The Only Choice - 30

Those coming and going were in a hurry, no one paid them any attention.

"Thanks," Zhou Fanfan said, quickly extricating herself from his embrace. "Sorry about that! I got a bit carried away."

Guan Yuanbai's hand paused mid-air before dropping back to his side, then casually slipping into his pocket.

"Let's go. Watch where you're going, don't bump into anyone else," he said evenly, though his own heart refused to calm down.

Zhou Fanfan nodded and continued forward, her steps still light with excitement.

He accompanied her all the way to the venue entrance before turning back.

Zhou Fanfan returned to her seat.

"That was a long phone call. It's almost starting," Xu Xiaoqian said.

Zhou Fanfan first tucked the small gift into her own bag, then focused on arranging her equipment. "Our baby girl said we can go backstage later to take a photo with her."

Xu Xiaoqian didn't quite catch it at first, giving her a puzzled look. "What?"

Zhou Fanfan took out her camera and said to the three faces now turned towards her, "I mean Zhiyi. She said after it ends, she'll wait for us. We can go get a group photo."

The eyes of Xu Xiaoqian, Liu Liu, and Qi Qi widened in an instant—disbelief, confusion, overwhelming joy... a whirlwind of emotions flashed across their faces, finally settling into the unmistakable words: "Are you for real?"

Zhou Fanfan explained slowly, "Just now... I went backstage. Guan Yuanbai asked me to come over, and I saw Yiyi in the dressing room. I told her we all really like her, so she said we could meet up later for a photo."

"No way?!"

"Seriously?! No way!"

Zhou Fanfan quickly shushed them. "Keep it down, keep it down!"

The three immediately lowered their voices, but their eyes still shone with excitement, cheeks flushed. "Really? Truly? For real?"

Zhou Fanfan couldn't help but smile too. "Really."

"Zhou Fanfan! Having you in my life is a blessing!!"

For the rest of the event, the four of them were floating on a cloud of excitement.

The Starry Night Gala lasted about three hours. At nine o'clock, Zhou Fanfan received a WeChat message from Guan Zhiyi saying she was now in the backstage dressing room and asking if they wanted to come over.

Guan Zhiyi's performance and award acceptance were already over. The purpose of their fan pilgrimage was accomplished, so of course they could leave now.

Thus, Zhou Fanfan led Xiaoqian and the others out of their seats to wait outside. Soon after, they saw a familiar figure approaching.

Guan Yuanbai, tall and long-legged in his suit, was dazzling no matter the occasion... Zhou Fanfan had expected a staff member to fetch them, not Guan Yuanbai himself.

"Zhou Fanfan, stop daydreaming, let's go." After saying this to her, Guan Yuanbai gave a slight, polite nod to the other three, his casual tone shifting to something more formal. "Ladies, right this way."

His attitude clearly distinguished between who was an insider and who was not.

Xu Xiaoqian and the others exchanged glances, their eyes when they looked back at Zhou Fanfan now tinged with implication.

Zhou Fanfan felt her scalp prickle under their gaze. "...Alright, let's hurry. Zhiyi is waiting."

"Ah, right, right, let's go, let's go."

Mentioning this successfully diverted their attention, and they happily moved forward.

When the four reached the dressing room door, Guan Yuanbai pushed it open. He held it for them, gesturing for the girls to enter first.

Zhou Fanfan thanked him and entered with Xiaoqian and the others following.

"Sister-in-law, you're here!" Guan Zhiyi was still wearing the gown from her stage appearance, though her headpiece had been removed. Seeing the four enter, she gave them a sweet smile. "Hi, everyone."

When Xu Xiaoqian, Ren Hui (Liu Liu), and Xue Min'er (Qi Qi) saw their beloved idol, their hearts felt ready to explode. But just before detonation, they suddenly sensed something was off.

Sister-in-law?

Who?

After a moment of stunned silence, they swiveled their heads to look at Zhou Fanfan. "Sister-in-law?"

Zhou Fanfan's face instantly turned crimson. "Ah, that... let's talk about it later. Should we... take the photo first?"

