Qiao Zixin didn't quite believe Xu Zifan was her fan; there wasn't even a single poster of her in the house. But what other reason could there be? Could it be that Xu Zifan was deliberately trying to harm her? If he wanted to ruin her, he could have just left her at the Blues Bar last night and ruined her reputation. Even if he wanted to take advantage of her, he wouldn't have waited until now.
She had nothing left to covet, except for the fans' love for their idol; she couldn't fathom Xu Zifan's purpose in going to such lengths.
Xu Zifan tested the temperature of the cup, pushed the milk towards her, and interrupted her doubts, "Eat something. You drank so much alcohol yesterday, you must feel uncomfortable on an empty stomach."
Qiao Zixin glanced at her favorite breakfast and became more convinced that this was truly a die-hard fan. The company cultivated a pure and innocent image for her—gentle, naive, and fond of cooking simple porridge and side dishes, with no aggression whatsoever. Few people knew she preferred Western-style breakfasts, so knowing this was quite thoughtful!
Qiao Zixin smiled at Xu Zifan, "Thank you, you've really gone to a lot of trouble."
"No trouble at all. You take your time eating. I have something to take care of. Just call me if you need anything."
Okay, thank you.
Xu Zifan got up and made himself a cup of black coffee. He returned to his computer and began researching the approximate price range of his two stores. The original owner's parents were business owners, running a small business, but they bought the two stores early on in good locations. Later, as housing prices in Yanjing skyrocketed, the stores naturally became quite valuable.
After observing for a while, Xu Zifan had a clear idea of what to do and selected a few reliable real estate agents to contact during working hours.
Having just arrived in this world, Xu Zifan had done almost everything he could. He stretched, downed his black coffee in one gulp, shut down his computer, and went to take a shower. Looking in the mirror, he tidied his hair, which was getting in his eyes, and decided to get a nice haircut when he had some free time. Based on his understanding of the entertainment industry, good looks were often enough to attract a large fan base, so he had to take it seriously.
He changed his clothes and came out, only to find Qiao Zixin washing dishes in the kitchen, which surprised him. He knew that Qiao Zixin hated the kitchen, so he quickly went over and said, "Let me do it."
Qiao Zixin looked up at him and smiled, "I'll wash them. Thank you for saving me. I'm pretty down on my luck right now and don't know how to repay you, but I can still wash the dishes. Xu Zifan, once I get back on my feet, I'll definitely repay you properly."
Xu Zifan smiled. "Don't overthink it. I'm glad I could help you. By the way, what are your plans? I saw in the news that you paid a lot in breach of contract fees, even giving up your house. Is that true?"
Qiao Zixin's face stiffened slightly, and she nodded a little. "It's true. Xingchen Entertainment terminated my contract. All my film and advertising contracts are gone. I heard that my current scandal has a huge impact on them, and I have to compensate them for their losses." She put down the clean dishes, dried her hands, turned to face Xu Zifan, and said casually, "It's okay, I can rent a place. Um... is my bag with you?"
"Yes, I turned off your phone. I'll go get it for you." Xu Zifan went back to her room to get her purse, and the two sat down on the sofa in the living room.
Qiao Zixin quickly took out her phone and turned it on. There were twenty-eight missed calls: one from her agent, eight from Bai You, and the rest from her parents. She also received dozens of WeChat messages and text messages.
Her agent warned her not to drag the company down with her own downfall, assuring her that she had terminated her contract and had nothing to do with the company, and told her not to talk nonsense. Bai You first questioned her where she was, then accused her of conspiring with outsiders to scheme against her, and finally begged her to go to the police station to bail her out. Her parents' messages were full of concern for her, asking if what she saw online was true, and why it involved things like drug use.
Qiao Zixin frowned and dialed her mother's number. Seeing this, Xu Zifan went back to his bedroom and closed the door. Qiao Zixin stared blankly at the door, but her body relaxed. Xu Zifan's silent thoughtfulness warmed her heart; someone still cared about her and was concerned for her. She couldn't give up!
As soon as the call connected, Qiao's mother asked anxiously, "Xin Xin, why did it take you so long to turn on your phone? What happened on the news? I saw that Bai You was arrested? Are you alright?"
Qiao Zixin said, "I'm fine, I'm at a friend's house now. Mom, don't worry, Bai You gaining fans has nothing to do with me, it's all nonsense online."
"Another piece of nonsense? You told me last time it was all nonsense, so how come you got fired by the company? What are you doing in Yanjing? We told you not to be a star, but you wouldn't listen. If you did nothing wrong, how come you lost all the money? So many people online are criticizing you, are they all fake?"
Qiao Zixin pursed her lips, leaned back on the sofa, and said with a bitter smile, "Mom, no one can really tell what's true and what's false in the entertainment industry. I've really messed up this time, and I've been framed like this because I was stupid and not careful enough. But all those things online are just rumors. Don't you know my personality? I swear, I haven't done anything wrong. Mom, please believe me. If you don't believe me, what am I supposed to do?"
"You brat, fine, fine, I won't ask anymore. Come back home and stay here. Your second aunt said her company needs an office assistant, three thousand a month, with a raise if you perform well. There are so many salespeople in her company, they all own houses and cars, it'll be easier for you to find a partner. Stop messing around in that entertainment industry, what have you gotten after all these years? Now your dad and I are embarrassed to even greet the neighbors when we go out. Can't you just live a quiet life?"
