Idol Chapter 45

When Huo Ren woke up on Saturday, he happened to hear Xie Lianyun sleep-talking.

“No sugar.”

“I said no sugar.”

As Huo Ren opened his eyes, he was met with Xie Lianyun’s icy expression.

When his eyes were closed, Xie Lianyun looked like a student council president—-gentle, aloof, with beautiful thin lips.

His bangs fell gracefully beside his eyelashes, lightly tinged with a cold, pale white in the morning light.

Hesitating whether to wake him up or not, Huo Ren soon heard another sleep mutter.

“Coconut… reluctantly acceptable.”

On Xie Lianyun’s right side, Bo Jue kicked his legs and butt. “Forget it! Get up!”

Xie Lanyun opened his eyes groggily. “?”

Today, they didn’t have to give vaccinations or clean cages for the peacocks, but they needed to wake up early to prepare ingredients for cold dishes and soup.

The six of them playfully washed up, changed their clothes, and as visitors started to arrive on the island one by one, they greeted them from a distance of about ten meters.

Huo Ren had a premonition that there would be more and more visitors on the island later, so he called them to come out early for a morning jog around the island.

A lap of over 300 meters, twenty laps were just enough for a warm-up.

After stretching and loosening their muscles, they moved on to dancing. Without music, they simply shouted the beats and adjusted their movements. After practicing eight fast-paced songs, they did stretching exercises. The morning mist dissipated, and autumn rose on the horizon.

This event was a semi-public filming, and the official announcement was made early, along with continuous advertisement placements from various brand partners.

The third prize was cosmetic face masks, the second prize was signed photographs, and there were only two first prizes—-a limited edition ticket to Baili Island exclusively for fans.

SPF was an experienced and thoughtful company in every aspect of their work.

The goal of such an event was to make everyone happy. It not only allowed the cooperating partners to join in the fun and excitement but also made the fans feel that it was fair, just, and worth fighting for.

The distribution channels for Baili Island tickets were well-established. They could be won through brand endorsement advertisements, retweeting and lottery draws, random drops in albums, fan art contests on the official fan forum, and even random real-name registration ticket grabs if all else failed.

Those with money could spend it, those with good luck could rely on it, and if all else failed, fans could support their idol by drawing fan art or participating in popularity polls.

The first batch allowed only 120 people to make reservations, with a total of four time slots over the weekend, accommodating thirty people per slot.

The program was recorded for three weeks, and out of the initial five hundred thousand copies of the album, a total of one hundred and eighty tickets were distributed. Lucky winners shared their ticket stubs on different platforms, spreading their good fortune to others.

When this news was released, fans from various platforms went crazy.

Damn it! This is the proper way to sell albums and advertisements!!

What are photo cards and handshake tickets compared to this! As long as I’m a lucky fan, I can eat a meal made by my beloved idol!!!

Round it up, and it’s me and my cub’s online relationship turning into reality! I’ve even planned out which good sisters will sit in the front row at the wedding!

It is said that a big fan spent nearly a hundred thousand yuan on the day of the album release and snatched a thousand tickets, livestreaming the unboxing of the albums and tickets on a forum.

The albums piled up like mountains on her long table, and the forum post instantly filled several pages.

The six members’ cartoon and real-life trading cards were collected within minutes and displayed together, cute and lovely. The fans were all screaming in excitement.

“If you truly love him, you should spend money for him!!! I can feel so much happiness through the screen!!”

“I only opened five albums, and I’m crying because I didn’t draw the captain’s card. My heart is breaking.”

“The OP even traded cards in the comments, allowing me to draw the card. If I can’t meet my idol, can’t I even meet the cartoon version? (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻”

“I’m borrowing this comment to trade four cartoon versions of Jia Jia. Honest exchange for real-life Xiao Chi and Teacher Yun. I’m willing to pay the difference for the signed version. Scammers, stay away!”

Then, she successfully drew a ticket from the 543rd album.

The moment the gemstone crown appeared in the photo, not only the OP went crazy, but the entire forum went crazy.

“I can really taste the food cooked by my favorite group!!! I’m coming, my cubs!!”

“Damn, damn, damn! Today, I’m so happy that I can fly from the first floor to the tenth floor, jump off the rooftop, and then float up again. This is the most soaring day of my life!!!”

Before everyone could finish cheering and celebrating for her, a new member who had just registered on the official forum received an album.

