Mei Shengyao’s playful spirit soared, carrying the melody through six different keys, giving the sentimental piece a touch of Hanon-esque flair.
He and Chi Ji had similar skills and a seamless cooperation, and they were determined to have fun with this piece.
Bo Jue handed over the lower register to Huo Ren to freely showcase his skills. With a flick of his right wrist, he increased the tempo by a major second, effortlessly adapting to the modulation and shifting to key B-flat.
The piano notes flowed smoothly and seamlessly, as if the four of them were racing sports cars through a shopping mall, leaping over cliffs and crossing mountains without any cues, swiftly returning to the bass line together.
At that moment, the piano became the most awe-inspiring presence in the entire building. In terms of technique and flamboyance, they completely outshone all the instructors present.
College students who skipped classes and came out to play held up their phones from the second, third, and fourth floors, capturing the four of them in action. Even a curious elderly lady with a child asked how much these teachers charged for their lessons.
The organizers could only awkwardly explain, “They are not our teachers, but our teachers are also very skilled.”
The elderly lady snorted, “If they’re so good, why don’t they go on stage?”
Long Jia almost couldn’t hold back his laughter and took several pictures with his phone.
Seeing Chi Ji’s high notes about to overpower the others again, Bo Jue retreated his hands for half a beat and quickly said to Huo Ren, “Follow my lead, and I’ll leave both parts to you.”
The next moment, he moved his hands to the groups of small-sized notes, inserting Liszt’s “La Campanella” into “Song of Snow Grass.”
The two pieces had completely different tempos, but Bo Jue skillfully cut and spliced them in an instant.
Huo Ren’s year of practicing piano paid off as his hand speed was just right. He preserved the warmth and delicacy of the original piece and even found time to harmonize with Bo Jue.
At this moment, Bo Jue entered a state of complete release. His long hair flowed like a waterfall, swaying and dancing like an ink butterfly.
Chi Ji’s ten fingers flew and intertwined, playing the vibrating “La Campanella” in perfect synchronization with Bo Jue.
More and more students and tourists gathered around them, and staff members, as if waking up from a dream, carried cameras to record this moment.
Huo Ren and Mei Shengyao exchanged a smile and provocatively moved the bass line closer to the center from the large-sized note group.
Bo Jue and Chi Ji both kept their hands on the high register. At this moment, they swiftly returned like trapped swallows, doubling the speed to a near-breaking point.
Any faster and everyone would crash!
As if anticipating this, Chi Ji turned his hands, diverting the path and forcefully incorporating “Flight of the Bumblebee” while overpowering and drowning out all other sounds with its buzzing dominance, becoming the sole focus.
The other three immediately returned their fingers to their positions, and the four of them played both parts of “Flight of the Bumblebee” at breakneck speed from the beginning!
As the last piano key was struck, the audience erupted in applause and cheers: “Excellent!”
“Brilliant!”
“So powerful!”
When Huo Ren stopped, he felt a numbness in his fingertips from the impact, only to realize later that there were already people gathered around the piano.
A training instructor approached, attempting to greet them, “Very professional! Are you music students from the university? Would you like to work part-time with us?”
More and more people gathered around them. “Where do you teach? Can you leave us your contact information?”
“Hey, young man, I’m single! Are you campus heartthrobs? Why haven’t we heard about you on Tieba?”
“I’m a TV reporter. Can I interview you on the spotโ”
“No, thank you…”
Long Jia and Xie Lianyun immediately pointed to the nearest exit of the shopping mall, and the six of them hurriedly ran toward it.
The nanny car was parked not far from the entrance, and they all climbed in one after another, closing the door and urging the driver, “Hurry, hurry.”
The driver looked bewildered but stepped on the gas pedal, and laughter filled the car.
On the way back, Mei Shengyao still felt a bit unsatisfied. He leaned next to Bo Jue’s seat and said, “Let’s do a group dance when we get back. It’ll be fun to perform together.”
“At least all six of us can take the stage,” Xie Lianyun handed the opened mineral water bottle to Chi Ji. “We’ll start rehearsing on Monday and go to Qingxi Road on Saturday.”
Huo Ren sat in the passenger seat listening to their conversation and suddenly said, “But according to the program schedule, there are only two group dances for six people, and it’s easy to clash with other groups.”
“If we want to perform a different dance, we’ll have to choreograph and compose it ourselves.”
“Then let’s go ask Teacher Peiโ”
“Teacher Pei is on a business trip,” Huo Ren smiled. “Let’s go back and choose a song first. Once we’ve selected it, we can work on the choreography together.”
