After Transmigrating into the Main Shou, I Topped the Paranoid Big Shot 64

Chapter 64

Zong Mo walked along the lakeside, not looking back. But his pace gradually slowed, slowing to a stop, yet no one came after him.
The act of throwing his phone into the lake had a sense of making a clean break.
Realizing this with hindsight, Zong Mo panicked and immediately looked back.
The shore was empty, not even the shadow of a car on the road.
At this moment, not only was his heart empty, but his hands, his pockets, were also empty.
In this era, as long as you have a phone, you can go anywhere. And Zong Mo had just gone out to clear his head, so of course, he wasn’t carrying any cash.
He also didn’t have the key to the villa, because he didn’t need it. The security guard would open the gate for him, and he could enter the house with a face scan.
It was like his home, but it was not his home.
And to walk back from such a remote place, it was impossible to do it in less than four or five hours.
Zong Mo, who had resolutely thrown away his phone, was not only homeless but also penniless.
Zong Mo: …
He was starting to regret it.
Now, besides a battle-hardened body, a set of clothes and shoes, he had nothing.

He had deliberately taken a taxi to the suburbs to avoid being recognized by passersby. At this moment, he desperately needed the help of his fans.
There were occasional empty taxis passing by on the road, slowing down near him to try and get a fare. But he was too embarrassed to take a ride without paying first, and he didn’t know where he could go to find someone to help him pay the bill. So he simply went back to the boardwalk by the lake.
It was the first time Zong Mo had been so angry, and also the first time he had been so impulsive. He had never thought that losing his phone would make it so difficult to move.
What was this? He was the one being monitored, and now he was the one suffering. This temper tantrum was worse than not having one at all.

In his dejection, a young man and woman came strolling from a distance. Zong Mo was wearing a mask and didn’t think a random passerby would recognize him, so he didn’t avoid them and met them head-on.
He was walking slowly, but the two in front of him accelerated towards him. The young girl said in surprise, “Hey! Are you Zong Mo?”
Zong Mo stopped and looked at the smiling girl in front of him.
“Ah, it really is you!? My boyfriend and I are both your fans!!”
Zong Mo: …He has male fans?
He was instantly infected by the girl’s joy. This was probably the feeling of being liked. Even a stranger he had just met could easily touch his emotions.
He took off his mask. It was better to be recognized by his fans first, to avoid having to thicken his face and borrow money from a stranger.
“Can you sign an autograph for me?” the girl asked expectantly.
Zong Mo directly suggested, “I don’t have a pen. Let’s take a photo together.”
The girl excitedly took out her phone and pushed her other fan and boyfriend to the side.
Because of the principle of near big and far small, Zong Mo specially moved his face forward, making the girl look delicate and small, a very considerate fan service.

After taking the photo, Zong Mo finally said with difficulty, “Um… can you lend me fifty yuan to take a taxi back? I forgot to bring my phone when I went out.”
The girl was stunned, “Uh, are you recording a show? Is there a hidden camera?”
As she spoke, she looked around, but of course, she found nothing. But the girl was clearly familiar with these variety show tropes and guessed excitedly, “Hmm… should I lend it to you or not? Oh, you definitely can’t say it directly…”
She thought for a long time and finally waved her hand, taking out a red Mao bill and slapping it into Zong Mo’s hand, “A hundred yuan! No need to pay it back or give change! Did I complete the mission?”
Zong Mo smiled and nodded, “Mm, you succeeded.”

Once he was in the enclosed space of the taxi, the joy borrowed from others instantly dissipated. Zong Mo thought tiredly for a long time. It wasn’t until the driver urged him for the third time that he gave a vague address.

Zong Mo got out of the car at the entrance of an unfamiliar residential complex. The fare was fifty-eight yuan. Thanks to the young lady’s generosity in giving him a hundred, he wouldn’t be on the trending list for not paying his taxi fare.
The residential complex in front of him was not as high-end as the one where Ruan Chi’s large flat was, but the environment was beautiful and very livable.
This was an address he had seen in his phone’s notepad before. He had only remembered the name of the complex, but not the specific building or unit.
He had no choice but to go to the security office and say, “Hello… I’m looking for a resident named An Lan. Hmm, she’s a manager, and I’m an artist under her…”
With a large amount of information on the internet as proof, everything went smoothly, but it was inevitably awkward.
An Lan, who was resting at home, received a call and rushed to the entrance of the complex to get him.
Zong Mo looked at her with pleading eyes, “Sister An Lan…”
An Lan: …
What new kind of fun and games is this today?
It was not convenient to talk outside. She first brought Zong Mo to her home with complicated feelings.

