ATAC Chapter 54: Who Pulled Liu Yu’an? Part 1

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Finally back at safety, Liu Yu’an checks Shao Yanxi all over and only lets him go after ensuring he’s really unharmed.

As for who pulled on him suddenly, Liu Yu’an is certainly curious but not overly concerned about finding out. With the tide already submerging the path, it isn’t unexpected that someone would slip and reflexively grab onto the closest person. He can’t blame them for that.

Though while Liu Yu’an is thinking that, Shao Yanxi has already went off on his own and quickly walks towards the crowd with a cold, terrifying face. He then raises his leg to give An Xin a kick, making him fall over.

Everyone is shocked at this development.

Although there were people who also did not think well of An Xin having dragged Liu Yu’an making him tumble over, but Shao Yanxi’s kick suddenly lands the crowd over onto An Xin’s side because it really is a disproportionate response; it is normal to grab onto the person nearby on reflex when slipping. Plus, Liu Yu’an is alright.

They can’t help but feel sympathetic for An Xin. Though sympathies aside, they wouldn’t dare to speak out against it.

This is when Shao Yanxi speaks up, “An Xin. From a fishermen’s family, with mother, father and older brother all still working in the trade. An excellent swimmer himself. Everyone was fine when the tide was coming, just you, who should be used to this, end up slipping into the water and dragging on Liu Yu’an. What were you even thinking?”

And some of the crowd begin to waver, siding with Shao Yanxi inside instead. If An Xin really pulled someone underwater on purpose…

One kick barefoot would be too light a punishment for him to get off.

Among them is He Anran, who was really close to An Xin before, but is now distancing herself from him.

Other than becoming wary of An Xin, she is also feeling a chill down her spine and needs a bit of time to adjust herself.

Shao Yanxi knew everything about An Xin. Even more private things. Then what about them?

The staff might be let off more lightly, but none of the celebrities are so naïve as to think Shao Yanxi would only investigate An Xin and not them. They are all a bit worried, a bit frustrated, and a bit helpless inside.

He Anran, being an epitome of the rich and famous already, would have been a bit proud of herself for standing atop the industry, but… this is a firm wake-up slap from Shao Yanxi, that sure reminds them that they are nothing in front of true capital.

And the truth is, Shao Yanxi did investigate them fully. Not just them, in fact, he has investigated all the major staff and all the actors and actresses in TV dramas and shows Liu Yu’an has ever taken part in.

Most of the time he would skim over without a second thought, but he specifically had another look at An Xin’s file before because he was clinging to him earlier as well; being good-looking and rich, Shao Yanxi is no stranger to these types of harassment, and is pretty sensitive to it.

He didn’t do anything yesterday because he didn’t pay attention to An Xin, but for him to suddenly pull this out of his arse. Shao Yanxi is really furious.

And so is Liu Yu’an. He thought someone slipped by accident and grabbed him by instinct. He couldn’t imagine An Xin pulled him on purpose.

With the scene of Shao Yanxi splashing about in the water still fresh in his mind, Liu Yu’an’s face grows grim. Not even his usual calm demeanour built over dozens of reincarnations enable him to hold himself back from giving An Xin another rough kick.

“You should be glad Yanxi is fine, or I’d have killed you myself.”

For some reason, this ‘kill’ from Liu Yu’an makes chills go down everyone’s spine. Even the atmosphere seems to have quieted down from the suffocating pressure. It almost makes An Xin faint.

Then he turns to the director and asks, “director, we finished fishing already. Can we take a rest now?”

“Right right, everyone, take a break.” After that sudden chilliness from Liu Yu’an, the director of course would comply. He also gives the An Xin who looks mortified a fierce glare himself. While he is on the fence about whether he really faked his slip and pulled Liu Yu’an since he couldn’t tell from his distance, but he can’t help but be angry.

Whoever you had to cross, you crossed these two?! These two who are practically ‘untouchables’?

If Shao Yanxi pulled his funds because of this, what will happen to their show?

And with Shao Yanxi’s standing in the business world, if he pulled his funds, there is practically no hope he would secure any more funds ever. The show will be cancelled for sure.

It’s really hard for him, you know. To finally have a slightly popular show after so many years, but to be rife with so many incidents…

As for An Xin, it is actually accidental that he slipped; he really is used to this, and was too careless in his steps on unfamiliar grounds.

Though pulling on Liu Yu’an was intentional. He could have balanced himself well with his reflexes and how he is used to these conditions, but, he felt an unjustified jealousy towards how Liu Yu’an kept clinging to Shao Yanxi and anger at that glare Liu Yu’an gave him yesterday. So he just wanted to make him suffer a bit.

Too bad for him, it’s not Liu Yu’an who suffered, but him in the end.

Seeing the staff who are keeping their distance from him, and his ‘teammates’ who were still mucking about with him and having fun while being taught how to fish…

He feels a bit of regret, but also a bit of hate.

He hates how Shao Yanxi and Liu Yu’an blew the thing way out of proportion. He hates how heartless everyone is.

He hates how unjust the world is (TL: Well duh, it’s a world some amateur author wrote with plot holes and laughably unrealistic characters. It’s even more unjust than our real world is. Poor you).

These capitalists can do whatever they want; they have to pay a disproportionate price for whatever they did.

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In the aftermath, Shao Yanxi said he wants An Xin kicked from the show. And the truth is he actually even wanted to call the police on him.

Liu Yu’an stops him though, “there’s just tomorrow’s parts left, with a few more camera shots of him. There’s no need to switch out someone at this late stage.”

If they switch him out, they’ll have to redo everything. The show will also have to completely replace the fly fishing part with what happened this time.

And even without considering everyone else’s availability, Shao Yanxi would be out of this reshooting. Also, additional funds would definitely be required. Liu Yu’an feels it is completely unnecessary for someone like An Xin.

The director is quick to agree, though he is coming from another perspective. He is considering the show’s eventual ratings.

Among the guests this time, Shao Yanxi is the most popular one even though he isn’t even a celebrity——Just look at the comment barrage from last time.

This is actually the first time ever Shao Yanxi has actually taken part in a TV show – he hasn’t even ever agreed to be interviewed for financial shows.

Therefore this is quite phenomenal. And with Liu Yu’an also in the same show, he has a feeling that this episode will explode in popularity. If he left, the show will just fall back into the ranks of the obscure shows with the rest of them.

For the ratings, for his own paycheck, the director really doesn’t want to redo everything.

Thank the heavens Liu Yu’an is suggesting the same thing as he wants to.

The shooting of the second episode thus ends without further incidents.

And An Xin himself? Well, this is the end of his celebrity and idol career.

Back home, he would learn that his company has abandoned him for good. Not the kind of ‘live and let live’ abandonment when what little of his popularity faded shortly after debut, but a full-on cold treatment from all potential work offers.

An Xin would then go through the stages of grief. He would grow angry, then regretful, then despondent, and finally accept it all and leave quietly.

He has no hope of fighting back.

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TL’s notes: Well, that was anticlimactic, but well, this is a sweet fluffy novel without a real antagonist to speak of, so that’s that. If you’re a bit bored… Well, I don’t really blame you. I probably skimmed past these in my first reading of the novel to have finished it in one go. Speaking of, it will be something more exciting (or terrifying, but not really. Horror doesn’t translate well across culture or language) for the next novel.