“They’re my fans. Of course I care about them.”
Yu Lingxin lowered his eyes and quietly placed the fruit and yogurt he’d bought into the fridge, letting out a soft “Mm”: “Your fans—of course you should care. But they spend money on you because they like you. It means you’re attractive. No one’s forcing them.”
“Then I’ll use my assistant’s phone to contact him and thank him for all his support over the years. I won’t reveal that I’m Jiang Nong.”
Yu Lingxin paused in his organizing: “What if someone else likes you more and spends even more money? Are you going to thank every single one?”
“I’m too obscure for that. Having one fan like that is already a blessing—like winning the lottery.” Jiang Nong clasped her hands together and bowed.
Yu Lingxin clattered the strawberries in the sink as he washed them. He looked around—the utensils were bought by him, the plants were bought by him, even the smallest dishcloth and hand towel were bought by him. So what if there was another fan who liked her more?
He calmed himself, holding in his breath, and fed her a washed strawberry.
“There will be fireworks by the river on the outskirts tonight. Want to go watch together?”
“How do you know? I didn’t see anyone mention it?”
Jiang Nong wasn’t really in the mood, but Yu Lingxin tugged her sleeve, his voice softening: “Sister.”
She softened and nodded.
—
[17:47]
@X: I am your one and only indulgence and preference.
[1L] @PassionatePeas: It’s not even dark yet, and he’s posting this kind of delusional caption again.
[2L] @ShanShan: Brother X is different to sister!
@X: skm
—
November weather was still chilly. There was no holiday or special occasion—just word that there’d be fireworks by the river, drawing quite a crowd. Yu Lingxin had bundled Jiang Nong up warmly, her hands tucked into his pockets, cozy and warm.
She poked half her face out and shook his hand: “You arranged the fireworks, didn’t you?”
“Are you happy?”
“Happy.” Who wouldn’t be happy to have someone cheer them up?
Sometimes she couldn’t even imagine what she’d do if Yu Lingxin ever left her. Her home was tidied by him, her meals cooked by him, even her sheets and pillowcases changed regularly by him—he took care of every little thing around the house. Her mother even said she looked healthier now than she had in college.
“Do you like me?” She looked at him with sudden seriousness.
She thought Yu Lingxin probably liked her. After all, even friends wouldn’t be this good to each other. She couldn’t keep pretending, stringing him along year after year, taking his kindness for granted.
Her career didn’t seem to be going anywhere. She wasn’t even famous enough to have fans who’d boycott her for dating.
X seemed to like her—she wanted him to stop spending money on her. That was her own decision to make. She’d pay him back little by little over the years. And honestly, Jiang Nong wasn’t sure whether she even wanted to keep doing this job.
Yu Lingxin seemed taken aback by her bluntness. He froze for a moment, his ears turning crimson under the fireworks’ glow, and gave a slight nod.
Jiang Nong bit her lower lip and said firmly: “Give me some time. I should take responsibility for you.”
Yu Lingxin’s breath caught. After a long pause—amidst the fireworks bursting across the sky—she felt a very light kiss land on her eyelids.
That night, Weibo was in chaos. A certain unknown actress’s famous delusional fan boy had gone into overdrive.
—
[20:36]
@X: Before the first snow, what landed on your lashes was my lips. [Fireworks photo JPG]
[20:47]
@X: Say you love me.
[20:52]
@X: Sister, in your dreams, it has to be me. Only me.
[21:01]
@X: I’ll walk the long road with you.
[21:08]
@X: I miss the warmth of your hand in my palm.
[21:27]
@X: Let our hair and our fates be forever tangled together.
[21:37]
@X: I’m already certain—your palm lines trace my path.
[21:48]
@X: I’ll wait for you.
—
[1L] @IsCute: This delusional man is at it again late at night.
[2L] @YourTearsMyStimulant: Pure passerby here, came from Douban. Is Brother X always like this? How long has he been like this?
[3L] @AreYouGood: Replying to the second floor—tonight he’s gone crazy, delusions on another level, even calling her “sister.” If I didn’t know better, I’d think he actually made it. I still remember the days we were all delusional dream girls together—how did you suddenly get promoted? Leaving me here drooling over my Nong alone.
[User in floor 3 has been blocked by the OP; comment cannot be displayed]
[4L] @WENN: Oh wow! Nongnong just posted—fireworks photos just like Brother X’s. Did he actually make it? 99!
@X: skm
[5L] @MommyLovesYou: There were fireworks on the outskirts of the capital tonight, and Nongnong went to see them too. So this guy actually saw Nongnong and his delusional disorder got worse, right?
@X: Not a dream guy—I’m her brother-in-law.
@MommyLovesYou: …I have nothing to say to a dream guy like you.
—
X had posted eight Weibo updates in a row. Jiang Nong didn’t dare read them closely. She bit her nails, paced around the room in hesitation for a long while, then finally logged onto her assistant’s social media account and messaged her fan.
[Xiao Ye: Hello there! I’m Assistant Xiao Ye for Ms. Jiang Nong. Thank you so much for your love and support for Ms. Jiang Nong over these past two years. However, we hope you can focus more on your own life.]
Yu Lingxin had been waiting for her to reach out. He had no intention of playing along with her script.
[X: But my life is only about her. What’s wrong with revolving around her? [Smiley emoji]]
What’s this? Jiang Nong scratched her head.
[Xiao Ye: I’m just worried that you’re placing too much importance on Ms. Jiang Nong—you might end up disappointed in the future.]
[X: Is she going to start dating?]
