Chapter 118: Making a Big Fuss

"Do you take me for a dead man?" Lin Qihua sighed, stepping forward to shield Su Zitong.

He had already grasped the situation: a big shot had taken a fancy to a young girl and, through her manager, intended to discuss the matter of "unspoken rules." However, the girl was of a strong-willed temperament, refused to comply, and seized an opportunity to escape here, threatening to jump from the terrace—only to run straight into him.

Truly, the more one tries to avoid trouble, the more it seeks one out.

"Who are you?" the bespectacled man immediately stepped forward, demanding, "What business is it of yours to interfere?"

"It’s not that I want to meddle, but isn't it a bit inappropriate to bully a young girl like this?" Lin Qihua smiled slightly. "In a setting like this, aren't you afraid of making a scene?"

"Do you think I'm afraid of that?" Tang Zhijie’s expression darkened as he glared fiercely at the man who had suddenly appeared. "Do you know who I am?"

"I don't," Lin Qihua shook his head. "However, don't take things too far. If both sides take a step back and resolve this amicably, wouldn't that be better? Must you force this girl to jump off a building? What era do you think this is?"

"You blind fool," the bespectacled man said, exasperated, his voice rising. "This is Mr. Tang Zhijie, a famous actor and a veteran A-list artist. When he speaks, everyone has to weigh their words carefully."

"So, it’s Mr. Tang." Lin Qihua’s eyes narrowed. He was an A-list actor. Although Lin Qihua was more accustomed to dealing with Lu Zhixuan and Wang Yalin and felt little intimidation, he knew the immense influence of an A-list star—especially a veteran one with deep connections. If he truly decided to target a young artist, the threat was significant.

"Good that you know. I don't care who you are, I suggest you stay out of this," the bespectacled man said smugly. "We were just discussing a script. Look, her manager is right there. This little singer just imagined that Mr. Tang was trying to do something to her and rushed out to make a scene. It’s actually just a misunderstanding. It has nothing to do with you, so don't make a fool of yourself."

Lin Qihua glanced at the middle-aged woman. Seeing her nodding along, he couldn't help but feel a sense of contempt. To be a manager to such an extent was truly absurd. Did she really think China was like South Korea, where managers could dictate the life or death of an artist?

"Since I’ve stumbled upon this, I have to say something." Lin Qihua gave a bitter smile and braced himself. "Mr. Tang, since it’s a misunderstanding, why not let her apologize to you? The girl is young and ignorant; misunderstandings are normal. Let’s just put it behind us, shall we?"

Tang Zhijie looked at Lin Qihua coldly. "Who are you? You think you can just say 'put it behind us' and it's over? Where does that leave my face? Let me put it this way: if you come over tonight and apologize properly, I might consider it. Trying to threaten me? You don't have the status for that." The latter part was directed at Su Zitong.

Su Zitong’s face was deathly pale and filled with helplessness. She knew that once she yielded, even more humiliating demands would follow.

The middle-aged woman was whispering something in Su Zitong’s ear, likely more threats.

"Isn't that a bit too extreme?" Lin Qihua said with a smile. "Look, she knows she was wrong. You’re a big man with a big heart; why not let her go? After all, this isn't a convenient place for this, is it?"

"F***," Tang Zhijie shouted angrily. "I don't care who you are. Now, immediately, at once—get lost. My business is not for you to manage."

He must have been furious. His shout drew the attention of others, who looked over. Upon seeing Tang Zhijie, they seemed to grasp the situation and turned away, pretending not to notice. It seemed Tang Zhijie’s influence was significant enough that others preferred not to provoke him.

Yu Fengqin, who had been discussing a partnership, heard the shout and looked over out of curiosity. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw it was where Lin Qihua had been. She quickly excused herself from her friend and hurried over.

"See, now you've made a scene. Why bother?" Lin Qihua laughed.

"You think anyone dares to interfere in my affairs?" Tang Zhijie had shed his previous veneer of gentleness, his face twisted with malice. "Trying to scare me? Let’s see how you manage that."

*Clink.* Su Zitong, catching her manager off guard, grabbed a wine glass from a nearby table and smashed it against the edge. Glass shards scattered everywhere. She then pressed the jagged, sharp rim of the remaining glass against her own throat. "I’m not trying to scare you. You’re a superstar. One word from you, and my company will push me out to apologize to you. So, I have no choice. Do you want to bet on whether I dare to press down?"

A truly fierce girl. Seeing the female manager and Tang Zhijie seemingly stunned, Lin Qihua couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

Tang Zhijie had just issued his threats and naturally wouldn't back down immediately. Su Zitong seemed to have cast all caution to the wind, standing tall with a look of utter determination in her eyes.

For a moment, the two sides were at a stalemate.

Tang Zhijie was burning with shame and anger, but he knew he couldn't act recklessly. He redirected his fury toward Lin Qihua. If not for him, perhaps the girl would have already been coerced into submission under his intimidation and her manager's persuasion. It was precisely because of Lin Qihua that the girl had found the courage to create a scene that left him in such a predicament.

