Chapter 3 – Kidnapper

Changfan wasn’t an official club but rather an outdoor enthusiasts’ group created by the owner of Changfan Sports Store. Initially, the members were just a few regular customers from the store. Later, when the owner went to a gym to help teach martial arts classes, he added his students to the group, and the numbers barely surpassed a hundred.

This road trip was quite casual—it started when the boss mentioned his travel plans in the group chat, and a few people happened to respond, turning it into an offline event for the club. Most of the participants had only known each other online before today. They planned to have a meet-up beforehand to get acquainted and also arrange dinner together.

“The organizer is Changfan’s boss, surnamed Zheng. He’ll be leading the convoy,” Fang Xiao said, tilting his chin toward the middle-aged man dozing off by the cash register. “Three cars will turn back midway, leaving only Boss Zheng and me heading into Tibet. I’ll introduce you to the others once everyone arrives.”

Gu Yiming thought for a moment and asked, “Do you all know each other?”

“We all know Boss Zheng, but among ourselves, we’re just online acquaintances,” Fang Xiao glanced at Gu Yiming and added, “Some car owners are bringing family or friends along, and we don’t know them at all.”

The implication was that Gu Yiming wouldn’t feel awkward even if he didn’t know anyone else—he could participate as Fang Xiao’s “friend or relative.”

Gu Yiming slowly let out an “Oh.” Fang Xiao seemed to have mind-reading abilities, addressing all his potential concerns before he even voiced them. Though Gu Yiming still felt an odd sense of floating unreality, it wasn’t due to doubt or unease—rather, it was more like pre-match nerves.

As the meeting time approached, Gu Yiming hopped off the table and went inside to find a stool to sit on. He had originally planned to wait for the boss to wake up and ask for contact details to pass on to his coach, but when he looked up, he accidentally met Fang Xiao’s gaze, caught before he could turn away.

“…What?”

“Nothing, just looking at you… feels kinda surreal.” Fang Xiao smiled and changed the subject. “Here’s my number. I also have Boss Zheng’s phone number. God Gu, you can also take a photo of the business license on the wall—it has the registration info.”

Gu Yiming did as instructed. Just as he finished sending the info to his coach, a couple walked into the store arm in arm, and not far away, a young man was staring at the banner—likely another member of the road trip. Fang Xiao clearly noticed too and stood up to greet the newcomers in place of the still-snoozing boss. After exchanging pleasantries, Fang Xiao was about to introduce Gu Yiming to the others when his arm was abruptly grabbed by Gu Yiming.

“Don’t call me that… use something else,” Gu Yiming said in a low voice, pausing before adding, “Please.”

“Then… Xiao Gu?” Fang Xiao blinked, also lowering his voice. As if worried the nickname might offend, he even went out of his way to explain, “I’m nine years older than you, so it’s not like I’m taking liberties.”

Gu Yiming was slightly surprised by Fang Xiao’s age but not by the fact that Fang Xiao knew his own—the ISSF World Cup broadcasts displayed the athletes’ rankings and ages directly. He silently agreed to the nickname, as if casually peeling off the label of “shooter” and putting on a brand-new mask.

Once everyone had gathered, Gu Yiming realized this road trip wasn’t as unified as he’d imagined. There were five cars in total: two would turn back at Dunhuang, one would go as far as Chaka Salt Lake, and only Boss Zheng and Fang Xiao’s cars would complete the full journey to Tibet. The car going to Chaka Salt Lake even had a little girl under ten years old in it.

The core members of the trip were all from Changfan Club, and the group quickly filled the store. After the initial awkwardness, everyone gradually warmed up and started introducing themselves. Most of those joining the long-distance trip were students or freelancers of various sorts. When Gu Yiming mentioned he was a shooter, it sparked some curiosity, though the spotlight was soon stolen by a professional magician who introduced himself afterward.

Gu Yiming wasn’t good at remembering names, so he focused only on listening to the assignments for the two cars heading into Tibet: Boss Zheng’s lead car would carry him and a seasoned traveler named Qi Fan, while Fang Xiao’s car would hold him, Tang Shao, and Gu Yiming.