Zong Mo walked into An Lan’s home and first saw a decent-looking strange man in the living room.
“This is my husband,” An Lan first informed Zong Mo, then greeted the man, “You should go out today. Get something to eat outside and come back at night.”
Zong Mo: …
Although he was not a straight man and was a public figure, to enter someone’s home and drive away the male owner still made him feel embarrassed. When the man passed by him, he lowered his head and said, “Sorry for the intrusion.”
The man was very cooperative with his wife’s work needs and left readily.
Only then did An Lan say, “Why did you suddenly come over without saying anything first?”
“I lost my phone. I can’t contact anyone.”
“Then how did you get here?”
“I borrowed money from a fan to take a taxi here.”
An Lan: …
“You even borrowed money from a fan…?” An Lan covered her throbbing head. “You weren’t photographed by paparazzi, were you?”
Zong Mo confessed honestly, “No. Besides those two fans, there was no one else around.”
An Lan was slightly relieved and continued to ask, “Then why didn’t you just take a taxi home? Not enough money?”
“Home?” Zong Mo’s eyes lowered and his lips pursed. “Back to CEO Ruan’s home?”
An Lan: …
Fine. She pretty much knew what was going on.
“Did you two have a fight?”
“We didn’t have a fight,” Zong Mo said unhappily. “He’s angry with me.”
“Isn’t CEO Ruan angry every day?” An Lan said nonchalantly. “What did you do?”
“A few days ago, I said I wanted to move out, and he started to get angry.”
“Why do you want to move out? Don’t you like CEO Ruan?”
Zong Mo: …?
Why did An Lan say so confidently that he liked Ruan Chi?
And the answer to An Lan’s question was actually in the question itself.
Because he liked Ruan Chi, he hoped to establish an intimate relationship with Ruan Chi beyond the physical. And to achieve this goal, he needed to interact with Ruan Chi on an equal footing. Moving out was just the first step in his clumsy plan.
In a sense, this first step had also been achieved.
This conflict had come so inexplicably. Zong Mo didn’t really want to bring it up.

An Lan watched his reaction, sighed, and said again, “To be honest, I really don’t know how you could fall for CEO Ruan. You used to be very afraid of him.”
Zong Mo was slightly stunned. With An Lan’s reminder, he remembered again that Ruan Chi had never treated him as someone else. His heart felt even more unpleasant.
Zong Mo tentatively said, “Sister An Lan, don’t you think I’m different from before?”
“A little. You’re more obedient and sensible than before, and you work harder,” An Lan said. “I’m quite gratified.”
If only the two of them’s private matters didn’t always involve her, she would be even more gratified.
Zong Mo asked again, “Don’t you think I’ve changed a lot?”
“People change. After a few years, you should have grown up.”
Zong Mo continued to give clues, “I’ve also gotten taller…?”
“It’s not strange to have a second growth spurt,” An Lan said. “But you can’t grow any taller. You can’t exceed 1.9 meters. It will be hard to get roles in the future.”
Zong Mo ran his fingers through his hair in frustration.

In the novel, the people who had the most contact with the main shou were the sponsor Ruan Chi and the manager An Lan. According to the novel’s description, Ruan Chi had a cold and aloof personality and was an emotionless meal-feeding machine. The manager An Lan, who would follow the crew, should be more familiar with the main shou.
But An Lan had not discovered that he had been replaced. Only Ruan Chi had recognized him.
Zong Mo took a deep breath and asked, “Sister An Lan, do you know what kind of contract I signed with CEO Ruan?”
“You signed the contract with him. Of course, only you two know.”
Zong Mo changed the question, “Then… why did the old me only film dramas?”
“Didn’t you choose those dramas yourself?” An Lan said. “You used to have a heavy idol’s burden and were afraid of damaging your image. I thought you would back out at the last minute when you were shooting for DAVID magazine. You’re much more sensible now. You see, you’ve let yourself go and now you’re famous, right?”
Zong Mo inexplicably became dejected again, “Was CEO Ruan also quite good to the old me?”
“You make money, he makes money. Of course, he would give you good roles,” An Lan said to herself. “But you weren’t very active. Was it because CEO Ruan gave you too small a cut, or did you not sign for many years? CEO Ruan also doesn’t care what you film. He probably signed you just to test the waters in the entertainment industry.”
Zong Mo: …
An Lan’s words once again confirmed his speculation about that mysterious contract: it was definitely not a sponsorship agreement, but a work contract of about three years.
It also proved that Ruan Chi was indeed very different towards him than towards the main shou.
Zong Mo suddenly felt a little breathless. He had originally thought he had done nothing wrong, but now…

