Chapter 21: Xiao He in Trouble Again?

"What more do you want from me!"Xu Youyou screamed in distress.

She had indeed been secretly dating someone behind her fans and manager's back, but they'd always been extremely careful. For over half a year their relationship remained hidden, until unexpectedly being exposed by paparazzi photos. The situation escalated when obsessive fans nearly trapped her in the hotel.

To prevent further damage, Xu Youyou had no choice but to separate from her boyfriend and flee the hotel, desperately trying to escape both fans and paparazzi.

Yet just when she thought she'd gotten away, Xu Youyou encountered another suspicious figure who seemed to be following her. Frustrated and panicked, she couldn't understand why she was being targeted like this.

"Youyou, don't cry! I'm not paparazzi, I'm your devoted fan—"

The man spoke with a hoarse voice, his gaze unnervingly fixed on her. Xu Youyou's tears froze in fear.

"You... you're not paparazzi?"

"Of course not! I'm your biggest fan! I've attended every one of your events—you even shook my hand last time!"

The man trembled with excitement, clutching the camera hanging from his neck. "Look! I have so many photos of you here! I haven't washed the hand you touched since that day! Youyou! It still carries your scent!"

Xu Youyou's face drained of color.

Not paparazzi—a stalker fan!

Her initial anger evaporated, replaced by terror as she took an involuntary step back from the disturbingly fervent man.

"S-sorry, I n-need to go—"

"Don't leave!"

The man suddenly grabbed her wrist with crushing force, making Xu Youyou shriek: "Ah! Let go! What are you doing?!"

Instead of releasing her, he pulled her closer, eyes burning with outrage: "Youyou, what's your relationship with that man? Are you really dating? Did you sleep with him? You promised fans you'd focus on your career!"

"Ahhh—"

Xu Youyou was petrified as the man removed his mask and began sniffing at her. Disgust and terror overwhelmed her as she struggled uselessly against his iron grip.

At that moment, something yanked hard on the man's neck, jerking him backward—

"THUD!"

Completely caught off guard, his head slammed against the wall behind him.

"Oww!" the man howled in pain.

Xiao He didn't hesitate—releasing the camera strap he'd pulled, he immediately followed up with a brutal punch to the man's face.

"Ugh—"

Blood gushed from the stalker's nose as he staggered, clutching his face in agony. "Fuck! Who the hell—"

"None of your business."

Xiao He then delivered a savage kick to the man's stomach, folding him into a writhing shrimp shape on the ground.

"You okay?" Xiao He asked Xu Youyou.

But the actress screamed: "Ahh! Careful! He has a knife!"

Xiao He barely dodged as silver flashed in his peripheral vision—leaning back just in time to avoid the lethal slash.

"You want to take her from me too?!"

The stalker shrieked hysterically, wildly waving his blade. "Die die die die DIE—"

Xu Youyou stumbled backward, trembling uncontrollably with terror. Yet Xiao He remained perfectly calm, carefully maintaining distance while tracking the knife's movements. From his pocket, he produced... a dessert fork.

The ordinary kind you'd use for cake.

One he'd casually taken from Sister Zhou's café earlier.

In the next instant, Xiao He seized his opportunity—the humble fork transforming into a deadly weapon as he executed an extremely precise maneuver, slashing toward the stalker's knife-wielding wrist.

Had Pu Rong or Lin Yipeng been present, they'd have recognized this as the Bone-Cleaving Knife Technique—though now performed with a mundane fork rather than a blade.

Did it make a difference?

The fork's sharp tines instantly carved dozens of fine bloody lines across the man's wrist. With a twist and upward flick, Xiao He shredded the flesh, sending blood spraying.

"AAAGH—"

The stalker's howl harmonized with Xu Youyou's scream as the knife clattered to the ground.

Xiao He kicked the weapon away, glaring coldly at the whimpering man. "Don't move. Police are coming."

Clutching his mutilated wrist, the stalker looked up at Xiao He with newfound fear, instantly ceasing all resistance.

Xu Youyou glanced between the now-terrified stalker and the far more frightening Xiao He, gulping audibly as she fumbled for her phone. "Th-thank you! I'll call the police now—"

Holy shit, both these guys are terrifying! Save me officer!

When the police arrived, they found bloodied Xiao He standing over the injured stalker, with a traumatized Xu Youyou cowering against the opposite wall.

Police: ?

Wait—weren't we told there was only one suspect? Why are there two now?

To make matters more awkward, the responding officers were familiar faces—Officer Zhang and his junior Officer Li from the previous mistaken arrest incident.

Seeing the bloodstains and Xiao He's crimson hands, Officer Li's expression filled with profound disappointment.

Seriously?! Out of jail for five minutes and already committing crimes again???

Xiao He: "..."

Last time was hard enough to explain. This is going to be impossible.

Fortunately, Xu Youyou quickly clarified the situation.

The stalker was sent to the hospital while they were taken to the police station in a squad car.

During the ride, Officer Zhang studied Xiao He suspiciously before asking: "Xiao, how'd you manage to cut him up like that? Nearly severed his tendons! Where'd you learn that?"

Xiao He: "...For film roles. Just picked up some stuff online..."

Officer Zhang said meaningfully: "Online huh? You're a fast learner."

Xiao He forced an awkward laugh: "Uh, yeah, haha, guess so..."

Dead silence filled the car. Officer Li kept glancing at Xiao He through the rearview mirror while driving. Officer Zhang stopped talking, and Xu Youyou just stared at her phone in deep thought.

They arrived at the station wrapped in this heavy atmosphere.

Soon after, Cheng Hongwen rushed in.

"Youyou! Youyou are you okay?!"

His heart had nearly stopped when he got the news, only calming after confirming Xu Youyou's safety.

"I'm fine," she said meekly, her eyes darting toward the exit.

Cheng Hongwen snapped: "Looking for what? You can't possibly call your boyfriend here now! That'd be career suicide!"

He'd only just learned Xu Youyou was dating a top idol—if this got out, both their careers would be destroyed by furious fans.

Xu Youyou shrank guiltily before gesturing behind her: "I owe my life to Mr. Xiao here. Without him..."

Cheng Hongwen finally noticed Xiao He, blinking in surprise: "You?"

Xiao He had seen Cheng Hongwen earlier but had no desire to interact.

What cursed luck.

"You know each other?" Xu Youyou asked, astonished.

"Ahem, business acquaintances," Cheng Hongwen coughed.

Expressionless, Xiao He pulled out his phone, displaying missed call records: "So this is why you stood me up and ghosted me completely?"