Idol Chapter 175 Part 2

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Before leaving, Huo Ren gave a few more instructions, reminding them to also pay attention to rest and take calcium supplements.

Not long after he walked out, a voice called out to him from behind.

“Teacher, I have a few questions I’d like to ask.”

Turning around, Huo Ren saw Gu Shaochu following him out.

“Hmm? What are you unsure about?”

Gu Shaochu, now twenty-one, was at the crossroads between youth and adulthood.

He stood in the twilight, like a sword with a glowing blade, still holding that Emei fan in his hand.

“It’s not about practice.” Gu Shaochu paused for a moment, then decided to voice the deeper thoughts he harbored.

“Teacher, what do you think is the difference between debuting solo and debuting in a group?”

Huo Ren’s hair fluttered in the breeze, and for a moment, it seemed as if a hidden part of his heart had been touched; he did not speak immediately.

Gu Shaochu knew his question was somewhat offensive, seeming to challenge Huo Ren’s decision to go solo after Corona disbanded. He quickly explained his reason for asking.

“I’ve been here for several seasons, but I always feel… I don’t fit in.”

“It’s not that I have problems getting along with everyone, it’s that I’m not used to… evenly distributing the standout scenes, lyrics, and opportunities to all members, even though I could be in the center position, it still doesn’t feel enough.”

Saying this might seem selfish.

But he enjoyed shining alone more than being part of the crowd that simply enhances the stars.

He wanted all the spotlight for himself, all the glory attributed only to him.

Huo Ren was silent for a long time.

Gu Shaochu lowered his voice, showing a rare submission in front of him.

“But I don’t know if this way of thinking is too narcissistic and aloof, maybe I’m completely wrong.”

“Not necessarily.”

“You mean…”

“To be honest, living a life means continuously learning how to make choices.”

Huo Ren looked at him, but it was as if he was also talking to himself.

“Learn to bear the consequences, learn to accept the outcomes, learn how to face the changes that come with those choices.”

“For me, being in a boy band and debuting solo both brought equal measures of gains and losses.”

Joining a group means bonding with more friends like a family, sharing joy and sorrow, no longer alone.

But connection also means mutual constraints, meaning any choice you make or any incident you face could affect everyone you care about.

Going solo means having an entire stage to yourself, having the freedom to make more choices.

Dating, clashing with reporters, rejecting disliked schedules, trying out more interesting styles, everything only needs to consider oneself.

But when you look back, all you see is emptiness behind you.

“You were a very good tennis player; I’ve seen several of your matches at Wimbledon.” Huo Ren looked at him and said, “You’re quite skilled at judging gains and losses and choosing strategies.”

Gu Shaochu looked at him for a few seconds, then suddenly smiled.

“Alright, thank you, Teacher Huo.”

This Wednesday is Old Master Han’s birthday, and Han Yang needs to return home for a meal.

Knowing too much now, his feelings about his family had become complicated; after pondering for a long time, he decided to take leave from the team and picked up a painting he had done earlier, “Longevity as Enduring as the Southern Mountains,” to bring as a birthday gift.

The Han family hadn’t played a major role in his life over the past twenty years, but from minor expenses like school and uniform fees to major costs like hospital stays and new houses, it was almost always his father who quietly paid for everything.

He still needed to go back and see them.

The old man couldn’t close his mouth with delight upon seeing the crane and five bats drawn by his grandson on Mount Immortality. He immediately showed the letter off to all his relatives, boasting about it.

“Look, this was drawn by my grandson. Not just anyone can produce such a drawing, eh? I bet even your art student can’t match this, can they?”

Han Gaozhi hadn’t seen the old man so spirited in a long time. He smiled as he sliced the cake beside him and secretly gave Han Yang a thumbs up.

Throughout the meal, around a dozen relatives chatted endlessly, briefly touching on personal matters before steering the conversation back to stocks, real estate, and so forth, barely touching the array of exquisite dishes.

Han Yang, feeling bored, inadvertently glanced several times at Han Qu.

The latter, who was casually smoking a cigarette, was only apparently attentive when he saw his father—who provided money—smiling particularly obediently.

After about half an hour, an aunt from some family gossiped, and many eyes turned towards Han Yang.

“That Huo Ren, you’ve seen it with your own eyes, what do you think?”

“Remember that group was really popular back then? Your cousin was still in high school, clamoring to go to their concert every day.”

“Wasn’t there a death involved? Do you think his return to the country could be about seeking revenge?”

Han Yang was startled; he hadn’t expected the topic to catch fire here.

From the corner of his eye, he glanced at Han Qu, who nonchalantly lit another cigarette, unsure if he was actually listening or just ignoring the conversation.

These topics were merely gossip fodder in the entertainment industry. When Chi Ji died, all sorts of wild speculation had arisen, each one spoken as if they had witnessed it firsthand.

