Hangcheng was exploding with activity, and even the number of traffic police on the streets had increased. Miss Li Yuwei, who had just started working, straddled a 500-jin heavy motorcycle, directing traffic on the road. The congestion near West Lake was particularly severe. It's important to note that there was still some time before the Chinese New Year, and it was a regular workday. However, there were quite a few people on the road carrying travel bags on their backs, some in groups of three or five, others walking alone.
They were not in a hurry, taking in the beautiful scenery of West Lake as they followed their navigation to the same destination. Some were about to embark on a nationwide journey, with West Lake being their first stop. Others simply wanted to be willful and wild for once before returning to endure life's hardships. And then there were those who harbored dreams in their hearts, with West Lake serving as the starting point of their aspirations.
"Officer Xiao Wei, is there an event going on at West Lake? Why are there so many out-of-towners?" someone familiar with Xiao Wei asked on the road. Xiao Wei was also perplexed by the sudden influx of people, a situation typically seen only during the Chinese New Year or holidays. Even the leaders from the bureau had come out to direct traffic.
"I'm not sure. Let me ask," Xiao Wei replied. This situation had only emerged in the past few days, and no one knew the reason behind it. She stopped a few people carrying travel bags and asked sweetly, "Excuse me, are you here to visit West Lake?"
The young man at the front looked at Xiao Wei, who was valiant and formidable, befitting the territory of an idol. Even the lady traffic officer was so pretty. "We're going to Butterfly Theater to see our idol," he said.
"Idol?" Xiao Wei was still puzzled. She knew about Butterfly Theater, being a local born and raised in the area. Butterfly Theater had been very popular for the past six months, but not to this extent. Could they be fans of Junjun and Yunxiao? It didn't seem like it, as most of Junxiao's fans were female. But these people with travel bags were all grown men.
"Yes, yes, Officer, we won't cause any trouble. We just want to catch a glimpse of Jiang Hua from afar," they assured her.
Jiang Hua? Xiao Wei had even tricked him into signing an autograph last time. Thinking about it, it made sense. Butterfly Theater had three top stars and one sweet sister. The only one who could attract so many male fans seemed to be Jiang Hua. But this was too exaggerated. Could all these backpackers on the road be here to see Jiang Hua? Were they on a pilgrimage?
"Are you all here to see Jiang Hua? Are all those people carrying travel bags on the road here for the same reason?" she asked, voicing her doubts. It couldn't be possible for so many people to come just for Jiang Hua. What was so great about him? Aside from being a bit more handsome and having a nice singing voice, there wasn't much else. This guy often dealt with traffic violations, and they were old acquaintances.
The person at the front shook his head and said, "It should be the majority. On TikTok and forums, there are people organizing and telling everyone not to disturb Jiang Hua."
The influence he had was unbelievable. "Don't you all have to work?" she asked, immediately realizing her mistake and sticking out her tongue.
The young people laughed and replied, "We're not working anymore. After seeing Jiang Hua, we're going to travel around the country." Xiao Wei told them to be careful and kindly gave them directions.
Similar scenes played out repeatedly, and the higher-ups also responded urgently. West Lake was already crowded, and now everyone was coming to Hangcheng, with West Lake as their first stop before walking to Butterfly Theater. It was like people going on a pilgrimage to the Western Regions.
Around Butterfly Theater, it used to be a gathering of young ladies, everyone chasing the top Yue Opera stars, especially fond of Junxiao. But in the past two days, a group of backpackers occupied the front positions, not fighting or snatching, quietly putting down their bags. Some people took out guitars, and everyone sat in a circle, playing songs like "The Once You" or "Blue Lotus Flower," which always sparked a chorus from the surrounding crowd.
The momentum was huge, and it was unprecedented. If it weren't for everyone following the rules, the theater would have notified the police station. Jiang Hua arrived at the theater on time today, while Xiao Yuanzi would be back in another day. His car had been borrowed by a big internet celebrity again, who said it was for an exhibition. The car was more popular than him now. He could only take the company shuttle to the theater.
But as soon as he got off the bus, someone started it off, who knows who. Have you ever seen a thousand-person chorus? There were far more than a thousand people nearby. This wasn't a concert; it was just the square outside Butterfly Theater. The fans had organized it spontaneously.
The square in front of Butterfly Theater was packed with people. Thanks to the fan organization beforehand, everyone chose not to stand on the road. They sang, "Once dreamed of wielding a sword and traveling the world, seeing its prosperity. The heart of youth is always a bit reckless. Now you make your home in the four seas..."
Holy shit, did they have to be like this? Jiang Hua suddenly felt immense pressure. The colleagues who took the bus to work with him were also shocked. When was the last time this scene happened? Some older people tried to recall.
Even when Teacher Mao won the Plum Blossom Award for the third time, the scene was not this grand. This was going to be an open-air concert. The singing continued, and everyone did not rashly come up to give flowers. The tacit understanding between men was that it was enough to shout "Hello, brother" from afar.
Jiang Hua was moved. These people were really something, not going to work and coming to see him. He couldn't bear it. He kept saying that he was just standing on the shoulders of giants and that he was an ordinary person in private, who liked to make money. He also liked to slack off and even wanted to be lazy.
But countless people at the scene began to sing in unison. Jiang Hua smiled and waved at everyone. "Dilili..." "Walking on the road of forging ahead bravely."
Jiang Hua stopped in his tracks. Many of these people were carrying travel bags, looking like they had come from far away. Although he didn't approve of fans coming from afar to see him, living their own lives well was better than anything else. But they had already come, and the crowd at the scene was growing. Everyone was very well-behaved. In these people, he saw his former self.
Jiang Hua waved his hand, and the few backpackers standing at the front immediately became excited and ran over. "Jiang...Jiang Hua, do you need something?"
"Everyone, you've worked hard coming all this way. Don't do this next time. I will live stream on TikTok in the evening to thank you all for your support. Also, please be safe and enjoy your trip. After you return, live well, work hard, and be good to yourself."
At that moment, the people nearby suddenly felt that their idol had always been so gentle. They hadn't chosen the wrong person to support. Jiang Hua would definitely not disappoint them.
Jiang Hua looked around at the people, some young and some older. He tapped his head and said, "Did anyone bring a camera? There are too many people here. Let's take a group photo in several batches. Welcome, everyone, to Butterfly Theater."
"I...I brought one. I'll go divide the groups right away," someone volunteered.
The fans at the scene were extremely excited. Jiang Hua had learned from his previous mistake. Last time, at the theater entrance, he had disdained his fans, and that scene was still circulating on the internet. People would bring it up from time to time to mock him.
Now, he actually wanted to take a group photo. If they didn't support him, who else would they support?
"Come, come, everyone, get closer. Smile for the eggplant!"
Even taking a group photo with hundreds of people at a time kept him busy for half a day, but everyone's hearts were warm. They had come a long way, seen their idol, and even taken a photo together. This kind of fan pursuit was unprecedented.
Jiang Hua exercised his facial muscles and waved goodbye to his fans. "That free world in the heart, so clear and lofty. Blossoming forever unfading, blue lotus flower!"
As the singing gradually faded away, Jiang Hua stood at the entrance of Butterfly Theater, lingering for a long time.