"Huff—huff—"
In an empty corner, Xiao He propped his hands on his knees, gasping for breath.
Hearing footsteps nearby, he tensely scanned the area first, and only after confirming the danger was gone did he let out a long breath.
Because his movements had been furtive, the nearby patrol officer had already fixed a suspicious gaze on Xiao He.
Xiao He, however, was completely unaware.
He squatted in the corner, watching the crowd of fans surging toward another direction, and quickly pulled out his phone to call Liu Rulan.
"Hello? Where are you guys?"
Liu Rulan sat in the car, glanced at the time on her wrist, and asked, a little puzzled.
"I'm being chased by a group of fans right now," Xiao He said quietly, "and the main thing is, I feel like they aren't my fans."
A cluster of people screamed, several of the girls' shrieks sharp and piercing, their shouted names blurred together by the noise. Xiao He wanted to analyze which name they were actually calling, but he was too terrified by the mob charging at him, so he could only run first and worry later.
After hearing Xiao He's rough explanation, Liu Rulan pinched the bridge of her nose, half amused, half speechless. "Why are you running? They're not even after you."
"How could I not run? They rushed straight at me!"
Xiao He sounded aggrieved. "And Sister Liu, you know I'm a little famous now. If I get exposed at the airport and cause a crazier riot, what then?"
He definitely did not want to be blacklisted by the airport.
In that situation, running was the only option.
If Xiao He had been one step slower, those people would have already swarmed him. With just him and Xiao Chen, could they even get out of the airport today?
Last time at the U.S. airport, Xiao He had almost been swarmed by enthusiastic foreign fans. This crowd was many times larger; he dared not think what they'd take this time beyond the lost neck pillow last time.
"I looked into it—"
Liu Rulan hesitated, then said, "Unlucky for you, some other fans came to pick someone up."
"Ah? So that's it."
Xiao He relaxed.
Thank goodness. He was right; his own fans weren't that crazy. The studio and major fans were usually strict about management—how could a mob like this happen? Ridiculous.
"It's Jiang Chifei. Their paparazzi problem is especially bad. Their stalker fans are terrifying. Consider this a brand-new experience for you."
Liu Rulan comforted him with a smile.
"Thanks for the invitation." Xiao He rolled his eyes. "…Yes, it's bad, but do they have zero management?"
He had already been shocked once by Su Shengxi's fans before, and now Jiang Chifei's fans were shocking him again; he couldn't understand it.
"Idols who came up from fan-driven roots tend to have this problem. From a certain angle, their success is literally propped up by fans' money. Fans are their patrons. Even if the company manages them, they won't suppress them on a large scale—they have to guide them indirectly."
"Besides, some celebrities like watching their fans go crazy and obsessed," Liu Rulan said, tugging the corner of her mouth. "It seems to showcase their personal charm and popularity."
And crazier fans are more loyal and willing to spend—some companies even cultivate this.
"Heh, hehe."
Xiao He had no energy left to complain.
"By the way, where's Xiao Chen? Did he come find you?"
"Xiao Chen got lost too?"
Xiao He explained embarrassedly, "Yeah. He was covering the rear, so I ran ahead."
"…I'll call him. Hurry over, keep a low profile, and stay safe."
"Okay."
Not daring to linger, Xiao He hung up and resumed cautiously watching his surroundings.
Alright, it's mostly safe, he thought—
"Hello, do you need any help?"
A patrol officer stopped in front of Xiao He and asked.
Although the officer offered help in a polite tone, his eyes stayed alert, studying Xiao He warily.
Xiao He: …
Xiao He expertly pulled down his mask and introduced himself: "I'm not a bad guy. I'm an actor. I'm hiding from fans. You can check my name—I'm Xiao He."
The officer met Xiao He's eyes, looked him up on his phone with skepticism, and surprisingly found his identity easily.
"Were those fans over there looking for you? Why didn't you arrange staff ahead of time? Why wasn't crowd control set up in advance?"
He asked, clearly displeased.
Airport staff hated large fan mobs; they disrupted normal operations, created safety hazards, and brought trouble to working people.
Unfortunately, these fans wouldn't even listen to the real person, let alone anyone else.
Even official attempts at stopping them?
Ha, a fan's devotion conquers all!
The officer's expression toward Xiao He soured.
"It wasn't me. They mistook someone else."
Xiao He earnestly refused to take the blame and didn't want his fans to shoulder it either.
The officer eyed him suspiciously, but finally said, "Then go."
Get moving before more people gather.
Xiao He didn't mind the officer's doubt and indifference; he calmly put his mask back on. "Okay, thank you. Appreciate the concern."
Then he slipped away.
When he reached the pickup point where Liu Rulan waited, Xiao He saw Xiao Chen arriving.
"Xiao Chen!"
He waved, and Lao Qi, the driver, walked over, took Xiao He's suitcase, and placed it in the trunk.
"Brother Xiao, I'm so glad you're okay!"
Xiao Chen's anxious expression eased when he saw Xiao He; he exhaled. "I was worried to death just now."
"I'm fine—I'm fast."
Xiao He sized Xiao Chen up. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine. They never even noticed me. By the time I reacted, they had already been pushed out." Xiao Chen said cheerfully.
Xiao He: True to being European Emperor Chen, is this allowed?
"Alright, get in the car."
Liu Rulan warned from inside, "Even if Jiang Chifei's fans aren't interested in you, the paparazzi mixed in might be. If they block us again, this will be hard to resolve."
Paparazzi were out to make money; compared to photographing Jiang Chifei, they'd prefer exclusive photos of Xiao He.
Xiao He, as a newly recognized acting star with few public appearances, made his candid photos worth more than the constantly-out-in-public Jiang Chifei.
Besides, Xiao He's fans included many wealthy women—
Huang Mang crouched in a corner, holding his camera and photographing Xiao He's boarding. Excitement flickered in his eyes.
"Heh heh. Last time I took a big hit. This time I'm definitely going to make a killing."
Huang Mang had replayed the last incident. If he removed his SD card and didn't connect it to any network, no matter how remarkable Xiao He's skills were, Xiao He couldn't remotely delete what he had shot.
So Huang Mang had a plan: once he got exclusive candid shots, he'd sell them in an offline deal, SD card and all.
Hmph, he didn't believe anyone could pull tricks in an offline sale—
Suddenly, a tall shadow loomed over him.
Huang Mang: …
A foreboding feeling washed over him.
He tightened his grip on the camera, swallowed, and slowly turned around—only to see a burly man with a broken eyebrow mark flashing white teeth. With a small exertion of his strong arm, he effortlessly grabbed the back of Huang Mang's collar.
"Hey—hey—wait, wait, brother—let's talk it over!"
Huang Mang flailed like a chick in the air, pathetic and helpless, with no possible way to escape.
"Hey, hey, put me down, I'll leave on my own—"