-2-
Qi Lin is now at the height of his popularity, with drama fans and music fans vying for attention daily, and fans of his CP (Character Pairing) feasting on the love of the Crown Prince to the point of fainting.
This closed shooting session lasted for several months, with not a whisper on Weibo, creating the feeling of a long-distance boyfriend who suddenly ran away.
Daring to disappear from the public eye at the peak of his popularity to focus on filming, it’s hard to say whether to praise him for his courage or recklessness.
After Corona disbanded, many idols and boy/girl groups sought to rise to the top. From last year to this year, the number of people debuting and training as trainees surged, and familiar faces from the second and third tiers were washed away, leaving only a few new faces who were popular today and forgotten tomorrow, with very few able to maintain long-lasting popularity.
Fans screaming, “If you don’t come back by ’70, I’ll climb the wall,” were super numerous, but concert tickets were still sold out in a second, even scalpers got annoyed to the point of changing their profile pictures to “Don’t ask, there really are no ’70 tickets’.”
On the grand opening day, the lighting and stage design were dazzlingly cool, and the Unicorn Boy had already electrified the entire audience in the first half, prompting security to wave their warning sticks to push the jumping fans back down.
“Come down, come down! Are you trying to perform Swan Lake on that chair??”
“Stop jumping, that guy! You’re blocking the view for the audience behind!!!”
After a few energetic dances, Qi Lin turned off his mic to briefly adjust his breathing, only turning it back on and waving when he saw the signal light.
“Is tonight not bad?”
A unanimous voice from a hundred thousand people below: “Super —— awesome ——!!!”
“Today is a very special day,” Qi Lin smiled and stepped back, “An old friend of mine has finally returned to the country. Shouldn’t he come out and sing a song, right?”
Pure white smoke swirled and spread out, another person’s silhouette gradually became clear in the dark red flickering light.
Girls sitting in the front row had already recognized who he was at first sight, losing control to the point of nearly screaming like fireworks.
“Ah ah ah —— It’s him, it’s Huo Ren!! Huo Ren is back!!!”
“This can’t be real!!! What day is it today?! He’s back? Really, is he back???”
As the smoke slowly dissipated, Qi Lin faded into the darkness.
A figure in the clouds lightly plucked the guitar strings, a blood-red teardrop mole resting by his eye.
Holding the guitar in front of the microphone, his deep eyes and long eyebrows still beautifully handsome, a hint of unhealed sickness transformed into a bewitchingly pale beauty.
A few strums sounded, followed by a low and gentle voice rising.
“I dreamt last night, you were the boat ferrying us.”
The entire concert venue vibrated in waves, no one could keep calm the moment Huo Ren’s bowed head singing was broadcast on the screen.
It was actually Huo Ren——
It was him, he’s back?!!!
Audience members in front and back rows vied to lift their phones to capture his current appearance, as if they were at the scene of a hot search news event, rushing to post pictures and videos online——
But the internet channel had already been clogged by tens of thousands of people at this moment, with network speed so slow that uploading a picture took nearly a minute to wait.
The young man strumming the guitar on stage seemed not to hear the commotion, only holding the mic and singing with his eyes closed.
He had a fragile yet resilient beauty.
Like a sharp peak, like a blade, his whole body emitted a cold light.
Seeming frail and easily broken, yet also dangerously lethal.
More and more people raised their phones trying to catch a signal, while unwittingly falling into his singing.
——Is this really him singing?
——When did Huo Ren sing to such an extent??
——Were all those I heard in malls and internet cafes fake?!!
Corona had many songs that went viral in the past, but the truly astonishing one was Chi Ji’s solo, The Little Mermaid.
Others had their unique voices, both harmonious and solo performances were very appealing, scoring eighty out of a hundred was not too much.
But the voice at this moment, so delicate that anyone present would want to give him two hundred, three hundred, or even more points.
The texture as fine as a slush passed by the ears, every word imbued with emotions like strong liquor, making one’s heart flutter uncontrollably, wanting to listen once, twice, three times, never wanting to stop.
He sang a slow song, with a gentle rhythm and clear tone, an inadvertent sigh could make one tear up instantly.
