Make Her Heart Flutter - Chapter 26

Chi Shuang raised an eyebrow slightly. With her mouth hidden behind the mask, Jiang Qi couldn’t tell whether she was smiling or not.

“Anyway, I’m not wearing it,” she declared. As an ordinary person and not some big celebrity, she was merely too strikingly beautiful.

Jiang Ran ran over. “It’s just a short walk anyway.”

Clearly, the director’s preparations had been somewhat useful. Those wearing hats and masks were understandable, after all, the midday sun was intense. And when it came to exceptionally beautiful women with great presence, people would naturally take a second look.

But when such a beauty was surrounded by a group of people in black masks and hats, those second glances began to stir suspicion.

“Hey, look at the one in the middle with the hat, doesn’t she look like Jiang Ran from SUN?”

“No way, could you be mistaken? They haven’t had any stage performances in Jiangcheng lately.”

“And that one over there, is that Tang Qiluo? I’ve been totally obsessed with him lately! It’s really him! I’d recognize him even if he turned to ashes!”

“Chi Shuang! It really is Chi Shuang! I never thought I’d see her here. Are they filming a show?”

“Oh no!” the director muttered under his breath as a small crowd began to gather.

Fortunately, they weren’t in a bustling downtown area but near a remote studio, there were people around, but not many.

The photographer, who had gotten out of the car last, stepped up as an impromptu bodyguard, positioning himself in front of Jiang Qi and Chi Shuang.

Seeing the situation spiraling out of control, the director grabbed a megaphone.

“Everyone, please settle down. We’re currently recording a program. Crowding like this will disrupt traffic. Once our variety show airs, you’ll all get to see it!”

After his announcement, more than half of the twenty or so people dispersed. However, a few persistent young men and women pushed forward, shouting, “Give us an autograph! Just one photo and we’ll leave!”

Though the crowd wasn’t large, their loud cries drew the attention of passersby.

Chi Shuang frowned almost imperceptibly, tugged Jiang Qi’s sleeve, and whispered, “Let’s go. If we linger, the crowd might grow.”

“Ranran,” Chi Shuang called out again. Jiang Ran, catching her glance, nodded in understanding.

Jiang Qi looked at Chi Shuang, who shook her head. “It’s fine. Once we leave, the onlookers will disperse.”

As celebrities, they were accustomed to such situations. They were always willing to show gratitude and interact with fans who came to greet them at airports or public events.

But when it came to obsessive fans who tracked their private schedules, or worse, picked their locks and installed hidden cameras in their homes, Chi Shuang had nothing but disdain.

Jiang Qi glanced up and saw Jiang Ran speaking with Yan Xu, occasionally casting shocked looks toward a particular person in the crowd.

As Chi Shuang led Jiang Qi away, she asked, “What’s wrong?”

Jiang Ran lowered her voice. “I’m shocked. Yan Xu said that girl over there…” She pointed discreetly at the nearest young woman.

She looked innocent, with straight bangs and twin tails, light makeup, and a youthful appearance.

“…is actually Yan Xu’s obsessive fan. Last year, she broke into his home. It caused a huge uproar, with the incident spreading like wildfire on Weibo. And Yan Xu never even exposed her identity.”

From her expression, it was clear Jiang Ran was utterly stunned.

“I thought she would have learned her lesson after being detained last time, and she’s still so young, what will happen to her if this gets exposed? But…” It had only been half a year, and she had followed him again. Yan Xu revealed a bitter smile.

Seeing them continue walking without acknowledging her, the twin-tailed sasaeng fan grew frantic: “Yan Xu! How dare you keep walking! Is this how you treat your fans? We’ve been boosting your rankings, making videos, and campaigning for you, and this is how you repay us?”

Yan Xu paused briefly but remained silent.

In truth, Yan Xu had noticed someone tailing him as soon as he arrived in Jiangcheng. However, after the production team became aware of the situation, they had taken precautions to shake off the pursuer when picking him up.

Given this, the person must have been staying in Jiangcheng for nearly twenty days, truly unsettling.

Jiang Qi raised an eyebrow. Could there really be someone so shameless in the world? She glanced sideways at Chi Shuang, who wore an unusually expressionless face.

An idea sparked in her mind, and she called out to the director, “Director, give me the megaphone.”

The director’s temple twitched, a vague sense of foreboding washing over him. What was this troublemaker planning?

When the director didn’t respond, Jiang Qi strode over and snatched the megaphone herself.

“You,” Jiang Qi lifted her chin slightly, “What kind of fan are you, anyway?”

Her cool voice cut through the air, and the entire scene fell silent. People exchanged uncertain glances, unsure how to react.

Then, noticing where Jiang Qi’s gaze was directed, they realized her words weren’t meant for them.

The twin-tailed sasaeng fan was visibly taken aback, muttering to herself, “How dare you speak to me like that.”

Jiang Qi was naturally a woman of few words, so even Yan Xu was surprised she had spoken up for him.

What happened next left Yan Xu even more astonished.

Jiang Qi slowly raised her hand and flipped the middle finger.

A flicker of amusement crossed Chi Shuang’s eyes. She pulled down her mask and mirrored the gesture, raising the same universally understood signal toward the fan.

Jiang Qi was stunned. What was she witnessing? This was Chi Shuang, the composed, dignified Chi Shuang, joining in on her mischief?

Some had said:

“If you’re paid such a high salary, you should bear the corresponding consequences.”

“What’s a little stalking when you’re earning that much money?”

“If you didn’t protect your privacy properly, who else is there to blame?”

Suddenly feeling defended, Yan Xu’s eyes grew warm. He lowered his head, looking at his hand held by Tang Qiluo, and murmured softly, “Thank you.”

Oh, these troublemakers!

While everyone else felt a sense of vindication, the director was on the verge of tears. He couldn’t understand how things had escalated like this. An assistant leaned in, whispering something into his ear, and the director’s expression gradually shifted into something more contemplative.

It took only twenty minutes for the group to finally break away from the crowd and reach the studio.

Once inside, Yan Xu finally relaxed enough to sit down. Perhaps recalling the incident from half a year ago, his expression still seemed somewhat troubled.

Tang Qiluo was comforting him nearby, while Jiang Ran offered him water. Seizing the moment, Chi Shuang nudged Jiang Qi with her elbow and remarked lightly, “Quite the helpful soul, aren’t you?”

Her cheerful tone suggested she was in a good mood.

A faint smile tugged at the corner of Jiang Qi’s lips, barely noticeable, but there if one looked closely. “You too,” she replied.

The afternoon photoshoot for promotional images went relatively smoothly, wrapping up before 7 p.m.

The reason it was only “relatively” smooth was that five of the six participants were professionals. The only unskilled and struggling one was Jiang Qi.

By the end of the afternoon, she was utterly drained of patience. The moment she stepped into the van, she collapsed into her seat.

Jiang Qi leaned the seat back a little and remained half-reclined in the chair for a full five minutes before regaining some energy.

Originally, the production team had planned to release the promotional photos before the first broadcast. However, with the recent issues involving obsessive fans, they now had to take corresponding measures. If someone else broke the news first, it would create an unfavorable situation for both the production team and Chi Shuang and Jiang Qi.