With his aunt watching, Shang Xuan couldn’t do anything.
Tao Zhi thus got his phone back.
After tutoring ended, he took a shower, went downstairs, and started his daily call with Fu Si Heng.
Fu Si Heng asked if his cousin had behaved today.
After hesitating, Tao Zhi told him everything that happened that night.
As he spoke, Tao Zhi scuffed his toes against the dirt on the ground, his tone listless. “I never thought he’d snoop into my privacy. Before giving him the phone, I even turned on Do Not Disturb, worried a message might pop up and he’d tap it.”
“But he still looked anyway.”
“He said he’d give me the night to think it over. If he doesn’t see a phone tomorrow, he’ll spill it.”
“Sigh.” Little Peach sighed dejectedly.
Fu Si Heng: “…”
“What the…”
The matter was so shocking that even Fu Si Heng fell uncharacteristically silent as he listened.
And silent for quite a while.
“So what do you think?” A minute later, Fu Si Heng asked.
“I don’t know. I’ll try deleting the chat logs and just flat-out deny it.” Tao Zhi wasn’t going to buy him a new phone. Where would he get that kind of money?
Besides.
“From the looks of it, he doesn’t plan to stop at just once. If I give in, he’ll keep blackmailing me later.” Tao Zhi saw it clearly. “I don’t have that much money to give him, and I don’t want to be threatened.”
“Mm.” Fu Si Heng acknowledged, praising, “Good thinking.”
Fu Si Heng was glad Tao Zhi realized that.
At least he wasn’t some pushover idiot who let people bully him.
Though the method was a bit dumb.
Fu Si Heng didn’t approve of Tao Zhi modeling for others and shooting that stuff in the first place.
He’d followed Rong Huai’s account, full of comments like ‘wife, let me lick you’—utterly distasteful.
He’d wanted to cancel the contract ages ago but held off because of Tao Zhi.
But now wasn’t the time for that.
Reluctant as he was, Fu Si Heng still offered advice. “Will it work? You have to delete everything thoroughly, including the photo album……”
As if thinking of something, Fu Si Heng suddenly chuckled.
A soft laugh, blended into the night breeze, tickled his ear and instantly dispelled the tension.
Tao Zhi instinctively opened his mouth. “What……”
He stopped abruptly midway.
He got it.
Uh.
It must be referring to those photos he’d taken for Fu Si Heng before.
“G-Got it.” Tao Zhi stammered in response.
He’d delete them all—
“Actually, no need to delete.” On second thought, Fu Si Heng was a bit reluctant.
After all, he had saved them all.
“They have to be deleted.” Tao Zhi didn’t want to dwell on the topic, stiffly turning his head away to continue with his plan. “Not just the album—I’ll temporarily delete you and Fu Zheng too.”
After all, their chats had too much weird stuff.
“Rong Huai too. I’ll explain to him; he won’t mind. I’ll move the contract to my email.”
The more Tao Zhi said, the clearer his head got. “He’s probably doing this for the first time and didn’t think to keep evidence.”
Of course, it might also be because time was short, and with Shang Xuan’s phone confiscated, he had no way to save evidence.
Tao Zhi: “As long as I delete the evidence and stonewall that I never did it, it’ll be fine.”
“The videos Rong Huai posted are all full makeup—huge difference from my real self; no way he’ll recognize me.”
“I think this’ll work.” Tao Zhi asked Fu Si Heng, “What do you think?”
Fu Si Heng: “It’s a bit troublesome.”
Tao Zhi: “Huh?”
Tao Zhi thought about it.
Yeah, it was kind of troublesome.
He had to meticulously delete a ton of stuff without missing anything, explain to Fu Zheng and Rong Huai……
But aside from this, Tao Zhi couldn’t think of a better way.
He’d never been blackmailed and had no experience dealing with bratty kids.
This was the best he could come up with.
Troublesome was fine.
“No big deal; there’s still time.” Tao Zhi said, “I’ll get it done before tomorrow.”
“No need.” Fu Si Heng told him, “The truth doesn’t matter—what matters is the gossip if he talks.”
“You prove your innocence, your parents believe you, your aunt believes you, but once it’s out, it’ll become dinner-table fodder.”
“People with ill intent toward you won’t care about the facts. Compared to you legitimately working part-time to support your family, they’d rather gossip about how ‘shady’ your money really is.”
Even though crossdressing modeling wasn’t shady.
But most people couldn’t understand it.
Fu Si Heng said, “Got it?”
“Huh? I-Is that how it is…” Tao Zhi stammered after a long pause.
Fu Si Heng: “Mm, so the best way is to keep him from talking.”
Keep him from talking……
Tao Zhi found Fu Si Heng’s words very reasonable and started brainstorming new ideas. “Then only giving money, but I don’t want to…… Right.”
Tao Zhi suddenly thought of something. “If the blackmail amount hits 10,000, can I threaten him with the police?”
“I’ll secretly record and lead him to admit the blackmail. Think that’ll work?”
“Smart baby.” Fu Si Heng chuckled again.
It seemed it would.
Tao Zhi was thrilled; the heavy stone in his chest lightened a bit.
“Then I gotta think carefully about the wording.” First time doing this, Tao Zhi was clueless.
He asked Fu Si Heng, “Any good advice?”
“The best advice is a better method altogether.” Fu Si Heng said.
“Hm? There’s a better way?” Tao Zhi perked up to listen intently. “What is it?”
“Let me help you.” Fu Si Heng said.
Tao Zhi: “Huh?”
Tao Zhi blinked.
Hearing that, he was a bit confused and asked doubtfully, “I’ve already asked for your help—aren’t we discussing it right now?”
“No.” Fu Si Heng told him, “I’ll come over and help. I have plenty of experience dealing with bratty kids.”
He really did.
Aside from Fu Zheng, back in school, Fu Si Heng had dealt with plenty of little punks.
Though “dealt with” meant physically subduing them.
“Huh? No, forget it.” Now understanding, Tao Zhi shook his head in refusal. “No need.”
“Why?” Fu Si Heng asked patiently. “I guarantee that kid’ll steer clear of you after.”
Tao Zhi: “……”
Tao Zhi selectively ignored the latter part, only answering the former. “Too far away.”
“You’d have to fly here specially…… No need. The police threat plan is fine.”
Tao Zhi figured that would definitely scare Shang Xuan.
“But would you really call the cops?” Fu Si Heng said. “You just want to spook him, right?”
Tao Zhi: “Y-yeah…”
He wouldn’t actually escalate to police—just record privately, tell him about the cops to frighten him.
“I can guess that, and so can he.” Fu Si Heng’s voice was flat.
Ah…
Tao Zhi opened his mouth.
Before he could think of another way, Fu Si Heng spoke again. “If it’s not far, that’d be okay?”
“What?” Tao Zhi was bewildered.
Fu Si Heng: “Look up.”
“?” Tao Zhi didn’t get it but obediently looked up.
Across the street was a convenience store.
From his angle, he could clearly see a yellow-haired teen inside yawning.
Tao Zhi’s expression was utterly blank.
Fu Si Heng: “Look to the right.”
Tao Zhi obediently turned his head.
He saw a familiar figure.