Shaken by this revelation, the three almost instinctively glanced at Guan Yuanbai.

Guan Yuanbai was far calmer. In fact, watching Zhou Fanfan's flustered state gave him a certain mischievous satisfaction.

Guan Zhiyi noticed the silent exchange. "Did I... say something I shouldn't have?"

Zhou Fanfan would never let her idol feel awkward. She hurriedly said, "No, no! It's just that I haven't had time to tell them yet... about me and Mr. Guan."

She still couldn't bring herself to say "about me and Guan Yuanbai being together." It was too embarrassing!

Guan Yuanbai chuckled, his tone meaningful. "Right. I'm the one who's not presentable."

Zhou Fanfan: "..."

Guan Zhiyi needed to change and leave soon, so Zhou Fanfan and the others didn't waste any more time. They took individual photos with Guan Zhiyi, who also took their fan merchandise and signed personalized messages on them.

When it was time to leave, Guan Yuanbai saw them out again.

The performances inside had ended, so they headed straight for the parking lot.

Xu Xiaoqian and the others had all traveled from elsewhere and were staying in a hotel tonight. After Guan Yuanbai got the address, he drove them first.

The three didn't dare act too freely in Guan Yuanbai's car, so even though they were burning with questions, they held back, resorting to interrogating Zhou Fanfan in their WeChat group.

Qi Qi: [OMG! Yiyi called you sister-in-law! Fanfan! You really became the sister-in-law!]

Liu Liu: [When did you get together? Why didn't you tell us?!]

Qi Qi: [No wonder we could go backstage! It's the privilege of being the sister-in-law! Omg I'm so happy, my friend is amazing!]

Xu Xiaoqian: [Explain yourself! What's really going on!]

Sitting in the passenger seat, Zhou Fanfan stole a glance at Guan Yuanbai, who was driving, and typed: [It's a long story... Basically, we decided to pretend to be a couple to stop our families from setting up more arranged meetings. So, it's still fake, okay? Just our families don't know. Don't take it seriously...]

Xu Xiaoqian: [You guys are leveling up! First acting like potential matches wasn't enough, now you have to act like a couple. What's next... getting a marriage certificate and acting like husband and wife?!!!]

Liu Liu: [HOLY CRAP!!! I'm excited! I want to attend the wedding!]

Qi Qi: [I want to attend the baby's full moon banquet!]

Xu Xiaoqian: [Me too!! Wait... no, I meant, are you two for real?!]

Qi Qi: [Maybe our son likes you, and this is all a scheme?]

Liu Liu: [Yeah, yeah, it must be a scheme! He must like you and is luring you into this fake relationship!]

Zhou Fanfan: [Stop it... I was the one who suggested the 'together' thing. It's really just an act. Don't let your imaginations run wild.]

After dropping off the excited Xu Xiaoqian and the others at their hotel, Zhou Fanfan's phone finally quieted down.

"Were you just explaining things to them on WeChat?" Now that only the two of them remained in the car, Guan Yuanbai asked.

Zhou Fanfan: "How did you know..."

Guan Yuanbai: "I could see you typing constantly."

Zhou Fanfan nodded, admitting it. "I told them we're just pretending. But they didn't really believe me. They even said it's a..."

She suddenly stopped.

Guan Yuanbai glanced at her. "Is a what?"

"A scheme."

"A scheme?"

Zhou Fanfan said helplessly, "Liu Liu and Qi Qi said you like me, and this is all a scheme."

Guan Yuanbai was momentarily stunned. His grip on the steering wheel tightened imperceptibly.

Having said it out loud, Zhou Fanfan felt both intensely shy and terribly awkward. She hurriedly tried to remedy the situation. "But please don't take it seriously! I already explained that I was the one who proposed the 'together' idea. We don't have those kinds of feelings for each other. How could it be a scheme? Haha."

A flicker of something passed through Guan Yuanbai's eyes. He looked at her, frowned slightly, and said, "I—"

"Anyway, don't mind them! I'll explain it to them properly later!"

