Proofreader & Editor:Peter Pan
"If that's the case, her return time is uncertain. If she's having too much fun, she might even pull an all-nighter!"
Gu Qingqiu felt like she had made a wasted trip.
Lin Baici and Xia Hongyao exchanged a glance.
"If a rule contamination breaks out at the fans' gathering, that would be quite a spectacle!"
Lin Baici teased, "But what are the odds of that happening? Hua Yueyu, why don't you ask your fans if they know where the gathering is?"
Xia Hongyao decided to check it out.
"Okay!"
Among Hua Yueyu's wealthy fans, many recently took a liking to Xiaoxianya and donated a lot of money, earning the right to attend the fan gathering.
"It's at Haihong Building, on the sixth floor!"
A few minutes later, Hua Yueyu had the address.
"Let's go and pretend to be fans, take a look around, and observe this Xiaoxianya!"
Xia Hongyao led the way downstairs.
***
Haihong Building was located on Jiangbo Road. It was quite an old building and, since it wasn't in the city center, the daily rate was quite reasonable.
Because there were many people and sitting at tables hindered interaction, Xiaoxianya had arranged for a buffet so everyone could eat while chatting.
At 10:30, Lin Baici and the others arrived at the building. There was a large sign at the entrance announcing the Xiaoxianya fan gathering, flanked by two flower baskets.
As Lin Baici and his group entered the lobby, a woman in a cheongsam greeted them: "Are you here for the Xiaoxianya fan gathering?"
"Yep!"
Xia Hongyao nodded.
"This way, please, to the sixth floor!"
The greeter led them to the elevator.
When the elevator doors opened again, a wave of noise hit them.
Gurgle!
Lin Baici's stomach growled, signaling a slight hunger.
"It's quite lively!"
Xia Hongyao walked down the corridor for a bit and saw a banquet hall with two tables at the entrance, holding several markers.
On one side of the corridor, a large piece of red paper was plastered on the wall, already filled with numerous signatures.
When Lin Baici and the others approached, the staff behind the tables handed them markers: "You can sign your Shark TV IDs on the red paper, don't use your real names."
The staff member, a spirited young man in his twenties named Li Jun, was taken aback by the stunning beauty of Xia Hongyao and Gu Qingqiu.
Aren't they just too pretty?
Especially that girl with the ponytail in sportswear, her figure is just too impressive, like she's hiding two huge papayas. When Li Jun handed the marker to Hua Yueyu, he was completely stunned.
"Yue… Sister Yue?"
He was a local fan of Xiaoxianya who had volunteered to help out today. He also enjoyed watching live streams, so he recognized Hua Yueyu's face very well.
"Thank you!"
Hua Yueyu smiled sweetly, took the marker, and signed her name 'Hua Yueyu' on the red paper.
Lin Baici signed as 'Lin the Hungry'.
Xia Hongyao and Gu Qingqiu didn't watch live streams, but when in party, they followed suit and wrote down their names.
After signing, they were about to enter the hall when Li Jun suddenly stood up, looking a bit flustered: "Sister Yue, can I take a photo with you?"
"Sure!"
Hua Yueyu flashed a professional smile.
After taking a few photos with Hua Yueyu, Li Jun remembered: "Do you want me to notify Xiaoxianya for you?"
Why is Sister Yue here?
She's not here to make trouble, is she?
Could it be a surprise for the fans? A benefit? But Xiaoxianya and Sister Yue have never done a live stream collaboration before, right?
And who are those other two girls?
Li Jun was sure they weren't hosts; otherwise, with their looks, they wouldn't need any talent, just hum a few tunes or wiggle a bit in front of the camera to get a little famous.
"No need, we'll go in ourselves!"
Hua Yueyu replied with a smile.
Inside the banquet hall, there were quite a few fans. Lin Baici roughly estimated there were over three hundred people, and it was still morning. Many more would come later.
"Are they all guys?"
Xia Hongyao scanned the room and noticed it was almost all male fans. Then her gaze fell on the northwest corner, where a crowd was gathered. Although Xiaoxianya wasn't visible, she was probably in the midst of the crowd.
Hearing this, Hua Yueyu quickly glanced at Lin Baici. To avoid any misunderstandings, she decided not to hold fan gatherings in the future.
"Girls are either watching Taobao live streams or on Redbook!"
(Proofreader :"Reabook" Female-oriented apps in China.)
Gu Qingqiu couldn't help but chuckle. It was a matter of the platform's target audience.
"Let's act covertly and observe quietly!"
Xia Hongyao planned to sneak in without drawing attention, but she seemed to have forgotten her own looks and figure. Even in loose sportswear, her impressive figure was hard to conceal.
