The next day at noon, Mei Ran turned on the TV and sat on the sofa, sipping water as she watched the news.
"...The highly anticipated open-water swimming race will be held on the 13th of next month at Xizi Seaside in City A. At that time, successful figures from all walks of life will participate. The announced list currently includes City A philanthropist Zhao Liang, former national team retired swimmer Wang Xin... Renowned antique collector Mr. Fu Shijin is also among the invitees."
Hearing that familiar name, a wave of warmth brushed across Mei Ran's fair face. She set the cup down and picked up her continuously chiming phone from the table.
Thanks in part to a certain someone and her close friend's influence, she too had had her fill of the 'internet celebrity' buzz. Her Weibo followers were now close to five million. Every day, countless fans kept asking under her latest Weibo post, "Just think it over carefully, who exactly are you?!"
sunnyjade_gives_off_smoke: Aaaaah! Just think it over carefully! If you don't tell me who you are soon, I swear I'll hang myself on your doorstep! [going insane]
Elegysinger_Nowhere_to_go: Just think it over carefully, does your mom know you're this mysterious?
Pool_full_of_greenery: Just think it over carefully, I saw you posted a geotagged Weibo before, are you from City A?
Mei Ran casually replied to that last one: Nope~
She continued scrolling down. One comment suddenly jumped into view.
Climbing_the_wall_waiting_for_apricot_missing: Shouldn't it actually be 'Suddenly discovered I still need a lot of courage to (fall in love with and bed Fu Shijin)'? Pay attention! Both 'love' and 'bed' are verbs here [wicked grin] // Empty-hand_splitting_durian: Let me join the fun too, suddenly discovered I still need a lot of courage to (love Fu Shijin).
Stroke by stroke, word by word, it felt like faint, tingling shivers spreading from her flushed cheeks all the way to her heart, stimulating the beating there, each thump faster and more chaotic than the last.
Mei Ran softly exhaled.
Goodness, netizens nowadays are really too much...
A new private message popped up in the top right corner. She opened it and gave it a quick scan. "Was the previous offer unsatisfactory? I'm really sincere about buying this account of yours... Alright then, 500,000 RMB, that's my final offer. Even though you have a lot of fans now, according to industry rates, half a million for a private Weibo account is already an astronomical price. Please reply as soon as you see this message. Thank you!"
Are you sure you want to add Miss Cen to your block list?
You and she will automatically unfollow each other, and she will no longer be able to follow you, comment on your posts, send you private messages, or notifications.
Mei Ran tapped 'Confirm'.
"Damn it!" Mei Mengran's manager suddenly swore. "She actually blocked me!"
"What's going on?" Mei Mengran asked.
Her manager, Cen Chen, let out a cold snort and summarized the situation succinctly. "This 'You think it over carefully' doesn't know what's good for her. 500,000 RMB for an account? If I encountered such a stroke of luck, I'd be laughing in my sleep!"
After hearing this, Mei Mengran was silent for a moment, then continued applying red nail polish. "How did you even come up with the half-baked idea of buying her account?"
Xiao Xia, standing to the side, pursed her lips and said nothing.
Cen Chen was about to blow up when she heard Mei Mengran's next words, uttered lightly. "500,000? You think she'd even bat an eye at that kind of money?"
"What do you mean?"
Mei Mengran's tone was full of mockery. "To put it this way: if her wealth is like an endless forest, then your 500,000 RMB is just a single withered blade of grass to her."
Her manager was shocked, her eyes widening to the size of longan seeds. "You already know who she is, don't you?!"
"Do you remember one of her fans was the official Weibo account of Mei Group?"
"Of course."
"Mei Hongyuan is her father."
"Y-You mean... she's..." The manager's voice began to tremble. "The daughter of that S City's richest man, Mei Hongyuan, whose fortune reaches hundreds of billions... Then wouldn't that make her your..."
"My cousin?" Mei Mengran stood up, a faint, ambiguous smile playing on her lips. "I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you. Our relationship isn't exactly good. I don't have the good fortune to cling to her coattails."
Assistant Xiao Xia's eyes flickered slightly, as if she had something to say, but ultimately remained silent.
She was thinking to herself: *But I remember that night at the club, that Miss Mei who carried herself so elegantly... she didn't seem as... cold and unapproachable as you're making her out to be, sis! She seemed quite concerned about you too. She told me to brew honey water for you to sober up and asked me not to turn the AC too low so you wouldn't catch a cold.*
The manager's face suddenly turned grim. "No wonder then..."
She immediately made a phone call, speaking to the person on the other end with a darkened expression. "Don't issue the press release yet... You don't understand? I mean destroy that damned article right now, immediately! Understand?"
According to the original plan, if buying the Weibo account went smoothly, then the PR department would have a beautiful article ready to explain the 'fact' that 'You think it over carefully' was actually Mei Mengran's alt account. But now, that path seemed blocked.
