The Only Choice - 15

Song Li exchanged a look with Yan Chenghuai, who was seated not far away. "Weren't you the one who said that to her when you turned her down outside the theater?"

"Theater?" Guan Yuanbai frowned.

"I swear, how is it you're always the last to hear your own gossip?" Song Li chuckled. "Everyone knows about this. Not sure who started it, but someone just happened to be walking by and overheard you rejecting the girl that day."

Guan Yuanbai remembered. He had run into a few acquaintances when he went to the play with Zhou Fanfan. He hadn't noticed anyone else around when they were talking outside afterward. Turns out, they'd had an audience.

"Honestly, the way the story's going around isn't flattering. People are saying the Zhous are too small-time, that no matter how hard they try, they'd never be able to hitch their wagon to a star like you…"

"How long?" Guan Yuanbai interrupted, his voice low.

"Huh?"

"How long," Guan Yuanbai repeated, his tone dropping dangerously, "has this nonsense been circulating?"

"Uh… just a couple days? I heard it from a friend yesterday. You know how the girls in our circle love any gossip about you."

Guan Yuanbai abruptly stood and strode out of the private room.

Yan Chenghuai moved over to Song Li's seat. "What's his problem?"

Song Li shrugged. "No idea. He just bolted. All I did was mention the gossip."

Outside the room, Guan Yuanbai pulled out his phone and called Zhou Fanfan. No answer.

He stood there, frowning. Now he understood why she'd made herself so scarce this past week. She must have heard the whispers, the laughter behind her back. She'd become a laughingstock because of him.

The thought made him feel responsible. He started to dial her number again but stopped mid-action.

Wait. What exactly was he going to say? Admit that telling her not to chase him was his doing? That rejecting her was his intention? The gossip, however twisted, was at least half-true.

Wasn't this the outcome he'd wanted?

If he rushed to explain and apologize now, what would she think? Would she take it as a sign that he… liked her?

The thought brought him up short. Caught between guilt and confusion, he felt trapped.

---

Meanwhile, the reason Zhou Fanfan missed his call was because she was sitting in a café with several fellow fans, making final preparations for the next day's fan support event.

"The organizers banned large light signs, but we can't let Yiyi come out and not find us in the crowd."

"Right. Just matching outfits won't be enough."

"Let's try smuggling in the smaller light panels, then."

"If we wrap them around our waists, under our clothes, it should work. Don't worry."

"Okay, but what about the massive banner? We need a plan for that."

They talked for hours. Zhou Fanfan, thrilled to be surrounded by so many like-minded people, didn't get home until late. It was only then she noticed the missed call from Guan Yuanbai.

She considered calling back, but it was the middle of the night. And he'd only called once. It probably wasn't urgent.

She decided she'd call him tomorrow. No need to disturb him now.

But the next morning, a problem cropped up with the fan event supplies. Zhou Fanfan got an early, frantic call and rushed out, completely forgetting to return Guan Yuanbai's call.

---

Guan Yuanbai had slept poorly. After tossing and turning, he concluded that, regardless of everything, he owed her a personal apology. She was the one being a laughingstock.

Just as he was about to call her again, his phone rang. It was his younger sister, Guan Zhiyi.

"Brother, you're still at home, right?"

Guan Yuanbai had stayed last night at the family estate. Since Guan Zhiyi and Qi Chengyan were also staying there, he hadn't returned to his own apartment.

"I'm here. What is it?"

"I forgot a piece of jewelry from the brand I'm sponsoring. It's on my dressing table. I have to wear it for the fan meet today. My assistant doesn't have time to go back for it. Can you bring it to me?"

Having no pressing plans, he agreed. "Fine. Wait for me."

"Okay, but hurry! It's starting soon."

"Got it."

After retrieving the jewelry box, Guan Yuanbai drove to the venue.

He arrived with some time to spare before the event. Guan Zhiyi's assistant was waiting at the entrance, took the box, and asked, "President Guan, would you like to come in and sit down?"

"No need. I'll look around on my own."

"Alright. Here's a pass, it'll give you access backstage."

"Mm."

The place was packed with fans from various fanclubs, but the largest group, by far, belonged to the female lead—his sister. Most wore matching outfits, with cute cartoon stickers of the character "Yi" on their cheeks.

Guan Yuanbai wasn't interested in the event and was about to leave when a work call came through. He moved near a window to answer it.

