Guan Yuanbai hasn't met Zhao Fanfan for a whole week.
During the past two months, this was the first time where he hadn't seen her for such a long time. There's no her in the parking lot, not at grandma's house, nor was she at the area near his company. On top of that, even her basic WeChat message is now absent.
He can't get used to this, so much so that he started questioning himself whether he has talked too much or spoke harshly when sending her home the other day.
"Where's Xiaowu?" Today, Qi Chengyan came back from his company to the Guan family's house. For the last couple of days, he and Guan Zhiyi have been staying at this place. He left home early in the morning to take care of company business and just now returned.
Guan Yuanbai: "Still sleeping, I think, I didn't see her coming down."
"I see."Qi Chengyan glanced at his wrist watch,"It's still early, let her sleep a little longer."
Guan Yuanbai casually asked, "You guys got plans today?"
"She has a fan meeting for her movie this afternoon."
Guan Yuanbai let out an 'Oh', then asked,"Her agent should be the one who cue her schedule, since when did you need to come too?"
"I've got some free time today, so I want to accompany her and go together, that's all."
"Bleh....clingy."
Qi Chengyan chuckled,"You're just envious of what you don't have."
"Why would I do that, I also...."Guan Yuanbai unconsciously was going to say that he also has someone who is clingy to him, but on second thought, it's already been several days since that person clung to him.
To his surprise, such thoughts somewhat made him feel a sense of loss.
When he saw that he abruptly couldn't continue his words, Qi Chengyan inquired,"What? You also have it? You got together with that Miss Zhou from the other day?"
"No, I haven't seen her for a while."
Qi Chengyan raised his eyebrows slightly,"Oh, looks like she decided to give up, seeing you keep rejecting her."
"......"
Qi Chengyan: "Well, it's for the better, you don't like her anyway."
Guan Yuanbai furrowed his eyebrows,"I didn't say I didn't like her that day, I merely said she doesn't have to keep pursuing me like that, using all those toady gestures. It's not suitable for a girl."
At first, Qi Chengyan was only making small talk, he wasn't expecting to suddenly hear Guan Yuanbai say such a sentence. He was stunned for a moment before saying,"So you....like her?"
Guan Yuanbai choked, "Did I say I like her?"
"That's what I gather from your words, if not, what are you so angry for?"
Guan Yuanbai's expression changed a little,"Heh, I'm angry because that person said she want to get along as friends. How long has it been since we're getting along, yet she's already running away? Why can't she be a bit more patient? Can't I get some time to consider things?"
Qi Chengyan went silent for a moment,"Yuanbai."
"What."
"Now I know the reason why you've been single for so long."
"...."
___
At one o'clock in the afternoon, Liu Yun and her team came directly to Guan Zhiyi's house to do her makeup and hair, once everything was done, the group went to where the fan meeting will be held.
As he was still pondering at home, Guan Yuanbai suddenly received a call from Guan Zhiyi. She explained how she had to fetch a jewellery that was sent by a brand from home, as she was required to wear it during the fanmeeting, but the event is about to begin and it would take too much time to make a round trip, so she asked him to let somebody bring it to her.
Since Guan Yuanbai had nothing else to do anyway, he took the box and headed towards the fanmeeting's venue.
Guan Yuanbai arrived half an hour before the event started, he handed over the jewelry box to the staff who was already waiting in advance at the doorway.
The staff said as he was leaving, "Mr. Guan, do you want to go in and have a seat?"
"Don't mind me, carry on with your job, I'll walk around on my own."
"Okay, then I'll give you this pass, you're able to access freely."
Guan Yuanbai while nodding his head,"Got it."
The venue was bustling with people, numerous fans were coming in and out, carrying banners or light signboards, a lot of people even had 'Yi' word pasted on their faces. Guan Yuanbai had no intention to witness all this and was initially about to turn around and leave, but all of a sudden someone from the company called him.
He halted his footsteps and stepped aside to answer the call.
"Aaaaah, I saw her just now! Her look for today is stunning! She's so gorgeous! I'm going to get nosebleeds!" He unexpectedly heard a loud voice that was masked in conspicuous excitement coming from behind him
Guan Yuanbai paused, somehow feeling a little familiar with this voice, he turned his head to look.
He saw the backs of five or six girls walking past him, they were all dressed in matching clothes with Guan Zhiyi Fanclub Union logo on each of them.
"Are you serious?! I wish I didn't go to the bathroom and miss it earlier, huhuhu!"
"I say, the lazy sure have a lot of poop and piss**!"
(**Someone who is slacking off uses "going to the bathroom" as an excuse for not working.)
"Whatever, I still can see her later anyway, hehehe. Hey, your camera bumped into someone just now, it's not broken is it?"
