Huayu: Traffic is king

Chapter 112 "Grumpy Delinquent" VS Real Delinquent

On the afternoon of May 3, 2018, Gu Jingyi walked out of the VIP passage of Terminal 3 at Beijing Capital International Airport.

The wind from the gangway whipped up the rough dust storm and rushed toward the hatch; the air in Beiping was indeed drier than I had imagined.

Gu Jingyi raised his hand to press down his black bucket hat, and the air currents lifted a corner of his Dior early spring all-over print jacket. His clearly defined V-line flashed by, only to be quickly concealed as the hem fell back down.

As Gu Jingyi walked out of the passage, his Chopard Alpine Eagle watch shone even brighter under the flashlights.

When he came out, screams erupted from the arrival gate.

"Gu Jingyi! Jing travels the world, and only Yi reigns supreme!"

"Brother Jingyi, look here! Dior haute couture is going crazy!"

"Honey, look here!"

Upon hearing the last sentence, Gu Jingyi's jawline tightened slightly.

Not far away, a girl wearing a strawberry-embroidered sweatshirt was skipping and jumping while holding a camera and wearing Crocs.

Because of her movements, her twin ponytails swung like two swimming fish.

After Gu Jingyi recognized who it was, a smile appeared in his eyes.

However, remembering that it was May, he quickly realized that some unknown second-year student at the Shanghai Theatre Academy should be in class at this time.

Could it be that she skipped class on purpose to catch up with her own flight schedule?

Gu Jingyi felt he had grasped the truth. Looking at that energetic face, he was momentarily at a loss as to whether he should be angry or not.

Perhaps because his gaze lingered on Tian Xiwei for too long, the surrounding fans began to scream loudly: "Ahhh, husband, look at me!"

"Honey!! Look to the left!"

The sound waves from hundreds and thousands of fans rushed towards Gu Jingyi like a hurricane.

Gu Jingyi smiled and stood directly under Tian Xiwei's camera. The girl almost dropped her camera in nervousness when she saw his face so close.

She was wearing a cartoon-patterned mask today, and her eyes were surprisingly bright.

"Shh, don't call me husband," Gu Jingyi said, looking down at the camera and putting his index finger to his lips.

Although it was a gesture of restraint, a gentle look flashed across his face as he glanced at the camera.

Standing behind the camera, Tian Xiwei's clear, doe-like eyes suddenly lit up, like a clear spring.

"Jingyi..." Tian Xiwei's heart fluttered at Gu Jingyi's sudden appearance. Her clear and crisp voice was tinged with a hint of huskiness, and although she held the camera steadily, her fingertips were white from gripping it too tightly, barely managing to keep it steady.

A makeshift safety line stood tightly between the two. As Gu Jingyi raised his hand, the Chopard watch chain barely grazed the drawstring of Tian Xiwei's hoodie. The next instant silenced the screams from the entire audience.

"Ahhh, honey! I called you honey too, Gu Jingyi, turn around and look!"

"Jingyi, Jingyi, my husband!"

The fans behind him were so jealous they almost fainted. Why was Gu Jingyi so attentive to that girl with pigtails?
Is it because she looks young, or because she knows how to act innocent and cute?

Startled by Gu Jingyi's teasing, the security team that was on standby behind him rushed over as if facing a formidable enemy.

They were all tall and stood next to the cordon, forming a human wall.

"Don't push, everyone please don't push."

"Don't push, it's dangerous."

Gu Jingyi sensed something was wrong and prepared to leave, saying, "If I catch you skipping class again, you're finished."

Gu Jingyi lowered his voice to a very low level, but at just the right distance, Tian Xiwei could hear him clearly.

The breathy sounds spreading from her chest stirred up waves in Tian Xiwei's heart like the tide.

Although Gu Jingyi finished speaking under cover, he quickly walked out of the passage under the protection of the security team.

But Tian Xiwei still clearly remembers the temperature of the tiny breaths of air that gently brushed against the tip of her nose when Gu Jingyi leaned down to speak.

Tian Xiwei's nose wrinkled and trembled slightly, as if she was still savoring the warmth from the touch.

Suddenly, someone bumped her elbow from behind, and she instantly woke up. Forgetting to curse, she instinctively protected her camera.

Looking down, he saw in the moment that in the photo he had snapped in the chaos, the Chopard watch bracelet that had been swaying around when Gu Jingyi bent down to make a "shushing" sound was now frozen in the lower right corner of the frame.

The watch face was somewhat reflective, and she had to zoom in on the photo to see that it also reflected StellaLou's image on her mask.

Tian Xiwei was secretly pleased; she had once again gained more interaction with Gu Jingyi. But at the same time, she was destined never to release this exceptionally well-taken photograph.

This was an unspoken understanding between her and Gu Jingyi, and Tian Xiwei couldn't help but feel secretly delighted.

