“Young Master Long?”
At the sound of that name, Zhou Zerui was stunned. His gaze followed Wu Kai’s turn and finally landed on the man standing beside the staircase.
He was tall and powerfully built, with sharply defined features that looked as though they had been carved by a blade. An overwhelming presence radiated from him, as if he were the ruler of the entire world, inspiring awe in anyone who looked at him.
Yet what drew the most attention was the chilling anger that seemed to come naturally to his face.
That anger burned like a raging flame, as though it might consume Zhou Zerui whole.
Zhou Zerui’s heart tightened. He recognized the man—Long Yuan, heir to the Long family!
Why had Long Yuan suddenly appeared here?
And judging by his expression, it seemed he had come specifically to find Zhou Zerui.
Various possibilities flashed through Zhou Zerui’s mind, but none could explain the scene before him.
Two henchmen yanked the door open. Zhou Zerui warily backed farther into the room.
The bodyguards Long Yuan had brought surged inside and lined up on both sides.
Only then did Long Yuan slowly step into the room, his cold gaze fixed on Zhou Zerui.
The look made Zhou Zerui’s skin crawl, but he refused to back down and move his eyes away.
At that moment, Wu Kai respectfully addressed Long Yuan. “I knew Young Master Long came today to deal with Zhou Zerui because he was chosen by Starlight Entertainment to appear in A Requiem for the Azure Sky, but if Young Master Long wants to punish him, there’s no need for you to dirty your own hands. Why not give me the chance to beat him up for you—and ruin that face of his?”
If he performed well, perhaps he might even win Young Master Long’s favor!
Long Yuan stared expressionlessly at Zhou Zerui, the corner of his mouth curling into a cold smile. In an icy voice, he said, “I sent you here to take revenge on Zhou Zerui in the first place. What did you think I summoned you for—to show me the way?”
Wu Kai’s heart leaped with delight. He hurriedly fawned, “Don’t worry, Young Master Long! I’ll make sure you’re satisfied!”
Zhou Zerui’s heart sank. He shouted sternly, “You’ve trespassed into a private residence. That’s illegal! I’m warning you—leave immediately, or I’ll call the police!”
Long Yuan remained completely unmoved by his warning. He merely looked at Zhou Zerui coldly, the chill in his eyes growing even deeper.
This penniless nobody actually dared to threaten him with the police?
Wu Kai laughed as though he had heard the funniest joke. “Call the police? That’s hilarious. Do you even have a chance to make that call? Don’t forget the man lying in that bed. Don’t you want him to stay alive? Before the police arrive, I’ll kill him first!”
At the mention of Uncle Ya, Zhou Zerui clenched his fists and fell silent.
Wu Kai continued with a cold laugh, “Zhou Zerui, I heard you were chosen by Starlight Entertainment and will be appearing in A Requiem for the Azure Sky. Tell me, if your face were ruined right now, would Starlight Entertainment still want you?”
Zhou Zerui said furiously, “How dare you!”
“What wouldn’t I dare to do?” Wu Kai sneered. “You’re nothing but a piece of trash picked up from a junk pile. If it weren’t for that decent-looking face of yours, would you ever have had a chance of entering the entertainment industry? Seeing as you have a pretty good face, I even gave you the male lead in my film. But what did you do? Not only were you ungrateful, you beat me up!”
Zhou Zerui looked at him with disdain. “You tried to force yourself on the female lead! Someone as vile as you deserves to be beaten!”
Seeing Zhou Zerui’s furious expression, Director Wu spat on the floor. “Damn, you really think you’re the hero from the film, playing the savior, don’t you?”
“Grab him!”
Zhou Zerui had learned some self-defense from Uncle Ya, so under ordinary circumstances, he could protect himself.
But the bodyguards before him were professionally trained, and there were too many of them. Zhou Zerui was no match for them and was quickly subdued.
