On the bustling square, fans who learned the bus was about to arrive cheered excitedly, all moving closer to the path formed by two caution tape lines between the venue entrance and the road.
Security guards hired by the production team stood guarding the caution tape lines, each tall and burly, like a wall forged from steel. Their presence was intimidating, but the fans, whose hearts were swollen with excitement and anticipation, were even fiercer.
Even though the bus hadn’t arrived yet, they were already pushing and shoving. Regardless of whose fan they were, even if they were tongdan (fellow fans of the same idol), nothing could affect their chance to squeeze to the front and occupy a better view.
Under the security guards’ continuous loud reminders and warnings of “Don’t push, the bus won’t arrive for another ten minutes”, the fans’ enthusiasm finally subsided a little.
The three girls from the ice cream truck, who were squeezed out of the crowd, stood pitifully by the flower wall.
Lala looked dazed, patting her chest as if having narrowly escaped disaster. “Terrifying… Too terrifying. Are all fans crazy?”
“No Pants” said with a dark face, “Don’t ask me. This is also my first time at an offline event. I’ve never even been to a music festival before.”
Sisi, however, had a good attitude. Calmly taking out her phone, she said, “Since we can’t squeeze in, let’s take photos. There were too many people here earlier, I didn’t have a chance to take a good look at our flower wall.”
As she spoke, she turned around, and just as she clicked into the camera and aimed it at the flower wall, she saw a tall man wearing a mask in the camera lens. He was dressed in a shirt and suit pants, and was walking towards them from the nearby pillar.
Sisi was momentarily stunned. As the man approached, the phone screen’s auto-focus also shifted from the flower wall to him.
“Sisi, are you done? You have the best photography skills among us three. Take a few more and send them to me later…” Lala leaned over, looked at Sisi’s phone, and her voice paused. “Who are you taking a picture of?”
They were here to chase stars, why suddenly take pictures of a handsome passerby? The key was this handsome guy wasn’t even showing his face… although his body proportions were indeed worth a look.
Lala’s mouth twitched, about to tease a few more words, when she saw the masked handsome guy walk near them.
Due to the angle, the other party seemed not to notice he had entered someone else’s shot, nor did he pay attention to the three young girls who looked like college students. Instead, he took out his phone and seriously aimed it at the flower wall, taking pictures.
“…Is he also a fan of Quentin? A male fan?” Even though the scene was noisy, Lala still instinctively lowered her voice, her tone filled with astonishment. “Quentin actually has male fans?”
Sisi didn’t find it strange. “Isn’t it normal for Quentin to have male fans? There are so many on the forums. There are also many here today too. Look over there in the front, there’s a whole crowd.”
“No Pants” also nodded in agreement. “Exactly. And haven’t you seen those trainees in ‘NS’? His all-round cp physique isn’t something we made up. ” Appealing to both men and women” describes him perfectly.”
Lala thought about it. “Hmm… That’s true too.”
If someone like Quentin was born in chaotic times, he would definitely be a femme fatale destined to have many romantic entanglements…a handsome man who brings trouble.
He was handsome, his personality seemed calm, but deep down he was very stubborn and fierce. That rebellious, arrogant youth from his past life hadn’t disappeared under societal pressure but had transformed into a sharp sword, sheathed and hidden deep within.
Once upon a time, the wild and unruly youth, like a stray dog, ventured out alone. He had nothing, and lived constantly under the peeping, coveting gaze of others. The resistance of the weak was no different from flirting or joking in the eyes of those with power. But Quentin back then was merely at a disadvantage, not weak. God had given him the talent to perceive human hearts, and he groped his way into using that talent to its extreme.
Thus, those who dared reach out towards him all had their dirty hands chopped off or crippled. His methods weren’t excessive, nor exaggerated, but because of his nature of seeking revenge for the smallest grievance, he offended everyone, whether he should have or not.
Quentin possessed a natural talent for stirring up trouble. Around him, there was never a lack of intense turmoil or chaos that could easily be provoked. If he had properly utilized this ability, money, power, fame…everything people chase after would have been his for the taking.
However, he didn’t. He just focused on walking his own path.
By the time he was in his twenties, the boy had grown into a young man, and his allure only grew even stronger. In contrast, constrained by his current status, his methods of retaliation, and the support of those he charmed senseless, no one dared to easily provoke him anymore.
