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Huo Ren secretly saved the pictures, even collecting three magazines into the innermost side of his bookshelf.
His teacher in a pure white suit… How tantalizing.
He remembered the embarrassing experience of being tempted to kiss a cat’s tail by the man, sometimes reminiscing before sleep, feeling both shame and anticipation, tossing and turning under his blanket.
Where did he learn this from?! Why can’t I achieve this level of skill?!
With the Crown reducing commercial appearances and other obligations, the members found themselves more relaxed.
This year’s second variety show was purely a fan service, celebrating the upcoming sixth anniversary of Crown and also serving as a long-term thank you to all fans.
Named “Crown Sunset,” the show was designed with warmth and meaning.
“Sunset is a time for rest.”
“After dusk, where do you want to return?”
The program consisted of seven chapters, each split into two episodes, allowing fans to fully experience the genuine and adorable members of Crown.
The best part of this variety show was that all filming locations were freely chosen by the six members of Corona.
While the public mostly associated Crown with concerts, variety show stages, and hot album songs, there was little understanding of their daily lives.
“Crown Sunset” perfectly filled this gap.
The first chapter naturally belonged to the 17th Floor, their stronghold filled with stories.
But for the next six chapters, each member could choose their own most nostalgic and beloved places to return to.
Upon receiving the planning document, Huo Ren’s first thought was of his teacher’s place.
There, he found many things he loved.
The honeycomb glass dance studio, the open kitchen lounge, the reading hall with floor-to-ceiling windows and comfortable sofas, and Teacher’s office…
The Little White Wolf rubbed his head, deciding to erase this option from his mind.
The times he had kissed and hugged his teacher in the office… were too sinful.
And recently, Teacher has been increasingly popular… No, he needs to pick a different place.
He secretly wished to hide Pei Ruye away, hoping no one else set their sights on him.
As the other members gradually submitted their preference forms, unsurprisingly, Bo Jue and Chi Ji chose to go abroad.
Since returning to China, although they gradually got familiar with the snacks and scenery of different provinces due to their work environment and rarely coming home, this occasion offered a rare opportunity to revisit familiar old places.
The first episode was scheduled for recording at the end of September, just as the pomegranate tree in the yard bore fruit.
When the crew arrived to film, the 17th Floor was in the midst of a chaotic spring cleaning.
“Next, we’re about to reveal to our audience—”
Before the host could finish the introduction, a shout from Xie Lianyun came from inside: “Mei Shengyao, why are you climbing so high to clean the windows without fearing a fall?!”
“If you didn’t scare me, I wouldn’t be able to do it! Pig!!!”
The host swallowed, knocking on the door tentatively.
Conversations echoed from afar: “Who’s here? Uncle Jiang? It can’t be the crew, right?”
“Didn’t they say they’re coming on the 31st?”
“Ugh—there’s no 31st in September!”
Huo Ren hurried to open the door, wearing a dust-proof apron around his waist.
“Are we recording today…?” He laughed, apologizing, “Sorry, I got the date wrong.”
“No worries, no worries,” the host inquired curiously, “Are you all cleaning?”
“Yes, we do a big cleaning together every month. Brother Long says it’s a team-building activity.”
The 17th Floor, being so vast, is usually maintained by professionals under multiple contracts.
But it doesn’t stop several members from being avid shoppers, cluttering the living room, side hall, and corridors with all sorts of things.
Bo Jue usually buys various styles of decor and daily goods, Xie Lianyun purchases figurines, pillows, game discs, and related merchandise, Huo Ren typically buys books but organizes them well.
Mei Shengyao has unique tastes, buying anything that catches his eye online, once even bringing home a red-eyed pirate lamp for the living room, with a personal collection including green-haired turtles, wild sponges, and Persian carpets, among others.
“This is the living room, the black box is the PS4, the white box houses the Wii, and below the TV are his collected FC, SFC…” Huo Ren paused, realizing everyone was looking at him, “Uh, did I get it wrong?”
“It’s not that you got everything right,” Bo Jue murmured, “It’s that we can all distinguish these strange things.”
“My God… What exactly happened during the years we’ve lived together…”
Xie Lianyun nodded approvingly, “Love you.”
As the host surveyed the living room’s various setups, he noticed a double bathtub on the outdoor terrace.
“That is… surely not…”
“It’s a bathtub,” Xie Lianyun agreed smoothly, “with a six-function massage feature. Long Jia and I both like it a lot.”
The host wondered, “Don’t the others like it?”
“Not really,” Bo Jue commented coolly, “Ordinary people wouldn’t dare to bathe naked on the balcony.”
The second magical scene was the large walk-in closet.
The 17th Floor’s original design did not include this feature, as each member’s room was spacious enough with adequate built-in wardrobes.
However, they received too many clothes from various fashion brands, along with Bo Jue’s shopping habits.
So, in their second year after debut, the second gym was officially remodeled into a voice-controlled, rolling wardrobe.
