Saving The White Moonlight's Substitute (7)

The crowd stared, dumbfounded, as a stunning woman seemingly appeared out of nowhere, standing boldly in front of them while carrying Xu Jinyao in a bridal hold.

Xu Jinyao was even more bewildered. Yet, in his dazed state, he made no move to resist, allowing the woman—who bore an uncanny resemblance to him—to tuck his face into her shoulder. As if that wasn't enough, she even draped her long hair over him, shielding him further from view.

…How considerate.

Ephraim, the so-called 'woman,' swept a sharp gaze over the gathered spectators before turning his attention to the institute's guards who had shamelessly locked the gates, abandoning their students to the chaos. He exhaled slowly, then looked back at the crowd.

"Ahem, ahem…" He cleared his throat, voice dripping with righteous indignation. "How dare you people lay your filthy, grubby, oily, jealous, wrinkly old hands on MY younger brother?!"

The crowd: …Younger brother?

Xu Jinyao: …Brother?

[Rachel: Specify it, baby bear. Tell them.]

Ephraim puffed up his chest, eyes flashing with grievance. "I am an orphan."

The crowd: …Where is this going?

[Rachel: Honey… You know what, go on.]

"The loneliest one," Ephraim lamented dramatically. "But I persevered. I found my way, built myself up, made a name for myself, and even found a husband. Yet, no matter how much I gained, I still longed for something… A family. A real one. The kind with parents, cousins, uncles and aunts. But I had no such thing. I couldn't have it, no matter how much I wanted to."

His voice dropped, sorrow curling at the edges of his tone. "And then, one day, I met Jinjin." He sighed wistfully. "A boy who looked just like me, who shared my loneliness, my struggles. And at that moment, something clicked. We weren't connected by blood, but does blood define family? No. It was fate. The heavens knew my longing and answered me."

Ephraim's gaze darkened as he swept over the crowd again. "So tell me, what gives you the right to lay a finger on my brother?"

Rachel was enjoying this, giggling to herself, having closed the transmission with Ephraim for a moment.

Rachel was thoroughly enjoying herself, giggling softly as she temporarily cut off the transmission with Ephraim.

{0002: Little fox, I like him. He's so different from my ice block.}

{0511: Told you he was a diva.}

Unaware that he had become unpaid entertainment for a married couple, Ephraim continued his impassioned speech, his expression carrying the weight of a man who had weathered life's worst storms.

"No matter what anyone says, he is my baby brother. My friend. My family." His voice was laced with sorrow, yet firm with conviction. "And what of it if I wish to support him? Isn't that what siblings are for? So, I dare anyone—anyone—to claim that my Jinjin has a backer! Come at me! Who do you all think you are? Hmph! The only thing he has is his family! Since when was having a family who paid for your tuition a sin? What kind of absurd logic is that? Utter nonsense!"

Such grief, such devotion—his words struck the crowd unexpectedly, leaving them shaken. No one had anticipated there was such a heartbreaking story behind Xu Jinyao's situation.

Xu Jinyao, too, was affected. His heart stirred as he stared at this 'sister' of his—this person he knew nothing about—his emotions a tangled mess.

And Ephraim? He, too, was caught in his own theatrics, gazing back at Xu Jinyao with a depth of emotion that even he hadn't anticipated.

Later that evening, when Ling Jialei heard the news, she, too, was deeply affected—though not in the sentimental way others had been. A vein throbbed at her temple, her jaw clenched so tightly that it was a wonder her teeth didn't crack. Forcing a smile that did nothing to hide the twitch in her brow, she turned to Deng Hongjie, who had just delivered the news after seeing their Ling Xiaoyu appear on C Country's news channel.

"He doesn't have any family?" Her voice was eerily calm, yet every syllable dripped with menace. "Am I dead, then? Let's see that punk dare set foot back here. Let's see if he even survives to realize he has a sister."

Meanwhile, on the scene, Ephraim, having finished his impassioned speech, turned his attention expectantly toward the tall, handsome man standing beside him. The man was still dazed, holding up the phone Ephraim had handed him earlier—right after catching him struggling to push through the crowd.

At the time, Ephraim had dragged him to the front, shoved the phone into his hands, and simply said, "Hold this." Then, without another word, he had strode forward to make his grand entrance, stealing the show as he dramatically rescued both Xu Jinyao and his reputation.

Now that it was over, Ephraim didn't linger. He turned and walked into the dispersing crowd, which parted for him instinctively, as though guided by an unseen force. Before leaving, he cast a single look at the man holding the phone—a silent signal to follow. Then, as naturally as he had arrived, he disappeared into the throng.

[Ephraim: Rachel, can you find out who started the rumor about Xu Jinyao?]

[Rachel: But of course. Give me a moment to scan the data, cross-check the speech patterns in the crowd, and analyze any hints.]

Barely a minute later, Rachel's voice returned, chirpy and efficient.

[Rachel: Found him! His name is Lu Ziming. Slender, tall, standing near the gate. Red T-shirt, bleached blond hair.]

Ephraim nodded with great importance before abruptly shouting into the crowd, "Once, when I went to pick up my brother from college, I saw a bleached blonde guy named Lu Ziming climb into a rich lady's car and share a passionate kiss! Looked like a backer to me! He's the hobo in the red shirt near the gate!"

And with that, he turned and bolted, slipping away before the crowd could fully process his words.

Lu Ziming, who had just been standing there scowling at Xu Jinyao and the 'girl' who saved him—plotting how to make trouble for them before they left—suddenly froze. His face drained of all color, and he stammered, trying to refute the claim. But it was too late. The crowd had already turned on him, swarming forward with eager questions, their curiosity ignited. There was no room left for him to explain himself.

