Encountering stalkers
Since it was a shopping trip, Ding Xuefei dressed more casually today, wearing jeans with a blue-green jacket and a beige fisherman's hat that she had picked up on the street a couple of days ago. She looked like a walking mint-flavored fruit candy.
Xiao Bai left early to pick up the car at the rental shop, and sent a message saying that there was a bit of traffic, asking him to wait in the hotel lobby.
Ding Xuefei swayed and hummed an off-key song as she walked into the lobby with an air of indifference.
Sunlight streamed in through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, making it warm and cozy.
He was just about to find a sofa by the window to relax and scroll through his phone when his gaze swept over the room and he froze instantly—just what he feared most had come to pass!
Yu Songlin occupied the entire long sofa by himself. He was wearing a dark gray casual suit and sunglasses, sitting alone looking at his phone, giving off an unapproachable vibe.
Ding Xuefei's alarm bells rang in his mind, and his first reaction was to turn around and leave. But just as he paused slightly, Yu Songlin seemed to sense something and turned his face behind his sunglasses slightly in his direction.
Even from a distance of more than ten meters and through the cold lenses of the glasses, Ding Xuefei could almost feel the other person's gaze upon her.
Even if you lose the fight, you can't lose your spirit!
Ding Xuefei stiffened her neck, forcefully suppressing the urge to run away, and casually strolled over, sitting down on the single sofa furthest from Yu Songlin.
He regretted it as soon as he sat down.
Ding Xuefei sat to the side of Yu Songlin, and for some reason, he always felt that the other man's gaze was falling on him. He could hardly help but recall the embarrassing "heart" encounter in the airport VIP lounge that day. Even days later, it was still so embarrassing that he could dig out a three-bedroom apartment on the spot.
To feign composure, he picked up a magazine from the shelf and flipped through it casually. There were a few Chinese characters, but he couldn't understand a single sentence.
The two people, one coldly looking at his phone, the other pretending to flip through a magazine, neither looking at the other, yet strangely creating a suffocating stalemate.
This eerie silence inexplicably triggered a switch deep within his memory—they used to often fall into this childish standoff where "whoever speaks first loses."
Especially before the breakup.
Just as familiar negative emotions like irritability, anger, and bitterness were about to well up from the bottom of her heart, Ding Xuefei suddenly shuddered.
He suddenly realized that they were now strangers, there was no need for anyone to talk to him, and no need to feel sad.
She didn't know how much time had passed, but it was so long that Ding Xuefei's scalp tingled. Suddenly, Yu Songlin stood up, and Ding Xuefei unconsciously held her breath.
As Yu Songlin passed by Ding Xuefei, Chao Jue casually asked, "Aren't we going to practice for our fans today?"
Ding Xuefei ignored him and simply crumpled the magazine in her hand.
Seeing the other party and their team exit through the main entrance, Ding Xuefei leaned back heavily on the sofa and let out a long sigh. He glanced at the time and realized that less than five minutes had passed.
My phone beeped; it was a message from Xiao Bai: "Brother, the car's at the door!"
*
A low-key white Toyota was parked outside. Ding Xuefei opened the car door and plopped down in the passenger seat, slamming the door shut with a loud bang that shook the car.
"What's wrong, bro? Who upset you?" Xiao Bai cautiously glanced at his boss's gloomy face, his hands gripping the steering wheel a little stiff.
"It's nothing, drive!" Ding Xuefei said curtly. "I'm starving!"
After driving for a while, Ding Xuefei rolled down the car window, and a fragrant breeze rushed in. Only then did he feel the nameless anger that had been pressing on his chest dissipate a little, and his tense nerves slowly relaxed.
The scenery outside the car window gradually changed from low-rise traditional townhouses to modern high-rise buildings as they drove into Kyoto's bustling commercial district.
Ding Xuefei had little interest in shopping; today she came purely with the KPI of "clearing the shopping list." The two had clear goals and were extremely efficient.
Remembering the limited-edition bag Guo Chu had mentioned, he headed straight to the upscale department store in Shijo Kawaramachi. Although he wasn't particularly interested in luxury goods, he still patiently picked out a brand-new chain bag, remembering how Guo Chu would act all stubborn yet her eyes would light up when she received the gift. He didn't even blink when swiping his card.
While buying a bag, Ding Xuefei was recognized by two young Chinese female students who blushed and quietly asked for a photo. In a good mood, Ding readily agreed, even reminding them to post it on social media later. The girls nodded excitedly. Xiao Bai dutifully observed their surroundings, only relaxing when he was sure no one else was paying attention.
The main event was the gift for her younger sister, Ding Xueji. Ding Xuefei plunged headfirst into the anime and model shops in the Porta underground shopping mall in front of Kyoto Station, instantly feeling right at home. Xiao Bai was also an anime fan, and the two chattered away for ages in front of the walls full of figurines and models.
"Brother, this Gojo-sensei is super cool! Xiaoji will definitely like him!" Xiaobai pointed at the silver-haired figure wearing an eye patch, his eyes shining.
"Buy it!" He waved his hand and bought it generously, also picking out the latest anime collaboration stationery set.
When it was time to pay, Ding Xuefei was in a great mood and even chatted with the cashier in his broken Japanese mixed with English.
The delivery guy probably found this super handsome foreign customer very interesting, and enthusiastically gave him a few limited-edition anime stickers. Ding Xuefei treasured them like precious gems, planning to stick them on his suitcase when he got back.
