The Villain Slaps The Protagonist’s Halo - Chapter 43

Chapter 43: I'll Tell You Who's the Boss

That night, talent agent Xiang Xianmin tried calling Chen Tian, but his phone seemed on the verge of shattering as no one picked up. He couldn't find Chen Tian at home either. Worse, someone had changed Chen Tian's Weibo password. Despite questioning Chen Tian's assistants one by one, Xiang Xianmin couldn't get any answers. He couldn't even delete that post on Weibo. The frustration was overwhelming.

The CBC public relations team was ineffective. Overnight, the situation spiraled out of control, and CBC seemed powerless amid the storm.

The next day, despite sporting a pair of bloodshot eyes from a hangover, Chen Tian showed up at the company to rehearse singing. Though uncomfortable, he was determined to perform well in the finals. The rest could wait. But despite the psychological preparation before coming to the company, he smashed the electric guitar in the practice room just a few minutes into singing.

A loud bang filled the practice room with an ear-piercing sound of the guitar crashing.

Xie Yihang was startled. Already tense, Chen Tian's action sent shivers down his spine, leaving his face pale.

Chen Tian said nothing, his agitation evident, on the brink of exploding in rage. In the intense gaze of Xie Yihang, he paced in silence for a moment before striding out of the practice room.

As he reached the door, he brushed past Shi Yanshen. Frowning, Shi Yanshen grabbed Chen Tian's arm and demanded, "Where were you last night?"

Chen Tian merely turned his head, giving him a cold glance, and then forcefully pulled away, walking off on his own.

"Chen Tian is still mad at me," Xie Yihang murmured, feeling awkward. He took a few steps forward, picked up Chen Tian's guitar—something Chen Tian always treasured and carried around to events—but today, he had ruthlessly smashed it.

"Don't take it to heart. You know Chen Tian's temper," Shi Yanshen tried to console, his mind elsewhere.

As Xie Yihang bent down, a string of tears suddenly fell onto Chen Tian's guitar. He felt as if the bond between the three of them, like this guitar, had shattered. He couldn't comprehend why, after the semifinals, they seemed like enemies. What had he done wrong to endure such vile public scrutiny, even Chen Tian, who had been as close as a brother, ignored and despised him?

"I never targeted Nie Fei, never did anything to wrong him. Why does everyone suddenly hate me? Shi Yanshen, do you... do you dislike me too?" Xie Yihang sat on the ground, tears streaming down, consumed by grief and fear.

His eyes must be red. Shi Yanshen thought, feeling a pang in his heart.

"Xiao Hang..." Shi Yanshen knelt beside him, at a loss for words.

Xie Yihang peeked through his tear-streaked eyes, gazing at Shi Yanshen with a pleading tone, "Shi Yanshen, are you truly, really the young master of Wankai?"

Shi Yanshen was momentarily stunned, a hint of discomfort fleeting across his face, but eventually nodded.

Tears filled Xie Yihang's eyes. "Then can you help me? Can you please help me?"

He looked like a trapped little creature begging for help from a hunter.

Shi Yanshen, observing Xie Yihang's grievances, felt a flicker of anger rise within. Why should Xie Hang endure such verbal abuse from the public? Yes, Nie Fei might have been mistreated at the company, but it wasn't Xie Hang's fault! Why should all the pressure fall on him? Wasn't Nie Fei at fault too?

That morning, without even having breakfast, Shi Yanshen rushed to Shi Si's office, only to find it empty.

"Where's my brother?" Shi Yanshen asked the secretary, displeased.

Busy organizing files to be sent to Shi Si, the secretary looked up and said, "The boss has been recuperating at home these days and hasn't come to the company. Young Master, if you need anything, feel free to tell me."

"No need, I'll find him myself." Shi Yanshen felt embarrassed to disclose his request to an outsider and turned to leave.

The secretary, nonchalantly, stood up, "I'm about to take some files to the boss. How about you come along? He doesn't like to be disturbed, and you going alone might upset him."

Though anxious, Shi Yanshen remained composed. He stood there, expressionless, and nodded. His brother disliked being disturbed and even though he generally received favor from his brother, he wouldn't easily go against his wishes.

While the secretary drove, he informed Shi Si. By the time they arrived, Shi Si had just woken up. He emerged from the bedroom with an indifferent expression, closed the door gently, then sat on the sofa. "Take a seat."

The secretary adeptly placed some documents in the study and then, in front of Shi Si, put a cup of black coffee and asked Shi Yanshen, "Would the Young Master like something to drink?"

Shi Yanshen shook his head. As soon as the secretary left, he couldn't wait any longer, "Brother, I need your help with something."

"To quell the current public opinion?" Shi Si's gaze remained cold as he blew lightly on the coffee steam.

Shi Yanshen nodded, "Apart from that, Nie Kaiyi's manipulating things, making it tough for me and Xiao Hang. Can you ask her to delete the Weibo post and issue a clarification?"

"Clarify what? That you're not a part of the Shi family, or that CBC isn't suppressing Nie Fei?" Shi Si's tone lacked any trace of passion.