Qiao Zixin covered her eyes with her hands, expecting to cry, but she didn't. Perhaps Xu Zifan's trust made her feel less alone and helpless; this time, hearing her mother's nagging didn't make her as sad and disappointed as she had imagined. She could tell that her mother was angry that she was disobedient and insisted on becoming a star, angry that she had brought shame to the family. Perhaps it was because she loved her so much that she was so strict, but right now, all she really wanted was a little support.
Qiao Zixin
He took a breath and laughed, "Mom, that's an exaggeration. It's not that bad. Don't worry, I'll definitely turn things around and not embarrass you and Dad. Okay, I have something to do now, so I'll stop here for now. Mom, just relax and wait for the good news."
"Why are you so disobedient? Do you have to drive your father and me crazy to your satisfaction?"
"Mom, what are you talking about? I'm fine, these things will pass quickly, don't worry."
Qiao Zixin spent a long time comforting her mother before finally hanging up the phone. She didn't get the support she wanted from her mother and felt deeply exhausted after the call.
The phone rang as soon as she put it down. She picked it up and saw it was Bai You. Her eyes turned cold instantly. "Hello?"
"Zixin! You finally answered the phone! Where did you go last night? I've been arrested by the police, come and bail me out!"
"I'm coming to find you right now." Qiao Zixin gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. She was determined to ask Bai You face to face why she had treated her this way!
"Great! Come quickly, I'll be waiting for you! Remember to hire a lawyer!" Bai You said cheerfully, and then hung up the phone.
Qiao Zixin looked at Xu Zifan's phone on the table, got up and knocked on Xu Zifan's door, "Xu Zifan, can you send me the recording?"
Xu Zifan opened the door and saw that she was carrying a bag. He asked, "Are you going to the police station to confront Bai You?"
Qiao Zixin nodded. "I have to find out the truth. I've been so good to her, why did she hurt me? Was it for money? How much money have I given her? Now that I'm broke, she's going to sell me off?"
Qiao Zixin remembered the 30,000 yuan for the right to have her virginity mentioned in the recording, and immediately stopped talking, turning her head away in shame.
Xu Zifan took the car keys and said, "Let's go, I'll go with you."
"Oh? No need, I've already troubled you too much, I'm really sorry..."
"It's okay. You don't have anyone you can trust and no car right now. If you go out like this, won't you be surrounded by people? What if someone takes pictures and posts them online and writes all sorts of nonsense? That would be even more troublesome. Actually, if you don't have a place to stay, you can stay here with me for now. I live alone, so you can rent out my spare room." Xu Zifan smiled and looked down at her. "Just consider it as fulfilling a fan's wish to take care of you?"
Qiao Zixin hesitated for a moment. She really didn't know where to go; she felt she'd be photographed and exposed wherever she went. This place seemed safer than the hotel. No one had noticed her being brought here last night, but she and Xu Zifan had only just met and knew nothing about each other…
Xu Zifan chuckled lightly, "It's alright, take your time thinking about it. Let's go to the police station first."
Xu Zifan drove off. On the way, Qiao Zixin, wearing her oversized coat, hat, glasses, and mask, went to buy an outfit to change into. In a big city, you encounter all sorts of people. Although her heavily disguised appearance was a bit odd, no one paid much attention. At the police station, Qiao Zixin instinctively straightened her back. Even in her current predicament, she didn't want anyone to think she was weak!
Xu Zifan and Qiao Zixin gave their statements together. Xu Zifan said, "I'm Zixin's friend. She was worried about getting drunk before going to the bar, so she asked me to pick her up. I picked her up and left. Bai You said she was going out for a bit to bring some other friends over, but I didn't know her well, so I didn't ask any questions. Did she really gain any fans?"
The police officer handed him the completed statement for confirmation and signature, saying, "The plastic bag we found in the private room contained flour, the kind used for steaming buns, not drugs. However, Bai You's test results confirmed that she did use drugs, so she cannot be released on bail. By the way, we were arrested after receiving a tip-off; was that person you?"
Xu Zifan shook his head. "No."
Whether the police glanced at him or not is irrelevant; the whistleblower did a good thing.
Qiao Zixin clutched her purse with both hands and asked in a low voice, "Can I see Bai You? I want to ask her something."
"Sure, she's been insisting on hiring a lawyer, but the lawyer hasn't arrived yet?"
Qiao Zixin said calmly, "It's wrong for her to use drugs. I won't hire a lawyer for her. If she insists on hiring one, let her hire one herself."
The police officer also saw today's news and knew they were best friends. Hearing this, he looked at her in surprise, but didn't say anything. After registering them, he took them to visit Bai You.
Bai You's eyes lit up as soon as she saw Qiao Zixin. "Zixin! Why are you so slow? Can I leave now?"
Qiao Zixin sat down opposite her, staring at her intently with a blank expression. Bai You felt her heart pounding under her gaze and frowned, asking, "What are you looking at?"
Qiao Zixin sneered, "Let me see what this viper looks like. How could she harm even her childhood friend? Well, you never considered me a friend, and I don't care. I'm just asking you, what have I done to deserve this? Did you do it yourself, or was someone instigating you?"
Bai You's expression changed drastically. "What did you say? I don't understand. Did that man who took you away yesterday say something? He's talking nonsense. How could I harm you?"
Qiao Zixin took out her phone, started recording, played one sentence, and then put it away. That one sentence was enough for Bai You to understand!
Bai You suddenly looked up and stared intently at Xu Zifan, saying hatefully, "It's you! You're the one impersonating Adam, aren't you?!"