Although they went out for a vacation today, they followed Huo Ren back to the 16th-floor Hive Dance Studio halfway through.
Xie Lianyun squatted next to the speakers and picked a few albums to accompany them in selecting songs, but none of them felt explosive enough.
“Even though it’s Crown’s first unofficial appearance,” Long Jia waved his finger, “when we take the stage, we have to dominate the entire venue, ignite the crowd, and make the other groups behind us feel embarrassed to follow.”
Xie Lianyun went to his dormitory and brought down his computer, pulling up the entire music library to help them choose.
“How about ‘Bad Romance’?” Chi Ji asked. “It’s been popular this year.”
“No,” Bo Jue shook his head. “Even high school students are dancing to that. It would be too common for us to perform it.”
Xie Lianyun was about to give his opinion when his finger slipped and accidentally clicked on another song. Explosive rock music blasted out from the speakers. “My girlfriend!! Is a d!ckmag!!!”
He quickly paused the song, and Bo Jue looked at him meaningfully. “D!ckmag?”
“I accidentally clicked on the ‘Adult Songs’ library,” Xie Lianyun said seriously. “Indecency is also a man’s romance.”
“This song sounds good,” Huo Ren chimed in. “Can we listen to the whole thing?”
Xie Lianyun played the song without any psychological burden.
There was silence in the room for a long time.
“The lyrics are pretty dirty,” Mei Shengyao commented. “But it sounds good.”
Long Jia turned his head to look at Huo Ren. “Let’s dance to this song. It’s super exciting.”
Xie Lianyun tried to pull them back from the edge of collapse. “It’s not really appropriate to play this song for so many girls in the audienceโ”
“Just last week, a girl group danced to Britney Spears’ ‘3.’ What’s the big deal?” Bo Jue laughed. “Let’s consider it as our duty to help the audience exercise their hearing.”
In the past few days, Pei Ruye had been absent, and dance classes were temporarily taken over by Teacher Wei and Aya. They helped the group choreograph and come up with dance moves.
The public performances on Qingxi Road had two categories. Most of the idol groups and trainees chose existing songs that were already complete and performed the entire routine according to the schedule.
The other category involved creating their own choreography and music before going on stage. It not only attracted attention but also showcased their skills in a disguised manner.
This time, they started from scratch in designing formations and dance steps, and Huo Ren found the rhythm accurately.
Having trained day and night with Pei Ruye’s team for a long time, he had absorbed a lot of choreographic techniques and knew how to arrange density, speed, and rhythm effectively.
Not only could the coordination and unity of the group be fully displayed, but the individual solos were also handled beautifully.
Wei Jie touched his chin and commented, “Did Teacher Pei teach you all of this?”
“No, I learned it on my own,” Huo Ren smiled. “Is it okay?”
Just as the three-and-a-half-minute performance time was just assigned and arranged, Long Jia picked up his bass guitar and plugged it in, playing a prelude. “How about this?”
“You should bring your own bass guitar,” Xie Lianyun suddenly became energetic. “Playing the prelude live has a much better effect than using a backing track.”
“Just having a bass guitar is not enough. We need to find the explosive point in the mid-range,” Bo Jue got up and took his guitar. “Here’s the deal, give me the bass, and you can play some high notes with the electric guitar and have fun.”
Long Jia grinned. “Teacher Xiao Bo still spoils me.”
Each of the six members had their own tasks. They planned to finish the composition and choreography by Wednesday, and on Thursday, they would finalize the makeup artist and go choose costumes together.
“It feels like we’re about to debut on Saturday,” Chi Ji whispered.
“So when will we actually debut…” Xie Lianyun grumbled, following up with a sigh. “SPF contacted me for a collaboration. They said there’s a 14-year-old kid who will debut this year. Well, I guess I’ll have to call him ‘senior’ from now on.”
“A 14-year-old doesn’t need to be a trainee?” Huo Ren curiously asked. “Is he in a group too?”
“No, he’s a solo artist named Qi Lin,” Xie Lianyun shook his phone, showing the text invitation. “He won first place in the national RB singing and songwriting competition, and he’s been really popular this year.”
While they were chatting, Huo Ren’s phone rang.
It was Chen Xiaoyan.
“Huo Huo! School starts tomorrow!” Noise from the television came through the phone. “How have you been lately~?”
Huo Ren signaled for the others to continue browsing clothes and sighed into the phone, “September is already here?!”
