Idol Chapter 139 Part 1

The author has something to say:

Jump directly to Chapter 145 for spoilers,

【【Attention!!】】

Any suicide plot in this series of writings by the author is purely fictional!!

In reality, suicide cannot lead to transmigration or rebirth!!!

In reality, suicide cannot lead to transmigration or rebirth!!!

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After much thought, Huo Ren ultimately chose the place where the story began.

His house was still there, unchanged.

The house was a wedding gift from his maternal grandfather to his mother.

Zhang Wu, in the first few years of his marriage, hadn’t yet fallen into alcohol and gambling, and with his handsome appearance and eloquent speech, he was very popular at his workplace.

The couple lived a harmonious and beautiful life after having a child, and there were even fresh flowers at the window.

When Huo Ren brought them back to this dirty, messy, and old neighborhood, the other friends, who came from much better backgrounds, showed surprised expressions.

It wasn’t that they had any doubts or resistance to this past, but they simply hadn’t seen this kind of living area.

Chen Xiao is busy preparing for his wedding with his first love, and Aunt Lu, after recovering from her illness, found a job in another block and now lives a peaceful life.

When he returned, he was only accompanied by Crown.

But that was enough.

The house wasn’t big, the green paint had been quietly cleaned by the neighbors, and the house still had a pungent smell, covered in dust.

As the six of them entered the dusty old house, Chi Ji choked and sneezed.

Huo Ren smiled and handed him a tissue, his expression calm as he looked towards the camera.

“I grew up here.”

“This is also the last memento… my parents left me.”

The corner of the wall, the wine bottles, the textbooks with their covers torn off, many things retained traces from eight years ago.

Xie Lianyun, with his arm around Huo Ren’s shoulder, walked forward and suddenly spotted a cassette tape on the window sill.

“Mei Shengyao—look at this!”

The youth approached somewhat bewilderedly, “Huh?”

“Haven’t seen this before, have you?” Xie Lianyun clicked his tongue; “This is something from your dad’s era.”

He wiped the dust off the cassette tape with his fingertip, revealing the mottled label.

It was Mei Heng’s “Better Not to Forget.”

Huo Ren himself had forgotten about this, vaguely remembering it was a tape his dad had given to his mom when he was just eight years old.

Everyone’s curiosity about the relics of the nineties was overwhelming, and they even managed to fix the old, coughing tape player.

The gears whirred softly, playing “Better Not to Forget” once again.

“Let’s help Ren Ren clean the house, shall we?”

“Sure—let’s make it a team-building activity!”

The five idols really acted like a group of sunlit youths, hooking arms over shoulders, pulling Huo Ren along to buy new aprons, masks, and cloths at the supermarket, accompanying him back under the curious gazes of passersby, opening the old house’s doors and windows while listening to the looping tape, letting in sunlight and fresh air, making it feel more like a home.

The dusty and closed past was thus cleansed away, leaving no dirt behind.

Mei Heng’s voice remained clear and gentle, moving the host to inexplicably tear up.

They are really kind.

The New Year is coming soon.

With the smooth airing of the group variety show, the New Year’s schedule is gradually finalized.

The festive atmosphere quickly envelops the city, with large red lanterns and colorful festive lions hanging everywhere.

Although fireworks are not allowed in the city, Corona’s new song “Auspicious New Year” brings the sound of crackling firecrackers, blending into the festive atmosphere in supermarkets and big markets.

—This song is really catchy, it only took Xie Lianyun forty minutes to compose.

Mei Shengyao disdained it, thinking it didn’t amount to much, and didn’t bother to change it.

From the beginning of last year to now, everyone has been carefully protecting Chi Ji, unwilling to let such a pure existence be tainted by dust.

Fortunately, there have been no accidents.

Chi Ji is in good spirits, even participating in the New Year’s Eve show with everyone and earning a round of applause.

During this time, Jiang Shu has been busy with social engagements, bidding, and setting dates for various matters, drinking water while incessantly tapping on his phone.

Crown is this year’s hottest contender for the OSC award, with many sponsors and investors fearing their valuation will skyrocket, rushing to sign contracts and renewals, even causing the assistants’ phones to be overwhelmed by calls.

As the end of the year approaches, tasks become more numerous, coinciding with the meeting of the industry’s four giants, and the entire convention center is booked.

