65: Team up to beat someone up

The soup dumplings arrived quickly; they were placed on Shen Lian's table in less than twenty minutes.

"Go have fun, I'll find you when I'm done eating." Shen Lian found a quiet corner; he didn't need Chu Yilan to keep him company.

Chu Yilan looked up and met Zheng Ge's deep, intense gaze, but his expression remained cold, and he turned to leave.

"Was I blind before?" Master Chu reflected to himself.

Zheng Ge's fingertips went cold. He hadn't seen Chu Yilan for a while, and this time, he finally caught sight of the man's transformation.

The ruthlessness and gloom between Chu Yilan's brows had vanished, leaving behind his natural composure and indifference. The handsome, noble air that the heavens favored was fully revealed. He treated Shen Lian very well—not the kind of kindness deliberately performed for others to see, but a constant, attentive, and considerate care. This was the reason Zheng Ge felt so unbalanced.

Because even during the time he had held sway over Chu Yilan, the man had never treated him like this.

Shen Lian hadn't guessed wrong; Zheng Ge's birthday this time could be described as utterly miserable.

A large part of the reason was that Old Madam Zhou had returned to the country. The old lady had been a ruthless character in her youth, and the moment she saw Zheng Ge, she took an extreme dislike to him. She made it clear that playing around was fine, but bringing him into the Zhou Family was absolutely impossible. Yet, Zheng Ge lacked a sense of security; the more Old Madam Zhou acted this way, the more he pressured Zhou Tangsi to provide proof.

During the recent Zhou Family banquet, Zheng Ge had shown up uninvited, angering Old Madam Zhou so much that she was hospitalized overnight. Such a massive pit lay between the two of them, and coupled with the frequent arguments, both of them were physically and mentally exhausted.

In the past, Zheng Ge could have sought comfort from Chu Yilan, but now, Shen Lian had long since completely cut off that path.

Use them as a buffer? Not a chance.

The fire in Zheng Ge's heart just wouldn't go out.

Especially since Shen Lian was sitting there playing on his phone and eating soup dumplings as if nothing had happened.

Zheng Ge stood up.

"I didn't expect that you two were really together."

Shen Lian didn't even look up when he heard this; he replied to Hu Kailan with a few words.

"Shen Lian, is this you just giving up and letting yourself go?"

Shen Lian finally looked up.

As their eyes met, the smile on Zheng Ge's face gradually stiffened, and he grew tense bit by bit.

"Why didn't you choke on your own jealousy?" Shen Lian stabbed right into the heart of the matter. "Seeing Chu Yilan now, are you starting to regret it? Maybe you're thinking that if it were Chu Yilan in the same position, he would surely agree to all your demands unconditionally, but Zhou Tangsi has too many things to worry about."

Zheng Ge's expression twisted uncontrollably.

"People can't be blind forever." Shen Lian continued, "If you're smart, listen to my advice: lock yourself down with Zhou Tangsi. Otherwise, once you lose him, you'll be nothing. Your acting skills are trash, your ability is trash; falling into obscurity is just a matter of time."

"You…" Zheng Ge's chest heaved violently with anger.

"Don't go too far," Wei Fanchen suddenly interjected.

Shen Lian was even less polite in retorting to him: "It wasn't enough for you to be Zhou Tangsi's dog, and now you have to be Zheng Ge's dog too? Is it useful? There's a difference between humans and animals. Zheng Ge can't even fully control Zhou Tangsi, so what makes you think you can? Is it because your acting is even worse than his?"

Shen Lian finished the last bite of the soup dumpling leisurely, feeling refreshed. "Get lost."

In the silence, Zheng Ge suddenly spoke in a very strange tone: "Shen Lian, do you think I really can't do anything about you?"

Even Wei Fanchen couldn't help but glance over in surprise.

How to describe it? It was as if Shen Lian had made a precise incision, peeling away the skin of Zheng Ge's disguise, revealing the foul, churning darkness underneath, which began to lunge at people in a disgusting manner.

