Chapter 10: Dinosaurs Are Afraid of Little Birds, This Is Not a Rumor!

“Who are you? Get off Ji Jingchuan right now!”

“He’s already so enlightened, and you still won’t call him Comrade Xiao Ji?”

“Comrade Xiao Ji? What the heck, hahaha.”

“Ji Jingchuan, you’re so unfamiliar today that it’s scary.”

The staff was momentarily stunned but quickly came up with a response. “It’s fine. I’m your fan. How about we take a photo together? That way, it won’t feel like I’m taking this for nothing.”

Ji Jingchuan shot her a sideways glance and asked warily, “What’s the name of my first single?”

“‘Listen.’ It’s my favorite song of yours.” She answered fluently and even hummed a few lines: “If I’m obedient enough, will you turn back and look at me?”

“Oh no, this one really came prepared. Even his earliest songs are in her memory.”

“I saw someone say that ‘Listen’ was written after Ji Jingchuan had his heart broken. Is that true?”

“Fake. He was only seventeen back then—what kind of heartbreak could he have had?”

**”Besides, his classmates already debunked that rumor. Ji Jingchuan has been face-blind since he was a kid. Back in high school, he saw a girl crying by the river and thought she was about to do something drastic, so he went up and asked what was wrong. She said she had just been rejected after confessing. Ji Jingchuan tried to comfort her by saying, ‘It’s just a guy. There are plenty of handsome and talented men in the world. Could he possibly be as outstanding as me?’ The girl ended up crying even harder because it was *him* who had rejected her.”**

“Ji Jingchuan comedy moment +1. Was he already this narcissistic in high school?”

“Born narcissistic. That’s why when someone says they’re his fan, he actually believes them.”

But to everyone’s surprise, Ji Jingchuan remained unmoved and continued his rapid-fire questioning.

“Where was the first stop of my tour last year?”

“Yunchuan, your mother’s hometown.”

“My height?”

“186 cm.”

“Name three awards I’ve won since debut.”

“MAA Music Festival’s Best Male Singer, Most Influential Idol of the Year, Best Pop Music Producer.”

Ji Jingchuan’s speech became faster and faster, and the girl visibly grew tense—but she still answered flawlessly.

Until he asked: “What do you like about me? Describe my strengths in 100 words.”

“Uh…”

“Not enough words to fully express your admiration?”

“No! I’m just excited to finally meet you in person, let me organize my thoughts!” She paused, then said, “I think you’re very genuine, one of the rare truly sincere personalities in the entertainment industry…”

Ji Jingchuan silently watched her. When he heard the phrase ‘handsome and talented,’ his expression finally shifted slightly. He raised an eyebrow. “Alright, last question—”

The girl let out an almost imperceptible sigh of relief and smiled. “Go ahead.”

“How many times have I left my fan group chats in total?”

“???”

“Wait, you have to pass a test like this just to be recognized as a fan?”

“Hold on, let me count. Last time, he left because fans kept sending him food pictures in the middle of the night and made him hungry. Before that, he left because he had an argument with Shang Que and no one took his side. The time before that, he left because he argued with Shang Que again, and this time, everyone did take his side.”

“Huh? So he gets mad whether they help him or not? How high-maintenance is he?”

“Oh, and there was that one time when the group chat was full, and the admins accidentally kicked him out. When they re-added him, he immediately left again. That counts as two times, right?”

“Crap, I don’t know any of this. I’m a Level 14 super fan who does engagement tasks every day—please don’t revoke my fan status! [Crying] [Crying]”

Seeing that she couldn’t answer, Ji Jingchuan smirked smugly. “Stop pretending. I’ve already seen through you!”

“I really am your fan!” the girl protested. “Just because I don’t know how many times you’ve left the group, you’re deciding I’m not a real fan? Most people wouldn’t know that!”

“It’s not because of that.”

“Then why—?”

