Su Mian was not going to strip Yang Bingchuan. She found him repulsive.
But she was not going to just stand there in a stalemate with him, either.
There were some things she had wanted to say publicly for a long time.
"Teacher Yang, I actually know why you've been targeting me all along."
Yang Bingchuan said with a beaming smile, "Don't go spitting blood at me with your accusations. Everyone knows I'm the person in this industry who most enjoys helping juniors. When have I ever targeted you?"
Su Mian said, "You call it helping, but it's actually workplace bullying."
"You throw your seniority around, molesting young, unknown actresses on set."
"You force everyone to drink with you, order juniors around to do your own work, and you've sexually harassed them plenty, too."
"Because of your seniority, nobody dares refuse. You've groped them, used them as free labor, and subjected them to dirty jokes time and again."
"Although I didn't dare stand up to you back then, I kept avoiding you, so you've disliked me ever since."
"And that's not all. When we were on the same production three years ago, you learned that an actress had lost her father as a child and depended on older men, so you cheated on your wife and deceived her, making her an unwitting mistress."
"Fortunately, your ex-wife was a good person. She knew that girl was a victim too, so she didn't make things difficult for her and divorced you amicably."
[The girl Su Mian's talking about is Zheng Linxue, right?]
[Some media outlets called Zheng Linxue a mistress back then. It was Yang Bingchuan's ex-wife who came forward and explained that they'd separated long before, and Zheng Linxue wasn't a mistress. That was what saved Zheng Linxue from a wave of online abuse!]
[Old Yang himself didn't dare let out so much as a fart! He left the women to carry all the blame! Thank goodness those two women didn't fight over him.]
Yang Bingchuan's face turned livid at her words. He warned her threateningly, "Stop talking nonsense. Do you have proof? Keep running your mouth and you might find yourself unable to survive in this industry!"
Su Mian's expression did not change. "Of course I do. I saw that girl just last night."
"We even started a group chat this morning. Everyone in it is a young artist you've bullied, and we've all kept evidence of how you harassed us."
Yang Bingchuan's eyes darted rapidly as he considered whether this was true.
During his years with Zheng Linxue, he had controlled all the money.
So he knew about Zheng Linxue singing at a bar to earn her rent.
He also knew that Su Mian had gone to that bar last night.
Had those two really joined forces?
But so what?
It had been consensual. That was not against the law.
Yang Bingchuan sneered. "So what? You're guilty too. Everyone in this world is guilty! Unless you dare say you're innocent, you have no right to criticize me! Who goes through life without sin? Who's innocent? Who's innocent? I'm asking you, which of you is innocent?"
[Ah, I can't take this! His skin is ridiculously thick. He's been exposed, and he doesn't feel the slightest bit guilty!]
[Mianmian, why are you just standing there? Go slap him!]
Suddenly, Duan Xuanyu flashed into view.
One slap sent Yang Bingchuan flying!
Duan Xuanyu stood in front of Su Mian, his figure tall and straight as a poplar, his head slightly lowered, his profile sharply defined.
His gaze bore into Yang Bingchuan, his powerful presence scaring Yang Bingchuan so badly that he barely dared breathe.
Duan Xuanyu said coldly, "I. Am. Innocent."
[Aaaaaah, that felt good!]
[Tyrant Bro! From now on, you and Mianmian are my main ship! I'll make all her other ships pay their respects to you as concubines!]
Su Mian studied Duan Xuanyu in puzzlement.
Something seemed off about him.
She had already told him privately to restrain himself on the show and not get physical at the drop of a hat, and he had agreed.
After observing him a little longer, she noticed his unfocused eyes...
She understood... What he had just said was "I'm not drunk," not "I'm innocent."
He was drunk!
But they were filming. Where had he gotten alcohol?
A guess occurred to Su Mian, and she looked toward the downstairs lounge.
She saw the cup of coffee on the table that Duan Xuanyu had drunk from earlier.
What?!
The coffee they had bought Duan Xuanyu was actually...
