I Conquer the Entertainment Industry with My Medical Skills - Chapter 8

The fans in attendance were stunned into silence.

No one had anticipated that this male fan would suddenly lunge at An Ningqing without warning. Regardless of whether they were fans and idols, or in any other time or place, a man should never forcibly assault a woman like this.

Intimate gestures should be reserved for those with special relationships.

Fortunately, An Ningqing had been vigilant. She dodged in time, preventing him from grabbing her, while simultaneously observing him. His pupils were dilated, and he was breathing rapidly and heavily, panting incessantly. His symptoms strongly resembled those of someone who had ingested Five Minerals Powder.

She dodged, he pursued.

The two immediately began a game of cat and mouse.

Fvck! He’s going to ruin our An An!

Guan Lang’s mind raced with images of An Ningqing’s fan meet being tainted by a disgusting male fan forcibly kissing her. His eyes burned with fury. Reacting instantly, he roared, “Security! Security! Grab him! Don’t let him hurt our An An!”

Cornered, An Ningqing watched as the man excitedly reached into his jacket. Just as she considered whether to inject him with a sedative, a group of security guards stormed in and swiftly pinned the fan to the ground.

Clang.

A gleaming knife fell from his jacket.

Ah!

The fans screamed.

Guan Lang: “!!!”

“Let me go! Let me go! An An, tell them to release me!”

Guan Lang shielded An Ningqing behind him, scrutinizing the struggling man being restrained. The man’s face was unfamiliar, half-hidden behind thick-framed glasses, but a fierce glint still shone in his eyes, clearly indicating mental instability. “Who let this guy in?”

The assistant was nearly terrified out of her wits. “I don’t know! He must have sneaked in through a side entrance. This guy is terrifying, Brother Lang. We should hand him over to the police.”

The fans attending the event had been carefully selected by Guan Lang, mostly An Ningqing’s long-time supporters, but this man’s face was definitely not among them.

Using An Ningqing’s shock as an excuse, Guan Lang escorted her back to the van, ending the fan meet early. He handed her a cup of coffee. “Sip this to calm your nerves, An An. Are you alright?”

An Ningqing took a small sip. The rich, full-bodied flavor carried an overwhelming bitterness. As she savored it, the bitterness faded, leaving a lingering sweetness on her palate. It was unlike anything she had ever tasted—a strange yet invigorating brew. After just one sip, she felt more alert. “I’m okay. What will happen to him?”

The mention of the sinister man reignited Guan Lang’s fury. “Someone’s definitely trying to harm you, An An. Don’t worry, I’ll get to the bottom of this. As for him, the police will investigate. He approached you with a knife—he’ll definitely be detained.”

An Ningqing took another sip.

Meanwhile, someone had already uploaded the video of the male fan attacking An Ningqing online. The internet community, buzzing with nighttime energy, propelled the news to trending status within just half an hour, securing it a spot on the hot search list.

Guan Lang noticed immediately, his frustration evident. “Didn’t I tell the fans not to spread this? Why are some still disobeying?”

An Ningqing detected a hint of insincerity in his tone but chose not to call him out, knowing they would need to continue working together in the future.

“So, is this good or bad for me?”

“Of course it’s good.”

While this move might seem like a calculated attempt to garner sympathy from fans, it was also the truth, Guan Lang argued with conviction. “The fans will feel sorry for what happened to you, An An. You’re so popular now, and there are plenty of people trying to sabotage you. You need to be extra careful from now on.”

An Ningqing fell silent, her expression unreadable.

Her once straightforward career path had suddenly taken on the flavor of political intrigue.

This is too much. This is too much.

When the time came, she asked Guan Lang to take her home to rest. But once back, her body clock, which usually had her collapsing into bed immediately, malfunctioned. An Ningqing tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Finally, she got up, lit some calming incense, and only then drifted off.

Meanwhile, Xie Anran was enjoying a spa day with her friends.

“Why here today? Not going to the bar?”

“I don’t feel like drinking.”

Xie Anran sighed. Anyone carrying a ticking bomb wouldn’t dare let loose. The thought of the aftereffects of her last drunken escapade made her swear off alcohol, leaving her with only this spa as an option.

Her friends couldn’t help but stifle their laughter at her hesitant expression.

Only Zhuang Qingxin dared to tease her. “Are you afraid An Ningqing will check up on you, so you brought us here?”

“Afraid of her checking up on me? What a joke.”

“Yes, yes, our Third Miss fears nothing.”

The group settled into their massage chairs, waiting for their treatments. One of them, bored, scrolled through her phone and suddenly sat bolt upright. “Anran, something seems to have happened to An Ningqing.”

“Hmm? What could possibly happen to her?”

“She’s being harassed.”

“Show me!”

The video was surprisingly clear. From behind, they could see a man lunging at An Ningqing with frantic, lewd movements, his bulk completely obscuring her small frame. She looked utterly panicked.

Xie Anran, for reasons she couldn’t explain, was furious. “Are the people around her dead? Why didn’t anyone stop him?”