"Shen Lian," Zheng Ge sneered. "Just you wait."

As soon as he finished speaking, the pyramid of champagne glasses on the table was swept off. Amidst the startling sound of shattering glass, Zheng Ge fell into them, letting out a cry of pain.

The scene seemed to have been hit with a pause button.

Zheng Ge looked incredibly disheveled, while Shen Lian sat right across from him.

Wei Fanchen panicked and took two steps back, then, syncing with Zheng Ge, shouted, "Shen Lian, what are you doing?"

Shen Lian looked at Wei Fanchen: "Honestly, this is the best line you've ever delivered."

After saying this, his gaze fell back onto Zheng Ge. There was no panic or awkwardness; instead, he shifted into a more comfortable position, his eyes full of interest, as if he were carefully appreciating the scene.

The strength Zheng Ge had originally gathered was drained away bit by bit under Shen Lian's gaze.

The Original Host had been bullied and suppressed by Zheng Ge, but Shen Lian would not be, because they were never on the same level to begin with.

"What are you waiting for?" Shen Lian's voice was languid, as if he were looking at a clown. "Pulling a stunt like this at your own birthday party… I really think you need to get your neurology checked."

Zheng Ge subconsciously turned his head and saw Chu Yilan standing tall and composed, with no intention of coming over.

"Chu Yilan's actions depend on whether I'm hurt or not; they have nothing to do with you." Shen Lian stood up, walked around to Zheng Ge, leaned down, and said, "You really disappointed me. You held it in for so long, and this is the only fart you could squeeze out?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he grabbed the back of Zheng Ge's neck and, with great force, pressed his head down toward the glass shards on the floor.

Zheng Ge's pupils constricted sharply. "Help! Help!"

Once an artist is disfigured, they are basically finished.

"Did I not tell you not to provoke me again?" Shen Lian said coldly. This guy had even tried to frame him; it was so childish that Shen Lian wanted to laugh. In his past life, such entertainment had appeared frequently, but it was rare to see someone as stupid as Zheng Ge.

"Shen Lian, let go!" With an angry roar, Zhou Tangsi rushed in from the doorway, looking fierce and menacing, grabbing a wine bottle along the way.

Shen Lian looked up, sneering, with no intention of dodging.

Chu Yilan's figure moved.

Zhou Tangsi was focused entirely on Zheng Ge and Shen Lian and hadn't noticed when Chu Yilan had rushed up.

Chu Yilan's movements were extremely fast. He blocked Zhou Tangsi's path without a single word of nonsense and immediately raised his leg to kick!

Zhou Tangsi was caught off guard, and because the kick was so heavy, his face instantly turned green, his eyes seemed to bulge, and he was sent flying backward by the force.

"Damn!" Feng Yueshan sidestepped at lightning speed, letting Zhou Tangsi crash into the mahjong table. After it was over, he yelled at Zhou Tangsi, "Watch where you're going! You almost hit me!"

Seven or eight Bodyguards rushed in from outside the door. The smile faded from Feng Yueshan's face. "Ah, I see. You're here to trash my place today. Fine." His tone darkened. "Let's see who the hell dares to move!"

"See that?" Shen Lian was no longer in a hurry to open up a flower on Zheng Ge's face. He just pressed his head down, forcing him to look at the miserable sight of Zhou Tangsi slumped on the ground, unable to get up for a long time. "You caused this. Are you satisfied?"

Zheng Ge's tears couldn't be controlled at all. This time, it wasn't an act; he was truly terrified.

Chu Yilan slowly walked up to Zhou Tangsi, looking down at him from a height. These two things, back when his state of mind had been fragile, had dragged him into the water and staged one bizarre and absurd scene after another.

"Chu… Chu Yilan…" Zhou Tangsi gritted his teeth.

His response was a kick from Chu Yilan, landing right on his face.

Outside the fray, Yang Bin's fingertips were trembling with nervousness. "Damn, what a huge scene! What a huge scene!"