After Transmigrating into the Main Shou, I Topped the Paranoid Big Shot 72

Chapter 72

Zong Mo stayed at home waiting for Ruan Chi, ignoring the online rumors, and even had the leisure to search for recipes and consider tonight’s dishes.
He was just about to ask Ruan Chi if he was coming back for dinner when he happened to receive a message from An Lan:
[You don’t have to worry. CEO Ruan will handle it.]
Zong Mo pondered for a while. Ruan Chi was bankrupt, so he definitely didn’t have the money to help him withdraw the trending topic. If he spoke up to clarify, it would affect his own development in the entertainment industry.
But Ruan Chi had also said that this matter was aimed at him. Even if he didn’t take the initiative to come out and admit it, he would probably be exposed by someone with ulterior motives.
Zong Mo thought for a moment and sent a message to Ruan Chi:
[CEO Ruan, do you want to post a statement online saying that we signed a work contract?]
[And tell everyone you’re bankrupt. The netizens will definitely sympathize with you. I’ll also post a Weibo, saying that you’ve never treated me badly.]
[Are you coming back for dinner tonight?]
About ten minutes later, Ruan Chi finally replied with a few simple words: [Don’t post yet.]

Zong Mo didn’t know what Ruan Chi was busy with. He opened Weibo to take a look, only to see that he had published a Weibo post a few minutes ago.
It was concise and frank, admitting that he was Zong Mo’s sponsor and boss, that the two had signed a work contract, and that the contract had expired. He also stated that he had sent a lawyer’s letter to sue all the rumor-mongers.
At the same time, he attached a few pictures, revealing the contents of the contract and the reasons for signing it.
Zong Mo was not very good at reading contracts, but he could understand the netizens’ incisive summary.
[Holy shit, I knew entertainment companies were black-hearted, but this is the first time I’ve seen a 9:1 split…]
[And there’s a confidentiality agreement. Zong Mo really couldn’t say anything. He knew in his heart that he wasn’t being sponsored, but he couldn’t come out and clarify.]
[The one-tenth of the salary Zong Mo could get would only be paid after the three-year contract expired… if he didn’t earn enough of the thirty million, the contract would be automatically renewed. That’s something.]
[Ahhh, if it weren’t for paying the three million yuan contract termination fee to that shell company, would Mo Mo have had to sign such a contract?]
[So this is not a resource celeb, but the number one model worker in the entertainment industry. So pitiful, qw q]
Zong Mo: …
To be honest, he himself was a little shocked.
It wasn’t strange that Ruan Chi had no feelings for the main shou, but to exploit a protagonist and make him sign such a contract…
He was really not just a little black-hearted.

There was another clause in the contract. Because he had to wait for the contract to expire to get his salary, Zong Mo’s daily expenses for three years were all covered by Ruan Chi. Of course, the money he spent had to be paid back.
Zong Mo: …
So that was it. That was why he had found that he had almost no savings when he transmigrated, and that black card that clearly didn’t belong to him was still in the cabinet.
The money the main shou had spent had to be paid back, but Ruan Chi had never mentioned this to him and had even said he could give him anything valuable.
Now he couldn’t spend money even if he wanted to. But Zong Mo didn’t feel any regret. Instead, he felt even more special.
Although he was not a greasy sponsor who sponsored a young celebrity with bad conduct, as such a black-hearted capitalist, he also made the online public opinion instantly turn, and Ruan Chi’s Weibo was attacked to the point of collapse.

Zong Mo continued to look at Weibo. After Ruan Chi spoke up, the voices sympathizing with him soon gained the upper hand. But there were still people with ulterior motives who suspected that there was some improper relationship between him and his sponsor, and that his bad acting was also a fact.
Zong Mo: …
This was not entirely groundless.
The Dyeing Vat CP Super Topic was polarized. On one side, they were crazily shipping the overbearing CEO and his little beloved wife. On the other side, they were complaining that the sugar was full of glass shards, suspecting that Zong Mo was being pua’d by his boss.
Zong Mo wanted to post a Weibo to explain, but he didn’t know what to say.
While he was hesitating, the trending topic related to sponsorship had already disappeared. Even the discussions among passersby netizens could not be found.
Only then did Ruan Chi send him a message: [There are still some things to deal with. I’ll be back tomorrow.]

