It takes more than ten hours to fly from Spain to the Magic City, which means that according to China's time, if it's midnight, it was already past 3 PM when Yi Xing got off the plane.
He had slept so soundly that he lost all sense of time; it was daytime when he closed his eyes, night when he opened them, then he closed them and slept again, only to open them again to find it was daytime. The seven-hour time difference left his head still a bit muddled.
Drowsily following the crowd out of the cabin, his phone, which was in his pocket, also got a signal and started ringing with a 'ding ding ding.' The series of message notifications brought him back to his senses somewhat. He took out his phone to check and found they were all from Ju Jingyi.
“Ju Jingyi: Let me see, who suddenly contacted me? Is your show recording over?”
“Ju Jingyi: I saw a lot of spoilers about you guys online. Was traveling abroad fun?”
“Ju Jingyi: No way, no way, you didn't go offline again, did you?”
After reading these messages, Yi Xing lowered his head and laughed, his eyes full of mirth, and he became much more awake. He typed his reply on the screen.
“Yi Xing: Just got off the plane. Are you in the Magic City now? Do you have time for dinner together?”
After sending the message, he tightly gripped his phone and went to the baggage claim area. He picked up his suitcase and walked towards the airport exit. Since the new year was approaching, major TV stations were all preparing for their New Year's Eve galas, and there were an incredible number of people picking up passengers.
He took a quick glance and saw that fans from several different groups were gathered together. Some even held signs for Luo Jin, but unfortunately, there were none for him, which left him feeling a bit disappointed yet also relieved.
He was disappointed that his fame wasn't yet widespread enough, but relieved that his presence wouldn't cause inconvenience to airport traffic. He pulled his suitcase, walking with his gaze fixed straight ahead.
The cheers from other fans around him rose and fell, making him feel a bit overwhelmed. He was forced to take out his earphones from his bag and put them in his ears, which immediately brought much more quiet.
Perhaps it was due to his disguise or his aura, but he unconsciously attracted the attention of fans whose idols hadn't yet arrived. One girl, emboldened, blocked his path and asked nervously,
“Hello, you look a bit familiar. Did you participate in the ‘Speed Up’ show?”
Yi Xing paused slightly, stopped, and glanced at the sign in her hand, which had Luo Jin's name on it. That explained why she found him familiar; after all, he had been on the same variety show as the person she followed. He offered a professional smile and replied warmly,
“Yes, I was on every episode.”
“You are… Yi Xing?!” The girl's mind raced. A regular guest on every episode, looking so young, plus his height—after layers of filtering, only one candidate remained.
She completely failed to control her volume, and passersby all looked over. She covered her mouth in surprise, her eyes wide. Although the person in front of her wasn't very famous, he was undeniably handsome.
“Please try to control yourself a bit; keep your voice down.”
“Mm-hmm, wait here for me for a moment, I'm going to grab something.”
“Okay.”
Seeing him agree, the girl quickly ran back to the pickup crowd, took a backpack from her friend who came with her, then jogged back to her original spot, put down the bag, and rummaged through it continuously.
Yi Xing watched the person's actions, his curiosity completely uncontainable. He wanted to know what she was looking for that took so long. He stretched his neck and secretly peeked.
The bag was full of signs for various male celebrities, including Lu Han, Yi Xing, Yi Yang Qianxi, and so on. Basically, any handsome artist's name could be found in there. He couldn't tell that this girl had such a broad taste.
After knowing what she was looking for, he was no longer curious, but rather full of anticipation, hoping she would pull out a sign with his name on it.
As the saying goes, the greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment. The girl searched for a long time; she even wanted to dump everything out of her bag onto the floor, but she still couldn't find what she wanted. She stiffly turned around and smiled awkwardly.
“Um, I'm sorry, I left in too much of a hurry today and didn't bring everything. You don't mind, do you?”
“No, it's fine. By the way, do you want an autograph?” Although Yi Xing was a little disappointed, he still smiled indifferently. At least he confirmed that the person in front of him was his fan, and also someone else's fan. The thought made his smile freeze.
“Yes, yes, yes!” The girl's eyes instantly lit up. She nodded repeatedly and quickly took out a notebook and pen from her bag, handing them over.
He took the notebook and pen, opened it, and glanced inside. Good heavens, this girl was not only broad-minded but also had a collecting habit. How many people had she met to get so many autographs? More than he had ever seen. She was truly impressive.
“What's your name, and are you still in school?”
“My name is Zhang Qing, and I'm currently in the first year of high school.”
After learning her information, Yi Xing wrote his first personalized autograph. As for his very first autograph, that had already been given to Ju Jingyi. One day after a recording session, they felt a bit bored, so he suggested they exchange autographs. The idea was put into action immediately.
“To Zhang Qing: May your high school life be carefree, unrestrained, and healthy. May your studies go smoothly, with nothing to hinder your progress. Let's work hard together! — Yi Xing.”
Except for the final signature, all the words he wrote were neat and tidy. A signature, after all, is merely a display of personal style; if people can read it, is it still a signature?
“Alright, I should go now. Goodbye.” He handed back the signed notebook and left, pushing his suitcase. He still had to rush to meet Ju Jingyi. He had received a reply earlier, saying that she was also in the Magic City and free in the evening.
Zhang Qing, who received the notebook, saw the string of words on it, her eyes full of excitement. This was the first personalized autograph she had received after getting so many celebrity signatures. She picked up her phone, took a few photos, and planned to show it off properly.
The crowd not far away suddenly stirred. She heard someone shout, “Yi Xing is here!” She immediately bent down, found the sign with Yi Xing's name in her bag, and rushed forward.
Yi Xing, walking ahead, also heard the commotion behind him. He turned his head to look, then quickened his pace, eager to leave this troublesome place. If those crazy fans came over, he wouldn't have a chance to leave.
He hailed a taxi, told the driver to go to the Star Dream Theater on Jiaxing Road, and leaned back in his seat, checking for hotels nearby. He needed to sort out his accommodation for the night first.
He wouldn't go back on his own before the bet was fulfilled. It would be about next year when his variety shows and dramas would be released. According to Director Jiang, the legend of the condor heroes had passed the review and would air after the Lantern Festival.