YABE - 12

The group of girls came running over, screaming, with rice balls in hand—clearly just out of a convenience store when they spotted them.

Jiang Xu watched them approach and instinctively took a step back.

But it was too late. The girls had already flushed red from excitement, standing before him, still catching their breath after sprinting. The leader of the group was so overwhelmed that she could barely speak coherently, stammering: “A Xu! We… we’re all your fans! We’ve been waiting since school ended—you finally came out!”

Wen Siyu, observing the scene from the sidelines, suddenly felt that her own reaction upon first meeting Jiang Xu—as a secretive fan—had been remarkably composed.

Jiang Xu, who had been contemplating whether to flee, paused for a moment: “You’ve been waiting since school ended?”

The girls nodded, their hands trembling as they clutched their rice balls. One girl at the back burst into tears, her nose turning red, tears streaming down her face like raindrops.

Jiang Xu sighed, his expression softening as he bent down slightly, resting his hands on his knees to look at them eye-to-eye: “It’s so late—aren’t your families worried? Skipping dinner isn’t good for your stomachs.”

Though his tone seemed stern, anyone could hear the kindness behind his words.

As soon as he spoke, the girls were overwhelmed with emotion. Those who hadn’t cried earlier began sobbing, while the one who had started crying earlier was now hiccupping uncontrollably.

“Hey, don’t cry,” Jiang Xu sighed again. “It’s late. Hurry home.”

The girls wiped their tears and nodded, trembling hands digging through their pockets to pull out pens and paper they’d prepared earlier. With tear-filled eyes, they cautiously extended them toward him: “A Xu, could you… sign this for us?”

Jiang Xu straightened up, taking each notebook and pen one by one, signing them carefully. After finishing, he turned his attention to the girl at the back who was still quietly crying, asking softly: “Do you want me to sign yours too?”

The little girl looked at him timidly, clutching her paper and pen tightly but not daring to hand them over, only continuing to cry.

Her tears fell one by one, leaving small watermarks on the pristine white paper.

Jiang Xu sighed helplessly, walked over, and crouched down in front of her. Reaching out, he gently took the paper and pen from her trembling hands. Still crouched, he lowered his head to write, then handed it back to her when he was done.

She whispered a quiet “Thank you,” cradling the signed paper as though it were precious. Afraid of wrinkling it, she loosened her grip, holding it carefully by the edges instead.

Noticing this, Jiang Xu softened his tone further: “What’s your name?”

“Chen… Chen Sijia.”

Sijia.

Were all girls with “Si” in their names this adorable?

A faint smile crept onto his face as he nodded: “Sijia is a brave girl. Don’t cry anymore. Head home now, okay?”

The little girl nodded, crying even harder.

“…”

Jiang Xu turned to Wen Siyu with a pleading look.

Wen Siyu shrugged helplessly, indicating there was nothing she could do.

Truthfully, she thought that if she were in the girl’s shoes, being comforted with such a gentle tone would have made her faint from crying.

The girl named Chen Sijia, still sobbing, handed him a bag: “A Xu, this is for you. I didn’t know you’d be here today—I ran home after school just to get it…”

Jiang Xu accepted the bag, opened it, and pulled out its contents. Shaking it open, he revealed…

A white T-shirt.

On it was a cartoon version of Jiang Xu wearing a cow-print pajama set. His expression in the drawing was cool, yet somehow exuded an endearing contrast.

Jiang Xu smiled: “Thank you. I really like it.”

The girl continued crying: “I didn’t know if I’d see you or if you’d already left, but you’re still here, and I’m so glad I caught you. I know my drawing isn’t great, but I worked on it for so long… Even if it’s not perfect, I wanted to give it to you. Please don’t hate it—it means so much to me to give this to you, A Xu… A Xu, I really, really like you.”

She spoke in broken sobs, her words tumbling out incoherently, expressing her love and gratitude for seeing him.

Jiang Xu patiently waited for her to finish: “Your drawing isn’t ugly at all—it’s beautiful. I’ll wear it.” He reached out, gently patting her head. “Thank you for liking me. It makes me happy to know you do.”

…

The group of girls reluctantly walked away, crying and glancing back every few steps. Jiang Xu stood where he was, waving goodbye until they crossed the street, before turning around.

The little girl remained standing nearby, waiting for him.

Wen Siyu wasn’t sure how to describe her own feelings at this moment.

Watching those girls cry as they poured out their hearts to him, confessing their feelings, she couldn’t help but feel envious.

They had so much to say to him, so many blessings and hopes.

