Zongman: The post-2D era

"Because you have offended me and the company, don't even think about staying in the entertainment industry."

The big star Kato Eimi had a smug look on her face, but another female star Higashino Kiyoshi stretched out her hand to Feng Feng and said:

"We can talk, but of course you have to issue an apology first."

Chapter 818 A Simple Conspiracy

Sunday, October 2

Feng Feng and Hoshino Ruby were making lunch together. The news on the TV screen was about a big star and the company behind him being suspected of tax evasion, collusion in fraud...

Overnight, the top ten companies in the industry were in a state of collapse.

In Feng Feng's hand, the sharp kitchen knife jumped lightly on the chopping board, and slices of vegetable as thin as cicada wings were stacked elegantly. His eyes were focused and gentle, occasionally glancing at Ruby who was busy at the side.

Ruby stood in front of the fire, her cheeks slightly flushed by the dancing flames. Her nimble hands tightly grasped the handle of the frying pan and shook it gently. The eggs in the pan slowly spread out in the golden sea of ​​oil, with tempting crispy edges on the edges.

"Be careful, it's almost burnt!" Feng Feng's voice was filled with a hint of smile, like a spring breeze that warmed Ruby's heart.

Hearing this, she quickly quickened her movements. With a slight flick of her wrist, the frying pan flew into the air, drew a perfect arc in the air, and then fell steadily, perfectly isolating the flame from direct contact with the bottom of the pan.

The moment the fire was turned off, a rich aroma of eggs instantly filled the entire kitchen, interweaving with the occasional sweet-scented osmanthus fragrance that drifted in from the window, forming a warm and beautiful picture of an autumn afternoon.

The sunlight shines through the half-closed curtains, dappling onto the wooden coffee table, interweaving with the flickering light of the TV screen to form a background of interlaced light and shadow.

Feng Feng and Ruby each brought a plate of delicious food, gently placed it on the coffee table, smiled at each other, and sat down side by side.

On TV, the interview footage of the big star was still playing in a loop, his words revealing his past glory and current embarrassment.

Ruby's eyes would occasionally move away from the exquisite dishes and look at the flickering screen, with a complicated smile on her lips.

Whenever the host mentioned the details of the scandal, she would unconsciously whisper "deserve it" or "get it", with a hint of pleasure and helplessness in her tone.

Her eyes seemed to conceal her understanding and criticism of the complex rules of this circle, as well as a hint of persistence and yearning for pure dreams.

After dinner, Ruby stood up, gently patted the crumbs on her apron, with a gentle light in her eyes, and smiled at Feng Feng:

"Today's lunch is really great, especially my fried egg, which is a feast for your taste buds. Let me clean up, you take a rest."

As she spoke, she naturally walked to the sink, rolled up her sleeves, and prepared to start washing the dishes.

Seeing this, Feng Feng's mouth curled up into an indulgent smile. He slowly stood up, walked to Ruby's side, and whispered, "Are you satisfied? You are the mastermind behind the news these days."

His voice was low and magnetic, filling the air with a hint of sweetness.

Ruby turned her head and met Feng Feng's gentle gaze, and a warm current surged in her heart. She shook her head gently, and her smile was as bright as the sun:

"Thank you, I like this utopia. You always make me trust you like this."

After saying that, she picked up a bowl and carefully dropped detergent on it. The foam shone with a delicate luster under the light, just like their simple and happy life at the moment.

Feng Feng's fingers gently slid across the screen of his mobile phone. A series of missed calls and messages came like a tide, but stopped the moment he pressed the answer button.

The screen lit up, and Yukinoshita Yukino's name seemed particularly cold and firm in the afternoon sun.

He tilted his head slightly to glance at Ruby, a complex emotion flashed across his eyes, then he pressed the answer button and put the phone close to his ear.

On the other end of the phone, Yukinoshita Yukino's voice, with a hint of unquestionable competence and urgency, passed through the invisible radio waves and clearly reached Feng Feng's ears:

"Feng Feng, you finally answered the call. The situation is urgent. Our company has encountered resistance from forces in the entertainment industry. There are serious problems with cash flow. Is Ruby hiding at your house?"

Her tone showed both anxiety about the current situation and trust and reliance on Feng Feng's abilities.

"Tell her that her methods have made me and the Yukinoshita family very unhappy. Also, I'm almost at your house."

