No wonder Pei Jin had told Wu Yan he wouldn’t be at the film set; he had this brand fan meeting today.
Wu Yan stood on the second floor, his arms folded over the railing as he watched the interaction between Pei Jin, the media, and the fans. Today, Pei Jin was dressed quite casually in brown and coffee tones, which made him appear warmer and more approachable.
The host was managing the flow on stage, occasionally mentioning crowd control. The mall had also organized activities to boost engagement, essentially saying that every receipt from a purchase made in the mall today had a number on it. If your number was drawn, you could win a small prize or even get a chance to ask a question on stage.
“Quick, check mine!”
Xiao Liang, standing not far from Wu Yan, pulled a receipt from her bag and spoke in surprise: “Good thing I didn’t throw it away! I was just wondering why there were numbers on it. Since it’s Movie Star Pei’s birthday, I’m bound to win something, right?”
“I already threw mine away…” Her companion didn’t look nearly as happy.
The deafening cheers and shouts grew louder as the numbers appeared on the giant screen behind the host. Among the dense sea of digits, Wu Yan only recognized a few that seemed related to Pei Jin; the rest appeared to be randomly selected.
He lifted his bag, pulled out the receipt the sales assistant had tucked inside, and glanced at the number: 0219. It didn’t ring a bell, so he figured it wasn’t an important number and casually stuffed it back.
On the center stage of the first floor, the host in a fiery red dress held the microphone to Pei Jin. Looking out at the massive crowd, her red lips moved as she said: “Next is the Q&A session. I’m sure everyone is curious about Movie Star Pei. Media and fans, are you ready?”
Responses like “Ready!”, “Pick me!”, and “Curious!” echoed through the venue.
A reporter with a press pass pushed to the front. “There are rumors that Movie Star Pei is going to participate in a dating show. Is it true?”
The question seemed absurd. Why would a Movie Star at the peak of his career and with a brilliant future participate in that kind of show? Sure enough, Pei Jin looked surprised and replied: “False.”
“Then is it true you’ll be collaborating with Gu Yanzhuo on your next film? What’s the genre?” someone else asked.
“Suspense,” Pei Jin answered generically, as the reporters knew he was under a non-disclosure agreement.
Even after a series of media questions, he remained calm. When fans stepped up to praise and admire him, his responses were polite, though noticeably warmer than they had been for the media.
The Q&A lasted about ten minutes. Wu Yan watched a girl approach and thought she looked strangely familiar. His gaze swept over the empty space behind him before moving back to the stage.
Xiao Liang, who had squeezed through with her staff pass, held the microphone. “Movie Star Pei mentioned his ideal type before. Do you prefer someone older or younger than you?”
The question was sharp. Many in the crowd froze, and the noisy environment went silent for several seconds. Pei Jin was twenty-eight; if he chose someone older, they’d be over thirty, which would mean a “sister-brother” romance. Moreover, there were rumors that his success was due to a benefactor, so this line of thought was particularly… suggestive.
“Is she a real fan?” Wu Yan felt a bit of sympathy for Pei Jin, but he was also curious about the answer. After all, he was five years younger than Pei Jin.
“Our Brother Pei won’t be answering personal questions like that for now,” Luo Xia, standing off-stage, quickly intervened to shut down the topic.
The flash of drama was soon forgotten. Wu Yan’s legs felt numb from standing, so he found a bench to rest. He was idly scrolling through funny videos when he saw staff members coming out of the elevator.
Seeing his confused look, a worker setting up yellow caution tape said: “Pei Jin will be coming up soon. To avoid accidents, please move aside, sir.”
Wu Yan didn’t follow the industry closely and wasn’t sure what was happening. He got up to find the stairs. If Pei Jin was coming up, he’d go down and finally leave the mall.
Unexpectedly, as he entered the stairwell, he ran right into Pei Jin coming through the “green channel.”
Their eyes met instantly.
It appeared Pei Jin was heading for a mid-event break. The mall’s VIP lounge was on the second floor, and Wu Yan happened to be heading down from there.
“Um, listen to me…” Wu Yan looked at Pei Jin’s face and felt a mysterious surge of guilt. He coughed and spoke hesitantly.
Pei Jin’s gaze moved from the youth’s pale face to the shopping bag in his hand. His light brown eyes flashed with an obscure sense of understanding. Wu Yan saw his expression and knew he had been misunderstood.
He bit his lip and decided not to explain. After all, his goal was to be with Pei Jin; it didn’t matter if the man thought he had come specifically for the event.
Seeing Wu Yan remain silent, Pei Jin frowned slightly. “There are many people here. Are you alright?”