This time last year, he had just become a trainee not long ago, and he hadn’t even been to Qingxi Road.
Time flew so quickly.
“It seems like you guys are super busy… Don’t you have any long breaks or something?”
“No, we don’t,” Huo Ren chuckled. “Did you finish your summer homework?”
“My mom made sure I finished it ten days before the break…” Chen Xiaoyan sighed. “My mom has become stricter, but she’s all gentle when she sees you.”
Bo Jue raised a set of black jackets and waved them at Huo Ren. He quickly nodded and remembered something before hanging up the phone. “We have a public performance on Qingxi Road on Saturday night. Do you want to come?”
“Really?!” Chen Xiaoyan was ecstatic. “I haven’t seen you in a year. I’ll see you then!”
Friday morning was the usual time for weighing.
Huo Ren took off his clothes and stepped on the scale. The doctor smiled when he saw the number. “182 centimeters, 133 pounds. Kid, you’ve already gained some winter weight in advance.”
Actually, his fat percentage hadn’t increased. It was just that his body was developing faster during puberty, coupled with the intense physical activity, resulting in much-improved muscle definition compared to before.
Bo Jue stood beside him, grinning and touching his abs. “Your physique looks great, kid.”
Chi Ji felt inexplicably shy. He blushed and turned his head, unable to look for too long.
After stepping off the scale, Huo Ren put his clothes back on, and Xie Lianyun helped hand him his belt. Xie Lianyun casually asked, “Yao Yao is coming to get his ears pierced on Sunday. Are you coming?”
Huo Ren paused for a moment, not answering immediately.
Among the group, only he and Yao Yao hadn’t gotten their ears pierced yet.
During previous makeup performances, he had used ear clips even when wearing earringsโthose things were equally painful and would affect his movements if clipped too tightly.
For boys, wearing earrings and ear pendants had a unique sense of coolness and freedom. It had become a standard accessory, and it probably couldn’t be avoided in the future.
“I…” Huo Ren hesitated for a moment, gritted his teeth, and said, “Okay, I’ll get them pierced.”
“No problem. We’ll all be there, and we’ll accompany you,” Bo Jue said calmly. “We know you’re afraid of pain, but Dr. Zhai is really quick, so don’t worry.”
Huo Ren blinked. “You guys know?”
“Yeah, we know,” Mei Shengyao smiled and explained, “Last time when you accidentally bumped into the edge of the table, you didn’t make a sound and held it for a long time. We figured you might be more sensitive in that area.”
The others relaxed and echoed, “It’s our secret, and we won’t tell anyone!”
“We’ll be with you, so it won’t hurt, Captain!”
Huo Ren sighed helplessly. “Alright… I love you guys.”
“Huo Huo said he loves me!!”
“Captain, I love you too, sob sob!”
ใใ-2-
On Saturday afternoon, they finished their classes early and rushed to the dressing room.
They settled on the outfit Bo Jue had chosenโ-the American-style black leather jacket paired with boots, giving them a rebellious and wild biker gang look.
Their stage makeup featured a contrasting silver and red theme, with blended colors on the lips and at the corners of their eyes, adding a touch of wickedness.
After finishing their makeup, the six of them exchanged glances and burst into laughter, finding it amusing to see each other in such stylish outfits, which was not something they were accustomed to.
Once they boarded the nanny car, Xie Lianyun casually spoke up, “When we were choosing clothes a couple of days ago, Bo Jue kept muttering about which outfit would be suitable for releasing an album and which one for a concert. He even said that some combinations were too old-fashioned and that he’d rather go back to Vienna to play the piano than wear such clothes for a magazine cover.”
Bo Jue spoke seriously, “It was indeed quite outdated!”
“When we release an album, we should have a dedicated wardrobe team, right?” Huo Ren handed Chi Ji a straw so that he could drink water without smudging his lip makeup. “Yesterday, when I was going downstairs, I saw someone pushing a clothing rack up to the twelfth floor.”
“Oh, that must be him,” Xie Lianyun sighed while holding his face. “In the future, we might have to bow our heads whenever we see that senior.”
“Don’t touch your face; it will ruin the foundation and contour!”
As they were playfully bantering, the driver turned his head and said, “Get ready, you’re about to get off the car.”
The six boys exchanged glances and simultaneously adjusted their expressions and postures. When the car came to a stop, they stepped out from both sides.
This was A’s first appearance.
In the past, they would often come separately, blending into the crowd of artists and trainees, quietly like passersby.
