Chapter 129 – Coming Out

When Xu Jian asked this question, he knew he had veered off course, but fortunately, the host promptly intervened, smiling and noting that the male fans in this session were very enthusiastic.

For the male fan who boldly claimed he would give birth to a monkey for Xu Jian, had no questions to ask, and the game continued.

The initial questions were all standard, but as the host couldn’t bear it anymore, looking at the sea of fans below, the host couldn’t help but express their disappointment.

“Such a great opportunity, and you all don’t want to ask something more exciting, instead of questions that can be easily found online! Let’s spice things up a bit!”

After the host’s remark, the fans below cheered, and when the next fan was selected, people around her started offering suggestions. With the condition of not offending Xu Jian, the questions became increasingly provocative, one after another.

Listening to the questions from the audience below, and seeing the discussion gradually heading towards off-limits territory, Xu Jian couldn’t help but half-jokingly, half-seriously interject.

“Students who weren’t selected cannot answer, nor can they provide any ideas.”

The chosen fan was already in an excited state. She looked down at her companion after hearing Xu Jian’s words, then lifted her head to ask,

“Qin Chen previously posted a photo of you on Weibo. How well do you get along? To what extent?”

The rumors about him and Qin Chen had been widely circulated on the internet, with all sorts of speculations. So, it was within Xu Jian’s expectations that someone would ask a question related to Qin Chen during the event.

The smile on Xu Jian’s face diminished slightly and replaced by seriousness, “Actually, both Qin Chen and I manage our own Weibo accounts. Our relationship is just as you see it. As for the extent of our closeness, I don’t know how to describe it in new terms for you. Those who know me might be aware that, before signing with Leyu Entertainment, I spent six years in Degu. For various complex reasons, after terminating my contract with Degu, I was contemplating going back home to farm. Don’t laugh, I’m serious. If it weren’t for meeting Qin Chen, I might really be farming at home right now.”

“Qin Chen has helped me a lot, both in work and in life. Although I haven’t seriously told him this, I truly appreciate him. If I hadn’t met him, I dare not imagine what my life would be like now. The only certainty is that without him, you wouldn’t know me. He’s truly amazing…”

“As for what’s said online, just take it as entertainment. Don’t take it too seriously. At the same time, I hope everyone uses the internet rationally.”

The fan just asked out of curiosity, not expecting Xu Jian to respond so seriously with such a long explanation. She was pleasantly surprised and thanked him before taking her seat.

Pan Min, sitting in the front row, suddenly breathed a sigh of relief. When Xu Jian was lavishly praising Qin Chen earlier, she thought he was about to come out publicly, causing her to mentally design at least five crisis public relations plans.

Fortunately, Xu Jian stopped at the last minute.

After two more questions, the fan Q&A session came to an end. As the host and Xu Jian chatted, the host teased Xu Jian about not having a girlfriend yet.

The host, wearing a gossipy expression, asked, “What kind of person are you looking for? What are your criteria for a partner?”

Upon hearing this, the first thought that crossed Xu Jian’s mind was—someone like Qin Chen.

However, before he could respond, fans in the audience shouted:

“Jian-zai^[1]Refers to a child/young animal, look at me!

“Age doesn’t matter when there’s love. Xu Jian, look at me, big sister!”

“This third-year female hugs a golden brick.^[2]It’s a playful way of expressing that someone is looking for a wealthy or successful partner. The idea is that if you have a golden brick [a symbol of wealth], you’ll be more attractive to … Continue reading Xu Jian, look at your jiejie!”

“Xu Jian, I love you!”

“Jian Jian, what type do you like? I can get plastic surgery for you! I can look however you want!”

Upon hearing the mention of plastic surgery, the audience burst into laughter. The lucky male fan who was selected earlier refused to be outdone and shouted loudly.

“Plastic surgery is nothing! I can undergo a sex change for you!”

“Hahahahahaha…”

The man wearing a mask listened to the fans’ confessions and frowned in displeasure, thinking: “What are you daydreaming about?

The man wearing a mask, listening to the fans’ successive confessions, frowned in displeasure, thinking, “What daydreams are they having? He’s mine.”