Hey! You with the twin tails—

Suddenly, a sarcastic female voice came from behind, and several fans holding DSLR cameras surrounded them. The leader was a cool woman who was 1.72 meters tall, with a lip piercing and a punk outfit.

He looked down at Tian Xiwei for a moment, then asked with a hint of arrogance, "What's your Weibo nickname? Which fan club manages you? Don't you know you need to report in advance if you're picking someone up at the airport? Are you a new fan site admin? How can you be so ignorant of the rules, or are you a paparazzi from somewhere?"

The barrage of accusations completely ruined Tian Xiwei's good mood.

Although she wasn't very tall, she still stood straight in the wind, confronting the group of delinquent girls.

"Interesting. How come I didn't know such a rule still existed?"

Tian Xiwei looked at the girl in the lead with a hint of sarcasm; her voice was not loud, but it was full of mockery.

"It's normal that you don't know, newbie. Take out the film negatives you just had; we need to destroy them."

Another girl chimed in, her fingers, adorned with French manicures, flashing by.

Sometimes, nail art can serve as a weapon, in addition to being decorative.

Tian Xiwei's mocking smile became more pronounced, her small mouth looking as if it had been coated with grease.

“You sons of bitches, get the hell out of here. When I was working as a fan site manager for Jingyi’s kids, you were already out there making money by acting as a stand-in photographer.”

She looked around, precisely targeting every single one of the low-level fan site admins who surrounded her.

It was obvious that the other party had seen her entire interaction with Gu Jingyi. Among all the fans present, no one could have captured the clearest video of Gu Jingyi's "shushing" and silencing of others.

Such precious moments, whether captured in photos or videos, can cause a stir in the fan community.

Videos or fan-taken photos with watermarks are readily available for purchase by countless "Jingfei" fans who are willing to pay exorbitant prices for unwatermarked, uncompressed 4K ultra-high-definition versions. Money has always been a powerful motivator, and they see the camera negatives in Tian Xiwei's possession as a new source of income that they want to seize.

If it were a cute girl like Dilraba or Zhou Ye, who is cold on the outside but sweet on the inside, she might have given in under these circumstances.

But Tian Xiwei is different; she is a heroine with a strong sense of ruggedness and ruthlessness.

Although she was alone, she was unfamiliar with the enemy formation.

He took his phone out of his hoodie pocket, opened his Weibo account, and searched for Gu Jingyi's commute to the TV station, which had gone viral before the premiere of "Produce 202" in 2017.

It's that classic line from the most devastating fan war, the one that perfectly captured her beauty and sent her crashing into the abyss – "Where do I sign?" Every time Gu Jingyi's popularity rises, new fans tirelessly dig it up again.

Gu Jingyi, an independent trainee with no connections, gained double-digit hot posts overnight on major forums like PANN in South Korea, where xenophobia is extremely prevalent, thanks to Tian Xiwei's short video.

After the theme song for "Produce 202" was released, Gu Jingyi, who was clearly in Class A and the first A, was always sandwiched between South Korean trainees like Kang Daniel and Park Jihoon.

His solo performance lasted less than two seconds, yet it gained a small following in South Korea thanks to a fan-made video of Tian Xiwei commuting to work. Countless fans, drawn to his striking appearance, singled out his two-second appearance in the theme song, blurring out the surrounding trainees and focusing solely on Gu Jingyi, creating a GIF of him.

This caused Gu Jingyi to dominate the social media feeds of South Korean K-pop fans for a week after the show's premiere.

South Koreans then began to take a keen interest in Gu Jingyi, scrutinizing his less than five minutes of screen time in the first three episodes. This resulted in a solo cut, prompting countless fans to exclaim, "His face is genius-level beautiful," "A legendary face," and "So handsome that even passing ants would stop and stare in amazement."

This move allowed Gu Jingyi to win over the "face-value fans" despite the various "debuffs" of having her initial stage performance completely cut, lacking character arc, storyline, and effective shots.

They directly passed the danger period before the performance and managed to make it into the performance with a mid-ranking position.

With her captivating stage presence during the first public performance, her individual fancam garnered over a million views in less than 24 hours. Her performance went viral, and her popularity exploded.

He made a direct comeback from the middle ranks to the top ranks. This caught the attention of Ahn Joon-young, the producer of "Produce 202," who asked the screenwriter to add some storylines for Gu Jingyi.

Gu Jingyi's performance throughout the competition was outstanding, and he is known as a "big boss" who possesses both good looks and strength.

After the second performance, he rose to first place. After the third performance, Gu Jingyi's overwhelming lead in votes set a new record.

All of this is due to Gu Jingyi's own strong abilities, which allowed him to forge a thorny path through the show.

It also wouldn't have been possible without Tian Xiwei's early assistance.

Wang Ke, the Chinese beauty from "Produce 48," only had her looks discovered by the audience after the first performance aired.

Although after the show aired, a bunch of fans who admired her appearance rushed to vote for her, trying to "snatch" the beauty away.

