Why didn't you tell me earlier that my little sister is still waiting for me?

The man was slightly deterred by Lin Bufan's imposing manner, but still seemed somewhat unwilling: "But Mr. Lin, I really feel..."

“There are many people who think they look alike, and there are quite a few people in the world who look and sound alike.” Lin Bufan interrupted him, his tone still calm, but with a clear intention to end the topic: “This is a restaurant, and Nana is an employee here. Her job is to provide food and beverage services to the guests, not to satisfy certain…personal curiosity, or to answer some doubts that may not exist.”

He turned slightly to the side, gesturing for the customer to return to their seat, his smile fading slightly: "Your meal should be ready soon, please return to your seat and enjoy it. If you have any other requests regarding the restaurant's service, please feel free to ask. However, I don't think it's appropriate to continue discussing the staff's personal matters here."

The man looked at Lin Bufan, then glanced at the figure behind him at the bar who had his back to them and clearly didn't want to respond. He opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but under Lin Bufan's calm yet subtly pressured gaze, he swallowed his words and nodded awkwardly: "...Okay, maybe I really did misunderstand." He turned and returned to his seat, but his gaze kept drifting towards the bar.

Lin Bufan didn't leave immediately. He stood with his back to the bar, seemingly just casually looking at the hall, but in reality, he acted as a silent barrier, blocking any further probing glances. Only when he felt Nana's breathing behind him had calmed down a bit did he turn around, walk to the bar, and say in a voice only the two of them could hear, "It's alright now."

Nana lowered her head and softly hummed in agreement, her voice still slightly hoarse. She didn't look up, but blinked hard to suppress the fear deep inside her. Then she took a deep breath, picked up the rag again, and began to vigorously wipe the already spotless countertop, as if trying to wipe away all the unpleasant memories along with it.

The hustle and bustle in the restaurant gradually returned to a normal dining atmosphere, as if the incident had never happened.

Two hours later, the peak customer flow in the small restaurant finally subsided, and the usual leisurely pace gradually returned. The sunlight slanted in through the window, casting warm dappled patterns on the wooden tables and chairs.

Nana worked briefly in the small kitchen behind the bar, then brought out a plate of freshly baked rose petal cakes and a cup of rose tea, gently placing them in front of Lin Bufan.

"Here, have a taste. Consider it... a reward for you, this temporary worker worth billions." Nana's tone returned to its usual relaxed tone!

Lin Bufan didn't stand on ceremony. He picked up a piece of cake and took a bite. The outer crust was crispy, and the filling was sweet and fragrant with flowers. The temperature was just right.

"Great craftsmanship!"

Nana leaned against the inside of the bar, watching Lin Bufan eat. After hesitating for a moment, she whispered, "Thank you for earlier..."

Lin Bufan looked up, blinked, and asked in confusion, "Thank me? Thank me for what? You should thank Zhiyao and Xie Xiaochun for thanking me. Why are you, a waiter, worrying about the boss?"

"I'm not……"

"Wait a minute," Lin Bufan said, as if suddenly remembering something. He put down the pancake in his hand and held up a finger with a serious expression. "I forgot, at least the waiters get paid. You're running around here, and you don't even get paid, right? So... you're not even a waiter, so you have even less reason to thank me!"

"Lin Bufan!" Nana glared at Lin Bufan, annoyed. "Are you ever going to stop? Can't you let me finish what I have to say?"

"Okay, okay," Lin Bufan raised his hands in surrender, "You tell me, you tell me, I'm listening."

Nana was interrupted by Lin Bufan's words, and most of the emotions she had just built up dissipated. She was momentarily speechless and stammered, "I...where was I again?"

Lin Bufan took a sip of herbal tea and slowly reminded him, "You said you weren't thanking me for serving the dishes, but for helping you fend off that tactless guy. Right?"

"Yes, that's why I'm thanking you... Wait!" Nana suddenly realized, her eyes widening slightly: "How did you know I was going to say that?"

Lin Bufan put down his teacup, raised an eyebrow smugly, and curled his lips into his usual slightly cynical smile: "Nana, if I didn't even have this much sense, what do you think my reinforced regiment of girls would be like..."