After Jiang Shu confirmed their performance arrangements on the phone and before hanging up, he turned sideways to knock on his briefcase: “Where’s the report? They’re going on stage in twenty minutes, right?”

Assistant Tian instinctively reaches into her bag, coming up empty: “Eh? I packed it, right?”

With the New Year approaching, Jiang Shu is too tired to be upset: “Forgot it in the room again? Go and check.”

The assistant nodded awkwardly and hurried off from the venue.

Just as she entered the elevator, Han Qu came in, holding a document bag.

Assistant Tian flinched upon seeing him, instinctively wanting to escape, not wanting to be mixed up with him.

“Hold on.” Han Qu speaks leisurely: “Miss Tian, showing no restraint upon seeing someone, eh?”

He pressed three buttons on the elevator, and the doors slowly closed, with the “Under Maintenance” sign flashing on the external display.

“What are you doing?! I’m calling the police!”

Han Qu looked at her with a half-smile, then glanced at the wall, arms crossed: “You know who owns this convention center, right?”

It belonged to the Han family.

Assistant Tian’s face changed, defensively saying: “If Boss Jiang finds out—”

“The surveillance is under my control. What would he know?”

Han Qu stepped forward, smiling as he handed the document bag to her and pulled a key from his pocket.

“Miss Tian, deliver a parcel for me.”

“As long as you hand this document bag to Chi Ji, no matter the outcome, this key will let you withdraw a house and six million cash from a safety deposit box at Hong Yue Bank.”

He didn’t give Assistant Tian time to react, pressing closer, nearly pinning her against the elevator wall.

“An assistant like you never really had many choices,” Han Qu whispered, his voice hissing like a venomous snake: “Of course, you can refuse.”

“If you refuse, I can instantly provide Jiang Shu with clues, giving him ample reason to suspect you’re a mole.”

“Do you remember… how the last mole died?”

Assistant Tian’s pupils shrunk, uncontrollably beginning to tremble.

“You never really had a choice. Standing beside Jiang Shu and Corona, you only have this life.”

Han Qu caressingly stroked her cheek, examining her as if she were prey.

His, Han Qu’s, methods, compared to those long-involved in the business world like Qi Ding, are insignificant.

But to control a naïve assistant like her, it’s more than enough.

“The parcel is small, just a few papers.”

“If you don’t do this, I will personally deliver the accusation. And you will be blacklisted in the industry, unable to ever regain Jiang Shu’s trust.”

“If you do it, I can solve your identity, profession, and even nationality issues—I can provide you with a recommendation letter for Ivy League universities, clean all paths, leaving no trace.”

“No—I, I will tell Boss Jiang!” Assistant Tian exclaimed in terror: “I don’t need that much money, I’ll tell Jiang Shu everything once I’m out, I’ll reveal all your plans to him!”

“Is that so?” Han Qu shook his phone, an unsent text message in view.

“Are you faster running there, or is CEO Chao sitting opposite Jiang Shu quicker in speaking up?”

CEO Chao?! Impossible?! Isn’t he a core director of the company???

Assistant Tian was on the verge of collapse.

Seeing her trapped, Han Qu licked his lips ambiguously.

Getting something for nothing, just enough to fool such a foolish woman.

“Will Jiang Shu believe you after a few words from his old friends?”

Assistant Tian continued to tremble, not even realizing she’s holding the document bag.

“You know what you’ll do.” Han Qu pressed the most dangerous thought deep into her mind again: “Because you have no choice.”

As the New Year’s Eve work concluded, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, feeling the excitement and joy of near completion.

There’s a commercial event on the first day of February, and Jiang Shu originally wanted to bring all six of them, but upon hearing that Han Qu and the somewhat famous FALSE would be on the fifth floor, after much deliberation, he instructed Chi Ji to stay at home.

“It’s just three or four hours, I’ll come back in the evening to take you out.”

Chi Ji obediently nodded, calling out as they left: “Uncle, we haven’t had hotpot in a long time.”

Jiang Shu paused, intending to agree, but then remembered Dr. Wu’s advice.

“Chi Ji’s sleep quality has been poor recently, still frequently having nightmares, try to keep the diet mild and light.”

“In a few days,” the uncle waved his hand: “My stomach’s been acting up, I’ll take you next week.”

“Okay—waiting for you guys to come back!”

Not long after the group left, the door was knocked twice.

Chi Ji, with a spring roll in his mouth, went to open the door and found Assistant Tian standing there.

