The moment Jiang Nan posted on Weibo, he shot straight onto the trending list.
Zhu Xia called and gave Jiang Nan a thorough scolding. Afterward, she couldn't help laughing. "You did pretty well on this episode. Several variety shows have already approached us."
Jiang Nan had ordered takeout.
He sipped his milk tea and answered halfheartedly, planning to play games in a bit. "Got it, got it."
Zhu Xia cleared her throat. "Trust me, as long as you don't go crazy and keep this up, it's only a matter of time before you get popular."
After graduating, Zhu Xia had worked as an agent at a well-known entertainment company. Later, she fell out with her old employer, quit without another job lined up, and struck out on her own.
She had been won over the first time she saw Jiang Nan.
With a face like that, even a hopeless case could be made into something.
Yet two whole years had passed, and Jiang Nan had remained a puddle of mud smeared on the ground. Only now was he showing the slightest sign of being salvageable.
"Okay, okay, okay," Jiang Nan said. "Here's hoping you're right."
Zhu Xia: "..." She instantly lost all desire to communicate.
Without another word, Zhu Xia hung up.
Humans and little dumbasses were different species, after all. They couldn't communicate.
His flight back to the capital was booked for the evening. With nothing to do, Jiang Nan played a round of Honor of Kings.
He had intended to charge headlong through the canyon like a battle maniac. Instead, he finished with a record of 1-11-2, was unanimously reported by all four teammates, and logged off in disgrace.
Before heading out, Jiang Nan dug a black baseball cap out of his suitcase and covered his pink hair.
771 asked him, [You're not wearing a mask?]
Jiang Nan looked puzzled. "Why would I wear a mask?"
771 said, [You are a celebrity now, after all.]
Jiang Nan waved a hand. "I'm just some obscure idol. No need."
It had been less than two months since he transmigrated into the book, and he still hadn't quite adjusted to being a celebrity.
So when Jiang Nan was pulling his suitcase covered in GG Bond stickers through the airport, a passerby accidentally jostled his cap off, exposing his signature pink hair. As ring after ring of people surrounded him, he was terrified.
"Little Immortal Nan, look over here."
"Little Immortal Nan, you really are pretty handsome in person. Is there anyone you like?"
"Little Immortal Nan, give us a smile."
Countless phones surrounded him. In that instant, Jiang Nan suddenly understood Tang Seng.
After falling into the Silken Web Cave, you really did deserve to go home and cry an entire pillow soaking wet.
Gripping his suitcase, Jiang Nan said, "Please stop filming for now, everyone. I have a flight to catch."
No one paid any attention to that.
After all, they had finally gotten the chance to get close to a celebrity. They frantically recorded videos, ready to post them online.
The airport was packed so tightly that no one could get through.
Jiang Nan despaired.
A man beside him held up his phone and asked, "Got any plans lately?"
Jiang Nan answered in all seriousness, "I'm planning to delete a few things."
The man asked, "What things? Files or photos?"
Jiang Nan said coldly, "Some of my basic decency."
The man: "..."
Everyone within half a mile unconsciously fell silent.
Jiang Nan calmly took out his phone, opened his contacts, and entered the three digits 110. "If you don't leave, I'm calling the police."
"..."
The scene fell completely silent.
While eating dinner, Zhu Xia checked Weibo out of habit.
She had thought the buzz around Jiang Nan should have died down by now, but #JiangNanCallsThePolice was sitting at number one on the trending list.
For a moment, she thought her eyes were playing tricks on her.
By the time she learned the whole story, Jiang Nan was already on his flight back to the capital.
Jiang Nan hadn't called the police. In the end, airport security had dispersed the crowd.
When Jiang Nan boarded the plane, his hair was a mess, the neckline of his white T-shirt had been stretched out, and several long scratches marked his fair neck.
The crowd had been so chaotic that he had no idea who had scratched him.
[Waaaaah, 771, those people were so scary.]
771 had been about to snap at him, but when he saw how pitiful Jiang Nan looked, he swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue.
[It's fine. You didn't croak, anyway.]
Jiang Nan: [...]
[Your comfort is so empty.]
Jiang Nan silently reproached him.
771 held back for a moment, then said, [How about I tell you a joke?]
[Yes, yes.] Jiang Nan nodded, his face full of anticipation.
771 said, [At twenty, you're free of doubts; at thirty, you stand firm. Do you know what you should do at forty?]
Jiang Nan tugged at his lips. [It's forty-me to show some real skills.]
771: [...]
Refusing to admit defeat, he continued, [A warrior was lying in bed. His back was itchy, but he couldn't roll over. Why?]
Jiang Nan looked utterly indifferent. [Because a warrior must never turn his back.]
771: [...]
771 retreated into his shell.
The human and the system spent more than an hour in silence.
At last, the plane landed at Imperial Capital International Airport.
This time, Jiang Nan obediently put on his cap and mask, collected his suitcase, and hurried out of the airport.
The driver, Old Yang, was already waiting outside.
He quickly got into the car. The moment his phone connected to the internet, it practically exploded.
Thirty unread messages from Zhu Xia.
Jiang Nan opened them first and took a look, feeling as though his eyes were being blinded.
GG Bond: [Don't you think this is a bit much?!]
GG Bond: [How does something like calling the police even get associated with you?]
GG Bond: [Other people's artists trend because of their looks and acting.]
GG Bond: [And you?????]
Skipping over some of the scolding in between, there were a few final lines that might or might not have counted as concern.
GG Bond: [Were you hurt?]
GG Bond: [Stay home and rest for a few days.]
Jiang Nan's eyes lit up at that line.
He quickly replied: [Okay!!!!!]
After replying, Jiang Nan left the chat and opened the chat with a certain F.
Fu Jingzhou had finally replied.
F: [Who bullied you?]
It was just a simple sentence, but Jiang Nan read it several times.
Suddenly, he felt a little wronged.
An inexplicable sense of grievance.
He rubbed the tip of his nose hard with the back of his hand and replied to Fu Jingzhou: [Someone wants to use the casting couch on me.]
Two seconds later, a video call popped up.
Jiang Nan froze for a moment, then answered.
The picture on his phone was slightly blurry. Two seconds later, Jiang Nan saw a glorious, vibrant sunrise.
The floor-to-ceiling windows framed a stunning view, taking in the whole distant sunrise.
The camera swayed as its owner ambled into the walk-in closet. A hand with well-defined knuckles came into view and took a silver-gray suit out of the wardrobe.
The man's voice was low, with the slight rasp of someone not fully awake. "Who wants to use the casting couch on you?"
Drawing out his words, Jiang Nan began tattling. "A celebrity in the entertainment industry."
"Which celebrity?"
"A film emperor. He seems pretty rich." Jiang Nan began picking at the jeans on his leg.
"So what?" Fu Jingzhou's tone was casual, his manner unconcerned.
Jiang Nan continued aggrievedly, "Then will you blacklist him?"
Old Yang glanced in the rearview mirror.
Outside the car, the streetlights burned like fire, casting the whole interior in a dim haze with the dusky yellow filter of a film.