"Transmitter", she replied.
"Transmitter?" Ryan asked with a slight frown.
"Let me explain", Liam stepped forward.
".......Why are you here?"
"Ryan, calm down. Let us explain!" Yuan Yu stepped forward.
"Hold on!"
Ryan frowned. It was as if he already guessed that these three have done something unforgivable already. He was holding in the anger for the moment.
"Come here!" he called for Liam. He walked towards him.
"Give it to me!" he handed over the ice cube he was holding.
Ryan turned towards Rhea with a frown. He softly pressed the ice cubes on Rhea's face.
Rhea felt guiltier as he treated her this way! She kept staring at him speechlessly. He was originally focused on her cheek. But sensing her look, he looked her into her eyes.
"Does it hurt a lot?"
Both Yuan Yu and Liam were dumbfounded as well. For them, it was the first time to see Ryan taking care of someone. Also, first time to see his gentleness!
"No" she replied and averted her gaze.
"Cream!", he once again stretched his hand in Liam's direction. This time his voice was a lot more resentful as if he is angry with Liam.
He calmly spread the cream on her face. It was cold when the cream initially touched her face. Rhea's pain was relieved a little.
Now Ryan wiped his hand in a paper napkin then calmly turned towards Yuan Yu.
"Now explain!"
"...…." Yuan Yu could feel that Ryan is about to throw a tantrum.
"Calm down Ryan!" Liam spoke once again. "We just tried to expose Ying Yue!"
Now Ryan frowned even more and looked at Liam.
"We?....Who?"
"It's me, Yuan Yu and Rhea!"
"How?"
"We wanted to make her confess without her knowing, record it and…" with every word Ryan's face changed and it compelled Liam to stop.
"........It was my plan!" Rhea spoke for the first time. Ryan kept quiet and didn't turn towards Rhea.
".......", Nobody spoke for a while. There was only gloomy silence. Though the three had originally planned this on their own, they had already expected Ryan to be angry.
Since Liam understood Ryan better than anyone else, he waited for Ryan to calm down first. Ying Yue didn't seem very scared. She still believed they've done the right thing. But Rhea was really nervous. Compared to the two, she was not that close with Ryan to start with. But she planned something which is related to his life without his permission. So she was not sure what will the result be.
The silence continued for a few more minutes...
That time uncle Li knocked and entered.
He walked towards Ryan and hurriedly handed Ryan a tablet then whispered something which was only audible for Ryan. With Ryan's frown, Rhea could understand that it was something unpleasant.
When Ryan took the tablet in his hand and played the video in it, Rhea was confounded. She became an ice statue in the instant, due to fear!
Yes, fear...
The original plan was to make Ying Yue confess and then hand that confession to Ryan so he can decide. But…
But someone had already shared this video clip on social media!
Rhea looked at Liam and he seemed shocked as well.
She looked at Yuan Yu. Yuan Yu was still calmer than the others in that room. It didn't take a long time for Rhea to guess who did it.
Liam too turned towards Yuan Yu.
"Was it you?" he mouthed towards Yuan Yu so that Ryan wouldn't know.
She kept silent.
Now Ryan had already turned towards these three. He looked directly at Rhea, his anger burst on that instant.
"Haven't I clearly told you to stay away and do not mess around in my business?" his voice was a lot pressured and sounded like a roar in that room.
"....." all four people in that room fell silent.
"Did I ever asked for your help or begged for your kindness?" he continued.
"Ryan!" Liam tried to stop him and clutched his hand but he shook his hand and stepped towards Rhea!
"Ying Yue is not the one who is troubling me. It's you! You are the one who is making it more and more difficult to me!" his suppressed anger was obvious in his voice. Rhea couldn't say anything. Her head was facing down. She couldn't do anything other than uneasily staying there!
Pain… Despair… Hurt… Fear… Embarrassment...
Rhea didn't know what she was feeling at that moment!
It was so painful as if her whole world has been crushed by him. He clearly said that she was the one who creates problems.