As the cheers continued, the fans started shouting in unison, “Just find one from the audience!”

The lighting technician also played along, and white spotlights began to wander and flicker. Seeing this setup that resembled driving a duck onto a perch^[3]It means to push somebody to do something way beyond their ability., Xu Jian quickly spoke up, “Stop, it’s not…”

The lightning technician, control your hands. I considered coming out of the closet but not straying ah!

Although it was just a joke, Xu Jian could imagine the size of the reaction when the vinegar jar at home saw this video.

When a certain someone gets jealous, his waist and butt would be in trouble again.

Not knowing if it was intentional, the lighting technician stopped the lights when Xu Jian shouted to stop. Then, on the large screen behind Xu Jian, a face appeared.

The fans cooperatively exclaimed, “Wow!” Xu Jian’s heart skipped a beat as he turned his head to see a man’s face on the big screen, wearing a black mask.

Wearing a mask at a fan meeting wasn’t important, and being a rare male fan wasn’t either. The most crucial thing was that this face looked familiar no matter how you looked at it.

The fans needed a moment to react, but Xu Jian recognized the person at a glance.

First, he was stunned, then he abruptly turned his head, scanning through the crowd. The joy in his eyes and the corners of his mouth couldn’t be concealed. Before he found the person, the words had already slipped out: “Didn’t you say you couldn’t make it due to work?”

If it’s not Qin Chen, then who else would it be, wearing a mask?

Amidst the fans’ surprised exclamations, Qin Chen slowly removed his mask. The moment he took it off, the cheers from the fans reached its peak.

He waved at Xu Jian, who was still looking around, and from somewhere, Qin Chen produced a microphone and said, “Over here, where are you looking?”

Xu Jian stood up, a mix of surprise and joy on his face as he looked at him, “I thought you weren’t coming?”

Qin Chen walked through the crowd towards Xu Jian, saying, “To give you a surprise.”

Not only did Qin Chen keep this surprise from Xu Jian, but he also kept Pan Min in the dark. So now, as she looked at Xu Jian, whose expression was gradually losing composure, laughing like a foolish son announcing the landlord’s presence, and Qin Chen, who had already stepped onto the stage, Pan Min felt like she was about to suffocate. She had the strong urge to pinch her philtrum.

She thought that Xu Jian’s extravagant praise for Qin Chen on stage was the biggest crisis of the day, but little did she know that Qin Chen had another big move up his sleeve.

There were two sofas on the stage; the host’s was a single-seater, and after Qin Chen took the stage, he sat down next to Xu Jian.

Among the fans present today, there were also fans of the ‘QingJian C.’. Seeing Qin Chen and Xu Jian sitting together, one fan turned to their companion and whispered, “The vibe of sitting on a multi-person sofa turned into a single-person sofa by these two. Their arms and legs are all stuck together.”

The companion chuckled and joked, “What if they feel cold?”

The host, unsure whether Qin Chen’s return was genuine or a prank, had an exaggerated reaction, excitedly approaching Qin Chen and shaking hands.

When Qin Chen returned to his seat, Xu Jian leaned in, lowering his voice, and asked, “Did you discuss this with the organizers?”

Qin Chen raised an eyebrow, smiling, “Guess?”

Xu Jian curled his lips unnoticeably and muttered under his breath, “You must have planned this a long time ago.”

The two openly exchanged whispers on stage, and the host couldn’t stand it any longer. Th host coughed to draw their attention, feigning annoyance as she looked at them, “Hello, I’m still here. Don’t ignore me, alright?”

Xu Jian realized and flashed an apologetic smile at the host.

Pan Min in the audience helplessly raised her hand to cover her forehead, looking up at the sky—

Maybe I should go back and inherit the family business. Whoever wants to be the agent for these two ancestors can go ahead.

…………

At Xu Jian’s fan meeting, Qin Chen’s surprise appearance became the highlight of the day, dispelling previous negative rumors about their relationship with tangible actions.