When Zong Mo woke up the next day, he opened Weibo and saw another trending topic: #ZongMoActing.
A certain entertainment blogger had revealed his various professional performances during the filming of Chasing the Light Boy. For example, he had been injured in a fight scene, had been hospitalized with an IV drip after running for several hours on the highway in the middle of winter…
There were also senior film critics who analyzed the clips from Chasing the Light Boy frame by frame, pointing out the commendable aspects of his acting, and a few scenes were even stunning.
And how he cared for and took care of others in the variety show was also emphasized one by one. No matter how well a persona was disguised, it was impossible to maintain it for a long time in a live stream, which was enough to show that this was his original personality.
These voices that had suddenly sprung up like bamboo shoots after a rain, extravagantly praising Zong Mo, were quickly pushed to the top of the trending list.
Zong Mo didn’t think this was a false praise, but the sudden one-sided voices, whether good or bad, seemed abnormal.
And some of the behind-the-scenes stories from the filming of Chasing the Light Boy had not even been publicly released. He didn’t know where these bloggers had found them.
Zong Mo quickly understood.
Someone was manipulating things behind the scenes, pulling in resources from all sides to clear his name.
If it were Lu Bo, with the film emperor’s influence, he would not have to be so roundabout to clear his name. It would be better to just post a Weibo expressing support or belief, and he might even be able to earn some of his goodwill.
Zong Mo found it hard to believe.
But he had no way to continue deceiving himself.
He took a deep breath and finally decided to call An Lan, beating around the bush.
“Sister An Lan,” Zong Mo asked. “Is CEO Ruan not bankrupt?”
An Lan’s voice was slightly surprised, “…What?”
Zong Mo didn’t want to say another word and just hung up the phone.
And in WeChat, Ruan Chi just happened to report to him: [I’ll be back tonight, but it might be a little late. You eat first.]
Zong Mo lowered his eyes and thought for a long time, hesitated as he typed, and made up his mind to press send.
[You’ve already bought the trending topic. What are you still busy with?]
[Are you at the company dealing with the work you’ve fallen behind on?]
After sending it, he put his phone aside. The phone screen did not light up again for a long time.

At nine o’clock at night, Zong Mo was curled up on the sofa with his knees hugged. The doorbell rang.
He had prepared a bellyful of words and calmly walked over to open the door.
But the moment he saw Ruan Chi, a thousand words were reduced to just one sentence, “Why did you lie to me?”
Ruan Chi walked in as if he were returning to his own home, sat down on the sofa a little tiredly, and said nonchalantly, “Only you would believe I’m bankrupt.”
Zong Mo still stood still and asked mechanically again, “Why did you lie to me?”
“Aren’t you lying to yourself?” Ruan Chi stood up again, walked in front of him, and said, “After finding out I was bankrupt and homeless, weren’t you quite happy?”
He’s lying and he’s still in the right!!
Zong Mo said aggrievedly, “Because you’ve never lied to me before, that’s why I believed you.”
“Yes, I haven’t lied to you,” Ruan Chi said. “Isn’t this just the first time? Haven’t you lied to me more?”
Zong Mo: “I…”
Wait, it seems he really has lied.
On the first night, he had pretended to be Lu Bo.
Later… he hadn’t really lied, definitely not lied, at most it was a cover-up!
Did he have to personally tell Ruan Chi, hello, I’m the transmigrated gong who got the main shou script, you’re the foolish and rich wingman Gong #2, and Gongs #1, 3, 4, and 5 are all head over heels for me!?

