ABSML Chapter 5: In Danger

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By the time they left the stables, the sun was already setting. The elderly man, more easily fatigued than the younger ones, leaned back in his seat and dozed off not long after fastening his seatbelt.

Online, countless readers were urging for updates. Chen Zhan skimmed a few comments before closing his eyes, contemplating the next part of his story.

A loud bang suddenly echoed through the dark—a tire had blown out.

The car came to an abrupt stop. Due to inertia, their bodies were thrown forward before being yanked back by their seatbelts. The experience was anything but pleasant. Glancing out the window, Chen Zhan saw that they hadn’t yet entered the city.

The old man reassured him, “Don’t worry, we have a spare tire.”

But Chen Zhan noticed Yin Ronglan shutting all the car windows and said calmly, “The problem might not just be the tire.”

This road was narrow and desolate. If the tire had been punctured by a sharp rock, that would be one thing. But if it was intentional… well, that would be another matter entirely.

As if to confirm his suspicions, Yin Ronglan switched the headlights to full brightness, revealing the silhouettes of two people lurking in the grass ahead.

Chen Zhan remained unshaken. “Taking shortcuts has never been a good idea.”

While he made his remark, the old man had already taken the initiative to call the police.

Yin Ronglan checked the rearview mirror. “No accomplices.”

Although the road was remote, it wasn’t completely deserted. The two robbers couldn’t afford to wait too long. They quickly drew knives and got straight to the point.

Chen Zhan unbuckled his seatbelt. “I’ll go take a look.”

The old man hurriedly stopped him. “Don’t be reckless.”

Chen Zhan reasoned, “If we let them approach and block the car doors, we’ll be at a disadvantage.”

Yin Ronglan suggested, “The car can still start. Just drive through them.”

“……”

That was certainly a no-nonsense approach.

The old man swallowed hard. “Just teach them a lesson, don’t cause any deaths.”

Chen Zhan felt the car’s front end sinking slightly and frowned. “The air’s leaking fast. Driving through might not work.”

The old man pressed his fingers to his temple, feeling a headache coming on. Why did young people these days act like gangsters?

Before the car could start, one of the robbers charged forward. Seeing this, Chen Zhan stepped out of the vehicle first.

The robber hesitated at his unexpected reaction.

Chen Zhan declared, “When it comes to fights, I’ve never been afraid.”

Growing up, anyone who insulted his parents was met with his fists—he never bothered with arguments.

The old man couldn’t help but lower the car window. “Be careful, he has a weapon.”

Chen Zhan replied, “So do I.”

He smoothly unbuckled his belt.

With a mix of roguish charm and good looks, it should have been a striking move—if not for his pants slipping slightly down his waist.

His eye twitched. Ever since he started living frugally, he had lost some weight, and his once well-fitted pants were now a little loose.

The robbers were after money, not murder. Waving their knives in the air, one of them cautiously stepped forward. “Hand over your cash!”

Chen Zhan whipped his belt at the man, forcing him to dodge. In that instant, Chen Zhan lunged forward with a punch to his face, followed by a high kick to his lower body—classic street-fighting tactics.

Knowing the other robber was still around, he didn’t get too absorbed in the fight. A quick glance told him the second robber was already on the ground, lying flat.

Yin Ronglan had gotten out of the car at some point. His posture was straight, and aside from the sharpness in his gaze, he still gave off the impression of a calm and gentle good man.

If not for the sight of the robber on the ground clutching his stomach and groaning in pain, Chen Zhan might have almost believed that deception.

Yin Ronglan's gaze swept over and stopped at the exposed waistline. "The color is quite unique."

Chen Zhan calmly pulled up his pants, fastened his belt, and raised an eyebrow at him. "Do you have an issue with light green underwear?"

Yin Ronglan shook his head, expressing his respect.

After all the commotion, plus a trip to the police station to file a report, by the time they got back, the sparse stars were already visible outside the window.

As usual, Chen Zhan turned on his computer. As the faint glow of the screen lit up, he wondered whether to take a break for the night. Then, recalling his bank balance, his motivation instantly reignited.

[System: So, who exactly is that mysterious man in the cap?]

Chen Zhan let out a low chuckle as he typed: "Oh? So you're reading my novel too?"

[System: The long nights are endless.]

"Wait a second," Chen Zhan paused to sip his tea and stroked his chin. "Your attitude has improved a lot."

Could it be that the system had been replaced again?

[System: Yes, your previous one switched jobs.]

Chen Zhan didn’t take it personally and simply stated the facts: "I’ll let you read for now, but once my novel goes premium, you’ll have to pay. If you don’t have money, you can exchange things from your system store."

[System: …]

Chen Zhan refocused, and for a moment, the only sound in the room was the rhythmic tapping of his keyboard.

**[System, peeking at the screen: Whoa, so the guy wearing cap was actually a stalker fan?!

...Oh my god, you even fought him.

...Nice job! That kind of creepy stalker totally deserves to be reported.

...Wait, what?! You found out he was following other celebrities too, got mad, and beat him up again?!

...You only stan Jiang Ying and think all the others are trash?!

...You’re such a toxic fan!]**

Ignoring the chatter in his mind, Chen Zhan was having a great flow of ideas today. After publishing the new chapter, he checked his earnings, and his eyes crinkled with a satisfied smile.

Night owls were everywhere—within minutes, he had once again single-handedly sent Jiang Ying to the trending list.

Jiang Ying had started in a girl group before transitioning to acting. One of her former group members had been caught interfering in someone’s marriage, leading to the group’s disbandment.

