Lu Yanchu took a long time to recover, scenes of their past encounters replaying endlessly in his mind.
He knew Ji Yanzhi had an odd temperament and spoke coldly to everyone, but he had always assumed the man was simply arrogant and conceited, and that Ling Xi was the reason he never treated him kindly.
But now, after hearing what Ji Ting had said, Lu Yanchu felt more than shock. Something about it nagged at him, refusing to fit.
Ji Yanzhi certainly had a terrible temper, but he hardly seemed mentally unstable. How could he...
Before Lu Yanchu could make sense of it, a figure in white suddenly entered his field of vision. Ji Ting had come out carrying a bag.
Lu Yanchu hurriedly opened the door and got out. "Ji Ting-"
Ji Ting turned at the sound of his voice, then coldly looked away once he saw who it was.
Seeing him head toward his own car, Lu Yanchu strode after him. "Ji Ting, I..."
"Mr. Lu," Ji Ting interrupted expressionlessly, without looking at him. "We're strangers. Following me over and over like this only makes me question your intentions."
Lu Yanchu froze for a moment. Ji Ting had been distant during their last encounter, but he had certainly never been this hostile. What was going on?
"Did Ji Yanzhi say something to you?" That was the only explanation he could think of.
Ji Ting raised his eyes indifferently. "Ji Yanzhi says what he has to say to your face. He doesn't maliciously slander people behind their backs."
"Then did I do something wrong?"
Ji Ting remained silent, his expression cold. Your biggest mistake was betraying your own country.
Lu Yanchu's pupils suddenly trembled. His entire body went rigid, only his eyes flickering with shock and disbelief.
After so many years of struggling in the entertainment industry, he had thought himself resilient enough. But this was too serious, so serious that he could barely keep his composure.
Several passersby had already stopped, watching them with curiosity and excitement as they whispered among themselves. "Hey, doesn't that guy look like Lu Yanchu?"
"Could it actually be him?"
"Holy shit, I actually got to see Lu Yanchu in person!"
Seeing someone take out a phone, Ji Ting turned and headed across the street.
Just then, Lu Yanchu suddenly strode after him and seized his wrist.
"Ji Ting, I'm sorry."
Ji Ting froze. Before he could work out what those words meant, Lu Yanchu forcibly pulled him into his car.
The doors locked, and the car immediately pulled away. Just like that, they left under everyone's watchful eyes.
"Lu Yanchu, what you're doing may be illegal. There's still time to stop the car," Ji Ting warned coldly.
"I'm sorry, but I have no choice."
That was all Lu Yanchu said before accelerating again.
Knowing there was no point in trying to reason with him, Ji Ting calmed down and began examining the car's interior.
Lu Yanchu was driving a domestic-brand new energy vehicle. Ji Ting scanned the interior carefully and noticed an A OFF button above the ignition button, which meant the car had an automatic start-stop driver-assistance system.
Ji Ting took his phone from his pocket. First, he tried accessing the car's connected services system, but after checking the account name, he discovered that its owner was someone named Kong Yu.
Following that lead, Ji Ting logged into the backend and began hacking the car's main control system.
A few minutes later, he looked up from his phone and glanced at the rearview mirror. The car behind them was following rather closely. If they stopped abruptly now, there was a considerable risk of a rear-end collision.
For the safety of others, Ji Ting held off on cutting the controls.
As they reached a turn, Ji Ting's fingertip was already poised over the automatic start-stop system when Lu Yanchu suddenly slowed down and eased into a parking space.
Ji Ting looked at him expressionlessly. Lu Yanchu unlocked the doors, then let out a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I acted rashly today."
Ji Ting did not accept his apology. He unbuckled his seat belt and turned to open the door.
"Ji Ting, I know you're under no obligation to hear me out."
Lu Yanchu spoke behind him, his gaze fixed on Ji Ting's back with an anxiety he could not suppress. "But you're the only one who can help me now. I found out there's something wrong with the film Edge of the Wind. Someone is planning to use it to frame me over my political stance."
Ji Ting, whose right foot had already touched the ground, abruptly paused, a trace of doubt passing through his eyes.
If Lu Yanchu really were colluding with foreign forces, he would be extremely cautious. He would never tell a stranger he'd only met twice about it.
Hearing that, Lu Yanchu felt a little relieved. He silently thanked his luck that Ji Ting was intelligent and logical. Otherwise, he truly would have had no idea how to prove his innocence.
As Lu Yanchu watched anxiously, Ji Ting still got out of the car, but he did not leave immediately.
Ji Ting turned back, his expression particularly cool and scrutinizing. "I'm not in the entertainment industry, and I'm not involved in Edge of the Wind. What makes you think I can help you?"
In an instant, Lu Yanchu came up with an explanation. "Because I saw you reading the script for Edge of the Wind at the villa last time. You looked very grave. I didn't understand why, which was why I asked you on the way back to Ruihe whether you wanted to invest in Edge of the Wind."
Ji Ting had never realized his expression had been so obvious, much less expected Lu Yanchu to be so observant. I thought he was just making conversation. So he'd actually noticed something and was sounding me out.
Hearing his thoughts gave Lu Yanchu more confidence, and he continued making up his story. "At the time, I had a vague sense that you were strongly opposed to it. After I got back, the more I thought about it, the more something felt wrong, so I had someone investigate the production team behind Edge of the Wind."
Ji Ting's eyes were cold. "What did you find?"
Lu Yanchu shook his head, a profound helplessness weighing on him. "They've covered their tracks too well. All I managed to find out was that they were planning to target me. I have no other leads."
He was not lying about that. He had indeed investigated, but he had not even discovered why they wanted to frame him.
A thoughtful look entered Ji Ting's eyes, and he suddenly fell silent.
I could ignore Lu Yanchu's troubles, but this has become a matter of national importance. If even the person involved can't uncover anything, they must be deeply entrenched. Who's to say they won't target classified technology in the future?
Ji Ting had originally planned to investigate on his own later, but after this incident, he decided to root them out as soon as possible.
With that in mind, he looked at Lu Yanchu solemnly. "In that case, find an excuse that leaves you room to maneuver, and make them think you want to withdraw from Edge of the Wind."
Lu Yanchu's brows drew together slightly before he understood Ji Ting's intention. "You mean a smokescreen?"
"Exactly. If someone they thought they had firmly in their grasp suddenly refuses to act in the film, they'll have to wonder whether you've found something out. Once they reach out to investigate, we'll have an opening."
The word "we" made the corners of Lu Yanchu's lips lift involuntarily. He felt as though he had suddenly gained a dependable ally, and the frantic distress of the past few days vanished in an instant.
Seeing him stare without speaking, Ji Ting asked, "Is there something you don't understand?"
Lu Yanchu gave a gentle smile. "No. You explained it very clearly."
"Then let's continue."
"Ji Ting, why don't you..."
Lu Yanchu was about to invite him back into the car when his phone suddenly vibrated.
He asked Ji Ting to wait a moment and swiped to answer. The next second, his manager's furious roar erupted from the speaker-
"Lu Yanchu, you actually held hands with someone in the middle of the street! Are you possessed?!"
Before you continue