CHAPTER 44: CHAPTER 40: DON’T BE AFRAID, I’M HERE

"I’m fine, thank you."

Xu Qingqiu, likely terrified, unconsciously hid behind Chu Tian, her face completely pale, yet she still stubbornly insisted she was alright.

"Don’t be scared, I’m here. COUGH, COUGH!"

Feeling the solid body next to her, Xu Qingqiu finally felt much more at ease. It was as if a calm harbor had suddenly appeared in the midst of a violent storm, filling her with a sense of complete safety. Especially at her most desperate moment, the image of the figure kicking through the air had indelibly branded itself onto her heart, impossible to dismiss.

But after a brief moment of distraction, she quickly realized something, noticing Chu Tian’s hoarse voice and that unmistakable cough.

Xu Qingqiu immediately thought of something, and her panic faded significantly. One hand clutched tightly at Chu Tian’s arm, while the other soothed his back, helping him breathe easier.

"Mmm, I’m not scared anymore. You don’t talk; take care of your throat."

Fortunately, Chu Tian was tall and muscular, effectively shielding their subtle interactions from the many cellphones filming the scene. Otherwise, tomorrow’s trending topic wouldn’t just be about the sleazy man rushing the stage to approach Xu Qingqiu, but likely another scandalous headline too.

Chu Tian felt the soft, gentle hand repeatedly touching his back and was the first to grow overwhelmed.

Who else had such a privilege? The Queen herself was helping him breathe easier; wasn’t that a bit magical? He wasn’t fazed by her status as the Queen, but having such a beautiful woman treat him this way would surely make anyone uncomfortable.

"Alright, alright, I won’t speak anymore. Let’s head down."

To avoid further awkwardness, he chose to quickly leave the area. If they stayed longer, he felt as if he’d grow needles on his body from the discomfort!

By this time, the event staff had arrived and led them off the stage. Others would handle the situation. Of course, as an involved party, Chu Tian still needed to make a statement to assist the investigation.

No matter what, he had kicked the man and certainly couldn’t just leave. Based on the intermittent voices coming from the front, he thought he heard that the man’s arm was broken.

Did I really use that much force? Or was the man just too weak? His arm broke just from that one kick?

With such an incident, continuing the event seemed unlikely. Fortunately, it was already nearing its end. Xu Qingqiu, as the biggest star, had been the last to perform, and the interactive segment that followed was rather optional.

That afternoon, Xu Qingqiu accompanied Chu Tian to give a statement. The facts were clear, and there was plenty of video evidence and eyewitness testimony. The nature of the incident was straightforward, so for Chu Tian, it was merely a matter of recounting the situation; there were no problems.

The two were somewhat silent on the way back.

Xu Qingqiu still felt a lingering fear from the day’s events.

"Thank you, Chu Tian. I’m so grateful you were with me today. I shudder to think what might have happened if you weren’t there."

"It’s okay, don’t talk; just listen to me. I just want to chat for a bit, otherwise, my mind will keep replaying what happened."

Just as Chu Tian was about to speak, he heard her words and said nothing.

He thought that perhaps talking it out could indeed help relieve stress after such a scare; getting it off her chest might make her feel better.

Unsure if it was due to fatigue or something else, while waiting at a red light, Xu Qingqiu took her small pink bag, naturally pulled out a thermos, and took a sip.

Chu Tian stared, wanting to remind her that he had drunk from that cup!

However, Xu Qingqiu seemed completely oblivious.

"Eh? Is it empty? Next time I’ll bring a bigger cup."

"..."

A bigger cup? Are you serious? That’s an indirect kiss, sis! Don’t you realize how inappropriate that is?

He was utterly bewildered. In his past life, he had been a long-time bachelor, surrounded by peers whose romantic endeavors often ended in disaster. Consequently, he had navigated his decades in the industry very conservatively. He had always been single, never even dated, let alone experienced any romance.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call him a classic "straight-laced guy," perhaps even a bit old-fashioned, so it was natural for him to be flustered by the current situation.

On the other hand, Xu Qingqiu appeared completely unfazed, seemingly unaware of anything amiss. Of course, that statement would only be convincing if one ignored her secretly turned head and the blush visible on her cheeks in the rearview mirror.

Was she calm? Only on the surface, all a brave front. In reality, the moment she realized the cup was empty, she knew. She just didn’t want to show it, feigning composure.

Chu Tian, being a somewhat unperceptive man, didn’t notice these subtleties. He just felt so awkward that his toes curled, and he lowered his head, not daring to speak.

The rest of the journey passed in silence.

One focused intently on driving, the other on scrolling through their phone.

As a firsthand witness to such a major incident, how could he not dive into the gossip?

As expected, videos of the incident quickly surfaced online, even hitting the trending topics.

#Queen Xu Qingqiu Attacked by Sleazy Man#

The explosive headline was prominently displayed. Clicking on it led to various on-site videos and hastily written articles by paparazzi.

’Reports indicate that during a celebrity concert at a mall, Queen Xu Qingqiu, who recently regained massive popularity, was allegedly harassed by a sleazy man. Fortunately, a mysterious man of unknown identity suddenly appeared and intervened. This man is suspected to be a certain male celebrity.’

Now *that’s* what you call professional! How many buzzwords are there in just one sentence? [Newly Resurged Fame][Queen Xu Qingqiu][Sleazy Man Harassment][Unknown Identity][Mysterious Man][Suspected Male Star]. This series of explosive keywords instantly caught the attention of many gossip-loving netizens.

Some focused on information about the sleazy man and the outcome of his actions—pitying him, cursing his deplorable conduct, or calling him shameless.

Others focused on Chu Tian.

"Wow! That move was so cool! Who is this guy?"

"Could he be Xu Qingqiu’s bodyguard? A celebrity goddess and her handsome bodyguard?!"

"So hot, right? Those sunglasses are awesome! And he was so gentle when he adjusted her pink backpack!"

"I’m totally melting. How can anyone be so handsome?"

"Wake up, he’s wearing sunglasses. What if he’s cross-eyed underneath?"

"Shut up! Just weld your mouth shut! And that hottie should weld those sunglasses to his face! I won’t allow my fantasy crush to be ruined by reality!"

"..."

Chu Tian grimaced as he read these comments. Even through the internet, it was overwhelming. Are young girls these days this intense? Is this level of boldness really something one should see?

With a sense of awe, he closed the comment section and, curious, clicked on a few videos.

His attention had been entirely on the sleazy man during the incident; he hadn’t noticed anything else. This was the first time he was seeing footage of the scene.

Hmm, that kick was good, very forceful! This angle is great, very stylish; the previous one was a bit off.

As he watched, he suddenly heard the system’s notification sound.

"DING. Reputation Points are full. Please use them as soon as possible."

What the heck, full again? Is that even possible? Since when does kicking someone increase Reputation Points? No, wait! It’s not just the kick. The song Xu Qingqiu sang earlier was one I gave her. That can also increase Reputation Points, right?

Without overthinking it, he quickly switched to the system interface and initiated a ten-pull draw.