Huayu: Traffic is king

Chapter 127 Underwear Stolen
The tour was tiring, and the time spent in the hotel was very short. Gu Jingyi basically just washed up and slept in the hotel; he returned late and got up early.

Apart from that, he spends most of his time at the tour venues.

After returning to the hotel from a late-night snack, Gu Jingyi washed up and went straight to sleep.

Therefore, Gu Jingyi didn't notice some of the small details in the room at first.

The hot pot had a strong smell; even after going out for a walk, my clothes still smelled of the mutton from the copper pot.

Gu Jingyi is also a germaphobe. No matter how late it is after each tour or training session, he will take a shower before he can sleep comfortably.

He had just finished showering and dried his hair with a towel before heading to the washing machine to hang his clothes to dry.

Gu Jingyi set the washing machine to a 30-minute timer, precisely so that he could pick it up right after taking a shower.

Suddenly, he noticed that someone had taken his clothes out beforehand and put them in the empty basket above.

The washing machine he was using had also stopped working, which looked very suspicious.

Milk Foam Forest stayed in double executive rooms during their tour because the number of participants was an odd number. The only double executive room was left for Gu Jingyi to stay in alone.

Then consider that when I first came back, one or two pieces of clothing were missing from my suitcase.

Gu Jingyi didn't believe that the other members of Milkpao Sen would visit his room without his permission, especially since they didn't have his room key.

At first, when he started packing his suitcase and realized that he might be missing two or three items of clothing, he didn't think much of it.

I figured it was probably because I was too tired from the tour and misremembered, or that Lin Ze took it and sent it to the dry cleaners.

Because it was so late, he didn't get back to his hotel suite until 2 or 3 a.m.

It's just a few pieces of clothing; it's not a big deal if there are fewer. It's not important at all, and there's no need to disturb Lin Ze, who is already asleep, because of a baseless suspicion.

Besides, it was getting late, so Gu Jingyi decided to take a shower and change into some clean clothes before going to bed.

However, judging from the current situation, the initial suitcase incident was not accidental.

He squatted down and examined his suitcase. Although it had been restored by the perpetrator, there were obvious signs that it had been tampered with.

The clothes and pants were still neatly folded, but the order was different from what he remembered. There were fewer of them, and the style of tidying had changed.

Gu Jingyi used the storage methods he had seen online to make the most of his 20-inch suitcase.

Now look closely, there are gaps in the suitcase space. Those spaces are perfect for storing two more pairs of underwear and a rolled-up short-sleeved shirt.

Having made a guess, Gu Jingyi dumped all the clothes from his suitcase onto the bed and began to count them.

A few minutes later, he also reached his final conclusion.

I'm missing three short-sleeved shirts, two pairs of pants, two pullover hoodies, and one pair of underwear...

Other things were slightly better, but the theft of his personal clothing really caused Gu Jingyi's expression to change.

Suddenly, as if remembering something, he walked to the washing machine basket and took the clothes out again.

The jacket, short-sleeved shirt, and pants I wore while eating hot pot were still there.

His underwear, however, had vanished...

The clothes on his hands were still dripping wet, water droplets running down the wooden floor, forming shallow puddles that reflected Gu Jingyi's ashen face.

He then turned his head to look at the bedside table, where there were signs that the drawer had been opened.

Gu Jingyi's heart skipped a beat, and he strode over.

The Patek Philippe, Chopard, and Jaeger-LeCoultre watches in the drawer were all neatly placed in their display cases, and had not been stolen.

It was clear that the perpetrator was not interested in these valuable items; he simply opened them, glanced at them, and put them down.

Gu Jingyi didn't quite understand why someone would take his clothes but not his expensive accessories, but if it was an illegitimate child, they might indeed be more interested in their own brother's clothes.

It's also possible that there are security cameras all over the hotel corridors, and if someone really stole valuables, they would just go straight in. And if it's just some clothes, even if Gu Jingyi's clothes are Dior or LV, that would be a different story.

Since the other party only stole clothes, if they really wanted to make an excuse, they could have used their young age and lack of knowledge about brands as a pretext. Furthermore, their attitude in admitting their mistake was good; simply returning the clothes and offering an apology would have been enough to smooth things over.

Most of these obsessive fans are very young, primarily minors.

If it really is them, then this matter is really hard to define.

After a moment's thought, Gu Jingyi knocked on the door of Cai Xukun's room next door.

If the other party stole the clothes with the intention of selling them, then no matter how you look at it, Cai Xukun would not escape punishment.

Conversely, if Cai Xukun next door hadn't been robbed.

That proves that the other party was specifically targeting him; they are just a typical sasaeng fan.

