I Won Over My Best Friend’s Idol - Chapter 15

Zheng Yi took a lightning-fast shower, finishing in under five minutes. The moment he collapsed onto the bed, he felt his soul finally return to his body. Honestly, even his usual grueling dance rehearsals had never left him feeling this completely drained.

Knock, knock, knock…

Hearing a rap at the door, he dragged himself sluggishly off the bed. The moment his feet slid into his slippers, his brow furrowed. He was just about to sleep…who could possibly be looking for him now?

“Who is it?” he called out.

“It’s me,” Kong Yinmeng replied.

After answering, she glanced toward the adjacent room, suddenly feeling a bit self-conscious. If Miao Ke overheard this, would she think there was something going on between them?

Inside the room, Zheng Yi’s hand froze right as he was about to turn the doorknob. He bit his lip, pausing. Then, he deliberately pulled off the tank top he had just put on post-shower, opening the door clad in nothing but a pair of loud, floral-print boxer shorts.

Kong Yinmeng: “…” Why does every single encounter with this guy have to be so scandalous?

Catching sight of the bags in her hands, he stepped aside to let her in. Kong Yinmeng had only intended to drop off the medicine, not actually step inside, but since he had already made way…

She reluctantly walked in and pulled out two brand-new towels. “I figured you guys wouldn’t be comfortable using the hotel towels, so I bought fresh ones. Did you share our address with Brother Liang? And Sister Xiao…I don’t know if she’s coming along, but I bought one for her too. I didn’t get one for Niu Niuniu, though; even if I did, she probably wouldn’t care to use it. Wait, why are you standing so close to me?”

She placed the towels on the nightstand, but when she turned around, he was right behind her. If she hadn’t braked in time, she would have crashed straight into his bare chest.

Zheng Yi shifted his weight closer to her, reaching out to touch the towel on the nightstand. “The quality really is better than the hotel’s. Hey… could you help me apply the medicine?”

“It’s just a blister. Since when are you so delicate that you need me to apply it for you?” She thrust the bag into his hands, only for him to let out a sharp hiss of pain. Startled, she snatched the bag back. “Are you okay? Wait, did the blister pop?”

When they were running away earlier, the blisters on his hands were perfectly intact. How had they popped in the short time since they got back? She quickly pushed him down onto the bed to make him sit, then knelt down to inspect his foot. Sure enough, that blister had popped too.

“I looked it up online and it said blisters heal faster if you pop them, so I did it right after my shower. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to work tomorrow,” Zheng Yi explained, looking completely innocent.

Kong Yinmeng didn’t even know whether to laugh or scold him. “Not only are you terrible with directions, but you’re a total disaster at basic life skills! Blisters can be naturally reabsorbed by the body. Popping them just invites infection. It’s a good thing I bought iodine; if I had left you to your own devices, you’d really be suffering right now. Give me your hand!”

She commanded him fiercely. Zheng Yi obediently held out his hand, watching her mumble under her breath as she treated his wounds.

“You should contact the director and have them send our suitcases over. If I had my luggage, I wouldn’t have had to go out to buy medicine. It feels like I’m constantly treating your injuries. Why can’t you just keep out of trouble? Lu Fangcao really is an idiot for being your die-hard fan.”

“I really am useless,” Zheng Yi murmured, his voice dropping. “You’ve been helping me all day. If you weren’t here, I probably wouldn’t have earned a single cent. Stripped of my celebrity status, I’m worse than an ordinary person.”

The moment the words left his mouth, Kong Yinmeng realized she had gone a bit too far. At best, they were practically strangers who had only crossed paths a few times; speaking to him like that was inappropriate.

Looking up, she saw his head bowed, his expression deeply dejected. His long eyelashes fluttered slightly, radiating a vulnerability that made her want to pull him into a comforting embrace.

Horrified by her own thoughts, Kong Yinmeng quickly finished treating his hands. When it came to his feet, he chose to apply the medicine himself. She stood there, completely awkward…wanting to leave, yet terrified he would spiral deeper into self-doubt if she did.

After a long pause, she gently sat down on the edge of the bed. “Um… what I said just now, it just slipped out. I didn’t mean anything by it. You’re actually incredibly talented. You have so many fans who adore you; you shouldn’t compare your weaknesses to other people’s strengths.”

“People’s subconscious remarks are usually their true thoughts,” Zheng Yi said, his mood remaining low. “You’re just trying to comfort me. In your eyes, I’m just a useless guy.”

Kong Yinmeng’s mind raced as she desperately tried to undo the damage. “Do you know why my friend loves you so much? Back in college, she was deeply hurt by a toxic guy. We went to different universities back then, so I was too far away to help. She nearly committed suicide during that dark period. If your music hadn’t kept her company, she wouldn’t have made it through. She told me you were the only beam of light in her darkness. There are so many people out there just like her. If it weren’t for you, they wouldn’t have the courage to keep moving forward. Zheng Yi, I might not be your fan, but I am incredibly grateful to you. Because of you, I didn’t lose my best friend.”

This was the real reason she had never stopped Lu Fangcao from fangirling. She knew exactly what Zheng Yi meant to her best friend, so even though she teased Fangcao for gushing over him every day, she always supported her.