“Assistant Tian?” He squinted and smiled: “Did Uncle Jiang forget something again?”

Assistant Tian had come from the first floor through the emergency exit, shaking all the way until now.

She didn’t care what was in the package, completely engulfed by a choking sense of fear.

She had just graduated and joined SPF, doing miscellaneous tasks, lacking the social experience to handle such complex situations.

“Your… courier.”

“Eh? I didn’t order anything.”

Every word Han Qu had said resurfaced in her mind.

Assistant Tian instinctively stepped back, hastily saying according to Han Qu’s instructions: “Seems like it’s from your friend.”

Chi Ji couldn’t help but laugh.

“Besides Ren Ren and the others, I only know Jiang Jue in China, did he have someone send this?”

“… Yeah.”

“Thanks,” the youth took the package, thanking her with a smile: “You look unwell, remember to rest well.”

Assistant Tian nodded hastily and left.

Chi Ji, humming a tune, entered his bedroom with the package, weighing it before tearing open the seal.

It was a stack of color-printed documents.

The first page was a hot search for #Chi Ji’s Expulsion from Manhood# and a collage of screenshots.

Chi Ji’s pupils contracted, instinctively pushing the package away, his breathing becoming rapid.

Don’t look, this definitely isn’t from Jiang Jue, definitely don’t look.

He held his breath, covering the opened surface with a tissue like it was a cockroach, and putting the box into the trash can.

Then he breathed a sigh of relief, ready to go out and call Uncle Jiang and the others.

This was the right thing to do, Ren Ren and the others would definitely praise me for being very obedient.

Chi Ji pressed down on his breath, trying to leave the room, forcing himself to forget the fleeting images in his mind.

One step outside the room, one step still inside.

Don’t look back.

Absolutely don’t look back.

He stared at the door handle, uncontrollably glancing back.

The paper box in the trash can was so glaring it made him unable to breathe.

Chi Ji closed the door, quietly went back to the trash can, and started taking out the pages one by one.

All the malice from the entire spring and summer of 2016 that everyone had tried hard to cover up was being released.

People were mocking his sensual dance, bitterly criticizing his preferences and makeup, unscrupulously stripping him of his gender.

One screenshot after another, college students, live streamers, office workers, imitating his high-heeled dance in twisted and exaggerated makeup, gaining applause.

His name, Chi Ji, Noah, all became a joke.

 

“Eating chicken means TJ, right? Didn’t get played by foreigners in the UK, how does it feel? Look at that dance, so provocative!”

“Heard he’s a trans person… A friend from a cosmetic surgery hospital confirmed it, ugh.”

“How did someone like this become popular? Ruins social morals, isn’t he afraid of corrupting the youth, such explicit content should be banned!”

“As a fan of the group, really annoyed to have such a person in Corona… Wouldn’t it be better to voluntarily leave the group?”

“Should have the decency to leave the group on his own, really shaming the other brothers, Crown shouldn’t have him!”

 

Page after page.

Page after page.

Chi Ji sat amidst the scattered papers on the floor, having lost any possibility of escaping from here.

“How could I have been so naive?”

If what Ren Ren and Jia Jia said was true, why didn’t they take me out today?

If the world still loved me, where did all these come from?

He raised his head, desperately trying to breathe, but his limbs began to spasm as if drowning.

Shame was woven into a thorny cage that pierced through his heart, pinning him down completely.

During the New Year’s performance, everyone in the audience was looking at me. Were they also laughing at me?

How much more could Ren Ren and the others bear? Did I cause them too much trouble?

Chi Ji gasped, trying to control his tears, and with the last of his strength, he found a clay pot and a lighter to turn every shameful mark into ashes.

He dared not set off the smoke detector, leaning against the window sill, crying and burning the papers, trying to save himself from the thorny confines.

“Why are there so many videos?”

They Photoshopped black and white pictures and made so many jokes with my name. Was it really that funny?

Did all my friends, everyone, see me in my most wretched and ugly state?

Shame turned into the sharpest knife, furiously shredding what little sense of security he had left.

When the last piece was uncovered, there was a set of women’s black lace lingerie underneath.

Like a devil’s final invitation.

Chi Ji wiped his face with the back of his hand, and lifted a pale, weary smile.

He picked up the provocative bra and thong, placing them all into the still-burning ashes.

Then, embracing a blaze of fire, he leaped down.