ABSML Chapter 61: Bets from All Sides

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Chen Zhan took out her phone and placed it on the table. At first, Yin Ronglan didn’t understand her intention—until he saw the message notification: "You have been removed from the Chen Zhan Career Group by the group admin." His throat moved slightly.

Chen Zhan’s words were devoid of any pretense: “There are many things I don’t care to ask about or understand.”

True wisdom lies in pretending not to know—in turning a blind eye is a kind of higher realm.

Unfortunately, the truth always seemed to have legs, constantly chasing after him.

Yin Ronglan took out a medical file and guilt-tripped her: “I have a strong sense of possessiveness. I’m seeing a therapist for it.”

He always handled matters calmly. Even after being rejected a few times by Chen Zhan, he still said, “As a friend, if even you give up on me…”

He didn’t finish the sentence.

Faced with this rare show of vulnerability, Chen Zhan ended up being guilt-tripped into offering a few words of comfort.

Yin Ronglan smoothly changed the subject: “If we count the days, the red wine should be hitting the market soon. The promo video should be released any day now.”

Chen Zhan nodded and mentioned she had already received the final cut not long ago. “Want to see it?”

“Sure.”

Back home, Chen Zhan opened her laptop. The walls weren’t soundproof, so she turned the volume down a bit.

The promotional video was stunning.

She hadn’t felt much when she first watched it—after all, she saw herself in the mirror every day. But Yin Ronglan, viewing from an objective perspective, could confidently say she would be gaining a large fan base the moment the video aired.

“It’s exaggerated,” Chen Zhan said with a smile, shaking her head. “When I acted in web dramas, the audience didn’t react that much.”

“You played the villain then,” Yin Ronglan replied. “In terms of makeup, naturally you couldn’t overshadow the protagonist.”

In the promo, the character appeared with flawless, milky skin—so delicate you couldn’t even see a pore. The romantic ambiance was intoxicating.

Chen Zhan, however, never really looked at it carefully and said lightly, “The camera has a way of deceiving people.”

It magnified beauty by tenfold. Although her overall appearance hadn’t changed, the atmosphere it created added a whole new aura.

Unlike Chen Zhan’s indifference, Yin Ronglan watched it several times. Only when his company called to summon him back did he finally hit pause.

Outside, snowflakes drifted gently from the sky. A subordinate was anxiously waiting at the company entrance. When he saw the familiar black car, he rushed over. “Someone has stolen confidential company documents!”

Yin Ronglan raised his hand, stopping the subordinate from holding an umbrella over him. “What documents?”

The subordinate repeated, “Confidential documents. It’s—”

Yin Ronglan interrupted him: “Confidential means they should be kept especially safe.”

The subordinate froze for a moment, then quickly realized his boss was setting someone up again. He observed his expression. “Then… why are you nervous?”

Red ears could be blamed on the cold, but the trembling hands after entering the building were harder to explain.

“I confessed,” Yin Ronglan’s voice, however, remained steady.

His feelings for Chen Zhan were complicated. To say he loved her sounded too sentimental. But calling it “brotherly affection”? Well, no one tries so hard to sabotage a good friend’s love life.

In business, seizing the opportunity first is critical. His confession wasn’t wrong.

The subordinate’s jaw dropped. It took him a while to react. “...What did she say?”

“She didn’t give an answer,” Yin Ronglan said blandly.

Once gossip kicks in, it tends to override any sense of caution. The subordinate, hiding his excitement and curiosity, asked, “How… how did you confess?”

Yin Ronglan glanced at him. The subordinate, though chilled to the bone, still craned his neck to hear more.

Even the strongest person can’t bottle everything up forever. After a moment, Yin Ronglan actually answered: “I told her I was sick.”

“...” The subordinate blinked, waiting for more. “That’s it?”

Yin Ronglan gave a slight nod. “I left the medical file before I left.”

The subordinate, puzzled, asked sincerely, “And that means… what exactly?”

Yin Ronglan said calmly, “I’m sick. You’re my medicine.”

“...”

