The male supporting character was actually myself.

The shout startled all the workers, and the dozen or so who hadn't stopped working all looked up. When they saw that it was a tall and handsome young man, several of the older women couldn't help but smile knowingly at Ouyang Anning.

"Huh?! What are you doing here?" Ouyang Anning was startled, and a blush crept onto her cheeks when she saw the looks in her coworkers' eyes.

Let's go home early today!

"That's right, it's getting late anyway."

"Go change your clothes quickly, don't keep them waiting here..."

…………

The nosy aunties kept urging her on, making her even more embarrassed.

"Uncle Chen, I'll leave early today. This amount..." Ouyang Anning blushed, her soft voice mostly drowned out by the noise of the machinery.

The manager waved his hand with a smile, "Go on, I'll make sure you get yours! You won't be shortchanged!"

After she walked out with the young man, her head slightly lowered and a hint of shyness in her expression, the atmosphere in the workshop immediately became cheerful.

"Oh my, that child's clothes and appearance clearly show he's rich. Anning has finally made it through."

“I looked closely. Our place is dirty and messy, but the young man didn’t even frown. He seems quite steady and reliable.”

"Where did Anning meet such a handsome guy? He looks kind of familiar!"

"Ugh~ I don't think he's a good person. Didn't you see the earrings he's wearing? They're so flashy, like something a girl would wear."

"Tsk tsk, you don't understand, do you? That's what young people call fashion!"

…………

Jiang Chen didn't hear their gossip about him. He waited at the factory gate for a few minutes before Ouyang Anning changed her clothes and rushed over, saying, "I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting..."

The small courtyard was full of potholes and sewage that workers had splashed everywhere. She skillfully jumped over the puddles, wanting to get her idol away from this dirty and chaotic environment as soon as possible. Unexpectedly, she slipped on the soft mud and fell to the ground!

"oops!"

Ouyang Anning exclaimed in surprise, and instinctively reached out with her left arm to grab the shelf next to her, but she didn't have enough strength and it only provided some cushioning before she still couldn't stand up.

In a split second, the thought that flashed through her mind was: Oh no, my idol will be covered in mud...

Jiang Chen reacted swiftly, bracing his shoulder against the nearly toppled shelf and supporting her around the waist with his right hand. Still shaken, Ouyang Anning saw the sewage very close to her, but the expected pain of hitting the ground didn't come. After a few seconds of stunned silence, she belatedly felt a strong, warm arm around her waist, and her body involuntarily straightened up.

"Are you alright?" the idol asked with concern.

She was a beat slow to react and looked up, only to find that the other person had their head slightly lowered and the two of them were so close that they could clearly feel each other's breathing.

"N-nothing. Thank you!" Ouyang Anning's face immediately turned red. Fortunately, her idol only helped her brush the dust off her clothes, and then stood up straight and put some distance between them.

For some reason, she suddenly felt like she had a little rabbit inside her, her heart pounding incredibly fast.

"You work here all day, and then go singing at night?" Jiang Chen and she walked out of the factory side by side, the early autumn wind blowing through the streets and carrying away some of the restlessness.

Ouyang Anning nodded and replied softly, "I don't have a high level of education, and I don't have the means to continue my studies; my left arm is like this, so I can't do many jobs. I can only find some jobs that don't require much physical exertion to earn some money."

Uh... how did you find your way here?

The reason I haven't called you is... I haven't received my salary yet and I don't know what I can treat you to. You're quite busy, and I don't want to keep bothering you..."

Jiang Chen raised an eyebrow slightly. So she was still thinking about treating everyone.

Chapter Nineteen: Similar Life Experiences

“I was just strolling around today and happened to see your sister sitting on the side of the street doing handicrafts in the sun. I stopped and chatted for a bit. She said you work in a factory here, so I just happened to be passing by and came to visit.”

Jiang Chen lied without batting an eye. She clearly thought that since they hadn't heard from each other for so long, she had inquired about the news and took the initiative to find Ouyang Anjing to "accidentally" meet her, but she made it sound like the truth.

“Oh, is that so…” Ouyang Anning followed him with her head slightly lowered, unsure of what to talk about, since she had never really interacted with any men since she was a child.

What's more, the person standing next to me is my idol whom I admire!

"What's that? A specialty of the old town?" Jiang Chen asked, pointing to a food that looked like a sesame seed cake fresh from the oven at a roadside stall. "Is it tasty?"

Mentioning something she was familiar with, she nodded with a slight smile and said, "It's called 'Crunch Baked Flatbread,' probably because it's very crispy and makes a crunching sound when you bite into it. It's quite delicious, with various fillings inside, like five-spice, red bean paste, and sesame paste. Would you like some?"

