CH 22

Because Lin Zixi's endorsement of Esther had not been announced to the public, his trip to B City this time was actually confidential, so his fanclub did not organize fans to pick him up and see him off at the airport.

However, some evil wind began to blow ever since the domestic fan circles had followed in the footsteps of neighboring countries. A popular young actor like Lin Zixi who took the route of idol as well as actor would inevitably have one or two illegitimate fans. Unfortunately, one of them happened to have bought young actor Lin's flight information from the hand of a celebrity news trafficker this time and was waiting for him at B City’s airport.

As soon as the news of Lin Zixi's flight BY2628 being forced to land in N City came out, this illegitimate fan’s Weibo of ‘Pray for blessings for Brother Zixi *cry*’ detonated her ‘Brother Zixi’ fan circle. The entertainment news reporters and marketing accounts who had been worrying about the lack of big news recently were also very excited that they acted at once upon hearing this news.

Therefore, by the time Lin Zixi and Gu Zecheng completed the plane transfer procedures and went to the VIP lounge to wait for boarding, ‘Lin Zixi flight BY2628’ had already climbed to the fourth place on Weibo’s hot search list—this was under the circumstances where Stars Entertainment did not spend any money.

"I’ve already contacted Esther and postponed the shooting of the advertisement until tomorrow morning. When you and Xiao Zhang arrive at B City today, take a good rest and relax, okay." Chen Yunyun sighed and continued to talk on the phone, "The company's phone has almost been rung off the hook. It’s estimated that some reporters and their ilk will buy your flight information and wait at B City’s airport. If you don't have the energy to deal with them, I’ll contact the airport to provide you with VIP passage service. "

Lin Zixi, who had had a narrow escape, was still in shock and certainly not in the mood to entangle with the media and illegitimate fans. "I remember that I have an endorsement event next Tuesday. I think I’ll accept the interview by the media at that time…. Sorry to trouble you, Sister Yunyun."

“You're too polite..." Chen Yunyun comforted Lin Zixi with a few more words and exhorted before hanging up the phone, "Don't forget to post on Weibo to appease your fans. They’re all worried sick."

"Absolutely." After young actor Lin ended the phone call, he opened the selfie camera and took a selfie of himself looking energetic. Then he posted the photo on his Weibo with the caption: "This roller coaster is too exciting *doge*".

He also gave a brief report to his mom, Mrs. Lin, on WeChat that he was safe and sound. After turning off his mobile phone and putting it away, he sighed with a tired look on his face.

"You have the media staring at you when you travel?" Dad Gu, who was sitting next to Lin Zixi, vaguely heard some of the conversations between him and his agent and could not help but feel a little sorry, "Being a star isn’t easy."

Young actor Lin sighed, "No. This time it's because of an illegitimate fan…."

"Illegitimate fan?" Big Boss Gu naturally had never heard of such a fan circle culture term.

"It's fans who like to stalk and take pictures of stars. The moderate ones guard the hotels and tail behind chartered cars, while some extreme ones can even dig out the stars’ home addresses and move to that area to be their neighbor." Lin Zixi sighed again. "Fortunately, my illegitimate fans aren’t too crazy, otherwise I would've been photographed by them the couple of times I went to your house."

Gu Zecheng's expression became serious, "Isn't this a crime?! What are children thinking nowadays?"

Seeing his dad speak like this, young actor Lin suddenly became energetic and began to popularize the fan circle culture for Dad Gu, whom ‘had never seen this side of the world’. From official fanclub to group fans and ‘poisonous fans’, pure fans and CP fans.

In the end, he sighed with some admiration, "Actually, I’ve always admired the brain holes and imaginations of CP fans. They really can make an associative connection between short sleeves and illegitimate sons, and a hug can be rounded up to the level of getting a marriage certificate. For example, an ear stud I just bought last month is very similar to the one Qiu Lianyi wore last year, so they’re firmly regarded as a couple earrings by those 'LianXi Fufu' fans and a solid proof of official candy…. It made my agent specially come to tell me not to wear it any more."

After Lin Zixi finished speaking, he added regretfully, "It’s specially customized by me and quite expensive, too. In the end, I could only wear it once."

Like other children who secretly had their ears pierced behind their parents' backs, Lin Zixi deliberately did not wear the stud earring when he met with his dad before. Until he accidentally divulged it, and now the man beside him knew that he had a pierced ear.

After Gu Zecheng heard Lin Zixi's words, he subconsciously fixed his gaze at Lin Zixi's left ear and really found a hardly noticeable mark on the dainty and delicate earlobe.