Returning home laden with shopping bags, Ding Xuefei and Xiao Bai emerged from the underground mall with four hands full of bags and satisfied smiles on their faces.
For dinner, Xiao Bai booked a yakitori restaurant hidden in an alley near the commercial street. The restaurant was small, but the taste lived up to expectations.
Ding Xuefei, enjoying a rare moment of relaxation, sipped a few cups of sake.
The feeling of being slightly tipsy was wonderful; he felt light and airy, and the leisurely pace of the past few days and the joy of his successful shopping spree reached their peak.
He excitedly made a video call to his sister, Ding Xueji, proudly showing off his day's haul.
From the other end of the video call came the younger sister's excited screams and cheers of "Brother is the best!"
Even after hanging up the video call, Ding Xuefei's smile hadn't faded. Her cheeks, flushed from the sake, were slightly hot, and she was in an even better mood.
*
After dinner, Xiao Bai went inside to pay the bill, while Ding Xuefei went to the store entrance to wait for him.
The shop is in a secluded location, hidden deep in a narrow alleyway where only two people can pass side by side. Occasionally, a few scattered footsteps can be heard from the main road at the alley entrance, only to quickly fade away, further emphasizing the alley's deep and quiet atmosphere.
It was completely dark. There were no streetlights in the alley, only two dim, old lanterns hanging at the shop entrances and a faint light shining through the cracks in the tightly closed wooden lattice doors, barely outlining the contours of the stone-paved road.
The cool night breeze felt pleasant on her flushed cheeks. Ding Xuefei leaned against the wooden pillar by the door, lazily watching the swaying shadows cast by the lanterns.
However, a few seconds later, an indescribable discomfort, like a cold snake, silently crept up my spine.
He subconsciously tugged at the collar of his turtleneck sweater, feeling as if someone was watching him in the darkness.
It wasn't the curious glance of a passerby, but a sticky, voyeuristic gaze, mixed with deliberately hushed whispers, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.
As an artist, he is all too familiar with this feeling of being spied on.
Is it just my imagination? Or have I had too much to drink? This is abroad, this shouldn't be happening...
Ding Xuefei looked around, but the alley was too dark, and she couldn't see clearly in many places. The sound was drowned out by the music in the distance and she couldn't hear it at all, as if it had just been a hallucination.
Just then, the wooden lattice door behind them was pulled open with a "whoosh," and Xiao Bai came out: "Brother, it's all done! I'm so full today! Shall we go straight back to the hotel or...?"
Xiao Bai noticed Ding Xuefei's expression was off and asked seriously, "What's wrong, brother? Are you... feeling unwell? Or do you want to walk around for some fresh air?"
Ding Xuefei shook his head, not wanting to show his panic. He smiled and said, "It's okay, let's go back quickly."
Xiao Bai nodded quickly and followed Ding Xuefei's steps, his hand already reaching for his car keys in his pocket.
As they approached the alley entrance, Ding Xuefei spotted the white sedan they had rented across the street.
Just then, several figures suddenly rushed out from the roadside, blocking the light at the alley entrance and their way. They called out "Ding Xuefei" affectionately, as if they were old friends meeting.
Ding Xuefei was startled. Confirming he didn't recognize the young women, and then seeing their phones and professional cameras, and their frenzied expressions of excitement, he immediately understood what was going on.
I ran into a sasaeng fan!
Moreover, they came prepared, and on a considerable scale!
Xiao Bai had never seen anything like this before and panicked immediately. He grabbed Ding Xuefei's arm, his voice trembling, "Brother... Brother, what should we do?"
"Please make way!" Ding Xuefei suppressed his anger and tried to resolve the situation amicably to minimize the impact, but he was met with even more frantic screams in response.
Several hands with brightly colored nail polish reached out and grabbed his sleeves tightly; some even tried to hug him!
"Don't touch me!" Ding Xuefei shouted sharply, abruptly swatting away the camera lens that was almost touching his face, the flash blinding him.
In the chaos, he grabbed Xiao Bai and growled, "Run! Get in the car!"
The two struggled to break free of the encirclement, scrambled into the car, and slammed the doors shut.
Ding Xuefei's heart pounded, her fingers trembling as she fastened her seatbelt. She patted Xiao Bai's shaking hand and said, "Quick! Drive!"
The tires screeched as the white Toyota sped off.
Ding Xuefei turned around in shock, her heart leaping again – a black sedan was following closely behind at high speed, like a shark that had smelled blood, relentlessly pursuing her.
"What do we do, Fei-ge? They're catching up!" Xiao Bai's voice was choked with tears, and the steering wheel felt incredibly heavy.
In their panic, they didn't know which way to go, and in their haste, they didn't even have time to turn on the navigation. Their car darted left and right through Kyoto's intricate network of narrow streets.
After driving for a few minutes, there were fewer and fewer cars on the road, as if they and the ghostly black car behind them were the only ones in the city.
The black car sometimes tried to overtake and force the other car to stop, and sometimes it clung tightly to the rear bumper. Xiao Bai's driving skills were already average, and with the added tension and the need to dodge the car behind, the car was driving shakily.
"Stay calm! Don't panic!" Ding Xuefei gripped the handrail tightly, her nails almost digging into her palms, her voice hoarse as she gave the orders, "I'm here!... Drive onto the main road! Don't let him overtake!"
"I can't take it anymore, bro! I... I can't hold on any longer!" Xiao Bai's voice broke down completely, tears mixed with sweat streaming down his face. Behind him came the piercing sound of a horn, like the death knell of the Grim Reaper.
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