CHAPTER 133: CHAPTER 123: AS EXPECTED, EVERYONE IS MUCH MORE POLITE

No matter how you put it, that last pile of items was still forcefully stuffed into the car. It was fortunate that the car Xu Qingqiu bought was originally a nanny van. This was because back then at the company, she was in fierce competition with Qin Xiao and Lin Junsu. Relying on their connections, they often sabotaged her, and the company only had two nanny vans. Whenever Qin Xiao and Lin Junsu didn’t have enough vehicles for their own use, they would always find someone to take Xu Qingqiu’s car.

Once or twice was fine, but frequent use always led to problems. Xu Qingqiu was good-tempered at first, but later on, she missed several appointments because of the nanny van issue. She was even accused of deliberately being late and acting like a diva. Li Chunhua directly confronted them and scolded them, but it was no use. Jiang Wangtao was hospitalized, and Ye Zhonghuai had returned to the company and gained even more influence. Xu Qingqiu was already being marginalized. She had no one to support her, no connections, and no influence. Even if she voiced her concerns, who would care?

Having no choice, she eventually paid out of her own pocket for the cheapest nanny van. It was less comfortable but had the advantages of good capacity and low cost.

Since they had to start filming from the moment they set out, they stopped at a café close to the airport as instructed by the production crew. The three of them sat at a table drinking beverages, with filming equipment already set up nearby. Soon, a cameraman came over with an invitation letter. Xu Qingqiu took the invitation letter and awkwardly performed according to the script, messing up three times before finally succeeding. She was mortified by her clumsy performance; it was her first time participating in an outdoor reality show, and she really lacked experience.

The crew, surprisingly, were very pleasant, all smiling and extremely polite. Even though they were a team from a top-tier satellite TV station, they made the experience very comfortable. Not only that, but on their way to the airport afterward, the crew took meticulous care of the three of them, being very polite even to Chu Tian and Yiyi, the assistants. Upon arriving at the airport, the crew heard they had a lot of luggage. Since the film crew also had equipment, they used a special channel they had arranged and even helped carry their bags. The attitude and the overall feeling were completely different. This was in stark contrast to their previous visit to "The Sound of Nature," where, aside from one dedicated assistant, the others had been indifferent.

Chu Tian couldn’t help but sigh. Here we go, another classic moment, he thought. With influence, the people you meet become much more courteous. They constantly address you as ’Teacher,’ offering subtle, warm, and meticulous service—truly five-star.

All these changes were sparked by the new album. Xu Qingqiu now had both fame and talent. Online, she was incredibly popular. Her songs were played everywhere, countless shows were pleading for her to appear, and numerous brands were waving money for her to endorse them. Unfortunately, they were mostly second and third-tier brands, which Li Chunhua, after much consideration, refused. She also rejected most other shows that either didn’t align with Xu Qingqiu’s positioning or merely wanted to capitalize on her fame and value. Only a very few offers remained. This "very few" was relative, and soon they would feel the power of this "very few."

「Thanks to well-developed transportation, it took just over two hours from boarding the plane to landing.」

As they emerged from the airport, Xu Qingqiu and her team were happily chatting with the staff. Just as they walked out, she suddenly saw a large crowd ahead.

Xu Qingqiu was initially slow to react. Except for during her peak popularity, when a few people might come to greet her, fans had rarely come since then. For one thing, as a singer, she didn’t rely on marketing like those traffic celebrities who depend solely on it and need to create a constant buzz. For another, she usually worked behind the scenes, rarely appearing in public except for performances, and she had also requested that fans not come to the airport. So, she initially thought she had coincidentally run into some idol star, and her first instinct was to sidestep so as not to disrupt their staged fan reception.

Unexpectedly, her attempt to move aside backfired spectacularly. The large, distant crowd immediately spotted her. Someone shouted, and the whole group swarmed towards them.

Chu Tian was the first to react, instinctively stepping back into the midst of the film crew and security personnel.

Xu Qingqiu hadn’t encountered such a situation before, so she hadn’t brought a bodyguard. The production crew had simply notified the airport ahead of time, logged their itinerary, and requested security assistance. They, too, hadn’t prepared bodyguards, assuming that given Xu Qingqiu’s current fame, she would have her own. However, that wasn’t the case. In fact, Chu Tian seemed more like a personal bodyguard, despite officially being an assistant.

Yet, as the crowd surged closer, Chu Tian’s first instinct was to retreat directly into the protective circle formed by security and staff, leaving Xu Qingqiu and Yiyi dumbfounded.

It had to be said, his actions were swift, accurate, and professional. He had immediately positioned himself in the safest spot, ensuring he was surrounded by people who could block the fan surge.

Wait, I’m not a star in this lifetime, I’m a damn assistant! he realized as soon as he was safely inside. And the main celebrity is still out front, looking completely clueless!

It just went to show how fast he reacted. Although he had subconsciously made a mistake, he immediately reached out, grabbed Xu Qingqiu’s arm, and pulled her back. Xu Qingqiu, still bewildered, was guided into the innermost part of the protective circle.