Chapter 136: The Stalker Fan

Xu Fangyuan’s heart blossomed with joy upon hearing Lin Yanran’s words. This girl was truly too easy to manipulate; she was practically a remote-controlled race car! Ha! While Xu Fangyuan was lost in these thoughts, she noticed Lin Yanran fiddling incessantly with her phone. Confused, Xu asked, "Yanran, what are you doing?"

"Buying a plane ticket to Changsha to find Su Chen!"

"There happens to be a flight at one o’clock this afternoon. If I leave now, it’ll take just over an hour to reach the airport. I won’t even have to wait once I arrive; I can board straight away for Changsha. If everything goes smoothly, I should be able to find Su Chen before dinner tonight." Lin Yanran’s face was flushed, her expression blissful.

Although many people fly from Changsha to Shanghai, the reverse route is less crowded. Consequently, even buying a ticket at the last minute, Lin Yanran could easily secure a seat on a flight leaving in an hour, with plenty of vacancies to spare. It only goes to show that Shanghai truly lives up to its reputation as the nation’s current financial hub.

Beside her, Xu Fangyuan couldn't help but twitch her lip as she watched the expectant look on Lin Yanran’s face. This girl really was impatient. How had the narrative shifted into the trope of a goddess, worshipped by tens of thousands, flying across the country to seek out a scumbag just to throw herself at him? The change had happened far too quickly!

While Xu Fangyuan was desperate for Lin Yanran to find Su Chen, now was simply not the right time. At least, not today. Xu had just spoken with Su Chen on the phone; he needed time to cool off. Who knew? Perhaps after tonight, Su Chen might remember Lin Yanran’s good qualities again. Letting her go then would yield twice the results with half the effort.

"You’re going to find Su Chen now?" Xu Fangyuan countered. "Are you dying to show him how disheveled you look? Look at yourself in the mirror! You haven't been sleeping, you haven't been doing your skincare, and your mood has left your complexion in ruins. Do you really think you’re presentable enough to be seen like this?" As she spoke, Xu grabbed a mirror from the vanity and shoved it in front of Lin Yanran.

In the reflection, Lin Yanran looked unkempt, sporting a pair of massive dark circles. She was a far cry from the rising star of Star Entertainment or the pure, innocent idol in the eyes of millions of men.

"Oh... oh my god!"

"How... how did I end up looking like this?!" Lin Yanran’s heart skipped a beat as she stared at herself. She dropped her phone, forgetting all about the tickets, and rushed off in a panic to start her skincare routine. Judging by her urgency, she clearly intended to fix herself up and head off to see Su Chen today regardless.

Seeing this, Xu Fangyuan continued, "Don't go today. Stay in your room, do your skincare properly, get a good night's sleep, and go tomorrow. Just look at those dark circles—you’ve got bigger ones than a giant panda. That’s settled. I’ll handle the flight arrangements; don't you worry about it. For now, your only job is to rest."

Touched by Xu’s thoughtful words, Lin Yanran’s eyes welled up with tears. She hugged Xu Fangyuan, sobbing, "Sister Yuan, you’re so good to me! If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t know what to do!"

Lin Yanran looked at Xu with concern. "But if I’m with Su Chen, will it cause trouble for you? After all, the company has a strict ban on artists dating. Is it really okay for me to do this?"

Xu Fangyuan chuckled inwardly. Forbidden or not? Star Entertainment’s policy was only there to prevent fans from turning away when artists dated; it was all about the company’s bottom line. In fact, from a profit standpoint, the company probably wanted Lin Yanran to be with Su Chen. On one hand, they could use Xu to keep Su Chen steady, and on the other, they might even be able to sign him to Star! Su Chen hadn’t signed with any agency yet, and given his current popularity, he was a walking money tree.

However, Xu would never tell Lin Yanran any of this, just as she wouldn't mention that she only wanted her to be with Su Chen to keep him in check. As long as they reconciled, Su Chen naturally wouldn't sue Star Entertainment.

"It’s fine, Yanran. I still have a bit of pull at the company. I can at least guarantee your safety. If the company has any objections, I’ll handle them. It won't affect you, I promise." Xu smiled gently and stroked Lin Yanran’s hair. It was a strategy to kill three birds with one stone: stabilizing the company’s interests, keeping Su Chen in the fold, and making Lin Yanran feel indebted to her. I really am quite brilliant!

Lin Yanran didn’t let her down, either. She broke down in tears, burying her face in Xu’s chest and sobbing uncontrollably. "Wuwuwu... Sister Yuan... you’re just too good to me!"

"Giggle, you silly girl. If I’m not good to you, who would I be good to?" Xu patted Lin Yanran’s trembling back, a triumphant smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth.

Meanwhile, at the hotel in Changsha, Su Chen finally heard the hotel security team approaching. He could hear the footsteps of two or three people moving quickly down the hall.

Immediately after, the assertive voice of a security guard rang out: "Miss! Please stop prying into our guest's privacy. If you aren't checked into this hotel, please leave immediately! Otherwise, your behavior is disturbing our guests, and we will have no choice but to escort you out!"

Inside the room, Su Chen was taken aback. He hadn't expected the figure at the door to be a woman! A woman... could she be one of his obsessive fans? A shiver went down his spine at the thought.

In his previous life, Su Chen had experienced the harassment of obsessive "sasaeng" fans. He had been a novice to stardom back then and lacked the experience to handle it. Once he became famous, these stalkers were inevitable. Some were rich and attractive, but every single one of them was deranged. They would scale walls at midnight, pry open windows, and rummage through his trash. Once, he hadn’t been careful, and a girl had sneaked into his apartment and hidden under his bed! Had he not been a light sleeper and heard the movement, he wouldn't even know what might have happened that night!

The world is truly a dangerous place. Boys really must learn to protect themselves when they’re out on their own!