The Secret Realm of Time, His and Her Life Through the Changes

While she was in a daze, Zhou Yanruo's phone, which was in her bag, vibrated several times. She took the phone out of her bag and saw four or five messages from Ding Jiajia.

"Mr. Zhou, are you with Yibo?"

“Yibo isn’t answering his phone. He probably left it in his car again. Tell him not to leave and send me your location. I’ll come pick him up right away.”

"You guys are trending!"

"The photos are out, and they're so clear, why are you still crying?"

"Mr. Zhou, could you please check if anyone is secretly filming us? It would be best if you could help protect Yibo."

Ding Jiajia forwarded a photo in which Zhou Yanruo was sitting on a wooden bench in a pavilion, leaning against a pillar, her chin slightly raised, her eyes blank, looking at Shang Yibo opposite her.

Shang Yibo stood bewildered in the center of the pavilion, his gaze fixed on Zhou Yanruo, a complex expression on his face. A tear slid down his tightly pursed lips, seemingly carrying endless bitterness and helplessness.

Zhou Yanruo then noticed that a large group of chattering girls had gathered outside the octagonal pavilion where they were. Several girls were taking pictures with their phones, while others were whispering, "Hey, that handsome guy looks like Shang Yibo!"

"It's not just a possibility, it is, it is Shang Yibo!"

"Ah, ah, ah!"

"My idol!"

"Xiaoqing, are you nearby? Come quick, Shang Yibo is in the pavilion on Yangxi Road."

Zhou Yanruo stood up and walked to Shang Yibo, handing him her phone to show him the message Ding Jiajia had sent.

After reading the message, Shang Yibo stood up and turned to leave.

Then they heard the girls outside the pavilion start screaming loudly. This not only attracted the attention of passersby, but also caused a group of "fans" to suddenly appear from nowhere. With the addition of curious passersby, the crowd grew larger and larger, and soon Shang Yibo and Zhou Yanruo were surrounded in the pavilion.

Zhou Yanruo reacted quickly. She rummaged through her bag and pulled out a silk scarf she had brought with her for sun protection. She handed it to Shang Yibo and commanded, "Wrap it around your neck." Her tone was decisive and left no room for argument.

Shang Yibo glanced at the silk scarf, his brows furrowing slightly. He stood silently in place, without uttering a word.

"Ding Jiajia sent another message, saying that someone took a picture and posted it on Weibo." Zhou Yanruo said, gesturing with her phone in front of Shang Yibo.

Shang Yibo was slightly taken aback. He looked at the bright orange-red scarf Zhou Yanruo handed him and a hint of disgust flashed in his eyes. Before he could refuse, Zhou Yanruo stepped forward and wrapped the scarf around his neck, covering his nose and chin. Finally, she pulled down the brim of his hat and pressed it down hard. Before he could react, Zhou Yanruo had quickly dressed him up as a masked man.

Shang Yibo instinctively reached into his pocket for his phone, only to realize that he had left it in the car.

This trip to Xichuan was a private one for him. To avoid being followed by the media and fans, he deliberately chose to walk two stops to get here. He also arranged for his assistant to distract the media and fans on another train.

Unexpectedly, they were still discovered.

He dislikes this kind of exposure, and he dislikes being treated like a rare animal by the public, subject to their curiosity and judgment.

Having been in the entertainment industry for so many years, he should have long been accustomed to living under the public eye and should no longer feel disgusted by crowds and those unbridled cameras. For so many years, he has poured his heart and soul into doing things he disliked, simply to fulfill her dream, to stand in the spotlight and be seen by her.

Perhaps, after meeting Zhou Yanruo today, everything can change. This isn't a change, but rather a return to the original order.

A large crowd gathered on the road outside the pavilion because the small pavilion is located in the center of a transportation hub and was designed as a small central roundabout to protect the cultural relic from damage.

As the crowd gathered, passing vehicles slowed down or stopped, and some drivers even got out to watch the spectacle. For a time, the area became noisy and chaotic.

Are you guys fans of Shang Yibo?

Zhou Yanruo addressed a few girls standing at the front of the steps at the entrance of the octagonal pavilion, saying, "You don't want to see your idol being surrounded like this, do you? Could you help me maintain order so I can take Shang Yibo out?"