Shi Yanshen hesitated, his face dark, "Yes, what she said is true, but why does she have to reveal my identity? I entered this circle without signing under Wankai because I didn't want to rely on my family. But by doing so, now the world thinks I've gotten to where I am solely because of my surname. Everything about me has been negated! People will only see me as your younger brother, forgetting who Shi Yanshen is!"

Shi Si smiled faintly, "Do you really think you're here today because of your efforts and not your family?"

Shi Yanshen, stirred by emotions, his neck flushed, was about to retort when Shi Si's precise words hit him right where he felt most vulnerable. He reddened even more, as if Shi Si had pinpointed his most sensitive spot, and suddenly kicked out in frustration.

Shi Si's voice lowered, carrying an inherent dominance, "If CBC hadn't known you were the Wankai young master, DDD would've been disbanded long ago, and Nie Fei wouldn't have been used as your stepping stone. You've reached where you are not just because of your family but also because of Nie Fei."

"This wasn't my intention. I didn't even know CBC was suppressing Nie Fei until just before the semifinals," Shi Yanshen spat out through gritted teeth after Shi Si's words settled in.

Afterwards, what have you done for Nie Fei? You already know he suffered because of you, enduring four years of criticism. The applause and cheers he deserved were all snatched away by the three of you. What have you done to make amends?" Shi Si questioned.

Shi Yan, based on reason, argued, "Nie Fei was able to participate in the semifinals because I stopped Xiang Xianmin from suppressing him. Otherwise, the company had decided not to let Nie Fei participate in the recording. It's because of me that he could take the stage!"

Shi Si's gaze turned icy for a moment. He looked at his brother's stubborn expression, slammed the coffee cup on the table, and coldly said, "Because of you? You deprived him of the right to be on stage in the first place. Now, returning what rightfully belongs to him, do you consider that making amends for him?"

"Then what else can I do?" Shi Yan, irritated and embarrassed, retorted, "Nie Fei has inherent issues. Despite his talent, he's just superficial. You don't know him. I've been with him for four years. I admit he's talented, but look at his performance in the semifinals. He acted like everyone owed him money. The company's restrictions on him are not unjust!"

Shi Si raised an eyebrow silently, observing his brother's frantic attempts to degrade his lover.

Shi Yan paced around, breathing heavily. "Someone like Nie Fei, with talent alone, what's the use? In this industry, for every step he takes, he offends ten people. If it weren't for us forming a team and helping him deal with public opinion, Nie Fei might not be doing even half as well as he is now!"

Shi Si fell silent for a moment, watching him with indifference. He rebuked, "Since childhood, your pride has been too strong. If someone scored higher than you, you suspected them of cheating. When the valuable artwork you bought was discovered to be fake, you insisted you liked it. Just after graduating from college, you chose an unrelated job. I never opposed you; I allowed you to grow and find your own value. Is this the result you're presenting to me? Shi Yan, you're not a child anymore. When will you realize you don't have pride; all you have is inferiority?"

Shi Yan, breathing heavily, face flushed, angrily shouted, "What do you understand? You were groomed as the successor since childhood, never understanding how difficult it is for others with the surname Shi to find their own presence under the shadow of our family name. Why do you have the right to lecture me from your high and mighty position? You just look down on my mother because she's not a noble heiress like yours. Don't think I don't know. You always looked down on my mother and even more so on me!"

As his words fell, Shi Yan, full of resentment, faced his indifferent brother. Shi Si calmly sipped his coffee, and Shi Yan gradually calmed down, a layer of panic accumulating in his eyes.

In the study, the secretary sighed quietly. The boss's mother passed away early, and five years later, the boss married Shi Yan's mother, Wen Ya, who was destined to never integrate into high society quickly. Her inferiority complex influenced Shi Yan, but the boss had always treated Shi Yan with great care, protecting his fragile self-esteem. However, all that effort resulted in today's wolf-like roar.

"Brother... I didn't mean it that way." Shi Yan's mind cleared, feeling lost.

Putting down the coffee, Shi Si stood up, walked to Shi Yan, and gently patted his shoulder. "You hate this surname more than I imagined. Don't worry; you'll get what you want."

He turned and went back to the bedroom. Shi Yan, feeling a sense of urgency, wanted to explain and follow. The secretary timely stepped out to stop him, whispering, "Young Master, go back. Don't add fuel to the fire."

Watching Shi Si's indifferent figure, Shi Yan's heart plummeted.

In the bedroom, Nie Jia was still asleep. Recently, he hadn't been plagued by nightmares and wasn't easily awakened by slight movements. Shi Si was pleased; his mental state was slowly improving. As he approached, Nie Jia, perhaps having slept enough, rubbed his eyes sleepily and asked, "What time is it?"

"It's still early; you can sleep a bit more." Shi Si knelt at the bedside, caressing Nie Jia's hair and intimately brushing against his ear for a moment. "What would you like for breakfast?"

Nie Jia, half-asleep, smiled and said, "I want tomato and egg pancakes."

"I'll make it for you. Take your time waking up." Shi Si softly replied.

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