Chapter 436: Merry Christmas, Jie Ke

When Fan Xi and the others were in the locker room watching Huaiti Seda and Little Jordan run to the side of the stage to dance with Rihanna.

Fan Xi thought his teammates were truly oddballs; what on earth were those two trying to do?

"If they think they can attract Rihanna's attention this way, they're simply naive," Arenas said from a lofty perch, adopting the stance of a love expert: "Rihanna doesn't lack suitors."

As soon as the words left his mouth, the love expert was slapped; Rihanna actually invited the two of them onto the stage to dance.

Oh! Good heavens.

Rihanna actually likes this?

Arenas shouted and wailed, even feeling a strong regret: why didn't I join in?

Opportunities are like that; miss them and they're gone.

"Maybe Rihanna just wants to join the big party crowd? All these female stars are playing, and she'd look awkward sitting alone," Nowitzki, the one capable of offering a cool analysis, said.

This season, Nowitzki deliberately reduced his presence both on the court and off it, yet he always managed to deliver a decisive impact.

The second half of the game validated the German star's wisdom.

When Little Jordan completed the dunk, Rihanna also jumped up to join the revelry, loudly cheering for Little Jordan.

This scene was somewhat crushing for Lakers Players… Isn't it said that Lakers are Hollywood's darlings, that they're the hub of high‑end fans?

The Clippers went berserk.

The Lakers did not adopt a defensive strategy in the second half. During halftime, Larry Brown persuaded Jean Bas and Kobe Bryant, among others. He said the current defensive system was not yet fully built, especially the defensive logic against Jieke Fan. If the full hand were revealed now, it would alert Jieke Fan, and with his intelligence, he would inevitably work his way through it.

"Regardless, this is just a regular-season game. Losing one regular-season game doesn't matter. But if we lose another Western Finals, it will be very painful,"

Larry Brown's words convinced everyone. Jean Bas and the others could recall the pain of being eliminated in last season's Western Finals.

Compared with that heart‑wrenching pain, losing this entertainment‑focused game became not so hard to accept.

Of course, the players still gave their all on the court.

However, Howard's performance tonight was, as usual, subpar. Meanwhile, the Clippers players, encouraged by the female stars, each performed beyond expectations.

The Lakers ultimately lost the Christmas showdown 112–121.

And the broadcast significance of this game has surpassed the game itself; so many female stars cheering for the Clippers players by the court have attracted worldwide attention, and the internet buzz is extraordinary.

Warner Media was praised again for its unique perspective; it can be said that, in terms of entertainment and dissemination, the influence of this Christmas showdown exceeds the combined impact of the other five games.

People didn't even bother to care about the game's result.

People were more concerned about what Fan Xi should do next, and how the other female stars would go on dates with the Clippers players.

That is precisely what torments Fan Xi.

When Fan Xi was interviewed, there weren't many victorious smiles on his face. He kept emphasizing the players' effort in the game, stressing their outstanding contributions.

When reporters asked how he viewed Eva, Mili Xiqi, and Rihanna going wild for the Clippers players.

He seemed absent‑minded and said, "Um… I don't know how to answer that question; maybe it's because of love."

"So do you think you have a bit too much love right now? Are you worried your love might clash? In fact, we've already seen such signs on the internet,"

Fan Xi remained silent.

"Are you worried that Megan Fox and Si Jia Li might fight? Selina isn't a gentle personality; could she give Megan Fox a fierce punch, creating the most iconic moment of her career?"

"Um… are you sure you don't want to talk about my stats? Tonight I got 28 points, 13 assists, 10 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 blocks. I recorded another triple‑double in the Christmas showdown; I'm the Clippers' all‑time leader in triple‑doubles, also this season's leader in triple‑doubles, and I'm about to become the player with the most triple‑doubles in Christmas showdowns, even though this is my third season."

Fan Xi had to dodge the question: "Fine, I have to leave now."

Fan Xi escaped the reporters.

He could only do that.

