Lin Haobai felt like all he could hear were screams, nothing but screams. Apart from the cute girl next to him, most of the noise came from the crowd surrounding them.
From the outside, it was impossible to see what was happening inside, but as the screams spread, everyone seemed to catch the excitement, joining in. These screams carried no fear at all; instead, they were filled with pure joy.
“Ahhh! Such a handsome guy! Congcong, Congcong!” The girl straddling the boy’s shoulders excitedly ruffled his hair with both hands, her face lighting up with a dreamy expression.
The boy, looking completely resigned, received Lin Haobai’s sympathetic gaze and nodded calmly back.
These days, even dating someone wasn’t easy!
Lin Haobai struggled to hold back a laugh and reached out to pat the boy on the back as if comforting him.
The girl on the boy’s shoulders had no idea about the silent exchange between the two men; she was just grateful for her timing.
Originally, she had only climbed onto Congcong’s shoulders to get a better view of what was happening inside the crowd. She didn’t expect that as soon as her perspective rose, she would see a dozen or so people walking out from a glass door behind the poster.
Leading the group was a man in a dark blue suit.
His skin was so fair and luminous that under the light, it seemed almost translucent. Several people in black suits followed him. Among them, some held tablets, speaking to the man in blue as they walked, while others scanned the surroundings, clearly acting as security.
Normally, such people wouldn’t draw the girl’s intense attention, after all, she was an experienced entertainment-circle girl, accustomed to all kinds of beauty. Her standards were high. But this man’s glowing white skin held her gaze firmly.
Sure enough, when the man stepped out from behind the poster and into the crowd, a wave of screaming erupted immediately.
The girl swore on her 5.0 vision that she had never seen such a handsome, delicate, yet striking man. His skin was almost unnaturally pale, his lips vividly red, but his upright posture and commanding presence carried off this extraordinary beauty perfectly. On a man, such beauty didn’t detract; it added to his allure.
From that moment on, the girl decided that besides her Brother Bai fandom, she now had a new obsession.
Lin Haobai noticed her excitement and glanced at the stirred-up crowd. Gasps and occasional exclamations of “so handsome!” reached his ears. For some reason, the first person that came to his mind was Ren Tianxing.
He couldn’t help but shake his head with a wry smile—Ren Tianxing had already become synonymous with “handsome” in his mind.
The only thought lingering was that Ren Tianxing, being such a big boss, probably wouldn’t appear in a busy shopping mall during working hours.
The crowd ahead grew even more excited. Lin Haobai saw people pouring in through several entrances of the mall. After a moment’s thought, he glanced at the still-enthusiastic girl and said quietly to the boy next to her, named Congcong, “I’m leaving first. Stay safe.”
His voice was low, carrying a faint sense of restraint.
Congcong only noticed that this man leaving, whether it was his large hands or upright posture, looked a lot like Brother Bai, the celebrity his girlfriend adored. Before he could think any further, he felt the girl swaying on his shoulders, quickly steadied himself, and pressed tightly against the pillar.
Lin Haobai stopped paying attention to the poster area. Familiar with the layout of the mall, he saw several entrances crowded with people. After considering his options, he changed direction and headed toward the stairs.
As soon as he entered the stairwell, he heard rhythmic footsteps.
Looking up toward the sound in surprise, he saw someone he never expected.
“You… what are you doing here?”
It wasn’t strange that he asked.
This was a service stairwell in the mall, a route few people ever took. It connected directly to all the mall floors, including the underground garage. But the person in front of him was Ren Tianxing, the CEO of a major corporation, why would he use such a small stairway? Even though several bodyguards followed him, Lin Haobai still found it extremely odd.
Ren Tianxing looked down at the suddenly appearing little cutie. Fully geared up, the “little cutie” stood out, but Ren Tianxing recognized him instantly.
“To the basement.”
Just three simple words, calm in tone, carrying a touch of indifference that Lin Haobai wasn’t quite used to.
Lin Haobai’s heart sank slightly, accompanied by a quiet, unspoken annoyance.
“Oh.”
After that, he remained silent, lowered his head, and continued down the stairs. His footsteps, however, seemed hurried, as if something was chasing him from behind.
Ren Tianxing watched him and shook his head. Something about today felt off.
First, the mall hadn’t been properly arranged, he’d come out through that glass door, which had left him surrounded by Lin Haobai’s fans. Fortunately, they seemed reasonably calm. He had left a few bodyguards to maintain order while he took the rest and slipped away through the stairwell.
However, he was still a little worried something might go wrong, so it was best for Lin Haobai to keep some distance from him for now. From past experience, he knew exactly what it meant that “a gentleman does not stand beneath a dangerous wall.”
Yet, seeing the little cutie’s eyes light up, only to dim immediately when he spoke those three words, made his heart twitch slightly.
Wasn’t this little guy the one who first pretended to be distant from him?
Amused, Ren Tianxing quickened his pace and headed toward the basement.
The basement was relatively quiet. He walked directly toward the car with his bodyguards. Up ahead, a white SUV had its headlights on and the engine running. At a glance, he recognized it as Lin Haobai’s car. He nodded to the other, then got into the vehicle, the door already opened by a bodyguard.
Lin Haobai watched him nod politely and couldn’t help nodding back. Then, catching his own reflection in the rearview mirror, still masked and nodding, he felt a little silly and instinctively tapped his head.
Stop looking. Even if you keep looking, you can’t get any closer.
Lin Haobai said this to himself.
He then pressed the accelerator, turned the wheel, and drove toward the garage exit. Glancing at the rearview mirror, he saw that Ren Tianxing’s convoy was following behind.
As soon as he exited the garage, the bright sunlight hit the car, and Lin Haobai felt as if it had dispelled the little irritation in his heart. He relaxed back into his usual self, smiling slightly as he drove home.
Behind him, Ren Tianxing’s cars still followed.
Looks like he’s going home too.
Lin Haobai kept an eye on the road while also keeping tabs on the other cars.
Not far from the garage exit, the convoy behind suddenly seemed to stir.
Lin Haobai kept a careful eye on the convoy behind him and soon noticed something was off.
There were four vehicles following him. Directly behind his car was Ren Tianxing’s arrogant Maybach. On either side of the Maybach, each lane was flanked by a black SUV providing protection.
Behind Ren Tianxing’s car, there was yet another black SUV of the same model.
But now, Lin Haobai noticed that, aside from Ren Tianxing’s car, the other three SUVs seemed to be moving strangely.
He immediately sensed the horn from Ren Tianxing’s car blaring, and the distance between their vehicles began to close. His habit of overthinking kicked in, and he unconsciously pressed the accelerator.
It was still work hours, so traffic was light, giving him plenty of room to maneuver.
Soon, his speed reached the maximum limit.
Lin Haobai’s nerves were taut; he felt as if something was lurking in the air.
Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at the rearview mirror. Ren Tianxing’s Maybach was flashing its low beams on and off alternately.
Up ahead was a curve in the lane, forcing Lin Haobai to slow down. Hands gripping the wheel, he navigated the bend and entered the highway.
At that moment, he finally saw the full situation of the convoy behind him.