Chapter 15: Drama Queen

Ruan Yu was all too familiar with it.

The StarMotion Gala was a major awards event co-hosted by three major media platforms. Every year, it attracted A-list celebrities in droves. Her feelings toward the event were complicated—equal parts love and hate.

Last year’s infamous trampling incident, which sparked a massive feud between the Sijis and Lingjiaos, happened right at the StarMotion Gala.

The incident continued to escalate in the aftermath, and the two fanbases battled it out ferociously. The organizers, seeing an opportunity, deliberately included the hashtag “StarMotion Gala” when the chaos hit the trending list, fueling the fire and boosting exposure for their event.

The organizers’ PR stunt was incredibly shameless. Though fans tried to cool things down online with posts like “Not involved, please don’t tag us” and “Let them shine alone,” both fan groups immediately blacklisted the event, vowing to curse it every time it appeared.

And yet—shockingly—the same thing happened again this year. StarMotion Gala once again invited Duan Lin and Ji Linhao, two top-tier idols.

There was nothing fans could do. If their precious idol accepted the invite, no matter how bitter they felt, they still had to show up and support. After swearing at their idols’ agents behind the scenes a million times, they turned around and dutifully bought tickets.

This year’s gala was being held at the Water Cube, and tickets were nearly impossible to get. As Ruan Yu scrolled through her fangirl accounts, she saw Sijis desperately trying to buy tickets, while scalpers had already driven prices into the tens of thousands.

Makeup artists always accompany celebrities to events—did that mean she could go to the gala with Shen Fangfei tomorrow?

By extension… she could see Ji Linhao in person??

Ruan Yu’s heart pounded like she was doing military drills.

Forget it. It all felt way too unreal—so much that she didn’t even dare to dream about it.

By the time Ruan Yu and Shen Fangfei arrived in Beijing, it was already the middle of the night. After parting ways, Ruan Yu wandered the streets like a ghost, trying to find a place to stay.

Since Qiu Xi had been eliminated, she couldn’t crash in the car anymore. Thankfully, Ruan Yu had saved up a bit of cash. She finally found a cheap youth hostel—80 yuan per night. When she handed over the money, she looked utterly heartbroken, as if mourning the loss of a lover.

Director Team: “…”

Guan Hai was amused. “I think when this show ends, we should add an awards segment and give Ruan Yu the Best Penny-Pincher Award.”

A nearby producer chimed in, “Nah, make it the Best Drama Queen Award.”

Unaware of the director team’s banter, Ruan Yu made do with a four-hour nap in her tiny room. At 7 a.m. sharp, her alarm went off.

The StarMotion Gala red carpet was happening that afternoon. She and Shen Fangfei needed to arrive early at the hotel where the celebrity was staying to prep their look.

The event organizers had booked a nearby hotel to accommodate all celebrities for resting and makeup. By the time Ruan Yu arrived, the entrance was already swarmed by diehard fans. In the sea of fan merch, she even spotted a banner from the Sijis.

Oh my god, Ji Linhao looks way too handsome on that banner—who picked this perfect photo?!

Even as she followed Shen Fangfei past the security line, she couldn’t help turning around to sneak another look.

And that’s when she spotted someone.

A food delivery guy squeezing through the crowd looked incredibly familiar.

Was that…?

Jiang Xingchun, wearing a face mask and a helmet, was in full disguise as he carried a food order into the hotel. He’d just accepted a delivery to this very location and had no choice but to brave the crowd, hoping to sneak in unnoticed.

But then, he accidentally looked up—and spotted Ruan Yu in the distance.

Wait… is that Ruan Yu?

She had chopped her hair short, wore dramatic makeup that made her nearly unrecognizable at first glance, and had piled on enough flashy accessories to make anyone look twice. The only thing familiar was her smile and the curve of her eyes—the ethereal, delicate vibe she used to have was completely gone.

Time stood still.

Jiang Xingchun blinked.

Ruan Yu blinked back.

Jiang Xingchun was too stunned to control himself. “Ruan—”

“Hey, isn’t that Jiang Xingchun!?” Ruan Yu shouted in mock surprise, seizing the initiative.

Instantly, the crowd erupted.

“Aaaaah where?! Is it really Jiang Xingchun?!”

“Oh my god, it IS him?!”

“Why are you dressed like a delivery guy?! Are you filming something?!”

“Chunchun, sign something for me! I love you—”

His name was like a boulder tossed into a still lake, creating instant chaos. Fans swarmed toward him, drowning him in noise and excitement. He couldn’t even get a full sentence out.

No one noticed the real culprit behind the scene—Ruan Yu—who threw him a sympathetic look before vanishing into the hotel with Shen Fangfei, her brilliance carefully concealed.

Sorry, my dear little side crush. In times of survival, even motherly love can go rogue!!

Shortly after, the production team sent out a notification:

[Jiang Xingchun has used the “Reveal” card.]
[Ruan Yu has used the “Reveal” card.]
[Jiang Xingchun’s disguise has failed. His original identity will be deactivated, and he will receive a Bricklaying card. Remaining contestants will continue.]
[Remaining players: He Changyuan, Ruan Yu.]

In the group chat, He Changyuan popped up:

[You both used Reveal cards—why didn’t Ruan Yu get exposed?]

Ruan Yu sent a vintage “cheers” emoji, popular with the middle-aged crowd:

[Obscurity is my camouflage.]

Lu Han: [HAHAHAHAHA.]

He Changyuan: [Gotta hand it to you.]