As time passed, those cynical, rebellious thoughts in his heart also gradually returned to calm.
In his past life, gossip, rumors, slander and attacks about “Quentin”, both inside and outside the industry, were countless. But time proved everything.
…That person who rose and fell in the storm of violence and bloodshed, who ultimately stood firm, was after all just a young man filled with ideals and unwavering determination.
And the story behind this, no one in this world knew anymore…aside from Jin Sui.
The man standing in front of the dark green flower wall held his phone level, quietly gazing at the white crystals hidden among the flowers and vines in the lens.
Every photo placed within the crystals was familiar. Some were taken by him, others were also saved in his collection folder.
And the entire flower wall was also familiar. Many people didn’t know that “Chuang Jiyuan” was actually a subsidiary of Wanming Media. The designer of this flower wall had been personally designated by Jin Sui as the most outstanding one in the company. The price was, of course, a very internal price after discount upon discount.
Hmm, the kind that was lower than the cost price.
The three girls on the other side of the flower wall watched as the man, whose body proportions were as superior as a celebrity’s, wholeheartedly changed various angles and compositions to take pictures of the flower wall. If what he held wasn’t a phone but a professional camera, they would have thought Quentin had gained another fan photographer.
But judging by the current situation, even if he wasn’t a fan photographer, he had to be a loyal fan.
Not because of his photo-taking actions, but because of the green support wristband, the badge clipped near his pants pocket, and the small cute plush doll keychain.
These small items that were obviously related to Quentin wouldn’t be strange on any fan present. But compared to this man in suit and leather shoes, whose aura was even more outstanding than his figure, they seemed incompatible.
“Tell me, could this person be some male celebrity in the industry?” “No Pants” narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “Otherwise, why would he wear a mask?”
“Do you think this is a novel? What celebrity goes out dressed like that? He looks like an office worker, probably a business elite who just snuck out from the company.” Lala shook her head.
Sisi, who was studying fashion design at an art academy, didn’t speak. She only squinted at the clothes the man wore. She always had a feeling that the fabric and cut were very extraordinary, but she didn’t see any wristwatch or tie clip on him to prove his status… Although, it could also be that those colorful small things took up the positions.
She hesitated for two seconds and whispered, “Let’s not stare at him anymore. Umm, how about we go to the roadside? The bus should be coming soon.”
*
“Finally we’re arriving. Ugh, my butt hurts from sitting. This performance venue is so far away.”
Yang Siyi leaned against the window, looking outside eagerly. Having been confined in the base for so long, he was like this every time they went out. He found everything fresh, even though they had just taken the bus here for rehearsals yesterday.
However, the route today was a bit different from yesterday. For rehearsals, they always entered from the back door, so naturally, they had no idea about the bustling scene at the front door park and square.
There was one traffic light left until the destination and the boy craned his neck to look towards the venue. A few seconds later, he rubbed his eyes in confusion and murmured, “Damn it, am I hallucinating…”
His seatmate Qiao Xue asked curiously, “What’s wrong?”
“In front of the venue entrance… are those all people? Are they all fans specially waiting for us there?” Yang Siyi was a bit slow to react, staring at the huge crowd of people at the scene. “How come there are so many more people than last time…”
Because the bus journey was long, coupled with fatigue and pressure from these days of rehearsals, most of the trainees on the bus started sleeping as soon as they got on.
As the destination drew nearer, more and more people woke from their sleep. Hearing Yang Siyi’s words, they also subconsciously lifted the curtains and looked outside.
“Hey, Quentin, are those your fans?”
The boy curled up in his seat, half-asleep, lifted his eyelids and glanced at the boy leaning over him to peer out the bus window.
The gap between the front and back seats was very narrow, and Xue Mingzhu had to squeeze past Quentin with difficulty. One hand pressed on Quentin’s leg, and the other braced against the glass. His posture was a bit awkward, but his face showed a look of great interest.
He clicked his tongue in amazement. “They should be your fans, right? I see the banners they’re holding… There really are a lot of people…almost half of them, are they all your fans?”
Quentin rubbed his eyes. “What green?”
Xue Mingzhu raised an eyebrow. “The support color, you know? It was probably voted by your fans. It suits you quite well too.”
‘Support color…green?’