It still couldn't change Wang Ke's fate of being eliminated. The initial disadvantage wasn't an insurmountable obstacle. But for trainees who sometimes just lack a little bit of luck, it was the last straw that broke the camel's back.

Although the ratings of "Produce 202" far surpass those of "Produce 48" this year, given the audience's enthusiasm for the male version of the original work, Gu Jingyi will inevitably be discovered after the first performance and make a comeback to the top.

However, Tian Xiwei's early efforts also cleared some obstacles for Gu Jingyi to avoid.

In the hearts of every "Jingfei" (a fan of Gu Jingyi), "Gu Jingyi's Donuts" is a respected veteran fan site admin.

She is the gentlest ray of light in the hearts of every fan.

When Tian Xiwei took out her phone from her hoodie pocket and found her widely circulated video titled "Where Do I Sign?"

She no longer bothered to hide her identity.

Tian Xiwei shoved her phone almost into the face of the leading delinquent fan, speaking at breakneck speed like a machine gun: "Back in 2017, when 'Produce 202' aired, Lao Zhi was carrying a heavy camera weighing over ten kilograms to film and edit videos of Gu Jingyi. You guys were secretly using Meitu Xiu Xiu to chase after your idols in some corner, and now you're bullying me? A bunch of bastards, get lost!"

"You bastards, listen to me!"

Tian Xiwei removed her mask, her Sichuan-Chongqing dialect carrying a sharp sweetness. At this moment, she wasn't the energetic "donut" smiling in front of Gu Jingyi, but rather "a little sweetheart with a mouthful of fangs."

“I am Gu Jingyi’s donut. You guys who came in later to make a living have the least right to criticize me.”

"Back when I spent money and effort to get 200,000 votes for him on Produce 2020, you guys didn't even know how to bypass the Great Firewall!"

The noisy airport suddenly fell silent behind the police cordon.

Gu Jingyi, the legendary original fan site admin known as "Sweet Sister" by his fans for possessing all the unreleased footage from before his debut and accompanying him through every stage of his journey, stepped out of the screen for the first time offline, revealing her real identity.

Without a doubt, "Sweetie Sister" lives up to her name. She can make a strawberry embroidered sweatshirt look full and curvy, and wear a sweet girl style with a touch of...sexiness.

Tian Xiwei's double-curled hair was fine, soft, and fluffy, adding a touch of liveliness to her pigtails. She had fair skin, red lips, and slender shoulders. No matter how you looked at it, it didn't fit the image of this fierce and resolute woman.

It's as if a sweet girl like her should be a flower blooming in a greenhouse, pampered and cherished.

But when Tian Xiwei simply pursed her lips and crossed her arms over her chest, she fearlessly uttered a long, logically sound statement in the face of threats and intimidation.

The sharpness and directness in her eyes shattered the stereotypical image of a sweet girl.

A gentle breeze blew, and Tian Xiwei's high ponytails, secured with a hairband, fluttered in the wind.

The warm sunlight gently fell on her face, a face that clearly showed signs of immaturity. Upon closer inspection, it was noticeable that the fine hairs on her face hadn't completely disappeared despite her young age of 20.

Her cat-like eyes held pride and unbridled spirit.

Tian Xiwei is just like that; she is flamboyant and free, like the wind, never bound by any stereotypes.

"Gu Jingyi's family has never had the rule of snatching film from others, nor has it ever believed that they can bully others just because they have more people."

Tian Xiwei snorted coldly, wearing Crocs but exuding the air of high heels. She stuffed the film into the camera bag's inner pocket: "You bunch of people want negatives? I'd rather publish them on my Weibo homepage for free, or use them as a top-tier economic case study in National Geographic than give them to you, you bunch of lapdogs."

.........

"Jingyi, your photos have gone viral again. Want to see them?"

The assistant saw the homepage and reported it to Gu Jingyi with some concern.

"Ah."

He nodded in response, his Adam's apple bobbing, and took the phone from his assistant.

The young man, his jacket fluttering in the wind, had half his face obscured by the camera's hazy light. He maintained a composed posture, yet his eyes curved into clear crescents, and he lightly touched his lips with his index finger in a shushing gesture. For some reason, the watch face was blurred by the photographer.

This minor flaw does not detract from the excellence of the photo; it is a picture that tells a story.

Gu Jingyi glanced at the poster's nickname, "Gu Jingyi's Donut".

The assistant noticed Gu Jingyi's gaze and said somewhat obsequiously, "Brother Jingyi, this 'Donut' is your most famous fan site admin. Her output and photos are amazing, how about we recruit her into the company..."

"No need," Gu Jingyi interrupted before the assistant could finish speaking.

His expression suddenly turned cold, and after noticing the assistant's panic, he added, "She is a free and passionate wind, and shouldn't be confined to my side to produce results for me."

(End of this chapter)