Chapter 128 – Male Fan

When Xu Jian’s cousin, Liu Nuan, arrived, Qin Chen and Xu Jian had already been waiting in the parking lot of the high-speed railway station.

While making a phone call and keeping an eye out for any entertainment reporters around, Liu Nuan cautiously approached Xu Jian’s car, feeling like she was in a spy rendezvous scene from a TV drama.

Xu Jian’s uncle and aunt packed a suitcase for him, filled with items from smoked meat to vacuum-sealed salted chicken, from preserved eggs to their own fruits…

The suitcase was completely packed, and incredibly heavy; just carrying it from the station exit made Liu Nuan doubt her life.

Following the directions Xu Jian provided over the phone to find the car, Liu Nuan, without time for pleasantries, arrived at the car and, lifting the suitcase, tapped the trunk.

“Xiao Jian, open the trunk.”

Before Liu Nuan finished speaking, Qin Chen, seated in the driver’s seat, opened the car door and walked over. He took the suitcase from her hands to her surprise, and said:

“Let me do it, cousin.”

Liu Nuan looked at Qin Chen’s face, one she usually saw only on TV or in movies, and involuntarily exclaimed, “Ah?”

Is this person Qin Chen? What did he call me?

Cousin???

The parking lot at the high-speed railway station was crowded. Even though it was getting late, there was still a risk of being recognized. Therefore, Xu Jian gently nudged the dazed Liu Nuan and quietly said, “Let’s get in the car first.”

When getting into the car, in a place where Qin Chen couldn’t see, Liu Nuan tugged at Xu Jian’s clothes, gestured towards Qin Chen, and whispered, lowering her voice, “What’s going on?”

Qin Chen being both the boss of Le Yu Entertainment and Xu Jian’s immediate superior was something Liu Nuan had only recently found out. While Xu Jian had casually mentioned their good relationship, she hadn’t expected their relationship to be good enough for Qin Chen to personally come to pick her up.

Following Liu Nuan’s gaze, Xu Jian glanced at Qin Chen and then replied in a low voice, “I’ll explain later.”

Upon hearing the word ‘explain’, Liu Nuan exclaimed, “Oh,” understanding his implication–there’s a story behind it.

When getting into the car, Liu Nuan initially thought Xu Jian would sit with her in the back seat, but he opened the passenger side door directly, leaving the back seat vacant.

After a few seconds of puzzlement, Liu Nuan realized:

If Qin Chen was driving and both she and Xu Jian were sitting in the back, it might give the impression that they were treating Qin Chen like a chauffeur.

After a few seconds of puzzlement, Liu Nuan realized:

With this thought, Liu Nuan suddenly felt enlightened.

“Cousin, this is Qin Shen, you should know him.”

Qin Chen turned to look at Luan Nuan, “Hello, cousin.”

Luan Nuan thought, ‘Who doesn’t know Qin Chen,’ and smiled as she spoke, “I know, I’ve heard so much about you. I’m Luan Nuan, Xiao Jian’s cousin. Thanks to you, Xiao Jian has been taken care of.”

Before the two could respond, Luan Nuan couldn’t help but ask Qin Chen, “Mr. Qin, why do you also call me cousin ah?”

Qin Chen calling her cousin always felt a bit strange to Luan Nuan, but she couldn’t put her finger on why.

After hearing Liu Nuan’s words, Xu Jian cleared his throat and looked at her with a blush, “Cousin, there’s something I haven’t had a chance to tell you…”

Liu Nuan turned to look at him, questioning with her eyes: What is it?

Glancing at Qin Chen, who wasn’t prepared to speak, Xu Jian unconsciously touched his neck and then said to Liu Nuan, “Qin Chen is my boyfriend.”

Liu Nuan’s expression froze, suspecting that her ears were playing tricks on her. She looked at Xu Jian and then at Qin Chen, taking a long time to squeeze out a difficult sentence from between her teeth, “Boyfriend… what does that mean?”

Qin Chen remained composed, “It means that we’re in a romantic relationship.”

Liu Nuan: “…”

Seeing the serious expressions on both of their faces, with one looking earnest and the other blushing, neither seemed like they were joking with her. Liu Nuan’s eyes widened suddenly, and she couldn’t hold back a spontaneous “I f**” slipping out.

