122

With less than ten minutes before the train departed, Southampton Station's narrow platform was packed with students who had come to see the Bucks' Steelhorns off.

Most of them were female fans from Gu Ran's support club.

The round of sixteen knockout match was crucial—if they lost, the journey ended there. But these girls didn't care about that. All they cared about was whether they could catch a glimpse of their idol.

Dressed in their best outfits, they held up freshly made support signs, chatting excitedly while waiting for Gu Ran to arrive.

Previously, their support signs were just paper. Then, for home matches, they upgraded to wooden signs. Now, they had gone all out—custom-made LED boards from Italy.

The neon lights flashed dynamically, capable of switching between different messages.

Their growing dedication showed how much effort they put into supporting Gu Ran.

Of course, it wasn't just his fan club that was invested in him—there was also Sophie's former best friend, Susanna.

Yes, Susanna was here again.

This was her third time personally coming to see Gu Ran off.

Though her previous attempts had been overshadowed—first by Sophie, then by Miss Maria—Susanna was undeterred.

A true green tea girl knew the value of persistence.

And this time, neither Sophie nor Maria were around.

Looking around, Susanna felt smug. Who else in Southampton Private School could possibly compete with her now?

Gu Ran, sooner or later, you'll fall right into my arms.

She glanced down at herself, satisfied with today's outfit—a skin-tight, low-cut, cropped top that exuded mature sensuality. Her makeup had taken over two hours, ensuring she looked as seductive as possible.

She had even secured the best spot at the platform entrance, guaranteeing that she'd be the first to greet Gu Ran when he arrived.

Meanwhile, at the far end of the platform, most of the Bucks' Steelhorns' main players had already arrived.

Bread looked around. "Weird. Gu Ran usually gets here early. How come he's still not here when the train's about to leave?"

As the team's star player, Gu Ran was always at the center of discussion.

Watergate smirked. "Hehe, I know why he's late today—it's because we all have girlfriends sending us off, and he doesn't. He probably doesn't want to show up early just to get teased."

Drummer chimed in. "But half the girls in school are here just to see him off. Isn't that already insane?"

Watergate shook his head. "They're just fans, not his girlfriend."

"Even Susanna's here again! That's three times now!"

"Susanna's not his girlfriend either. I'm talking about Sophie and Maria-level girls." Watergate analyzed seriously. "Take away Susanna and the fan club, and I bet Gu Ran doesn't have a single woman sending him off today."

"Finally!" Rusty clapped his hands excitedly. "Haha! This time, Gu's just like me! No girlfriend to send him off! I'm not alone anymore! I'm finally not—"

Before he could finish, a taxi pulled up at the platform entrance.

Gu Ran stepped out, composed as ever.

A deafening wave of screams erupted.

"Ahhh!"

"Husband! Husband!"

"My idol! My idol!"

"Gu, I love you! I dreamed about having your baby last night! You have to take responsibility for me and the baby!"

"Gu! I'm your lucky charm! Let me kiss you, and you'll definitely win today!"

LED signs flashed as the fan club girls lost their minds, turning the platform into a full-blown celebrity frenzy.

Station staff rushed in to maintain order, fearing someone might get pushed onto the tracks.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Susanna bypassed the staff, tossing her hair flirtatiously as she confidently strutted toward Gu Ran.

"Hey, Gu! Long time no see. You look even hotter than last time."

Her eyes were filled with blatant desire.

Gu Ran ignored her completely.

Instead, he walked around to the other side of the taxi and opened the door.

Anne sat curled up in the back seat, tense and afraid to get out.

She had heard the fan screams.

Her first instinct was that they were her fans.

She thought she'd been recognized.

Panic gripped her—she wasn't ready to face anyone.

Gu Ran chuckled and extended his hand to her. "Relax. They're not your fans. They're mine."

Anne: ???

One second, she thought her life was over.

The next second, her entire worldview was shattered.

Gu Ran… had fans?