Kenny Smith burst out laughing on the TV, saying, "I think Jie Ke is really helpless; he posted superstar numbers and secured a satisfying important win. Yet for reporters and the media, people are still more interested in his private life. It's just too ridiculous."

"Aren't you concerned about who will sleep with Jieke Fan tonight?" Charles Barkley asked Kenny. "Aren't you concerned whether Megan Fox might fight Si Jia Li or Selina?"

"Of course… I'm concerned," Kenny Smith said, sounding self‑righteous.

The audience in front of the TV felt the same.

Charles Barkley said earnestly, "If I had the kind of woman‑magnetism Jie Ke had back then, how great that would be. I'd rather my triple‑doubles go unreported."

"Wake up, Charles. You don't have a female‑star girlfriend fighting over you, nor will you get any triple‑doubles," Kenny Smith bluntly called out Barkley.

Barkley felt even worse.

After the game, the locker room erupted in revelry; this victory for the Clippers was not only a Christmas‑night surprise, nor merely extending the winning streak to 20 games, but more importantly, everyone reaped abundant gains from the match.

Mili Xiqi displayed affection, further solidifying his personal charm, and truly said goodbye to his past. The shackles in his heart were lifted; he will no longer live wearing a counterfeit hat.

Jimmy Barrett and Mili Xiqi's relationship is also heating up; they are already planning a Christmas‑night pool party. Barrett enjoys water sports and has promoted this idea to teammates more than once.

However, his teammates are all worried about hygiene.

Little Jordan and Huaiti Seda were also very happy; they successfully invited idol Rihanna to dinner and gained close contact with the idol.

But Little Jordan said in the locker room, "I think she's just trying to get close to you, Jie Ke, through us. But it's fine; I'll give you her phone number. I don't want to possess her; she's the pride of us Black people. Jie Ke, you should find a Black girlfriend, no matter the angle. It's a good thing for all humanity."

Fan Xi never expected Little Jordan could put such a racial label on him.

Fan Xi didn't want to argue with them; tonight Gilbert Arenas went home early to handle some work. So the coaching staff ultimately had to let Nowitzki attend tonight's post‑game press conference.

It was originally supposed to be Fan Xi who went.

Fan Xi certainly didn't want to walk into that dragon‑and‑tiger pit.

Fan Xi didn't even want to go home; he'd rather the game never end.

Compared to the game, compared to the mighty Lakers, he is even less willing to face the upcoming storm of turmoil.

Fan Xi leisurely lingered until he was the last to leave the locker room; when he reached the underground parking lot, he saw Selina's agent, Si Jia Li's agent, and another stranger.

They all said they had already persuaded them to go home; obviously they knew what scenario would unfold if these Fan ladies faced each other head‑on.

Fan Xi let out a sigh of relief.

As long as no direct clash occurs tonight, that's fine; he still has time to slowly handle communication work, whether verbal or otherwise.

Perhaps his mind had relaxed; while driving, Fan Xi was a bit distracted, and his massive T‑rex pickup brushed against a pink Ferrari.

Then Fan Xi saw Anne Hathaway step out of the car.

Anne Hathaway is a very beautiful female star; she fits both Western and Eastern aesthetics. Although the U. S. media always gives her pretentious reviews.

But at least Fan Xi's conversation with her was good and constructive.

Anne Hathaway did not use harsh language to hold Fan Xi accountable for the traffic incident; she simply said she would get the car repaired, and Fan Xi replied that he would pay the repair costs and gave her his phone number.

Because the vehicle appeared seriously damaged, Hathaway called a tow company and had her colleague come to pick her up.

Fan Xi chatted with her for a while; they talked about Christmas, Hathaway's works, and then the game that night.

Hathaway congratulated Fan Xi on his triple-double, saying she was amazed by his control of the game's tempo and praised several of his moves at the top of the arc as very skillful.

Fan Xi's conversation with her was very smooth; he liked the feeling and became somewhat relaxed.