Ignoring the fact that she had just said foul language when meeting Qin Chen for the first time, Liu Nuan straightened her back and looked at Xu Jian, her tone filled with disbelief: “Is it true? Are you two really together?”

Liu Nuan’s reaction was so intense that Xu Jian was embarrassed and a little nervous at the same time. He nodded hesitantly, “Really.”

Her good cousin, who said that he was bent, was now causing quite a stir. Overwhelmed, Liu Nuan covered her forehead and leaned back, signaling that she needed some time to collect her thoughts.

This moment of respite for Liu Nuan extended until the three of them finished dinner and returned home. Qin Chen received an unexpected work call and went upstairs to the study to handle business, leaving only Xu Jian and Liu Nuan in the living room.

Surveying the place where Xu Jian and Qin Chen lived, Liu Nuan suddenly heaved a sigh, and looking at Xu Jian, she spoke softly, “I’m relieved to see you’re doing well.”

Regarding Xu Jian and Qin Chen, Liu Nuan felt not only surprise but also concern. Throughout the journey, she had thought a lot and had many things she wanted to tell Xu Jian.

However, watching Qin Chen serving food and pouring water for Xu Jian at the dinner table, seeing the way they looked at each other, she felt that saying anything more was unnecessary.

It’s fine just like this.

Upon hearing Liu Nuan’s words, Xu Jian was somewhat surprised and said to her, “I thought you would talk to me about Qin Chen and me.”

Liu Nuan chuckled, “Come on, please. You’re 25 this year, not 5, okay?”

They were both adults and should have their own thoughts.

Liu Nuan’s attitude made Xu Jian inwardly breathe a sigh of relief. However, right after that, Liu Nuan earnestly and seriously asked him, “But, Xiao Jian, have you really thought this through?”

Understanding what Liu Nuan was referring to, Xu Jian nodded more seriously than she did, “I’ve thought it through.”

Liu Nuan pursed her lips and asked again, “You haven’t told your family about this, have you?”

At this point, Xu Jian’s shoulders collapsed and frowned slightly, “I just haven’t figured out how to tell Uncle and the others.”

Although Liu Nuan was a few years older than him, they were essentially of the same generation. She had a more open-minded mindset and greater acceptance than the older generations, which allowed her to quickly accept his relationship with Qin Chen. However, when it came to his uncle’s side, it wasn’t going to be as easy.

But when it comes to his uncle’s side… it’s not that easy.

Seeing the worry in Xu Jian’s expression, Liu Nuan sighed inwardly and gave his shoulder a gentle pat, saying, “Don’t rush with this matter. After I go back this time, I’ll sound out my parents. Don’t worry.”

Grateful, Xu Jian smiled and sold meng, “Thanks, jie.”

Looking at him helplessly and amusedly, Liu Nuan said, “We’re family, no need for thanks.”

Warmth filled Xu Jian’s heart, and just as he was about to say something more, Liu Nuan’s phone suddenly rang. It was none other than Liu Dingxiang, whom they had just been talking about.

Liu Dingxiang made a video call, asking Liu Nuan if she had safely arrived in Nanfeng City and if she had seen Xu Jian.

Xu Jian, who heard his name, leaned in front of the camera and greeted Liu Dingxiang with a smile.︰“Uncle, I have received my cousin…”

Xu Jian, who heard his name, came to the camera and greeted Liu Dingxiang with a smile. “Uncle, I got my cousin ……”

Upon hearing his name, Xu Jian leaned into the camera with a smiling face and greeted Liu Dingxiang, “Uncle, I picked up my cousin…”

…………

In the blink of an eye, a few days passed, and it was the day of Xu Jian’s fan meeting.

Although the meeting was scheduled for the afternoon, Xu Jian was pulled by Zhu Liang to the venue for a rehearsal after lunch.

They called it a rehearsal, but it was more like going through the motions—checking cues with the host. After all, it was just a small fan meeting, and there was no need to be overly formal.

Liu Nuan went along with Xu Jian. As they were about to leave, she asked Qin Chen, “Aren’t you coming with us?”

Upon hearing Liu Nuan’s words, Xu Jian also looked up at Qin Chen.