Quentin turned to look out the window. The bus had already passed the traffic light, and the dense crowd was gradually approaching. The screams and cheers also gradually became louder.
The closer they got to the crowd, the slower the bus’s speed became. Those young faces with bright, joyful eyes also became clearer.
Fanatical, excited, impatient emotions surged over in waves.
This scene wasn’t unfamiliar to Quentin. The last time he encountered it was only just over a month ago.
But this scene came so unexpectedly that he was momentarily stunned. The confusion and unwillingness when he died from illness seemed to be soothed somewhat at this moment.
“What, are you scared? You didn’t expect so many people to come for you, right?”
Xue Mingzhu smiled smugly, looking even happier than Quentin himself. “In my opinion, you have more active fans than everyone else. The gap is obvious at a glance. Where you lose out is not having a company. Tch, we’re both unlucky on this matter.”
Quentin didn’t make a sound, his gaze seriously sweeping over the faces of the fans holding banners by the roadside.
The bus windows weren’t one-way. After the curtains were lifted, the trainees sitting by the window naturally entered the view of the fans outside.
Quentin and Xue Mingzhou, who were squeezed close together, were also quickly noticed by their fans.
“Ahhhhh it’s Quentin, Quentin ahhhhh!!!”
“Quentin!Quentin! Quentin!!”
“Husband!! You’re so handsome!!!!”
“Quentin! Keep fighting!!”
Screams more intense than the previous cheers made the scene even more noisy and lively, and the shouts of a few particularly loud fans startled the trainees.
When fans from various families, good and bad, gathered together, those groups with extremely strong fighting power and large numbers were very conspicuous, their presence so strong that every trainee couldn’t ignore it.
“How come it feels like there are several times more people for the second public performance than the first? Didn’t our venue tickets only double?”
“The people waiting here are definitely more than 1000, right? Especially in the park opposite. Are they our show’s fans or just onlooking passersby?”
“It’s mostly fans. Look, they’re all wearing support items… Dark green, whose support color is that? At first glance, it’s all green.”
“Yeah. And this color is so conspicuous. The whole place looks lush.”
“Fuck, how come there are so many male fans? Whose male fans are that crazy, still shouting ‘husband’?!”
“Dark green… It couldn’t be Quentin, right? How come Quentin has so many male fans?”
The trainees looked at the men scattered among the crowd by the roadside. Unlike most young girls who were wearing makeup and dressed up, these guys could be divided into two extremes…so trendy it gives you rheumatism, and obviously otaku.
The former’s attire from head to toe was more refined than many female fans, and their level of trendiness made the trainees on the bus feel ashamed of their inferiority. The latter wore stereotyped large t-shirts and baggy pants, with faces adorned with thick glasses and a strong otaku aura that hit you in the face.
Trendy guys chasing stars was understandable, but when did otaku start chasing stars? There’s a wall between the anime/manga world and the entertainment industry, okay?!
Their eyes froze on the male fans excitedly shouting “husband”, then unanimously and quickly shifted to other girls’ faces.
“Female fans are still better. Male fans shouting makes my goosebumps rise.”
“Pfft, it’s not like they’re shouting at you. Why are you getting goosebumps?”
Someone looked around curiously, teasing like watching a show. “Hey, how’s Quentin reacting? Did he hear the male fans calling him husband?”
“Hehe, ‘husband’? That’s nothing. There are even those shouting ‘wife.'”
“So did he hear it or not, did he hear it?!”
“He’s looking at the flower wall his fans made for him, not time for male fans shouting.”
“Oh…That dark green flower wall, right? His fans are really rich. That thing definitely isn’t cheap at first glance.”
Trainee A suddenly interjected, his tone sour. “Making a support flower wall so exaggerated…Who knows if those flowers are real or fake.”
Equally sour Trainee B grumbled. “So extravagant before even debuting. Who knows how much money was cheated from fans.”
Trainee C, who was passing by, paused and rolled his eyes unceremoniously. “Who cares so much if his fans are rich? The stronger the fans’ spending power, the higher the artist’s commercial value. Don’t you even know this common sense?”
B said indignantly, “I was just casually saying. Spending money recklessly is just wrong!”
C laughed mockingly. “Yo yo yo, you’re quite knowledgeable about how to save money for others. A heart of a bodhisattva huh.”