“Because you got my height wrong,” Ji Jingchuan lifted his chin and said matter-of-factly, “I’m 186.7 cm.”

He deliberately emphasized the ‘point seven’ part. Hearing such a ridiculous reason, the girl’s eyes filled with disbelief.

“Oh, I remember now! There was an interview where they asked who was the tallest in their group. Feng Ye said they were both 186 cm, but Ji Jingchuan wasn’t convinced and made them measure on the spot. It turned out he was 186.7, and he successfully defended his title as the tallest in the group.”

“Hahaha, that iconic moment. Ji Jingchuan even said Feng Ye’s 186 included his shoes and hairstyle.”

“Why is he so competitive about literally everything?”

“Wait a second—if he figured it out so early, why did he keep questioning her the whole time?”

【Of course, it was just to hear people praise him. Didn’t you notice that the last two questions were all about making people say how great he is?】

【Ahhhhh, this is so Ji Jingchuan!】

Because he passed the program’s test, their team’s startup funds increased by 200 yuan as a reward. Ji Jingchuan stared at the money in his hand for a few seconds, his eyes lighting up. “Shang Que!!!”

When he found Shang Que, she was in the outdoor supplies section, selecting a moisture-proof mat. Ji Jingchuan stepped on the edge of a shopping cart, gliding over excitedly, making his own entrance sound effects: “Dun-dun-dun-dun! Look at what I’ve got!”

Shang Que turned her head and looked at the red bills he was dramatically waving.

Before she could say anything, Ji Jingchuan eagerly recounted how he passed the test—of course, with some embellishments.

“The program team was so cunning, but unfortunately for them, I was way too smart. I saw through their tricks in an instant.” Ji Jingchuan smugly asked, “Well? Don’t you think I’m a genius? Just say it, no need to hold back.”

Shang Que rolled her eyes and ignored him, turning back to the shelves. But the next second, two red bills suddenly appeared right in front of her.

“I heard you praising me in your heart.” Ji Jingchuan raised an eyebrow. “Here, take the money.”

【???】
【I thought you came to show off to Shang Que, but you’re actually here to give her money???】
【Is this really the Ji Jingchuan I know? Why does he feel so unfamiliar?】
【Honestly, ever since the first live broadcast, I’ve felt like something about him was off, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.】
【It feels like he listens to Shang Que. Can I say that? Even though they’re always bickering on the surface, last time when Shang Que told him to “get lost,” he actually did. Today, she started counting “three, two, one,” and he immediately obeyed. And earlier, when he wanted to buy snacks, the moment Shang Que got mad, he backed down right away.】
【Did she catch him doing something embarrassing? Maybe she has a video of him peeing outside?】
【It’s like an instinctive suppression. Who else gets this feeling…?】
【Like a mouse afraid of a cat?】
【Teacher, why is our Ji Jingchuan being compared to a mouse? He’s clearly Dinosaur Chuan Chuan.】
【Dinosaurs being afraid of little birds isn’t just a myth!】

Shang Que didn’t take the money. Instead, she frowned slightly. “Why are you giving it to me? You earned it yourself; it’s yours.”

“What’s mine or yours,” Ji Jingchuan shoved the money into her hand without letting her refuse and, pretending to be impatient, said, “Just take it as—uh…”

Shang Que completed his sentence for him. “Take it as you showing your respect to me.”

Ji Jingchuan glared at her. “Give my money back.”

“What’s yours or mine?” Shang Que mimicked his tone and stuffed the money into her pocket. “Once it’s in my hands, it’s mine.”

【Hahahaha, Ji Jingchuan, you can’t win against her.】
【Shang Que: I was just humoring you, and you actually took it seriously? All the money in the world is mine.】

She grabbed a few more items and tossed them into the shopping cart before turning to leave.

Ji Jingchuan fumed behind her. “Shang Que! I’m gonna—”

Shang Que glanced back. “Come on, let’s go get your snacks.”

