Jiang Jiusheng slowly turned and stared into Shi Jin’s eyes and asked, “Have we met before?”

The hanging seat by the window, the CD player on the bookcase, the cello under the stairs; also, the lavender in the washroom, the sweet snacks and fruit juices on the dining table—he seemed to know all about what she liked, as well as her habits. Even his body scent, which, except for a tinge of antiseptic, was that of peppermint, was from an imported body shampoo that she loved and had used for a long time.

She asked again, “Have we met before?”

Hesitating for just a few seconds, Shi Jin nodded. “Yes.” He came closer, his shirt sleeves rolled up, water dripping from his fingertips onto the carpeted floor because he had rushed out from the kitchen without wiping his hands dry. “Unless I have a surgery scheduled, I attend all your concerts.”

Surprised, Jiang Jiusheng asked, “So you’re a fan of mine?”

“Yes.” Shi Jin nodded.

She simply could not, for the life of her, pair the elegant and regal-looking Shi Jin with rock music. She mulled over her thoughts before voicing them. “So you moved here because of me?”

It was obvious that although Shi Jin was a well-mannered man, he was aloof and always kept his distance. Except with her, to whom he felt a sense of ease and intimacy.

He nodded, a look of unease in his eyes. His beautiful hands rubbed along the sides of his black suit pants, his pallid fingers curling tensely, displaying occasional faint green veins.

Jiang Jiusheng had never seen anyone like him before. After a long pause, she rephrased her question. “Are you my secret fan?”

She had many fans and had met some secret fans as well. However, she had never met someone as disciplined and proper as Shi Jin. She could not read him, nor guess if, apart from moving to live next door to her, he had done anything else outrageous. Not that she wasn’t curious; it was just that she did not know why she hadn’t gotten to the bottom of it all.

“Are you?” she asked gently.

Shi Jin was just as cautious, like treading on thin ice. He asked with uncertainty, “Does that disgust you?”

It was a fact that she hated secret fans, but if Shi Jin was one, then….

Without much hesitation, Jiang Jiusheng shook her head. Up until now, Shi Jin had not given her cause to feel uncomfortable or ill at ease. By contrast, she felt relaxed in his company and desperately wanted to touch his hands.

Releasing his furrowed brows, Shi Jin said, “Then yes, I am.”

Suddenly, Jiang Jiusheng remembered that while she’d been delirious with a fever the previous night, she had asked if he was her moronic fan. The relationship had been established with an agreement that she could touch his hands anytime she wanted in exchange for autographs and photos….

She was deep in thought when—

Woof! The sound of a dog barking drifted in from the balcony. Another two barks: Woof! Woof!

Recovering from her thoughts, Jiang Jiusheng looked out onto the balcony at a ball of fur looking timidly from the dog pen. Not daring to come out from its pen, it simply shoved its tail toward the living room.

Woof!

Shi Jin walked to the balcony and gave Jiang Bomei some dog food.

Following him to the balcony, Jiang Jiusheng stood behind the man and his dog. “It’s called ‘Jiang Bomei’?” she asked.

A Pomeranian called Bomei. How original.

“Yep. Its name is Bomei.” Turning, Shi Jin shot Jiang Jiusheng a smile, saying, “It has your last name.”

The beauty laughed, totally mesmerized.

Jiang Jiusheng felt the urge for a cigarette. In one day, she’d found out that Shi Jin had a pet dog called Jiang Bomei, and he’d admitted to being her secret fan.

Returning to her apartment, Jiang Jiusheng discovered that she had left her phone at Shi Jin’s place. Strangely, she remembered clearly that she had left it on his sofa and had left his apartment without locating it.

Shortly after Shi Jin had returned her phone, she received a text with a brief message: My number.

Smiling, Jiang Jiusheng saved the number in her contacts list.

In the apartment across the corridor, Shi Jin fed Jiang Bomei more imported dog food. Patting its head, he said: “Well done. I will buy you the best dog food.”

Ah-ooo!

Jiang Bomei was super happy!

******

Its name is Bomei…

It has your last name…

That entire day, Jiang Jiusheng kept hearing those two sentences in her head, confusing her and causing her to lose focus.