“Sister An Lan, I know. Because the contract expired, and I suddenly said I wanted to move out, that’s why CEO Ruan was angry,” Zong Mo said frustratedly. “But I didn’t mean I wanted to leave him. It was a misunderstanding…”
An Lan was silent for a moment, then immediately chased him away, “If you don’t really want to leave, then go back. What are you doing here? CEO Ruan will only be angrier. Hurry back and apologize to him.”
“He installed a tracking device on my phone,” Zong Mo said. “I was too angry, so I threw the phone into the lake. I didn’t do anything wrong either. He was the one who was too much.”
An Lan had a headache and fudged it, “Isn’t it just a tracking device? If you’re in any danger, he can also find you in time.”
Zong Mo: …
“But CEO Ruan probably didn’t monitor my location before,” Zong Mo said. “I went out to meet Teacher Lu once, but from his reaction, it seemed he didn’t know.”
An Lan covered her forehead, “He didn’t know, and you had to tell him?”
Zong Mo was speechless for a moment.
“When Teacher Lu came for a cameo in Chasing the Light Boy, he only found out after he arrived at the set. In the movie, the scene where I… was gang-raped, he also only found out at the cinema,” Zong Mo continued to recall. “But he had known Director Yang for a long time. He could have just asked if there was anything in the movie he couldn’t accept and had Director Yang change it.”
“But CEO Ruan didn’t…”
“I’ve been hiding some things from him. He found out a long time ago, but he didn’t expose me, nor was he very angry.”
To prevent Zong Mo from continuing to chatter, An Lan quickly interrupted and said in a deep voice, “Zong Mo.”
Zong Mo looked at the suddenly serious An Lan, not knowing why.
“Do you think CEO Ruan is controlling you?”
Zong Mo let out a wronged “mm.”
An Lan asked again, “Then why have you been explaining for him?”
Zong Mo was suddenly speechless.

“Zong Mo,” An Lan softened her tone and said earnestly, “You used to be very afraid of him. Is it because you’ve been living together all this time and have gotten used to it, that’s why you rely on him?”
Zong Mo only said, “I’m not the old Zong Mo anymore.”
But An Lan was like a mature big sister, coaxing him like a child, “Who else could you be?”
The fact of transmigrating was too bizarre. It seemed that An Lan would not believe it no matter what.
“Maybe it’s because CEO Ruan was very cold to you before, and he’s been a little better these past few months, that’s why you’ve developed feelings for him?” An Lan said, standing up.
“How about this? You can cool down at my place first. You can sleep on the sofa. Did you not bring anything with you? I still have a copy of your ID here. I’ll go out and help you get a new SIM card and buy a new phone first.”
Zong Mo really had a hard time explaining and could only nod in silence.
He couldn’t fall asleep in a strange place with such a mood. An Lan didn’t make him wait for too long and came back quickly.
Zong Mo turned on his new phone, downloaded the necessary social apps one by one, logged in to check for new messages, and then opened the recent calls page.
The old call history was basically all with Ruan Chi, with an occasional one or two from An Lan. Now it was all gone.
“If a call came in during the time I was getting a new phone…” Zong Mo asked. “Will I see a missed call here?”
An Lan naturally understood whose missed call he was hoping to see.
She was in her thirties, married but without children, yet she was worrying like an old mother.
She covered her forehead and said, “Zong Mo, you can stay at my place for a few days. Don’t contact CEO Ruan first. I don’t think you can get along well like this. With CEO Ruan’s temper, as long as he really cares about you, if you don’t go back, he will contact you soon.”
Zong Mo put down his phone and nodded.

