"Right, I've already picked up our boxed lunches, let's go eat."
"Mhm, thank you, Sister Yuqing!"
"No big deal, little Rou!"
"Hahaha, Yuqing, I just have to see how many different nicknames you can come up with."
"Takes one to know one."
"Heh..."
Arriving at the spot where Lin Yuqing had placed the small stools, Wen Rou saw Xiao Zhan sitting off to the side, quietly eating his boxed lunch.
*(Ah, my idol! Sister Yuqing is amazing, she actually put my chair right here, not bad.)*
"Hello, Brother Zhan," Wen Rou greeted before taking a seat nearby to eat.
"Hey there. So this is your chair, then?"
"Yeah, I never imagined I'd get to eat lunch with my idol. I'm so happy."
"Haha, you're really dedicated to being a fan. Hurry up and eat, the food isn't very warm anymore, it'll get cold if you wait."
"Mhm, let's eat together."
Xiao Zhan smiled and nodded.
Nearby, Lin Yuqing couldn't help shooting a glare at her lovesick best friend. *Hmph, you only get to chase your idol up close because I created the opportunity for you; otherwise, how could you possibly be sitting here eating with him? Still, I need to warn her—if pictures of this get out, Xiao Zhan's fans will tear her apart later.*
Lin Yuqing firmly believed that this drama was going to be a massive hit, and seeing Xiao Zhan's acting skills now, she knew he was bound to become even more famous in the future. When that time came, wouldn't her own best friend become a target for attacks? Even if Wen Rou herself was a Peter Pan.
Although today's boxed lunch tasted decent, it wasn't very warm, so Wen Rou didn't waste any more time and dug in.
*Beep, first time experiencing crew boxed lunches. Not bad.*
After finishing her meal, she watched Xiao Zhan sitting to the side drinking water. After building up her mental courage for a long time, Wen Rou finally blurted out: "Brother Zhan, could I add you on WeChat? Can I ask for your guidance on things in the entertainment industry in the future? I'm afraid that as a greenhorn newcomer, I might accidentally cause trouble one day."
Xiao Zhan blinked and didn't hesitate too long. Since his fan had shown such determination to enter the entertainment industry, he figured he could look out for her a bit: "Sure, let's look out for each other from now on."
"Mhm, don't worry, Brother Zhan, I will always be your loyal fan!" Wen Rou nodded firmly, terrified that hesitating for even a second would make her idol doubt her.
"Thank you. Having a fan like you gives me even more drive to keep moving forward." Xiao Zhan smiled happily. It was wonderful to have a fan who supported him so steadfastly.
After finishing lunch and adding her idol on WeChat, Wen Rou and Lin Yuqing, having no scenes scheduled, headed back for the afternoon.
Inside Wen Rou's room, Lin Yuqing pulled out a bottle of room-temperature mineral water, took a few sips, and suddenly asked, "Wen Rou, what do you think of Xiao Zhan?"
Wen Rou looked at Lin Yuqing, bewildered: "What do I think of him? He's very handsome, his smile is infectious, and he looks great. And seeing my idol just makes me really happy."
"Is that it? I thought you had a crush on him!" Lin Yuqing patted her chest, pretending to be startled.
"Ha, don't talk nonsense! I happen to have a dual identity as a fan—just a looks fan and a career fan. I don't have the guts to have feelings for him like that. Besides, my idol's career is only just starting to take off, and I certainly don't have the confidence to make him risk it all for a beauty."
"Heh, isn't that a dead giveaway?"
"Oh, it hasn't reached that point yet. But seriously, which Peter Pan wouldn't want to date the older brother? He's so handsome, his smile is so clean and charming—it feels like whenever he smiles, you just want to give him the whole world!" Wen Rou was completely under the spell of her fangirl brain at that moment.
"Listen to yourself! Do you think he's Bao Si and you're King You of Zhou? Stop right there, cut it out!" Lin Yuqing looked like she wanted to shake the water out of her best friend's brain.
"Alright, alright, don't worry, I was just exaggerating. I'm just voicing what goes through the minds of countless Peter Pans. Sure, I'm a looks fan, but I'm not a girlfriend fan; I still have my own pride, you know."
It had been the same in her past life. Back then, Wen Ling was going through a trough in her career with a bleak future ahead of her, and her parents were breathing down her neck about getting married. For a while, the sound of a phone ringing filled her with dread, terrified that the next moment her father would ask her again if that blind date from a few days ago was suitable. The crucial part was that she hadn't even met the guy yet—how was she supposed to know if he was suitable or not?
Pushed to her wits' end by the constant questioning, Wen Ling turned on airplane mode. When her dad couldn't get through on regular calls, he started bombarding her with WeChat calls. Wen Ling had no choice but to log out of WeChat as well, switching to a burner account to stay in touch with friends.
Those days were truly agonizing. If she hadn't kept her wits about her, she probably would have despaired and left this world.
Ever since then, she dreaded people who talked too much. The mere sound of chatter made her head buzz, and she avoided the gossiping aunts and relatives back home like the plague; their shrill voices were nothing short of a nightmare to Wen Ling.
Back then, she had lost hair by the handfuls and struggled to fall asleep at night.
During those painful days, she came across a video of Xiao Zhan. It was from his fan meeting in Thailand. He smiled so brightly, bringing such warmth and cheer to her mood. She learned about how he had weathered the lowest points of his career, yet when he reappeared, he remained completely unperturbed—still like a youth, still with that clean smile, though his actions had grown even more cautious.
Being thrust back into 2018 felt like returning to her college days. The Wen Ling of that era was still a lively girl who could openly declare what she liked.
"Just keep it to yourself. We've grown up together since we were kids, and I know that most of the time you're way too obedient, and once you set your mind on something, it's hard to turn back. You can chase stars, but from now on you need to keep a distance while on the set. Always hovering around him is going to stir up gossip—you wouldn't want dating rumors about having a secret crush on a male celebrity popping up before you even debut, would you?"
"Yeah, I know, Sister Yuqing."
Lin Yuqing gave Wen Rou a hug: "If years from now you still like him just as much, then go after him. By then you'll be mature, and even if you don't win him over, you won't regret it. Xiao Zhan really is quite handsome, and he seems like a good person, too."
*(Ah, every young heart turns to romance. She didn't fail to understand her best friend's feelings; there was definitely some attraction there, but now really wasn't the time. It's completely natural for a young girl to admire a handsome youth. I won't expose her and make things awkwardly difficult for her.)*