More and more of the live audience raised their hands to wave in resonance for him, eagerly wanting to sing along with the next melody.
They knew his story, witnessed his return, even if they had never known anything about him before, their cheeks unknowingly wet with tears in the deep melody.
Singing is a form of expression.
Not with words, but with emotions.
About life and death, about time, about obsessions, about joys and sorrows.
Everyone has a story, and at this moment, they were involuntarily awakened to the same deep emotions, like travelers encountering sirens on their journey.
At the same time, dozens, hundreds of short videos from different angles were uploaded to major entertainment platforms, causing a severe shock in the entire entertainment circle.
——Huo Ren is back.
The once unparalleled leader of male groups, the legendary figure who had been missing for a year and a half.
He really came back.
And in the form of a solo act, using the stage to declare his return.
This explosive news had no warning just a few minutes ago, with marketing accounts and people in the industry completely unaware, now overwhelmed by one video and snapshot after another.
“Huo Ren? He’s singing?? He’s decided to return to the entertainment industry???”
“He’s become more handsome again!! I could worship this face for ten thousand years!! Raw photos are unbeatable ah ah ah——”
“Why is the video only three minutes long, who knows what else he said or did, please, I’ll pay for just a bit more information——”
“Is the photo real?? I’m waking up my roommate who just pulled an all-nighter on a paper!”
Marketing accounts under the control of SPF were the first to release a 4K high-definition three-minute video montage, and at this moment, related terms have already soared to first place on the real-time hot list and search list.
Countless people opened their phones and all social media, impatiently telling all their companions who once witnessed the legend about the crown.
He’s back, he came back alone.
Weibo experienced a near ten-minute crash, during which logins and shares failed to respond.
Everyone felt as if their brains and nervous systems were thrown into a blender, unable to wait for Weibo to recover and rushing to the current short video platforms for more videos.
And then, as expected, the short video platforms also crashed for eight minutes.
The search engine’s related indexes soared rapidly, countless questions chasing forward like a huge wave.
“Is Huo Ren’s appearance this time a farewell or a formal return? Will he continue to be an idol as an individual?”
“Is Huo Ren’s song ‘The Boat’ alluding to the event last year?”
“Can the other members accept his solo appearance? Is this a betrayal of Corona?”
“Are there more statements or performance videos?”
“When exactly will Weibo be fixed!! I’m going to die of anxiety!!!”
The several forums that were filled with gloom over the past year came back to life.
Corona’s official forum had turned its website page to black and white after the group disbanded, freezing the time permanently on February 17, 2017.
But discussions on other platforms like certain segments, areas, and hubs still surged to the highest point of activity, all discussing this return.
[Is Huo Ren setting the rhythm for a solo comeback? Is he stepping on his deceased teammate to climb up the ranks, could anyone be this cold-blooded, how very realistic of human nature #Smile #Smile #Smile]
[Is he still not well? He looks so much thinner, seeing him again only makes my heart ache, why does my brother have to go through so much #Cry #Cry]
[Crab monster, listening to this song reminded me of my first love ten years ago, even as a straight man I felt my heart was being squeezed…]
[I’ve been looping that song for three hours now, what’s the situation, can someone patch it up? I don’t care about those gossip rumors, I just want to know when the full version is coming out!!]
At this crucial moment, the Blei fans had neither the energy nor the time to control comments.
All of Huo Ren’s devoted fans felt as if they were 17 again and suddenly confessed to by the person they had been secretly in love with for years, almost ready to rush out to get emergency heart-saving pills.
The more they loved him, the more they understood him. Anyone who had been a fan of Huo Ren for a while knew what he had been through and what kind of person he was.
They always understood his extremely responsible attitude towards the whole team, worried from the beginning that Huo Ren was taking on too much. Watching him clutch his chest in pain and kneel down at the funeral, they almost wanted to reach through the screen to support their beloved young man.
Huo Ren disappeared for a year and a half, and the Blei fans waited for him for a year and a half, unable to let go of this ray of light hidden in the deepest part of their hearts.
They knew the circle was malformed and dark, knew there were too many storms and struggles, far from a pure land.
But they also knew how suitable he was for the stage, how much astonishment he could bring to all who loved him and this world.