“They were probably too shocked to react,” her friend replied.

She handed her phone back to her friend, slipped on her slippers, and went to the cabinet outside to retrieve her own phone. “You guys carry on. I need to make a call.”

Everyone understood. After all, her fiancée had nearly been injured. If she could still relax after that, she’d be utterly heartless.

Xie Anran grabbed her phone, saw the familiar number on the screen, and dialed it immediately. But a cold, robotic voice informed her: The number you have dialed is currently switched off.

Guan Lang was still working late at the office when Xie Anran’s call came through. The shock nearly made him drop his phone. He immediately stood up, cradling the device reverently, and said into the receiver, “N-no, An An was just a little shaken up. I’ve already taken her home.”

“After thinking about it, this must be one of An An’s family’s schemes. They can’t stand to see our An An happy. The security lapse was my fault, and I’ll reinforce it immediately.”

“Rest assured, Third Miss.”

“Very good.”

After hanging up, Guan Lang’s back was drenched in a cold sweat.

Xie Anran, her spa mood ruined, bid farewell to her friends, changed, and headed home.

Xie Manor was brightly lit.

As Xie Anran parked at the gate, she noticed something was amiss. Her parents were on vacation for their anniversary, her second brother had bought his own place and rarely came home, and her eldest brother was dealing with business troubles abroad and wouldn’t return for another week. Could the house have been burglarized?

As she got out of the car, she checked the trunk and unexpectedly found a baseball bat. She didn’t play the sport; it must have been left there by her eldest brother. She hefted it, grabbed the bat, and strode into the house.

Upbeat music pulsed through the house, its rhythm infectious.

Xie Anran tiptoed inside. As she passed the kitchen, she spotted a man who should have been abroad resolving business issues, swaying his hips and strutting with oblivious abandon, lost in his own joyful world.

Xie Xuanze was meticulously frothing the milk for your coffee, creating a delicate rose that looked strikingly beautiful. He turned around and saw Xie Anran leaning against the wall, watching him silently. The coffee in his hand trembled slightly. “Why didn’t you say you were back?”

“I didn’t want to interrupt your performance. You seemed so engrossed in it.”

Xie Anran tossed her baseball bat aside and collapsed onto the sofa. “Brother, did you resolve things abroad so quickly?”

Xie Xuanze took a photo of his masterpiece, then lifted the coffee and licked the rose off the top with satisfaction. “I originally estimated it would take a week, but less than three days after I arrived, I discovered my little sister had acquired a fiancée I knew nothing about. I had no choice but to expedite my return to investigate.”

“Ranran, do you have anything you need to explain to your brother?”

“…I knew I’d forgotten something.”

Xie Anran lay sprawled on the sofa, looking utterly at peace, with no intention of explaining.

Xie Xuanze voice-activated the music to stop, closed the front door, and strode toward her. “What’s this? Did you grow wings while I was away? Did you learn from your pack of hooligans and rent a little starlet to play with?”

Irritated for no apparent reason, she threw caution to the wind. “Brother, I’m twenty-four, not a child. Can you stop controlling every aspect of my life?”

“Choosing my friends is my personal freedom.”

“And what’s wrong with dating a minor celebrity? I’m happy, I’m enjoying myself, I’m having fun!”

The smile vanished from Xie Xuanze’s face, his eyes turning icy. “Ranran, you’re arguing with me over some minor celebrity? You’ve only known her for a few days! What kind of spell has she cast on you to make your heart lean toward her so quickly?”

“You’re even abandoning your own brother.”

He always said the same thing.

She couldn’t help but shout back, “This has nothing to do with An Ningqing!” Xie Anran knew her brother all too well. When a boy confessed his feelings for her in school, he transferred within days. Later, when she grew close to an upperclassman, that senior soon left the country.

Anyone who liked her, anyone who got close to her, eventually ended up far away. Was it always someone else’s fault?

No, it was because she had a possessive brother.

As for her group of girlfriends, she had fought tooth and nail to keep them. Xie Xuanze looked down on them, always calling them “bad influences”—except for Zhuang Qingxin, the only friend he approved of.

The atmosphere in the room grew thick with tension as the two faced off. Xie Anran stood on the sofa, towering over Xie Xuanze, her presence radiating an unyielding defiance.

Xie Xuanze suddenly chuckled. “Look how flustered you are. She’s just a minor celebrity, Ranran. If you want to play with her, keep her around for a few days, but it’s just for fun.”

“Brother, why can’t you understand what I want?” Xie Anran’s temper flared. Every argument with Xie Xuanze drained her completely. Exhausted, she snapped, “Fine, whatever. Just stay out of An Ningqing’s affairs, or I’ll be furious.”

With a curt goodnight, Xie Anran stormed upstairs to bed.

Xie Xuanze watched her retreat, coffee cup in hand, until her door clicked shut. Only then did he withdraw his gaze. He’d been away for just a few days, yet his Ranran was already shouting at him.

How disobedient.

Xie Xuanze drained the cold coffee in one gulp.

“An Ningqing.”