Pei Ruye wore a matte, lightweight trench coat today, pieced together in black and white with silver buttons.
Though not a typical artist’s style, he still caught the eye in the crowd.
He didn’t refuse, and upon hearing the call, sat down beside Huo Ren.
At this moment, Huo Ren felt a bit guilty.
With one minute until the live broadcast started, he suddenly felt like he was about to go public with a romance…
“Get ready—”
The broadcast room was still dark, but by now, the screen was filled with real-time scrolling bullet comments.
“Three, two, one—”
“Good evening, everyone,” Huo Ren smiled. “It’s been a long time since I last did a live broadcast, and I’m a bit unaccustomed to it.”
Everyone who heard his voice instantly noticed Pei Ruye at his side.
[Boss Pei is here too?!]
[Casual Pei looks so handsome! Suddenly feeling so heart-fluttering!!!]
[Huo Huo baby I miss you so much, who’s this other man by your side wuu wuu wuu—]
CP fans immediately sensed a certain unspoken atmosphere, pulling their friends to rush to the scene.
Huo Huo, you’ve made it big!!
You even brought God Pei to promote your album!! Finally figured it out, kiddo!!!
Be extra cute to the camera, no worries, Boss Pei spoils you the most!!
“Today, I mainly want to thank everyone for their long-term support and protection.”
Huo Ren was still unfamiliar with the current live broadcast style, habitually using an old modest attitude to interact with fans.
Pei Ruye was smiling beside him, rarely speaking, but often exchanging glances with Huo Ren.
Sometimes, Huo Ren worried he might say something wrong, and would subconsciously glance at Pei Ruye’s expression, relaxing only after receiving confirmation to continue speaking.
Talking about the fun parts of album production, he laughed like a teenager, and even while laughing, he would seek out Pei Ruye’s gaze.
Just seven or eight minutes into the live broadcast, CP fans were already searching for oxygen masks.
Saying anything about being in the same frame is giving out treats!! You two are just showing off today, aren’t you!!!
Boss Pei, you came here on purpose, right?? Your presence is just to emphasize possession, we all see it!!!
Bullet comments were abuzz, and more people, eager to stir things up, kept asking why Boss Pei came today.
“Because…” Huo Ren was too embarrassed to say he invited him, hesitating for a few seconds before quickly finding an excuse: “He’s my agent and also my teacher, which is quite appropriate.”
The crowd nodded in agreement.
Appropriate, appropriate, you and he are especially appropriate—
“I didn’t expect the album sales to be so high… How about I sing a bit for you today?” Huo Ren pondered. “What would you like to hear?”
[Want to hear you and Boss Pei sing a love song!!]
[Can God Pei sing a few lines of Huo Huo’s songs—]
[Since you’re both here, do whatever, we don’t mind as viewers!]
Pei Ruye couldn’t help but chuckle, gesturing for Assistant Zhang to bring over the violin.
“Huo Huo singing is enough, I’ll accompany.”
Huo Ren hadn’t expected there to be a musical instrument and also peeked around: “There’s a violin? Where…”
[What?! Boss Pei can even play the violin!!!]
[KSWLKSWL if the dominant playing accompaniment isn’t just openly declaring his affection—]
[Huo Huo is too cute, I’m losing too much blood and about to pass out (covering face)]
Zhang Zhu hurried to the next office, returning with a black walnut wood violin.
Pei Ruye stood up to take the violin, not bothering to discuss its cost or origin, simply resting his chin properly and holding the bow, waiting for Huo Ren to start singing.
Huo Ren was momentarily distracted, still sitting as he began to sing.
His voice was indeed different from before.
Clear and transparent, yet filled with soft and abundant emotion.
The song from the new album was a slow ballad about the deep autumn leaves falling, and after a period of tired wandering, finally finding a place to belong.
As he sang, he looked up at Pei Ruye, even while seated, his high notes were smooth and effortless, his breath and pitch astonishingly beautiful, unbeknownst to himself.
Pei Ruye lowered his gaze to guide the violin bow, his profile like a memorable dream from an oil painting.
The moist and bright singing intertwined with the violin, and even without good equipment or any sound editing, it was so beautiful that the audience gradually lost themselves.
After singing about a dozen lines, Huo Ren still hummed a melody with his eyes slightly closed.
The violin sound was also gentle and slow, like the wings of a lark.
In the frame, a young man in a pure black suit sang with concentration, and a tall man with the violin smiled.
Between them, no other elements could fit; it was as if the world was meant to be just the two of them.
Passersby who came for the spectacle were stunned.
Many people were simultaneously searching [Who is Pei Ruye], while following directions from the comment section and bullet comments to search for “Chosen by the Gods,” as well as links to buy Huo Ren’s new album.
Quick-acting marketing accounts swiftly clipped this segment and posted it to Weibo, quickly rising to #2 in trending with the tag #PeiRuyeHuoRenLiveSinging, and downloads for the original song doubled. There was also a subtly rising #NightFireLikeBlade to #16 on trending.
A single look, a single smile, seemed to contain countless stories.
CP fans were already serenely cracking up, sitting down to eat up the sweetness with a face full of aunty smiles.
You really dare to give out sweets together… it’s like a sugar factory exploded…
Please do a live like this a million more times, Huo Huo just try to glance at Boss Pei a few times less, he won’t run away!!!