Jiang Nong felt like a guilty thief. Old fans really had sharp instincts—she hadn’t even said anything, and he already knew everything. She was so startled she threw her phone away. The notification chimes kept ringing nonstop; she was afraid to even look.
Finally, the messages stopped. She closed her eyes, fumbled for her phone, and mentally prepared herself.
Huh?
[X: Then I’ll wish her well. They must be a perfect match. Liking her is my own business.]
[X: Don’t feel burdened. Be happy together.]
…
At the end, maybe afraid she’d think he was being sarcastic, he even sent a bunch of cute emojis.
Jiang Nong felt a little guilty—and also confused. Normally, shouldn’t he be cursing her out?
She didn’t know how to reply. She just said thank you and quickly closed the chat.
Later that night, lying in bed, Jiang Nong couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. Just like that, he blessed them? And why did his tone sound almost eager?
She scrolled through X’s profile in the dark. The first thing she saw: eight posts full of poetic, lovesick, melancholic captions.
Fireworks? Sister?
The chances that X had watched the same fireworks as her, used the same pet names as Yu Lingxin, and wasn’t Yu Lingxin were practically zero.
Her first instinct was to confront him—but as she scrolled further, her heart softened. She just couldn’t bring herself to.
He’d spent money and effort supporting her for two years, taken care of every detail of her life, waited for her to ask if he liked her first, and never pushed her. What else could he possibly be after?
He was still the same as when they were kids—so well-behaved.
Yu Lingxin had probably already guessed that Jiang Nong had opened his profile and figured out X was him. She didn’t say anything, and he wouldn’t admit it—but he would never let another man occupy any space in her heart.
Jiang Nong spent the whole night scrolling through X’s entire profile. The next morning, she got up with dark circles under her eyes—and went out to buy a pair of couple’s rings.
That very night, X’s account updated again.
On clearly defined fingers sat a simple silver band—clearly one half of a couple’s set.
@X: Want to hold your hand—not impossible.
[1L] @Yakult: ??? Bro, you’re dating?
@X: @JiangNong
[2L] @CrispyPeach: The delusional disorder is acting up again. Just let him be…
—
Meanwhile, a new post was rising in the forum: [Discussion: The couple’s rings shown by that famous delusional fan—the other half was spotted on the celebrity herself, photographed by a passerby on her way to an audition. Is the dream guy having another episode, or did he actually make it?]
Not long after, the post was mysteriously taken down.
—
Jiang Nong never gave up. After two years of running bit parts in over twenty dramas, she finally gained a bit of popularity—becoming a rising star. The man known as “dream guy” in public and “actual brother-in-law” in private had been exposed and re-exposed countless times.
[Discussion: Is X the real brother-in-law?]
[1L] @Goudan: 100% confirmed. Over the past two years, every group has dug into it multiple times—too many coincidences. They’ve always been in the same IP location. Fans traced the timeline; they likely got together around the time he was posting all those dramatic essays. Turns out he wasn’t a dream guy—he’s the real deal. This post won’t last long—soon the brother-in-law will use his money powers to take it down.
[2L] @OrangeJuiceRun: I’m here, I’m here! Risking my account getting banned to ask—so curious. Isn’t JN in her rising phase? Flower fans are usually strict with their idols, especially during the rise—no dating allowed. If he’s confirmed as the brother-in-law, why haven’t the management team, super topic, or fan club changed their black profile pictures? Someone explain?
[3L] @lw: You said it yourself—your idol’s management team and super topic were all built by your brother-in-law. You can’t talk about JN without mentioning X. His contributions are obvious to everyone. They’re too tied together—driving the brother-in-law away would do no good. Fans have already accepted him.
[4L] @1234: Seriously, your brother-in-law—everyone thought he was just a dream guy, turns out he’s the real deal. He used to get called delusional for showing affection, now everyone’s been proven wrong. Total bad brother-in-law. But if you’re short on pocket money, you can go to his comments and say “X Nong 99″—if he’s in a good mood, he might ask for your payment code.
[5L] @PeachesAreDelicious: Speaking of which, at year-end the platform always runs all those lists—”Most Stingy Sister/Brother-in-Law,” “Most Obvious Sister/Brother-in-Law Syndrome,” “Worst Sister/Brother-in-Law”—your brother-in-law has been number one for three years straight.
[6L] @KittensAreCute: What does the brother-in-law look like? I can’t call just anyone “brother-in-law” unless he’s decent—no matter how rich or loving. Any photos?
[7L] @YuanYuanYuanYuan: Yes, there are. The brother-in-law is ridiculously good-looking—that’s why fans don’t complain. [Image JPG][Image JPG] Caught while he was shopping with her—I saved them fast. Blindingly happy. There’s video too, can’t post it here. Anyway, he never stopped smiling while swiping his card for her. All lovey-dovey.
[8L] @KittensAreCute: Perfect match. I’ll ship the official couple.
[9L] @MimiMimi: Perfect match. I’ll ship the official couple.
[10L] @MeowMeowMeow: Perfect match. I’ll ship the official couple.
…
[101L] @LittleFishBone: Hold the shipping—brother-in-law is posting melancholic “runaway wife” captions again. What’s with the “How far is it from tears to your heart—how do you let go of the first hand you ever held”? Did they break up?
[102L] @Ruyi: Oh no. Your sister has a scene with a male actor today. No kissing scene, but it’s a “first love breakup” storyline. The world’s pettiest brother-in-law is about to start posting again…
[103L] @MeowMeowMeowMeow: Brother-in-law is mad. Does this post stand a chance?
[104L] @MIMI: Nope. Everyone take one last group photo for memory. X Nong 99.
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