After hanging up, Cen Chen was so angry she kept pulling at her hair. "How can you still be so calm?!"
Mei Mengran gave a light laugh. "What's the use of rushing? Even if I rush, would Fu Shijin start following me because of it?"
*Do you think I don't want to? I dream about it! But why, out of all the women in this world, does it have to be her?*
*Mei Ran!*
*How come you're better than me at everything? Now, even that lofty man thinks highly of you? What exactly is so great about you?!*
***
As the calendar turned over the last page of August, it gradually approached City A's decennial grand event—the open-water swimming race.
A 'Fu Shijin Global Fan Club' account suddenly parachuted onto Weibo. Its bio declared: Gathering place for the true fans of renowned antique collector Fu Shijin. Timely updates on our idol's latest news. PS: Unofficial organization. Our motto is 'Loving our idol for a lifetime'.
It had to be said, the three characters 'Fu Shijin' were simply a follower-magnet. In less than two days, this Weibo account's followers had surpassed one million.
The blogger's first Weibo post was to announce to the fans the specific date and location of Fu Shijin's participation in City A's open-water swimming race. Comments bubbled up underneath like an endless stream of lava:
gentleness_disturbed_the_years: Aaah! As a true fan, I must be there in person to support my idol! Quick, like me to the top!
astraeus_star_san: I'll bring you, you bring the DSLR, let's ride the waves with our idol together, la-dee-da~
Shiyu: Imagining our idol shirtless, my HP is already zero! Goodness gracious~ actually got a nosebleed wow! Wipe!
Mouse_loves_catching_little_fish: Aaah! For those who can't make it, can we plead for 360-degree HD no-clothes photos of our idol? So shy oh~
trying_to_pull_down_idol's_little_trunks replied to Shiyu: Who says our idol isn't wearing clothes? Have you forgotten the little swim trunks by Daming Lake back in the day?
Shiyu: Facing our idol, my eyes come with built-in X-ray vision. If you disagree, bite me! [meow meow]
...
Thanks to this Weibo account, the number of spectators on the day of the swimming race far exceeded the organizers' expectations, forcing them to string warning ropes on the beach and even mobilize dozens of black-uniformed staff to help maintain order.
The weather was fine. Overhead, the vast expanse of pure blue sky was devoid of even a wisp of cloud. The abundant sunlight reflected off the sea's surface, making it shimmer and glitter as if silver pieces had been scattered down from the heavens.
The distant mountains beyond the coastline were layered hues of indigo, ridges overlapping one after another, varying shades of deep and light green.
A gentle breeze blew through the coconut grove. The clear seawater and mountain scenery were mirrored in Mei Ran's pure eyes, making her gaze appear particularly alluring. "How come you don't seem nervous at all?"
She was wearing a simple yet elegant white chiffon top paired with a blue-based, white floral print short skirt. A gentle smile rippled across her lovely, flawless face.
The man's lips curved into a slight smile. He took her hand and led her under the shade of a tree, countering with a question instead of answering. "What place would you like me to get?"
Mei Ran thought back over the other participants. "Probably not within the top three, right?"
He raised an eyebrow slightly and turned his head to look at her. "So little confidence in your boyfriend?"
This was the first time she'd heard the word 'boyfriend' from his mouth. It was also the first time he had openly acknowledged their relationship to her. Mei Ran couldn't help but feel her ears grow warm. "Then, where do you think you'll place?"
The girl's hands were pale white and soft, the fine veins on the backs clearly visible. Her fingers were like fresh, tender scallion stalks. Fu Shijin gently kneaded them for a moment. "Let's make a bet?"
"What kind of bet?"
"If I get first place..." Pale light filtered through gaps in the leaves, making his deep eyes appear especially clear and bright. "You agree to do one thing for me. Conversely, I'll also agree to do one thing for you."
Why did this way of putting it sound strangely familiar?
Before Mei Ran could think it through, the man's handsome face suddenly leaned in close. He purposely lowered his voice, trying to enchant her. "Do you bet?"
"Alright."
If she remembered correctly, among the participants was a professional, retired swimmer. With him there, first place was not a foregone conclusion.
Yet, Mei Ran thought, if this man won, what would he ask her to do?
Ah... *do*... something?
*Do*?
Could it possibly be... Her mind suddenly veered into certain territory.
"Why is your face so red?" Fu Shijin lowered his gaze to meet her eyes. He casually placed a white sun hat on her head, then gently tucked the stray strands of hair peeking out behind her ears.
"No reason..." Mei Ran didn't dare look at him directly, afraid he'd see through the strange thoughts swirling in her mind. "It's probably because the weather's too hot."
Fu Shijin thought of that too. He looked up at the blazing sun on the horizon. After a brief moment of contemplation, he said, "Stay here later."
