A Kitty Picked Up a Miserable Puppy by the Roadside; Qin Yan Got Hung Up On

"What? You want to join a talent show?"

From the Minister of Science and Technology's office came Qin Tang's startled cry.

Jiang Fang nodded.

Seeing Qin Tang frown, looking as though he wanted to speak but hesitated, Jiang Fang added,

"School hasn't started yet, has it? I'll have some fun while I can. Once school starts and the research begins, I'll be busy."

Hearing that reason, Qin Tang relaxed.

As long as Jiang Fang hadn't been dazzled by the entertainment industry's glamour and excess.

Jiang Fang had only just come of age. His temperament had yet to settle, so it was normal for him to enjoy himself a little.

So Qin Tang nodded in agreement.

"But—"

"To be safe, I'll arrange for someone to protect you." After all, there was Bai Ziyu's precedent.

Jiang Fang agreed without the slightest hesitation.

Wasn't this like getting a pillow just when he was sleepy?

Even if Lin Sen had some scheme in mind, Jiang Fang would not have to worry.

"Then thank you, Minister Qin!"

When he stepped out of the office, he found that a torrential downpour had begun outside at some point.

Jiang Fang frowned.

He did not like rainy days, especially this kind of pouring rain.

Just as Jiang Fang was about to call for a car, a black SUV pulled up in front of him through the curtain of rain.

At that moment, Qin Tang hurried over from behind him as well.

"Little Jiang, considering your special circumstances, and the fact that you'll be participating in a show, the higher-ups have specially assigned someone to you. He'll be responsible for driving and acting as an assistant or something."

After he finished speaking, someone dressed entirely in black stepped out of the SUV and saluted Qin Tang and Jiang Fang.

"Greetings, sir. Yun Feng reporting in!"

"Hello. Sorry to trouble you."

Jiang Fang accepted this arrangement easily. Not having to drive himself was even better, wasn't it?

After saying goodbye to Qin Tang, Jiang Fang got into the car and headed home.

The rain in City B was astonishingly heavy. Before long, the water on the road was deep enough to cover people's ankles.

There was no shortage of pedestrians whose steps had been halted by the downpour.

Because of the weather, Yun Feng drove very carefully.

Half an hour later.

They finally reached the entrance to the residential complex.

The complex had been allocated to Jiang Fang by the state, and entry and exit were strictly regulated. That was why, even though Jiang Fang had trended again and again, he could still enjoy such peace and quiet.

It was unlike his previous home, where reporters and passersby came knocking every few days.

After verifying their identities, Yun Feng was about to drive in.

Suddenly, Jiang Fang caught sight of the corner by the wall.

"Wait," he said.

The car, which had just started moving, jolted and stopped.

Jiang Fang cracked open the window slightly. Rain drifted in and instantly soaked the front of his clothes.

Yet he did not notice at all.

His gaze fell on the figure huddled beneath the corner of the wall.

Jiang Fang frowned. Who would come here in such heavy rain?

Could it be those people again?

Normally, Jiang Fang might have left without even giving them a glance, but for some reason, his heart suddenly softened today.

He sighed softly. "Wait a moment." Jiang Fang spoke to Yun Feng, then opened the car door, took an umbrella, and stepped out.

Seeing this, Yun Feng hurriedly followed.

The people assigned to protect Jiang Fang before had only been temporary arrangements. Moreover, both of them had been photographed while protecting him, so the higher-ups had specifically found Yun Feng, someone highly skilled in combat, an excellent driver, and sharp both emotionally and intellectually.

His duty was to protect Jiang Fang while concealing his identity.

Someone appearing at the gate for no apparent reason was suspicious no matter how one looked at it.

When Jiang Fang approached, he saw that the person curled up in the corner was a teenager, seemingly not yet an adult. His striking blond hair had been washed into wet strands by the rain, making him look exactly like a homeless stray puppy.

Jiang Fang tilted his umbrella over, shielding him from the torrential rain.

Ning Xiao had run away from home. He had had a huge fight with his family.

His mother had directly said she no longer had a son like him.

How could that stand?

Ning Xiao had always been stubborn. No son? You want me to get out? Fine, then I'll get out!

Teenagers were always reckless. He had even thought, Fine, I'll leave. I don't care if I don't have a mother like you either!

I don't want any of your things!

So he took nothing with him and stormed out of the house.

As he walked, the angrier he got, and the more wronged he felt.

He had had enough of his mother's favoritism.

He wanted to carve out a path for himself, then tell his mother that she had been wrong.

However, his grand venture had died before it even began. Before he had even started, before he had even made it halfway down the road, a torrential downpour began.

Even more tragically, in his fit of emotion, he had no idea where he had wandered off to.

He had wanted to see whether there was somewhere nearby to shelter from the rain, but he did not know where he had ended up. There was not even a single place nearby to take cover, and he did not dare stand beneath a tree. He could only cover his head and run.

When he finally spotted a residential complex, Ning Xiao thought he had been saved at last. Covering his head, he ran straight toward the entrance.

And then—

He was caught and nearly slapped with silver bracelets.

Ning Xiao: trembling.jpg

Frightened out of his wits, he hurriedly explained that he had only wanted to shelter from the rain and absolutely had no other intentions! Only then did he escape disaster.

The guard had originally wanted to let him take shelter in the guard booth, but Ning Xiao was stubborn. He hurriedly shook his head and ran away as fast as he could.

In the end, he could only timidly hide in the corner by the wall.

The eaves blocked some of the rain, but they could not withstand a downpour this heavy.

He was cold, hungry, and miserable.

