"Li Fan! I made it. Hello everyone, I'm so sorry I couldn't join you in the meeting. My schedules are cramped to the brim."
Hello's and grunts echoed, and the director dismissed Fu Yuan's apology, saying it was okay and that the great Fu Yuan must have her reasons.
Gu Wei managed to snap out of his reveries and stood with a bow.
Fu Yuan Jie Jie was right in front of him, not bowing would be impolite beyond anything.
"My God! You must be Gu Wei?! The CSL Instructor. Enough of that. Nice to meet you, nice to meet you."
Fu Yuan had basically righted him and took his hand in a frantic shake.
Gu Wei's heart wouldn't stop beating against his chest at the contact, and he murmured an incoherent 'Nice to meet you' back.
With a hand on his shoulder, Fu Yuan directed him back to his seat, pushing him inside and settling right beside him.
The cushioned sofa was not meant for two, and Fu Yuan had squeezed herself next to him like it was the most natural thing.
Her bright purple armless dress flayed out in a flourish, held by an equally dark purpled belt.
Her hair was black, no, looking closely, Fu Yuan's hair was another darker shade of purple.
The soft strands let out to play as they draped over her form, completing her full garb of equally purple outfit.
Fu Yuan was a Goddess indeed.
With his idol next to him, Gu Wei stopped breathing, and his eyes kept straying from Fu Yuan to his drink, Fu Yuan, back to his drink.
Gu Wei didn't have the strength to sip anything, so he just sat there rigid like a statue.
Barely existing.
Shocked so much to his core he felt like he wasn't physically in his body.
Fu Yuan was speaking with Miss Li and the others.
"Hmm, we should probably have another meeting tomorrow. I wanna know all the plans, and Director JJ can use that to test my compatibility with the character."
Director JJ paused eating at this, "What checking? Everyone here knows you're already perfect for the role, Yuan Yuan. Don't say rubbish."
More words than Director JJ had uttered the whole day.
Fu Yuan agreed without hesitation. She was just testing the waters to see if anyone had any objections.
Gu Wei could only think, who in their right mind would object?
Gu Wei's hands were folded in his lap, and he'd stopped sneaking glances at Fu Yuan, staring intently at the table instead.
He desperately wished he had his notebook with him.
Gu Wei couldn't process his thoughts if he didn't write them out and analyse each one slowly, letting it sink in.
The day had bombarded him with so much information and shock that he could barely function.
A hand landed on his shoulder and squeezed, Fu Yuan said loudly,
"Everyone! Has Gu Wei introduced himself? Can I call you Gu Wei? It's not too much?"
Gu Wei nodded in earnest, then shook his head with the same fervor.
His words had failed him, and all he could do was move his head in answer. Fu Yuan took that as permission.
Meanwhile, Miss Li grumbled, "Yes, he's introduced himself, don't fret."
However, Fu Yuan did fret, looking from one person to the other. "You guys… Did you bully him?!"
Gu Wei's head snapped up at this, and before he could articulate his words, Fu Yuan was already fired up.
"I swear to god…! If you guys bullied him I won't be nice. You hear me?! Do you know who this is?! Hmm?"
Chastised, the others shifted uncomfortably in their seat and Gu Wei finally managed to speak. "No no, that's not it, I'm the one-"
The glare Fu Yuan directed at him made Gu Wei shut up instinctively.
"You, don't say anything. I got this, okay? I won't let them bully my precious fan!"
The already emotional Gu Wei felt tears prick his eyes at Fu Yuan's definition of him. So, Gu Wei was her precious fan?
Did that mean she remembered him from all those events he'd attended? Was that why she chose him from the hundred lists of people?
"Lookie here people, this…" Fu Yuan slid a hand over his shoulder and Gu Wei ducked his head further.
"This is my number one precious fan. Do you understand? Bullying him means you're bullying me. Being rude to him means you're also rude to me. He's a very special person, and I got all the support and the love an actress could ever wish to get from him. So don't treat him like some mindless employee… He's just as important in this as I am. This applies to you too, Li Fan."
Fu Yuan's enunciation of Miss Li's name made her words hit home to the group of people.
Miss Li herself cleared her throat and reluctantly apologized, with JJ, SB, HB, JC, and GP in tow.
Satisfied, Fu Yuan smoothed out Gu Wei's clothes she'd crumpled and removed her hands.
Gu Wei shook his head in reply to the mumbled apologies and smiled weakly, the best he could offer at the moment.
