Having still failed to contact his superiors, Yuan Feng was growing anxious.
During the weighted run, he remained distracted and gradually fell to the back of the group.
The isolated island had lush forests and abundant rain, with thick, gnarled branches.
If he happened to get snagged by one while not paying attention, it would be perfectly understandable for his individual livestream camera to fall off.
With that thought, Yuan Feng called out in a slightly affected voice, "Oh no, my camera fell off."
"Where did it go?"
"No time to look!"
"I'll get punished otherwise-"
[Waaah, why does our boy's voice keep getting farther away? I'm so worried something will happen to him!]
[Wait, why didn't I hear any panic in Yuan Feng's voice? If anything, it sounded deliberate?]
[Don't talk nonsense. Our boy is so innocent. How could he possibly be that calculating?]
[Exactly! He wouldn't even film a kissing scene for a web drama. He said he'd quit!]
[...]
After discussing it for a while, his fans left Yuan Feng's livestream.
They tried to find their sweet boy in the other guests' camera feeds.
But they found nothing.
By now, Yuan Feng had run to an extremely secluded spot.
With his back to the running track, he crouched in the grass and pulled out the Little Smart hidden in his trousers, which he used exclusively for sending messages.
His fingers flew as he typed.
[Trainee A's father is a corporate executive, and his mother is an accountant for a conglomerate. Both previously tampered with voting devices...]
Just as he finished typing that, Yuan Feng suddenly heard a faint noise behind him.
He instantly went on alert. The movements he had practiced countless times kicked in like someone had pressed a switch, pure conditioned reflex.
He turned, seized, wrenched, and subdued.
Only when shrill cries rang in his ears did Yuan Feng snap out of it and look at the person he had pinned to the grass. "Why is it you?!"
"Let me go!" Lu Yuanhang's face twisted with pain. "My arm's definitely broken!"
"You lunatic!"
"Are you trying to kill me?"
Yuan Feng hastily let go, his wary gaze landing on the individual livestream camera on Lu Yuanhang's chest. Keeping out of its viewing angle, he hid his Little Smart, then asked with a flushed face, "What were you doing hiding behind me? Trying to ambush me?"
Cold sweat beaded on Lu Yuanhang's forehead. Yuan Feng's accusation only enraged him further. "You have the nerve to ask me?! I kindly came to see whether you were hurt, and you tried to kill me?!"
"The fans in the livestream can all testify! You can't deny it!"
Kindness had nothing to do with it. He had simply noticed Yuan Feng acting suspiciously and come over to ruin whatever he was up to.
Lu Yuanhang had never expected to get himself caught up in it.
His arm was twisted out of shape. It had to be broken, and he didn't even know whether he'd be able to keep filming...
Utterly miserable, he looked toward the track for someone to help. The moment he glanced over, he spotted Jian Li peering at them curiously. "Oh? Are you two... wrestling?"
"Stop talking nonsense! Hurry up and help me! If you delay and my arm suffers permanent damage, my brother won't let you off!" Lu Yuanhang no longer cared about appearances. The pain made his voice even more vicious.
His eyes brimmed with bitter resentment, as though Jian Li had caused all this.
The livestream fans immediately whipped out their keyboards.
[I can't imagine how Jian Li used to put up with him. He donated blood to someone this bossy?!]
[Oh my god, please take away my urge to murder someone, heavens. Please just strike Lu Yuanhang dead!]
[Honestly, when I saw Yuan Feng take Lu Yuanhang down, I almost felt my breast ducts unclog. I'm going to the hospital tomorrow to see if my nodules are still there!]
[I know this feels a little wrong, but Yuan Feng looked so cool just now. Those moves were like a special forces soldier's! He clearly said he couldn't do action scenes, yet he surprised us. Our boy has even more career options now!]
[What do you mean, he kindly went to check whether Yuan Feng was hurt? He looked like he was trying to catch him doing something wrong. Otherwise, why didn't he call out first?!]
[...]
"Jian Li, what are you standing there for? Are you stupid?!" Lu Yuanhang shouted again at the top of his lungs.
Jian Li lifted his chin toward Yuan Feng instead. "Need any help?"
"N-no." Yuan Feng waved a hand. "I can handle it myself."
"Okay." Jian Li nodded, turned, and kept running.
Lu Yuanhang's eyes widened at the sight. "Get back here! How can you leave me with a lunatic?!"
What had happened over the past minute was enough to prove that Yuan Feng was a complete and utter lunatic.
What normal celebrity would show his violent side on camera?!
Was his agency not giving him enough work?
Was he taking it out on me?
Who could say?!
Young people these days were so full of aggression...
Lu Yuanhang's thoughts twisted and turned like pig intestines. When he looked back and saw Yuan Feng bending down, his pupils contracted sharply. "Ah! Stay away from me!"
"Murder is illegal-"
Yuan Feng frowned. "Shut up!"
This guy was so noisy!
He grabbed Lu Yuanhang's arm and gave it a sharp wrench, followed by a crack.
"It's just a dislocation. What are you screaming for?!"
"If you sneak up behind me again, you won't get off with just having it popped back into place!"
"I'll get a doctor. Stay here." Leaving him with that, Yuan Feng stepped over Lu Yuanhang.
At that moment, the villainous supporting male character lay flat on the grass, clutching his arm as tears silently slipped from the corners of his eyes.
Something was wrong.
Everything was wrong!
Jian Li was supposed to be the one tormented on this variety show.
Why was it happening to him instead?!
Lu Yuanhang blinked feebly, his mind a tangled mess.
When Yuan Feng returned to the training ground, he faced the instructor and recounted the incident.
Of course, he deliberately left out the part about sending messages on his Little Smart.
"Dislocated?" Feng Dayuan raised an eyebrow. "You put it back in place?"
Yuan Feng paused. "Uh, I learned first aid before."
Feng Dayuan asked, "Jian Li didn't help?"
Yuan Feng said, "He offered, but I said I didn't need it. He has his own assignment."
Feng Dayuan fell silent. Quite the team player, wasn't he?
Was he really treating Jian Li as a teammate now?
Lu Siqi was still in a meeting when he received the call. His expression immediately changed at what he heard. "What? Someone attacked him on the variety show?! His arm was dislocated?!"
"What's his condition now?!" He stood and walked out of the office under his employees' puzzled gazes. "Is he in any danger?!"
Lu Siqi hung up, his fists clenched tight and a vicious gleam in his eyes. He was about to dial that number when he suddenly remembered he had been blocked. Turning to his secretary, he said,
"Call that bastard Jian Li!"
The secretary hesitated briefly, then pressed the call button.
It rang for a long time before the other end picked up.
"Who's this?"
"You actually dared to leave Lu Yuanhang to die?!" Lu Siqi snatched the phone and immediately hurled the accusation into the receiver.
Jian Li knew who it was the moment he heard that obnoxious voice. The corners of his mouth lifted. "Leaving him to die is nothing."
"Next time, I'll throw in a second helping of pain for free."
Before you continue