The fan meeting that day turned into a frenzy for CP fans. They were indulging in sweet moments, and some fans even captured Xu Jian’s reaction when Qin Chen first appeared, posting it on forums with captions like, “If there’s nothing between these two, I’ll eat sh*t upside down!”

This Weibo post became a popular topic in the ‘QingJian CP’ super topic. Most of the comments were filled with screenshots, and the general sentiment was summed up as:

My CP is sailing! They are definitely together!

Previously, when Qin Chen posted pictures with Xu Jian on Weibo, there were some awkward subtlety between Qin Chen’s fans and Xu Jian’s fans.

The misunderstandings didn’t paint a pretty picture, but since the main characters clarified that they have a good relationship, the fans who were involved in the previous tension now felt embarrassed and apologetic about it.

With Qin Chen making a surprise appearance at Xu Jian’s fan meeting, he firmly stamped the label of their strong relationship.

Additionally, during the Q&A session, Xu Jian expressed his gratitude to Qin Chen in a lengthy and sincere manner. Many Qin Chen fans were won over by Xu Jian’s heartfelt words. Seizing this opportunity, the relationship between the two fan bases also completely thawed.

Two days after the fan meeting, Pan Min held a small meeting, where the central ideas were to scold Qin Chen for not giving advance notice and to criticize Xu Jian, as a professional actor, for not controlling his facial expressions during the event.

After the meeting, Pan Min sighed heavily and earnestly advised the two: “If you don’t want headlines about both of you coming out of the closet at the top of the trending searches, I suggest you tone it down a bit. It’s hard for me to handle things like this.”

Qin Chen let out a breath, looking exasperated: “We’re already being very discreet.”

Pan Min: “…”

Sooner or later, she’ll die diligently on her post.

Die of anger from her cousin.

Staring at Pan Min for a few seconds, Qin Chen suddenly spoke, “We can’t hide forever. Even if we don’t actively come out, as long as we’re still together, someone will eventually find out, and then it will be a forced coming out.”

Judging by their popularity, there were more than just a couple of entertainment reporters following them whenever they went out.

The nature and consequences of being caught in a confirmed relationship involuntarily and voluntarily coming out were different, and Pan Min naturally knew this.

Qin Chen and Xu Jian wouldn’t sneakily date for their entire lives, and Pan Min was aware of that. So, after hearing Qin Chen’s words, she remained silent for a while and finally said, “I understand what you mean. But even if you have to come out, we need to plan it carefully, minimizing the damage. I’ll discuss it with the PR department after I go back, come up with a few concrete plans, and then talk about it.”

Upon hearing this, Xu Jian felt somewhat guilty and said to Pan Min, “We’ve troubled you, Pan-jie.”

Pan Min waved her hand, “Dealing with these matters for artists is my responsibility, especially considering you two are like family to me.”

Coming out could be a big deal, but if the PR team handled it well, it might not turn into a major issue.

Pan Min thought things through. Preparing several coming-out plans in advance and releasing the information at an appropriate time would be the best strategy. However, man proposes, God disposes. Just as she was about to finalize her plans, before she could even study them thoroughly, the news about Qin Chen and Xu Jian was leaked by a well-known marketing account in the industry:

Entertainment Gossip V: Explosive Exclusive! Award-winning actor #Qin Chen# and rising star under his company, #Xu Jian#, living together exposed! ‘QingJian CP’ confirmed? It is reported that the two shared a room during filming, displaying intimate interactions on set. Qin Chen willingly plays the supporting role for his lover…

Entertainment Gossip’s so-called “living together” was, in fact, about Qin Chen and Xu Jian sharing the same room during the filming of <The Slayer> and <Him and His Violin>.

The interactions on set were highlighted with six or seven GIFs, and a detailed timeline was provided. They even included a couple photo that Qin Chen had previously posted on Weibo.

As soon as Entertainment Gossip posted this Weibo, fans of both Qin Chen and Xu Jian exploded with reactions, leaving comments below:

[Blogger, do you have a mental illness? Are you going crazy shipping CP?]

[It’s been said that they have a good relationship, please don’t overinterpret.]

[Taking away my little Jian without permission, the blogger must be sick! With evidence!]

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