Lu Han, gloating: [@Jiang Xingchun, welcome to the Bricklaying Duo!]

Qiu Xi followed with a seal clapping emoji to welcome him.

Now eliminated, Jiang Xingchun no longer needed to hide. The camera crew following him emerged from the shadows to help disperse the crowd. Once he was escorted onto the show’s bus, he finally had a moment to breathe—and showed up in the group chat.

Jiang Xingchun: [Ruan Yu has changed so much. I honestly thought I was looking at someone else.]

Qiu Xi: [What did she change into?]

Ruan Yu: [I, Liu Daxiong, have become a firework of a different color.]

Inside the bus, Jiang Xingchun stared intently at his phone screen. Instead of feeling frustrated, he bowed his head and smiled, revealing two charming dimples.

…

Outside the hotel, the fan crowd was so dense it was nearly impenetrable. They were armed with long-lens cameras or at the very least, phones raised high. Within moments, photos of Jiang Xingchun dressed as a food delivery worker were posted online by fans from other fandoms.

By the time Ruan Yu and Shen Fangfei were waiting for the elevator, the topic #JiangXingchunDeliversTakeout had already shot up the trending chart, its speed leaving people stunned.

Both fans and casual viewers were in an uproar. Jiang Xingchun is a top idol in a trending boy group—what kind of show would go so far as to make him deliver food?!

As a result, the official account for “Undercover Profession” saw its follower count double again.

First Qiu Xi, now Jiang Xingchun—“Undercover Profession” was now completely on fire.

In the elevator, Shen Fangfei reminded her: “‘StarMotion Gala’ is one of the biggest events in the industry right now. Most of the celebrities attending are staying in this hotel. Whoever you run into later, don’t act too shocked—or the security might mistake you for a crazed fan and toss you out.”

Ruan Yu responded calmly:
“Don’t worry, I won’t.”

Only then did Shen Fangfei lead Ruan Yu down the hallway.

The corridor was quiet. Shen Fangfei stopped at a certain room and knocked. Two minutes later, the door opened. Standing behind it was a tall, skinny man with a face so familiar Ruan Yu momentarily questioned if she was dreaming.

Her eyes widened. She nearly dropped her phone.

Wasn’t that Xiao Quan, Ji Linhao’s assistant?! WHAT?!

Xiao Quan greeted them with a smile. “You’re here? Linhao won’t walk the red carpet until around five in the afternoon. Honestly, Teacher Shen, you didn’t have to come so early—there’s plenty of time.”

Shen Fangfei replied, “No worries, I’d rather be early than rush later. This is my assistant, Daxiong. Let’s go.”

She turned back to tug at Ruan Yu, who was frozen like a statue.
“…Oh, right,” Ruan Yu muttered.

The camera crew that had been tailing them didn’t enter the room and instead headed to the hotel lounge to wait. As soon as Ruan Yu stepped inside, she caught a subtle, clean scent—perhaps a cologne, perhaps an air freshener—that immediately sent her heart racing.

The living room lights were as bright as day. Several people stood around someone sitting on the couch. Ruan Yu quickly recognized them: Ji Linhao’s manager, his stylist, and of course, Xiao Quan.

Ruan Yu held her breath.

Suddenly, the assistant stepped aside, revealing the man who had been hidden from view.

Ruan Yu’s gaze locked onto him—and her heart nearly shattered.

It felt as if someone had taken a chisel and hammer and driven it deep into her chest.

Ji Linhao sat there in a light gray lounge set, exuding a calm presence. His almond-shaped eyes were deep and gentle, and even without makeup, he looked better than any memory Ruan Yu had of him. His gaze lingered on her for a second, then moved past to Shen Fangfei. With a soft smile, he said:

“Teacher Shen, I’ll be in your care today.”

“It’s my pleasure,” Shen Fangfei responded.

Ji Linhao asked warmly, “Have you two had breakfast yet? Xiao Quan’s heading out to grab some—he can get you something too.”

“Oh wow, thank you so much!”

Ruan Yu maintained a neutral expression, and leaned over to whisper to Shen Fangfei, “Teacher, can I use the bathroom?”

Before Shen Fangfei could reply, Ji Linhao spoke up:
“First room on the left. Just around the corner.”

“Ah—thank you,” Ruan Yu murmured, lowering her head.

She quickly ducked into the bathroom, locked the door behind her, and froze.

The ensuite bathroom was tidy and intimate. A single enamel-handled toothbrush in a cup on the sink hinted at the man who used it.

Ruan Yu stared at that toothbrush for two seconds—then completely fell apart.

AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

JI LINHAO! SHE JUST MET JI LINHAO! IN THE FLESH! BREATHING! WALKING! AND HE SMILED AT HER!!!

Ruan Yu screamed silently for a good ten seconds, practically bouncing in place inside the bathroom. Replaying Ji Linhao’s smile in her mind, everything felt like a dream. Even the air she breathed was sweet.

Ji Linhao was real.

And so was she—she had truly existed in that moment.

Those days of laughing and crying because of Ji Linhao, those endless nights staying up talking about him with friends, those mornings waking up to his songs as alarm tones, her parents scolding her for being a hopeless fangirl, her friends instantly screenshotting any updates about him—

They were real.

And the moment she laid eyes on Ji Linhao just now, Ruan Yu realized something:

All that remained of her youth… was Ji Linhao.

---

Author’s Note:
Duan Lin exits group chat.jpg, stone-faced.