The group chat had the specific details of the event. The fans even had another group, but Lu Huainan had been kicked out of that one too.
As soon as Saturday arrived, Ji Zhaoxi grabbed her luggage and went straight to have her makeup done by the makeup artist.
The makeup artist had been hired by the company. Someone from the company specifically reminded her, “Remember to manage your facial expressions when the time comes. We need good photos, and we’ve already taken care of all the marketing accounts!”
This time, they had to make her go viral—to launch a full-blown viral marketing campaign and make a huge splash.
Seeing how much the company was investing, Ji Zhaoxi began to feel a little nervous.
The makeup artist skillfully applied her makeup and comforted her. “Don’t worry. The company is deliberately putting pressure on you.”
Then, in a low voice, the makeup artist added, “If you don’t go viral this time, it just means the company didn’t pay enough.”
If they spent enough money, then even if Ji Zhaoxi looked like a shoehorn, she could still go viral.
Ji Zhaoxi scrolled through the fan group. A lot of fans had already arrived and were checking in.
She looked in the mirror and confirmed that the swelling on the left side of her face had gone down. She couldn’t let her fans lose face!
That photo of her swollen face last time had been an enormous embarrassment for them.
When Ji Zhaoxi arrived at the store, she was nearly blinded by all the camera flashes. Bodyguards escorted her forward while people all around shouted her name. The fans were incredibly excited.
“Ji Zhaoxi, I knew you weren’t a catfish!”
A roar came from somewhere in the crowd.
“Baby, can you look over here?”
“Ahhhhhh, goddess, step on me!”
Ji Zhaoxi had just been about to smile and greet them when, from not far away, a heart-wrenching cry rang out.
“Ji Zhaoxi, I’m one of your student fans—”
At first, Ji Zhaoxi had thought the company was being far too dramatic. Why hire bodyguards? It made her seem as though she were some huge celebrity.
That morning, she had even been worried that there would be more event staff than fans.
But after seeing the crowd, she secretly let out a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, there were still quite a lot of fans. It was just that the camera flashes in front of her were practically blinding.
Next, the fans came up one by one to take photos with her and say whatever they wanted to say. Ji Zhaoxi then gave each of them one of the gifts she had prepared.
It was Ji Zhaoxi’s first time participating in a one-day store manager event, and she was so nervous that her whole body felt tense.
“Baby, can you put your chin on my hand and give me a wink?” a girl asked softly.
Ji Zhaoxi’s ears turned bright red. She forced herself to nod. “Sure.”
To prepare for this one-day store manager event, she had watched a lot of related videos, and she had seen this kind of pose before.
But actually doing it herself still felt incredibly embarrassing.
The girl held up her phone and extended her hand in front of Ji Zhaoxi. Her entire face was flushed, and her hand was shaking badly.
Ji Zhaoxi gently rested her chin on the girl’s hand.
As soon as the video was finished, both of them breathed a sigh of relief.
Ji Zhaoxi awkwardly handed her the gift. The girl hurriedly put it away and said softly, “Thank you.”
Seeing how nervous she was, Ji Zhaoxi became even more nervous herself. “I’m the one who should be thanking you.”
After all, the fans had spent so much money on her.
The people in the crowd began whispering among themselves.
“Damn, we can take photos like that? I didn’t have the nerve to ask for it earlier.”
“Good thing I’m farther back in line. I’m going to have Xixi film that head-patting video with me later.”
At the very back of the line stood a man wearing a mask and sunglasses. The staff kept an eye on him, worried that he might be some kind of terrorist.
“Hello, sir. Are you a fan of Ji Zhaoxi?” a staff member finally went over and asked, though he still sounded uncertain.
The man nodded and took out his phone, displaying proof that he was a registered fan.
The staff member scratched the back of his head and left.
But then why was this guy bundled up so tightly…?
The line was still moving forward. Ji Zhaoxi had just finished taking a photo with a girl when the girl immediately handed her the bag she was carrying.
Ji Zhaoxi recognized the high-end luxury brand at a glance. She was so startled that she waved her hands repeatedly. “Thank you, thank you, but you should keep this for yourself. Everyone has a hard time making money these days.”
The girl looked at Ji Zhaoxi helplessly. “Just take it. Other influencers accept gifts at one-day store manager events too. Take it.”