“I drew it!!”

A large wave of fans instantly rushed over to absorb the luck, even having the illusion that they would definitely receive an album if they drew again.

“Damn it! I’m going to buy ten more albums! I’ll give them to my classmates after unboxing!”

Immediately after, the third and fourth lucky winners appeared.

Some had their fathers unbox the album and find the ticket, while others had their mischievous dogs bite open the packaging and discover the ticket—

The owner immediately bought a year’s supply of canned food for their dog, piling up over a dozen boxes on the balcony.

Everyone went crazy.

This group shouldn’t be called “corona”; it should be called “over the top”—

First, they broke the record with three million votes on “I am the King of Newcomers,” then they announced the Blue Blood five major magazine covers, which they collected within three months of their debut. The captain’s schedule was full, and they even aced an exam. Now, they’re pulling off this new operation, which is both teasing and exciting, to pamper the fans.

Over the top, way over the top.

With a booming career, abundant resources, flourishing popularity, and a company that doesn’t mess up, being in this group is like living a fairy tale!!!

After the recording of the 10th episode officially began, various behind-the-scenes photos from the zoo started to emerge from different angles.

Some were captured by passersby, while others were taken by a station sister using a telephoto lens, crouching on the other side of the lake to capture shots of wild animals.

Bo Jue sitting on a stone by the lake, Mei Shengyao sunbathing and napping on a hammock, Huo Ren sitting under a pear tree reading a book.

Each and every one of them was stunning, not a single moment that wasn’t captivating.

Even though Corona was often taken to different venues secretly to film programs, with most of the time being unable to capture candid shots, the business at the zoo was booming as if it were a weekend on a weekday.

And then, on this Saturday, it reached its peak.

The big fans immediately organized a group to verify tickets and let people in, discussing how to approach and what to say when they meet, as well as how to rush over and protect their idols when encountering overly enthusiastic fans.

Then, early on Saturday morning, they gathered like soldiers on a military training ground, and as soon as the zoo opened its doors, they rushed straight to Baili Island—

And then, from a distance of just a dozen meters, they saw the boys running and dancing in the morning light.

They went crazy.

They really went crazy.

The beautiful boys were dancing on the other side of the lake, and Long Jia was secretly waving and greeting them.

Coincidentally, there was a girl in the Lucky Goose group who was Long Jia’s ultimate fan. Her eyes turned red in an instant, and she cried while hugging the person next to her.

They brought out small stools, not paying attention to the elephants or feeding the giraffes. They were wholeheartedly spending the weekend with their idols.

By noon, the other side of the lake was packed with people, resembling a concert. Even the big fans voluntarily held plastic bags to collect garbage and maintain order.

For two or three hours, they were preparing and cooking in the cabin, but different members would often come out for activities.

Sometimes it was Bo Jue taking Little Gemstone for a walk, and sometimes it was Chi Ji getting tired from cooking and coming out to swing.

Whenever someone came out, there would be cheers from the fans, and the forums, Weibo, and discussion boards were buzzing with excitement.

“It must be the captain who let them come out and entertain us— I noticed that they change members every half an hour!! That’s how Ren spoils the fans!!”

“Sister upstairs, what about the theory that it’s Levi Ackerman? Damn, it kind of makes sense! By the way, why is everyone interacting with animals except for Xie Xie?”

“Ah, ah, ah, the way Huo Ren feeds the swans is so gentle. I’m dead, I’m alive, I need oxygen!”

“Who the hell threw the coat in the lake? It’s embarrassing for our Little Gemstone!”

The parents and children who came to see monkeys and lions were rather puzzled.

Why weren’t these young girls and boys going to other areas of the zoo? What were they doing by the lake?

Huo Ren timed it perfectly. Everyone happily sang and danced while cleaning up the beef, onions, and apples. They even cooked an extra bucket of soup for the fans outside the venue, a simple yet warm gesture.

At 10:50, just before opening, he gathered the five of them for another briefing.

“Prioritize your safety and seek help from me or the staff if needed.”

“And… just sing while we’re preparing, don’t sing randomly later.”

Everyone nodded in unison and waved to the director, saying, “You can start security checks now!”

So the thirty proud Lucky Geese stood up from the crowd, walked through the security check, crossed the long bridge with nervous excitement, and had to control themselves from screaming in front of their idols.