“—get cucumber-flavored chips.” Ji Jingchuan instantly changed his words and quickly followed. “And tomato-flavored! And crayfish-flavored!”

The aisles were a bit narrow. As they walked back to the snack section, the little boy who had been whining for snacks earlier was still lying on the ground, shouting, “I want it, I want it!” His mother stood off to the side, looking embarrassed.

As Ji Jingchuan passed by, he couldn’t resist being mischievous. “Shang Que, I want chips, jelly, and marshmallows!”

Shang Que didn’t even turn around. “Go ahead. Get them all.”

Ji Jingchuan, satisfied, left the scene like a villain getting away with his crime, gliding off on the shopping cart.

The next second, a heartbreaking wail erupted behind him.

【Ji Jingchuan, you’re so childish.】
【Little Kid: Are you happy now, you cold and heartless man? I will never forgive you. Never!!!】

After gathering everything they needed, everyone met up at the checkout counter. Lu Zhixu and Ning Sheng had filled their cart with fruits and condiments—clearly, they had also earned extra money.

Meanwhile, Lin Jinyi and Jiang Yizhe had both been tricked, each losing 20 yuan.

【No wonder the program team gave out startup funds in small increments of ten yuan—it was to make deducting money easier.】
【Hahahaha, Little Feather and the Young Lady are so gullible. One willingly took photos for a “true fan,” and the other taught them how to adjust beauty filters. Then, after getting their pictures, the “fans” immediately turned around and fined them twenty each.】
【Lin Jinyi & Jiang Yizhe: Good people get taken advantage of.】

After hearing about their misfortune, Ji Jingchuan clicked his tongue in disdain. “Such a simple trick, and you still fell for it?”

Lin Jinyi immediately shot back, “If it weren’t for Shang Que, you’d be in the same boat as us.”

“Who says that?” Ji Jingchuan smirked, proudly announcing, “Shang Que wasn’t even there at the time. I, the great genius, passed the program’s test all by myself using my sharp mind and logical analysis.”

【I suspect Ji Jingchuan only mocked them so he could brag about this.】
【Is there even a need to suspect? His tail is practically wagging.】

Lin Jinyi scoffed. “That just means you got lucky.”

“Luck? It was pure skill.” Ji Jingchuan narrowed his eyes. “I see what this is—you’re just jealous of me.”

“Who’s jealous of you?!” Lin Jinyi looked personally offended and turned to get a second opinion. “Shang Que, tell him—what does he even have that I’d be jealous of?”

Ji Jingchuan answered before Shang Que could, “Obviously, you’re jealous of my intelligence. Unlike some people, who placed last in the first round and got scammed in this one.”

Imitating Lin Jinyi, he also turned to ask, “Shang Que, tell me, aren’t I better than her?”

Shang Que: ?

Why was she being dragged into this?

But before she could say anything, Lin Jinyi countered, “How are you better than me? You only won the swimming competition last time because Shang Que carried you! If the program hadn’t paired you together, she wouldn’t even bother with you.”

“If she wouldn’t bother with me, would she bother with you?”

Lin Jinyi emphasized, “At least she follows me on Weibo.”

Ji Jingchuan refused to back down. “I have her on WeChat. And we chat every day!”

【Wait a minute… why did this turn into a battle for Shang Que?!】
【The bigger shock is that Ji Jingchuan and Shang Que actually added each other on WeChat?!】
【I’d only believe half of what comes out of his mouth.】
【The Young Lady never disappoints—Shang Que and Ji Jingchuan are so shippable.】

The two kept bickering, refusing to give in, and in the end, they both turned to ask, “Shang Que, who’s better, me or him/her?”

At this point, choosing either would offend the other. So Shang Que played it safe. “Stop arguing. You have your flaws, and he has his shortcomings. You’re both bad.”

【Hahahahaha, instead of offending one, she offended both.】
【Shang Que: I’m not targeting anyone in particular. I’m saying that all of you are trash. [OK]】