But when all six of them were together, it was as if they had suddenly been crowned, standing tall and straight.
As they walked, it seemed as if a gentle breeze was lifting them up.
The busy and noisy backstage crew could sense their arrival and stopped what they were doing, looking at the boys.
The leading captain had a cold expression, his black jacket draped over his shoulders, accentuating his slender waist. He exuded the unique vitality of youth.
To his left stood the son of a heavenly king, exuding a proud and cold aura with a pale neck, like a refined young noble.
On his right, a young man with delicate features and a hint of tenderness in his eyes walked with the moonlight, his tousled hair floating in the breeze, showcasing his slender and graceful figure with an innocent smile.
Behind them were three taller and more mature figures. The one in the middle carried a bass guitar, his long hair like satin, and his sandy-colored lipstick perfectly complemented his complexion. His long, indifferent gaze swept over everyone, with a half-smile that made people want to please him even more.
Many people couldn’t help but ask who this group was, how long they had debuted, and why they were so dazzling yet unseen before.
Several reporters who had secured their positions in advance were already raising their cameras and frantically taking pictures, rushing to get closer and asking when their official album and new songs would be released.
A few assistants hastily blocked the encircling reporters, while Manager Jiang stood in the front with a deep gaze.
“All six of you are opening tonight, you know,” he said firmly, as Huo Ren stood still, allowing the makeup artist to touch up their makeup again on both sides.
“We’re ready.”
“Don’t embarrass the crown,” Manager Jiang said coldly. “I’m watching.”
“Okay.”
Four or five makeup artists hurriedly dispersed, and he led the team forward again.
The audience below the stage had been waiting for too long, and everyone was eager for a thrilling and exuberant celebration tonight.
They stepped onto the pitch-black stage, with the away drummer taking his position on the side stage, and the guitars and bass already set up.
The host stood in the beam of light on the side, announcing loudly, “Now, please welcome A to bring us the opening danceโ’Bad Girlfriend’!”
A thunderous roar of cheers erupted, and the first spotlight fell on Long Jia’s body.
He had a few strands of hair falling on his forehead, and his thin lips were very sexy.
Intense drum beats and bass sounds rang out simultaneously as he tightly gripped the microphone and began singing in a deep voice, “My girlfriend’s a d!ck magnet, my girlfriend’s gotta have itโ”
The four members in the middle spun and started dancing. Chi Ji stood at the forefront, swaying his hips and executing a flawlessly smooth wave. The moment the drumbeat dropped, he gracefully slid to the front in a kneeling position, then grabbed Huo Ren’s hands and swayed, showcasing his perfectly lifted buttocks.
The atmosphere instantly exploded, and the crowd went wild, joining in the frenzy!
Bo Jue took over the microphone and sang the lively and magnificent parts, his gaze electrifying the girls in the audience as if they were the wild and sexy little cats from the song.
“She’s hot, stops upon stage doing shots, tip the man, he’ll right the bell, get her drunk, she’ll scream like hellโ”
After Chi Ji’s solo, the four of them changed formations, and Huo Ren, surrounded by the others, executed a stunning and impeccable Nike with one hand on the ground. When he jumped up, there was no wobbling, earning applause from the audience.
Xie Lianyun opened his mic third, his low magnetic voice exuding a restrained sensuality.
He seemed like the man who gets drunk last at the nightclub, seducing everyone in the audience with his raw and direct gaze.
“Grab her a*s tough, mess with her, she’ll f*ck you up.”
The atmosphere was like a cocktail bottle being continuously shattered and set on fire. Several girls were already screaming frantically for them.
Long Jia and Bo Jue’s overlapping solo created a long string of sparkling high notes. They then threw their guitars and bass to Pei Ruye and Aya on either side of the stage, crossed their steps, and leaped to the forefront, extending their hands to blow kisses and revealing charming smiles.
One exuded handsome valor like raging fire, while the other was gorgeously lazy, like silver sand in the deep sea.
“She likes to pull my hair when I make her grieve, I like to strip her downโ”
“She’s a BAD BAD GIRLFRIEND!”
The six of them changed formations and danced again, their voices bursting with energy and their mesmerizing gaze conquering everyone in the room.
The black jackets, silver chains, and military boots brought to mind warlords, gangs, and street riders on Harley motorcycles, while their synchronized and precise dance moves were dazzling. Different types of coolness intertwined with flashing lights, and a burst of male hormones swept through the entire venue.