Huo Ren led the entire group to bow from a nearby position.

“Corona welcomes your visit.”

“I am the store manager, Huo Ren. Today, Long Jia and Mei Shengyao will be serving you.”

Both inside and outside the island screamed in unison, “Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah!”

Huo Ren turned around and took the others back to start preparing the meal. The three main dishes that were prepared in advance were plated and the thirty glasses of lemonade were served one by one.

Mei Shengyao escorted them to their seats one by one, while Long Jia skillfully served the welcome drinks. Everyone was quite adept at their tasks.

The guests were too engrossed in having their idols beside them that they didn’t pay attention to ordering or eating.

Long Jia smiled and chatted with them, saying hello, and only took a deep breath when he turned back to the kitchen.

“I feel like we didn’t prepare enough.”

Huo Ren was teaching Xie Lianyun how to stir-fry and sauté when he turned his head after turning on the range hood to the highest setting.

“What’s wrong?”

“Most of them—-among them,” Long Jia hesitated before continuing, “have big appetites.”

Although a small portion of fans had the girlfriend fan mentality of being worried about the idols getting tired, the majority of fans knew that this might be the only time in their lives they could taste the food cooked by their idols. Even if they stuffed themselves to the point of bursting, they still wanted to try a little bit.

Almost everyone, including the male fans, put on their most beautiful makeup and wore their best clothes. Then they voluntarily asked again and again,

“Do you need help?”

“Jia Jia, can I sweep the floor for you?”

“Sheng Sheng, do you need help feeding the sheep?”

They smiled and reassured them with a gentle tone and focused gaze.

“Rest well, don’t worry about us.”

Even though the people outside couldn’t hear their voices, just watching the distance between them made them suffocate with envy, jealousy, and hatred.

My idol is pouring lemon tea for that woman!!

My idol is smiling at that guy!

Long Jia, how could you smile at someone like that? You’re the captain!!

While the cooks and servers were busy, fans both inside and outside the island began doing the same thing without hesitation.

Card swapping and indulging in their own CP (couple pairing) became the main activity.

The feeling of this gathering was absolutely amazing!

It was as refreshing as a Buddha’s enlightenment, as soaring as a celestial ascent, as vibrant as a field of lotus flowers blooming for hundreds of miles!

The idols were working diligently and looking handsome while the fans were right beside them, enjoying their CP and swapping cards together.

If there was something I could wish for in this lifetime, I would want days like this to last for ten thousand years!

The little pink fans in Douban, Weibo, official forums, and fan clubs were all in a festive mood.

Most of the thirty guests were keeping an eye on the kitchen, holding cameras and phones, capturing every moment.

“Long-Jue is for real, absolutely real! The Third Young Master smiled at him while wiping his sweat, and one time he even used his own hand instead of a towel!”

“Nonsense! Long-Sheng is the most perfect duo! Mei Shengyao leaned on him and even rubbed against him in front of everyone when he was ordering just now!! Yes, he actually did! He acted cute in public, AWSL, I’m so indulged by this beautiful combination of brotherly love!”

“Everyone, the kitchen has a semi-open glass window!! Let me indulge in All-Ren! Ren-zi is giving water to Teacher Yun in the fish tank, Ji-zi is wiping his neck, Bo Jue tasted the dish and didn’t even change the spoon before feeding him another bite! Isn’t this enough to be true?! Damn, damn, damn, All-Ren’s banner, I can carry it for ten thousand years!!”

At this moment, Huo Ren had no idea what everyone was so excited about.

His mind was running on three parallel tracks, methodically like a well-oiled machine.

The first track managed the order of all the dishes and the cooking progress.

The second track involved scheduling different team members to go out and greet customers, both to appease the fans on the island and those outside, and of course, to get in front of the cameras.

The third track was responsible for coordinating his own cooking, seamlessly switching between stir-frying, stewing, and pan-frying, as if he were in the midst of a college entrance examination.

Although the fans behaved demurely and gently in front of their idols, they gradually let go of their concerns after seeing the sumptuous dishes on the neighboring tables, wishing to order every item on the menu.

Most of them had become friends long before arriving on the island, sitting in groups of three or four, or seven or eight, and ordering even more dishes.

Manager Huo Ren had thoughtfully considered this, so each dish could be portioned according to the number of people, allowing even single diners to enjoy several different dishes.

Soon, the kitchen’s order tickets formed a long line.