"She's wearing a white bubble dress today! So incredibly beautiful! I only caught a glimpse, just a glimpse! I think I'm going to faint! My nose is bleeding everywhere!"

A loud, clear, and unmistakably excited voice cut through the noise behind him.

Guan Yuanbai froze. The voice sounded familiar. He glanced back and saw a group of girls walking past, all wearing identical fanclub jackets with a logo on the back.

He couldn't tell which one had spoken.

Soon, the group disappeared into the event hall.

Guan Yuanbai's eyes narrowed slightly. He finished his call and, on impulse, followed them inside.

The auditorium was already packed. He scanned the crowd but couldn't pick out the girls from earlier. Standing there, searching, he suddenly felt ridiculous.

It was probably just someone who sounded a bit like Zhou Fanfan. It couldn't actually be her.

Not only would Zhou Fanfan never be caught dead in his sister's fan gear, waving a light sign for Guan Zhiyi, but her personality didn't fit. She was always so soft-spoken, gentle, and well-mannered.

---

The fanclub had secured excellent seats, not far from the stage. Zhou Fanfan and her best friend, Xu Xiaoqian, found their spots, set up a tripod and camera for video, and readied their own cameras for photos.

"Ugh, this is so uncomfortable. The light panel is digging into my stomach," Xu Xiaoqian whispered.

Zhou Fanfan had one wrapped around her waist too. So did almost every fan around them. They were determined that when Guan Zhiyi appeared on stage, she would see their support clearly. They were going to give their idol the reception she deserved!

"You can take them out now, it's fine. Just put them in your bags for the moment," the fanclub president said. A rustle went through the group as people began extracting the hidden panels.

"Hey, Fanfan, why are you wearing a mask?"

Zhou Fanfan touched her mask. "Oh… I think I'm coming down with something."

"Really? You okay?"

"I'm fine, really!"

She wasn't sick. She'd brought the mask as a precaution. Their seats were so good, so close to the stage. While the crowd was huge, she had met Guan Zhiyi face-to-face at the Guan family home. She was a little worried Yiyi might glance down and recognize her.

Soon, the event began, and the main cast emerged from backstage.

The moment Guan Zhiyi appeared, the place erupted, their section screaming the loudest.

"BABY!!! YOU'RE SO BEAUTIFUL!"

"AHHHHHHHHHH!"

"YIYI!!!"

Zhou Fanfan yelled herself hoarse for a moment, then reined in her overwhelming excitement and started taking pictures. Her camera never stopped working whenever Guan Zhiyi was on stage. She only sat back down during other performers' segments, scrolling through her photos.

"The president said you're 'Stepmother Jiang'! Hi, I'm 'A-Chou'," someone said, tapping her shoulder from behind.

Zhou Fanfan turned. "I know you! Your photos are amazing."

"Not at all, yours are better. And your video edits are incredible," A-Chou replied. "I just have the advantage of being on the front lines more."

A-Chou was a true frontline fan, a professional station sister. While Zhou Fanfan's studies limited her travels, A-Chou attended almost every one of Guan Zhiyi's activities, including airport arrivals and departures.

"I just got into town today. I'm so bummed I missed the dinner and planning session with you all yesterday," A-Chou said. "Can we swap WeChat?"

"Of course!"

There was an instant bond between fellow fans. They happily exchanged contacts.

A-Chou looked at her for a moment. "You're really pretty."

A few other fans who'd been at the dinner chimed in. "Right? Fanfan is our fanclub's visual representative."

Xu Xiaoqian laughed beside them. "Fanfan is really popular at our university too. She's just a homebody who hates going out."

A-Chou, ever the gossip, asked, "Oh? So, do you have a boyfriend?"

Xu Xiaoqian suddenly clammed up, not daring to touch that topic. She just looked at Zhou Fanfan with a knowing smirk.

Zhou Fanfan, already embarrassed by the compliments, felt her cheeks grow warm under Xu Xiaoqian's gaze. She knew exactly who Xu Xiaoqian was thinking of—Guan Yuanbai. And she didn't know why, but he popped into her head too. But heaven was her witness, after that first blind date, she had never once thought of Guan Yuanbai as potential boyfriend material.

"I don't have a boyfriend," Zhou Fanfan waved her hands dismissively. "Who has the time? I'm too busy loving our Yiyi."

"Haha, true! Who needs a boyfriend when you're chasing stars?"

