Chapter 49 The General Returns.

Chapter 49: The Admiral Returns.

"Hahaha, Brother Yu is here to back up our Ningning. He spoils Ningning so much—now that phony is in trouble!"

"Big Brother must make sure that fake Yu gets punished!"

Yu Zhizhou was considerably taller than Yu Xin. Having been involved in the family business from a young age, he carried the imposing aura of someone in authority. At this moment, his stern expression and cold gaze as he stood before Yu Xin radiated undeniable pressure.

"Is making baseless accusations a family tradition of your Yu family?"

Under his furious glare, Yu Xin didn’t retreat in the slightest, meeting his gaze coldly instead.

This made Yu Zhizhou reassess this impostor brother. Was the timid, quiet boy who only smiled when he saw him, the one who always cautiously approached him—was that really the same person standing before him now?

Even longtime employees with decades of experience in the group would avoid him when he was this enraged. Why was Yu Xin so calm?

"You still refuse to admit it!" Seeing Yu Zhizhou arrive, Ye Ran got even more worked up. "Who else could it be? No one else here is as spiteful and hateful toward Little Ning as you are."

He had seen firsthand how much the Yu family’s eldest brother spoiled Yu Ning—far more than his own brothers ever had. Sometimes, he even felt jealous of Yu Ning for having such a doting older brother.

Now that something had happened to Yu Ning, Yu Zhizhou would definitely not let Yu Xin off the hook.

"Um, I know this is your Yu family’s matter, but I have to speak up for Yu Xin. I don’t believe Yu Xin would push Yu Ning down. The Yu Xin I know wouldn’t do something like that!"

Unexpectedly, Shen Tong, who had been quietly observing on the sidelines, suddenly spoke up—in defense of Yu Xin.

"Shen Tong’s being kinda reckless. The truth isn’t clear yet. What if it turns out Yu Xin really did push Yu Ning? Wouldn’t she be embarrassing herself?"

"Right, the smartest move now is to wait and see. It’s not like it concerns anyone else anyway—let the Yu family handle it themselves. Taking sides now might just backfire."

"I actually think Shen Tong is brave. Yu Xin usually takes good care of everyone, and now he’s facing all these accusations alone while no one else speaks up… it’s really disheartening. Besides, I also believe Yu Xin wouldn’t do something like this."

"Yu Xin’s stans are really something… just wait till you get proven wrong."

"You said it yourself—this is the Yu family’s matter. What gives you the right to jump in and share your opinion?" Ye Ran retorted sarcastically. He had long disliked these guests for siding with Yu Xin just because they were close to him, and now they were even shielding him.

"I recall you don’t bear the Yu surname either, so why are you butting in here?" Shen Tong shot back without backing down.

"I believe in Yu Xin too." Sheng Xingyao stepped forward. Having spent so much time with Yu Xin, he knew Yu Xin was incapable of such a thing.

"Yu Xin is a good kid. I’ve seen his character firsthand. You should investigate this properly instead of pinning blame on Yu Xin without any evidence." Qin Shizhen also spoke up. Having navigated the entertainment industry for years, he prided himself on his judgment of character, and Yu Xin was a young man he deeply admired.

Ruan Qing didn’t speak but nodded quietly from the side.

"Wuwuwu, I’m so touched. Our wilderness crew actually has such a strong bond!"

"Their bond seems really strong. My colleagues and I are nothing like that."

To Yu Zhizhou’s surprise, every other guest from the show stood firmly on Yu Xin’s side. He had assumed Yu Xin was still the introverted, socially awkward Yu Xin from before—he never expected so many people would speak up for him.

Yu Xin was also somewhat surprised. He had long grown accustomed to having no one on his side and didn’t particularly care. To be precise, as long as no one caused him physical harm, he paid little attention to others’ opinions of him. That was why he hadn’t felt the need to be wary when Yu Ning asked him to step out—after all, given Yu Ning’s capabilities, he posed no real threat. As for everything else, Yu Xin simply didn’t care.

