Xu Zifan woke up with a hangover headache and was greeted by a table full of beer cans and cigarette butts. The computer screen was playing a video of a football game, which made his headache even worse.
This wasn't his first time traveling through time. After confirming that he was alone in the house, Xu Zifan turned off the video, soaked in the bathtub, and closed his eyes to learn about the world.
In this life, the person he protects is named Qiao Zixin. She became a movie queen at the age of 18 and is now 23 years old, which is the peak of her career. However, she suffered a Waterloo and became box office poison. She was cheated on and blacklisted by the whole internet. She suffered as much as she could have. Even her agency terminated her contract, causing her to lose all her savings.
This shouldn't have been her ending; it was all because of a frame-up by a reincarnated person. Xu Zifan, as a dimensional messenger, was here to save Qiao Zixin and protect her happiness for the rest of her life.
Xu Zifan felt his headache was relieved a bit, so he picked up the tablet and searched for news about Qiao Zixin.
#Qiao Zixin Get Out of the Entertainment Industry#
#Starry Entertainment terminates contract with Qiao Zixin#
#Qiao Zixin is a mistress who's throwing herself at someone#
Xu Zifan stared at the screen, his fingers tapping lightly on the edge of the bathtub, a habitual gesture when he was deep in thought.
Star Entertainment released the contract termination announcement in the morning. According to the plot, Qiao Zixin was invited by her best friend Bai You to a bar to drown her sorrows that night. Then, reporters who broke into the private room photographed her behaving inappropriately while drunk and intimately embracing a male model, adding more solid evidence to the scandal.
Bai You incurred a huge debt due to gaining followers. This time, having received money from others, she naturally spared no effort in betraying Qiao Zixin. Poor Qiao Zixin trusted her completely and never guarded against her. Afterwards, she was unable to defend herself and could no longer recover.
Xu Zifan glanced at the time. The incident happened around 9 p.m., and it was 1 a.m. now, so there was still plenty of time.
He first called a housekeeping service, then got out of the bathtub and walked to the mirror. The body he'd transmigrated into now possessed a very attractive appearance: young and handsome, with delicate features, broad shoulders, a narrow waist, long legs, and a height of at least 1.85 meters. If it weren't for his skin and hairstyle, he would definitely turn heads wherever he went.
But it's clear the original owner didn't take care of his health; he drank himself to death, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to transmigrate into this body.
The original owner of this body was also named Xu Zifan, 25 years old this year, from the capital city of Yanjing. When he was 18, his parents died in a plane crash. The original owner was greatly affected and did not get into university, so he simply stopped studying and stayed at home, living off the more than two million yuan inheritance left by his parents and the rent from two shops.
Over the years, he has moved several times, changed his phone number several times, and become increasingly distant from his relatives. He is practically all alone, without even any friends, though his background is quite simple.
Xu Zifan calmly accepted his new identity, put on his clothes, and began preparing for the evening. He took out a hat, mask, black-rimmed glasses, and a large coat and stuffed them into his bag. While waiting for the housekeeper, he used a food delivery app to buy a lot of things: daily necessities, fresh vegetables, frozen food, rice, flour, oil, salt, etc. He didn't buy much of anything, but it was enough for four or five days.
After the housekeeper finished cleaning the room and the groceries were delivered, Xu Zifan slung his bag over his shoulder and drove off. The bar was a bit far from his home, and Beijing was notorious for traffic jams, so it was better to get there early. He always preferred to arrange things carefully.
He arrived at the bar at exactly six o'clock in the afternoon. He parked his car in a relatively easy spot near the back entrance, bought a coffee, and habitually familiarized himself with the surrounding area several times. Even if he might not need it in the end, what if someone chased him? He couldn't be completely unfamiliar with the roads.
He never does anything he's not confident about. If he's going to do something, he has to make sure it's foolproof. Otherwise, he might not only fail to help the person he's tasked with, but he might also harm them.
After familiarizing himself with the road, Xu Zifan found a restaurant to eat at. He sat by the window and could see the main entrance of the bar. Around 7:30, Xu Zifan saw Qiao Zixin, disguised, and her best friend Bai You get out of the car. He followed them into the bar from a distance and saw them go into private room 102. He then ordered a cocktail and sat down in a seat where he could see the room.
The bar was dimly lit, and the bar counter and booths were already quite full. The music was loud, and the dance floor was lively. Xu Zifan pulled his hat down, holding a cocktail but not drinking it, and shaking his head to refuse the occasional person who approached him. However, since many people came to the bar to relax, he didn't attract much attention.
In half an hour, he saw the waiter deliver drinks to room 102 three times. When the room stopped ordering drinks, he went to the restroom, put on his coat, mask, and black-rimmed glasses, and knocked on the door of room 102.
Bai You opened the door and pulled Xu Zifan inside as soon as she saw him. Seeing how bundled up he was, she assumed he didn't want to be recognized and asked softly, "Are you Adam? Why are you here so fast? Didn't you say you'd be here in half an hour?"
Xu Zifan hummed in agreement, lowered his head slightly, and suddenly asked, "Just taking a few ambiguous photos, we don't have to actually do anything, right?"
"Yes, you really want to do it? Then let's talk about the price..."
Xu Zifan interrupted her, "If we really do it, the price will double. The money you're offering is too little."