A Luxing and Moutai collaboration coffee!
It contained alcohol!
Ugh! There was no guarding against everything!
In the end, Yang Bingchuan did not dare retaliate in any way under Duan Xuanyu's overwhelming pressure.
All he could do was roar furiously, "I'm done filming!"
Then he hurried away from the set.
But his public image had already collapsed in an instant.
[Don't underestimate or tolerate workplace bullying! Don't explain this away as a matter of sexual misconduct between men and women! This is an industry veteran bullying newcomers!]
[Society is still far too forgiving of old men like him!]
[Although Mianmian didn't name that girl, everyone knows she meant Zheng Linxue. Apparently, Zheng Linxue has already broken up with Old Yang and doesn't have a penny to her name. She's been singing in a bar for money these past few days. She really has had it rough! That old man sucked her popularity dry, then kicked her aside!]
Zheng Linxue gained attention as well.
That very day, a short-drama company invited Zheng Linxue to play the female lead.
Zheng Linxue, who had been worrying about her next rent payment, excitedly accepted.
Apparently, a few months later, her acting fees surpassed what she had earned at the height of her career.
Once she had money, she often bought extra food for the poorly paid rookie actors on set to improve their meals.
Give someone a rose, and its fragrance lingers on your hand!
Perhaps, when you fell on hard times, a chicken drumstick you once gave someone could bring you a chance to defy the heavens and change your fate!
Back at the dating show set.
The production team held a brief meeting.
In the end, they decided that even if their special guest had suddenly run off and quit, as far as their show was concerned...
It did not really affect anything!
It had only given the show more attention and discussion!
So everyone decided to continue.
Su Mian instructed Duan Xuanyu to stay close to her.
Although he was obedient in this state, he only listened to her.
So it was better to keep him by her side.
Yin Xiaohong said, "All right, viewers, welcome back to this gripping werewolf battle royale final!"
"The action has now reached fever pitch. All the guests' roles have been revealed, and the remaining contestants are the werewolves, Su Mian and Duan Xuanyu, and the civilian, Lin Xi!"
"As an agile hunter, Su Mian is carefully searching for traces of her prey on this battlefield where danger lurks at every turn! Duan Xuanyu follows her every step like her shadow! Meanwhile, Lin Xi continues to lie quietly in wait!"
"All three truly deserve to be called top-tier dating show competitors!"
"Will the werewolves find the civilian's hiding place, or will the civilian seize on a weakness in the werewolves' defenses and pull off a desperate counterattack? Let's wait and see!"
[This is so hype! This is the first time a dating show has gotten me this fired up!]
[How did your production team even find such a niche lane?]
[Sister Xiaohong, let me ask you something. Is this the kind of vocabulary that belongs on a dating show? Are you sure you're not an esports commentator?]
[Production team: stop dating, all of you. Go compete!]
[The staff on this dating show are seriously tough-minded. They're actually carrying on after such a huge livestream incident. [Facepalm laugh]]
At that moment, Lin Xi, who was hiding in the cramped attic, listened to Yin Xiaohong's commentary and curled his lips coldly.
There was no way Su Mian could find this place.
He planned to hide here for a whole day.
As long as Su Mian could not hit his light, she could not win!
Hah, Su Mian, the grudge of that explosive diarrhea makes us mortal enemies!
This time, I absolutely won't let you win!
It really had not immediately occurred to Su Mian that someone could hide in that tiny attic, which even a child would have to bend over to enter.
She conducted a blanket search of the entire villa but found no trace of him.
Now she was searching the wine cellar, but she still found no one.
She turned to leave, only to accidentally bump into an empty wine rack!
Su Mian immediately steadied the rack, but discovered that it did not feel quite right.
She gently turned the wine rack.
A door actually opened in the floor!
There was a basement!
Su Mian immediately ducked inside, and Duan Xuanyu followed.
The production team was baffled.
They had heard nothing about a basement when they rented this villa.
The cameraman hurried after them with his equipment.