Brother Dao Took the Entertainment Industry by Storm, Fans Beg Me Not to Kill Anymore

Chapter 811: Xiao He Boards the Cruise Ship

“Are you catching a cold? If you are, then don’t get on the ship. You don’t want the sea breeze at night to make it worse.”

Liu Rulan sat to the side with her arms crossed, offering a very half-hearted show of concern.

“I don’t have a cold!”

Xiao He shot back immediately, even as he rubbed his slightly stuffy nose. His gaze drifted out the window, his expression turning serious. “I’m seriously suspecting someone’s been scheming about me behind my back. This sneeze must be their doing!”

Liu Rulan was speechless. “Can you check how many fans you have before you say something like that?”

If that were the case, Xiao He would be sneezing himself to death.

Xiao He: “…Sister Liu, you’re really not funny today.”

And she was way too easy to set off.

Liu Rulan glanced at the time on her watch, then shot Xiao He an exasperated glare. “And whose fault is that? Because of you guys, I’m going through early menopause! Once we’re back in Beijing this time, I’m definitely getting some Chinese medicine to calm my nerves for a few days!”

Originally, she could have taken the day off to rest, lounging in the hotel, humming a tune, and soaking in the bath. But instead, she had to rush non-stop to the evening party venue for some godforsaken event.

Who was she doing all this for?!

Xiao He gave an awkward chuckle and immediately pulled Tong Junhui into the line of fire to share the blame. “This time, Brother Tong and I split the responsibility fifty-fifty! We’ll definitely get you a big red envelope later, Sister Liu!”

Tong Junhui, who had been dragged out to take the heat, carefully averted his gaze, afraid to meet Liu Rulan’s eyes.

Liu Rulan scoffed in disdain. “Ha, do I need a few lousy red envelopes from you two?”

Xiao He and Tong Junhui could only stare helplessly at each other.

Luckily, the car had just arrived.

The driver this time was Xiao Chen. He parked the car and turned to look at Xiao He and the others. “Brother Xiao, Sister Liu, we’ve arrived.”

This was the VIP parking lane for guests, and the area had already been cordoned off, making it relatively quiet with a smoother entry experience—no traffic jams.

That gave Xiao He and the others some time to prepare.

Everyone snapped out of their playful banter. Liu Rulan’s expression visibly grew serious.

She glanced at Xiao Chen and Lao Qi in the front, then looked at Xiao He and Tong Junhui, speaking very sternly. “Once you’re on the ship, I don’t expect you to run every single decision by me before you act. But I do hope you’ll think twice before doing anything. This trip might just be a thrilling but harmless adventure, but if anything urgent comes up, prioritize your own safety. Leave the troublesome stuff to others.”

“Got it.”

Xiao He nodded, then turned to Lao Qi. “Lao Qi, this time, I’m counting on you to stick with Sister Liu.”

Lao Qi nodded. “Don’t worry, Teacher Xiao. I’ll stay close to Manager Liu.”

Due to the limited number of people on the invitation, the crew boarding the ship was set as: Xiao He, Liu Rulan, Tong Junhui, and Lao Qi.

Xiao Chen, who usually followed Xiao He everywhere, was left onshore.

The main reason was that Lao Qi was a bodyguard with more experience. Even if something unexpected happened, he could handle it on his own and contribute manpower without worrying too much about others’ safety. So leaving Lao Qi with Liu Rulan put Xiao He more at ease.

“Then it’s settled.”

Liu Rulan sealed the deal.

Though Xiao Chen was a bit disappointed he couldn’t board, he knew his own limits. Sitting in the driver’s seat, he grinned and cheered Xiao He on. “Brother Xiao, they’re doing a live stream on the deck tonight. I’ll be watching in the chat room and cheering you on!”

This cruise party was a massive traffic magnet. Everyone in the industry had their eyes on it, and media reporters were everywhere, practically surrounding Victoria Harbour. Open any live stream, and you’d see them camped out at the perimeter, broadcasting live.

Even if they couldn’t board, just filming the ship or the red carpet was still good content.

So Xiao Chen wanted to say he was with them in spirit.

“Haha, sounds good.”

Xiao He grinned and gave Xiao Chen a thumbs-up. “Find a live stream with a good angle and take plenty of screenshots for me.”

“You got it! Mission guaranteed!”

With Xiao Chen’s voice ringing in their ears, the group got out of the car.

“By the way, how’s the arrangement with the program team for *Journey Across Mountains and Rivers*?”

Xiao He followed the signs leading down the path as he asked Liu Rulan.

“The show’s guests will group up and walk the red carpet together. As for your segment, Director Hu said that since there are too many people live-streaming on the red carpet, they’ll find us after we board to film exclusive content.”

Liu Rulan paused. “Honestly, given your current situation, skipping the red carpet would be the best move.”

The decision to lay a red carpet on the road before boarding the cruise ship and set up a temporary stage was part of the party’s promotional strategy. After all, with so many big shots and celebrities invited, many were happy to make an appearance and show their faces.

But unless they were being escorted or promoting a brand or corporate image, the real capital bigwigs always took the special passage directly. They wouldn’t bother making a detour.

Liu Rulan had originally planned for Xiao He to take the special passage and board quietly. Since Director Zhuang wasn’t attending this time, they had no obligation to promote *Dragon* specifically. It would save them trouble and worry.

But unfortunately, when Xiao He went to pick up the guests from *Journey Across Mountains and Rivers*, a passerby had snapped a photo. Plus, other guests from the show had leaked the news, confirming Xiao He would be boarding. So many of Xiao He’s Little Box fans in Hong Kong couldn’t resist coming out to join the fun and catch a glimpse of him.

Some fans from fan groups even flew overnight to Hong Kong after learning the news, just to get a distant look at the scene.

Though Xiao He didn’t fully endorse this kind of running-out-to-get-a-distant-glimpse behavior—he hoped fans could meet at more convenient events in the future—he couldn’t bring himself to stand up such sincere fans. So in the end, he decided to walk the red carpet himself.

As for Tong Junhui, since he was no longer an artist but Xiao He’s “temporary assistant,” he would take the special passage with Liu Rulan and board the ship first to wait for Xiao He.

“It’s fine, I’ll be quick. You two board first.”

Xiao He waved with a smile.

“Alright.”

Liu Rulan didn’t dawdle and led Tong Junhui through the other entrance.

Xiao He followed the staff toward the red carpet.

-

“Ahhh! Xiao He! Xiao He!”

“Xiao He! Look over here!”

More than ten minutes later, the red carpet erupted in commotion.

The bodyguard Ah Nan followed the noise and saw the familiar figure in the distance.

The young man’s outfit this time was deliberately styled in a Hong Kong fashion—a classic black trench coat straight out of a gangster movie from Hong Kong’s cinema. It carried both the seriousness of a formal occasion and the casual, rebellious vibe of someone just out to have fun on a cruise. It was quite a contrast to the other VIPs in their suits and ties.

Hearing the fans’ screams and cheers from the shore, the young man raised his hand with a relaxed air, smiling and waving back at everyone. The media on both sides raised their cameras in unison, furiously snapping shots from every angle.

The previously quiet scene erupted into a wave of screaming.

Ah Nan quietly watched the young man slowly approaching them, feeling a pang of emotion.

It had been a long time since they’d last met. The other party seemed to have undergone earth-shattering changes, yet also seemed never to have changed at all.

He was still the same person who had dared to charge into a blazing fire with him to save people.

Ah Nan withdrew his gaze and swiftly reported into his earpiece. “Report. Special guest Xiao He is preparing to board. Any further instructions?”