"Yes! Are you going to treat us?"

"Okay, what flavor do you like?"

"Sesame paste, I think it would be more fragrant..."

…………

As they started discussing snacks, the atmosphere between the two became relaxed and pleasant. Ouyang Anning walked to the stall and bought five sesame seed cakes. She handed him one with sesame paste on a piece of paper and took one with red bean paste for herself. They chatted and ate as they walked home while the cakes were still warm.

Her family lived in a dilapidated old building in the corner of the old town. Judging from the faded nameplate at the gate, it used to be a dormitory for employees of a factory.

The dimly lit and cramped tenement building is mostly inhabited by elderly people. Several large trees in the courtyard block some of the sunlight, so they carry stools to sit on the street by the gate, either dozing off, talking about old times, or playing cards. Some families who eat early have already started clattering pots and pans, and the aroma of food wafts from the stairwell from time to time.

Ouyang sat quietly on the side of the street, her hands busily and skillfully working.

Those were the small bags commonly used at wedding banquets for holding wedding candies; the bright red color with gold patterns looked very festive. Holding the half-finished bag in one hand and a small clip tool in the other, she first hooked the red ribbon drawstring onto the clip, then fumbled to thread it through the quilted opening of the bag, then removed the clip and tied the drawstring in a knot. One piece was finished.

For an average skilled worker, completing this set of procedures would take only a few seconds, but even with Ouyang Anjing's expertise, it would take her quite a while to figure it out, and it would take her about a minute to complete one.

Jiang Chen searched online and learned about this kind of low-skilled work at the bottom of the production chain. They could only earn one cent for completing the task of threading a drawstring onto a candy bag. Even with her elderly grandmother helping out in her spare time, their daily income was only a dozen yuan.

The price of a cup of milk tea represents the contribution that Ouyang Anjing, who is blind, can make to her family after a whole day of hard work.

As the sun sets and the sky gradually darkens, the cramped and dimly lit tenement building remains unlit.

"About sixty years ago, this place was very prosperous and bustling." Ouyang Anning skillfully navigated the tenement building filled with miscellaneous items and introduced it to her idol: "The city's history has left detailed records. This was the city's first precision instrument processing factory, and those assigned here at that time were all highly educated graduates."

My maternal grandparents worked in a factory and were allocated this house.

Originally, my parents moved out after my mother got married, but... my mother is an only child, and my maternal grandparents bought her a house and a car when she got married, which used up a lot of their savings.

My older sister was born blind;

I am a girl, and that man was very dissatisfied and forced my mother to have a third child. However, the regulations were very strict at the time, and I was only able to have a child because my older sister was disabled.

If she tries for a third child, the mother's job will be affected.

Moreover, having been pampered by her maternal grandparents since childhood, she didn't want to become a breeding machine for those who favored sons over daughters.

Later, the conflict escalated. When I was three years old, the woman he was seeing outside of the marriage found out that she was pregnant with a son. In order to force my mother to sign the divorce agreement, he beat me severely, causing an injury to my left arm.

They even used our custody rights as leverage to force our mother to give up her property and leave with nothing.

After the divorce, my mother, probably due to long-term mental stress, was diagnosed with cancer. My grandparents spent all their savings and sold their house, but they still couldn't keep her. We had nowhere to live, so we had to move back..."

Jiang Chen followed quietly behind her, then suddenly retorted, "You should sue him."

"Huh? What?"

“I’m suing the man who abandoned his wife and children, and making him pay for all the years of child support.” He explained in a deep voice, “I’m preparing to sue the man who abandoned me, accusing him of abandonment that made me an orphan with a father.”

We must never be lenient with these kinds of people, otherwise they'll turn on us and bleed us dry when they're old and need someone to rely on. Don't expect them to have any conscience; suing them as soon as possible, cutting all ties, is the most important thing for us.

Ouyang Anning was taken aback, "You, you were also..."

“Yes, my mother disappeared when I was very young. He went out to have fun with other women and abandoned me to my grandfather without giving him a penny for living expenses. I was only able to hold a funeral for my grandfather with the help of the villagers. I have started to collect evidence to sue him for abandonment and I should be able to submit the lawsuit in a couple of days.”

Ouyang Anning was filled with mixed feelings, never expecting that her tall, handsome, talented, and seemingly sunny idol would have a similar life experience.

My grandmother was assigned an old-fashioned two-bedroom apartment. The layout of the apartment, built decades ago, was obviously not very reasonable. The living room was on the shady side and was even darker without the lights on. My grandmother, who was over seventy years old, was cooking on the balcony, and the old-fashioned fan was whirring to expel the smell of cooking oil.