SB cleared her throat, "Actually, we're all introverts here and barely converse when not work-related. Even Miss Li here…"
"Don't count me in, please." Miss Li interrupted coldly.
Unfazed, SB continued as if Miss Li hadn't said a thing.
"Even Miss Li here is as much of an introvert as the four of us. So forgive us if we appeared cold and… unapproachable."
Gu Wei shook his head again, wondering if his own friends had robbed him of his introvert-ness, and finally spoke.
"No need for forgiving anything, and it's not that…"
Not sure how he was supposed to convey his feelings to the people he'd just met that same day, Gu Wei trailed off, getting a nudge from the person next to him.
Their eyes met briefly. Fu Yuan tilted her in encouragement as if to say, 'Go on, they won't bite.'
Gu Wei steeled himself, gaze trained firmly on the wooden table, hands pressed together.
"You guys were just so… fast, and it was hard to keep up…" That was the only thing he managed to get out.
Silence covered the space at Gu Wei's words and he flinched inwardly. He should've kept that to himself.
Fu Yuan patted his shoulder, Gu Wei tensed further at the contact.
Miss Li was the first to speak up.
"We were fast…? Then you should've said something. How are we supposed to know if you don't say a thing? You're even more quiet than-"
"Miss Li!" Fu Yuan exclaimed, cutting Miss Li off with her demanding tone. Gu Wei realised this wasn't going anywhere.
Fu Yuan might be here trying to resolve the issue, but the situation was getting out of hand the more it progressed, and it honestly wasn't the group's fault that Gu Wei was…
That he was a slow learner and struggled with fast words.
Before Fu Yuan could say anymore, Gu Wei interjected.
"Miss Li's right. I should've said something, It's no one's fault that it ended up like this. Really, I should've been more vigilant."
Miss Li nodded at his words and relaxed back on her couch. Fu Yuan frowned at Gu Wei but conceded.
"Well… If you say so yourself, then I guess it was all a misunderstanding. But! Don't go bullying him around just because."
Another set of grumbles trailed the table, and Fu Yuan settled her case. This fan of hers was undeniably too gentle.
Said gentle fan was contemplating if asking to leave would be rude.
Gu Wei's brain had gone beyond the need for his notebook alone, and he was starting to crave the comfort of home or anything familiar.
Discreetly checking his phone, Gu Wei saw that it was past 5 already. Time was even working mysteriously in this building.
Fu Yuan and Miss Li were talking about something, but Gu Wei's ears had heard enough rapid words for the day, so they registered as a strange language to him.
Burrowing a bit of resolve from Fu Yuan's energetic presence, Gu Wei inquired.
"If it's not too much trouble, would it be okay to leave…? Since the meeting for today is done and…"
Miss Li's frown wilted into a bland expression, and Gu Wei's already fickle resolve vanished.
But, fortunately for him, Fu Yuan came to the rescue, and in the next second, Gu Wei was being dragged out of the building while Fu Yuan insisted on driving him home.
Gu Wei, whose head was now pounding, sat as rigidly as he'd been at the cafeteria in Fu Yuan's car. They were both sitting in the back.
Fu Yuan's assistant, GG, whom Gu Wei had always seen from afar or in videos, with his long unpacked hair hanging over his eyes, was driving.
As soon as they were in the car, Gu Wei's phone pinged, and he reluctantly pulled it out with sluggish hands. It was a message from Song Wei.
Song Wei: Chi Spring Hotel, Ladies Court Street, Paiwan Road. Just in case😉
Gu Wei's heavy heart lifted as he took in Song Wei's text.
In that moment, Gu Wei felt like a child who had run from home, only to meet strangers and visit strange places that made him wish he'd never left.
And unexpectedly, the child's mother had appeared one lonely evening and had stretched a hand out to her estranged son.
'Come back home now, okay?'
Song Wei's text was the outstretched hand letting him know he could come home.
Blinking wearily, Gu Wei typed slowly, so slow you'd think he was only staring at his phone.
Jie Jie's Boy: Mother, mother!!!😭 I'm coming!!!😭
Song Wei is typing…
Song Wei: Baby Wei, what's wrong? Why're you crying? Mother's here, mother's here, no more tears, okay?
Jie Jie's Boy: I'll tell you everything when I get there. Right now… I just wanna cry in text😭
Song Wei: Okay okay, cry all you want. Mother will be waiting. There there🫂
Jie Jie's Boy: 😭😭😭😭😭
Gu Wei's texting was interrupted by Fu Yuan as she smacked herself lightly on the head.