Ning Xiao curled up in the corner, his eyes reddening. The tears he had stubbornly held back in front of his parents finally spilled out with the rain.

"Wuwuwuwu..." he whimpered like a puppy.

Just as the puppy was feeling miserable, he suddenly realized that the rain seemed to have eased a little?

The puppy blinked and looked up, only to see a kitty whose face was full of curiosity.

"Wuwuwu..." How embarrassing. Someone had seen him!

Jiang Fang froze, amused as he watched the teenager cry even louder.

"Are you okay?"

That single concerned question was like a kitty reaching out to pat a puppy's head in comfort, making the puppy feel even more wronged.

"Wuwuwuwu!"

"Wuwu... I'm fine!"

He did not look fine at all. It was raining this heavily, and he was even wearing slippers. Could he be some family's child who had run away from home?

"If you don't mind, why don't you come to my house and wait out the rain first?"

Ning Xiao's puppy eyes widened. He answered with a teary "Okay." He had met a good person!

Jiang Fang was also a little surprised after the invitation left his mouth.

"Then let's go."

Just as Jiang Fang was about to let Ning Xiao get in the car, Yun Feng suddenly said from behind him, "Sit in the front passenger seat. There are tissues up front for you to dry off."

Jiang Fang paused, glanced at him, and nodded.

As for Ning Xiao, who had been soaked like a drowned rat, Yun Feng felt that his opinion was unimportant. Although the higher-ups had instructed him not to interfere with Jiang Fang's actions unless necessary, risks still needed to be avoided.

Sitting in the driver's seat, he gave Ning Xiao a look. Skinny as a chick, no threat at all.

As for his intelligence...

Thinking of the sobbing sounds he had just heard, Yun Feng decided there was no threat there either. He was just a crybaby.

The higher-ups had arranged a small two-story villa in the complex for Jiang Fang. It was not large, but Jiang Fang was very satisfied with the furnishings and decor.

Since Yun Feng was protecting him at close range, he lived on the first floor while Jiang Fang lived on the second, so they would not disturb each other in daily life.

As soon as chick-like Ning Xiao was brought into the villa, Yun Feng took him away to shower.

Officially, it was a shower. In reality, it was an inspection for dangerous items.

Jiang Fang had no objections to that.

While the two were busy with that, Jiang Fang called the director of Trainee and accepted the invitation.

Trainee production team.

The director could not make sense of the investor's request, but Lin Sen had offered far too much money. Their production team was nothing more than a small, obscure crew!

So the unknown little director happily accepted.

As for inviting Jiang Fang, although he appeared to be lowering himself, he was quite certain Jiang Fang would accept the invitation.

After all, before appearing on Wilderness Survival, Jiang Fang had merely been an ordinary person. He had become famous overnight and gotten rich in a single stroke! The director did not believe Jiang Fang would not be tempted.

As long as he was tempted and wanted to enter the entertainment industry's arena of fame and fortune, there was a high chance he would accept the invitation.

The facts proved that Jiang Fang had indeed accepted.

At the same time, a post on Douban gradually gained traction.

[Entertainment Industry Gossip: Insider news! Jiang Fang has reportedly accepted an invitation from a Fruit Channel talent show and will be joining the competition! And the rich young master from the same Wilderness Survival variety show will also participate.]

Jiang Fang was practically synonymous with popularity lately. Wherever his name appeared, attention followed.

Not to mention that he was joining a talent show. Before long, the news was reposted to Weibo and climbed onto the trending searches.

Opinions on the matter varied, but most people did not think highly of it.

[Joining a talent show? Has Jiang Fang not been scared enough? Is he determined to enter the entertainment industry?]

[Holy shit! Isn't this a waste of talent? He's the top scorer! Why would he throw his life away by going into entertainment?]

[This is hilarious. The entertainment industry pays 2.08 million an hour. Who wouldn't want in?]

[How sad. Jiang Fang, wake up. Can't you see how badly the entertainment industry has screwed you over? You still dare to enter it?]

[Give me a break. He's probably gotten a taste of the good life. He's clearly going into entertainment to make money.]

[Wait! But Jiang Fang said in an interview before that he has no coordination and can't carry a tune. He's joining a talent show like that?]

[This is hilarious. He'll be eliminated in the first round. If he isn't, there's definitely something shady going on.]

[Heh, so all that stuff before really was just for the sake of developing in the entertainment industry.]

The netizens overwhelmingly expressed their confusion, and some even hurled extreme insults.

Jiang Fang scrolled through the comments, pursing his lips without saying a word.

News had leaked as soon as he accepted the invitation. It seemed someone had planned this long ago.

"Ring, ring, ring..."

An incoming call suddenly popped up on his phone screen.

Jiang Fang raised his brows and answered. "Brother Yan?"

"You're joining Trainee?"

Qin Yan had called as soon as he saw the trending search.

Jiang Fang's affirmative reply came through the receiver.

Qin Yan frowned.

"The news spread very suddenly. Whoever is behind this has probably come prepared, so be careful. If anything happens, you can tell me."

Qin Yan tightened his grip on the phone, feeling somewhat uneasy.

"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing. If I really need your help then, Brother Yan, don't find me annoying."

Qin Yan said, "Of course not."

Silence filled the receiver for a while, broken only by their breathing.

Just as Qin Yan wanted to say something else, a sticky, drawn-out voice suddenly came from the other end—

"Brother Fang!"

Qin Yan's brow tightened. Just as he was about to ask who it was, he heard Jiang Fang say, "Sorry, I have something to deal with here. We'll talk next time."

The call was hung up.