"I wish I could be Yiyi's boyfriend," a girl in her early twenties muttered wistfully.

Everyone laughed.

"Get a grip! Our Yiyi is married!!"

"Fine, then I hope my future boyfriend looks just like Yiyi! A resemblance would be enough!"

"A resemblance? A guy looking like a girl? That's asking a bit much."

The president, her eyes smiling, joked, "Well, there's always Yuanbai. Our 'son' at least bears some resemblance."

The girl made a pained face. "Might as well wish for the moon. No way someone like me could ever catch someone like him… I'll just stay single."

On stage, the other performers finished. Guan Zhiyi was up next. Zhou Fanfan, wholeheartedly agreeing with the girl's sentiment, raised her camera, ready to focus on the stage…

---

Over an hour later, the event concluded. The cast returned backstage to prepare to leave.

The fans, well-organized, formed two lines on either side of the exit, ready to see their idol off.

"She's coming, she's coming!"

At the call, all eyes turned toward the door. Guan Zhiyi emerged, now in casual clothes, surrounded by staff.

A chorus of "Baby!" and "We love you!" rose from the fans.

Zhou Fanfan snapped a few quick photos with her camera, then waved enthusiastically, raising her voice, "Baby! Mom loves you! Mom loves you so much!"

"Bye, baby!"

Guan Yuanbai, having decided to wait and leave with his sister's entourage, had been backstage until now. Knowing the usual fan send-off chaos, he intentionally hung back. But as he walked, a familiar voice cut through the din.

Somehow, his ears picked out that particular voice from all the others. The same one he'd heard earlier on the phone.

He stopped dead, his gaze snapping toward the sound.

The fans were orderly, all dressed the same, but his eyes instantly locked onto one. She was wearing a mask, but he'd recognize those eyes anywhere.

Up ahead, Guan Zhiyi, surrounded by staff, was about to get into her car when she remembered something she wanted to tell Guan Yuanbai. She glanced back, only to find he hadn't followed. He was standing stock-still in front of her fan line.

Puzzled, Guan Zhiyi stared at him. The attention of everyone nearby followed her gaze.

It was only when Guan Zhiyi looked back at them that Zhou Fanfan sensed something was wrong. Her eyes slowly shifted forward, and she froze solid.

Her attention had been completely fixed on Guan Zhiyi, her eyes tracking her idol's movement. She hadn't noticed Guan Yuanbai approaching at the rear of the group.

It was too late to react. He took two decisive steps and stopped directly in front of her. Retreat was impossible. Her hand instinctively flew to her mask.

What's happening… Why is he here? Why is he standing in front of me?

Did he recognize me??

But I'm wearing a mask!

In the span of a few seconds, her mind was in turmoil. The other fans around her were equally confused. They all recognized their idol's older brother. But… what was going on?

Everyone glanced around, finally realizing Guan Yuanbai's intense focus was on one person in their midst.

"Fanfan, is he… looking at you?" A-Chou, standing right next to her, asked in a hushed tone.

Xu Xiaoqian gave her sleeve a subtle tug.

Zhou Fanfan nervously dropped her gaze. It's not possible, it's not… There are so many people here!

"Zhou Fanfan." Guan Yuanbai's voice, icy cold, sliced through the air.

Zhou Fanfan's eyes widened. Seriously?! He actually recognized me! How, with all these people?!

"Come here," Guan Yuanbai added, his face an unreadable mask, in front of everyone.

Zhou Fanfan: "…"

Screw it.

She took a deep breath and decided to play dead.

She looked left and right, pretending he couldn't possibly be talking to her, mimicking the others searching for the target of his summons. After a couple of seconds, she plastered on a confused expression.

Performance over, she took a step back, preparing to flee.

Guan Yuanbai, however, seemed to have anticipated this. The moment she began to turn, he stepped forward and grabbed her wrist.

The world seemed to fall silent.

A cold sweat broke out on Zhou Fanfan's back, but she forced herself to remain calm. "You… who are you? What are you doing? You've got the wrong person," she said, pitching her voice higher.

The surrounding fans looked on, bewildered.

Any dedicated fan knew Guan Yuanbai.

Wait! That wasn't the point right now! The point was, why was Guan Yuanbai holding onto one of his sister's fans?!

"What did you just shout?" Guan Yuanbai demanded, ignoring her act, his words gritted out. "Who did you say you love?"