Halfway through his sentence, Lin Bufan suddenly realized he had let something slip and quickly changed the subject tactically: "Ahem, okay, let's not talk about that anymore, let's talk about you."

Nana was taken aback: "Me?"

Lin Bufan picked up the second flower cake, took a bite, and chewed it slowly, but his gaze fell on Nana's face with a serious scrutiny: "Yes, you."

The popularity of Yunmiao Village is visibly increasing, attracting more and more tourists, and making the village increasingly diverse. Like today, if you're suddenly recognized and chased around asking if you're Nana-chan, this might happen again. What do you plan to do? Deny it every time, avoid it, and then feel bad for half a day?

The relaxed expression on Nana's face gradually faded. She lowered her head, unconsciously tracing the wooden edge of the bar with her fingers. The small restaurant was quiet, with only soft background music and a few indistinct voices in the distance. After a long while, she finally spoke in a low voice, her tone filled with a resigned weariness: "I... I've already talked to President Xie. Once we find a suitable replacement here, I plan to... go back to my hometown to see my parents. Being away for a while, maybe... things will get better."

"Leave?" Lin Bufan raised an eyebrow, stuffed the last bit of biscuit into his mouth, and patted the crumbs off his hands. "Running around like this isn't a solution. Do you want me to recommend a plastic surgery hospital? I guarantee that after the surgery, no one will recognize you. A friend of mine had her surgery there, and not only do strangers not recognize her, but even her parents didn't recognize her!"

"Is it really that amazing?" Nana blurted out instinctively, then realized something was wrong. She grabbed a clean rag and pretended to throw it at him: "Lin Bufan! Go to hell! Who wants plastic surgery?! I don't want to have knives on my face!"

Lin Bufan nimbly leaned back to dodge the "attack" and burst into laughter: "Just kidding, to ease the tension. See, you still have a temper, you weren't like yourself when you were all droopy just now."

After laughing, Lin Bufan's smile faded, and his expression became serious: "Seriously, Nana. Running away is never the solution. The internet remembers. If you want to disappear completely, you'd have to isolate yourself from the world, but is that even possible? Are you willing to do that?"

Nana pursed her lips, remaining silent. Of course, she was unwilling to accept this. She loved singing, loved sharing with others, and had once enjoyed being loved by many. Those unfounded rumors and the ensuing cyberbullying were like a nightmare, destroying everything she had built and instilling in her a deep fear of people. Hiding in Yunmiao Village, busy in her small restaurant, was the temporary haven she could find. But now, even that haven seemed to be leaking.

"Then... what else can I do?" Nana's voice was soft, filled with confusion and helplessness: "I've explained, but no one listens. They only want to believe what they want to believe."

Lin Bufan didn't speak, but raised his eyebrows slightly, a familiar smile with a hint of amusement and certainty playing on his lips. He leaned back in his chair, his relaxed demeanor clearly saying—I have a way!

Nana was initially still immersed in her low spirits, waiting for Lin Bufan to continue, but after a few seconds, she found that there was no response from the other end. She looked up in confusion and met Lin Bufan's expression that said, "Everything is ready except for you to speak."

She was taken aback for a moment, then realized what she meant and pouted in annoyance, but a faint glimmer of hope flashed in her eyes: "...You seemed to have said last time that you had a good way of dealing with these people, so...what exactly is your way?"

Lin Bufan's smile widened slightly, he blinked deliberately, and slowly asked, "Want to know?"

Seeing Lin Bufan's mysterious expression, Nana felt both anxious and amused, but still nodded: "Mm."

"Want to know..." Lin Bufan deliberately dragged out his words, leaned forward slightly, pointed to his cheek, and said in a half-joking, half-teasing tone, "...then kiss me."

His words were flippant, more of a habitual teasing and joke; he never expected Nana to take them seriously.

However, the very next second after he finished speaking—

Without pausing, Nana leaned forward quickly and lightly touched his left cheek with her lips.

It has a soft, warm touch and separates easily with a single touch.

Lin Bufan's smile froze instantly, his eyes widening slightly—Nana, are you serious about this?

