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The production team of “Let’s Travel Together” officially announced that Pei Yubai had withdrawn from the show, with Ye Luoyi stepping in as his replacement. At the same time, they also announced that Xu Yangyang had withdrawn due to illness. However, compared to Ye Luoyi’s buzz, Xu Yangyang’s news barely garnered any attention.
Yan Xi asked the system, “I remember in the novel, Pei Yubai was supposed to announce his withdrawal during tomorrow morning’s live broadcast. Why did they announce it today?”
The system replied, “Butterfly effect. With Xu Yangyang announcing her withdrawal today, having Pei Yubai announce his tomorrow would heavily impact the program. The production team likely decided to announce both on the same day.”
Since this detail didn’t significantly affect the main plotline, the overarching narrative didn’t impose strict control.
Yan Xi’s eyes sharpened. “If Pei Yubai isn’t participating, does that mean Qingqing can also withdraw?”
Zhou Qingyu had insisted on joining the variety show solely for Pei Yubai’s sake. She didn’t care about the production team’s reputation and wouldn’t hesitate to make them announce yet another withdrawal if necessary.
The system explained: “Given Zhou Qingyu’s current fotyune value, it’s impossible to override the storyline’s force.”
“According to the original plot, she’s supposed to participate in the show as a foil to Ye Luoyi. This is a critical element in boosting Ye Luoyi’s popularity!”
That was why the scene of Pei Yubai asking to meet Zhou Qingyu had to occur. It was why Zhou Qingyu went to see him without a second thought.
Pei Yubai’s meeting with Zhou Qingyu was, at its core, to convince her to continue participating in tomorrow’s variety show, ensuring the main storyline remained on track.
Tonight, Zhou Qingyu was destined to be heartbroken.
Yan Xi gazed at the Tianhui Entertainment building. After a moment of thought, she suddenly asked, “There’s something I’ve been wondering about for a long time.”
“In the dream, I only saw the novel’s plot. But what about me? If something happened to Qingqing, there’s no way I’d leave her alone. Even if I’m just an ordinary person, I can take care of her. How could I possibly let Pei Yubai send her off to some deserted island?”
System: “Your university had an exchange program. Starting from your second year of graduate school, you went abroad for a year.”
“By the time you returned, the Zhou family had already gone bankrupt. When you went to find Zhou Qingyu, you got into a car accident on the way and ended up in a vegetative state.”
That was Yan Xi’s fate in the novel—glossed over in a single sentence, something even Yan Xi herself hadn’t known.
Night fell, and the stars lit up the sky.
Zhou Qingyu had been upstairs for several minutes. Yan Xi sent her a WeChat message to check in, but there was no reply.
Frustrated, Yan Xi decided to head into the Tianhui building to look for her.
As soon as she reached the front desk, two security guards stepped forward and blocked her path.
“Sorry, you can’t enter without an access card,” the security guard said firmly.
Entertainment companies often had strict access policies to prevent fans or stalkers from sneaking in to see their idols. While the guards were familiar with Zhou Qingyu, who frequently visited Tianhui, they didn’t recognize Yan Xi.
“I’m Miss Zhou’s assistant,” Yan Xi said, holding up a luxury handbag. “She forgot her bag, and I’m here to bring it up to her.” She hoped this approach would work.
The security guard gave Yan Xi a once-over, his gaze lingering on her designer dress. “An assistant wearing something that expensive? Are you one of Ye Luoyi’s stalker fans? Did you hear she’s coming here and decided to block her at the company?”
Yan Xi was at a loss for words. The dress she was wearing had been an extravagant gift from Zhou Qingyu earlier that afternoon. While the security guard didn’t recognize the specific dress, he recognized the brand and clearly didn’t believe a mere assistant could afford it.
Yan Xi was starting to feel flustered when, just then, a van pulled up in front of the Tianhui building.
The assistant opened the van door, and Ye Luoyi, dressed in high-end designer clothes, gracefully stepped out.
“Move aside, don’t block Miss Ye!” The security guard shoved Yan Xi to the side, clearing the way for Ye Luoyi. “Miss Ye, please, right this way.”
As Ye Luoyi approached the entrance, her gaze briefly swept over Yan Xi, who was still being blocked by the guards.
The security guard quickly explained, “Miss Ye, this is one of your stalker fans. She insisted on coming in to see you, so to avoid any disturbance, I’ve kept her outside.”
Ye Luoyi, who had cultivated the image of a cultured, elegant, and graceful rich woman for public relations, was known for being kind even to her stalkers. She looked at her assistant and said, “Give her a signed photo of mine.”
The assistant nodded in understanding, pulling a signed photo of Ye Luoyi from her bag and handing it to Yan Xi.
Ye Luoyi gave Yan Xi another once-over, noticing the A-brand dress she was wearing. Realizing this “stalker” might actually be a little rich, her tone softened even further. “You look young, probably still a student, right? Just support my work, that’s enough. But running around chasing my schedule late at night like this… it makes me feel bad for you.”
Yan Xi, holding the signed photo, felt like a million angry thoughts were racing through her mind. She shoved the photo back into the assistant’s hands. “You’ve got it all wrong. I’m not a fan.”
The security guard sighed in frustration. “Oh, you little girl, now that you’ve seen her, why still try to sneak into the company?” He scolded her with irritation. “Do you know being a stalker is illegal? Miss Ye is being generous by giving you a signed photo. Otherwise, we could send you to jail!”
Yan Xi was speechless. “Have you ever seen a fan without any fan merchandise on them?”
The security guard gave Yan Xi a once-over. “You stalker fans will go to any lengths just to pry into celebrities’ private lives! Of course, to cover up your true identity as a stalker, you wouldn’t have anything related to the star on you!”
Yan Xi was at a loss for words.
To her surprise, Ye Luoyi, still playing the role of the gracious and understanding celebrity, smiled and said, “How about this? Let me take a photo with you. Be a good girl, little sister, it’s time to go home now. If you’re being such a troublemaker, I might get upset!”