He stared coldly at Lin Qihua. "Tell me, who are you? Which company are you from? Let me see how they’ve trained you, and if I can't find a way to deal with you."

"It seems it is not your place to lecture my artist." Yu Fengqin arrived at that moment. She hurried to Lin Qihua’s side and, despite not knowing exactly what had happened, stood in front of him immediately, facing Tang Zhijie.

"So, you’re an artist from Galaxy Entertainment." Tang Zhijie stared at Yu Fengqin, a flash of predatory heat in his eyes. "No wonder Galaxy Entertainment almost went bankrupt. It makes perfect sense that you’d produce such an artist."

"Whether Galaxy Entertainment goes bankrupt or not is none of your concern, and my artist doesn't need your evaluation," Yu Fengqin said, intentionally raising her voice so the girl nearby could hear. "As for you, you’re still the same as ever."

Seeing Yu Fengqin’s voice attract even more attention, Tang Zhijie was incensed. "Fine! It seems Galaxy Entertainment thinks it’s grown wings? You don't even have a single A-list star, yet you dare to meddle in my affairs. The artist is like this, and so is the company boss—truly bold."

"If we didn't have guts, Galaxy Entertainment would have collapsed long ago," Yu Fengqin said dismissively. "As for you, your guts are getting bigger by the day."

"Hmph."

"Oh, come now, both of you—let’s not argue," the host of the evening, Mr. Shang, finally rushed over to mediate. "Can you both say a little less? Do it as a favor to me, please?"

Seeing the girl nearby still holding the jagged glass, he felt his scalp tingle. If something happened to her here and it turned into a scandal, he would be stripped of his status, if not worse. He quickly forced a smile. "Young lady, please, put down what you're holding. Don't hurt yourself, okay?"

Su Zitong realized that the situation had reached a point where she was finally safe; no matter how angry Tang Zhijie was, he couldn't do anything now. She set the glass down, her legs turning to jelly, and had to lean on the table to keep from collapsing.

Mr. Shang breathed a sigh of relief and continued his mediation. "Mr. Tang, Ms. Yu, look—this stalemate isn't helping anyone. How about you both take a step back and call it a day?"

"We don't mind," Yu Fengqin glanced at Lin Qihua, and seeing him nod, she smiled. "I hope Mr. Tang, being a man of stature, won't hold our offense against us."

"Hmph." Tang Zhijie cast a fierce look at Yu Fengqin and Lin Qihua, then turned and stormed off.

Su Zitong sent a look of gratitude toward Lin Qihua before turning to leave in a hurry, her middle-aged manager chasing after her.

***

"What a mess," Yu Fengqin sighed in relief.

"I’m sorry," Lin Qihua said, feeling guilty.

"It’s fine," Yu Fengqin waved her hand. "It’s my fault. I shouldn't have left you alone. Running into something like this is just bad luck."

Lin Qihua remained silent. He knew he shouldn't have provoked such an A-list artist, but he couldn't bring himself to ignore Su Zitong’s plight. To do so would have violated his own conscience.

On the other side, Gu Yuhan had noticed the commotion near Lin Qihua from the very beginning. Seeing Tang Zhijie hurl threats and leave in a rage, she frowned slightly. She whispered a word to her own manager before turning back to engage in idle conversation with a few young men, though her mind remained on Lin Qihua’s calm and unyielding response.

Seeing her manager hurry away, Gu Yuhan furrowed her delicate brows again and sighed. She hoped she wasn't overthinking things; otherwise, Lin Qihua was in for a rough time.

"Yuhan, what are you worried about?" a man beside her asked, looking at her with infatuation. "Tang Zhijie has been arrogant for ages, relying on the backing he has. Whenever he’s had a drink, he acts like a fool. It’s disgusting that he made a scene in front of you and ruined your mood."

"Exactly," another agreed. "Don't pay him any mind. If it weren't for his connections, people would have dealt with him long ago. Don't worry about him, Yuhan. How about I take you to a fun place where you can relax?"

"I’ll take you to the top of the mountain to see the night view instead; it’s beautiful," the first man chimed in.

"No, thank you," Gu Yuhan said softly, standing up. "It’s getting late. I should head back."

"Oh, alright." Sensing the firmness in her voice, the two men didn't press the issue. "Then, when you have a chance, shall I take you out for a drive to clear your mind?"

"We'll see." Seeing her manager return, Gu Yuhan didn't linger. "Goodbye."

"Goodbye." The two men waved reluctantly.

"How was it?" Gu Yuhan asked quietly as she walked toward the exit with her manager.

"It's settled," the manager whispered, glancing back. "Was it really necessary?"

"Consider it a precaution," Gu Yuhan said softly. "As expected, Sister Qing is very efficient."

"Don't flatter me. Tell me, since when do you start paying such attention to a boy?"

"I don't."