He Zhen had no choice but to join the queue.
Swept along by the crowd, he inched forward slowly.
Around him, readers were abuzz, discussing Wen Ying, her past works, and her new book *Xun Yong*. He Zhen, empty-handed, stood out like an oddity. Several readers cast curious glances his way, so he grabbed a copy of *The Galaxy and You* from a shelf, and the stares stopped.
“Little Fish is so talented! Have you read her new book? It’s completely different from *Teen Idol*!”
“I did, I did! But the serial updates in *Spark* are too slow. I’m dying to know what happens next…”
“No rush. Good work takes time. At this pace, we’ll get the full *Xun Yong* by year-end at the earliest, or next year at the latest!”
As the readers chatted and shuffled forward, someone nudged He Zhen’s arm. “Mate, which of Little Fish’s books is your favourite?”
He hadn’t read a single one, so how could he have a favourite?
He Zhen waved *The Galaxy and You*, and the other reader filled in the blanks. “Oh, you got hooked by the TV series? You should check out *Teen Idol*! I bet it’ll be adapted into a drama too, with ratings no worse than *The Galaxy and You*! And her new book *Xun Yong* has such a grand world-building, perfect for a film…”
The reader rambled on, earning nods from those nearby.
To Wen Ying’s fans, her work was phenomenal, and adaptations seemed only natural.
The conversation drifted to *The Galaxy and You*’s four-channel simulcast. Dongfang TV had aired its finale, hitting a peak rating of 6.63%, hailed by media as the drama king of the year.
Not all book lovers followed showbiz, but since Wen Ying was both author and screenwriter, her fans cared about her and, by extension, entertainment news.
These readers not only read her books but knew drama ratings inside out and discussed the adaptation prospects of her work. He Zhen, initially indifferent, started listening in. Wen Ying wasn’t just a writer anymore; she was an idol author, treated almost like a celebrity, with fans even more loyal than those chasing stars.
Lost in thought, He Zhen was pushed further along the queue.
As he neared the front, he knew he couldn’t actually ask Wen Ying for a signature. Seizing a chance, he slipped out of the line.
“You’re almost there! No queue, no signature!” a bookstore staff member reminded him.
He Zhen shook his head. “I don’t want a signature. I’m here for *The Zhao Family Letters*. Do you have it?”
What?
Not here for Little Fish’s signature?
When He Zhen mentioned *The Zhao Family Letters*, the staff member’s expression turned odd.
A fine-looking young man with such poor taste?
They had *The Zhao Family Letters*, but it had gathered dust on the shelves, moved to a corner after initially being displayed prominently.
The bookstore’s focus today was the signing event, with readers queuing for Wen Ying. Someone reaching the front wanting another book? Well, business is business.
Muttering about He Zhen’s lack of taste, the staff asked him to wait.
“I’ll find your book. Don’t wander off. We’re all busy today, so please cooperate, alright?”
“Alright.”
He Zhen was clearly polite, so the staff went to fetch the book.
The bookstore was still buzzing.
Wen Ying sat behind a desk, wearing a cream-white dress with a pearl-embellished collar, likely with light makeup, looking both beautiful and poised under the store’s lighting.
Behind her stood posters proclaiming her a bestselling author, young screenwriter, and popular blogger—titles that somehow fit her perfectly.
When a reader cried during signing, Wen Ying handed them a tissue, said something, and the reader smiled through tears.
Amid the lively scene, He Zhen noticed something off.
Wen Ying’s books drew a diverse crowd, men and women alike, and He Zhen had felt the readers’ enthusiasm while queuing.
Every reader reaching Wen Ying was thrilled, some so nervous they could barely speak. But one male reader in a baseball cap, holding *The Galaxy and You*, kept his head down the whole time, never looking up as he moved forward.
Was he that shy?
As the cap-wearing reader neared his turn, He Zhen saw him reach into his backpack.
Not for more books, but a water bottle… Wait, why bring a water bottle for a signing?
The man unscrewed the cap.
He raised his arm.
Wen Ying seemed oblivious—
In a flash, He Zhen didn’t think twice. He hurled *The Galaxy and You*, hitting the man square in the back!
The man stumbled, and the bottle fell, spilling a foul-smelling brown liquid.
“What are you doing!”
“You hit someone?”
Security shouted.