Wu Kai walked up to him. “All right, Zhou Zerui. Kneel down and beg me for mercy. Maybe I’ll let you suffer a little less. How does that sound?”
Zhou Zerui spat directly in Wu Kai’s face. “Bah! I’ll never beg scum like you!”
Wu Kai’s expression changed instantly. He wiped the saliva from his face. “Looks like you’re really tired of living!”
With that, he raised his fist to strike Zhou Zerui.
But at that very moment, a muffled groan and the sound of someone collapsing came from outside the door.
The next second, a woman’s voice rang out.
“Who exactly is tired of living?”
Jiang Youli pushed Qi Huan’s wheelchair into the room.
The two bodyguards guarding the entrance were already sprawled on the floor, foaming at the mouth and twitching all over.
Wu Kai turned around. When he recognized Qi Huan and Jiang Youli standing at the door, his eyes filled with terror.
Jiang Youli herself was nothing to fear. The truly frightening one was the Eldest Young Master Qi behind her!
Even Young Master Long was no match for the Eldest Young Master Qi, let alone a minor director like him!
After hesitating for a moment, Wu Kai reluctantly lowered his fist, swallowed hard, and moved to stand beside Long Yuan.
Long Yuan glanced at him and said, “Useless.”
Wu Kai’s face stiffened.
It wasn’t that he wanted to be useless!
The problem was that his opponent was the Eldest Young Master Qi!
Zhou Zerui had been overjoyed when Jiang Youli arrived, but that feeling quickly turned to anxiety.
He was afraid he would drag her into trouble!
The moment Qi Huan entered, he looked toward Zhou Zerui, who was being restrained in the middle of the room. His eyes flickered slightly, but his face remained impassive.
“Zhou Zerui is the actor I personally selected to play the main antagonist in A Requiem for the Azure Sky. Anyone who touches him is declaring themselves my enemy.” Jiang Youli then pretended to notice Long Yuan only moments later, showing a hint of surprise. “Oh, Young Master Long is here too?”
Her gaze fell on Long Yuan, and she continued with an amused, teasing smile, “What are you planning to do to Zhou Zerui, Young Master Long? You even brought so many people. Could it be that you’re here to celebrate Zhou Zerui being cast in my A Requiem for the Azure Sky? This seems a little excessive.”
Wu Kai, who had been arrogant moments ago, did not dare say a word.
When immortals fought, a mere mortal had no business showing off.
Long Yuan’s eyes darkened, but he said nothing.
Jiang Youli’s presence here was understandable. After all, Zhou Zerui was the actor she had chosen for A Requiem for the Azure Sky. But why was Qi Huan here as well? And why had he brought so many bodyguards?
Jiang Youli continued pushing Qi Huan’s wheelchair forward. Only after reaching Zhou Zerui did she speak again.
“Why are you holding him? Let him go.”
The two bodyguards looked toward Long Yuan, waiting for his decision.
Long Yuan remained silent for a moment before waving his hand.
Only then did the two bodyguards release Zhou Zerui and retreat to Long Yuan’s side.
Once free, Zhou Zerui looked at Jiang Youli gratefully and spoke in a low voice. “President Jiang, the old man who tried to hit me just now is Wu Kai, the director I beat up before. He came here today to take revenge. As for why Young Master Long is here, I’m not sure.”
Judging from Long Yuan’s reaction, he clearly had no idea that Zhou Zerui might be Qi Huan’s younger brother.
Therefore, Jiang Youli guessed that Long Yuan’s appearance here might have something to do with Auntie Ya’s disappearance.
Long Yuan probably believed that Auntie Ya’s disappearance was connected to her, and saw it as yet another challenge to his authority. When he learned that Zhou Zerui had been dropped by Da Feng Entertainment and then immediately chosen by her to appear in The Aspirations of Qingyun, he decided to make an example of Zhou Zerui. This would not only dampen her spirit, but also serve as a warning to the other performers considering roles in The Aspirations of Qingyun, urging them to think carefully about their choice.