Nana herself was stunned. She stepped back to her original position, her fingers unconsciously curling slightly, her cheeks belatedly starting to burn. For a moment, her mind had actually gone blank; she didn't know why she had kissed him.

They've already kissed...

To cover up her sudden embarrassment and racing heart, Nana immediately put on a stern face and urged in an impatient tone, "Alright! Hurry up and say it!"

Lin Bufan touched the spot where he had just been kissed, his expression somewhat strange: "Just now..."

"Don't say anything else!" Nana immediately interrupted Lin Bufan, her ears turning slightly red, but her tone became even more forceful: "Quickly tell me your solution!"

Lin Bufan looked at her forced composure and suddenly found it amusing; that feeling of being in control was back. He raised an eyebrow and deliberately said, "I didn't mean to mention kissing me just now."

Nana's face turned even redder, whether from embarrassment or anger, she didn't know. She grabbed the rag and waved it around, saying, "You still dare to say that?"

"Alright, alright, let's get down to business." Lin Bufan knew when to stop, his joking expression fading, but the smile in his eyes hadn't completely disappeared: "Helping you solve this problem isn't difficult at all. I have two solutions here."

Lin Bufan held up one finger.

"First, instead of making things difficult for others, it's better to humble yourself. Just pretend you can't hear or see, and admit defeat. Continue serving dishes and smiling as usual. If others recognize you and ask you questions, just smile and deny it, or simply don't respond. As long as you are strong enough and thick-skinned enough, they will eventually get bored and leave. The core principle is that as long as you are not embarrassed, it is others who will be embarrassed."

Hearing Lin Bufan's ridiculous idea, Nana pouted in annoyance, knowing that this bastard was unreliable and that the kiss was a waste of time: "If I could do that, would I need to hide in Yunmiao Village? Tell me the second one."

“I knew you had a temper, and you definitely wouldn’t choose the first option.” Lin Bufan held up his second finger: “The second option is, rather than making things difficult for yourself, you should make things difficult for others.”

"Make things difficult for others?" Nana asked, puzzled. "What do you mean? How would I make things difficult for them?"

"Fight back." Lin Bufan uttered two words, a sharp glint in his eyes: "The rumors and violence on the internet often take advantage of the fact that the person involved is afraid to speak out, or that they are outnumbered and powerless if they do speak out. The more you hide, the more they think you are guilty, and the more they escalate their attacks."

"Counterattack?" Nana pondered the word, her eyes filled with confusion and struggle. "I... I've clarified things before, but nobody believes me. Instead, it just makes things worse."

Lin Bufan picked up the cup of rose tea and slowly took a sip: "A clarification is definitely necessary, but it can't just be a clarification. Issuing a statement and writing a few paragraphs is too pale and weak. A real counterattack requires strategy and a step-by-step approach."

Setting down his teacup, Lin Bufan tapped his finger lightly on the table: "First step, clarify things! You're a big streamer with so many fans; it's impossible that they're all criticizing you. There are always some who genuinely like you and believe in you."

Nana nodded, her eyes dimming slightly: "There were some... but later there were too many insults, so they probably didn't dare to speak up anymore, or... they believed those rumors."

"So, you need to win these people back first."

Find an opportunity to use your account to do a live stream or record a long video. Don't just read from a script; that's useless. Talk about how you've been these past few days, why you left, and your grievances and fears. Be sincere, and even show some vulnerability. If you can shed a few tears, that would be even better. You know, although there are many people who resent the rich, sympathizing with the weak is also part of human nature.

First, solidify your core support base and get them back on your side. With supportive voices, those spreading nonsense will appear weak and isolated.

Nana seemed lost in thought, her fingers unconsciously twisting together: "And then what? Even with the support of longtime fans, those who spread rumors and blindly follow the trend of cursing will still be there."

"So the second step is to hire online trolls. In a war of public opinion, we need to make as many friends as possible and as few enemies as possible. You have to understand that most people have a herd mentality. When you have more people supporting you, many will naturally choose to believe you!"

Lin Bufan paused, looking at Nana's still somewhat hesitant face, and continued, "Of course, public opinion alone is not enough; some people just need to be taught a lesson. So, the third step is to go through legal procedures."