“Ah?” Wu Yan blinked for two seconds, then stepped forward, tilting his head. “Is Brother worrying about me?”
It was indeed a statement of concern; Pei Jin couldn’t deny it, so he remained silent. To Wu Yan, silence was agreement.
He smiled and shook the paper bag in his hand, looking a bit smug. “I came specifically to support you. Can’t you say a few more words, Brother?”
Sometimes he felt that if it were summer, Pei Jin’s coldness would make a great air conditioner. But since it was winter, the man felt even colder.
“What was the number on your receipt?” Pei Jin suddenly asked. “I think it was 0219,” Wu Yan blurted out.
“Mhm, I see,” Pei Jin nodded, saying nothing more.
“Why do you ask, Brother? Did I win a prize?” Wu Yan heard something unusual in his tone. He started to reach for Pei Jin’s hand but remembered the man’s earlier words. He paused mid-air and withdrew his hand.
He really wanted to say something flirtatious, but Pei Jin was so cold he feared an awkward rejection.
“To you, it might not count as a ‘grand prize’.”
Pei Jin started to walk away. Seeing Wu Yan standing still, he stopped and looked back. “Come sit in my lounge for a bit. It’ll be a while before you can get out through the crowd below.”
Sit in the lounge for a bit… Wu Yan murmured to himself. He said with a smile: “Since Brother invited me, of course I’ll come along.”
Pei Jin turned and led the way. The tips of his ears turned a faint red. He slowed his pace so that Wu Yan wouldn’t struggle to keep up.
In the lounge, a manager was discussing the next steps of the event with Pei Jin. Wu Yan sat on the sofa, obediently sipping warm water. Once the manager left, he spoke tentatively: “I won’t be affecting your work by being here, will I?”
“No,” Pei Jin replied flatly.
A subtle smile touched Wu Yan’s lips. His voice took on a seductive quality. “I’m very happy to spend more time with you, Brother.”
He stared at Pei Jin with eyes full of shimmering joy. A few strands of silver-gray hair fell against his cheek, making him look even more moving. Even though Pei Jin was used to his looks, he felt his chest tighten. His Adam’s apple moved slightly, and he turned away, pretending to organize papers to hide his fluster.
A moment later, a staff member’s voice called out from outside, signaling that the event was resuming. Pei Jin stood up and looked at Wu Yan. “Follow me down.”
Wu Yan didn’t ask why; he just nodded and followed him, his mind already spinning with little schemes.
The event venue was still roaring with life. The host stood on stage, smiling into the microphone. “Time flies! We’ve reached the final segment. For this event, we’ve set up a very special grand prize.”
This pushed the atmosphere to a fever pitch. Wu Yan stood not far from the stage, his gaze drifting toward Pei Jin.
“Our special prize is a four-digit number, and this string of numbers is very significant. It is the founding date of our Qingya brand February 19th.”
“I wonder where our lucky guest with this number is?”
Amidst the growing excitement, Wu Yan suddenly remembered what Pei Jin had said earlier.
“The friend with this number can go to the store to claim a three-year experience voucher for all new products!” The host scanned the crowd, but obviously couldn’t spot the winner, so she continued.
No wonder Pei Jin said it didn’t count as a ‘grand prize’ to me… Wu Yan had no shortage of money, and more importantly, he usually didn’t use those products anyway.
“I thought it would be an interaction with Movie Star Pei. Turns out it’s just this…” “It’s not a bad prize! But it’s not a ‘surprise’ either!” “Maybe the host isn’t finished yet; they love to keep us hanging.”
The various comments drifted into Wu Yan’s ears.
“Everyone, please be quiet! In addition to that, the friend with this number gets to have a close-up embrace with our brand spokesperson, Movie Star Pei!”
Seeing the mood shift, the host dropped the real bomb. Director’s voice echoed in her earpiece, urging her to wrap up.
The crowd erupted into cheers as everyone looked for the winner. Wu Yan, holding his receipt, was naturally led onto the stage by a staff member. Though he disliked being the center of attention, he could endure it for a hug from Pei Jin.
This was part of the fixed process. The host looked at the approaching Wu Yan, a flash of amazement in her eyes, but she maintained her professional composure. “Welcome to our lucky friend! You two, please share an embrace.”
Pei Jin stood tall and cold under the stage lights. Wu Yan took the opportunity. As they embraced, he stood on his tiptoes and leaned close to the man’s ear, his warm breath tickling the skin.
He whispered softly: “Brother, do you think this is our fate? I really like this grand prize.”