"No, it's not. If something were really to happen, and I can't take beautiful pictures of the female goose today, I shall rip apart that person from before!"
____
The figures disappeared into the entrance of the fan meeting venue.
Guan Yuanbai squinted his eyes and said to the person on the call that he needed to hang up, then soon followed them.
He easily got in using the pass given by the staff member.
However, the moment he went in, he was welcomed with a large vast of people..... and plenty of them were wearing the very same clothes. He absolutely could not find the girl who walked past him a moment ago.
After looking all around the place, he suddenly found himself might be a bit too over-suspicious.
The person speaking just now could merely have a vocal color that somewhat resembled Zhou Fanfan's, by no means she's really Zhou Fanfan.
Not to mention, there's no way Zhou Fanfan would come to this place dressed in Guan Zhiyi fan's shirt while holding Guan Zhiyi's light signboard, nor will she speak loudly like that, let alone using all those rash words.
It's nothing like her usual well-behaved and gentle appearance.
The fanmeeting started and Guan Zhiyi with the other actors went on the stage. Guan Yuanbai thought he might as well just stay now that he's already inside. He walked towards the staff side and saw Qi Chengyan standing there.
"You're not leaving?" Qi Chengyan looked at him in surprise.
Guan Yuanbai certainly won't mention that he came in because he saw someone who looked like Zhou Fanfan and followed her. That would be too humiliating, "I want to take a look."
"Oh."
The fan meeting ended an hour later.
All the actors and actresses returned backstage and went their separate ways.
Whereas the fans didn't leave right away after dispersing from the venue, everyone will wait at the entrance to watch their idol leaving in person. The same applied to Guan Zhiyi's fans. Guan Yuanbai and Guan Zhiyi saw two neat rows of fans on the side when they came out together from backstage.
"Yiyi, fighting!"
"Bye bye, Zhiyi~~"
As Guan Yuanbai was walking a few steps behind Guan Zhiyi, he suddenly heard a familiar voice.
"Female goose, bye bye!!"
Among many voices, he can distinguish this voice, this was the one he heard while he was on call earlier, the voice that sounds similar to that of Zhou Fanfan.
Guan Yuanbai stopped in his tracks and turned his eyes towards the row of people next to him.....
Guan Zhiyi was escorted by staff and was about to enter the car, but something suddenly came to her mind and she wanted to talk to her brother about it. However, the moment she turned her head, she discovered that, instead of following her, he was standing in front of the crowd of fans.
She looked at him in confusion, and naturally the people around her also looked over trailing her line of sight.....
Zhou Fanfan really didn't notice that Guan Yuanbai is here too, everytime she went to Guan Zhiyi's activities, she wouldn't spare a glance at other people once her female goose appeared. Which is why it was already too late to escape when she realized that Guan Yuanbai was standing right before her eyes, she instinctively touched the mask she was wearing.
What's going on....the hell is he doing here....Why is he standing in front of her? She's put on a mask, isn't she?
The group of fans around her was also taken aback to see Guan Yuanbai, everyone here is a 'senior figure' in the fanclub, aka die-hard fans, so, of course, they know about their idol's older brother.
"Zhou Fanfan." Guan Yuanbai looked at her stony-faced.
Zhou Fanfan staggered, what the hell, he actually can recognize her!
Guan Yuanbai: "Come out."
"......"
Taking a deep breath, the first thing that came to Zhou Fanfan's mind was to feign ignorance then run away! But Guan Yuanbai saw her intention clearly, seeing that she's going to turn around, he immediately reached out to pull her wrist.
Zhou Fanfan said in a subdued voice, "Ahem.... wh--who are you? You must have mistaken me as someone else."
The fans around her: "......"
As a senior fan, how could she not recognize Guan Yuanbai? No, that's not it, they should be focusing on why Guan Yuanbai is pulling their fan club member's hand!
Guan Yuanbai snorted coldly, he pulled Zhou Fanfan to the side without saying anything.
Not far away, Guan Zhiyi, who still hasn't gotten into the car, said,"Why is my brother pulling my fans?"
Qi Chengyan was also a little puzzled, but his main concern was still Guan Zhiyi's safety,"Get in the car first, let's call him when we're inside."
"Okay..."
____
An hour later, at the Guan family mansion.
Four people gazed at one another in silence inside the living room.
"So, you're her fans?" After a long time, Guan Yuanbai at last opened his mouth.
Zhou Fanfan had a tense expression,"Uh....that, as you can see."
Guan Zhiyi was bewildered, who knew that her future sister-in-law is a part of her own fan club,"This....is this true?"