Soon, people started to notice Xia Hongyao and the others.
"What's going on? Are they Xiaoxianya's fans too?"
"Did Xiaoxianya invite them as guests?"
"Would you invite someone prettier than you as a guest?"
The fans were buzzing with speculation. When they saw Hua Yueyu, their attention focused on her. After all, they were men who loved live streams, and Hua Yueyu, as the almost top female host on Shark TV, had high popularity and recognition.
Moreover, Hua Yueyu was dressed quite strikingly today.
"Is that Sister Yue?"
"OMG, black leggings with a down jacket? I'm in love!"
"I can't believe I'm seeing the real Sister Yue!"
Some socially adept fans immediately ran towards Hua Yueyu.
Xiaoxianya swallowed nervously. She was a bit anxious because Hua Yueyu was her idol.
Just as Xiaoxianya was struggling with how to greet Hua Yueyu, Hua Yueyu took the initiative to approach her.
"I'm sorry, it seems I've disturbed your fan gathering!"
Hua Yueyu apologized.
"Eh? Isn't this a surprise from Xiaoxianya for everyone?"
Someone exclaimed in surprise.
With Hua Yueyu's current status, there were plenty of fans who wanted to meet her.
"Sister Yue, why are you here?"
Xiaoxianya was a bit shy.
"I came with a friend; he's your fan!"
Hua Yueyu couldn't exactly say she was there by coincidence, so she had to tell a little white lie and put Lin Baici in the spotlight.
"Right there!"
Hua Yueyu pointed.
Following Hua Yueyu's direction, Xiaoxianya saw a tall, handsome young man with a calm and steady aura when he wasn't speaking.
'I have such a handsome male fan?
Hua Yueyu felt a bit awkward. First, because she had disrupted Xiaoxianya's fan gathering, and second, because many people were looking at her legs, which made her uncomfortable. Her fingers fiddled with the hem of her down jacket, constantly trying to pull it down.
She dressed this way today for Lin Baici to see, not to give other men a free show.
Lin Baici found a corner in the banquet hall where he could see Xiaoxianya and observed the girl.
Seventeen or eighteen years old, her face still had an inexperienced, fresh look, different from the Xiaoxianya in the live stream room. She had a more down-to-earth vibe, like the girl next door.
[A simple girl yearning for life in the big city!]
[She've seen so much, yet I have so little!]
Xiaoxianya noticed the change in the banquet hall atmosphere and was soon informed that Sister Yue had arrived.
"Sister Yue?"
Xiaoxianya had come to Haijing and started this career because she watched Hua Yueyu's live streams. She thought their styles were similar—both petite and cute girls without great figures could still become popular.
Xiaoxianya was startled, then filled with a small sense of pride and happiness. She couldn't help herself: "Sister Yue, what's your friend's name?"
"…"
Hua Yueyu was on the verge of tears. No way, you're interested in him?
Please no!
I already have enough competition.
"His name is Lin Baici, and he's a student at Haijing Polytechnic!"
Hua Yueyu introduced him.
Hearing the words 'Haijing Polytechnic,' Xiaoxianya's heart skipped a beat.
"A college student?"
Xiaoxianya felt a bit inferior because she hadn't even finished high school. But she quickly adjusted her mindset.
It's okay,
I'll soon become a top host, I can make a lot of money, I'm worthy of such a man.
Xiaoxianya touched the bag slung across her shoulder, feeling the shape of the stuffed toy inside, and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Have you signed with an agency? If not, I can offer you some advice!"
Hua Yueyu was sincere with this offer. Some hosts signed with the wrong agency and got terribly exploited.
"Any discoveries?"
Gu Qingqiu approached Lin Baici and together they scrutinized Xiaoxianya, who was talking to Hua Yueyu.
"Just an ordinary little sister!"
Lin Baici felt a slight hunger and wanted to eat.
The Divine taboo must be in Xiaoxianya's crossbody bag.
***
As it neared noon, more and more fans arrived. Some who noticed Hua Yueyu seemed as if they had struck it rich.
Hua Yueyu found a moment to escape the fans and approached Lin Baici: "Let's go, we'll wait at her place. If this continues, I'll be stealing the spotlight, which is quite embarrassing!"
Moreover, dealing with fans was also very busy, mainly because many wanted to take photos. Headshots were fine, but they wanted full-body shots.
Hua Yueyu really didn't want other people to see her dressed like this.
"Alright, let's say hello and leave!"
It was Xiaoxianya's fan gathering, and it was only polite to inform her before leaving.