Maybe...
Maybe that's the truth!
More than anything Rhea suddenly felt humiliated.
Liam once again tried to stop Ryan but he didn't move from where he was standing.
Now he turned towards Yuan Yu and Liam!
"Haven't I told you to behave like adults? Did you two join hands with her and did this? Don't you have a brain?"
"What's wrong with doing this?" Seeing Ryan being unreasonable, Liam couldn't help but get angry.
"It's the best for you Ryan! We did the best for you!" Yuan Yu spoke.
"Did I ask you? I have my free will and I know what I'm doing. I don't need any third person to make decisions for me"
Hearing him speak more and more Rhea couldn't help it. Tears automatically started to accumulate in her eyes.
".........", once again silence fell in that room.
Uncle Li who felt so bad for her from the beginning noticed Rhea shedding tears before others.
"Sir, it's already late. Rhea... She needs to catch the early bus today. I'll escort Rhea first." He spoke on behalf of Rhea then hesitated, then grabbed Rhea's hand, and came out of the cabin with her.
"Do you want me to give you a ride, Rhea?"
"No uncle, she didn't look up at uncle and just said the words. Then hurriedly bid goodbye, turned, and walked towards the entrance.
Even though there were not so many people, it was not good enough to let other people see her cry. It's a shame to her and not good for Ryan's reputation as well.
Once she left Ryan too didn't speak anything after that. Yuan Yu and Liam walked out of the room leaving Ryan alone.
Liam spoke first!
"See what you've done!"
"Do you think he would have let you release the clip if you showed it to him? I too didn't have a better option"
"At least you should have told us about this earlier. I don't know how we are going to face Rhea ever again"
"She'll understand!"
Liam looked up at Yuan Yu and shook his head. Then walked towards the car.
That day Ryan didn't go to his apartment.
He went to his old house where he once lived with his mother. Since the day she passed away, he only went to that house whenever he is extremely sad. That house was a bungalow in a somewhat rural area. Ryan entered the house and directly went to the in-house bar he built a few years ago.
He didn't know what he could do other than drinking at that time. He was worried.
His phone was full of texts, missed calls and the internet was screaming his name suddenly.
But he responded to none.
Fame… money…
These two things can come and go whenever they pleased, but what she gave him was once in a lifetime. She is precious. He was already working hard to protect her from his enemies but now, she had successfully acquired her enemies of her own, just for him. From this day, she will directly be the target. He didn't know exactly how many people will be waiting for fo her downfall now! Will be waiting for revenge!
He suddenly remembered what Ying Yue told him when she met him a few days before.
"If you try to fall for another woman, I can destroy her as well, just like I did to you!"
From the day Ying Yue and Rhea met in that cabin he was a lot more worried than anyone else. Ying Yue was curious about Rhea that day. Ryan clearly knew how evil she is. All this while he was trying all he could to protect Rhea from his enemies in the industry. But now, there was clearly no turning back. Of course, Ying Yue will collaborate with some others to take revenge on Rhea. He clearly didn't want Rhea to be in trouble. But now he didn't know if there is really a way to guard her.
Ryan was waiting for something on his phone. He only opened and viewed that message ignoring all the other welcoming and congratulatory messages.
-Rhea safely reached the dorm-
It was a message from uncle Li.
He had already texted uncle Li to check on her. This was what he was waiting.
But Ryan was still not relieved. He was not sure how far and how long he can keep protecting Rhea.
Without a second option, he started to drink, thinking about what to do next!
By the time a car stopped by the gate. Ryan was too exhausted to receive anyone at that time but unexpectedly, the man knew his passcode and entered the house.
As expected Liam saw a drunken, red-eyed Ryan sitting on the floor by the sofa with a bottle in his hands.
"Get out!" he calmly said.
"I'm here to give you a shoulder to cry" Liam calmly replied.
"Why would I cry?"
"I'm your friend. So I know you'll be sulking here after you scold her", he replied.
"...." without any words, Ryan just downed the bottle.