·

As for the deliberately left medical record, Chen Zhan merely helped put it away.

A week later, the promotional video was released. Chen Zhan’s fan count surged, and the comment section was filled with screams of “So handsome!”

Chen Zhan almost thought there was a glitch in perception. She rewatched the video carefully—but still felt nothing.

It was the same face. Seen in livestreams, in web dramas. So how could a simple advertisement make her suddenly stand out in the public’s eyes?

There weren’t many young people in her residential complex, but occasionally, she would run into a few who were trying to follow her downstairs.

After buying groceries that day, a chubby man was standing at the door, flashing his signature smile at Chen Zhan.

Chen Zhan frowned. “Even three visits to the thatched cottage* won’t change anything.”

Wang Cheng beamed. “I know you don’t want to enter the entertainment industry, but the circle isn’t just about acting or singing.”

Since the man was already at the door, Chen Zhan couldn’t bring himself to turn him away. He invited him in and offered a cup of tea. Wang Cheng was straightforward: “There are plenty of people without any representative works, yet they often land the top fashion resources.”

He knew the reality clearly. Chen Zhan’s expressions were usually subtle, and his acting achievements were limited. But if he entered the fashion scene—with broad shoulders, narrow hips, a slim waist, and seductive eyes—he certainly had the looks to eat off his youth.

Chen Zhan remained impassive. Wang Cheng pushed on: “People may criticize celebrities for lacking works, but you're not the same.”

After all, he rose to fame mainly through writing.

Not pressing for an answer, Wang Cheng got up after speaking. “If you’re interested, contact me anytime.”

After turning off the air conditioner, Chen Zhan pondered for a while. The fashion industry mainly demanded good looks, a good figure, and the ability to drive sales. He barely met the criteria.

After weighing the pros and cons, he called Wang Cheng that night and got straight to the point: “The contract.”

Wang Cheng chuckled. “Still being drafted. I’ll send it to you the day after tomorrow.”

Chen Zhan made his terms clear: “I can take less money, but I want more freedom.”

Wang Cheng hesitated, then replied, “Okay.”

Once everything was settled, Chen Zhan pulled out a notebook to draft a new plan and realized he was down to the last page.

Lately, with everything going on, he’d been burning through pages.

1. Connect with fashion brands and attend fashion shows.

2. Write a screenplay.

Though it was only two lines, he hesitated while writing them down.

Chen Zhan knew his current writing style leaned toward light novels. If he could produce a work with real depth, the contrast might earn him praise from the young, appearance-obsessed fans.

Of course, the risk was high. If he failed, the ridicule would surely outweigh the praise.

Since the script needed meticulous refinement, he focused more on the first point for now.

Fashion...

His gaze unconsciously drifted to the bulky down jacket on the coat rack. Deep down, he admitted he had no fashion sense.

But it didn’t matter. Wang Cheng would take care of those things.

He just needed to wear the clothes picked for him and act aloof.

Wang Cheng, a man of action, quickly assembled a professional styling team.

“I’ve contacted a brand for you—it’s niche but has a solid reputation.”

Wang Cheng hosted the meeting in a high-end hotel suite.

The brand rep was about fifty years old, looked Chinese but spoke Mandarin poorly.

“Abel,” he introduced himself, extending a hand toward Chen Zhan.

Chen Zhan gave a light handshake, but when he tried to pull away, the man gripped tighter.

That small gesture said it all. All three were experienced—Wang Cheng looked conflicted, and Chen Zhan narrowed his eyes and smiled.

Remaining composed, Chen Zhan sat back down. Wang Cheng tried to smooth things over. “This place makes great fish.”

Abel added suggestively, “Like a fish in water. Finding someone who clicks with you is important.”

Wang Cheng was open-minded about gender, but he always kept private affairs out of work and believed in mutual consent. Unfortunately, he had bad luck—this brand rep turned out to be a sleazeball.

Suppressing his displeasure, Wang Cheng mentioned, “Speaking of connections, Chen Zhan happens to be friends with Yin Ronglan.”