"Eh, I completely forgot. Where are we going? Gu Wei, your address? And GG-ah, why didn't you say anything? Are you driving blindly?"
GG silently glanced through the rearview mirror at Gu Wei with a confused expression.
"My bad, Fu Yuan, I thought he was… I thought he was them."
At the mention of them, Fu Yuan blushed furiously and kicked her assistant's seat.
"What them are you talking about? He's an employee, okay? An employee."
GG cleared his throat and nodded.
Fu Yuan avoided eye contact with Gu Wei and asked for his address again. Gu Wei gave the one Song Wei had just sent to him.
Fu Yuan raised an eyebrow. "You live in a hotel?"
Feeling somewhat scrutinized, Gu Wei shifted in his seat, "Ahh no. I… Umm, I'm meeting a friend there…"
That was even worse than saying he did live in a hotel.
Fu Yuan's expression cleared and she nodded in understanding.
"Don't worry, I don't judge. Everyone has needs and ways of relieving them. It's perfectly normal."
Sharply sitting up, Gu Wei waved his hands in a negative, "No no no no, that's not what I meant-"
However, it seemed Fu Yuan had already made her assumption, as she waved away his words and countered with a grin.
"No need to explain co-worker. I get it."
Gu Wei concluded that she was teasing him and dropped his hands with a huff.
Fu Yuan chuckled at his display, then suddenly asked, "So, how was it? Meeting your idol? Good or bad?"
Gu Wei scratched his head and replied, "…Good."
Fu Yuan laughed at his unenthusiastic answer, and even to Gu Wei's ears, it sounded forced.
"Liar. But don't worry, I met my idol a few years ago too and didn't like them at first, but then I spent time with them and they weren't so bad."
"It's not that, it's just… I guess I'm not in a good mood today, so it's not Fu Yuan Jie Jie's fault. I'll like Fu Yuan either way, good and bad."
Gu Wei said, not hesitating to clarify where Fu Yuan stood on his pedestal.
Fu Yuan gave a 'wow' sound and clapped, "I guess I'm lucky then, to have a dedicated fan such as you."
Gu Wei folded his hand in his lap and knew his face must be bright red by now.
Grinning at her dedicated fan, Fu Yuan swiped her long purple hair over her shoulder.
"Then… Will Jie Jie's Blooming Petal still like me if I ask who they're taking to a hotel?"
Gu Wei gasped in shock and wondered what it was about him that made people want to tease him.
Fu Yuan giggled at his reaction, holding a hand over her face as she laughed. "So cute. You're just so cute I can't resist."
In reply, Gu Wei pursed his lips and stared out the window.
"I'm joking, I'm joking. Forgive this Jie Jie, hm?" Fu Yuan said, barely resisting tugging at this cute creature's sweater.
Gu Wei muttered into his seat, exhausted beyond repair, "You're already forgiven."
Fu Yuan sighed in relief and watched Gu Wei as he looked intently out the window with a furrow in his brow.
The car stopped in front of the hotel and Fu Yuan was surprised to see the frown disappear from the boy's face. Like it had never existed.
Curious, she peeked through Gu Wei's head out the window.
The hotel's veranda was scattered with people passing by, some entering, and others just coming out of the building.
Nothing out of the ordinary, so why had his mood switched so suddenly from gloomy to happy?
Fu Yuan retracted her gaze as the boy bowed three times and flung himself out of the car. Was she that bad a company?
Was what Fu Yuan had been thinking until she saw where he was headed. Who he headed to.
A girl with a full mane of curly brown hair and a red scarf around her neck.
So he had a girlfriend. Fu Yuan pouted and motioned for GG to move.
It was such a shame. She liked this cute boy with his thick eyebrows, but he was already taken.
GG saw Fu Yuan's disappointed expression and glanced at the two figures outside. "I thought you said he wasn't them?"
Fu Yuan sighed and stroked a hand over her hair, "He isn't GG, just an employee."
"You keep saying that," GG said, not believing this girl for a second. She ate boys like that gentle soul, Gu Wah or something, for dinner.
GG wouldn't be surprised if she added him to them.
Fu Yuan smacked her lips and recalled Gu Wei's overly shy demeanor at the company. Tensing every time she touched him and avoided her eyes.
"Never say never, GG-ah. He's perfectly my type."