In that moment, Wen Ying broke into a cold sweat, stepping back quickly and pulling a stunned young reader with her.
“There’s something wrong with that guy in the cap!”
Wen Ying tried to stay calm as Little Salamander and Zou Weijun rushed over. Two security guards surrounded her.
The readers didn’t react at first, but some gasped, others realised what had happened, and a few male readers pinned the man to the ground.
“What’s in your bottle?”
“You were going to splash Little Fish!”
“You’re not a reader, you’re here to cause trouble!”
The readers were furious.
The liquid on the floor stank so badly, it was obviously nothing good. If Little Fish had been splashed today, what face would she have left?
If it was something corrosive, the act would be even worse!
Pinned down, the man couldn’t move and denied any ill intent, claiming he was just queuing for a signature when something hit him.
He Zhen stepped forward boldly. “I’m the one who hit you. You say you were just queuing? There’s still liquid in that bottle. Pick it up and drink some, and I’ll believe you meant no harm.”
The man froze.
Drink it? That’s disgusting!
His hesitation doubled the readers’ anger. “You were definitely up to no good!”
Wen Ying then noticed He Zhen was there.
He Zhen saved her?
Wen Ying was momentarily stunned.
Zou Weijun asked if she was alright. Wen Ying shook her head. Zou Weijun whispered to Little Salamander, and the bookstore manager, sweating profusely, pushed through the crowd. Little Salamander suggested calling the police.
“Let the police investigate. If it’s a misunderstanding, we’ll apologise and compensate. If not… deal with it as needed!”
Hearing about the police, the man struggled harder, mouthing off about Wen Ying bullying him and how he, as a reader, was disappointed.
Little Salamander didn’t buy that he was a reader.
She was frustrated.
It was their first signing event, and they weren’t prepared enough.
Security was there to maintain order and prevent stampedes. With readers queuing for hours, banning water seemed inhumane. No one expected someone to bring a bottle of foul liquid to splash Wen Ying.
Such carelessness!
If that liquid had hit Wen Ying, today’s excitement would’ve turned to chaos.
What would the media say?
Would the remaining signings go on?
Everything would be disrupted.
It even threatened Wen Ying’s safety…
Little Salamander wanted to stop the signing immediately, but after consulting Wen Ying, Zou Weijun insisted on continuing.
Hundreds of readers were still outside. Cancelling would disappoint those who came so far.
The police took the man away, the bookstore manager kept apologising, but Zou Weijun cut him off. “We’ll talk after the signing. Finish it quickly now.”
As He Zhen prepared to leave, Wen Ying called out to him.
Perhaps from nerves, her palms were sweaty.
Wen Ying had expected to cross paths with He Zhen eventually, but not like this.
How was He Zhen here, just in time to stop a disturbance? What kind of fate was this?
“Thank you.”
Wen Ying sincerely thanked He Zhen, her ex-boyfriend from a past life, now a stranger.
Her gaze didn’t meet his, or she’d have seen his expression was equally complex.
An inexplicable flutter had been buried, and He Zhen resolved not to dwell on it.
But fate seemed to test him. Seeing Wen Ying at the restaurant last night, coming to buy Zhao Dong’s book on a whim today, and crossing paths with her again—it was too much of a coincidence!
He Zhen wasn’t one to shy away. If he couldn’t avoid it, he wanted to see what fate had in store.
“No trouble, just a small gesture.”
After the polite exchange, Wen Ying wasn’t sure what to say. She considered asking for his contact details when Zou Weijun approached. “Thank you so much. Could we have your contact information? The police may need you for a statement, and since you helped Wen Ying, we’d like to prepare a small gift.”
The readers weren’t fazed by the delay, eager to testify for Wen Ying.
But He Zhen… Zou Weijun didn’t think he was a fan.
She wasn’t senile; she remembered him.
He Zhinian and Dai Chenglan’s only son, already taking on the family business.
Zou Weijun rarely assumed the worst, but this was too coincidental.
Why was He Zhen here?
Was it arranged by He Zhinian and Dai Chenglan?
Or even Xie Jinghu? If Xie had a problem, he should come at her, not target a young woman like Wen Ying!
Zou Weijun was done avoiding. She wanted to take control!
He Zhen thought for a moment and gave his contact details to Zou Weijun.
“If needed, I can assist with the statement. No need for gifts. Anyone in that situation would’ve done something, don’t you think?”
