Jun, an acquaintance of his.

Despite his bold words, Yan Feifan was still a little unsure how to handle the situation.

’Should I try reasoning with him first?’

’Or should I just start swinging and give him a good kick?’

When it came to fighting, Yan Feifan didn’t have much experience.

However, thanks to his detailed knowledge of human anatomy and his quick reflexes, Yan Feifan was quite confident in his ability to win a one-on-one fight.

The only problem was that fighting was always a Pyrrhic victory. If he accidentally injured his hands, it just wouldn’t be worth it.

’Since Shao Jun is here, I should show him some respect and try to reason first.’

Besides, Yan Feifan noticed that this Cao Yan was the pretty-boy type—handsome, but with a build that was no better than his own.

’In a one-on-one fight,’ Yan Feifan thought confidently, ’with my buffs, there’s a ninety percent chance I could knock him out.’

Yan Feifan strode up to Cao Yan, pointed a finger right at his nose, and demanded loudly and forcefully.

"Were you the one who was just getting handsy with my friend, Zhao Xiaoting, and insulting her?"

Cao Yan looked at Yan Feifan, then at Zhao Xiaoting beside him, who was glaring daggers. He feigned surprise. "What are you talking about? I don’t understand."

He explained, "I’m Xiaoting’s senior. We knew each other from before, we’re friends. It’s just been a long time since we last met."

"I was just so happy to see her, so I might have been a little overly enthusiastic."

"Could it be..."

Cao Yan put on an expression of sudden, remorseful realization. He gave Zhao Xiaoting a slight bow. "My dear junior, I’m so sorry."

"I was just so happy to see you again, I couldn’t help but greet you with an enthusiastic hug, just like we always did."

"I didn’t expect to cause a misunderstanding with your boyfriend."

"I’m sorry, I..."

Zhao Xiaoting was absolutely furious. "Cao Yan, shut your mouth!" she yelled.

"You know perfectly well what you just did to me! Don’t stand there twisting the truth!"

Cao Yan snuck a glance at Yan Feifan, then put on a hurt but understanding expression. "Okay, okay, my dear junior. In front of your boyfriend, whatever you say, goes."

If Yan Feifan didn’t know Zhao Xiaoting so well, he might have actually fallen for Cao Yan’s performance.

’A true professionally-trained talent,’ he thought. ’Just a shame he doesn’t use it for anything good.’

Just then, the handsome Youth also approached.

His face was taut, and he was slightly out of breath as he said, "Cao Yan, I heard what you said just now."

"These things you’re being accused of—did you do them or not?"

"I can’t have someone with a tarnished reputation acting in my show."

At this, Cao Yan’s expression immediately turned serious. "Mrs. Chu, I honestly didn’t do it. I was just trying to be considerate of..."

At this point, Cao Yan deliberately glanced at Yan Feifan before pointing to another handsome young man. "Mrs. Chu, don’t just take my word for it. Nie Yifan has been with me the entire time."

"He can attest to my innocence."

Cao Yan looked at Nie Yifan. "Yifan, say a few words."

"Wait!"

Yan Feifan suddenly stopped Nie Yifan just as he was about to speak and asked Zhao Xiaoting, "Was he there the whole time?"

Zhao Xiaoting nodded. "He was there, but those two are on the same side."

"What he says can’t be..."

"That’s enough!"

Yan Feifan cut Zhao Xiaoting off and turned to the handsome Youth, saying with feigned surprise, "So you really are a screenwriter."

He immediately followed up, "Can you make casting decisions?"

The Youth shot Yan Feifan a smug look and huffed, "If someone as young as you dares to perform heart surgery, why can’t I be a screenwriter?"

"I’ll have you know, I sold my first script when I was fifteen."

Yan Feifan just said, "Oh," and pressed, "Just tell me, can you decide who gets cast?"

The Youth said a bit sheepishly, "Well, not the main leads, obviously. But Cao Yan is playing the second male lead, so I do have some say in the matter..."

"That’s good enough."

Yan Feifan cut the Youth off again. "I promise I’ll do everything in my power to help you with the heart surgery. How about you do me a favor?"

"What kind of favor?" The Youth’s eyes were filled with interest and curiosity.

Yan Feifan leaned in and whispered a few sentences in the Youth’s ear.

The handsome Youth hesitated for a moment, his expression conflicted, but finally, he gave an eager nod.

Then, as the others watched, the Youth pointed a finger at Nie Yifan. "Nie Yifan, I’ve seen your audition and your file. You’re actually qualified to play the second male lead."

"If you can prove Cao Yan’s misconduct, then the role he’s playing is yours."

Cao Yan immediately flew into a panic. "How can you treat such a serious matter like a game?" he shouted anxiously.

"I have a signed contract with the production team!"

"If you really replace me, you’ll have to pay a massive penalty!"

The Youth, who had only been suspicious before, became even more certain of his assessment after hearing this.

"If you’re fired for misconduct, not only do we not have to pay you a cent, we can even sue you for damages."

The Youth explained coldly, his face stern. He then looked at Nie Yifan. "You had better stick to the facts. If it’s later proven that you’ve lied, the consequences will be even worse for you."

At this, Cao Yan reminded him nervously, "Nie Yifan, we’re friends. Good friends."

Nie Yifan, who had been silent until now, met the Youth’s gaze and asked, "Do you really have the authority to give me that role?"

"Nie Yifan, you..."

Cao Yan shouted in disbelief, then hastily added, "Mrs. Chu, he’s just blinded by greed! His words can’t be trusted, not one bit..."

"Shut up!"

The one who suddenly barked out the order was Shao Jun, who had been quiet until now.

His sharp rebuke silenced Cao Yan. He then turned his piercing gaze on Nie Yifan.

"I can guarantee that the role will be yours."

"The only condition is that you’re not lying. Otherwise, you definitely won’t like the consequences."

Nie Yifan let out a soft chuckle. "With Mr. Jun’s guarantee, I have nothing to worry about."

"I’ve always disdained telling lies."

As he spoke, he took out his phone and tapped the screen a few times. A voice immediately came from its speaker.

"Zhao Xiaoting, you’ve got no resources, no brains, and no acting skills. If you want to make it in this industry, the only way is to sleep your way to the top with that face and body of yours."

"Who the hell are you pretending to be so pure for..."

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