Chapter 153: How Did You Know?

“What nonsense are children babbling about?”

Ruan Mianmian gently tapped Xiang Nuan’s forehead with her finger, then turned to Xiang Kui and said, “Drive carefully!”

“Got it.”

Xiang Kui kept her eyes on the road ahead, smiling as she replied, “Who says we can’t talk? Alright, alright, the important thing now is to get to the gymnasium first.”

Ruan Mianmian withdrew her gaze and sent Jiang Ce a message, informing him that she and Xiang Kui had set off for the gymnasium.

At this moment, Jiang Ce had already left Starfish Bay.

A Kuan was driving, casually cruising back and forth on the nearby roads with Jiang Ce, appearing quite relaxed.

“Boss, are we just going to circle around here?”

A Kuan didn’t quite understand Jiang Ce’s intention, so he glanced at the rearview mirror and asked the person inside.

Jiang Ce lifted his eyes from the notebook beside him and said calmly, “Just wait for the fish to bite.”

A Kuan still didn’t get it, but seeing Jiang Ce’s confident demeanor, he relaxed and followed along.

Soon, Jiang Ce’s phone suddenly rang inside the car.

He picked it up and answered with a deep, pleasant voice.

“Speak.”

Jiang Ce turned on the speakerphone, his whole manner laid-back and leisurely.

The next second, Jin Jiu’s voice came easily through the speaker.

He said, “Boss, your guess was right. Shortly after you left, Fang Xiaoyan sneaked out of her room. After making sure no one was in the living room, she quietly slipped into your room and hasn’t come out yet.”

“Alright, got it. Keep watching.”

Jiang Ce’s sharp eyes remained cold as he added, “Remember, keep everything secret. Don’t let her find out.”

“Don’t worry, we’re all monitoring her. No one has shown up.”

“Mm.”

After hanging up, Jiang Ce unconsciously pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a surge of irritation.

A Kuan listened silently and seemed to understand Jiang Ce’s plan.

“Boss, so you’re testing that Fang Xiaoyan, huh?”

Jiang Ce didn’t reply, but his expression said it all.

The car continued along the wide road, passing through a private villa district where few vehicles appeared and it was very quiet.

Only the faint night breeze could be heard, sweeping along the car’s body.

Jiang Ce’s eyes gradually calmed with the passing time, revealing a hint of coldness.

Soon, Jin Jiu called again.

Jiang Ce’s eyes flickered with suspicion. Just as he pressed to answer, Jin Jiu hurriedly spoke.

“Boss, Fang Xiaoyan went into Ruan Ge’s room again, but she came out quickly. Should the guys check inside?”

“...”

A Kuan, silently driving up front, couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry for the boss.

Earlier, Fang Xiaoyan stayed in the boss’s room for so long, yet Jin Jiu didn’t suggest checking it.

But when it came to Ruan Ge’s room, the attitude immediately changed.

It seemed Ruan Ge really was the darling of everyone in Starfish Bay.

Jiang Ce’s voice remained steady as he said quietly, “Keep monitoring. Don’t intervene.”

“Oh...”

Jin Jiu silently ended the call.

Jiang Ce stared at the screen for a long time; it was a message from Ruan Mianmian just now.

His eyebrows twitched slightly as he said faintly to the front, “Go to the gymnasium.”

“Alright.”

A Kuan’s voice came with a smile, and he immediately turned the car at the next intersection, heading toward the new destination.

Meanwhile, Ruan Mianmian and the others arrived in front of the gymnasium.

As they approached, Ruan Mianmian had already messaged Le Chen but hadn’t received a reply yet.

At this moment, the front of the gymnasium was crowded with swarming fans, packed to the point of no gaps.

Ruan Mianmian helped Xiang Kui unload all the support items from the car, including standing posters and congratulatory flower baskets, placing everything by the roadside.

If anyone could be called a fan, Xiang Kui certainly fulfilled the role well.

Taking advantage of the break, she distributed all the support items to the fans present, cheering and practicing the support chants to be used later.

Ruan Mianmian and Xiang Nuan had been pushed to the outskirts by the crowd.

“Has your sister always been this crazy?”

Ruan Mianmian watched Xiang Kui bustling about and asked Xiang Nuan.

Xiang Nuan smiled and nodded. “My sister is a veteran in the fan circle, but she’s changed idols quite a few times.”

“How so?”

Xiang Nuan explained, “My sister’s like a weather vane. A couple of years ago, she was crazy about a new actor, even more so than this. But then the OS group burst onto the scene, and she fell for that Lu Bai guy, making the new actor just a passerby.”

“Hahaha.”

Ruan Mianmian laughed along. “But I think Xiang Kui is pretty great. She always seems full of energy and sunshine wherever she goes.”

“That’s true.”

Xiang Nuan nodded and continued, “But it’s tough on Chen Ci.”

Then she lowered her voice, leaning closer to Ruan Mianmian. “According to incomplete statistics, Chen Ci has proposed to my sister nine times, but she has flat-out refused every time, hahaha.”

“...”

No way? Nine times? Impressive.

Ruan Mianmian crossed her arms, shaking her head.

“What are you two standing here dazed for?”

Xiang Kui finished handing out the support items and came over to talk with them.

Ruan Mianmian smiled. “All done?”

“Yeah! Just waiting to enter now!”

Xiang Kui looked forward eagerly and continued, “I don’t know what’s going on with Jiang Yao. Why hasn’t there been any news yet?”

She glanced at her phone again; the message sent more than ten minutes ago still had no reply.

“Maybe he’s busy?”

Ruan Mianmian patted Xiang Kui’s shoulder reassuringly. “If worse comes to worst, we can enter with the others when the time comes. It doesn’t really matter if it’s early or not.”

Ruan Mianmian had originally planned to tell Xiang Kui about the ‘surprise’ before entering, but since Le Chen hadn’t replied, she didn’t have the courage to say anything directly.

Just as she thought this, her phone suddenly vibrated.

She swiped the screen and saw Le Chen’s reply.

[Le Chen: Sister Mianmian, are you there? I’ve sent staff to pick you up. Come in first.]

Looking at the huge crowd of fans outside, Ruan Mianmian suddenly felt a bit embarrassed.

She replied, [It’s okay. I think it’s almost time. We’ll enter with the other fans later.]

[Le Chen: There’s a technical issue at the venue. The concert is expected to be delayed by half an hour. Come in first. The captain and the others want to see you too.]

“Want to see me?”

Ruan Mianmian couldn’t help but be taken aback. What was going on?

Still, she looked at Xiang Kui and said, “I heard there’s a problem with the gymnasium’s equipment. The concert will probably be delayed by half an hour.”

Xiang Kui immediately frowned in disappointment, but she quickly recovered.

She asked, “How do you know?”