Zhou Fanfan pressed her lips tightly together.

"Talk. Who. Do. You. Love?" His voice dropped, heavy and strangely intimidating.

Zhou Fanfan flinched. "I… I love your sister."

Guan Yuanbai: "…"

"Good. Very good." After a moment, a short, humorless laugh escaped him. "Let's go."

"G-go where?"

He didn't answer. The brief, cold smile vanished as quickly as it appeared, his expression turning stormy again. He pulled her out of the line and started marching toward the parking lot, dragging her behind him.

Zhou Fanfan stumbled along in his wake…

Guan Zhiyi, watching from a distance, was both confused and shocked, but for safety and order, she got into her car first.

After a moment of stunned silence, the remaining fans erupted into excited chatter, trying to process the unexpected scene.

"What was that? Does Yuanbai know Fanfan?" A-Chou asked, astonished.

"Looks like it! He grabbed her hand!"

"Whoa, are they dating? No way! Does that mean Fanfan is Yiyi's future sister-in-law?!"

"But he looked really angry…"

"What on earth is going on?!"

The speculation ran wild. After a flurry of discussion, all eyes eventually landed on Xu Xiaoqian, who everyone knew was Zhou Fanfan's real-life friend.

Xu Xiaoqian, feeling the weight of their stares, shook her head slowly. "I… I actually don't know much about this either."

---

The car was silent, the air thick and heavy.

Zhou Fanfan sat in the passenger seat, hands clasped tightly on her knees, her heart pounding so hard she thought it might jump out.

But no one broke the silence. Guan Yuanbai hadn't said a word since forcing her into the car. She had no idea where they were going. She didn't dare ask. She had a feeling that the moment she spoke, something terrible would happen.

Ding ding—

His phone rang.

He kept his eyes on the road, putting in a single earbud, his expression still stony, the line of his jaw sharp and cold.

"Yeah. We'll talk later… You're at the house?… Good. Stay there." He hung up after a few brief words to whoever was on the other end.

The silence descended again.

Zhou Fanfan finally couldn't take it. "Wh-where are we going? Can I go home? I want to go home…"

Guan Yuanbai shot her a sidelong glance. "Weren't you dying to see me every day before? Why the sudden urge to go home now?"

Her heart hammered. "It's not that… I just remembered something. Mr. Guan, please, can I go home?" Her voice was soft, pleading, pitiful.

He'd heard that tone from her many times before. He'd thought it was just her nature—sweet and gentle.

Turns out, when he wasn't around, her voice could practically shake the rafters!

All that softness, that obedience… it was all an act!

"No. You can't go home."

"Why not…?"

The truth was beginning to dawn on him, a truth he instinctively fought against. His grip tightened on the steering wheel. He felt like his head was about to explode.

From sheer anger.

"No reason! Just sit there and be quiet."

Zhou Fanfan wrung her hands. It's over. It's really over. He's furious.

In all their previous interactions, she'd never heard him use this tone. He was genuinely, deeply angry.

She was on the verge of tears, filled with regret. If she'd known it would end like this, she never would have deceived Guan Yuanbai!!!

After about forty minutes of suffocating tension, the car finally stopped.

"Get out," Guan Yuanbai commanded, exiting the car.

Zhou Fanfan looked out the window. It was a standalone villa she'd never seen before. "Where is this?" she asked timidly.

Guan Yuanbai turned back and saw her still in her seat, hands gripping the edge of the window, her face full of wariness.

"What, you think I'm going to sell you?" he said coldly.

Zhou Fanfan shook her head rapidly. "I… I was just asking."

"My home."

"Huh?"

Guan Yuanbai's brow furrowed. "I said, get out."

She had only been to the main Guan family residence. When he said "my home," she assumed it was his private place. But when she walked inside and saw two other people sitting in the living room, the penny dropped.

This wasn't just his house. It was the home he'd grown up in. Because sitting there in the living room were her beloved idol, Guan Zhiyi, and Yiyii's husband…

Zhou Fanfan froze on the spot, her panicked eyes flying to Guan Yuanbai.

His face impassive, he took her arm and guided her to sit on a sofa opposite the others.

The four of them sat in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.

"So," Guan Yuanbai finally broke the silence, his voice flat. "You're her fan."

At this point, Zhou Fanfan knew the jig was up. She glanced at Guan Zhiyi, her cheeks flushing. "Yes… I am. That's, um, probably obvious."