Rachel, meanwhile, was extremely amused.

[Rachel: You know, that nonsense you just made up… it's actually true. He really does have a backer. A very rich, well-known actress keeps him as a little pet. She's never picked him up from school before, though. But, well, details.]

Ephraim blinked, then let out a bright laugh, feeling quite impressed by his own 'talents.'

Before leaving the scene, he casually grabbed the phone from the guy he had instructed to record everything earlier. Then, his gaze landed on a certain someone—oh? A reporter had just arrived.

Rachel, ever the helpful guide, kindly informed him, [Newbie. Fresh meat.]

Ah. Perfect.

Ephraim let Xu Jinyao down, allowing him to stand on his own. With practiced ease, he maneuvered himself away from the crowd, subtly using Xu Jinyao and the phone guy as a shield. Then, he approached the poor reporter, smoothly dragging him along.

The young journalist stiffened, looking at them with wary suspicion.

"W-what are you trying to do?" he stammered.

Ephraim reached out and tapped the guy's shoulder, then stretched out his hand. His smile was all polite menace. "Give me your phone, stud."

The reporter instinctively clutched his phone tighter. "W-why should I?"

Ephraim narrowed his eyes. "I have goods for you."

The reporter blanched, looking at the three of them in alarm. He was new to the industry, still inexperienced in dealing with unexpected situations like this. Instinctively, he clutched at his breast pocket protectively, trying to put up some resistance—though his hands shook slightly, feeling very terrified of this 'woman' with pretty long legs.

Not that it mattered.

Ephraim, unfazed, smoothly reached into the man's pocket and plucked out his phone, flipping it open with practiced ease. At the same time, he pulled out his own phone, fingers tapping away as he spoke, tone full of casual reprimand.

"You don't even have a lock on your phone? In this day and age? Are you not ashamed of yourself?" He tsked. "What if some random person just took it and used it however they wanted? What would you do then, huh? You've got personal info on here, you studly himbo."

The "studly himbo" in question stood frozen, his expression vulnerable as he stared at the very same "random person" tapping away at his phone.

Meanwhile, Xu Jinyao and the other guy exchanged glances, clearly uncertain about whether they should step in and stop Ephraim from blatantly robbing an innocent citizen. But before they could act, the reporter's face suddenly lit up when he looked into his phone that Ephraim had handed him back.

His eyes went wide, filled with disbelief, then pure excitement.

"This… Ma'am…" The reporter looked up at Ephraim with deep emotion, as if he had just been blessed by the heavens.

Ephraim, pleased with that reaction, patted his shoulder with a bright, satisfied smile. "Oh, right. Xu Youyi—that's your name, isn't it? I saw it on your phone." He tilted his head, voice as light as a feather. "Well, Xu Youyi, if you dare spread the fact that I gave you this scoop, then here—look at this…"

Ephraim flashed the black credit card that Shen Yizhou had given him, tilting it slightly so the name embossed on it caught the light.

"I have money," he said leisurely, letting the weight of those words sink in. His voice was calm, almost lazy, but the underlying warning was clear. "And if you ever cross me, I can get back at you for it, okay?… Also, you see the name here, right? You know who this card belongs to… Yeah." His lips curved into a slow smile. "I have power on my side too."

The reporter trembled, eyes darting between the card and Ephraim's expression. He swallowed hard before nodding quickly in promise to the woman with the long, enviable legs.

Satisfied, Ephraim chuckled, then, just for fun, blew him a kiss before turning away. He winked. "But hey, you can text me from time to time, you nerdy handsome lad~"

The reporter blinked, momentarily caught off guard, before his ears turned pink. He coughed awkwardly and looked away, trying to compose himself.

[Ephraim: Aww~ So cute. A guy like this… The type of freshly graduated journalism major who still believes in the power of TRUTH and JUSTICE—like he walked straight out of some idealistic underdog drama. You know the type? Cracked iPhone, beat-up notebook, and the kind of self-righteous energy only a broke 24-year-old can afford. Innocent, nerdy, and handsome… If he had glasses, he'd be like a baby Clark Kent~]

[Rachel: He can neither fight a bear nor survive Deng Hongjie's cooking. But at least he can solve a Rubik's cube.]

Ephraim pouted in disappointment and turned away.

[Ephraim: He can learn.]

[Rachel: How many 'learners' do you want to gather?]

[Ephraim: … Hmph. Fine. We can be friends instead.]

With that, Ephraim continued on his way, hands tucked into his pockets, the faintest pout lingering on his lips.

He had only taken a few steps when a hand landed on his shoulder, stopping him in place.

Ephraim turned around, meeting a pair of deep, searching eyes.

Ah. It was the guy he had asked to record his heroic rescue of Xu Jinyao—the very recording he had just handed over to that reporter for later publication. Ephraim had even gone the extra mile and gifted the reporter with the names of Xu Jinyao's bullies, the ones who had ruined his life. And, with Rachel's help, he had thrown in a few damning details that could just as easily ruin their reputations, just as they had done to Xu Jinyao.

Of course, he'd follow up later with solid photographic proof. Rachel would help collect it.

But right now, Ephraim's attention was drawn to the man in front of him, who was looking at him with obvious confusion.

And he truly was handsome.

Not that this was surprising. To Ephraim, most people were at least somewhat attractive—he had never once seen an ugly woman, and half the male population was, in his opinion, objectively good-looking.

But this guy… this guy was extraordinarily handsome.

And why wouldn't he be?

After all, he was Wang Jiannan—the younger brother of Wang Jianyuan, the original male lead.