"..."

Zhou Fanfan gave a silly laugh, looking every bit the clueless goose, the same clueless goose who thought dating was boring.

Guan Yuanbai's eyes lowered slightly, feeling a pang of frustration.

He thought, if he were to say something real right now, this clueless goose would probably panic and run far away...

Gurgle—

Suddenly, a very untimely sound echoed in the car.

Guan Yuanbai was pulled from his thoughts, his gaze settling on her stomach. "?"

Zhou Fanfan hadn't expected her stomach to choose this moment to growl either, and quickly covered it.

Guan Yuanbai: "Hungry?"

"I, I'm not."

"It growled that loudly, and you're telling me you're not hungry."

Feeling embarrassed under his unwavering stare, she had no choice but to come clean. "Okay, fine, a little bit. Earlier in Zhiyi's dressing room, I was too excited to eat much."

Guan Yuanbai let out a soft sigh. Forget it. With this one, there's no point in rushing.

"Let's go get something to eat, then."

Zhou Fanfan felt a bit apologetic but also touched. "Then it's my treat! I also want to thank you for the photo opportunity today!"

Guan Yuanbai didn't refuse. "Where to?"

Zhou Fanfan thought for a moment. "For a late-night snack, how about the food street near my university? You've been there before. It's really good."

"Mn."

Guan Yuanbai drove towards Capital University and parked in a lot near the food street. They walked the rest of the way.

Zhou Fanfan was carrying a tote bag. After getting out of the car, she took out a scarf from her bag and wrapped it around her neck, then pulled out two round objects from inside.

Guan Yuanbai recognized them—the hand warmers she'd given him before.

This time, however, she showed no intention of giving him one, simply stuffing them into her own pockets.

After finishing her warmth preparations, Zhou Fanfan kept walking, but noticed the person beside her hadn't followed. She turned back, puzzled. "Mr. Guan, aren't you coming?"

Guan Yuanbai reached his hand out towards her.

Zhou Fanfan tilted her head in confusion.

Guan Yuanbai looked down at her and said, "How come you don't think to offer me one now?"

Zhou Fanfan went "Ah?" and pulled the hand warmers from her pocket. "These?"

Guan Yuanbai remembered how she had eagerly pressed them into his hands last time. She'd been so attentive before, but now she completely disregarded him. Then again, now that she's met her idol, why would she care about the well-being of the idol's brother?

Seeing his silent affirmation, she quickly said, "But last time I gave them to you, you gave them back almost right away. I thought you didn't need them."

Guan Yuanbai exhaled a white puff of air, his tone chilly. "Last time I wasn't cold. This time I am."

"Ah... you should have said so earlier." She glanced at his attire. Indeed, compared to her down jacket, his overcoat was much thinner.

She hurriedly took out both hand warmers and stuffed one into each of his hands.

After that, she unwound her own scarf, flung it with both hands, and draped it directly around his neck.

Guan Yuanbai was taken aback, instantly assaulted by that familiar scent again, this time closer, clinging to his skin, warmth enveloping him immediately.

"You don't need to give me the scarf, keep it for yourself..."

"I can manage without it. Look." Zhou Fanfan turned up the collar of her down jacket and buttoned the top button, snugly enclosing her neck. "I'm actually plenty warm. You use the scarf. Um... I've worn it a few times. You don't mind, do you?"

Asked with such cautious consideration, Guan Yuanbai's immediate reaction was, of course, to shake his head and say he didn't mind.

Seeing him shake his head, Zhou Fanfan felt relieved. She made a wrapping gesture with her hands. "Tie it up."

Guan Yuanbai: "Hm?"

"Like...wrap it properly. Grab this end, fold it over and tuck it in. It blocks the wind really well like this."

She mimed the actions in the air, her face pink, her eyelashes trembling in the wind.

Guan Yuanbai looked down at her demonstrating for him, the frustrated annoyance in his heart gradually dissipating.

He was silent for a few seconds, then leaned down slightly, his gaze locking directly onto her eyes.

"I don't know how. Help me.”

---

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