The door opened quickly, and Cai Xukun, who had just finished showering, was there. His hair was still wet and dripping water. He was leaning against the door, about to say something.

Seeing Gu Jingyi's pale and ashen face, she asked in surprise, "What's wrong?"

Gu Jingyi rarely showed his emotions, abandoning all self-control. He exuded an aura of being unapproachable, and his face was extremely unpleasant.

Have you lost anything?

Gu Jingyi didn't have time for small talk and went straight to the point.

"What I mean is, are you missing any clothes or valuables?"

"Someone has been in my room and touched my things."

Cai Xukun looked very surprised and quickly connected the dots to obsessive fans. His face darkened, and he said seriously, "Wait a moment, let me confirm."

Cai Xukun, who debuted as the second member of Milkball, was far surpassed in popularity by Gu Jingyi, but he was still slightly ahead of the other members.

In addition, Cai Xukun has always paid great attention to his self-image management, and he brought the most clothes for this tour.

Gu Jingyi stood outside the door and heard a faint sound of rummaging inside.

He could hear Cai Xukun open the wardrobe, as well as drawers and suitcases.

"Kun Kun, why aren't you sleeping at night?"

A Taiwanese accent came over, and Chen Linong, who had already rested, was also awakened by the noise.

“There’s been a problem with Jingyi; someone outside has touched his things.”

Cai Xukun's voice also came over, and Chen Linong exclaimed in surprise and peeked out the door.

"Jingyi? Were you being stalked by a stalker...?"

Gu Jingyi didn't speak, he just nodded.

Chen Linong was also startled and quickly got up to rummage through things like Cai Xukun.

Everything is fine; no one has touched it.

After checking, the two shook their heads at Gu Jingyi: "Everything is normal, there are no signs of it being disturbed."

After Chen Linong finished speaking with Cai Xukun, she didn't feel relieved at all. Instead, she frowned and realized that someone had deliberately sneaked into Gu Jingyi's room.

While I was somewhat relieved that my things hadn't been affected, I was also secretly a little annoyed.

The competition with Gu Jingyi still exists, but it has shifted from being overt to a subtle, internal rivalry.

Stalkers aren't after money, but ironically, not wanting money is the most terrifying thing.

The thought that their room doors were so close together, and that Cai Xukun had gone downstairs to buy new shower gel before taking a shower, made her even more upset.

Chen Linong was taking a shower the whole time, and only when Cai Xukun returned did he realize that the door was not closed properly.

Even though these obsessive fans had the opportunity to commit their crimes, they treated them like strangers. Passing by without noticing them—sometimes being ignored is the most hurtful thing!
Cai Xukun and Chen Linong exchanged a glance, both feeling a pang of sadness.

"I understand, thank you."

After confirming it, Gu Jingyi had a clear understanding of the situation.

After he finished speaking, he waved his hand, turned around, and left.

Although Justin and Fan Chengcheng's rooms are not far apart, there is no need to ask anymore.

"Jingyi, don't be impulsive. What do you want to do? How do you plan to handle this?"

Gu Jingyi paused, looking back. He pursed his lips, a storm brewing in his eyes.

"Call the agent to report to the company, and then ask the staff to check the surveillance footage."

Gu Jingyi's eyes were cold, and his clear voice held a hidden anger.

He wanted to see who was so audacious and brainless.

They dared to steal things in a place full of security cameras, and even dared to steal his personal clothing.

Upon receiving the news, Lin Ze's drowsiness vanished instantly, and Gu Jingyi quickly explained the situation in a few words.

"Okay, I understand. Jingyi, don't worry. I'll report it to the company as soon as it opens tomorrow."

"The stalker shouldn't dare to be too arrogant and won't bring it into the open. Your most important task now is to retrieve the surveillance footage, catch the stalker, and solve the problem at its source to curb the spread of the news."

Although Lin Ze was also somewhat flustered, he managed to calm himself down.

"Of course I know that, but I'm a little worried. Three or four in the morning is usually when public opinion ferments. If it gets on the trending topics list at six or seven in the morning, it will be seen by more office workers and students."

Gu Jingyi's voice sounded tired. Actually, the stolen clothes weren't so bad. The most important thing was the underwear that had been stolen those two days.

One of them was a pair of underwear that had just been put in the washing machine not long ago, and it was the kind of "used" underwear that some stalker fans love.

If his underwear is stolen and exposed, it will damage Gu Jingyi's reputation.

His Dior title is due to be upgraded next month, and this incident at this crucial juncture is really damaging to his image. I'm afraid Dior might postpone the upgrade.