Unaffected by the light, Ouyang Anjing was sitting in the living room, busy threading drawstrings. Hearing the rusty iron door open, she turned her head slightly and smiled, "Anning's back from get off work? Guess who I ran into on the street today?"

Before her sister could reply, she excitedly revealed the answer, "Li Jiangchen! He said he happened to be passing by and we chatted for a bit. He even asked where you work."

"Oh? You brought guests home? Who's at the door?"

Jiang Chen's footsteps were very light and were masked by the sound of the iron gate being pushed open, but Ouyang Anjing clearly smelled the faint scent of men's cologne on him.

"It's me." He replied with a smile, picking up the cooked food he was carrying on the way and shaking it as he laughed, "I'm here to mooch dinner at your place."

Ouyang Anjing was both surprised and delighted, but also a little embarrassed, feeling that such a cramped living environment was too much of a disservice to her idol. After all, he was a celebrity, used to frequenting high-end hotels and restaurants every day. He probably wouldn't be used to being a guest in such a cramped and old house, would he?

He put the things he bought on the table, took off his coat, washed his hands, and went with Anning to help his grandmother cook.

As night falls, dim lights illuminate the old, dilapidated tenement buildings, marking the end of an ordinary day for most people; while upscale venues, with their bright lights and bustling nightlife, are just beginning to open their doors.

"Holy crap! We finally escaped!"

Yang Xixi took a big gulp of ice-cold beer, wiped her mouth, and let out a long breath before cursing, "This is fucking a no-man's-land! Brother Che, is this how you endured all these years as a trainee?"

Chapter Twenty: My brother only has us left...

Fang Wenche had been caught by the physical education teacher and the dance teacher and had been tortured by them for most of the day. He was so tired that his back ached and he was about to die. He had sprained his ankle when he jumped over the wall to run out of the newly arranged special training dormitory. He was lying listlessly on the bar, staring blankly at the bubbles slowly rising in his glass.

"Yes, that's how we gritted our teeth and persevered day by day."

He took a sip of his drink and couldn't help but sigh, "I suddenly envy Li Jiangchen. He's so damn lucky! When will I have enough money to terminate my contract and stop having to put up with those people's attitudes?"

Looking at her idol's handsome profile, Yang Xixi felt a pang of heartache. "Brother Che, how about I start a crowdfunding campaign in the group to see if I can raise enough money for your breach of contract? As long as you can hand the money over to the company, you'll be completely free."

"I'll be your agent then, and I'll work hard to find good resources so you won't have to share the profits with the company!"

"Is it really possible? That's not just tens of thousands of yuan, it's nearly three million!" Fang Wenche was tempted upon hearing this, but then shook his head in frustration, saying, "Ever since I was scammed by the AI ​​face-swapping, even casual fans have turned against me. Where are all the die-hard fans willing to spend money on me? I'm afraid there aren't many fans left who believe in my innocence."

"No way! Brother Che, you're too modest. You have a huge number of fans who truly love you!"

Yang Xixi dragged him to take a group photo and posted it in the group chat. Then she started a long talk about how harsh the entertainment industry is on idols, how difficult it was for her idol brother not to debut, and so on. While many die-hard fans in the group were condemning the company, she changed the subject and started inciting everyone to raise money to help their idol redeem himself!

"Waaaaah~ My poor brother is taking the blame for the AI ​​face-swapping scandal. Not only does the company not care, but they've also blacklisted him and are mistreating him. My brother has had it so tough! I'm going to donate all my New Year's money to help him escape this misery!"

"I spent tens of thousands of yuan supporting him, but he still lost his chance to debut. I'm broke now..."

"The person upstairs should leave the group themselves; you don't deserve to be my brother's die-hard fan!"

"We'll do anything, even steal or rob, as long as our brother needs us, we'll go through fire and water without hesitation, just for the sake of the best Fang Wenche in the world!"

"Our Buzzing Group never falters, let's go for our idols!"

"Group owner, please start a fundraising campaign! Post the QR code for receiving payments in the group. The Buzzing Group must help our idol get out of this situation!"

"My grandma just sold a few big, fat pigs the day before yesterday, for about ten thousand yuan. I know where she hid them. Buzzers, I'm going first!"

“Good job! We're all my brother has left. If we don't lend a helping hand, he'll be so pitiful. My dad's medical bills are all on my card. We can take some out to help my brother get through this difficult time…”

…………

The fan group was in an uproar, and the little white cat couldn't help but click its tongue in amazement, "Holy crap, they can't even handle a soft and cute little kitten, this is a real shock to my values!"