The bowl in Ruby's hand slid gently into the foamy pool with a clang, splashing a few drops of water and breaking the silence in the kitchen.

She was stunned for a moment, a hint of innocence and understanding flashed in her clear eyes, and then her gaze wandered between Feng Feng's tightly held cell phone and the half-open door, as if looking for fragments of the answer.

Feng Feng quickly hung up the phone, gently placed the phone on the kitchen counter beside him, and turned his eyes to Ruby with gentle but firmness.

He slowly approached, stretched out his hand, gently held her foamy and slightly cool hand, pulled her to his side, and gently wiped away the water droplets and residual foam on her face, as if he was also wiping away the uneasiness in her heart.

Ruby looked at Feng Feng innocently, and Feng Feng comforted her: "There's no need to be afraid, what you are doing is right."

"It's just that the means were rather drastic, and I didn't discuss it with Yukino and the others in advance, so in a sense, I was being used..."

Ruby's face instantly lost color, she bit her lower lip tightly, and a look of determination and panic flashed in her eyes.

"I'm leaving first, Angry Yukino..."

She suddenly broke free from Feng Feng's hand, turned around and rushed towards the kitchen door, her steps staggering a bit.

The apron in her hand fluttered gently in the wind before she could take it off, just like her confused mood at the moment.

Outside the gate, the sun was shining brightly, but it couldn't penetrate the haze in her heart. Yukinoshita Yukino had just stepped out of a black car, wearing a neat business suit, which looked even cooler in the autumn sun.

She looked up at Ruby who was rushing towards her, her eyes showing both the expected calmness and subtle complex emotions.

As soon as Ruby's hand touched the cold door handle, the world outside the door seemed to freeze at this moment.

She took a deep breath and prepared to face the coming storm, but she didn't expect Yukinoshita Yukino to be standing outside the door.

There was no harsh questioning as she had imagined. Yukino just tilted her head slightly, and a hint of imperceptible tenderness and understanding flashed in her eyes, as if at this moment, there was an inexplicable tacit understanding and resonance between the two women.

They all knew that for them, everything was just an excuse to be with Feng Feng.

Feng Feng chased out, pulled Xue Nai back, and asked her if she had eaten as they walked.

Ruby looked at the two people's backs, gradually became expressionless and walked out the door.

Ruby stood at the threshold in a daze, her eyes following the gradually receding backs of Feng Feng and Xue No. The backs lengthened in the afternoon sun, interweaving into a complex picture.

Her eyes gradually changed from being empty at first to one of deep thought, as if at this moment, all emotions were gently blown away by the cool autumn breeze, leaving only tranquility and relief.

She took a slow step, passed through the half-open door, and stepped into the hustle and bustle of the outside world. The sunlight shone on her body, and the golden light intertwined with her figure, forming a lonely landscape.

Ruby did not go forward directly, but stopped and looked up at the blue sky. A few white clouds were floating leisurely, as if telling an unknown secret.

Chapter 819 Painted Wings

Monday, October 3

Feng Feng hung up the phone with Hoshino Ruby and complained to Yukinoshita Yukino in front of him: "Don't ask me if my classmates at school want to imitate me to start a live broadcast."

Yukino's fingers gently stroked the edges of the documents stacked on the table, her eyes revealing unquestionable seriousness.

She opened her red lips slightly, her voice cold and firm: "Feng Feng, the Student Union has already formulated a detailed application form for the live broadcast phenomenon, which aims to standardize and promote healthy and progressive campus cultural exchanges."

"However, there is still one unfinished business - the last applicant has a special case, so I need you to personally review it."

As she spoke, she pulled out a slightly thin piece of paper from the pile of documents and gently pushed it in front of Feng Feng.

The handwriting on the paper is neat but reveals a sense of uneasiness, as if one can feel the applicant's expectation and nervousness.

The sun shines in from the window, giving the scene a warm golden hue, but it also reflects the subtle atmosphere between the two people in the room - tension mixed with an exploration of the unknown.

Feng Feng took the paper, his eyes were instantly attracted, and his brows furrowed slightly, as if he was stepping into a mystery that was about to be revealed.

Feng Feng's gaze lingered on the three words "Li Huayin" in the name column for a moment, and ripples in his heart involuntarily appeared.

