Ji Ying was summoned to the general manager's office, thinking the manager wanted to ask about Jia He's contract signing.
Instead, she learned the manager was asking for Jia He's contact information.
Ji Ying refused: "I'm sorry, manager, but Jia He doesn't want to reveal her private contact details."
The manager stood up and closed the office door before saying softly, "It's not me asking, it's Lord Zhan."
"Lord Zhan?"
Ji Ying was stunned, taking a while to process this.
The manager nodded: "Yes, Lord Zhan. It seems this Jia He is set to skyrocket to fame if even Lord Zhan is asking for her contact info."
Ji Ying was still in a daze, not understanding or comprehending the situation.
What were this couple up to?
Weren't Lord Zhan and Nan Yan husband and wife? For the husband to ask others for his wife's contact details was simply unheard of.
Wait!
Something's not right!
Ji Ying's mind suddenly clicked - Nan Yan released this song not under her real name, but under the alias Jia He.
Lord Zhan likely didn't know the truth.
He had no idea Jia He was actually Gu Nanyan!
Ji Ying didn't understand why Gu Nanyan was hiding this from Lord Zhan, but she trusted Gu Nanyan and believed she had her reasons.
"Manager, I need to ask Jia He first?"
The manager nodded: "Go ahead and ask her, but remember, do not tell Jia He that it's Lord Zhan asking for her contact information. Just say it's a fan."
Ji Ying: "..."
She felt her brain's CPU was burning out. What was going on with this couple?
So confusing!
Being older, she couldn't comprehend the younger generation's thoughts or handle such complex situations well. Ji Ying decided to seek help from Zhan Yiran.
Upon hearing Ji Ying's account, Zhan Yiran's eyes lit up alarmingly.
"I have a great idea! I'll create a WeChat account for my elder sister-in-law under the name Jia He, then add my brother. They won't know each other's identities but can fall in love through their interactions."
Ji Ying rubbed her head in pain: "Isn't this a form of emotional cheating?"
They're already a legal couple, why not just openly date? Why hide their identities from each other?
"You don't understand," Zhan Yiran sighed, resting her chin on her hand. "My brother and elder sister-in-law have never met. The only reason my brother married her was to fulfill grandfather's dying wish, but he doesn't actually like her.
If they can't fall in love soon, my brother will definitely divorce her.
You also know my elder sister-in-law is being attacked online now. Before hearing her song, even I had misconceptions about her, let alone my brother. If they don't hide their identities, my brother would look down on interacting with her."
Ji Ying nodded, agreeing with Zhan Yiran's reasoning. Before hearing Gu Nanyan's song, she too had prejudices against her.
Human preconceptions are a huge mountain, difficult to move without the right opportunity.
Ji Ying sighed heavily, "Then let's do as you say."
Zhan Yiran acted swiftly, quickly creating the WeChat account and sending the details to Ji Ying.
Ji Ying forwarded it to the manager, who sent it to Zhan Yi, who then passed it to Zhan Lingfeng...
After a series of handoffs, Gu Nanyan and Zhan Lingfeng finally added each other on WeChat.
Seeing 'Jia He' in his WeChat contacts, Zhan Lingfeng suddenly felt excited.
Was this what being a fan felt like?
Previously, he used to scoff at his sister Zhan Yiran's idol-chasing, thinking she was wasting her time on those shady people. Never did he expect the day would come when he too would start idol-chasing.
Zhan Lingfeng wiped the sweat from his palms, feeling nervous. After hesitating for a while, he typed:
[Hello Jia He, I really like your song 'Peace of Mind'. It's very special. Could you share your creative inspiration behind this song?]
After sending the message, Zhan Lingfeng immediately placed his phone face-down on the desk, not daring to look at it as his heart raced faster and faster.
Was he being too forward?
The tone of his message was too harsh, asking her to 'share her creative inspiration' - was he interrogating her like a subordinate?
It was too late to unsend now, so Zhan Lingfeng tried to make amends:
[Sorry, my tone was too harsh. I'm just really interested in the creative process behind this song I love so much. Would you be willing to chat with me about it?]
[If I'm disturbing you, please forgive me. If you're busy, you don't need to respond to me. I was just casually asking.]
[Sorry, am I being too chatty?]
[I'm not used to talking to idols, this is my first time being a fan. Please excuse me.]
...
"Hahaha!"
Zhan Yiran was rolling on the bed, almost laughing herself silly. She had to take screenshots, she absolutely must - so she could make fun of her brother in the future.
Who would have thought her calm, composed, decisive older brother would have a day like this, being so cautious, anxious and flustered?
Zhan Yiran couldn't wait to see the look on his face when he learned the truth.
Zhan Yiran took her phone to find Gu Nanyan: "Elder sister-in-law, elder sister-in-law, quick, look at the WeChat your fan sent you."
Gu Nanyan was reading legal books when she heard Zhan Yiran's call and looked up, puzzled: "Fans are something to eat? How can they send WeChat messages?"
Hearing this, Zhan Yiran couldn't stop laughing, doubling over.
The cold CEO turned into a puppy fan.
The gorgeous diva was secretly adorably clueless.
What an extraordinary couple this was!
She was totally going to ship them.
"Not the edible kind of fans, it's the English word 'fan' meaning someone who likes your songs," Zhan Yiran explained.
Understanding now, Gu Nanyan nodded curiously: "I have fans now?"
"Yes, you do!" Zhan Yiran showed Gu Nanyan the WeChat. "Elder sister-in-law, this is the WeChat account I registered for you. Use this account to interact with others from now on and keep Jia He separate from Gu Nanyan."
Gu Nanyan nodded and praised Zhan Yiran: "You've done well, you're becoming more and more thoughtful in your actions."
Hee hee, the elder sister-in-law praised her!
Zhan Yiran's eyes curved into crescents.
She realized that since following her elder sister-in-law, she had changed for the better and grown up.
Previously, she was the family's troublemaking little bear cub giving everyone headaches. But now, she had become the family's pillar of support.
She could help take care of her nephew Rui Rui with her mother and was working hard to set up her brother and sister-in-law.
Zhan Yiran felt she was quite the worrywart now.
But she loved this caring side of herself. She was no longer useless - she was an important family member that her mother could depend on and her sister-in-law could trust.
Zhan Yiran still felt that it was time to return to school and resolve everything.
She couldn't keep hiding at home like a turtle retreating into its shell. Since she had made up her mind to give up, she had to face it bravely.
Tomorrow, she would go back to school and complete the withdrawal procedures.
The physics major was what Leng Zihao liked, not her. She didn't want to compromise herself for a man anymore.
She wanted to pursue her own dreams, to become a towering tree, rather than forever clinging to a man like a vine.
Zhan Yiran, keep going!
