âThere are rumors that the Chen family plans to use Ye Aotian as a training ground for Chen Fanâa worthy opponent to help him grow.â
This was getting interesting.
To be honest, Xiao Feng was also upset by the earlier conversation. He was familiar with the industry and knew it was messy, but there were still clean people in it. Outsiders just liked to dwell on the dirty parts.
Chen Fan took Cao Zijin to a nearby trailer.
Inside, he tossed his phone onto a table and said, âExplain. Whatâs going on?â
Looking at the tabloids, Cao Zijin sighed and said, âI donât know. I canât control the media.â
âYou do realize you represent the face of the Chen family, donât you? Or do I need to spell it out for you?â
âBut ⦠I really donât know. Iâve been doing my best to avoid it.â
It was true; Cao Zijin had tried hard to avoid any rumors. But there they were.
Chen Fan raised his hand, about to slap her.
At that moment, Cao Zijin snapped to attention. She knew Chen Fan was creating a pretense. He needed to hit her.
Only by hitting her could he push her further toward the role of the villainess, highlighting Chen Fanâs position as the villain.
This would make it even more satisfying for audiences when the protagonist âdefeatedâ him. But he wouldnât actually hit her ⦠would he?
To her surprise, Chen Fan slapped her, though not very hardâjust enough to make a point. But Cao Zijin still felt uncomfortable.
âYou ⦠you actually hit me?â
âIâm disciplining you so you understand whoâs in charge.â
âAhhh!â Cao Zijin grabbed Chen Fan by the hair and fought back.
âLet go, or Iâll lose it.â
âWho cares! You slapped me for no reason! Iâve been targeting Ye Aotian every day, and you donât even compliment me! Instead, you slap me! So, everythingâs supposed to revolve around you? Youâre the sun around which we all orbit, is that it?â
Chen Fan tried to stick to the storyline. He had held back, after all. If he hadnât, her head wouldâve flown right off her shoulders. He was just following the plotline here!
But she wouldnât let go.
Just then, the trailer door opened, and Liu Feifei peeked in, looking at the two of them in surprise. âAre you ⦠fighting?â
At that moment, Chen Fanâs hair was an absolute mess, with strands sticking out every which way thanks to Cao Zijinâs grip. Cao Zijin didnât look any better, as Chen Fan was pulling her hair just as aggressively. It was clear they werenât going to go easy on each other.
Forget the plot and forget the diary; at this point, both of them were genuinely angry.
âMind your own business!â they both shouted simultaneously, startling Liu Feifei.
âHe slapped me and gave me a hard time!â Cao Zijin exclaimed.
âI barely even used any force! Just a light tap to give you a reminder. Got it?â Chen Fan snapped.
âIt still hurts! Liu Feifei, you tell meâdoesnât a slap hurt?â
âBut sis, wouldnât brother never really hurt you? I mean, heâs so infatuated with Lin Qingyue. Why would he be violent toward women, right?â
Cao Zijin reluctantly let go, and so did Chen Fan, each taking a moment to straighten their clothes.
âCrazy woman. If you marry into the Chen family, youâll turn the place upside down,â Chen Fan muttered.
âThen go ahead and try to tame me! What are you waiting for, huh? Chen the almighty! The âChen familyâs lapdog,â right? Werenât you the proud one?â she shot back, fury sparking in her eyes.
Chen Fan looked at Cao Zijin.
Actually, Cao Zijin wasnât entirely at fault for losing her temper. While the storyline required Chen Fan to hit her, she had done her best to manage the rumors. She didnât want to get slapped for nothing.
She thought,
Liu Feifei tried to interject, âUm, I donât think Brother would slap you on purpose.â
Liu Feifeiâs instinct told her this was all part of the plot, but her intuition also whispered that Chen Fan wouldnât willingly hit a woman. When he talked about Zhu Yeqing in the diary, he was so gentle.
How could such a gentle brother hit women? It had to be an act.
Chen Fan said, âYes, but this woman has no sense of tact.â
âOh, Liu Feifei, come over here. Letâs test it out. Chen Fan, hit her with the same force you hit me so she can see for herself whether it hurts or not.â
âSheâs not even involved. Why would I hit her?â Chen Fan was starting to feel flustered.
There was no audience, no protagonistâjust the two of them here. All he had to do was give her a light slap and this scene would be over, allowing him to take a break from his âvillain duty.â
Liu Feifei said, âI actually think you didnât use much force, Brother.â
She closed her eyes and leaned forward, saying, âBrother, go ahead and hit me. I think Sis misunderstood you.â
Chen Fan looked at his hand, then at her face.
âAm I really doing this?â
Liu Feifei shut her eyes, and Chen Fan raised his hand slowly.
But before he could do anything, Cao Zijin grabbed his hand and forcefully brought it down on Liu Feifeiâs face.
In an instant, a large, red handprint appeared on Liu Feifeiâs cheek.
Chen Fan was dumbfounded, staring at Cao Zijin in shock.
Cao Zijin turned her head, whistling as if nothing had happened. âI had nothing to do with it. Youâre the one who hit her.â
âIt ⦠it doesnât hurt. Not at all â¦â Liu Feifei said, forcing a smile while holding her cheek, clearly on the verge of tears. âYou two donât need to fight. Really, Iâm fine.â
But then she couldnât hold back any longer, covering her face as she started crying and ran out of the trailer.
This entire scene had been witnessed by several people, including Ye Aotian.
Ye Aotian clenched his fists, his eyes full of fury. This wouldnât be the end. Heâd make sure Chen Fan paid for this audacity.