Despite the earnest gaze from both of them, Qin Chen slowly shook his head, sounding somewhat regretful, “I have something in the afternoon, I can’t accompany you guys.”

As Qin Chen finished speaking, a fleeting sense of disappointment crossed Xu Jian’s eyes.

Understanding that Qin Chen had multiple responsibilities and a busy schedule was one thing, but feeling a sense of loss because his boyfriend couldn’t attend his fan meeting was another.

On the way to the venue, Liu Nuan sensed Xu Jian’s slightly low spirits and comforted him, assuring him that there was plenty of time ahead. He would undoubtedly have a second fan meeting, a third, a fourth, and at some point, Qin Chen would be available.

Blushing at having his thoughts exposed, Xu Jian hastily waved his hand at Liu Nuan, “I’m not upset because Chen-ge isn’t coming.”

Seeing Xu Jian’s attempt to cover up, Liu Nuan nodded knowingly, giving him a look that said, ‘You don’t have to explain; I understand everything’.’

Xu Jian and the others arrived at the scene two hours early, but when they arrived, many fans had already gathered in front of the venue.

Some held banners, others had light boards with his name on them. At a rough glance, the number of people gathered far exceeded the number of tickets they had distributed.

Xu Jian was surprised and looked at Pan Min beside him. “Why are there so many people?

Glancing out the car window, Pan Min shrugged, “This isn’t much. It’s still early. When it’s time for the official entrance, the number of people will easily double.”

“So many?” Xu Jian couldn’t help but furrow his brow, “But we don’t have that many tickets ah.”

Pan Min explained to him when she heard his words, “A large portion of these people won’t be able to get in. Most of them came hoping to catch a glimpse of you.”

Looking at the crowd outside, Zhu Liang’s eyes and face were filled with joy, “Xu-ge, you’re truly popular!”

While it would be a lie to say he wasn’t happy about so many people coming to see him, Xu Jian couldn’t shake the discomfort in his heart thinking about those girls waiting outside in such cold weather for hours without being able to enter.

Pan Min quickly caught onto Xu Jian’s thoughts and said, “I had Xiao Nan prepare a little gift. After the fan meeting, if the fans haven’t left yet, you can go out and greet them.”

Xu Jian’s eyes lit up at the suggestion, “Good!”

…………

At three o’clock, the fan meeting started punctually. Fans were allowed to enter half an hour in advance. The female host invited to the event took the stage, spoke a few opening words, and then welcomed the main star of the day, Xu Jian, to come on stage.

As Xu Jian, holding a microphone, stepped onto the stage, the venue erupted in a sea of cheers and applause. The host jokingly remarked that even the roof could feel the enthusiasm of the fans.

After a brief chat between the host and Xu Jian, covering a few pre-prepared questions from the script, they moved on to the eagerly anticipated fan Q&A session.

The lighting technician played a crucial role in illuminating the stage. Xu Jian closed his eyes and called for a pause. The light would shine on whoever was selected, giving them the chance to ask a question.

One lucky girl was selected. After receiving the microphone, she was visibly excited. She first stammered through an impassioned declaration of love for Xu Jian before finally posing her question, “Jian Jian, what are your upcoming work plans?”

It was a fairly standard question, but the fans were clamoring, saying the question wasn’t exciting enough. Xu Jian, however, breathed a sigh of relief and answered quite effortlessly. He also took the opportunity to promote his upcoming new drama.

The second lucky draw winner was a male fan. As he stood up, the first thing he said was, “Xu Jian, I love you! I want to give birth to monkeys for you!”

His second statement was, “I just wanted to confess my love. I didn’t think I’d actually be chosen, and I don’t have a question.”

After the male fan’s enthusiastic declaration, the entire venue fell silent for two seconds, followed by a burst of good-natured laughter. Some fans even shouted, “Don’t even think about it, Jian Cub belongs to us!”

Seeing such an audacious male fan, Xu Jian was momentarily stunned. He instinctively responded, “How can a man give birth to monkeys?”

After Xu Jian’s comment, the laughter grew even louder. In the crowd, a certain man wearing a mask couldn’t help but curl the corner of his mouth when he heard him say this—

This person’s focus has always been very skewed.

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The author has something to say:

Female fan: This male fan, please have some restraint! Don’t be so dramatic!