Shi Wei quickly turned his face away.
Ji Hanchuan's gaze flickered, but then he accepted it.
There really was no trust between them.
But from the looks of it, there seemed to be some other reason Shi Wei had hit someone.
Ji Hanchuan took another look at the man named Wang William.
Wang William had been grimacing in pain the whole time. Even his good-looking face looked rather ugly now, with two black eyes so exaggerated they looked like special-effects makeup.
"..."
What kind of grudge did it take to beat someone up like that?
Shi Wei looked at Zhang Zixiang and gave an honest account. "I was just going to get my food, but then Wang Jun'er called me over. Right off the bat, they said I'd stolen Wang William's role. They said that if I wasn't an idiot, I'd go ask Director Zhang to let me quit, or they'd kick me out of the company."
Wang Jun'er was perfectly calm.
She really wasn't afraid. Shi Wei only had his own word to back him up. What did she have to fear?
"I said they were the idiots, and Wang William grabbed my clothes. His fist was about to hit my face." Shi Wei brushed his rumpled collar.
At that, Ji Hanchuan's fingers shifted on the armrest.
Shi Wei smiled sheepishly. "Who knew he'd be so weak when he looked so big? I knocked him down in two or three moves."
Everyone: ...
Were you proud of that?
Wang William sprang to his feet. "No, you di'n't!"
"Didn't I?" Shi Wei raised his fist. "Want to try again?"
Remembering how ruthless Shi Wei had been when beating him up, Wang William plopped back into his seat.
"Of course, that wasn't why I beat his face into a pig's head." Shi Wei sighed. "After I knocked him down and was about to leave, this Wang William said I'd seduced Director Zhang to get more scenes. What he said was too filthy. To protect all your pure, innocent hearts, I won't repeat it."
In short, the content rivaled Japanese porn, delivered so fluently it might have been their own personal experience.
Shi Wei continued, "They really went on and on with that crap, and they wouldn't let me leave. They insisted on making my ears miscarry. I was so hungry I couldn't stand it, so I turned my hunger into motivation."
Everyone: ...
Remembering the way Shi Wei had wolfed down his food, Wang Jun'er and Wang William really were guilty of heinous crimes.
Wang Jun'er sneered. "You're lying. Do I look like someone who would disrespect Director Zhang?"
"Don't you?" Ji Hanchuan suddenly spoke, his tone icy. "This Mr. Wang isn't part of the production. When you brought him in so casually, did you not consider the risk of leaks?"
Shi Wei turned to look at him. Ji Hanchuan stared straight ahead, his perfectly sculpted profile cold and stern.
"I..." Wang Jun'er hadn't expected Ji Hanchuan to help Shi Wei. For a moment, she didn't know what to say, and offered a feeble defense. "I didn't just casually bring someone in. William would never leak anything!"
"Then, Miss Wang, please take out your phone and have a look."
"L-look at what?"
Wang Jun'er turned to Wang William and saw the guilt all over his face. "I only posted one photo on Weibo..."
This moron! She immediately felt that it was over.
Meanwhile, the assistant director took out his phone and searched. His expression grew grave, and he immediately showed the page to Zhang Zixiang.
Wang William had taken a very handsome photo on set, capturing the scenery and several actors in clear detail. It had received plenty of likes and comments, marking the high point of his life.
Zhang Zixiang's expression darkened at once. "Both of you, get the hell out!"
That high point plunged straight into a basin.
"Director Zhang?" Wang Jun'er's heart sank. She hurried over to him in a panic and pleaded, "You can't kick me out! I'm He Ming's wife. How can you make me leave?"
The assistant director quickly held her back to keep her from touching Zhang Zixiang. "Miss Wang, stop embarrassing yourself. Leave now, and this won't get too ugly."
"B-but..." Catching sight of the languid Shi Wei out of the corner of her eye, Wang Jun'er snapped, "Then why aren't you kicking him out? You can tolerate him hitting someone? What about the injustice we've suffered?"
Zhang Zixiang looked at her with disgust. "If you hadn't said something out of line, would that what's-his-name have gotten beaten up? You brought it on yourselves! If you don't like it, go to the police!"
"You believe him? He's a piece of trash who tells nothing but lies." Wang Jun'er was losing control, her voice shrill as she began blurting things out indiscriminately. "I get it now. There really are casting-couch deals going on here!"
Zhang Zixiang said angrily, "Let me be straight with you. Before we met Shi Wei, we were already planning to cut Liang Fang's character. He brought Liang Fang to life through his own ability. Can this brother of yours really do better than him? Casting-couch deals? I have to beg him to play Liang Fang!"
"Heh. With your double standards and favoritism toward him, nothing I say matters."
Ji Hanchuan scoffed coldly. "You each have your own version, and we have no evidence that what you're saying is true either. But this Mr. Wang's leak is a proven fact."
"Watch them pack their things and get out," Zhang Zixiang instructed the assistant director, then strode off to find someone to discuss how to handle the leak.
"Let's go." The assistant director's face was dark too. Grabbing one in each hand, he took the still-wailing Wang siblings away.
The conference room finally fell quiet.
Shi Wei slumped in his chair in a daze, squeezing his phone.
He'd thought no one would believe him, yet Wang Jun'er and Wang William had been kicked out before he'd even had a chance to produce his evidence.
Especially Ji Hanchuan.
He didn't understand why he cared so much about what Ji Hanchuan thought.
"Aren't you leaving?"
"Huh?"
Shi Wei looked up and blinked. "Teacher Ji, my legs have gone weak. Beating people up is so tiring."
Ji Hanchuan: ...
"You don't exercise enough."
"Teacher Ji, could you pull me up?" Once Shi Wei relaxed, he couldn't help running his mouth.
"..."
Shi Wei was just waiting for Ji Hanchuan to tell him off and leave, but instead, he held out his hand.
That hand was beautiful enough to belong to a hand model, with a broad palm and long, strong fingers. Shi Wei stared at it for ages before looking up at him.
"Teacher Ji, did you take the wrong medicine?"
Ji Hanchuan: ...
He promptly withdrew his hand, turned, and left.
Now that was the normal Ji Hanchuan.
Shi Wei got up and followed him. "Teacher Ji, do you believe me?"
"There were only three of you in that room. None of you have evidence to support your accounts."
"Oh." Shi Wei pressed on. "Then how did you know Wang William had leaked anything, Teacher Ji?"
"I happened to search while you were eating."
"Teacher Ji, you really have a miraculous healing touch."
"...Don't misuse idioms."
It seemed Ji Hanchuan had only driven Wang Jun'er and the other man away because of the leak, not because he believed him.
"Teacher Ji, you're truly wise and mighty. Nothing escapes your discerning eye." Shi Wei began buttering him up. "Let me call you Your Honorable Lordship."
"...Shut up, handsome!"
"Sure thing."
Just as they were about to reach the exit, Ji Hanchuan suddenly stopped. Caught off guard, Shi Wei crashed straight into his back.
"But if someone said something disrespectful about Director Zhang, I'd hit them too." Ji Hanchuan didn't turn around, but his voice still reached Shi Wei's ears loud and clear.
Only after Ji Hanchuan had walked far away did Shi Wei come back to his senses.
Did Ji Hanchuan mean he believed him?