Being twisted black and white by Ruan Chi like this, Zong Mo was even angrier, “Do you think it’s very interesting to treat me like an idiot and play with me?”
“I didn’t.”
“Then why did you lie to me?”
“Who told you not to come back? I missed you so much, and I couldn’t think of any other way.”
Zong Mo: …
“After you said you would pay off the debt with me, I regretted it, very much,” Ruan Chi said. “But I could only continue to lie. Otherwise, you would leave me again.”
“Are you planning to lie to me like this for a lifetime?” Zong Mo said. “Do you think you’re very happy living in such a small house, or do you think you’ve made a great sacrifice?”
“No. I was planning to tell you after you weren’t angry anymore.”
“I’m angry because you lied to me.”
“Then what are you still angry about? You already know. And isn’t this the first time I’ve lied to you?”
“…I don’t want to argue with you.”
“Zong Mo, do you think I have nothing better to do than to argue with you? Isn’t it you who’s throwing a tantrum at me?”
Zong Mo: …
But he was not a person who was good at arguing. He had clearly prepared a bellyful of drafts, but just by spitting out a few words, his eyes would get hot.
He simply stopped talking. He didn’t want to cry in front of Ruan Chi, to make it seem like he was the one in the wrong and was being scolded to tears.
Zong Mo did not speak, and Ruan Chi stared at him intently.
“Zong Mo,” Ruan Chi slowed his tone, but the words he spoke were not gentle. “Why can’t you just be obedient?”
Zong Mo took a deep breath, “Can you respect me a little?”
Ruan Chi tried hard to suppress his annoyance, “I didn’t respect you?”
“You just treat me as a toy,” Zong Mo’s anger flared up, and he couldn’t think calmly at all. “No, you treat me as a dildo!”
Ruan Chi also raised his voice at once, “Who the fuck gives a dildo a blowjob?!”
Zong Mo: …
It was a rare sight to see CEO Ruan curse once.
And he was left with nothing to say again.
Ruan Chi asked again, “What are you still angry about now?”
“I, I…” Zong Mo had a lump in his throat and was a little out of breath. “I’m just angry.”
Ruan Chi said in a deep voice, “Zong Mo, there are some things I don’t tell you because I’m afraid you’ll be upset.”
Zong Mo looked at him in confusion.
“You often lie to me. I haven’t said anything. I haven’t really gotten angry with you either. I don’t know where I’ve disrespected you,” Ruan Chi said. “After finding out I was bankrupt, you felt happy, equal, and even wanted to pay off the debt with me. I thought you really didn’t care about money.”
“But when you found out I wasn’t bankrupt, you felt I didn’t respect you.”
“From the first day you came to my house, I thought you were very interesting and very cute. Later, it was because I liked you that I teased you, wanting you to belong only to me. If I said anything that offended you, or did anything that made you unhappy, you can tell me.”
Ruan Chi said word by word, slowly until the end,
“I have never looked down on you. The disrespect you feel, is it because of me, because of my money, or because of your self-deprecation?”

Suddenly receiving a long, logical argument, Zong Mo didn’t have the energy to think carefully. He was stunned for a long time and only said, “If you’re afraid I’ll be upset, why did you still say it?”
Ruan Chi, on the other hand, asked, “So you didn’t listen to a single word?”
Zong Mo pursed his lips and didn’t say anything.
After a long while, he finally spoke, “This is my home.”
Ruan Chi said no more, stood up, turned, and left, slamming the door with a bang.
Zong Mo was stunned on the spot.

After calming down alone in bed, Zong Mo had already forgotten what he was angry about.
Ruan Chi had lied to him for the first time.
But he had lied to him to come and find him and be with him. The lie was exposed also to help him clarify.
Zong Mo picked up his phone. He didn’t see any new messages from CEO Ruan.
Qi Zhiyi would often send him some cute cats, dogs, and delicious food, and the two would also chat on WeChat occasionally.
At this moment, there were a few more messages in WeChat, and they were all from Qi Zhiyi.
[You’re like a light.]
[Even if you’re not in the dark, you will still be longed for.]
Zong Mo: …
He knew that the twins would exchange messages with each other. He had thought that rejecting Qi Nanfeng alone would be enough. Qi Zhiyi had not explicitly expressed his feelings, and he was the only one he had not directly rejected. He had not expected him to suddenly send a message at this time.
As if he were trying to take advantage of the situation.
He was still considering his wording for a rejection when Qi Zhiyi sent several more playful smiley face emojis.
[Don’t mind my words too much, but I’m not joking either.]
[Little Mo, I wish you happiness.]
Zong Mo was slightly stunned and immediately deleted the words of rejection.
But Qi Zhiyi quickly sent a new message:
[You can come to me when you’re not happy (ps. don’t go to my brother)]
What was this… a self-recommended reservation for a rebound?
He was given no chance to refuse at all.
Zong Mo was upset. He didn’t even care about being polite and simply did not reply.

