Chapter 58: Male Star Qi Ke

Just trying her luck, Wen Qian wandered the streets, and every time she saw a reasonably handsome man, she couldn’t help but glance at his neck.

In Wen Qian’s memory, the Little Fox’s eyes were as luminous as pearls—deep and full of life—and his orange-red fur shone like the finest silk.

His fur was a fascinating shade of orange-red, like the warm glow of a sunset spreading across the land. And that big, fluffy tail... it was straight out of an anime.

Wen Qian was certain that if a fox like that took human form, he would be an absolute, peerless beauty.

The hustle and bustle of the city filled every corner. Wen Qian wandered for a long time before finally stopping in front of a stall selling grilled cold noodles.

The storefront was small, and Wen Qian chose it for one simple reason: it wasn’t crowded.

There were plenty of other shops along the street, but since this was the city center, most of them had long lines...

Wen Qian’s phone had been buzzing nonstop while she was walking. She finally checked it and saw ten identical friend requests.

One glance and Wen Qian nearly flung her phone away.

The profile picture was of her own sleeping face—the unfiltered, unedited, eyes-closed, dead-to-the-world kind.

Then she looked at the user’s verification message. Good grief... it was Yin Zhi.

Wen Qian couldn’t remember for the life of her when she’d given him her number. She never thought he’d still have it.

After accepting the request, the first thing Wen Qian did was send him a warning.

Wen Qian: You have three minutes to change your profile picture...

Yin Zhi: ┗|｀O′|┛ RAWR~~

’The little tiger is as obedient as ever.’

However, thirty seconds later, the profile picture refreshed, and Wen Qian was left completely speechless.

He had changed it, all right. This time it was a shot of her profile... and still the unfiltered, unedited, eyes-closed, dead-to-the-world kind.

Wen Qian: Are you incapable of understanding what I’m saying...?

Wen Qian’s head was buzzing. She felt like she could smack a little tiger right now.

Yin Zhi: Qianqian, when will you be home?

Yin Zhi: I bought strawberry cake

Wen Qian was about to ask where he got the money, but then she remembered. This little tiger had been living on Blue Star for a long time; he must have his own way of earning a living.

So she answered him truthfully.

Wen Qian: In about an hour.

Yin Zhi: I’ll be waiting for you [Cute]

Wen Qian put her phone away and sighed in resignation.

A moment later, she said to the vendor, who was about to spread the sauce, "Sweet and sour, please."

"You got it, miss. Yours is next." The vendor looked up, his voice brisk and clear.

Whether Wen Qian was a lucky charm or not, several more people arrived one after another not long after she started waiting at the little food stall.

Three of them were high school students who had just gotten out of evening classes. They’d come together and were chatting and laughing.

While waiting for her grilled cold noodles, Wen Qian listened to their gossip with an amused smile.

"To go, miss?" It wasn’t until the vendor spoke that the girl at the front of the line snapped out of her reverie.

Wen Qian looked up, her voice crisp. "To go, please."

Wen Qian took the packaged grilled cold noodles from the vendor, and after a quick "thank you," was about to leave when a shriek from one of the girls behind her made her jump. It was immediately followed by an excited cry: "It’s really there! It’s really there! A Ke is so handsome... You guys weren’t lying!"

Before Wen Qian could even react, another girl chimed in, "What did I tell you? A Ke booked this billboard for a whole year..."

"Yeah, yeah! I heard he spent his entire appearance fee on it... Is that true?" another girl’s voice cracked with excitement.

Curious, Wen Qian turned around and saw the three high schoolers covering their mouths, staring with rapt adoration at something down the commercial street...

Wen Qian followed their gaze. Her eyes landed on a massive digital billboard.

’So they’re fangirls...’

The male celebrity on the screen wore a dazzling smile, his gaze deep and captivating, as if he were silently watching every person who passed by.

He truly had a captivating face: long, narrow fox eyes, amber pupils, a high-bridged nose, and well-defined lips.

Wen Qian was drawn in by a single glance. A face like that was enough on its own to be worshipped by fans.

But what surprised Wen Qian the most wasn’t any of that. It was the ice-blue pendant against his dark red shirt.

The simple, elegant pendant was completely different in style from the other expensive jewelry he wore. It had no extra adornments, no inlaid gems. With a single glance, Wen Qian recognized it as the pendant she had given her fox...

A bittersweet pang went through her. She had been worried the Little Fox would have thrown the pendant away, but to think...

’But then again,’ she thought, ’could such a handsome man really be my fox?’

Wen Qian’s expression shifted, and she became completely lost in her own world until a few more people crowded around, snapping her out of it.

"If you’re not in line, please make some space!" an office worker with a messenger bag grumbled, waving a hand at her.

"Oh, oh, my apologies." She quickly stepped back, nearly bumping into a man in a trench coat in her haste.

Wen Qian hadn’t paid him any mind, but after walking past, the man suddenly turned back. His next move... made Wen Qian’s nerves pull taut.

The man slipped one hand inside his coat, a vicious glint in his downcast eyes.

At almost the exact same moment, a look of shock flashed in Wen Qian’s eyes.

She could clearly see that the hand he’d thrust into his coat was gripping something tightly... A cold light glinted under the streetlights. It was unmistakably a short blade.

At first, Wen Qian wasn’t sure if the man was after her, but the moment their eyes met, he violently shoved through the crowd and charged straight at her.

Now completely certain she was the target, Wen Qian didn’t hesitate for a second. She spun around and ran.

She sprinted toward the most crowded areas, but the footsteps behind her didn’t fade. Instead, they grew more numerous and urgent.

Wen Qian’s heart seized. Cold sweat trickled down her forehead as she guessed her pursuer probably wasn’t alone...

’Police, where are the police...’ Wen Qian’s heart was hammering in her throat, but she didn’t forget to scan her surroundings.

She had no chance to call for help, so she could only pray she’d run into an officer on patrol or a police station.

DEE—

But just then, the traffic light changed.

Wen Qian skidded to a halt in the crosswalk. Facing the stream of fast-moving cars, her face went pale as she felt her heart hammering wildly in her chest.

She sensed the presence closing in from behind, heard the footsteps slowing. Her expression grew even grimmer.

Things had come to this; being a sitting duck was not an option.

With barely a moment’s hesitation, Wen Qian sidestepped and retreated. The instant the man lunged, she swung the grilled cold noodles in her hand straight at him...

"Ugh..."

The man’s muffled grunt sounded, and then Wen Qian’s wrist was seized in a vise-like grip. She opened her eyes in disbelief, only to see a familiar face.

’...Chi Heng?’

"Will you ever just stop!" In that instant, anger overwhelmed fear, and Wen Qian lifted her foot to kick him.