Guan Zhiyi had been stunned when Zhou Fanfan walked in wearing that outfit—the uniform of her fans. Her potential future sister-in-law was… one of her fans?!

"Is this for real?" Guan Zhiyi murmured.

Zhou Fanfan, though terrified, couldn't let her idol doubt her devotion. She immediately straightened up, her voice firm. "It's real! Of course it's real! I adore you. I've watched all your dramas, variety shows, and movies. Whenever I can, I go to your events. You're my ultimate favorite!"

Ultimate favorite?! Ultimate what favorite?!

And why was she blushing while saying that to another girl?!

Guan Yuanbai's face darkened as he watched her. He was fuming.

The camera, the fan jacket, the hidden light panels, the stickers on her face… His mind replayed the scene from the event hall, and a vein throbbed in his temple.

"So," he said through gritted teeth, "the blind date was a setup you planned."

"No! No, of course not!" Zhou Fanfan waved her hands frantically. "My family doesn't have that kind of pull… It really was because your grandmother said she liked me. When my family first told me about the date, I didn't know it was you. I didn't even want to go, but then I found out it was you, and I… I lost my judgment. I'm so sorry! I thought maybe it was a chance to meet my darling daughter— I mean, to meet Yiyi! So I went. But then Yiyi was on her honeymoon the whole time…"

Guan Yuanbai slowly clenched his fist. "You're telling me that for the last two months, you've been deliberately getting close to me… just to wait for her to come back? To see her?"

"Uh… Not just to see her. I also wanted to give her some gifts."

Gifts.

Right. The gifts she'd given him every few days, always in pairs, always saying one was 'for his sister, by the way.'

The full force of his anger finally broke through. "Zhou Fanfan. You were using me as a delivery service!"

"That's not true! I… I gave you gifts too."

Guan Yuanbai let out a bitter, incredulous laugh. "Right. You gave me gifts too."

Zhou Fanfan rubbed her nose, slightly embarrassed. "It wasn't just 'too.' That's not really fair to say…"

"Not fair? How is it not fair? You've got some nerve, Zhou Fanfan. Playing the sweet, innocent girl, fooling me all this time. No wonder you were so 'obedient' recently, stopping the gifts and cutting off contact. You couldn't even be bothered to answer my call. It's because you finally saw her at Grandma's house, wasn't it? You got what you wanted."

Zhou Fanfan was taken aback. "Your call? Ah, I forgot to call you back."

Guan Yuanbai snorted, not believing a word.

"And I stopped giving gifts not because I already got what I wanted," she explained, "but because you said you found it bothersome, that you wished I would stop…"

"I… That was—"

Guan Yuanbai suddenly found himself at a loss for words. Okay, fine. He had said that.

But the fact remained that she had deceived and used him!

"After you told me that, I realized I really had been bothering you for a long time. And I thought… since my wish was already fulfilled, I shouldn't be greedy anymore." Zhou Fanfan stood up and bowed deeply at a ninety-degree angle. "I'm sorry! Mr. Guan, I never should have hidden this from you during the blind date, and I never should have bothered you for so long afterward! I'm truly, truly sorry. I… I'll stay far away from you from now on. I promise I won't cause you any more trouble!"

With that, she gave smaller, quicker bows to Guan Zhiyi and Qi Chengyan, then turned and bolted for the door.

Guan Yuanbai started, rising to his feet. "Hey—!"

Hearing his call, Zhou Fanfan only ran faster.

Guan Yuanbai: "…"

"It seems you frightened her," Qi Chengyan observed mildly from his seat. "Why be so harsh with a brat?"

Guan Zhiyi immediately piped up, "She's not a brat, she's my fan."

Qi Chengyan smiled. "Starting the mutual admiration society already?"

"Of course!" Guan Zhiyi said, then glanced at her brother. She wanted to laugh but knew it was inappropriate. Her expression wavered between amusement and restraint before she finally said, "Brother, don't be too hard on Fanfan. She only got close to you because she… well, because she likes me that much."

"?"

Guan Yuanbai's icy glare could have cut glass.

Guan Zhiyi shrank back against Qi Chengyan, miming zipping her lips. "Okay, okay. I'll stop."

Guan Yuanbai took a deep, steadying breath. "...I'm leaving!"

---

Author's Note:

The officially ruffled Yuanbai has entered the scene.

---

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