As the time for quiet thinking slowly passed, he could be sure that he was definitely not in a novel.
This was a real world, terrifyingly real.
No matter how bad Ruan Chi’s relationship with his family was, he still had a family. No matter how much others envied or excluded him, he was still a young master who had grown up in luxury. He didn’t need to accommodate anyone, nor did he need to explain his actions.
Zong Mo, on the other hand, was the complete opposite.
He had been abandoned twice, had grown up alone, and had started working to support himself and take care of others since he was a teenager.
There was an irreparable gap between him and Ruan Chi, whether it was their upbringing, experience, or knowledge. This was a huge obstacle that prevented them from touching each other.
In a fairytale-like novel, the story of an overbearing CEO and a Cinderella was all about pampering and sweetness.
But when he was really in such a “Cinderella” position, he would be hesitant and uneasy.
Because all the pampering was based on the premise that Ruan Chi liked him.
If one day he didn’t like him anymore, and the feelings faded, he would lose everything. Whether it was wealth, residence, or work, just like the day he left the lakeside, he would become penniless in an instant, and even his once-whole heart would be hollowed out.
Ruan Chi had chosen to use the word “self-deprecation” to wake him up, which was already quite nice.
To put it harshly, it was low self-esteem.
That was why he had repeatedly confirmed with Ruan Chi, asking him if he liked him or not.
Even after Ruan Chi had given him a lifetime promise, he was still half-believing.
Ruan Chi had still lied to him. No matter what the purpose behind this lie was, it had made his hard-won, shaky sense of security collapse in an instant.

When Ruan Chi had said he could like him forever, he had also asked him not to betray him, not to leave him.
He hadn’t left, but he had kicked Ruan Chi out again. Rather than being angry with Ruan Chi, it was more like being angry with himself.
Thinking this through, he regretted it again.
Because of the regret, he was even more annoyed!
He woke up suddenly in the middle of the night, then covered himself with the quilt and sobbed.
So annoying. Why is there a madman like Ruan Chi in this world!?
He’s making him abnormal too.
In the terrifyingly quiet night, the doorbell suddenly rang, startling Zong Mo.
Thinking it was Ruan Chi, he subconsciously wanted to open the door. Suspecting it was Ruan Chi, he was a little afraid to open the door.
He lay in bed and played dead. The doorbell rang for a while and then stopped.
The phone screen then lit up, and a message popped up.
CEO Ruan: [Open the door.]
Zong Mo: …
He’s telling him to open the door but not calling. If he was asleep, wouldn’t it be a wasted trip?
He looked at the time on his phone again, four in the morning.
He’s really sick.
Anyway, he couldn’t sleep for a while. So he steeled himself, got out of bed, and went to open the door.
The moment he opened the door a crack, a fair hand quickly slipped in.
If he had slammed the door, this pampered hand would definitely have been broken, and it would have hurt like hell!
Zong Mo did not do such a bastardly thing. Ruan Chi took the opportunity to squeeze in and enter the room.
When he pushed the door, his wrist turned. Zong Mo noticed that there seemed to be a scar on his palm. He was slightly stunned. Before he could see clearly, Ruan Chi had already pulled his hand back.