At that moment, she had just finished a scene on set. The actress she had been filming with, who had initially been friendly, had barely spoken to her in the past few days.

Her manager handed her a bottle of water and sighed, "Ah, women's jealousy."

Jiang Ying found it interesting. With her current status in the entertainment industry, it was rare for someone to openly show her attitude.

Manager: "A few of the trending spots we paid for got conveniently overshadowed by your news. Of course she’d be unhappy."

Jiang Ying paused mid-cap twist. "Trending?"

Her manager showed her the phone.

#JiangYingFans#, #StalkerFanVsToxicFan#—two trending topics, stacked one above the other.

Her manager sighed again, "Since your drama is still filming and your buzz is low, this whole situation from Chen Zhan came at just the right time."

Jiang Ying frowned slightly... The timing really was too convenient.

The best move would be to let the controversy play out and ride the wave. If she waited until she had milked enough hype before condemning the behavior, netizens would surely label her as manipulative.

With a sigh, she grabbed her script and went to ask the director some questions.

By the pile of miscellaneous boxes, Yan Chengze had a cold expression as he scrolled through his phone, unaware of someone approaching.

Just as Jiang Ying was about to speak, she caught a glimpse of his screen.

[User "Yan Chengze" has donated a deep-water gift, looking forward to the next chapter.]

"…"

Jiang Ying cleared her throat, and their eyes met. Yan Chengze quickly masked his embarrassment with his usual stern demeanor. "What do you need?"

Jiang Ying gave him a long look. "Is the rain scene scheduled for tonight or tomorrow?"

Yan Chengze: "The water truck will only arrive tomorrow."

Jiang Ying nodded and walked away.

Nearby, a cameraman who had seen the whole interaction whispered, "Director Yan, you read Confessions: The Rise and Fall of a Rebellious Youth too?"

Yan Chengze maintained his stiff expression. "We’re filming in the middle of nowhere for months. I’m just reading whatever’s available."

The cameraman gave him a knowing look but said nothing and instead joined another conversation.

Unexpectedly, the lighting technician chimed in, "I've secretly tipped the author several times."

Their eyes met, and they exchanged wide grins—If you read Confession, we are brothers from different mothers.

Chen Zhan knew his book was popular, but he had no idea it had even spread to film crews.

Late at night, he struggled with insomnia. There wasn’t even a TV in the house, so to avoid just lying there like an idiot, he turned on the night lamp and started browsing his phone.

He really needed to set up a proper routine. Scrolling through the comments, he decided to shift his writing schedule to the morning.

[Willow Tree by the Pond: Exposing yourself as a toxic fan and fighting a stalker, what exactly did you gain from this?]

Chen Zhan found this person amusing. They seemed quite displeased but had still sent in a tip. Out of respect for the money, he replied: "Got myself ten days of administrative detention."

The user must have been shocked by his honesty because they immediately tipped him multiple times.

The comment section shifted from insults to mixed reactions. As he kept scrolling, Chen Zhan’s thoughts started drifting.

He couldn't help but think about Yin Ronglan.

His equestrian skills were outstanding, and his demeanor exuded elegance. His profile suggested he was some wealthy elite, yet every time Chen Zhan tried to probe for more details from the old man, something felt off. Especially earlier that day—when the young foal died, Yin Ronglan’s expression had been too calm. It was as if, in his eyes, the foal was no different from an ant crushed underfoot.

"System," Chen Zhan asked, "Could Yin Ronglan actually be the biggest villain in the novel?"

[System: I thought the biggest villain was you?]

"…" Chen Zhan fell silent for a moment, pressing his lips together. "Right. My bad. I forgot."

An awkward pause settled between them. To cover it up, Chen Zhan took a sip of water. "So, does Yin Ronglan have any special identity?"

【System: How Would I Know?】

Chen Zhan let out a chuckle.

【System: The novel revolves around the male and female leads. I only know what’s written in the novel, nothing else.】

While Chen Zhan was frowning, the system spoke again.

【I’ve sent a TXT file to your email. You can check the plot at any time.】

"…No need."

He had the original body's memories and knew the basic storyline. However, in these memories, there was no information related to Yin Ronglan.

Chen Zhan asked, "In your opinion, is he good or evil?"

【System: Evil, obviously. Birds of a feather flock together—most people around a villain are just lackeys.】

No logic, yet strangely convincing.

The next morning, right on schedule, Chen Zhan arrived at the old man’s house to freeload a meal.

His cooking skills were average, but his ability to fry eggs was top-notch, earning endless praise from the old man.

Chen Zhan took out something he had embroidered overnight. "A small token of appreciation."

The old man stared at the unrecognizable cross-stitch. "Is this… 'Pigsy Carrying His Wife'?"

Chen Zhan lifted his head and corrected him. "A weasel paying respects to a chicken."

"This embroidery is very…" The old man had intended to say ‘lifelike’ but couldn’t lie so blatantly, so he changed his wording: "Very expressive."

Chen Zhan said, "Find a place to frame it as decoration."

The old man, whose eyesight wasn’t great due to his age, still had a decent sense of aesthetics. "It might not match the decor of my room."

"Hang it at the door." This was exactly what Chen Zhan had been waiting for. "For warding off evil."

After all, the purpose of hanging it was to serve as a warning—just in case.

Author’s Note:

Chen Zhan: Are we really sure he’s not the true mastermind behind everything?

System: Final reminder—the only evil supporting male character in this novel is you!

Chen Zhan: Speaking of which, my behavior has been a bit too mild these past few chapters. Time to shake things up.

System: …Wait, don’t come any closer! What are you planning?

Chen Zhan (smirking ominously): Take a guess.

______

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