In September 2019, Cai Xukun will be appointed as Prada's global brand ambassador.

Gu Jingyi's current title at Dior is Asian Brand Ambassador, but she will be officially announced as Asian Brand Spokesperson next month.

According to discussions with Dior, Gu Jingyi was promoted to Asian brand ambassador around the same time. After a one-year evaluation period, she was promoted to Dior global brand ambassador in the same month a year later.

Dior's highest title is Global Brand Ambassador, a position equivalent to a global spokesperson.

Before Gu Jingyi is officially promoted to Dior's global ambassador, he will also go to Dior's headquarters to discuss some in-depth collaborations.

All of Gucci's global brand ambassadors have collaborated with IPs, such as EXO's Kai having a bear IP with Gucci.

Gu Jingyi hasn't decided yet what kind of IP Dior will create, but it will likely lean towards animal elements.

Therefore, this is why Lin Ze was on high alert after receiving Gu Jingyi's call. If the theft of his underwear caused Gu Jingyi's probationary period to be extended, and he ended up being treated like dirt, Gu Jingyi would absolutely not agree to that.

He could switch jobs to either LV, one of the three top luxury brands, or Chanel.

In fact, LV has been in contact with Huace for a while, and it seems like they are trying to poach our talent.

Although they are all lVMH, they have different factions and also compete with each other.

Just like OPPO and VIVO in China, they are both owned by the same company but are fierce competitors.

So after a brief period of annoyance, Gu Jingyi felt much better.

He habitually prepares for the worst, in case his underwear is stolen and it really gets made headlines by his sasaeng fans.

At three or four in the morning, with a shortage of manpower, it is difficult to act as quickly as during the day.

Most scandals involving celebrities in the industry start to escalate around 2 or 3 a.m. on Mondays, deliberately spreading gossip on the first day of the work week when everyone is feeling lethargic.

Gu Jingyi was a little luckier; today was Saturday.

If it's not a weekday, then only young people will continue to pay attention until Monday.

Even if there's a rhythm, it shouldn't have too much of an impact, right?

Gu Jingyi's thoughts were somewhat chaotic, but he managed to regain his composure.

After notifying Huace in advance, he also informed the agent from Idol World.

The other party was clearly not as concerned as Huace, but they still notified the entire hotel.

Milkball Sen's tour was entirely arranged by Idol World, who took care of everything from travel to hotel accommodations.
They moved quickly, and soon the entire hotel was brightly lit.

The staff and security personnel who had already taken a break were all called back to work overtime.

No one expected this to happen; someone had actually sneaked into the floor where Milk Foam lived. Ignoring the security cameras all over the corridor, they even took personal belongings.

A hotel security breach is no small matter, even if it happens to an ordinary celebrity.

Moreover, the victim is currently recognized as the "top influencer in China," and the impact on the hotel if this situation becomes a trending topic is truly unimaginable.

Although the hotel initially suspected that the other party was most likely Gu Jingyi's illegitimate child, what if there were anti-fans among his associates?
Most haters have a different thought process than ordinary people, so it's not hard to imagine that they might suddenly have a fit of rage and do something hurtful.

The hotel staff felt a chill run down their spines just thinking about it; what if Gu Jingyi didn't notice anything amiss?

If anything happens to Gu Jingyi later, and word gets out, his fans will definitely tear them apart.

If even the most basic personal safety cannot be protected, there is no point in the hotel continuing to operate.

At this point, no one took Gu Jingyi's matter lightly, and all the staff members were very attentive and acted quickly to review the surveillance footage.

Staff members also need to sleep; it's impossible for them to monitor the live video feed every single moment.

That's why Gu Jingyi followed along to investigate.

Even though the hotel has about thirty employees, each with their own duties, they all stay in the monitoring room.

However, this private resort hotel is positioned as high-end, and Nai Pao Sen stayed there for three days. With a constant stream of guests coming and going every day, finding the right people to contact was no small matter.

The visitor records for three whole days were incredibly numerous, even just tracking down to Gu Jingyi's floor. With countless small screens broadcasting the footage simultaneously, it was perfectly normal not to notice the anomalies that occurred within a few minutes.

Gu Jingyi did not choose to go back to her room to wait for the results, but instead stood backstage and waited.

Although he didn't urge him, his complexion seemed normal.

But with the person in question right behind them, the staff naturally couldn't afford to be careless or delay.

They raced against time to check the surveillance footage, trying to find the illegitimate child.

This is a moderate workload; we can simply check the surveillance footage inside and outside Gu Jingyi's room at double speed for the past three days.

The staff clicked the mouse rapidly, pausing, resuming, and pausing again.