Many said he had been devoured by the spirits he kept; others claimed he was a victim of bullying and humiliation from higher-ups—

All these stories were just fabrications spun by marketing accounts to bleed money from the public.

“Exactly, when that incident blew up, my son cried for a day when he heard the group disbanded. I don’t even know how he became so star-struck…”

“Han Yang, you’ve always been around them, right? Tell us about it.”

Han Yang, not daring to visibly check Han Qu’s reaction, blurted out in desperation, “Actually, it’s—different reasons!”

Everyone immediately perked up: “Tell us!!”

Logically, these middle-aged women weren’t the type to chase after stars, but given the group’s recent variety shows and hit songs, it was hard not to know about them.

“But if this conversation is recorded… or leaked,” Han Yang made an embarrassed expression, “I won’t be able to mix in that circle anymore.”

The old man scoffed, “Those actors’ troubles, what’s there to record.”

Indeed, there were eager ones among them, gesturing to a servant to bring a storage box to collect everyone’s phones and take them out of the room.

Han Yang hadn’t expected these aunties to be so troublesome; he felt like fleeing but reluctantly handed over his phone as well.

It was only then that Han Qu meaningfully glanced at Han Yang before handing over his own phone.

Once the servant left with the box, a dozen pairs of eyes immediately turned back to Han Yang.

“Actually…” Han Yang forced a smile, “It’s been years, Brother Huo doesn’t have the time to bother with those rumors anymore—he’s in a relationship.”

A few of the younger wealthy heirs gasped in shock.

The gossiping aunt slapped one of the younger ones on the head, excitedly asking, “You saw it with your own eyes? Who is he dating?”

“Is it that Pei—?” A girl was cut off by her sister covering her mouth, “I knew those two—”

“No!! My Huo Huo is single!!!”

“All that’s just smoke and mirrors,” Han Yang said helplessly. “Brother Huo and President Pei have been so high-profile lately, it’s obviously not real. Just back in the spotlight and already dating? He’s got to be cautious… besides, he’s not dating just anyone.”

The young heirs wailed in dismay, while the elders continued gossiping nonstop: “Is it a man or a woman? Did you see them in the makeup room?”

Han Yang quickly shook his head, lowering his voice, “Actually, it’s… Feng Jin.”

Upon hearing this, a high school fan at the table gasped for breath, leaning on the table.

Han Qu’s face darkened slightly, scoffing, “That’s too far-fetched, even for you.”

“Feng, the diva, actually collaborated with Brother Huo several times many years ago,” Han Yang persisted, thinking he might as well switch careers to being a professional gossip after this: “Back then during the ‘Circle of Angels’, it was President Pei who helped seal the deal.”

“So you’re saying—he’s being kept as a pretty boy?!”

“I knew it! That Huo fellow has no connections with the wealthy and powerful in our circle. How does he keep getting so popular every year? Turns out it’s all handled internally—”

“Feng Jin is over forty, right? Tsk, tsk, tsk, I didn’t see that coming—she likes younger men—”

Han Qu hadn’t intended to let his guard down, but as he listened, he began to waver.

This kind of scandal… It made sense logically.

“Think about it, how could President Pei make his business so big in China, starting from nothing and collaborating with various superstars? Who was pulling the strings?” Han Yang guzzled half a glass of red wine, letting everything spill: “And Brother Huo, after he came back to the country, he didn’t go anywhere but stayed in a hotel—waiting for whom? Think about it, isn’t it obvious?”

The younger heirs were almost in tears.

The older ones listened with relish, urging their children to go play elsewhere and not listen to such nonsense, while hypocritically digging deeper: “So, what’s the relationship between President Pei and Diva Feng—”

Han Yang instantly quieted down: “That, we really shouldn’t speculate wildly.”

He had quieted down, but the others, like detectives finding a breakthrough, gleefully dug into various sensational and salacious four-cornered affairs involving male favorites, even dredging up old rumors about Feng Jin being kept by a wealthy businessman.

For this generation, Corona and the new stars were unfamiliar territory, but Feng Jin was a part of their youthful memories; they could talk endlessly about her.

Even an uncle lamented with a sigh, “If only I were ten years younger, maybe—”

“Maybe your dad would have skinned you alive!”

Han Yang, after dropping such a bombshell, felt as jittery as a Chihuahua, quickly glancing at Old Master Han and the family matriarch, fearing they might find the conversation too presumptuous.

But domestic strife and sensational stories were commonplace in wealthy families; the elderly couple was long accustomed to such things.

Han Qu, paying attention, unwittingly asked about some past incidents to confirm whether Feng Jin was really capable of promoting a male favorite like this.

The relatives responded with scoffs.

“Hah, didn’t she also rise to fame that way? What’s so strange about it!”

“You think she won all those awards because she’s actually talented?”

Han Yang quietly listened for a while, thinking that if today’s conversation ever got out, he’d likely be targeted by fans from three different camps.

No, not just targeted—more like chopped up and fed to the dogs…