***
Chapter 68 – Going Public
Jiang Liusui followed He Yujing as they walked forward.
Thinking about how He Yujing had announced he was in a relationship during the concert just now, Jiang Liusui felt a surge of happiness. He reached out and poked the sparkling stud on He Yujing’s ear.
“What?” Seeing the bright gleam in his eyes, He Yujing knew he wanted to be close. “Do you want to get your ears pierced too?”
As he spoke, he lifted his hand from Jiang Liusui’s shoulder and gently brushed his smooth earlobe with his fingertips.
“I’ll just enjoy watching you wear them.” After saying this, Jiang Liusui called his name again. “He Yujing, we…”
“Hmm?”
Just as Jiang Liusui was about to speak, a figure suddenly darted out from behind a car. A blonde girl stared at them with a face full of resentment.
Recognizing her as the obsessive fan who had been following He Yujing for days, Jiang Liusui’s expression shifted. None of the staff around had expected someone to be hiding in the parking garage, and even the bodyguards were a step too slow.
The girl let out a sharp scream, and in the next moment, she violently raised the cup in her hand and flung its contents directly at them!
Jiang Liusui grabbed He Yujing’s arm, instinctively trying to pull him back, but He Yujing reacted faster. He yanked Jiang Liusui behind him, shielding him completely.
The empty paper cup hit the ground with a dull thud. Jiang Liusui clung tightly to He Yujing, immediately checking the area where he had been splashed. “Are you okay?!”
His attention was entirely on He Yujing, and he didn’t realize his voice was trembling.
Fortunately, it was only some cold coffee that had been thrown.
“I’m fine.”
He Yujing was far calmer, gently squeezing Jiang Liusui’s wrist in a reassuring gesture.
Once Jiang Liusui confirmed that He Yujing hadn’t been hurt, the tension in his body eased slightly. He turned to glare at the girl who had rushed out. A surge of anger momentarily blanked his mind, but He Yujing quickly pulled him back, preventing him from stepping forward.
He Yujing’s clothes were stained all over with coffee. His face was dark with anger as he coldly stared at Chen Ying, who stood just a few steps away.
Chen Ying shivered under his gaze but continued shouting recklessly, “What are you acting for? You’re dating behind my back—how could you do this after all the money I’ve spent on you?!”
Knowing he hadn’t been privately contacting fans only made her angrier, and she deliberately hurled the vilest insults. “And you’re with a man? How disgusting!”
The bodyguards hurried to restrain her but didn’t dare use excessive force, only blocking Chen Ying to prevent her from getting closer.
To show up in the underground garage, she must have hidden there hours before the concert started and bypassed security clearance. The surrounding staff were both shocked and furious, never expecting to encounter such a deranged troublemaker.
Chen Ying, blocked by the bodyguards, continued cursing relentlessly.
Jiang Liusui pressed his lips together, his hands clenched into fists. He Yujing took out his phone and pointed it at her, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “Go on, curse some more.”
Seeing him film her, Chen Ying’s expression shifted rapidly. A flash of shock and rage crossed her eyes before she exploded, “Fuck you! I’ve liked you for so many years, He Yujing, are you insane?! How dare you treat me like this?!”
“You still dare to film me?! What, are you going to call the police? I haven’t broken any laws—what can you even do to me?!”
As she spoke, Chen Ying shoved the bodyguards with all her strength, clearly trying to break through and attack. The bodyguards sternly warned her, but Chen Ying screamed and pushed violently, even scratching one of the bodyguard’s necks until it bled during the struggle, yet she couldn’t advance even a step.
He Yujing put away his phone and said calmly, “Call the police.”
Only then did Lin Chong snap back to reality. He quickly dialed the authorities and said to He Yujing, “Ge, you go ahead. I’ll handle the rest.”
He Yujing grabbed Jiang Liusui, who was still standing frozen. “Let’s go. Don’t pay her any mind.”
Seeing him about to leave, Chen Ying became even more hysterical. “Stop right there! Don’t you dare leave!! He Yujing, you’re not allowed to go—”
Jiang Liusui followed He Yujing into the car. Inside, he held He Yujing’s hand tightly, their fingers interlocked. Chen Ying’s screaming quickly faded into the distance behind them.
By the time they received Lin Chong’s update, Jiang Liusui and He Yujing had already returned to the hotel.
Even after they left, Chen Ying continued to curse relentlessly, repeatedly attempting to attack the bodyguards. When the police finally arrived, she seemed flustered and calmed down considerably.
At the police station, Chen Ying belatedly felt fear, realizing she had truly caused trouble. She first demanded a lawyer loudly, then eventually broke down and apologized through tears.