When the drumbeat suddenly stopped, the five of them swiftly disappeared into the darkness, leaving Mei Shengyao standing in the spotlight, belting out high notes with precision and power, “Doesn’t take her long to make things rightโ”
His vocal tone was caught between a childlike and teenage voice, creating a forbidden yet distinctive texture at this moment.
It was so beautiful that it crashed into the depths of your brain!
The moment he appeared, countless old fans of Mei Heng completely lost their minds, screaming and shouting his name.
In the next second, the lights flickered again, and the six-member formation turned into a crossed fishbone. The drummer connected the rhythm with rapid beats, Huo Ren embraced Chi Ji and quickly separated from him, dancing opposite him in the center of the stage, their waists bending and their gazes scorching.
Amidst the frenzied screams and shouts, they each turned around and exchanged dance partners. Three of them half-knelt while the other three slid diagonally, lights flashing and changing colors, and the high notes shone at the same moment, as steady as piercing arrows!
At the moment when the music ended, the crowd erupted into a frenzy of screaming and cheering, and some recognized the three guys who had previously danced to “Kiss Me.” They were already overwhelmed by the hormones, nearly fainting.
“So handsomeโ!”
“I love you, oppas!”
“One more song, one more song!!”
“Ahh, I’m dying, ahh!!!”
The six of them finished their set poses, returned to a straight line, and bowed in unison. Then, led by Huo Ren, they bowed again amidst the continuous applause and cheers, creating a passionate and lively atmosphere that lasted for a long time.
As they walked off the stage, Huo Ren noticed that Pei Ruye was standing beside the stage, holding the electric guitar that Long Jia had thrown at him.
Before he could approach him, an assistant rushed over, holding a phone and saying, “Two missed calls and a text message!”
Huo Ren stopped in his tracks and thanked the assistant before unlocking his phone. He discovered that they were from Chen Xiaoyan.
The calls had come in ten and fifteen minutes ago, respectively.
Chen Xiaoyan: Huo Huo, what number are you guys in the program? Damn, I just saw the opening dance from the front row, those six are incredibly handsome, it made me want to join a boy band, I want to see it again!!
Huo Ren smiled and replied to him.
“I’m one of those six, don’t you recognize me?”
The other person quickly replied with a string of emojis.
Chen Xiaoyan: !!!???!!!
Chen Xiaoyan: Impossible!! Has it only been a year and you’ve become this handsome? Oh my god??
Huo Ren didn’t rush to reply. He handed his phone to the assistant and looked again at Pei Ruye, who was waiting beside him.
He didn’t expect Pei Ruye to return today by plane. For a moment, he couldn’t find the right words to say.
Pei Ruye patiently waited for him to figure it out.
“Teacher,” Huo Ren spoke quickly, “this is the dance I choreographed.”
The man nodded with a smile. “It’s very good.”
Even though he had only been studying with Pei Ruye for a few months, he had already reached a level that exceeded Pei Ruye’s expectations in terms of rhythm and arrangement. His talent and observation skills were remarkable.
“You saw everything?”
“I saw everything.” Pei Ruye took a step forward and gestured for him to open his hand.
“When I was leaving Los Angeles, I happened to see this. It suits you well.”
A ruby earring fell into his palm, with silver antlers adorned with small diamonds, shimmering in the dark.
“But…” Pei Ruye glanced at his earlobe. “It seems like you don’t have pierced ears yet?”
“Thank you, Teacher.”
Huo Ren tightly held the earring, his eyes sharp yet filled with a smile, like a rewarded little white wolf.
“I’ll have them tomorrow.”
The author has something to say:
Related explanations:
1. Qi Lin is from the novel “Son of a Drama Actor”. Because of his special identity, he lived alone in Building G, 12th floor, SPF, before going to college. In this story, he is a supporting character. Not having read it won’t affect the reading experience. The relevant plot was completely planned a year ago, so there won’t be any padding (x).
2. Real-life boy band dances may not involve much physical contact, and there are many moves that cannot be described in words. To satisfy readers’ visual experience, some modifications will be made. Please don’t take it too seriously, haha.
3. The BGM is “Bad Girlfriend” by Theory of a Deadman, a rocking song from 2008. There are no dance videos, but you can find many fan-made edits. For example, search for “่ฅฟ่ฃ ๆดๅพ” (Suit Gangsters).
———————
Warmly celebrating the explosive performance of the boys’ first concert =V=!!
My boys are the best! (Proud face)
Happy weekend, everyone~~
Thank you for picking this up! I love their friendship so much <3 ๐ฅบ