This lack of caution wasn’t so much naivety as it was his refusal to see Yu Ning as any kind of threat. He couldn’t be bothered to waste energy guarding against someone like that.

After all, Yu Ning had nothing he could use to threaten Yu Xin that Yu Xin actually valued. He just never expected Yu Ning to go to such extremes—but it didn’t matter. At worst, he’d leave the show and return to streaming. He could still do just fine.

He genuinely thought Yu Ning was stupid—resorting to such a self-sabotaging move, willing to injure himself just to bring Yu Xin down.

Yu Xin’s couldn't-care-less attitude once again infuriated Yu Zhizhou.

"Who taught you to act like this? Making mistakes and refusing to admit them—is this all you’ve learned after being away for so long?" Ignoring the uneasy feeling in his heart, Yu Zhizhou looked at the hardheaded Yu Xin with disappointment. "I’m really disappointed in you, Yu Xin. I told you to quit this show, but you didn’t listen. You couldn’t even get along with Little Ning on the show, and now you’ve caused him such serious injuries. This time, I won’t forgive you."

Although he had never been deeply brotherly toward Yu Xin, Yu Xin had still been his brother for over a decade. There had been times of camaraderie between them. Yu Zhizhou had never considered cutting ties with this brother, but Yu Xin had repeatedly harmed Little Ning. For Little Ning’s sake, he could no longer accept Yu Xin.

They were both his brothers, but if he had to choose between Yu Xin and Little Ning, he would choose Little Ning without hesitation.

He never expected that after hearing his words, Yu Xin wouldn’t show the panic he anticipated. Instead, Yu Xin remained unmoved: "Your forgiveness? Mr. Yu, aren’t you overestimating your importance? Is your forgiveness something I should care about? It’s better if you don’t forgive me—I’d prefer it if all of you stayed far away from me."

"You!" Yu Zhizhou was left speechless. When had Yu Xin become so defiant? The last time they met, he still called him "Big Brother." Now it was "Mr. Yu" this and "Mr. Yu" that, with sarcasm lacing every word. The one redeeming quality he once had—being well-behaved—was gone.

He took a deep breath to calm his rising anger and switched back to acting like the Yu family heir: "Since that’s how it is, there’s no need for me to get sentimental about the past. You’ve harmed Little Ning, and you will face the consequences."

"Consequences in your dreams. Let me say it again—it wasn’t me. If you want to accuse me, can you at least produce some solid evidence? That idiot from the Ye family is one thing, but you’re the heir of a major corporation—surely you know the principle of 'innocent until proven guilty'?"

"Who are you calling an idiot? You’re asking for it!" Ye Ran leaped forward, reaching out to grab Yu Xin’s collar, only for Yu Xin to seize his wrist instead. "Ahhh, it hurts! Yu Xin, let me go!"

"Everyone, please calm down!" The director was frustrated. He wanted drama on the show, but this was too much—a guest getting injured was going too far.

"Let’s get Yu Ning into the medical pod first. We can discuss how he fell later. Right now, his treatment is the priority."

Since the director said so, Yu Xin coldly snorted and released Ye Ran. Ye Ran hurriedly backed away several steps, not daring to provoke him again, rubbing his reddened wrist while hissing in pain.

Since when did that useless Yu Xin have such strength?!

The show’s medical staff and those brought by Yu Zhizhou carefully transferred Yu Ning into the medical pod. A purple light glowed, and Yu Ning’s bruises and scrapes slowly began to heal and improve.

Upon hearing about Yu Ning’s accident, Yu Zhizhou had secured the most advanced medical pod he could find in the shortest time possible. In about half an hour, Yu Ning went from being unable to open his eyes to being able to speak a few simple sentences.

"Big Brother…" The first thing he did upon waking was look for Yu Zhizhou.

"Big Brother is here, Ningning. Are you still in pain?" Yu Zhizhou hurriedly leaned in, bending down to hear what he was saying.

"Much better. Thank you, Big Brother. It’s all thanks to the medical pod you brought." Lying in the medical pod, Yu Ning’s face was pale, his voice faint, but he still remembered to thank Yu Zhizhou.