Gu Jingyi suddenly pointed a finger at something.
"I found it!!"

The sleepy staff were startled by his clear voice, and their drowsiness vanished instantly.

"What's wrong? What happened?"

"Where is it? Could you point it out again?"

Gu Jingyi didn't speak. He walked around the staff members, went to the screen, and then tilted the image back slightly in front of the control panel.

Everyone held their breath and stared at the screen.

Soon, they actually found some clues. A person wearing a mask and hat appeared in the corridor in the video, and the time in the lower left corner showed that it was two days ago.

What was Gu Jingyi doing at 6:30 in the morning?
Milk Foam had just arrived at the hotel on a red-eye flight when Gu Jingyi was sound asleep.

The hotel's cleaning staff came in and cleaned the room. In the footage, Gu Jingyi clearly saw the cleaning staff mop and sweep the room before leaving.

However, it seems he was carrying something too heavy and forgot to close the door.

Gu Jingyi's door was ajar, almost as if the cleaning staff had just left.

A person wearing a baseball cap, sunglasses, and a mask, fully covering their face, appeared at the door.

She quietly opened the door and swaggered into Gu Jingyi's room while he was fast asleep.

"!!!!!!"

The staff members felt their scalps tingle at the sight of the ghostly figure of the stalker.

Gu Jingyi, the person involved, remained calm and said, "Could you please switch to the surveillance footage inside the room?"

Upon hearing this, the staff member in charge of reviewing the surveillance footage quickly switched the camera view inside the room to a split screen on the large screen.

Gu Jingyi zoomed in on it, and the entire piece appeared on the main screen.

The scene continues from the perspective of the stalker entering the room. The person who entered the room took out their phone, turned on the built-in flashlight, and rummaged through Gu Jingyi's drawer.

"Is this an attempt to steal Teacher Gu's watch? Perhaps it's not just a simple case of stalking!"

Some staff members shouted out loud, looking at the scene as if facing a formidable enemy.

Gu Jingyi suddenly realized something and zoomed in on the screen again.

It was clear that the other person carefully rummaged through his drawer.

They only glanced at expensive Patek Philippe watches, some worth as much as a house.

He put it down listlessly, moved it aside, and quickly found Gu Jingyi's room key.

"Found it!" A female voice, filled with joy yet lowered, came from the surveillance camera.

She accepted it as if it were a treasure, then adjusted the flashlight to its dimmest setting, carefully leaping over the sleeping Gu Jingyi for fear he might suddenly wake up, before finally closing the door and leaving.

When the intruder passed by Gu Jingyi's bedside and suddenly looked down at him.

The staff in the monitoring room got goosebumps on their arms, startled by the theft of the room key.

"Oh my god... that's scary, she's still excitedly observing Teacher Gu's state."

"That's strange. Would she dare to steal Teacher Gu's room key? How did Teacher Gu get in after that?"

Gu Jingyi unconsciously tightened his grip, suppressing his anger as he said sarcastically, "Of course he took my room card to make copies. Your hotel is really great. To have such a big loophole, you really take good care of the safety of us guests."

After being mocked by Gu Jingyi, the staff who had just been discussing the matter felt a little embarrassed.

Actually, she was just implying indirectly that Gu Jingyi himself didn't even realize his room key had been stolen. His failure to address the issue promptly and inform the front desk to change rooms led to this huge mess.

Feeling somewhat embarrassed by Gu Jingyi's sarcastic remark, she looked away, avoiding his gaze.

Gu Jingyi snorted coldly, too lazy to argue with her at this juncture. The other party was clearly the duty manager, trying to settle things amicably by exchanging blows.

But Gu Jingyi pointed it out in one sentence, leaving her speechless with embarrassment.

He didn't say anything more, but instead stared intently at the big screen.

Sure enough, the "Gu Jingyi" in the surveillance footage was unaware of any of this.

Long flights, coupled with the mental and physical exhaustion from touring and recording variety shows, are very tiring.

Gu Jingyi was fast asleep; his eyelids didn't move at all from the moment the illegitimate child entered until he left.

At this point, the staff put themselves in Gu Jingyi's shoes and imagined it for a moment.

The thought of someone sneaking into the room while the hotel cleaning staff were distracted and the door wasn't properly closed, while the guests were sound asleep and oblivious to everything, and then stealing their room key and staring at them with a crazed look, was like something out of a horror movie.

Every scene that followed was chilling, especially when viewed at double speed by Gu Jingyi. The illegitimate child who took the room key returned.

Only about forty minutes had passed when she swiped the copied room card to open the door and swaggered in.