Dad Gu's line of sight moved from Lin Zixi's ears to his face and then turned towards his pure white neck. For some reason, he was suddenly very interested in seeing this young man wearing an ear stud—perhaps a diamond one would be best?

Gu Zecheng's throat rolled slightly. Then he withdrew his gaze, uttered one of his doubts, and at the same time changed the subject: "Qiu Lianyi? This name sounds like the name of a male star..."

Young actor Lin's whole body stiffened being asked this by his own dad. Only then did he realize that he had actually disclosed to Gu Zecheng information that should not be disclosed—although he and Qiu Lianyi were only business CP commonly seen in the entertainment circle, but as a gay man who had not come out of the closet, he lacked self-confidence and had a guilty conscience when dealing with his gold master daddy.

Lin Zixi touched his nose and replied awkwardly and perfunctorily, "It's a male star...haha…. Speaking of children nowadays, their brains are just different, hahaha..."

Gu Zecheng frowned and opened his mouth to say something.

Fortunately, the airline's service staff came at this moment to inform them that their new flight was about to take off and asked the passengers in the VIP lounge to board the plane, interrupting Dad Gu's words.

Lin Zixi pretended not to notice that his dad had another lecture for him. He hurriedly called his assistant, Xiao Zhang, and boarded the plane. Once this wimp was seated in his seat, he showed an extremely tired look and began to pretend to fall asleep.

Although young actor Lin was pretending to fall asleep, he was indeed very tired because he had been filming all night and went through a torment of life and death today. So he had not pretended for too long before he really fell asleep.

When Lin Zixi woke up, the plane was about to arrive at B City safely.

He patted the shoulder of the man sitting in the row ahead and asked, "My agent has helped me contact the airport in B City, so I can take the express passage later. Do you want to go with me?"

Gu Zecheng waved his hand and refused politely. "No, I have an old friend who will pick me up."

It was only then that Lin Zixi remembered that his dad was a second-generation soldier who grew up in B City and only moved to S City after he started his own company and expanded his business. This city could be considered as half of his dad's home field, so his concern was obviously unneeded.

However, Gu Zecheng still left with Lin Zixi in the end—it was not because there were media or illegitimate fans waiting for him outside, but….

"Zecheng, this way!" They had just gotten off the plane from the passenger boarding bridge, and the ‘old friend’ whom Gu Zecheng mentioned was already waiting there.

This location was still a long way from the pick-up area and obviously not the normal pick-up area, not to mention that the other party took Gu Zecheng directly to the VIP passage.

Lin Zixi looked at his dad's friend with some surprise and saw that the other person really looked like a man who was almost forty. He looked slightly older than the young-looking Gu Zecheng and had a more mature and steadier aura. The man was wearing a dark coat, and he didn't look like an airport staff member but a bit like a bookish university professor or lecturer.

But Lin Zixi only needed to meet the other party’s gaze to know that his dad's old friend was definitely not as nice as he appeared to be—this man's gaze was too sharp, like a dagger that would stab straight into people's hearts.

As Lin Zixi silently watched his dad and his dad’s friend, his dad's friend obviously discovered his existence as well.

"Your friend? Aren’t you going to introduce him?" The man asked Gu Zecheng while nodding toward Lin Zixi.

Gu Zecheng glanced at Lin Zixi, and Lin Zixi immediately got the drift and said to his assistant, whom had been following at his side, "Xiao Zhang, you go first to see if the person Esther sent to pick us up is there. We’ll wait for your call."

Assistant Zhang nodded, dragging the small suitcase and leaving quickly.

Only then did Gu Zecheng turn towards his old friend and say, "This is Lin Zixi, the star I’ve mentioned to you before, and he happened to be on the flight BY2628 today…. If you see my old lady in the future, don't mistake his identity."

He stopped for a moment and then introduced his friend to Lin Zixi, "Qiao Weidong. You just call him 'Brother Qiao' in front of the old lady." 

Dad Gu's introduction of his friend was simpler than ever before, but young actor Lin estimated that his dad’s old friend was a wealthy and respectable person, one who would not have any interaction with him in the future. So he just shook hands with the other party calmly and did not care much about Gu Zecheng's omission.

And Qiao Weidong clearly lost interest in Lin Zixi after knowing his identity. He only said two sentences about young actor Lin to Gu Zecheng on their way out of the airport—"He resembles Zeyi a little, but he’s more like you…. If you didn't tell me just now, I'd still think of him as your illegitimate son."

...

……

Damn it, you can eat things indiscriminately, but you must not speak (the truth) indiscriminately, okay?!

Young actor Lin, who was thunderstruck into a white face by a sentence, howled in his heart while frantically peeking at his dad's expression.