Jiangnan, Hang City.
A bustling mall was crowded with people, as it was heard that several members of the Spaceship Lady group would be holding an event here today. Fans and onlookers gathered, causing the mall to be packed.
"Spaceship Lady? Thatâs the girl group from the recent talent show, right!"
"Yes, itâs Ning Xiaoyueâs group!"
"Is Ning Xiaoyue coming too? Sheâs been really popular online lately. I want to see her in person. Although sheâs not great at singing or dancing, they say sheâs really pretty!"
The crowd buzzed with chatter.
Creation Star is a talent show thatâs become a nationwide hit, with the final 9 contestants forming the group named Spaceship Lady.
Todayâs event was a commercial one, with only three members of the group attending. The crowdâs discussions mostly revolved around Ning Xiaoyue, as everyone wanted to know if she would show up.
Ning Xiaoyue really came.
A van arrived at the mall entrance, and Ning Xiaoyue, along with two other teammates, got out of the vehicle. Accompanied by their assistants, they headed towards the mall.
"Ning Xiaoyue is here!"
Someone shouted, and the crowd surged forward in excitement to see her. A well-trained security detail formed a human barrier to hold back the enthusiastic crowd.
This scene startled Ning Xiaoyue and her companions, genuinely fearing that the security guards wouldnât be able to hold back the crowd.
At the mall entrance, a tall woman with long black hair wearing a security uniform approached, coming up to Ning Xiaoyue.
"Miss Ning, Iâm in charge of your safety today. Please follow me without worry," the woman with long black hair smiled.
Ning Xiaoyue saw this security guard and was almost startled to exclaim. This female security guard was so beautifulâmy goodness, such a stunning woman, yet sheâs a security guard.
Her beauty could rival female stars in the entertainment industry. Even Ning Xiaoyue appeared somewhat juvenile in comparison.
"Thank you. May I ask what to call you?" Ning Xiaoyue politely asked.
The woman with long black hair replied, "Iâm Anna."
Anna, acting on Feng Wanshanâs orders, intentionally approached Ning Xiaoyue to seize the opportunity to target her.
Anna had already informed Lin Fan about this. Lin Fan advised Anna to play along, so Anna came forward. With her skills, becoming the mallâs security captain wasnât difficult.
Ning Xiaoyue smiled and said, "Thank you, Sister Anna."
With such a beautiful security sister by her side, her mood improved significantly.
Led by Anna, the group entered the mall.
Afterward, under the brandâs arrangement, Ning Xiaoyue and her two teammates performed on stage, with Anna watching from the side.
The stage was set in the mallâs first-floor atrium, creating an exuberant atmosphere as the surrounding crowd gathered to watch the show.
Ning Xiaoyue and her companions were on stage.
"Ning Xiaoyue, how dare you debut! Your singing and dancing are so poor, get off the stage!"
Suddenly, someone screamed, and a plump girl jumped onto the stage, her face menacing, and lunged at Ning Xiaoyue with a slipper in hand.
The incident happened so suddenly that everyone was frozen in shock.
Ning Xiaoyue was taken aback and instinctively stepped back.
Despite her plump figure, the girl moved surprisingly quickly. She was about to reach Ning Xiaoyue and cause harm.
At that moment, Anna darted in swiftly from the side, tripping the plump girl, who fell to the ground. Anna then pinned her down with a bent knee, and quickly subdued her hands, causing the slipper to drop to the floor.
Even as the plump girl was subdued, she wouldnât relent.
"Ning Xiaoyue, what gives you the right to debut? Youâre not even better than me!" the plump girl screeched.
This remark prompted a burst of laughter from the crowd.
"No way, where does this girl get her confidence?"
"Sheâs so ordinary, yet so self-assured!"
"Even though Ning Xiaoyueâs singing and dancing skills are average, sheâs genuinely beautiful. This girl is probably driven crazy by jealousy."
"Itâs terrifying. Jealousy is one thing, but resorting to violence? How can someone with such poor demeanor look down on Ning Xiaoyue!"
"So those who insult Ning Xiaoyue online are girls like this? It turns out that women harbor the most malice against women."
The crowd began to comment.
Anna subdued the plump girl, signaling two security guards to take her away, instructing them, "Call the police and hand her over to them."
Then Anna stood up, approached Ning Xiaoyue, and asked, "Are you okay?"
Ning Xiaoyue, recovering from her fright, replied, "Iâm fine, thank you, Sister Anna."
Anna said, "It seems thereâs no need to continue this activity. Letâs go, Iâll take you backstage."
With that, Anna led Ning Xiaoyue backstage.
The other two teammates stayed outside; only Anna and Ning Xiaoyue were backstage.
Anna poured a cup of water for Ning Xiaoyue and said, "Have some water to calm your nerves."
Ning Xiaoyue accepted the water with a smile, saying, "Thank you."
Anna replied, "Youâre welcome. Ensuring your security is my duty."
Ning Xiaoyue apologetically said, "Iâm sorry for causing you trouble. I didnât expect something like this to happen."
Anna paused. Before this, she didnât know much about Ning Xiaoyue. She only knew Lin Fan invested in the Company Ning Xiaoyue was part of, and Lin Fan intended to protect her. Feng Wanshan attempted to target Ning Xiaoyue to ultimately get at Lin Fan.
Anna said, "Being a celebrity must be quite stressful. Iâve heard lots of people criticize you online. But I didnât expect someone to actually try to attack you offline. I hope you take it easy."
Anna wasnât skilled at comforting people. She said these words merely to get closer to Ning Xiaoyue.
Ning Xiaoyue laughed nonchalantly, "Thank you, Sister Anna, for your encouragement. Iâm fine. I know what Iâm like. Itâs true that many people donât recognize me now, but thatâs okay. Iâll do my best at my job. There will always be someone who appreciates me. Everything carries its own pressures. I used to wait tables at a restaurant, wasnât that pressure too? I earned less back then. Now itâs just a different kind of pressure. Itâs fine; I can handle it."
Anna was a bit surprised internally. She didnât expect that at such a young age, Ning Xiaoyue could live with such clarity and resilience. It seemed there was no need to worry about her at all.
At first, Anna didnât understand why Lin Fan wanted to invest in Ning Xiaoyue, but now she had some understanding. Lin Fan had a good eye. This young girl would achieve remarkable things.
"Sister Anna, youâre so skillful. That girl was subdued instantly. Iâm so envious of you. Youâre like a heroine," Ning Xiaoyue giggled.
Although Anna had a cool personality, hearing the young girlâs genuine praise lifted her spirits. She took the opportunity to say, "If you donât mind, Iâll be your protector from now on."
Ning Xiaoyue was pleasantly surprised, "Thatâs wonderful, really?"
For the next several days, Ning Xiaoyue remained in Hang City, and Anna stayed by her side. The two grew increasingly close.
Several days later, Ning Xiaoyue left Hang City and parted ways with Anna.
By then, the two were very close, like sisters.
After seeing Ning Xiaoyue off,
Anna made a call to Feng Wanshan: "Godfather, as you instructed, Iâve been with Ning Xiaoyue these past few days. Iâve completed the task you assigned."