When Lin Baici, Gu Qingqiu, Xia Hongyao, and Hua Yueyu approached Xiaoxianya, they immediately attracted the attention of the entire hall.
It couldn't be helped. In a hall full of men, the appearance of such beautiful girls was bound to draw attention.
"Xiaoxianya, sorry for disturbing your gathering, we'll be leaving now, okay?"
Hua Yueyu smiled apologetically.
"Why not stay for lunch before you go?"
Xiaoxianya offered.
"No, no!"
Hua Yueyu waved her hand.
"How about we exchange WeChat contacts? Let's keep in touch!"
After Xiaoxianya and Hua Yueyu added each other as friends, they saw them out.
"No need, you go back!"
Hua Yueyu said, and as the elevator doors opened, a young man in jeans and a leather jacket rushed out.
Seeing Xiaoxianya, he immediately roared angrily.
"I've called you so many times, why didn't you answer me?"
The young man shouted as he charged over like an angry bull.
Xiaoxianya's face stiffened. She hadn't expected her ex-boyfriend to find her here. If this turned into a farce, her live streaming career might be over, so she panicked.
Lin Baici stepped forward, shielding Xiaoxianya with his tall frame, completely covering the petite Xiaoxianya.
"Who are you? Get out of the way!"
The young man was fierce and reached out to push Lin Baici.
Slap!
Lin Baici grabbed the young man's wrist with his right hand, twisted it behind his back, and grabbed his collar with his left hand.
With Lin Baici's current physique, dealing with this kind of youngster was no different than catching a chicken.
"What are you doing? I'm her boyfriend, let me go, Geng Qin, damn, you turn your back on me now that you're famous, huh?"
The young man cursed loudly.
Some people had followed out of the hall to see the beautiful women, and now, hearing the commotion, even more came out.
Xiaoxianya was in a hurry and quickly clarified: "I… I've already broken up with you."
"Don't talk nonsense!"
Hua Yueyu quickly interjected. This kind of thing couldn't be admitted, otherwise, the man could claim Xiaoxianya dumped him because he was poor and unsuccessful after she became famous.
Xiaoxianya would be unable to defend herself.
The correct approach was to deny knowing him and treat the young man as an overzealous fan.
"You heard her, she admitted I'm her boyfriend!"
The young man shouted: "Aren't you going to let me go?"
"…"
Lin Baici didn't expect to encounter such a situation and found it a bit tricky.
"Find a room and let the two of them talk!"
Xia Hongyao suggested.
"Talk about what?"
Gu Qingqiu was speechless. As long as they talked, it would raise suspicions because if there was no relationship, why talk? So the direct approach was to not acknowledge any connection.
"Call 911."
Gu Qingqiu was leaning towards Xiaoxianya. From her observation, she felt that Xiaoxianya was just an ordinary girl who came to the big city alone to work. She was lucky to find a Divine taboo, absorbed its grace, and suddenly became popular on Shark TV.
"Don't call!"
Xiaoxianya instinctively spoke out against it. In her view, being taken away by the police was a serious matter.
"If you trust me, I'll help you handle this!"
Hua Yueyu interjected.
Xiaoxianya was Hua Yueyu's competitor, and seeing this fan gathering turning into a farce, becoming Xiaoxianya's dark history, was in Hua Yueyu's best interest.
If it were a scheming girl, she would even add fuel to the fire and make it worse. But Hua Yueyu couldn't do such a thing.
She wanted to win and become the top host on Shark TV, but she wanted to win fairly and squarely.
"I… I…"
Xiaoxianya had never experienced such a situation. Although she had broken up with Zeng Guoxue, she still had lingering feelings and worried that Hua Yueyu would be too harsh on him.
"Geng Qin, you're ungrateful! You're the female version of Chen Shimei! You have no shame!"
（Proofreader :"Chen Shimei" Famous Negative People in Traditional Chinese Stories.）
Zeng Guoxue cursed.
"Your elders gave you the name 'Guoxue,' yet your cursing is so poor that even dogs would shake their heads."
(Proofreader :'Guoxue' Similar to scholars.)
Gu Qingqiu mocked, trying to draw Zeng Guoxue's attention away from Xiaoxianya to relieve her pressure.
[A man who clings on and doesn't let go, who can do nothing but smoke, drink, gamble, and curse!]
"I'll take him downstairs first!"
Lin Baici sighed. Domestic disputes were hard to settle. It was better to let Xiaoxianya cool down and handle it herself.
But he had only walked a few steps when a sudden gust of wind whipped up, stirring up dust and making it hard for him to open his eyes.
"Rule contamination?"
Lin Baici didn't expect the Divine taboo to activate at this moment, starting to radiate pollution!