"But I want to watch."
"Be good." Suddenly, he bent down. The light before Mei Ran's eyes seemed to flash. A clean, fresh masculine scent drew impossibly close. She instinctively closed her eyes. Sure enough, the next second, his lips touched hers.
A gentle kiss landed on her eyelids. "In the future, I'll only swim for you to see, alright?"
The beating of Mei Ran's heart drowned out any verbal reply.
Since the higher-ups placed special importance on this swimming race, the organizers had designated a prime photography spot for the media. Drones hovered above the sea, conducting aerial filming.
On the raised platform, a formally dressed representative of the organizing committee was delivering a speech, impassioned and fervent. The surrounding crowd cheered and clapped, the scene exceptionally stirring.
As if having a mind of their own, Mei Ran's legs slowly carried her forward. By the time she realized it, she was already in the midst of the crowd.
"Ah! Fu Shijin, my idol! Quick, take photos!"
"Look, he's taking his shirt off! Goodness, my idol has an eight-pack!"
"Aaah! He's taking off the sweatpants too!! Oh my God, his black swim trunks are so sexy! Someone hold me! I'm so happy I'm about to faint!"
Mei Ran also looked over. Uncontrollably feeling a bit dizzy, her gaze slid down from the man's lean waist. When passing the black region, it lingered for a few extra seconds. Feeling a rush of heat flooding her face, she quickly lowered her eyes, landing them on those long, straight legs.
What she hadn't dared to look at carefully last time, she made up for now in one go.
At the judge's signal, the race officially began. Fu Shijin's fans on-site swiftly unified their rallying cry, screaming at the top of their lungs. "Idol, I love you! Idol, I'll love you forever! Idol, go go go! Idol, you're the best!"
They were too enthusiastic, making it seem as if the entire event had instantly become Fu Shijin's personal showcase. Even the faint cheers for 'xx go go' were drowned out.
All eyes were on the man as he leaped lightly, his tall, slender figure diving into the blue water. He continuously cleaved through waves, his sharply defined back sinking and rising in the gentle swells. Soon, he gradually swam further away amidst the silvery light on the water's surface...
Suddenly, Mei Ran heard a slender girl next to her yelling hoarsely to her companion, "Do you think 'You think it over carefully,' as our idol's only follow, might also be here?"
Her companion also answered loudly, "Don't know, but it's very possible!"
"I wonder if we could possibly get a photo with our idol after the race and ask him who 'You think it over carefully' is."
As the race approached the finish line, the cheering grew louder. Mei Ran only faintly heard another girl reply, "'You think it over carefully' is truly a little minx who makes life difficult."
She couldn't help but smile. How would they react if they knew the person in question was standing right beside them?
"Hey! Look at the white hat that woman in white and blue skirt is wearing. Isn't it from the same collection as our idol's sportswear set earlier?"
"Seems like it!"
Mei Ran immediately knew they were talking about her. Feeling slightly flustered, she shifted her gaze back to the sea. Before she could clearly see the state of the race, someone excitedly yelled out, "Goodness gracious! My idol got first place!"
Sure enough, shortly after, the loudspeaker began announcing the results. "First place, Lane 5, Fu Shijin. Second place, Lane 6, Wang Xin..."
Mei Ran was astonished. He actually got first? Even defeating the former swimming star?
"Mr. Fu, congratulations," Wang Xin said sincerely.
Fu Shijin gave a faint smile. "You're too kind."
His own strength was nothing to scoff at. Moreover, the race conditions were special today—windy, with strong opposing currents. In contrast, this professional swimmer beside him had likely received mostly indoor training before, naturally feeling somewhat unaccustomed, which explained his slight disadvantage.
Suddenly, another wave of screams erupted from the crowd. Countless cameras, ready and waiting, captured the precious moment. The handsome man who had just claimed the championship first frowned slightly, then slowly raised his hand and made an 'OK' gesture. Behind him was the blue sea and sky. The previously chilly lines of his face seemed softened by the water, and a gentle, faint smile touched his thin lips.
"I really am going to faint!" someone shouted. "My idol is smiling at me!"
"So thick-skinned! He's clearly smiling at *me*!"
"Idol, you're the best! Idol, I love you!" a girl yelled, making a trumpet with her hands against her lips.
Amidst the undulating cheers, Mei Ran felt as if her heart was immersed in a lake warmed by March sunshine, gently swelling with warmth and softness to an incredible degree.
He must have spotted her in the crowd, right? That gesture was telling her he'd done it and confirming with her if she'd keep her promise. Full of sweetness, Mei Ran slowly raised her hand to her side and made the same 'OK' sign.
Do you know? This unparalleled, refined man you all hail as 'idol,' this man you all adore so deeply—he's mine.
He belongs to Mei Ran.