“What on earth do you want, Zong Mo?” Ruan Chi at four in the morning was naturally not in a light mood.
After letting out a complaint, he suddenly paused, his tone changing, “You’ve been crying?”
Zong Mo: …
So annoying. Why at this time?
What’s wrong with being emo in the middle of the night? Who hasn’t been emo in the middle of the night?
Zong Mo didn’t want to talk to him. Just as he was about to send him away, Ruan Chi added, “Don’t cry anymore, okay?”
Zong Mo took a deep breath, trying hard to hold back his pathetic tears, and couldn’t say a single word.
But Ruan Chi’s voice became slower and slower, “Don’t cry, Little Mo.”
Zong Mo couldn’t control himself and had to raise his hand to wipe his tears.
But Ruan Chi did not give him this chance. He first held his face and gently wiped away his tears with his fingertips, “Don’t cry anymore, hmm?”
Zong Mo had almost sorted out his mood before he opened the door. At this moment, stimulated by these few words of comfort, his mood had already improved, but his tears were pathetically streaming out, even more fiercely than when he was hiding under the quilt alone.
The more he wiped, the more tears there were. He suspected that Ruan Chi was probably going to get angry and wanted to retreat and hide.
In the middle of the night, Ruan Chi’s patience was exceptionally good. He held him down and said again, “Don’t you dare cry.”
He was saying an order, but his tone was comforting.
Not only did he not let Zong Mo hide, but he even moved closer, placing a light peck on his lips. His eyelashes brushed against his, taking away a little warm wetness.
“Don’t cry, baby. I don’t want to see you cry.”
Zong Mo could only push Ruan Chi away and retreat again, saying with difficulty, “Stop talking for a moment.”
“But you’re still crying.”
Zong Mo took a deep breath, stopped his sobs, and said, “Have you never comforted a child? The more you comfort him, the more he cries.”
“How could I have comforted a child?” Ruan Chi answered first, then was silent for a moment, guessing that Zong Mo’s tears at this moment were not because of sadness.
“Are you a child?”
Zong Mo’s tears instantly stopped by half, “No!”
“Then don’t cry,” Ruan Chi continued to persuade without question. “What do you want me to do to make you stop crying?”
Zong Mo would rather Ruan Chi get angry and curse him. The more he comforted him, the more he wanted to cry.
“Why are you so cute even when you cry?”
Zong Mo: …
He instantly didn’t want to cry anymore!
“Although it’s very cute, you shouldn’t cry anymore,” Ruan Chi said in a gentle voice. “I don’t want you to cry. I want you to be happy.”
To avoid crying like a fool, Zong Mo decided to distance himself from Ruan Chi first.
On the sofa, the two of them sat opposite each other at the farthest distance.

After barely calming down, Zong Mo spoke up and made a request, “I want an equal relationship.”
“We’re already in a relationship, but you want to kick me out,” Ruan Chi said. “Do you think that’s equal? Are you happy?”
Zong Mo couldn’t argue with him and simply changed the subject, “Don’t always order me around.”
Ruan Chi: “I didn’t order you.”
Zong Mo: “You’re always ordering me around.”
“You were the one who promised to be on call, on the second day you came to my house,” Ruan Chi said unhurriedly. “When you weren’t obedient, I didn’t do anything to you either.”
Zong Mo was speechless for a moment and only said after a long time of thinking, “Don’t be so aggressive when you talk.”
Ruan Chi immediately replied, “Where am I being aggressive?”
“Right now.”
“Am I?”
Zong Mo: …
With Ruan Chi’s status and life experience, unless he personally experienced the harsh reality of life, this personality was impossible to change. It was even more impossible for him to empathize with someone who had grown up struggling.
To throw a high and mighty person into a mud pit and trample them, even if he, Zong Mo, had the ability, he couldn’t do it.