At dinner time, the constantly watched phone screen suddenly lit up.
CEO Ruan: [Come back.]
Zong Mo guessed that he had taken a break to go to the lake to catch him in the morning. He had just finished his work and returned home to find that his golden canary had not obediently returned.
“Is this CEO Ruan’s attitude when he’s asking you to go back?” An Lan frowned. She had been eager to send him away before, but now she said, “You wait a little longer. Don’t mind him.”
Zong Mo: …?
“Won’t CEO Ruan be even angrier like this?”
An Lan said earnestly, “If you give in first, I estimate you’ll still have fights like this.”
On the one hand, she felt that with Zong Mo’s personality, he had given his body and his heart, and would still have to suffer every day in the future. She had managed several artists, and Zong Mo was the most worry-free one, with a good temper and politeness. She really couldn’t bear to watch Zong Mo suffer.
On the other hand, she also didn’t want to get involved in the two’s private matters again, to avoid being sought out by Zong Mo for help again in the future. It was better to have a short pain than a long one.
Zong Mo felt that what An Lan said made sense and put down his phone without replying first.
An Lan’s husband also came home with groceries at this time and skillfully started cooking.
Zong Mo looked at the person in the kitchen with complicated feelings and casually made conversation, “Sister An Lan, your husband looks quite young.”
An Lan nodded, “Mm, he’s four years younger than me.”
Zong Mo: …
Why could any small detail make him feel things?

“Don’t be dejected,” An Lan patted him lightly. “Go and get the bowls and chopsticks. Get ready to eat.”
Zong Mo ate someone else’s meal absentmindedly, suspecting that Ruan Chi, who was left alone in the villa, would not eat properly.
He let out a light sigh.
An Lan: …
After dinner, An Lan sent her own husband into the master bedroom and also sent Zong Mo to the guest room.
Zong Mo didn’t really want to be alone and said, “Sister An Lan, it’s still early. I can’t sleep now.”
An Lan: “But I want to be alone for a while.”
Zong Mo: “Then I won’t talk.”
He stopped talking and sat quietly on the sofa, scrolling through his phone.
An Lan didn’t leave him and go back to her room either but went to the dining room to clean up the dishes after the meal.
Zong Mo felt he should go and help, but he couldn’t stop paying attention to his phone’s movements.

Nine o’clock at night.
Zong Mo looked at the time displayed on his phone screen. If it weren’t for the late dinner, at this time, he would usually be in Ruan Chi’s room, doing some preparatory work…
As if sensing his call, a new pop-up finally appeared on the screen.
CEO Ruan: [Image]
Zong Mo: ?
He quickly clicked in to check.
“Ahhhhhh!!!”
An Lan was startled and walked over, speechless, “What’s wrong now?”
Zong Mo shouted, “CEO Ruan took a picture of me while I was asleep!!”
“What did he take a picture of?” An Lan didn’t react at first and leaned over to look at Zong Mo’s phone screen.
An Lan: …
There was nothing really in the photo. The parts that shouldn’t be exposed were not exposed at all. All you could see was a delicate side profile in a deep sleep, the neck, half of the collarbone, and the shoulder.
But the hazy, dim yellow light and the snow-white pillow and quilt clearly belonged to a hotel. The fair skin of his shoulder and neck was covered with ambiguous red marks.
An Lan quickly withdrew her gaze and covered half her face.
She was so tired.
Zong Mo, who had completely taken An Lan as his backbone, called her in a small, thin voice.
An Lan spoke, “…Isn’t it just a bed photo? It’s no big deal if it’s posted. Your fans might even like to see it. And you’re already twenty-two. You’ve also shot for that kind of magazine and acted in those dramas. No one will believe you’re a virgin.”
Zong Mo: …
Is that the point?
Even if Zong Mo was confused, he clearly realized this was a threat.
And, how could Ruan Chi’s threat be limited to this extent?
This photo was just the tip of the iceberg of the leverage he held.
Zong Mo hadn’t expected Ruan Chi to apologize to him for the past few days. He had thought that at most, he would impatiently order him to go back, or directly contact An Lan to come and get him.
But Ruan Chi had used such a method.
Zong Mo had long guessed that the contract the main shou and Ruan Chi had signed was not a sponsorship contract, and he had also told Ruan Chi his speculation. Even so, he had never left and had willingly stayed by Ruan Chi’s side.
Ruan Chi had seen everything and knew his personality like the back of his hand. He knew he was soft-hearted and couldn’t stand to see others suffer, yet he had to use such a tyrannical method to threaten him.
Zong Mo was even less willing to reply and irritably threw his phone aside.