Zheng Yi hadn’t expected such a heavy backstory. He also knew that if he kept playing the pity card, it would backfire. To make it this far in the industry, he possessed not just talent, but immense mental resilience. If a single day of hard labor could shatter his confidence, he wouldn’t have survived all these years…meaning his entire melancholy act just now had been completely staged for Kong Yinmeng’s benefit.

“Thank you for letting me know I’m not worthless,” he said. Before she could react, he reached out and pulled her into a tight embrace.

It was… incredibly sudden. Kong Yinmeng froze, her hands hovering awkwardly in mid-air. Holy crap! Did this guy forget he isn’t wearing a shirt? Is he intentionally testing her willpower?! She wasn’t his fan, sure, but she was still a red-blooded woman!

Trying to steady her racing pulse, she gently patted his bare back. “Everyone has value in this world, you don’t need to doubt that. Alright, lie down and rest. I’ll get in touch with Brother Liang. Get some sleep, you’ll feel better in the morning. Stop overthinking.”

Once he let go, Zheng Yi obediently tucked himself into bed, glancing pointedly at the blanket by his feet. Accepting her fate as his temporary caretaker, Kong Yinmeng pulled up the covers and tucked him in.

Mentally, she was screaming: How did I end up acting like his mother? Note to self: watch your mouth, the consequences are way too expensive!

The moment she stepped out of the room, Zheng Yi flipped over beneath the covers. Today had been incredibly rewarding. He didn’t even need to wait for the show to end; in just one day, he was absolutely certain of his feelings.

Kong Yinmeng was a woman truly worth falling for. She was kind, capable, and never complained. She was full of virtues, but most importantly, she had completely captured his heart.

With that thought, he pulled out his phone, opened WeChat, and sent a message to a specific contact.

[Li]: What are you up to? Did you go to C City?

Kong Yinmeng had just stepped back into her own room when her phone buzzed with the notification. She didn’t reply immediately; she had to survive Miao Ke’s impending interrogation first.

“Sister Kong, are you and Brother Zheng really not dating? I heard you knocking on his door just now, and you were in his room for a solid twenty minutes! I swear I’ll keep it a secret, just tell me the truth!”

Miao Ke was purely driven by a burning curiosity. She was also a fan of R.S., though her allegiance lay strictly with Lan Xiao. Her entire motivation for entering drama school was to get closer to Lan Xiao’s world…and the only reason she hadn’t pursued singing instead was because she was entirely tone-deaf!

“No, he and I are just ordinary friends,” Kong Yinmeng clarified, passing a towel to her. “My best friend is his hardcore fan and practically forced me to come on this show to look after him. Once the show wraps up, we probably won’t even stay in touch.”

She shifted the topic. “Did you tell Brother Liang to come over? I don’t have his contact info, and it’s getting late. He needs to get some rest.”

Miao Ke pouted. “Brother Liang said he, Sister Xiao, and the directing crew found another place to stay. They aren’t coming over tonight. He also strictly warned me not to leak this address to anyone.”

She pulled up a post that had already climbed to the fifth spot on the trending page. “Sister Kong, look at this. This Weibo post definitely came from an insider. We have a mole among us! Brother Liang said the director flew into a massive rage and is investigating the source. Once they catch the person, they’re getting kicked off the crew.”

Kong Yinmeng had already seen the trending topic. After a moment of thought, she dialed Lu Fangcao’s number. In situations like this, the power of the fandom was crucial.

“Mengmeng! You finally called! How are things over there? I saw online that the fans missed you guys. Is my husband okay?!” Lu Fangcao had been sick with worry for the past two hours, so getting a call from her best friend instantly set her off.

Even without the speakerphone on, her frantic voice echoed clearly enough for Miao Ke to hear every word. Miao Ke scratched behind her ear, wondering if she should excuse herself.

“He’s fine, I protected your husband beautifully,” Kong Yinmeng said, pouring two glasses of water. She handed one to Miao Ke and took a deep gulp from the other; she had barely had a sip of water after dinner before the chaotic escape began, and she was parched. “What’s the general mood among the fans right now? We need to squash these rumors…make sure everyone knows he and I have absolutely no romantic connection. Also, see if you can track down who leaked our location. If they keep sabotaging us, your husband is going to be in serious danger.”

“On it! Leave that to me,” Lu Fangcao declared righteously. “Your only mission is to keep him safe. When you get back, the treat is on me! Oh, by the way… based on your observations, do you think he actually has a secret girlfriend? A new set of ad photos he shot just dropped, and the fandom noticed what looks like a hickey on his neck! You have to help me investigate who stole him away!”

Lu Fangcao was practically bursting with indignation. It wasn’t that she opposed him dating, but the thought still stung. To her, Zheng Yi was a flawless deity…what if he was being manipulated by some horrible woman? He could date, sure, but it had to be someone the fandom approved of. No sketchy gold-diggers allowed.

“Alright, alright, I’ll look into it for you. Let’s divide and conquer.”

Hanging up the phone, an uncomfortable knot formed in Kong Yinmeng’s stomach. If Zheng Yi really has a girlfriend, then his actions tonight…holding her like that…were completely out of line.

Noticing Kong Yinmeng’s sudden dip in mood, Miao Ke quietly slipped into the bathroom to wash up, announcing she was heading to bed the moment she came out.

After a rushed cleanup of her own, Kong Yinmeng turned off the lights and climbed into bed. Tossing and turning, unable to find sleep, she finally remembered to check her WeChat.

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