“There are probably over three thousand pieces of clothing, shoes, and hats,” Huo Ren pointed at the displayed AJ sneakers in the glass cabinet and the suits and coats arranged next to them, “Everyone has better taste in clothes than me… I’m not really good at picking.”
“Let me guess,” the host laughed, “the one with the most clothes must be Teacher Bo, right?”
Bo Jue’s image and style have been ranked TOP2 by the fans over the years, with others fluctuating in ranking, but he’s been impeccable in attire and overall care.
Huo Ren hesitated, touching the back of his head sheepishly.
“Actually… it’s me.”
The others, carrying brooms, mops, and cloths, proudly declared, “It’s him!”
“Huh?”
The reason was that the group’s pet, Huo Ren, was particularly beloved by the others, known for their focus on appearance.
Bo Jue, without saying, usually buys hats, coats, and trench coats for everyone at home, one of each style. Occasionally, during arguments with Xie Lianyun, he’d withhold gifts from him but always brought double for Huo Ren, exhausting their luggage-carrying assistants.
Xie Lianyun, appearing as a typical straight man, has pushed his Love Nikki collection to 92% through strong spending, with fluctuating tastes. Sometimes, he discreetly purchases attractive clothes and accessories.
He’s reserved in giving gifts, never admitting it openly, but Chi Ji can guess without looking at the packaging, eventually leading everyone to accept that the suddenly refreshed gift boxes in their rooms were from Xie Lianyun.
Chi Ji usually gifts everyone scarves, gloves, hats, and small jewelry on holidays, with a keen eye for picking earrings, rings, and necklaces from niche brands.
Long Jia, openly vain, not only prides himself but regularly drags Huo Ren to pick trendy items, even stocking up on hair gel and wax by the box.
“Although I’m not used to it, over time, I’ve accumulated so many clothes I can’t even wear them all…” Huo Ren admitted reluctantly, “Even this apron was a gift from Shengyao.”
The host couldn’t help but take a few more glances, “Especially cute—pink and blue suit you so well.”
Huo Ren, embarrassed, responded, “Don’t compliment me… it feels strange.”
The 17th Floor originally housed two gyms. The first was converted into a large walk-in closet, and the second swapped places with the small study, eventually being relegated to a storage room with extremely low usage.
The environment that once accommodated another gym’s equipment and treadmills was transformed into a library, with the layout and design personally drafted by Xie Lianyun.
Huo Ren’s love for reading is well known to everyone, and there has been no shortage of book exchanges among them.
After his college entrance exams, his registration was placed in the finance department of Shidu University, planning to attend formally when work becomes less demanding. Skipping grades is highly likely for him, and earning multiple PhDs in a few years wouldn’t be surprising.
Additionally, Mei Shengyao’s middle and high school education was personally taught by his brothers, while Chi Ji pursued music-related studies in the study room.
Xie Lianyun, despite playing a lot of games, still requires a highly focused environment for songwriting, making frequent visits to the study room as well.
The entire study room was designed to evoke the feeling of being deep within a bamboo forest, with silver-green tones offering relaxation and tranquility.
Open geometric shapes intelligently divide the space, maintaining a post-modern tech vibe while the natural wood furniture and ink bamboo bookshelves enhance the classical atmosphere.
Rocking chairs, incense burners, tea tables, and hourglasses are readily available, with a corner even featuring a seven-stringed guqin.
It’s hard to believe this came from the creator of earthy hit songs.
The library houses thousands of books and art collections, arranged like delicate ivory tiles. The host’s neck grew sore from looking up to the ceiling’s end to see the hidden bookshelf. Circling around a triangular ladder for book retrieval, he gestured for the camera to capture the guqin.
“Was this purchased by Teacher Bo?”
“It was bought by Brother Long,” Huo Ren smiled, “It was the first birthday gift for Brother Jue after he joined the group.”
“…The material isn’t pure,” Bo Jue critiqued, “Got cheated by the manufacturer and didn’t even know it.”
“Though you say that,” Huo Ren tilted his head towards him, “Brother Jue, don’t you come here to play the guqin when you’re feeling down?”
“—Absolutely not!”
The crescent-shaped bookshelf contained a range of middle school, high school, and university textbooks, with classical music theory and composition reference books above, and three to four sets of manga below.
“This must be Xie Xie’s, right?”
“Yes, this set and this set are his,” Huo Ren bent down to point, “This set of ‘Doraemon’ I forgot who brought in, but we’ve all read it several times.”
The host mused, “Seems like there’s a strong atmosphere of mutual influence here…”
“If I had to choose my favorite place on the 17th Floor, it would probably be the workshop,” Huo Ren raised a finger, “You can roast marshmallows there. Would you like to try some?”
“Eh??”
Mei Shengyao, with a duster in hand, quickly raised his hand, “I bought that!”
Author’s note:
The next chapter will continue with the joyous group variety show.