A few solo fans noticed something else.
@PeiRuye’sSecretWife: My boyfriend… has such a good figure?? He can dance, do business, speak multiple languages, and play the violin??
@WhiteMoonJade: That matte trench coat today was too revealing, how can brother’s waistline be so perfect!! Is this the horror of dancing from a young age!!!
@JadeColor0719: Sister above!! Someone has adjusted the lighting and found a clearer large picture!! Those legs, that figure could totally be a model aaaaah—
After the live broadcast ended, Huo Ren removed his makeup and glanced at the related Weibo tags, inexplicably feeling a bit annoyed.
Don’t stare at his waist!!
And don’t randomly call him hubby!!!
Pei Ruye was sitting on the other side, letting the makeup artist adjust his hair, and asked before dozing off.
“Not happy?”
“Not at all.” Huo Ren muttered.
The man glanced at him sideways, smiling yet not smiling.
At the same time, Han Yang was rolling around in his dorm room.
Fu Mingnian was sitting opposite, chatting with a friend, and after a long while, he spoke up.
“Is Yang Yang under a lot of pressure lately? Do you need to talk to the psychologist downstairs?”
“It’s not stress…” Han Yang’s mind was a mess: “Ran into some trouble, don’t know how to solve it.”
Fu Mingnian had no intention of prying into his secrets, only briefly pointing a way: “If you’re unsure, it’s best to ask some other people involved in the matter.”
Han Yang abruptly sat up, like a disheveled bulbul.
“I need to ask.” He realized something, quickly patted his head, got out of bed, and headed out: “I was too timid before, thanks, Brother Nian.”
It wasn’t that he was afraid to talk to Huo Ren; it was that the memory of that photograph was too vivid.
At the black-clad funeral, that solitary figure knelt long in front of the coffin, so desolate that the mere memory was painful.
Chi Ji was a scar for everyone in Corona, and Han Yang dared not touch it.
But… he had another friend.
Someone knocked on the dorm door twice, and Bo Huan came to open it, holding an apple.
“Just finished training?”
“Yeah, I have another session tonight.” Han Yang quickly checked if there were others in the room, then closed the door behind him and looked at Bo Huan, somewhat unsure how to begin.
Bo Huan tilted his head, his long hair cascading down from his shoulders.
“Are you okay?”
“Not… this…” Han Yang covered his head with his hands, feeling like he was doing something wrong.
He hesitantly began to ask.
“Bo Huan, do you know… about Mr. Chi’s affairs?”
Bo Huan was stunned for a moment, then his expression became serious: “Why bring this up suddenly?”
“It’s not that I want to gossip, I’ve just encountered some very strange things.”
Han Yang was not close with Han Qu, and he had only known Bo Huan for a few months.
He felt inexplicably caught in an undercurrent of turmoil, yet somehow deeply connected to it.
After much thought, he ended up recounting most of the key clues.
Bo Huan listened intently, his usual casual tone turning grave: “Are you taking responsibility for everything you’ve said?”
“…Yes.” Han Yang spoke softly: “But my brother, he wouldn’t go as far as murder, right?”
Bo Huan’s eyes reddened a bit, he stood up wanting to quickly go find an assistant. At the door, he remembered Han Yang was also there, and hurriedly said: “Would you come with me to meet my brother?”
Meet Bo Jue?!
Han Yang felt a sense of danger due to the surname, but still nodded.
He started praying not to be misunderstood.
Bo Huan, with his special status, could use a phone and move freely even when most trainees were forced to disconnect from the internet. He immediately took Han Yang to the office of Bo Jue at the Shidu Music Academy.
After a while, Bo Jue just returned from class, and seeing the two young men waiting, thought they had caused trouble at the company.
Before Han Yang could speak, Bo Huan, with reddened eyes, called out to him.
“Brother, there’s finally news about Brother Chi…”
Bo Jue’s first reaction was that the clues he had gathered at the cocktail party had been discovered by Bo Huan.
He feigned composure, checked that the curtains and locks were secure, then poured two glasses of water and indicated for them to sit and talk.
Han Yang honestly recounted everything he had done and heard.
Including the slap that had landed on Han Qu’s face.
The more Bo Jue heard, the graver his expression became.
He and his teammates actually had a rough idea that Chi Ji had been driven to that step.
They also completely knew that Chi Chi had died from murder.
What they always lacked was evidence.
The evidence that could topple the entire Han family, the evidence that could ruin Han Qu’s life forever.
It wasn’t about merely damaging Han Qu’s reputation or having him serve a few years in prison.
It was about making him lose everything, an eye for an eye.
After Han Yang finished speaking, he looked somewhat apprehensively at Bo Jue, feeling tense sitting in front of a senior he respected.
“…Your position is too awkward; you shouldn’t have been involved.” Bo Jue murmured, “These matters are deeper than you think.”
Han Yang’s suspicions being confirmed, he felt guilty for a moment.
“Doctor Xu is going to meet him this Friday,” he inquired, “Should I give you his contact information?”
Bo Jue stood up and bowed silently.
Bo Huan, surprised by his usually proud brother’s serious demeanor, also stood up, but was unsure whether he should bow to his good friend.
Han Yang flustered, said, “No need, no need—don’t be so formal—”
“If this can help Chi Chi,” the young man said somberly, “no effort is too much.”