And not just a few—this was full-on superstar treatment.

Didn't he say he was just an amateur high school footballer? How could an amateur have this kind of fanbase?

Focusing on the chants, she listened carefully.

Sure enough, the girls were shouting things like "husband" and "idol."

She exhaled in relief, then gracefully took Gu Ran's hand and stepped out of the taxi.

The moment she did, the platform fell silent.

Every screaming fan girl froze as if someone had hit pause.

Susanna, standing closest, was completely petrified.

First Sophie. Then Maria. And now… another woman?

And she had arrived with Gu Ran?

Not only that—Gu Ran had personally opened the car door for her.

Neither Sophie nor Maria had ever received such treatment!

This was outrageous!

Why wasn't he a scumbag to her too?!

The fans' hearts shattered into pieces, but their admiration for Gu Ran remained unwavering.

All eyes were now fixed on Anne.

Her face was hidden.

But a true beauty wasn't defined by looks alone—her figure, her presence, her bone structure, everything exuded grace.

Especially Anne's innate elegance. The way she carried herself was effortlessly refined—an aura that common people simply couldn't imitate.

Even with only her lips and chin visible, she had already outshined every girl present.

Feeling the heavy silence, Anne grew slightly uneasy.

Not knowing what to do, she turned to Gu Ran.

He leaned in, whispering, "You're my assistant. You know what to do next, right?"

The Director's Persuasion skill activated.

Anne immediately stepped forward, shielding Gu Ran from the encroaching fans.

She even blocked a dumbfounded Susanna.

Susanna nearly collapsed.

Her deep V neckline was utterly defeated by Anne's crisp white blouse.

Anne "escorted" Gu Ran through the crowd toward the far end of the platform.

It was only a thirty-meter walk, but to Anne, it felt both nerve-wracking and exhilarating.

This role-playing was surprisingly fun.

Who would have thought that a Hollywood princess—a global superstar hounded by paparazzi and fans—would now be acting as a bodyguard for an amateur high school footballer?

This was… kind of amazing.

Meanwhile, Gu Ran was feeling even more smug.

As they reached the team's gathering spot, the Bucks' main players immediately crowded around.

"Gu, who is this…?" Watergate asked cautiously.

"Oh," Gu Ran said casually. "She's my assistant. Helps with cleaning, laundry, stuff like that."

That single sentence shattered everyone.

Popping sounds echoed in the air as bubbles of envy burst around them.

Rusty even dropped a blue bubble—"Confession Skill: Always Finds the Right Moment."

Gu Ran quickly scanned the area, picking up two "Dynamic Passing Drills" skill bubbles while ignoring the rest.

These, combined with his accumulated training points, allowed him to unlock yet another talent point.

He was now at seven!

Eight more pickups remained for the day.

Watergate shook his head in disbelief. "A woman this gorgeous, with this kind of presence, and you make her do house chores? Gu, you're ruthless…"

Rusty yelled, "If it were me, I'd have confessed on the spot!"

Glider added, "I just wanna know—how much does it cost to hire an assistant of this level?"

Bread rolled his eyes. "Shut up. You can't even afford three pounds, and you're asking about million-dollar assistants?"

Glider pouted. "I was just curious! Besides, I just bought a new phone!"

The team's assistant, Drummer, felt the pressure. "Gu, if you ever need something, just ask me! Why spend money on another assistant…? And more importantly, Coach Carter will never allow this!"

"Yeah!"

"Carter's gonna lose it!"

"Gu, you're so screwed!"

The boys burst into laughter.

They weren't really hoping for Gu Ran's downfall—they were just being mischievous.

Beside him, Anne tensed up, gripping his arm.

She was terrified of being sent home alone.

Gu Ran sensed her unease and gently patted her hand.

"Why's everyone crowding here? Get on the train already!"

Coach Carter strode over, stern-faced, holding an old camcorder in his hand.

Anne saw the camera and immediately panicked, clutching Gu Ran even tighter.

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