“…The situation is mostly resolved. The injured bodyguard is fine and has already given his statement. I’ll continue to follow up on the aftermath,” Lin Chong’s voice came through the phone, tinged with frustration. “She’s still stirring up trouble on domestic platforms. She secretly took many photos of you and Teacher Jiang and even used them to spread rumors!”
“I’ll stay here today and make sure she deletes them and apologizes.”
He Yujing acknowledged, “Thanks for your hard work.”
After hanging up, He Yujing noticed Jiang Liusui staring blankly ahead and ruffled his hair. “What’s wrong? You’ve been distracted since we got back.”
“Nothing, I’m just a little worried. I’m glad it’s resolved,” Jiang Liusui smiled at him. “I’ll go take a shower first.”
He Yujing watched him for a moment before nodding.
In the bathroom, Jiang Liusui absentmindedly undressed and showered. Too much had happened tonight, and fragmented scenes flashed through his mind one after another.
Right after the concert ended, he had been brimming with overwhelming joy, even considering publicly announcing their relationship. He was about to share this thought with He Yujing when the next moment, a crazed fan’s deranged expression made the words froze in his throat.
Fortunately, neither of them was hurt, but Jiang Liusui couldn’t help feeling a lingering fear.
He wasn’t afraid for himself when it came to these obsessive fans, but he couldn’t stop worrying about He Yujing.
He Yujing had a massive fanbase. Even though most were rational, there was always the possibility of a tiny, extreme minority. What if something unexpected happened…?
Jiang Liusui held these thoughts in his mind and took his time in the shower. By the time he came out, He Yujing was on the phone with Shen Jie.
Chen Ying had already deleted her original Weibo post and issued a public apology.
After the police got involved, Chen Ying lost all her earlier hysterical arrogance. Her words were filled with remorse:
『 I privately stalked Mr. He, and secretly photographed him and the other party involved. I hereby sincerely apologize to both of them.
Due to my personal mistaken thoughts and assumptions, I previously posted a series of false statements. I would like to apologize here once again for what I said.
I will continue to reflect on myself and will absolutely not engage in similar behavior in the future. I am truly very, very sorry. 』
Under Chen Ying’s Weibo post, the comments were filled with curses:
【Get lost! Where did this lunatic even come from? Stalking, secretly taking photos, and still having the nerve to spread rumors? Take a look in the mirror and see what kind of trash you are—even ghosts would find you disgusting!】
【This woman might actually have some issues. Just thinking about her following him for ten whole days gives me chills. Shouldn’t her family consider sending her to a psychologist?】
【Hey there, sweetie, I thought scum like you had already gone extinct.】
【How dare you stalk Yu-ge? What kind of lowlife are you?! You disgusting piece of trash, do you live in the sewers or something??】
【I’m literally sick to my stomach. Can someone dig up her info? Since she likes taking secret photos of others, why not let her experience being exposed herself?】
“Public opinion was already on our side from the start. Those who tried to stir up trouble have been dealt with. Shengyun’s official Weibo also released a statement,” Shen Jie informed him of the stabilized situation. “Right now, the most discussed topic is still who you mentioned as your romantic interest at the concert. Most people are just curious, which isn’t a problem.”
Seeing Jiang Liusui come out, He Yujing put the call on speaker so he could listen to Shen Jie’s explanation as well. After outlining the domestic situation, Shen Jie added, “I heard from Lin Chong about the incident she caused. Apparently, she was hiding in the underground parking garage the whole time? For future performances, we must enforce strict clearance protocols. Whoever is responsible for today’s clearance will have to explain themselves.”
Her tone was steady, but the underlying anger was clear: “And those bodyguards… Not a single one reacted as quickly as you did. How could they let her rush up and throw coffee? We’ve already made arrangements and will be increasing security personnel starting tomorrow.”
Compared to her intensity, He Yujing’s mindset was quite relaxed: “Alright, let’s proceed as you’ve suggested.”
Shen Jie could tell he wasn’t affected and couldn’t help but remark, “You’re really holding up well. Hearing about today’s incident almost gave me a heart attack.”
Finally, Shen Jie asked one more question: “Is Jiang Liusui with you tonight? Is he doing okay?”
“I’m fine,” Jiang Liusui answered at that moment. “We’ve been together the whole time.”
“That’s good. I’m glad you’re both alright.”
After expressing a few more words of concern, Shen Jie hung up.
Noticing Jiang Liusui’s hair was still damp, He Yujing pulled him closer: “Should I dry your hair for you?”
He Yujing noticed that Jiang Liusui hadn’t quite returned to his usual self, as if something was weighing on his mind. Trying to lighten the mood, He Yujing smiled and said, “You have to go back tomorrow. I won’t get to see you for over half a month after that—I really don’t want to let you go.”