Tang Shao was an exuberant young man who spoke without much filter. He arrived late due to overtime work and missed the self-introductions. When Fang Xiao specifically introduced him and Gu Yiming, Tang Shao immediately exclaimed when he heard Gu Yiming’s name: “Isn’t this Fang Xiao’s little idol?! Damn, Fang Tiantian, your dream came true!” The words “Fang Tiantian¹A nickname (Sweetie Fang)” and “little idol” instantly turned both parties into awkward cardboard cutouts.

Gu Yiming glanced sideways and saw that beneath the nearly translucent grayish hair, Fang Xiao’s ears had flushed red all the way to the roots.

The group chose Haidilao for dinner. After a hearty hotpot meal, everyone had grown slightly more familiar. Gu Yiming wasn’t naturally sociable, but with Fang Xiao looking out for him the whole time, he focused on memorizing names and faces without feeling left out. After the meal, the family with the little girl left, while Boss Zheng and Qi Fan led the remaining youngsters to a KTV for round two. With nothing else to do, Gu Yiming drifted along with the crowd.

The atmosphere at the KTV was even more relaxed than at the hotpot table. Those who loved singing crowded around the song-selection screen, while those who didn’t sat in small groups drinking and chatting. Gu Yiming initially sat with Fang Xiao and Tang Shao in a relatively quiet corner—but that corner soon lost its tranquility.

Blame Tang Shao.

Tang Shao couldn’t sit still and was a troublemaker, immediately launching into a flamboyant drinking spree targeting all the men present. He occasionally ambushed people for random chats, especially enjoying teasing Fang Xiao’s “little idol.” Gu Yiming strictly adhered to team discipline and didn’t drink, so Tang Shao’s insidious attempts at persuasion were all blocked by Fang Xiao.

The two clearly knew each other beforehand, bantering and drinking with practiced ease. Tang Shao worked as a sound engineer and chattered nonstop about music industry gossip. Though Fang Xiao had introduced himself as currently unemployed, he seemed familiar with the topic too, nodding along occasionally—leaving Gu Yiming to listen cluelessly for hours without retaining anything.

Fang Xiao’s alcohol tolerance wasn’t shallow. At first, he had the leisure to chat with Gu Yiming between drinks, but after Tang Shao turned up the pressure, he finally ran out of bandwidth. The two went back and forth, polishing off two or three bottles before both succumbing to drunkenness.

Compared to Tang Shao—who, after getting drunk, tossed off his jacket without hesitation and went onstage to dance as a backup—Fang Xiao was well-behaved. He didn’t make noise, didn’t act dizzy, didn’t throw up—just sat beside Gu Yiming, propping his chin on his hand as he stared at him.

Gu Yiming went from composed to bewildered under that gaze, and when he accidentally recalled their earlier conversation, he grew even more flustered, his heartbeat unsteady. In the dim KTV lighting, Gu Yiming avoided Fang Xiao’s eyes and asked softly, “You… like me?”

He still remembered Tang Shao’s “little idol” comment and still found it unbelievable. He knew that Xie Qingyun, the senior shooter who had transferred from the Bayi Shooting Team, had his own fanbase, and Hu Xueyue, the women’s 25m pistol gold medalist from the last Olympics, had her own online support group—but they were star-level athletes. Gu Yiming was just a flash-in-the-pan air pistol shooter who hadn’t even won a single international championship.

Fang Xiao, drunk, was very cooperative—just a bit slow to react. After staring at Gu Yiming for a long moment, he suddenly smiled, leaning slightly forward to bring his lips close to Gu Yiming’s ear. His breath, carrying the scent of alcohol and laughter, brushed against Gu Yiming’s earlobe as Fang Xiao matched his hushed tone: “Yeah.”

Gu Yiming let out an “Oh,” unsure what to say, and reached up to touch his own burning ear.

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  A nickname (Sweetie Fang)