They wished for him to take on more roles, for his career to soar, and to become someone no one could surpass.

Yet they also worried about him overworking himself, urging him to take breaks, turn down jobs, and rest.

They hoped he’d grow more popular, known and loved by more people.

But selfishly, they also wanted to keep him hidden, sharing his brilliance only with themselves.

They yearned to tell him straightforwardly, purely: I’ve liked you for so long, and I’ll continue to like you forever. You’re the best person. Keep going.

Even when he eventually met someone, retired from the industry, they’d still adore him—his wife, his children, the plants they grew together, their dog.

They wished for him to find that special someone.

They wished for his happiness.

Jiang Xu walked over, looking down at the little girl.

At 9 PM, the streets were bustling with cars, and the LED lights painted the otherwise colorless night sky with vibrant hues. Vehicles sped by, their headlights trailing streaks of dazzling light.

She stood quietly by the roadside, her skin so pale that even the neon lights couldn’t penetrate it. Her fair, delicate face framed a pair of lively almond-shaped eyes that sparkled like they could speak.

At that moment, her gaze was distant, lost in thought.

Jiang Xu draped the white T-shirt over his head, bending slightly to lean closer to her.

Wen Siyu jumped in surprise.

The man, now wearing a T-shirt over his head like a hood, covered half his face with the sleeve, muffling his voice: “This way, no one will recognize me.”

Wen Siyu: “….”

Jiang Xu pulled the sleeve away from his face and exhaled: “Though it does feel kind of hot.”

The girl couldn’t help but laugh.

Seeing her smile, he curved his lips upward, straightened up, and began walking forward.

Wen Siyu followed, still marveling: “Teacher Jiang is so kind to his fans.”

Hearing this, Jiang Xu’s brow furrowed slightly in frustration: “Actually, I’m not very good at dealing with fans. Especially female ones—I usually try to slip away secretly.”

Wen Siyu imagined him sneaking off to avoid fans and found it rather cute.

“At first, I thought it’d be troublesome today too, but seeing them wait so long just to see me once made me think… I couldn’t leave.”

Jiang Xu tilted his head, looking at her: “Sometimes I feel like I don’t deserve their affection.”

“No way,” Wen Siyu quickly blurted out.

Realizing she might have overreacted, she added thoughtfully: “I think Teacher Jiang is really kind to his fans. Even though you’re not used to it, you still try your best to comfort and satisfy them.” She lowered her head, smiling softly. “Teacher Jiang is a gentle person. Your fans are lucky and truly deserve your kindness.”

—So do I.

Jiang Xu gazed at her.

As she spoke, the little girl kept her head down, quietly following beside him. Her thick lashes cast shadows over her cheeks, and her soft hair shimmered with fine fuzz under the lamplight.

The yellow glow of the streetlamp illuminated her path as she stepped carefully onto his shadow reflected on the ground, murmuring silently: Being someone who likes you is truly fortunate.

Jiang Xu turned his head away, covering half his face.

Too cute.

So cute that it made him want to hug her, ruffle her hair, pinch her cheeks.

Perhaps it wasn’t about the meaning of her name—she was simply this adorable.

…

Over the next week, Jiang Xu and Gu Hengan completed most of their scenes together. In the following month, Lu Zhan’s scenes became more concentrated, while Su Nuo’s schedule remained sparse.

Thus, Jiang Xu enjoyed a relatively relaxed period.

Just as Wen Siyu assumed she wouldn’t see much of him during this time, he surprisingly defied expectations by showing up at the set almost every day.

Sometimes, even when his scenes were scheduled for the afternoon, he’d arrive early in the morning. Rather than retreating to the rest area, he’d drag a chair to a corner and watch others film.

He called it “observing acting techniques and seeking inspiration.”

Everyone was deeply moved, thinking how dedicated this Teacher Jiang was. Despite his already impeccable acting skills, he remained humble and eager to learn. Thus, their image of him as the nation’s idol grew even taller, his persona more flawless.

Filming Lu Zhan’s scenes went smoother than expected.

Initially, they thought Gu Hengan—having graduated only a year ago and making his big-screen debut—might lack experience and slow things down.

Surprisingly, his acting was quite good. Though still somewhat raw, the final result was satisfying.

A month later, Gu Hengan wrapped up all his filming, and Wen Siyu’s summer vacation was nearing its end.

At that time, Jiang Xu was sprawled on the sofa in the rest area, scrolling through Weibo with his legs draped over the armrest.

[Fortune Fairy Siling: School starts soon. [Sad]]

Thud. His phone slipped from his hand and hit him squarely on the nose.