"Little Ning, what silly things are you saying? There’s no need to thank your big brother." Yu Zhizhou’s eyes filled with heartache as he tenderly stroked his brother’s hair, feeling that Yu Ning was so considerate—the exact opposite of Yu Xin.

"Little Ning, tell us quickly—how did you fall from such a high cliff? Was it Yu Xin who pushed you?" Ye Ran, standing on the other side, couldn’t wait to hear the truth from Yu Ning’s mouth so he could nail Yu Xin, who refused to admit anything.

"I…" Yu Ning hesitated, as if holding something back. He glanced deeply at Yu Xin, bit his lip, and shook his head. "It was me… I wasn’t careful and fell down myself. It has nothing to do with Yu Xin…"

Though he claimed it had nothing to do with Yu Xin, his eyes seemed to unintentionally drift toward Yu Xin before quickly looking away, his tone growing increasingly guilty. Anyone could tell there was more to the story than what he was saying.

Even Ye Ran, the least perceptive person present, could see that Yu Ning was being insincere. Anxiously, he urged, "Why are you still covering for him at a time like this? Little Ning, don’t be foolish! You keep treating him like a good person and forgiving him again and again, but he wants you dead!"

He seemed even more invested than Yu Ning himself, practically itching to declare Yu Xin the culprit on Yu Ning’s behalf.

"I… I don’t know…" Under his persistent questioning, Yu Ning appeared increasingly flustered, a faint blush coloring his pale cheeks. Finally, he stammered, "I had my back turned… then I felt… I felt a push from behind. I was taken by surprise and fell…"

He looked about to cry. "I don’t know… if it was Yu Xin who pushed me…"

"You two were the only ones there! Who else could it be?!" Ye Ran shot up excitedly, as if he had finally exposed Yu Xin. "Little Ning said it himself! Yu Xin, you can’t deny it now—you pushed Yu Ning!"

"Finally, the truth’s out! Yu Xin, stop being so stubborn and admit how evil you are!"

"I’ve never seen someone so disgusting. Get him off this show now!"

"Wuwuwu, Little Ning, please don’t be so kindhearted anymore. Why cover for Yu Xin? Does he even deserve it?"

"Little Ning has always had a good heart. I believe now that he had no idea how the Yu family treated Yu Xin. But no matter how Yu Xin was treated, he deserved it. He should have just died quietly in the slums instead of coming out here to disgust us."

"Hahaha, I support this!"

"Wait... was it really Yu Xin? And I actually used to like him..."

As Yu Ning finished speaking, the atmosphere on site shifted again. The comments overwhelmingly accused Yu Xin, while those who wanted to speak up for him went quiet because of the victim Yu Ning’s account.

Even the director began to have doubts. He hadn’t believed it at first, but now, seeing this, was it actually Yu Xin?

If it were confirmed, Yu Xin certainly couldn’t remain on the show. But where would he find someone else who could build boats and cook?

As for Yu Zhizhou, at Yu Ning’s words, the coldness in his eyes deepened. He trusted Yu Ning completely—in his view, Yu Ning could never lie to him. So there was only one possibility left.

"Yu Xin," he said solemnly, no longer treating Yu Xin as a brother but as someone who had intentionally harmed his own younger brother, "I will definitely make you regret this."

Yu Xin ignored him, instead lazily applauded a few times. Even now, he showed no sign of distress.

"What a brilliant performance..." he said meaningfully, looking at Yu Ning.

His eyes were extremely cold, pitch-black and bottomless. Yu Ning met his gaze for a moment and suddenly shivered involuntarily.

He suddenly remembered the first time he had spoken alone with Yu Xin after joining the show, and the overwhelming sense of threat Yu Xin had exuded.

Startled, he lowered his head, avoiding Yu Xin’s gaze, shivering slightly as he hid himself behind Yu Zhizhou.

They all caught the implication in Yu Xin’s words. Yu Zhizhou frowned and demanded, "What do you mean by that?"