“Table ten wants an additional order—-another portion of stewed beef!”

“Table three has finished eating but wants to stay until the bridge closes at 12:30. They ordered lemonade and mousse!”

Bo Jue saw that there was still half an hour left and let out a long sigh of relief.

It was tough, but definitely better than picking up peacock droppings.

He would rather run a restaurant every day than touch any bird’s feces.

And then, someone in the kitchen started singing.

“At this moment, my eyes only have you,” the sizzling sound coincided perfectly with the rhythm, and Chi Ji laughed as he continued singing, “Stubbornly, purely, deeply loving you.”

Others continued chopping ribs, pouring ice cubes, and joined in singing in unison.

“Even the stormy snow in the mountains at night is not enough,”

“Not enough to shake my desire to see you—”

Three desserts were plated and served on time, and as the order bell rang three times, Mei Shengyao realized they were singing again as she approached the window seamlessly, “I! Am! Yours!”

Everyone sang in unison, “The! One! Crown!”

The fans outside didn’t expect the cooking to be so lively. Several of them had just finished eating and quietly approached to take photos.

More people abandoned their desserts and gathered to listen to the live chorus mixed with the clamor of the kitchen.

“My soul is a gem, fragile yet resilient, solely because of this moment—”

The six of them once again harmonized, with varying bass, mid-range, and high tones, “Shining eternally—!”

A fan recorded a short video and posted it online, and within a minute, it garnered thousands of reposts, causing a chain reaction explosion.

Fans who were indulging in the group’s soul were ecstatic and completely lost for words. They watched the ten-second video over and over again.

Then, the hashtag #ThousandsPledgeCoronaWorldwideRestaurantTour skyrocketed to the top of the trending list, jumping from 35 to 15 and then to the third and first place in lightning speed, even without any deliberate promotion.

#ThousandsPledgeCoronaWorldwideRestaurantTour

Huo Ren finished singing two rounds before turning around and noticing the fans standing outside the serving counter through the curved glass window.

He quickly apologized, “The remaining dishes will be ready soon. Sorry for the wait.”

The customers held up their phones, grinning, and shaking their heads. “No rush, take your time, sing as you please. We can even skip eating today!”

The other boys gradually snapped out of their daze, halted the singing, and tried to speed up to complete the last three orders.

Then, someone else started it again, and instantly, it turned into a grand chorus. Even the captain’s stern gaze couldn’t stop them.

SPF had discussed it several times during meetings led by Uncle Jiang. In the end, they decided to allow fans to take personal photos and made the island and the kitchen semi-open.

They wanted to preserve some mystery while showing the real state of Corona.

This actually made it easier to expose flaws, but Uncle Jiang insisted and took a gamble.

He believed these kids were naturally suited to be idols.

Don’t fear the camera, the exposure without any hiding places, and the countless onlookers.

And don’t fear becoming light.

As fans celebrated the New Year, more and more passersby began to enter the fandom.

Some were captivated by the main song in the ten-second video, unable to control the repeated play in their minds until they found and listened to the full song.

Others were instantly enchanted by the unfiltered backstage photos where the captain was caught feeding swans.

There were also those who openly admitted to converting from being a critic to a fan, embracing the embrace of the Gem Sisters.

@Zui Shanweng: When the captain made headlines and trended, I thought he was using college entrance exam hype to attract negative attention. Completely thought it was nonsense to have a fully-booked schedule while studying for exams for four to five months… I was wrong. So amazing, so amazing, so amazing!!

@Yin Sheng: == I used to think forming a group was nonsensical. I even mocked the sisters who went to pick them up in the middle of the night. I’m sorry, but now the first thing I do when I wake up is check for updates and scream, when will the group’s variety show air!! If it doesn’t air soon, I’ll die!!! SPF, get a move on!!

Huo Ren accompanied Chi Ji in plating the final dessert and let out a sigh of relief.

The petrified director and assistant director outside the control room finally glanced at the time.

12:20, exactly as he had estimated from the beginning.

There were various types of celebrity cooking shows, but most people watch them to see the celebrities, and it’s not uncommon for them to make cooking mistakes that the production team rescues.

However, when the captain set the flowchart and divided the tasks from the beginning, the script for this show was practically non-existent.

After he finished the contingency plan and explained the specific steps to take if the dishes couldn’t be served on time, using desserts or cold dishes as substitutes, and how to handle special situations with the customers, the production team was completely in awe.