“We are Yibo’s fans, but who are you? Why should we listen to you? Why should we let you take Yibo away?” The female fan pouted as if she had met her nemesis and was not buying it.

"I'm Zhou Yanruo, Shang Yibo's manager. Let's get acquainted. I just took over, and the company's official website hasn't been updated yet." Zhou Yanruo explained to the fans while turning to Shang Yibo to ask for his confirmation.

"..." Shang Yibo lowered his eyes slightly and nodded indifferently.

A few girls huddled together and whispered for a moment before organizing the fans at the scene. They held hands and formed a human wall, separating the crowd and creating a passageway. One of the girls, who looked a little older, shouted loudly at Zhou Yanruo, "Take Yibo away first, and we'll settle the score with you later."

Zhou Yanruo reached out to tug at Shang Yibo's sleeve, but Shang Yibo brushed her aside. Zhou Yanruo said awkwardly, "Let's leave here first. Ding Jiajia and the others can't drive in either. More and more people are gathering. If you, as a celebrity, lose control and end up on the news, the negative impact will be bad for you."

Without saying a word, Shang Yibo walked straight out of the pavilion with his head down, crossed the pedestrian walkway set up by fans, and strode towards the sidewalk.

The fans who had been holding hands to maintain order suddenly became agitated, immediately losing their formation and uncontrollably crowding around Shang Yibo, making it impossible for him to move. Several older, seemingly more rational female fans shouted in tearful voices, "Don't push him! Don't push him!" However, their efforts were quickly drowned out by screams of "Ahhhhhh!"

Zhou Yanruo was still standing in the pavilion sending Ding Jiajia her location when she heard the noisy screams. She looked up and saw Shang Yibo surrounded by the crowd. He had his head down, and his tall, thin, and slightly hunched back made him look even more lonely and helpless.

"Yay!" Zhou Yanruo took two steps out of the pavilion and rushed into the crowd: "Make way, make way, move aside, what's going on, you've gone too far!" She pushed and shoved forcefully, and the seemingly slender person was surprisingly strong when she was angry.

Led by her, several fans helped her disperse the crowd to one side, allowing Zhou Yanruo to squeeze through the crowd and meet up with Shang Yibo.

"Get off the road first, it's all blocked," Zhou Yanruo said solemnly to Shang Yibo, looking up. "I sent my location to Ding Jiajia, but I don't think she'll get here anytime soon. You come out with me first."

As she spoke, without waiting for Shang Yibo's reaction, she stretched out two fingers, pinched the hem of Shang Yibo's clothes, and pulled it behind her. Then, with her other hand, she pushed aside the person blocking her way and walked out.

This time, Shang Yibo didn't shake off Zhou Yanruo's hand that was holding his clothes. He obediently followed her, head down, and walked out.

As soon as they stepped onto the stone foundation of the sidewalk, they saw a black Mercedes-Benz van speeding towards them with its hazard lights flashing. Before the car had even come to a complete stop, Ding Jiajia, who was sitting in the passenger seat, rolled down the window and shouted at them, "Get in, get in quickly!" As the car stopped, the automatic door opened with a "whoosh," and Shang Yibo nimbly stepped into the car, then quickly moved to the seat inside, turning his head to look at Zhou Yanruo.

"Mr. Zhou, get in the car quickly." Ding Jiajia waved from the passenger seat.

"You guys go ahead and leave, I don't need it, I can go back by myself."

Ding Jiajia was still hesitating when she heard a deep voice from the back seat: "Drive."

Ding Jiajia smiled shyly at Zhou Yanruo.

Zhou Yanru waved to Ding Jiajia, signaling them to drive away.

A van drove by, kicking up a cloud of dust. A few persistent fans ran after it for a few steps, followed closely by a group of people—entertainment reporters or paparazzi with long lenses, their identities unclear. When they realized they couldn't keep up, they gradually dispersed in twos and threes.

Zhou Yanruo shook her head, recovering from the scene she had just witnessed, and strolled off in the opposite direction. She didn't want to go back to the octagonal pavilion; all her emotions had been disrupted by the noise, and there was no point in going back.

Let's go back to the hotel first. I don't want to go to the old alleyway again today. It's called my hometown, but my closest relatives are long gone. There are some relatives I don't see often who live here. I haven't been in touch with them for many years. Even though they are relatives, we've become quite distant after not contacting each other for several years. I don't want to bother them anymore.