Millions of fans seen as company-manufactured fake followers were all resurrected online in the chaos, hurriedly regrouping.
@Did Brother Huo Ren Come Back Today: Day 454, he’s back, he really is back, sisters I’ve waited ah ah ah I don’t need to do daily check-ins anymore!!!
@Huo Ren’s Rainbow Fart Vendor: Where are the fan clubs!! Pick all the fan clubs back up!! Wake up everyone, this time it’s real, not a rumor!!!
@His Strawberry Blei: I’ve never waited for someone this long, my roommate and I are on an endless loop of that song, crying non-stop, can’t even stop…
Fans of C-house, who had explosive fighting power even before Corona disbanded, were also a well-organized fan group with a complete management system over the years.
Countless people from drips to streams and then to a vast ocean, waiting with the hottest anticipation for his official return.
At 12:30 a.m., Corona’s official Weibo and SPF company simultaneously posted messages, expressing gratitude for Huo Ren’s deep contributions to the team over the past eight years and sincerely wishing him a brighter and more splendid future.
At 1:30 a.m., “The Chosen by God” released an official announcement in the sleepless night, stating all four coaches were in place, and the audition was entering the final stage.
Simultaneously, Huo Ren exclusively released his first video since his return on the APP.
With just a few words of review and reminiscence, each phrase perfectly expressed, emotion managed very stably.
Soothing former group fans, protecting every teammate, while explaining the reason for his return.
He remains lean and tall, radiating a cool aura.
Only in the last two sentences did he again lift his gaze to the camera.
“From today onwards, I will live as myself, no longer restrained.”
“Thank you for your care.”
In just three hours, the Blei fans unanimously discussed and collectively renamed themselves Cold Blade, neatly welcoming his return.
During those glorious years, we were Blei, delicious and soft desserts, wishing only to add a bit more sweetness to your life.
Now, as storms obscure the light, we become the guarding Cold Blades, never again allowing you to suffer the slightest harm.
You are our edge, our steadfast heart.
Bo Jue anxiously browsed through the entertainment headlines’ comment sections, breathing a sigh of relief upon seeing the massive return of fans.
His phone had been bombarded by journalists until it died; he had since cast it aside.
At this point, he and the others no longer needed to be at the center of public discourse.
After disbanding, the three who faded into the background became observers.
Then, in their own ways, they continued to protect Huo Ren as he moved forward.
Mei Shengyao, who seldom logged into Weibo, also made a gentle statement when the other three members shared their blessings, saying big brother had worked hard.
When the video call was made again, there was still no response.
Bo Jue opened and closed the webpage, feeling fortunate about his own exit yet somewhat unaccustomed to it.
After all, Huo Ren’s current agent was Pei Ruye; both of them were meticulous and supportive of each other, which would make their journey much easier.
The long-haired young man took a deep breath for a few seconds, deciding to pour a glass of water to calm down.
The light was still on across the diagonal door, with the sound of a travel suitcase zipper faintly audible.
“Xiao Huan?” Bo Jue stood at the door, seeing his brother packing clothes: “Are you preparing to return to Vienna?”
“That—uh, I’m just packing in advance,” Bo Huan forgot to close the door, now standing up in a fluster, trying to block the suitcase with his body: “I, uh… signed up for a summer camp the other day, uh…”
Bo Jue’s eyebrows twitched, squinting at him: “The summer camp registration ended last month.”
“Bo Huan, what’s going on.”
“Bro, um, brother, I love you, I was just planning to go away for a while, I was going to tell you the day after tomorrow…”
“Go away? Where to? For how long??”
Bo Huan’s cheeks turned red from holding back, and after a moment, he quickly pulled out a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to him.
“Brother, I made it through the audition! I also want to become a trainee!”
The bedroom remained silent for a few seconds.
“Bo——Huan!!!”
The author has something to say:
The formation of the group begins in the next chapter.
Oooh, Bo Jr is also going to the new group? Although I feel that having 6 members is too similar to Corona. Why not 5 or 9? I really hope Classmate Fu doesn’t turn out to be a scheming b****…
bo huan… is he planning to join the show?
somehow i could relate this to my experience waiting for my fav singer to come back from hiatus for so long..