Abel had just returned from overseas and didn’t recognize the name. He continued his suggestive advances unabashedly.

Chen Zhan had once thought such scenes in TV dramas were exaggerated—now he knew that trading favors for sex was very real and, for some, shamelessly out in the open.

He took a sip of wine just as Abel lowered his voice. “I have a lot of clothes. Want to come try some on tonight?”

Before he could finish his sentence, he was kicked to the ground.

A waiter rushed in after hearing the noise and was stunned by the scene.

Chen Zhan looked up and smiled slightly. “Please shut the door. I’m not done yet.”

He then flipped the man over, placing a hand on his back. “Your cervical spine isn’t looking good. Needs treatment.”

He pressed a pressure point.

Abel cried out in pain. Being fifty-plus, he was no match for a young man in his twenties, and resistance was futile.

“You have some nodules,” Chen Zhan’s hand moved down his back. “Also needs treatment.”

He pressed hard, showing no mercy.

Wang Cheng swallowed hard and tried to intervene. “That’s enough. We don’t want to escalate things.”

Just as Abel was about to threaten them, he felt a hand squeeze his waist, followed by a calm voice: “Your kidneys don’t seem too good either, need—”

Before the last word was out, Abel caved and begged for forgiveness.

Chen Zhan stood up and wiped his hands with a tissue. He glanced at Wang Cheng. “Let’s go.”

Even as they walked out the door, Wang Cheng was murmuring, praying the situation wouldn’t spiral out of control.

But fate had other plans.

The waiter posted to their Moments (a WeChat feature), with minimal text but explosive content: Someone tried to exploit Chen Zhan and got beaten up.

A photo was attached—Chen Zhan walking away with his back straight.

Most people with any moral sense despised such shady dealings, and because of how sensitive the topic was, it sparked quite the discussion online.

   [Pondside Willows]: Just one beating? Coward.]

(Implying he should’ve beaten the guy to a pulp.)

Chen Zhan had previously helped Jiang Ying beat up a few inappropriate people, and the movie queen rarely posted, but this time she shared a subtle image: a small turtle curled up in its shell.

Netizens had many interpretations, the most popular being: Protect yourself, but settle it privately.

Though it sounded a bit stifling, it was the wisest approach. If the matter blew up, brands might start avoiding Chen Zhan altogether.

Then there was a comment with tens of thousands of likes, from a user named 

   [RealFriendOfChenZhan: Reveal who it was.]

Curious netizens followed the trail and found it was a newly registered account with no previous posts, yet somehow had over ten thousand followers... clearly bought.

The account followed only one person: Chen Zhan.

Some netizens speculated that the mysterious account could belong to the “male god friend” himself. However, most people still believed that this friend was likely to be Pei Yinqiu.

Coincidentally, Pei Yinqiu also posted on Weibo:
   [“I support you. Hold them accountable.”]

One after another, others followed suit with their own Weibo posts, causing the online discussion to heat up:

“Place your bets—whose advice will Chen Zhan follow? Betting my final grades, I’m all in on the goddess.”

“100 yuan on Pei Yinqiu!”

“I’m going all in on Team Lin!”

“Still rooting for this new ‘ChenZhanRealFriend’ who just popped up!”

Curious onlookers flocked in droves, some even paying to ask questions under Chen Zhan’s own Weibo.

That night, the person at the center of the storm made two official posts:

• [“I’ll make my own decision.”]

• [“The harem has no right to interfere in state affairs.”]

______

Author’s Note:
Ying Consort: “Your Majesty, look at me.”
Lin Consort: “Ying Consort is mine!”
Pei Consort: “It’s getting cold. Your Majesty, take care of yourself.”
Empress Rong: “As long as I live, you are all just consorts!”

P.S. If you have any suggestions for the story, feel free to tell me! Like the old saying goes: “If you don’t speak up, how would I know you had opinions?” I read every comment. Sure, you can’t please everyone, but if 7 out of 10 people point out an issue—then there probably is one. After all, writers write for readers, and your feedback is super important!

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