"Those who get it, get it," Yu Xin said, leaving it at that. "No matter what you say today, I’ll just say this: I didn’t push him."

"Whether you believe me or not, I don’t care. But one day, I will prove what I’m saying is true, in my own way."

He narrowed his eyes, purposely leaving the name unsaid, "Be careful. Don’t let me find your weakness..."

He didn’t care if he was removed from the show or what people would say about him. But that didn’t mean he would take it lying down and let Yu Ning distort the truth and slander him.

Yu Ning’s mind buzzed. He had a feeling that Yu Xin truly meant what he said.

No way... Once the show was over, he would absolutely not let Yu Xin get close to him again. Yu Xin was just an ordinary person—there was no way he could go up against the Yu family...

"May I ask what’s going on here?"

Suddenly, a deep, pleasant male voice sounded from behind them.

It was Ji Yixing, still wearing his black jacket, as though making his entrance all over again, arriving before the crowd.

As he walked over, he surveyed the scene. So many people had gathered at the filming location, some clearly dressed as doctors, let alone the medical pod placed there. Anyone could tell something had happened.

He ignored the others, first checking on Yu Xin. Then, keenly noticing Yu Xin was being targeted—especially by the man in formal wear facing him, who was clearly confronting Yu Xin.

"Mr. Ji, you’re back!" The director rushed over to him as soon as he saw him.

"Yes." Ji Yixing nodded slightly and asked casually, "Could you fill me in on what’s happening?"

"Well..." The director wiped the sweat from his brow, not intending to hide it, and explained the situation step by step.

"...I see. So, currently, someone is accusing Yu Xin of pushing him and causing him to fall down the slope?" Ji Yixing summarized, his tone flat, as if asking the simplest of questions.

"That’s the situation for now." The director nodded, troubled. "The main issue is that there were no cameras or anything at the scene, so we have no way of knowing what actually happened..."

"I see..." Ji Yixing walked over to Yu Xin and stopped, naturally positioning himself between Yu Xin and Yu Zhizhou.

He turned to observe Yu Xin’s condition. Good, he looked relatively calm, seemingly unharmed.

Still, he asked quietly, "Are you okay?"

Yu Xin glanced at him and shook his head.

Yu Zhizhou frowned, watching their interaction. He felt a subtle aversion toward this strikingly handsome yet unfathomable man who had suddenly appeared. "And you are?" he asked.

"Mr. Ji is also one of the guests on our show. He had some business to attend to earlier and left temporarily but has now returned. Mr. Ji, this is Yu Zhizhou from the Yu family, General Manager Yu." Before Ji Yixing could speak, the director quickly explained to Yu Zhizhou.

Ji Yixing nodded dismissively at him, showing no interest in exchanging pleasantries.

Yu Zhizhou grew even more displeased. "Director, this is a matter for the Yu family. Let’s not involve outsiders."

"Well, I wouldn’t say I’m exactly an outsider." Ji Yixing’s words stunned everyone—even Yu Xin turned to look at him.

What Yu Zhizhou said wasn’t wrong; this was indeed the Yu family’s affair. What identity was Ji Yixing using to claim he wasn’t an outsider?

"What I mean is, I have a way to prove whether Yu Xin is being falsely accused."

Ji Yixing offered an explanation, ignoring the changing expressions around him, and turned to ask Yu Xin:

"Have you been keeping the thing I gave you with you?"

Yu Xin was taken aback for a moment, then subconsciously pulled out the metallic object. "Yes, it's here."

"Good, that settles it." Ji Yixing personally took the object from around Yu Xin’s neck and held it up for everyone to see.

"I gave this to Yu Xin before I left last night. Coincidentally, this device has a recording function. Whatever happened at the cliff edge should have been fully recorded by it."

In the crowd, Yu Ning’s face suddenly turned deathly pale.

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Author's Note: Admiral Ji: Well, I wouldn’t say I’m exactly an outsider (referring to being Xinxin’s boyfriend).

Next chapter, Yu Ning completely gets exposed.

Might have another chapter later [wink]

Thank you all so much for your support! I will keep working hard!