Chapter 15 The Two of You Are Surrounded by Me

At this moment, Liu Ruyun wore sunglasses and a mask, standing beside Chen Feng, not far from Shen Xian. The restaurant wasn’t busy, which allowed Liu Ruyun to speak freely—otherwise, she wouldn’t have dared to say such things.

Both Liu Ruyun and Chen Feng had heard about Shen Xian signing Wang Tianqi and letting him participate in the PK show “Who Is the Singing Champion, I Am the Singing Champion.”

“It’s only because Ning Cai is so magnanimous that she doesn’t hold it against you, but the way you escaped the penalty for breaching your contract—eighty million, no less—doesn’t it seem like you don’t even see Ning Cai as a person?” Liu Ruyun said.

Shen Xian rolled his eyes. “If Ning Cai herself doesn’t mind, why do you care?”

He paused, then continued, “And you, Liu Ruyun, are at least a top singer now. Sure, you’ll never make it to the diva ranks, but you’re still a public figure. Talking so uncivilly—is it really appropriate? If word gets out, it could have a negative impact on you.”

Before Liu Ruyun could respond, Chen Feng laughed and spoke up, “Sorry, there are no cameras in this restaurant, so nothing will get out.”

Shen Xian nodded. “So feel free to say whatever you want, then leave and stop disturbing our meal.”

If nothing had been said, it would have been fine, but the more they spoke, the more animated Liu Ruyun became.

She was deeply unsettled. She’d thought Shen Xian’s talent would return and he’d continue writing songs for her, so she’d waited. Who would have thought that after three years, his talent hadn’t returned, and was diminishing year by year?

She felt she’d wasted those three years for nothing. Had she not squandered that time, she might have already become the queen of love songs.

So her resentment toward Shen Xian was unimaginable.

“Only you could find a blind man to take the fall,” Liu Ruyun said, then turned to Wang Tianqi. “Blind man, let me tell you: joining ‘The Singing Champion’ PK is just going to make you a laughingstock. You’ll only embarrass yourself, and you might even get cyberbullied.”

Wang Tianqi kept his head down, eating in silence. Internally, he was shocked by Liu Ruyun’s lack of decorum.

Is this what people in the entertainment industry are like? On screen, they’re all genteel, generous, approachable. But in private, are they all so uncouth?

Shen Xian put down his utensils, his expression turning serious. “Liu Ruyun, is it really appropriate to show such disrespect? Apologize to my artist immediately, or I’ll have you cyberbullied.”

At this, Chen Feng and Liu Ruyun exchanged glances, then burst into laughter.

“You, cyberbully me?” Liu Ruyun’s laughter was coquettish. “Never mind your astronomical penalty fees—even at your peak, you weren’t qualified to do that!”

Chen Feng sneered, “I guess you don’t know who you’re dealing with. Go ahead, try cyberbullying me. If your posts last more than ten minutes, I’ll admit defeat! Do you really think you’re somebody?”

“And you, blind man—do what you’re meant to do. Joining the PK show will only lower its standards. Is that kind of show open to just any random stray?”

Shen Xian’s face grew cold. He pointed at Chen Feng and Liu Ruyun. “You can disrespect me, but you will not disrespect my friend. Apologize now!”

Chen Feng squinted at Shen Xian. “And if we don’t?”

Liu Ruyun’s smile was mocking. “Go ahead and try to smear me. Let’s see if people believe you or me.”

Shen Xian asked, “So you’re sure you won’t apologize?”

“Absolutely. What can you do to me?” Liu Ruyun replied confidently, lounging in Chen Feng’s embrace.

Chen Feng spat, “Trash, both of you.”

“I’m sorry, but you two are surrounded.” Shen Xian sighed, then pointed to the recording device sitting nearby, its green light still blinking. “I apologize, but since today was my studio’s first team-building event, I started recording video from the moment we entered the restaurant. So, everything you just said has been fully captured.”

Chen Feng and Liu Ruyun looked as if struck by lightning, their expressions vacant.

Chen Feng quickly snatched the recorder and scrolled through the footage. It had faithfully documented their entrance and every moment they’d mocked Shen Xian and Wang Tianqi.