Ji Zhaoxi’s face turned bright red. She said stiffly, “I didn’t agree to be this one-day store manager for your gifts. You should keep it and use it yourself.”
The girl was amused by Ji Zhaoxi’s serious expression. “It’s really fine. Influencers are allowed to accept these things. Don’t be so timid.”
She tried to push the bag into Ji Zhaoxi’s arms, but Ji Zhaoxi was surprisingly agile and did everything she could to stop her.
After a lengthy tug-of-war, both of them were exhausted and sweating.
Having learned her lesson from the previous incident, Ji Zhaoxi now opened fans’ gifts right in front of them whenever they gave her something.
The result was that she was utterly stunned by what she found. The fans had given her all kinds of things.
Gold, luxury goods, necklaces, cash…
There was so much that Ji Zhaoxi’s head began to spin.
The shop assistant standing nearby looked envious. Being an influencer was amazing. You could make money just by chatting online, and then receive so many gifts in person too.
In the end, apart from letters and handmade gifts, Ji Zhaoxi refused to accept anything else.
She truly didn’t dare accept them. Her conscience wouldn’t allow it…
Besides, if her parents found out, they would definitely lecture her.
The sky outside gradually darkened. Ji Zhaoxi was exhausted. When she looked at the man in front of her wearing a mask and sunglasses, she frowned.
Why did this person feel so familiar?
The man lowered his head and handed her a photograph. Ji Zhaoxi skillfully signed it.
Then the man opened his phone and hesitantly held it out to her. Ji Zhaoxi took the phone and expertly took a photo with him.
The man bent his knees slightly, keeping quite a distance from her.
Ji Zhaoxi looked at him, wanting to say something but hesitating. Then she ventured, “Why don’t you come a little closer? You’re standing so far away.”
The man moved a few steps toward her, but there was still some distance between them.
His scent suddenly drifted over. Ji Zhaoxi couldn’t help sniffing lightly, and the man’s entire body immediately went rigid.
“Are you… not going to take off your mask and sunglasses?” Ji Zhaoxi glanced at him.
Taking a photo like this was just too strange.
The man shook his head, radiating an unmistakable air of dejection.
After taking the photo, the man handed her a stack of cards.
Ji Zhaoxi accepted them in confusion. When she saw what was printed on them, she froze.
[Voucher for 100 Carnivals]
Each card was worth one hundred Carnivals, and there was no telling how many cards were in the stack she was holding.
Ji Zhaoxi instinctively tried to return them, but the man took off running and vanished in an instant.
Ji Zhaoxi: …
The store fell silent for a moment.
“You can do that?! If I’d known, I would’ve just shoved my gifts at her and run too!”
“Next time I’m going to stuff my bag into her arms and then jump down. How about that?”
“Sure, sure. We’ll save you a spot when the time comes…”
Ji Zhaoxi kept a blank expression on the surface, but her ears twitched.
She had heard them!
She quietly said something to the staff member beside her, and several staff members immediately blocked off the way.
The fans who had been preparing to make their move: …
In a corner not far from the event venue, Lu Huainan wore his sunglasses and nervously sniffed himself.
He didn’t smell bad.
Then why had she sniffed him just now…?
He was absolutely freaking out. The shop had air conditioning, and he’d arrived early, so he hadn’t even broken a sweat. He’d also sprayed on just a tiny bit of cologne—there was no way he could smell.
But then how was he supposed to explain Ji Zhaoxi’s sniffing just now…?
Lu Huainan’s face went deathly pale.
Did she think he smelled bad?
The one-day store manager event was still underway when, elsewhere, a new gossip thread suddenly appeared on an anonymous forum.
“Is a Certain Ice-Cold Goddess Just as Aloof Offline as She Is Online? She Won’t Even Fulfill the Requests of Ordinary Fans, Yet She’s Surprisingly Warm Toward Male Fans”
1L [Can someone decode this?]
2L [I’m just a casual fan of hers. I asked her to record a video of herself cuddling into my arms and acting spoiled, but she refused outright. I’ve officially gone from fan to hater [laughing-crying]]
3L [If you’re going to spill the tea, just say who it is. What’s the point of leaving everyone else to guess?]
4L (OP) [JZX]