As Jiang Jiusheng left the recording studio, Mo Bing handed her a bottle of water.

“Mo Bing, what’s your take on secret fans?” Jiang Jiusheng asked.

Immediately looking concerned, Mo Bing asked, “Are you being stalked by a secret fan?”

“Not really,” Jiang Jiusheng said, shaking her head.

“Enough already!” exclaimed Mo Bing, making her opinion very clear. In her six years as an artist manager, she’d dealt with many incidents regarding secret fans, and her feelings about them remained the same. “In summary, the trademarks of secret fans are: fanatical and naïve.”

Indiscriminately and unabashedly spying. Invasion of privacy. Continuous stalking. And, even more extreme, causing physical harm to the artist in question… In any case, Mo Bing did not have anything positive to say about secret fans.

Jiang Jiusheng gave it some thought and asked, “Are there secret fans that are not so extreme or fanatical in their behavior?” She thought through it again and clarified, “The type that is more gracious, more gentlemanly?”

Looking serious, Mo Bing asked, “Are you sure you’re talking about secret fans?’

Not sure anymore, Jiang Jiusheng knew that in the 21st century, it was a challenge to find someone as gracious and well-bred as Shi Jin.

“A gentlemanly secret fan.” Mo Bing frowned in response as her face showed growing concern. “Sheng, then you must have encountered a secret fan dressed to the nines. That is even more worrying, most likely a wolf in sheep’s clothing.”

Jiang Jiusheng said nothing. There was no way that Shi Jin, the walking example of elegance and good breeding, could be a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

Jiang Jiusheng changed the topic. Although she was very curious and had many questions, she had no suspicions about Shi Jin’s motives. Not even one.

Having thanked the sound mixer, they left the recording studio together.

Walking in front of her, Mo Bing said, “Su Qing’s manager called me three times asking about your schedule. What’s going on? What’s going on between you and Su Qing? His manager sounded like it was an urgent matter.” Turning around to check Jiang Jiusheng’s reaction, she raised her eyebrows. “Don’t tell me you are having a clandestine affair with Su Qing behind my back?”

Jiang Jiusheng walked to the window and lit up a cigarette, saying, “I discovered his secret.”

In a familiar gesture, Mo Bing snatched away the cigarette box that Jiang Jiusheng had somehow snuck into her pocket without her knowledge. “What secret?”

Leaning against the wall, the cigarette snug between her pale slim fingers, Jiang Jiusheng took a long draw and with her eyes half shut, exhaled lazily. She laughed, her low, charismatic voice laced with the smell of peppermint. “The ever-popular pretty boy Su Qing is actually a woman. No doubt about it.”

Mo Bing was stunned and speechless. After exactly ten seconds, she asked Jiang Jiusheng, “How did you find out?”

Flicking cigarette ash, Jiang Jiusheng replied, “I touched them.”

Mo Bing still found it incredibly hard to believe. “You’re absolutely sure?”

The current top-rated celebrity with an immense following had suddenly switched genders. For Mo Bing, who had presumably seen it all, this earth-shattering news had her flabbergasted.

The nation’s hubby was a woman! This news would cause the entertainment industry to implode if it was leaked!

Jiang Jiusheng remained unaffected, her mouth twitching playfully. “Although I have never touched a man’s chest, I can still make out how an A-cup feels. Plus, the fact that Su Qing’s manager has been trying desperately to contact me just about confirms my suspicion.”

Deep in thought, Mo Bing tried to recall Su Qing’s face, whom she had always regarded as looking neither male nor female, although, looking back, Su Qing did exude some feminine softness. With legs longer than those of Jiang Jiusheng’s 1.7 meters and a chest as flat as the plains, it was no wonder his fans and colleagues never even considered that he was actually a she.

In the past, some people in the entertainment circle had joked about Su Qing’s sexual preference. He had never had any scandals with a female artiste, nor shot any intimate scenes. And since he had no Adam’s apple and those in this category were assumed to have performance issues, many people guessed that Su Qing was probably not the one on top.

Thinking back, Mo Bing kicked herself for being so blind. She asked Jiang Jiusheng, “What are your plans?”