A while later, the phone moved again. This time, it rang for a long time without stopping.
It was the unique ringtone he had set for Ruan Chi.
With the threat in front, Zong Mo had no choice but to answer.
“Zong Mo, come back,” Ruan Chi’s tone was exceptionally cold. After giving the order, he added, “Did you hear me?”
Zong Mo’s temper immediately flared up, “Are you really…”
That sick?
He swallowed the latter half of the sentence at the last minute and insisted, “I don’t want to go back now.”
“As long as you still want to be a celebrity, you can’t leave me,” Ruan Chi continued. “If you still want some face, you should make the right decision.”
Zong Mo: “…Then do you not want face?”
“I don’t care. Do you think I care about being a celebrity?”
“CEO Ruan,” Zong Mo’s voice trembled. “Do you want the whole world to know we’ve had sex?”
Ruan Chi let out a “mm,” the end of his voice rising.
Zong Mo: …
An Lan: …
Listening in on this phone call until the last sentence, An Lan finally understood.
Zong Mo also finally knew why the original Zong Mo was still a virgin after being sponsored for three years.
All the gongs in this novel were sick!
The degree of Gong #2’s madness was one of the best!!!
Zong Mo’s mind went blank for a moment. He hung up the phone in a panic.
He regretted it so much, but he had really enjoyed it.
And he had liked it.

An Lan was silent for a long time, extremely regretting not having driven Zong Mo away a few hours earlier.
“Don’t worry, it won’t be posted. His purpose is to get you back. If he posts it, the threat will be invalid,” An Lan advised. “Didn’t you want to go back anyway? This can be considered… a way out for you?”
Zong Mo: “…This is a way out?”
An Lan: “At worst, you can just treat this as CEO Ruan’s special way of apologizing?”
Zong Mo: …
That night, Zong Mo stayed in the guest room of An Lan’s house.
Ruan Chi did not send any more messages or call, leaving him plenty of time to think.
The bedroom was extremely quiet. There was no one by his pillow, and his phone was silent.
Zong Mo was upset and couldn’t sleep well. He simply got up and gently knocked on the door of An Lan’s and her husband’s room.
Even though he knew it was very impolite, he really didn’t want to be alone now.
His knock was very light and didn’t wake the sleeping couple. An Lan got up in the middle of the night to go to the restroom and noticed the light was on in the living room outside the door. When she came out, she saw the dejected person in the living room.
An Lan: …
She was so tired.
The moment Zong Mo caught the sound of the door opening, he immediately looked up, a mournful look on his face, “Sister An Lan, what should I do…”
An Lan: …

The next day, the male owner of the house left early. The moment Zong Mo heard the noise, fearing that An Lan had left, he immediately came out of the guest room.
Fortunately, An Lan was still there.
“Sister An Lan…”
An Lan, with two dark circles under her eyes, asked, “Why do you like CEO Ruan?”
“He’s always been with me…” Zong Mo murmured. “I feel very at ease when I’m with him. Actually, I don’t really hate the things he asks me to do. Although he’s a bit fierce, I’m quite happy when I bicker with him…”
An Lan’s face was serious, “Zong Mo, don’t mind me for being blunt.”
Zong Mo: “Hmm?”
“CEO Ruan is older than you, and his personality is also very strong.”
Zong Mo nodded.
“Is it because you have no family that you rely on him?”
Zong Mo was stunned and said with difficulty, “Because of CEO Ruan, I can’t fall for anyone else anymore.”
“Because you have that kind of relationship… it’s hard not to fall for someone with such intimate contact every day.”
Zong Mo said expectantly, “Then CEO Ruan should also fall for me?”
An Lan said casually, “Actually, I think CEO Ruan likes you very much.”
Zong Mo looked up, his eyes full of surprise.
“But he’s sick,” An Lan insulted her boss with a blank expression.
Zong Mo nodded desperately.
“You haven’t seen what he’s like at the company. In comparison, he’s unusually good to you,” An Lan said calmly. “But that’s just in comparison. He’s still sick.”
Zong Mo nodded hesitantly.

“To be honest, I really don’t know where you get the courage to act cute with him,” An Lan said.
“I didn’t act cute,” Zong Mo first denied, then immediately changed his tune, “He forced me!”
“You’re acting cute with me now, and no one is forcing you.”
“I’m not acting cute! Wuwu… Sister An Lan…”
An Lan patted his head lightly as a sign of comfort, then said coldly, “I had my husband help you find an apartment in our complex. You can move in today.”
Zong Mo’s eyes widened, “What?”
“I’m married. It’s not convenient for you to stay here.”
Zong Mo muttered in a low voice, “Sister An Lan, I’m gay.”
The exhausted An Lan was ruthless, “My husband is a man.”
Zong Mo: …

Author’s Note:
Going crazy for a moment is satisfying, chasing husband…