Presented with such a question from her idol, as a veteran fan, she naturally wanted to forthwith express her devotion,"It's true! Of course I am! I really like you, I never miss any of your activities, I always come by to the airport for you if I'm available, mm..... you're my true destiny!"
The corner of Qi Chengyan's mouth raised, but seeing how awfully terrible Guan Yuanbai's expression is, he tried to suppressing it back down,"Judging by her outfit, it does seem to be the truth."
Guan Yuanbai took another look to seized her up, a camera, fanclub shirt, the sticker on her face, the light signboard she's holding.....Guan Yuanbai breathed deeply, recalling the scene he saw at the fan meeting a moment ago, those liveliness, those enthusiasm, she looked as if she was a different person.
No, maybe, those were the real her, while her obedient and reserved self in front of him before is nothing but a pretending!
"You arranged this blind date on purpose?" Guan Yuanbai asked.
Zhou Fanfan shook her head right away,"No, no, no! That's impossible! My family doesn't have that kind of capability.....grandma was fond of me and said she wanted to arrange it. I did not know it was you at first and was initially reluctant to go. Then later I found out that it was you....I, I lost my rationality, hoping that maybe I can meet the female goose....ah no, I mean, meet Zhiyi! Hence I went, however, I didn't expect her to be on a honeymoon for such a long time afterwards...."
Guan Yuanbai's lips twitched slightly,"So, all in all, you were only waiting for her return to meet her during the past two months!
"Err....also conveniently giving presents."
Yeah, right....When he was given a present every-so-often, she always brought two, saying one of them is for his sister!
Guan Yuanbai: "You take me as a courier!"
Zhou Fanfan sheepishly said,"I'm not....I, I gave you one, too."
"I figure you only give one for me in passing."
Zhou Fanfan let out a light cough,"That's not true, actually I...."
...like you.
Before she could finish her words, she found Guan Yuanbai sneered,"What not true? You really can do it ah, Zhou Fanfan, skillfully pretending to play-nice and dared to approach me. Looks like your wish to meet her has been granted last time, that's why you didn't contact me for a whole week."
Zhou Fanfan was stupefied,"But.... you were the one who said you don't like me and asked me not to send anymore gifts, you also told me I shouldn't chase after you."
"I, I did...."All at once, Guan Yuanbai didn't know what to say, that seemed to be the case?
"I thought I should leave you alone since my wish has already been fulfilled and you don't have any feelings for me either."Zhou Fanfan got up and did a ninety degree bow,"I'm sorry, I have no excuse for what I did, I shouldn't have fooled you during the blind date and still keep you in the dark about it afterwards. I'll make sure I won't bother ever again from now on!"
After saying this, she made another bow to Guan Zhiyi and Qi Chengyan, then swiftly ran towards the door.
Guan Yuanbai: "Hey...."
Qi Chengyan stroked his chin,"She seems to be frightened, as expected, a brat is still a brat after all."
Guan Zhiyi hit him, "What brat, she is my fan!"
Qi Chengyan laughed and said, "Trying to protect your fans?"
"Of course I am...."Guan Zhiyi took a quick glance at Guan Yuanbai and very much wanted to laugh, but she feel that it would be so inappropriate to laugh at this moment, her expression was awkward between smiling and not smiling, in the end she said,"Brother, don't blame her, she just really like me so much that she couldn't help but to approaching you."
"....?"Guan Yuanbai shot her a chilling gaze.
Guan Zhiyi immediately made a gesture of sealing her mouth,"I promise I won't tell others. Chengyan brother, you also must by all means not talk about it. Otherwise, my brother will lose face."
Qi Chengyan cooperatively nodded his head,"Understood."
Guan Yuanbai: "....I'm leaving!"
As soon as Guan Yuanbai left, Guan Zhiyi said,"Alas, I thought I finally got a sister-in-law, but she's flying away again."
Qi Chengyan: "You can't know that for sure."
"Why not? They both don't have any feelings for each other..."
Qi Chengyan: "I don't know if Miss Zhou likes your brother or not, but that might not necessarily be true for your brother."
Guan Zhiyi said with surprise,"How can that be? He looked kind of angry just now."
"He's indeed angry, however, why would he get angry if he doesn't care?"Qi Chengyan laughed,"Besides, with your brother's temper, you think he will let himself be at a disadvantage?"
"Oh.... then what do you think he's gonna do?"
"I guess he's definitely going to.... deviously pressure her to make amends to him."
Guan Zhiyi thought that since Guan Yuanbai is her blood brother, she will surely understand him better than Qi Chengyan.
Later, however, she happened to see Zhou Fanfan cooking for her brother at Xinghe Bay, Zhou Fanfan pitifully told her that this is only the fifth apology meal, and that she still has to make ninety-five more.
Then she came to realize that, sure enough, men will understand men better.