“Once you finish shooting the ad, remember to show me the photos in advance.”
As he spoke, he picked up the hairdryer and began drying Jiang Liusui’s hair.
Warm air at a comfortable temperature flowed from the dryer, and his slender fingers gently combed through the damp strands. Feeling the warmth of his fingertips, Jiang Liusui grew even more afraid of him suffering the slightest harm.
“Maybe… we shouldn’t go public for now?” After hesitating for a long time, Jiang Liusui voiced his concerns.
Even with the noise of the hair dryer in the background, He Yujing clearly caught his words. Upon hearing this he stopped what he was doing and set the dryer aside. “What’s wrong?”
He didn’t press for an answer immediately but instead asked gently, “Were you scared today?”
Jiang Liusui shook his head. “I’m afraid someone might cause trouble for you again.”
He Yujing was slightly taken aback. Jiang Liusui continued, “Although you mentioned you were in a relationship at the concert, if you don’t reveal who it is for now, it won’t feel as real. Let’s keep a low profile for a while. Later… when more time has passed, maybe it’ll be easier for people to accept.”
“Revealing everything at once might be too shocking. Some people might not be able to handle it right away.” Jiang Liusui paused briefly, then tightly grasped He Yujing’s arm. “And you’ll be abroad alone—I’m worried about you.”
He Yujing had initially thought Jiang Liusui was shaken by the earlier encounter with the obsessive fan. It hadn’t occurred to him that Jiang Liusui’s unease stemmed entirely from concern for him.
“Baby,” He Yujing said softly but firmly, “you don’t need to worry about what those lunatics think.”
“Whether we go public or not, they won’t disappear. It has nothing to do with how much time passes or how low-key we are.”
Realizing he had almost been persuaded, Jiang Liusui tugged at the corner of his lips and quickly reached out to pinch He Yujing’s cheek. “Why are you so calm? You know I’m really worried about you, right?”
Before He Yujing could respond, Jiang Liusui released his grip and instead gently pressed his fingertips against He Yujing’s cheek. “You mean more to me than anyone else.”
His voice was soft, his expression earnest. Seeing him like this, He Yujing felt as if his heart had been squeezed.
“Since you’ve said that, of course I’ll take good care of myself.” He Yujing humored him, then added seriously, “Don’t worry, what happened today was just a rare incident. My team and I will be more careful from now on—nothing like this will happen again.”
Meeting his gaze, Jiang Liusui’s mood gradually brightened, the last trace of worry fading away. “Okay.”
He added, “I’ll protect you too.”
“Thank you, gege,” He Yujing replied smoothly. “I’ll definitely hide behind you.”
“…You’d better mean that.” Even though when the incident happened, He Yujing had immediately pulled him to safety.
He Yujing changed the subject. “Earlier in the parking garage, you wanted to say something, didn’t you? But you got interrupted.”
Jiang Liusui said, “Today, I wanted to say—”
“He Yujing, let’s go public.”
***
Meanwhile, back in China.
Even though the incident with the obsessive fan had been resolved, speculation about who He Yujing was dating continued to trend throughout the day. The related hashtag only grew hotter, with all sorts of guesses circulating endlessly.
Jiang Liusui’s name was repeatedly brought up. Judging by the timeline, he had just finished filming and was free to accompany He Yujing on the tour. From the leaked photos, the person’s silhouette and build closely resembled Jiang Liusui’s. However, without concrete evidence, all the speculation remained just that. People were itching for answers but had too little information to draw any conclusions, leaving them to wait for either the involved parties to speak up or for some resourceful entertainment reporter to dig up the truth.
It wasn’t until two in the afternoon that He Yujing’s rarely updated Weibo account quietly posted a new update.
There were no pictures, no emojis—just seven simple words.
『 He Yujing: Stop guessing. It’s Jiang Liusui. 』
Before anyone could react, the other party involved almost simultaneously reposted the Weibo post.
『 Jiang Liusui: Here. Dating He Yujing. // @He Yujing: Stop guessing. It’s Jiang Liusui. 』
In an instant, too many people rushed to comment, causing the platform to lag briefly before slowly spitting out the first message:
【What the fuck?? What the fuck!! Ahhhhhhhhh—! Someone tell me I’m not dreaming!!】
【Where is everyone? Where is everyone? Where did everyone go?!】
【It’s stuck! Everyone’s stuck on their way here to send blessings!!】
【Ahhhhhhh let me out to comment! I’m hosting a three-day feast just to celebrate this moment! Did you see it, sisters?! Our Suisui-Haojing[mfn]岁岁好景 (SuisuiHaojing) – He Yuing and Jiang Liusui’s CP name, which literally means “May there be beautiful scenery year after year” or “May the good times last every year”[/mfn] are real!!】
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