Gu Jingyi glanced at the time displayed on the surveillance camera: 7:12:51.

"I remember your hotel starts serving breakfast at 7 a.m., so why aren't there any waiters with trolleys bringing breakfast to my floor at that time?"

His eyes showed no emotion, and his tone was calm, yet it made all the staff in the monitoring room feel ashamed.

It was indeed their carelessness and negligence in management.

"Actually... it's because I knew you checked in very late that day. I didn't bring you breakfast because I didn't want to disturb your rest."

The man wearing the lobby manager's name tag spoke with a stiff neck and some hesitation.

"Well, thank you so much for your kindness. Nine Percent only has five rooms occupied on this entire floor, right? As for the rest of the guests, did you not deliver breakfast or did you simply not even bother to check on our side?"

Gu Jingyi turned to meet his gaze, a flickering flame still burning in his eyes.

"Ah, she moved!"

Some staff members covered their mouths and gasped in surprise.

Gu Jingyi then looked at the surveillance footage again. The illegitimate child did not move quickly when he entered the room with the room key.

She stood at the top of the room, thoroughly enjoying the view of the layout. She acted entirely as the "mistress of the house," showing no sign of timidity or unease.

After admiring it for an unknown amount of time, she moved again.

The illegitimate child took cautious steps, perhaps because "practice makes perfect." She gradually adjusted to the indoor light, and probably turned off the flashlight to avoid waking Gu Jingyi.

Even after it was turned off, her speed of movement was not affected at all.

She walked a few steps to Gu Jingyi's bedside, leaned down, and quietly squatted down by his bedside, gazing at Gu Jingyi for a very long time.

The staff members, after briefly putting themselves in Gu Jingyi's shoes, all felt a chill run down their spines.

Gu Jingyi's expression was unreadable; his eyes were fixed on the screen.

Suddenly, the illegitimate child, whose face was obscured, slowly raised his hand.

Amidst gasps of surprise from the staff, the person in the video gently touched Gu Jingyi's hair.

The staff who witnessed this scene didn't dare to breathe, and cautiously turned around to observe Gu Jingyi's reaction.

"........."

Gu Jingyi's expression remained unreadable; he remained composed. He maintained his forward-leaning posture, his gaze fixed on the surveillance screen.

Perhaps worried that direct contact would wake Gu Jingyi, the illegitimate child's hand hovered above Gu Jingyi's eyebrows and eyes.

She traced Gu Jingyi's features from a distance, very close to his eyes and brows, without actually touching them. Instead, she hovered her gaze above his eyes and brows, then traced his nose, cheeks, lips, and chin.

"Check all the surveillance footage on the 1st and 5th floors, especially the elevator entrance and stairwells, don't miss a single corner."

Gu Jingyi spoke again, breaking the silence.

"it is good!"

The staff member responsible for checking the surveillance footage at the entrance of the lobby on the first floor frowned, finding nothing.

The other person wore a mask and hat throughout, and was rather thin and short.

The only clue was that it was a girl, but no other information could be gleaned from the voice.

What should you do if you've confirmed that a stalker has broken in, but you can't catch them?
The staff didn't know what Gu Jingyi was feeling at that moment, but they were extremely anxious. They were afraid that if they couldn't catch him, there would be problems later, and they were also afraid that Gu Jingyi would hold the hotel responsible and release the news.

"What do we do... How are we supposed to find them disguised like this? Didn't Milkball Sen's tour end today? What if they get wind of it and stop coming—"

At this point, the staff member realized that what he was saying was not quite right, and quickly stopped talking.

"I have my own judgment on this," Gu Jingyi sneered.

"The murderer will definitely come back after succeeding."

Perhaps because they had been there for a while, the other person's shoulders gradually relaxed.

The person squatting by the bed took out their phone, adjusted the camera settings, and started taking pictures.

The light from the screen dimly illuminated the intruder's face, the lower half of which was covered by a mask.

Even in the dim light, one could only make out the blurry eyebrows and eyes below the brim of the hat.

The silent camera took many photos in a row.

It was almost a close-up shot, a very close-up of Gu Jingyi's sleeping face.

The staff were on high alert; being an entertainer was definitely not an easy job.

Compared to actors, singers, and other entertainers, idols are the most likely to have stalker fans.

The better-looking an idol is, the more sasaeng fans they have, and the vast majority of these sasaeng fans are female fans and "wife fans".

Their thought process is completely different from that of normal fans.

Sasaeng fans believe they are different from ordinary fans and have a strong possessive desire for their idols.

The staff simply didn't expect that Gu Jingyi, who had only just debuted, would attract such people.

(End of this chapter)