Bai You's expression immediately changed upon hearing this. "What? You're going to raise the price after you've already gotten a good deal?"
"The internet says she has a messy private life, and I was taking a risk by getting intimate with her. Otherwise, I would have been willing to be with such a beautiful woman even if I didn't get paid this time."
When Bai You heard him say "no money required," his eyes flickered, and he tentatively asked, "Are you serious? You can have sex with her for free?"
Xu Zifan walked over and sat down next to the drunk Qiao Zixin, scoffing, "Didn't you hear..."
So you're saying I was assuming it was a hypothetical situation? I was assuming her private life wasn't messy.
Bai You needed money right then and there, and thinking that he could save the money by letting Qiao Zixin sleep with him, he immediately took a few steps closer and said mysteriously, "I'll tell you something, but you absolutely mustn't tell anyone. Actually, all that stuff online is fake. Qiao Zixin is very conservative at heart, and her private life isn't messy at all. Even her kissing scenes are faked. How about it? Thirty thousand yuan for her virginity. If you agree, I'll go out first."
Xu Zifan feigned surprise, "So all that stuff online is fake? Who's got a problem with her?"
"Who can stand her? She became famous too quickly and has blocked the way for so many people. Now that she's in trouble, everyone wants to kick her while she's down. Even her company has screwed her over. It shows how bad her interpersonal relationships are."
"That's right. Even your best friend stabbed her in the back. She really has a terrible reputation."
Bai You, enraged, retorted, "Stop talking nonsense! Do you agree or not?"
"Forget it, I'm afraid she'll accuse me of drugging and raping me when she wakes up. I'd rather have the money. When the reporters come, I promise I'll strike the most suggestive pose. Aren't you going to consider giving me more money?"
"We agreed on 30,000. If you try to raise the price, I'll find someone else. There are plenty of people willing to do this. Actually, you're getting a good deal. Think about it, Qiao Zixin is in the eye of the storm right now. Once the news breaks tomorrow, everyone will know about you. You can just insist that she threatened you, and you might even gain a lot of sympathy fans. That's something money can't buy. Others can't even get this kind of attention."
Xu Zifan nodded without saying anything more, moved his fingers in his pocket, and then helped Qiao Zixin up so that she could lean on his shoulder.
Bai You pursed her lips at his gentle movements, "Her face is really attractive to men. Don't let yourself be bewitched and forget why you're here."
Xu Zifan looked at Qiao Zixin's face and suddenly hesitated before saying, "I may never meet a beauty like this again in my life. I'll listen to you. You can go out first. I don't want the money. I'll return the deposit to you tomorrow."
Bai You was secretly delighted. Qiao Zixin was drunk, and everyone knew about her chaotic private life. Even if she made a scene afterward, it wouldn't matter; there was no evidence to prove she wasn't willing. As for their friendship, there was no need to maintain it after this incident, since Qiao Zixin was no longer of any use to him.
Bai You grabbed her bag, walked to the door, and turned back to say, "You remember, it was Qiao Zixin who asked you to come."
Xu Zifan waved his hand, his eyes still fixed on Qiao Zixin, seemingly impatient. "I know, you should stay away, or don't blame me if the reporters take pictures. By the way, tell the reporters to come in half an hour."
"Caught red-handed? Okay, I understand. I'll send them the location later." Bai You thought he wanted to be photographed doing something and make a big news story, so she gave him a knowing smile.
She went to a nearby restaurant to see how things went, since she had received a lot of money from them and needed to be sure the matter was resolved before she could feel at ease.
After she left, Xu Zifan stuffed two small, transparent plastic bags wrapped in tissues into the sofa cushions, leaving half of them sticking out. The contents of the bags, resembling edible white powder, were clearly visible; they looked like some kind of drug. He then took out his phone, listened to the recording he had just made, and, making sure everything was recorded, took off his coat and gave it to Qiao Zixin. He also put her black-rimmed glasses on her, let her hair fall loosely on either side of her face to cover most of it, and helped her out of the room.
There are quite a few drunk people at the bar every day, and Xu Zifan clearly knew the people inside when he entered the private room, so the waiter didn't stop him when he helped the woman out, since the previous lady had already paid the bill anyway. Xu Zifan smoothly led Qiao Zixin out the back door, settled her in the passenger seat, and quickly drove away.
A man swaggered into the bar through the main entrance, strode to the door of VIP room 102, and froze when he saw the waiter preparing to clean. "Where are the guests?" he asked.
"They just left."
"Gone?" The man frowned and dialed a number. "Hello? This is Adam. Didn't we agree on nine o'clock? Why did you leave?"
Bai You choked on her soda and coughed. "Adam? Didn't you arrive a while ago?"
"I just arrived at the bar, right outside the private room you sent me. You didn't go to someone else, did you? Let me tell you, the deposit I received is non-refundable."
"No, this isn't right. I only looked for you. Who else could that person be but you?" Bai You felt a bad premonition and got up to run outside. "Oh no, I'm coming right now! Don't go yet!"
While waiting at a red light, Xu Zifan glanced at the time and called the police: "Hello, I am reporting a woman named Bai You in room 102 of the Blues Bar for drug use. She seems to be making a deal with a male model and is about to leave. Please dispatch officers as soon as possible."