Bro, come join our TV show.

You’ve taken care of both big and small things that neither our directing nor logistics team anticipated. If we don’t pay you, we’d feel guilty!!

While the six of them were taking a group photo with thirty people, the staff members brought three pots of steaming hot fresh tofu soup to the lawn outside the island.

“This is a gift from all the members of Corona. Drink some to warm your body.”

Even the fans who only spent the price of a zoo ticket to attend were stunned.

Is this real? Did they make it themselves? And they’re giving it to us for free??

“We thank you all for keeping the outside area clean and orderly, and we appreciate your support for the recording of Corona’s show.” The assistant bowed, “We apologize that we can’t accept all the gifts, but your intentions have been conveyed. Please enjoy a bowl of soup before you leave.”

After the show finished recording these past two days, both the zoo and Corona’s official fan page saw a surge in followers. Every day, someone would check in on their pinned Weibo post: “When will the variety show air!! If it doesn’t air soon, I’ll devour myself!!”

“Can you please add more behind-the-scenes footage? Am I someone who’s short on money?!”

Huo Ren had been busy for two consecutive days. When the entire team finished washing dishes and got off work on Sunday night, he reminded everyone to stretch and do some leg exercises later.

Then he got a face full of facial mask from Mei Shengyao.

“Captain, continue!”

Chi Ji laughed hysterically, holding a small lamb in his arms. “Hahaha, your nose is crooked!”

Strictly speaking, these days were much easier compared to the past two years.

Huo Ren no longer had to wake up at 6 a.m. to practice dancing all day long, nor did he have to endure scoldings or lectures from his managers and teachers. The pace of life had slowed down significantly.

As Huo Ren finished washing off the facial mask and absentmindedly turned off the kitchen light, he couldn’t help but compare his current life with his past.

They had finally broken free from the guidance and supervision of their managers and teachers, facing the world with more independence.

It had been a while since he last saw his teacher, and it had also been a while since he last saw Manager Pei.

In the darkness, Huo Ren thought of the bamboo sword that Pei Ruye used, and a smile unconsciously appeared on his face.

Dancing was the most challenging thing he had ever learned.

It required controlling every muscle in his body and training his brain to instinctively respond to music.

It was easy to get injured and make mistakes, but once he mastered it, it felt like he had gained more strength.

And he also gained a sense of security.

He vividly remembered every year of his life before the age of sixteen.

The threats, the intimidation, the chicken blood at the doorstep, and the dark green paint overflowing the stairs.

Even now, those images would occasionally flash in his nightmares, and he would wake up covered in cold sweat.

He didn’t spend much time with Pei Ruye, but every encounter made him feel at ease.

So at ease that there was no trace of fear.

To the point where now… he seemed to miss him a little.

It had been a long time since he last danced in the Hive.

Huo Ren closed his eyes and exhaled before walking out of the kitchen to greet his teammates running towards him.

“Huo Huo! You’ll never guess who suddenly showed up!”

He paused in his steps and subconsciously made his second guess, “Uncle Jiang?”

“Uncle Jiang is still in the United States, how’s that possible,” Mei Shengyao said happily, “It’s Teacher Pei! He came to visit and said he wants to have late-night snacks with you!”

Huo Ren froze in place, then quickened his pace and rushed out.

The man stood at the end of the rope bridge, holding a small yellow umbrella, silently watching him in the night rain.

The early summer rain carried a faint scent of grass, bringing a sense of tranquility.

When Huo Ren dashed out, he didn’t mind the raindrops drenching him, and quickly reached the man’s umbrella.

“…Teacher!”

Pei Ruye used the back of his hand to wipe away the raindrops on Huo Ren’s cheek and chuckled, “When we first met, I thought you were just a child.”

Now it seemed like he had suddenly grown up, exuding a radiance that showcased his sharpness.

Like a comet streaking through a summer night rain.

“Shop manager, do you have any late-night snacks?”

Huo Ren huddled under his umbrella, walking back together, and replied with a smile.

When he spoke again, although he felt a bit embarrassed, he still earnestly made him a promise.

“Teacher, whatever you want to eat, I’ll make it for you.”

---

Author’s Note:
I always feel that the term “teacher” is particularly flirtatious.
It carries a bit of caution, mixed with awe and closeness.