Trainee B still wanted to refute, but A, feeling guilty, tugged at his clothes and whispered, “Shh, stop talking. Quentin is sitting right behind… The bus stopped! Let’s go, let’s go, hurry up and get off!”
“Quentin…” He hesitated, turned to look in the direction his teammate pointed, and caught sight of the boy’s fair profile. His heart suddenly trembled, and he tightly shut his mouth, thinking, ‘He probably didn’t hear… It’s several steps away, he definitely didn’t hear. Even if he did hear… So what if he heard?! I didn’t say anything wrong!’
The discussions in the bus had no effect on Quentin. Even if he heard, it went in one ear and out the other. Most of the time, it didn’t even go in the first ear.
He saw the flower wall placed by the pillar and said in his heart to the system, “Are there photos of the flower wall on the forums? Help me save a few.”
The system’s tone was proud. “I already saved them long ago! Everyone on the forums really likes this flower wall. The posts by fans are extremely popular! I also saved the group photo of the fan club in front of the flower wall, and the ice cream truck, flag-waving, banner-holding… So many photos are saved!”
Quentin smiled. “Okay, thank you.”
After the bus stopped, he and Xue Mingzhu got off the bus one after the other.
They were among the first to get off, and the fans on both sides of the caution tape were practically shouting at the top of their lungs.
It wasn’t this exaggerated during the first public performance as there were fewer people. Fans would also speak at a normal volume. But with more people, everyone was worried their idol couldn’t hear what they were saying, and was worried that being too quiet wouldn’t let their idol feel their enthusiasm.
Furthermore, what if they controlled their volume only to be outshone by rival fans? That absolutely cannot be tolerated!
Thus, driven by the shouting fans, the atmosphere at the scene was fiercely hyped up. Even non-shouting fans learned to vent their excitement with volume.
“Uh, they sound… really energetic.”
Xue Mingzhu’s scalp was tingling from the sound waves from the left and right. For a moment, it seemed like tinnitus appeared, making it impossible to hear what they were shouting clearly.
He couldn’t help but sigh. “Your fans are quite different from you.”
Quentin was waving towards fans in different directions. He indeed also couldn’t hear clearly what they were saying. Even if he heard clearly, he couldn’t be sure who said it. So he could only respond with eye contact and waving.
Hearing Xue Mingzhu’s sigh, his gaze lingered on those fans wearing red fluffy chick headbands, raising their necks and roaring with all their might. He said in a low voice, “But your fans are quite similar to you.”
Xue Mingzhu raised the corner of his mouth, looking rather proud. “Heh, I think so too. Look how cute they are wearing those chicks.”
Quentin was quite interested in this. “Those were designed by you?”
“Of course not. How could I have that ability?” Xue Mingzhu shook his head repeatedly. “They were designed by my fans. Hmm, it was an older senior who majored in design three years ago. They probably started working now.”
Quentin praised. “The chicks are very cute.”
Xue Mingzhu was often called a “little chicken” by his fans before. Saying it himself didn’t feel like anything, but hearing Quentin say it made him inexplicably a bit embarrassed.
He coughed a few times and touched the tip of his nose. “Yes, very cute.”
Qiao Xue and Yang Siyi, who got off the bus after them, were also shocked by the surrounding cheers.
Qiao Xue was relatively calm. After all, he had been in the circle for a long time, and had seen all sorts of scenes. But Yang Siyi, like Quentin, was one of the few pure amateurs in “NS”. He looked at this huge crowd of people, the majestic and powerful scene, and was dazed and speechless.
“…?!”
Qiao Xue suddenly noticed something. He froze for a moment, subconsciously making a strange ‘eh’ sound.
“What’s wrong, Brother Qiao?”
Yang Siyi sensed the movement beside him and turned his head.
“….Ahem ahem ahem!”
Qiao Xue snapped back to reality, coughing as if choked, and hastily lowered his head, his tone somewhat odd. “Nothing…”
He wanted to speak but hesitated. After holding back for a moment, he still couldn’t help but whisper, “I think I saw my boss. The top boss.”
Yang Siyi didn’t react immediately, joking, “What big boss? A domineering CEO?”
The next second, he saw Qiao Xue’s face become solemn as he nodded. “Yes.”
Yang Siyi: “…? “