That is probably why he was willing to keep talking with Anne Hathaway.

Hathaway then added that she is good friends with Megan Fox, that she won't blame Si Jia Li for what she said, and she even said, "Everyone is influenced by the media; the media is good at labeling people, and everyone unconsciously uses those labels. What Si Jia Li said isn't the real me, it's the labeled me. So I'm not angry at all—if I were angry, I'd have fallen into the media's trap."

Fan Xi strongly resonated with those words; lately he has been unfairly treated by the media, which always covers his on‑court achievements with odd stories. Fan Xi and Hathaway talked about his game in New York, and he said, "I posted historic numbers, but the media prefers to report my sideline interaction with Jennifer."

At that moment Hathaway reached out and gave Fan Xi a brief hug.

They were like two wounded people leaning on each other.

Fan Xi found a rare sense of validation with Hathaway.

So when they said goodbye, Fan Xi even felt time had passed quickly.

"Merry Christmas, the brightest star of the night."

Hathaway waved as she said goodbye to Fan Xi.

Fan Xi raised an eyebrow and said, "You too, Merry Christmas."

…

After Christmas night, Fan Xi had opportunities to break through each obstacle. The next morning and afternoon he had in‑depth talks with Selina and Si Jia Li, expressing a desire to turn conflict into harmony, all in the spirit of Santa Claus.

Fan Xi would suddenly interrupt his spell when he was on the cloud peak; at that moment, any request he made would be fulfilled.

It never fails.

That evening Fan Xi went to Tai Lei Si Wu Fu Te's house for dinner, where they discussed the concert. Tai Lei Si Wu Fu Te launched another tour, unaffected by the nightstand incident; she is the hottest female singer in the world today, and many people can't help but place the title of world‑class diva on her.

All the Fan girls have achieved career success, which makes Fan Xi feel gratified.

Sometimes he worries like a high‑school homeroom teacher, fearing that romance might affect everyone's studies.

Late at night, Fan Xi went to see Megan Fox.

Fox prepared a huge surprise for Fan Xi; in the cold Los Angeles December winter she wore the costume from Transformers, and when she bent over and lay on the engine hood, Fan Xi, a Transformers fan, felt a massive surge of vanity satisfaction.

Of course, Fan Xi also mediated the conflict between her and Si Jia Li, hoping everyone would prioritize their careers.

Putting career first is the most important.

Just as now, Fan Xi strongly hopes his winning streak will continue; he says he doesn't want off‑court controversies to affect his historic trajectory.

Fan Xi is obsessively determined to win the regular‑season MVP, aiming to claim the highest honor with a record no one can dispute.

Two wins over the Los Angeles Lakers laid a solid foundation for him.

Megan Fox compromised when Fan Xi interrupted his spell, promising that as long as Si Jia Li stops bothering her, she won't bring up the matter again.

Fan Xi spent a day resolving the issue.

The Clippers began a new journey.

On the third day of the Christmas break, Kuaisuan crushed the visiting Atlanta Hawks at home; although several Kuaisuan players were off‑form, Fan Xi controlled the game in the clutch.

He scored 45 points in that game and also recorded a triple‑double.

Yet, despite those numbers and a 21‑game winning streak in sight, the media still talked about Anne Hathaway on the sidelines.

Heavens.

Because Fan Xi ran over after the game and shook hands with Anne Hathaway.

That sounds utterly absurd.

Another absurdity is that the media questioned Kuaisuan for having five players on the All‑Star voting list.

Fan Xi, Lu Bi'ao, Leonard, Butler, and Nowitzki all made the voting list.

They think the league is favoring Kuaisuan.

Fan Xi threw a huge fit, saying the media was picking fights for no reason. "Why can't we have five All‑Star candidates? Shouldn't the league, which has five, be allowed? We even have more—why not let DeAndre and Dako onto the list? Does the Western Conference have better centers than them?"

Fan Xi always speaks up for his teammates.

His own matters… are indeed hard to advocate for.

…