One day, after who knows how many rounds of sparring between Lu Chen and Yae Miko...
Lu Chen straightened his rumpled shirt.
He also pulled Miko up from where she had been pinned beneath him.
It might have looked like he had the upper hand, but his hair had long since turned into a bird's nest, and his face was sore and numb from Miko's relentless pinching and rubbing. If someone had snapped a picture of his expression just now, it would've been priceless.
Of course, Miko didn't come out unscathed either. Her face was flushed red, all thanks to Lu Chen mercilessly rubbing her fox ears.
"Humph!" Arms crossed, she stood with a defiant glare. "That round doesn't count! You ambushed me! One more!"
"If you don't want Ei to step in with her blade and stop us, maybe we should call it…" Lu Chen collapsed onto the sofa, completely drained.
Although his strength had recovered quite a bit lately, in terms of raw power, Miko definitely had the edge.
Still, war isn't about fairness. Lu Chen had pulled the same underhanded tricks he used back in the day when roughhousing with Ei and the others. He caught her off guard, knocked her down with a kick, and used his weight to pin her.
When it came to wrestling, Lu Chen was a pro. A certain master once said—there's no honor in fighting! You cheat! You ambush!
Traditional martial arts were all about redirecting force! He used just a bit of leverage and had Miko completely pinned.
Then came the relentless ear-rubbing!
As usual, Venti and Qiqi watched from the sofa, polishing off two more bottles—one beer, one coconut milk.
Scenes like this in the living room were nothing new. They were used to it by now.
Lu Chen squeezed into a spot on the sofa and suddenly thought—
Was this living room… a little too small?
Not that a bigger living room would make fights more comfortable, but what if more characters showed up later?
This four-bedroom apartment wouldn't cut it.
Time to start looking for a bigger place.
...
After lunch, Lu Chen was idly scrolling through his phone.
Now that the mess in the entertainment industry had blown over, it was like nothing had ever happened. Their home life was still as "warm" as ever.
The rumors outside barely stirred Venti's mood. Even with the public opinion turning and his name cleared, his expression stayed the same.
Lu Chen, on the other hand, was still keeping tabs behind the scenes.
The dragon hadn't been slain yet—how could a warrior lay down his sword?
Right now, the top trending topics on Weibo were still dominated by the infamous "Gu Cheng." His drama alone was generating half the platform's traffic.
The more perfect his image had once been, the more pathetic he looked now.
#GuChengDrugScandal
#GuChengAffair
#GuChengPoliceSummons
Almost every post was flooded with scathing comments. The collapse of Gu Cheng's squeaky-clean persona triggered a tsunami of public outrage.
"Unbelievable! Gu Cheng did all that? What a hypocrite!"
"Drugs, seducing a married woman, even luring a minor—lock him up already!"
"Jia Shi Entertainment must've been blind to sign trash like this for a huge fee. Serves them right!"
"I always said he was no good. My ex didn't believe me, and we broke up over it... Anyone got a spare girlfriend now?"
"Ex-girlfriend? That 'ex' really hits different, huh?"
"Now that the truth's out, why not win her back? Bet she's regretting it, haha!"
"Splitting that easily? Might as well stay broken up..."
"Serves you right for flaunting your relationship! Hahahaha—hic!"
"..."
The comments were pure chaos, and even Lu Chen couldn't help but laugh.
Because of the Gu Cheng scandal, both V.T., who had been slandered by his fans earlier, and the album "Ode to the Sea" climbed onto the trending charts.
Many netizens started thanking Gu Cheng—because if not for his scandal, they wouldn't have discovered the album.
It was just that good.
"Ode to the Sea" was selling like crazy, its classical charm propelling it straight to the top of the bestsellers list.
It also topped the popularity, genre, and new release charts.
A massive and pleasant surprise.
Lu Chen did the math—just two more weeks and the challenge would be complete.
After sharing the good news with Venti, he smiled knowingly. It meant more and more people were recognizing his music, loving "Ode to the Sea."
"The wind of Mondstadt really does blow here..." he murmured.
"True masterpieces will always be seen," Lu Chen said with a smile.
The wind from Mondstadt was drifting through this chaotic world, cleansing hearts. A beautiful thing indeed.
After sharing the good news, Lu Chen called Tony again.
The Gu Cheng matter wasn't over yet. With his special status and powerful backers, Lu Chen had to ensure real punishment.
Tony's reply was satisfying—the scandal had blown up too much, and Jia Shi Entertainment wasn't planning to protect Gu Cheng. The once-superstar was now a pawn to be discarded.
Even more amusing, Jia Shi was planning to sue Gu Cheng, holding him responsible for the damage to the company—translation: a massive breach penalty.
Now it wasn't just a ruined reputation. Everything Gu Cheng had built over the years was going up in smoke. Even if he got out of prison, life wouldn't be easy.
No power, no money, no influence—Gu Cheng was ripe for the picking.
Lu Chen let out a sinister chuckle. Who could outplay him in villainy?
In his previous life, he ruled Inazuma from the top. He'd seen every trick and scheme in the book.
He'd never shied away from ruthless tactics, and he knew exactly how to break someone—mind and body.
He was already thinking—maybe it was time to bribe a few of Gu Cheng's cellmates. Spice up his prison life a little.
Yeah... the kind that help pick up the soap in the shower.
(As they say in the movies: "Don't drop the soap.")
Better off dead, really.
...
Across the city, in a seaside villa on the hillside, Gu Cheng sat staring blankly at the now-empty house.
To hire top lawyers for his defense, he'd sold off nearly everything—furniture, collectibles, anything with value.
The living room was a hollow shell.
And now, that damn old woman had abandoned him too. No trace of affection left. Cold to the end.
Even Jia Shi Entertainment was preparing to turn on him—that was the real blow.
His once-lavish spending had left him with almost nothing.
Gu Cheng lowered his head. His eyes were sunken, cheeks gaunt—he no longer had even a shadow of his former glory.
The manager glanced at him, expressionless, and placed some documents on the table.
"Here's the termination paperwork. Take a look."
Gu Cheng didn't respond.
"This'll be my last visit. The police are coming soon. That's all I've got to say—good luck."
As the manager turned to leave, Gu Cheng raised his head and pleaded,
"Wait! Don't go yet!"
Seeing his pathetic state, the manager stepped back in disgust.
"I'm not asking about the contract—I'm begging you..."
Gu Cheng clutched his chest, shivering like he'd been thrown into ice water.
"Can you... can you get me a little of that stuff... the kind they used..."
The manager immediately understood. He turned away without a word.
As he closed the door, he sneered,
"Truly hopeless."