He seemed to have crossed the barrier of time and space, and a girl in a white dress appeared before his eyes. She was sitting in front of a piano on a far cliff of the school. The sunlight shone on her soft face, and the golden light and the black and white keys intertwined into a dreamy picture.

Her fingers lightly touched the piano keys, and the melodious melody flowed like a spring. Every note carried purity and beauty, making people involuntarily think of the legendary angel girl - Kanade Tachibana.

Although the names were similar, this sudden association made Feng Feng full of unprecedented curiosity and expectations about the applicant Li Huayin.

"Live drawing? The live studio is called Huayi? Am I wrong?"

Xueno's movements were neat and swift. Almost before she finished speaking, she lightly snatched the application form from Fengfeng's hand, turned around and walked towards the art classroom, with a firmness in her steps that would not refuse.

The sunlight filtered through the corridor windows, dancing on the ends of her hair, adding a touch of softness to this somewhat serious scene.

Yukino turned her back and walked towards the art classroom and said, "If you're curious, check it out for yourself. Sister asked you to pay special attention to Tachikane's paintings and the changes in her attitude before and after she started painting."

Feng Feng was stunned for a moment, then quickly followed. The subtle emotions in his heart caused by Li Huayin were interrupted by Yukino's sudden action, and turned into an urgency for the answer that was about to be revealed.

The door of the art classroom slowly closed behind them, isolating the noise from the outside world and leaving only a quiet and focused atmosphere inside.

Indoors, rows of easels are arranged in an orderly manner, and colorful paintings on the walls quietly tell their own stories.

Yukino walked straight to a corner, where a girl was looking down, immersed in her own world. It was Tachikane.

She was wearing a simple cotton and linen long dress, which complemented the artistic atmosphere around her.

The sunlight shines through the window, outlining a soft contour on her focused profile. The brush in her hand dances lightly on the canvas, and every stroke contains delicate emotion and endless imagination.

Feng Feng couldn't help but hold his breath. He felt an inexplicable sense of oppression spreading in his chest.

He slowly approached Li Huayin, his eyes fixed on the unfinished painting on the canvas.

In the picture, a gorgeous sea of ​​flowers looks particularly gentle under the sunset, and Li Huayin is hugging her knees in the sea of ​​flowers and admiring the flowers.

But if you look closely, there seems to be an imperceptible darkness hidden in the splendor, swallowing up the surrounding light like an abyss.

His gaze slowly moved upwards, finally landing on Li Huayin's eyes, which were concentrating on the canvas.

Those eyes, which should have been sparkling with pure love and dedication to art, now seemed to be shrouded in a layer of mist. In the depths, there was a dark shadow slowly crawling, carrying an indescribable gloom and boredom.

The dark shadow seemed to echo the dark colors in the painting, filling the entire space with an uneasy atmosphere.

"Your paintings are really beautiful, they are at the level of a master."

Feng Feng stopped Xueno who was about to do her job in a businesslike manner, and stared at the painting on the canvas. His gaze followed the hand holding the pen to Li Huayin's face. His eyes narrowed, his gaze flickered, and his heart was heavy.

"My paintings are not as good as you say. My classmates in the art club, especially the best ones Eriri and Mashiro, all said that my paintings are... suffocating and disgusting."

Feng Feng comforted Li Huayin in a soft voice. His voice was gentle yet powerful, like a ray of warm sunshine that penetrated the haze in her heart.

"Your paintings have their own unique soul, which cannot be copied by others. Maybe they are not understood by everyone now, but please believe that one day, someone will appreciate the undercurrent and truth hidden under the splendor."

After saying that, he patted Li Huayin's shoulder gently, indicating that she didn't need to care too much about other people's opinions.

As he turned around, Feng Feng's eyes became deep. He looked at Xue Noi, and a barely perceptible hint of vigilance flashed in his eyes.

The two looked at each other tacitly, and without saying anything more, they quietly left the art classroom together.

In the corridor, the sun was still shining brightly, but their steps seemed particularly heavy, and every step seemed to be preparing for the unknown that was about to come.

Xue Nai followed Feng Feng closely, her hands clenched into fists and her eyes determined, as if silently declaring: no matter what difficulties lie ahead, they will face them together.

"There's something wrong with Li Huayin. Do you want to contact security?"

Feng Feng said he would give it a try first.