“Destroy it!” Liu Ruyun said coldly.

Shen Xian just smiled at them, making no move to stop them.

Chen Feng’s expression changed dramatically. “Breaking it is useless. This recorder uploads footage to the cloud in real time.”

Liu Ruyun’s face went pale, her beautiful features twisted in panic.

“Miss Liu, Mr. Chen, what do you think would happen if I handed this video to the king of paparazzi? Wouldn’t that be quite the surprise?” Shen Xian smiled at them.

Liu Ruyun erupted in anger, pointing at Shen Xian. “You set me up!”

Shen Xian raised his hands, feigning innocence. “Not at all. You two came over on your own, and began disrespecting me and my friend without so much as a greeting.”

Liu Ruyun’s eyes widened, whether from fury or fear, her whole body trembling.

What could she do?

Her public persona had always been warm, friendly, and compassionate. Donating to disaster zones, helping farmers—her image had always been successful. If this video got out, her reputation would collapse.

That wasn’t even the worst part—the key issue was her upcoming album release. If she got tangled in negative news, it would hugely impact her popularity. And her concert was just around the corner!

Having spent so long in the entertainment industry, she knew how vicious cyberbullying could be.

“I imagine the king of paparazzi and your rivals would be delighted to see this video,” Shen Xian said, settling elegantly into his chair and spearing a piece of steak.

Wang Tianqi ate in silence.

“Shen Xian!” Chen Feng said quietly.

He was afraid, too. He’d just returned from abroad, ready to showcase his talent and make his mark. His family was powerful, and he’d thought nothing could stop him from reaching the top.

But then a postman appeared out of nowhere, making him feel powerless. And now Shen Xian had caught him on video.

How could they get out of this?

“Let’s not beat around the bush. What will it take to delete that video?” Chen Feng asked directly.

Shen Xian wiped his mouth with a towel, speaking unhurriedly. “Two conditions. First, bow and apologize to me and Wang Tianqi. Second, issue a public statement that those twelve songs were written by me, not you.”

The first condition they could accept.

But the second was out of the question. They’d already told interviewers that Shen Xian had hacked Chen Feng’s email, claiming Shen Xian lacked any real creative ability. If they changed their story now, what would the public think, what would their fans think?

The consequences would be worse than the video being exposed.

“I can’t agree to the second. Name another price. How much to delete the video?” Chen Feng said grimly.

“Money?” Shen Xian’s eyes lit up. “You know I need money most right now. One price: eighty million.”

Eighty million…

Shen Xian was clearly trying to shift the astronomical penalty onto them.

Liu Ruyun and Chen Feng gasped.

Liu Ruyun had made two to three hundred million over the years, but her expenses were high, and in the past three years, endorsement fees had dropped. She had little cash on hand—at most fifty million in liquid assets.

Chen Feng had just returned to the country. His family was wealthy, with billions available, but he himself only had twenty to thirty million.

Ask his father? How would he explain? Say he was being extorted? His father would scold him to death.

“Shen Xian, you’re insane!” Liu Ruyun shouted, pointing at him, wishing she could tear a chunk of flesh from him.

Shen Xian shrugged indifferently. “Then we have nothing left to discuss. I’ll go find the king of paparazzi. I’m sure he’d pay handsomely for this footage.”

The four entertainment giants in the country cooperate publicly, but behind the scenes, they’re always plotting against each other. If someone gets incriminating evidence, they go all out to ruin their rivals.

“If this video gets into the hands of others—like Yulong Entertainment, Mingzhu Entertainment, Golden Splendor—I’m sure they’d pay for it, too. When your company’s stock starts plummeting, it won’t just be eighty million, but eight hundred million or a billion in losses. My price is already low.”

Shen Xian looked at them elegantly, crossing his legs, utterly pleased with himself.

Liu Ruyun wanted to protest, but Chen Feng pulled her aside. “Give him eighty million first. Once he has the money and we delete the video, we’ll report him for extortion. With the sum involved, I’ll pull some strings and make sure he doesn’t get out for fifteen years!”

Hatred flickered in Liu Ruyun’s eyes. “All right, let’s do it!”

Chen Feng said, “Give me an account number. I’ll transfer the money now.”