“I make the decisions on work matters because I’m your sponsor,” Ruan Chi continued. “In the future, you can also refuse, as a lover.”
Zong Mo: ?
“The contract has already expired now.”
“Mm,” Ruan Chi said faintly. “You can set up your own studio. I can give you whatever resources you want, as a lover.”
Zong Mo: …
Who cares!
Ruan Chi stood up and walked over, squatted down in front of him, and called out softly, “Zong Mo.”
Zong Mo turned his head away and continued to sulk.
Ruan Chi said, “I’m sorry.”
Suddenly hearing this belated apology, Zong Mo was slightly surprised, and his eyes immediately became hot again.
He asked in a hoarse voice, not quite believing it, “Is this apology sincere?”
Ruan Chi: “No.”
Zong Mo: …
He really didn’t care about lying at all.
“You don’t think you’re wrong, do you?”
“Mm.”
“Then why are you saying sorry to me?”
“Aren’t you crying?” Ruan Chi said. “Why are you crying again? What do you want me to do? Is saying sorry not enough?”
“Don’t cry. I’m sorry. I was wrong.”
Zong Mo: …
He had finally managed to tell a lie, but it was to comfort him.
Zong Mo’s eyes were sore. He needed to calm down. He wanted to stand up, but his knees were held down by Ruan Chi’s hands.
“Zong Mo,” Ruan Chi said leisurely. “I can’t change. I’m just this kind of rotten person.”
“As long as you say it, I can give you anything. If you’re unhappy, you can also kick me out. I will try my best to control myself and not get angry with you.”
“But I can’t change, just like I can’t change my liking for you.”
Zong Mo: “…Where did you learn such words?”
And he actually fell for it.
“I just thought of it,” Ruan Chi said. “Do you know how upset I am when I wake up in the morning and don’t see you, and when I come home at night and don’t see you?”
“I’m also very upset,” Zong Mo mumbled. “The villa is too big. I’m always at home alone during the day.”
“Then I won’t work anymore, okay?”
“…Really?” Zong Mo was skeptical. “If you give up your career, you’ll definitely blame me in the future.”
“Really. I don’t want it,” Ruan Chi said. “Those useless and disgusting things always come and annoy me. I’m afraid I’ll lose control and kill someone one day.”
Zong Mo was silent for a long time.
Besides the bankruptcy, Ruan Chi really hadn’t lied to him about anything. He couldn’t be sure if the killing was just a moment of madness.
“Don’t say such things…”
“As long as you don’t leave me, I won’t do that.”
“Don’t lie to me again.”
“I’m telling the truth. You don’t believe me?” Ruan Chi said. “Then shall I do it for you to see?”
Zong Mo: “…Wait.”
Ruan Chi was relentless, “Or shall I die for you to see?”
Zong Mo: …
Why did it suddenly become a life-threatening literature?
And he really couldn’t not care about Ruan Chi’s hand. So he said, “Your hand.”
Ruan Chi immediately understood his meaning, turned his right hand over, and showed it to him.
A deep red mark crossed his palm, and there were also deep and shallow scars on his five fingers.
The bleeding had stopped, but it had clearly not been treated. The wound was still open, and it was soaked with salty tears.
It must have hurt a lot.
The wound was on the inner side of his palm. It really didn’t look like an accident. Zong Mo also didn’t think Ruan Chi had deliberately self-harmed. If he had really self-harmed, why didn’t he take the initiative to sell a sob story?
He didn’t observe for long before Ruan Chi spoke up and explained, “I almost killed someone.”
Zong Mo: …
Ruan Chi pulled his hand back and said again, “I’m sorry. I was wrong.”
Zong Mo said unhappily, “You don’t think you’re wrong, and you’re still saying sorry. Don’t lie to me again.”
“Now I’m wrong. I made you cry. I’m sorry,” Ruan Chi said. “As long as you don’t cry, you can make me do anything. You can curse me, hit me, as long as you don’t cry.”
Zong Mo’s nose tingled, and tears started to well up again.
Ruan Chi looked at him quietly, his calm tone suppressing who knows what kind of temper, “Why are you crying again?”
Zong Mo sobbed, “Why aren’t you angry yet?”
Even if he were arguing and being scolded, he would absolutely not cry so hard!
“I want you to be happy. Baby, I don’t want to see you cry,” Ruan Chi said, bending down to hug him, pressing his head into his chest, and stroking his back with his other hand.
“Don’t you dare cry.”
Zong Mo was momentarily stunned, then burst into tears.
He wanted to tell Ruan Chi to let him go, but he guessed that his crying face must be extremely ugly. He might as well just bury his face in his clothes and smear all his pathetic tears on Ruan Chi.
Why isn’t he angry yet?
Zong Mo clearly realized that he shouldn’t keep crying like an idiot, but he just couldn’t stop for some reason. His thoughts had already drifted away from the matter of Ruan Chi lying about his bankruptcy, far away to his previous life, to the quiet little boy in the orphanage.
He had been very quiet since he was a child and was often praised by adults for being sensible. He rarely cried and could laugh off his grievances, then continue to play the role of a good child in the eyes of adults, and a reliable big brother in the eyes of his younger brothers and sisters.
It was only after his adoptive parents passed away, on the first night he returned to the orphanage, that he couldn’t help but cry his heart out, making the other children complain and stay up all night.
He was in his twenties now, yet he was crying even more fiercely than a six-year-old child.
So pathetic!
But he couldn’t control himself at all. He could only clutch the fabric on Ruan Chi’s shoulder tightly and continue to sob in a low voice, whimpering non-stop.
Mixed in with his sobs were Ruan Chi’s intermittent words of comfort.
He cried until his mind went blank. Even the resentment towards his biological parents, whom he had never met, and his adoptive parents, who had left him and passed away, welled up. He cried out regardless, “Why did you abandon me?”
A warm hand passed through his hair, held the back of his head, strong and reassuring.
The voice by his ear was deep and gentle, “I didn’t abandon you. I will never abandon you.”