Idol Chapter 49

Mei Shengyao washed his face, and his expression became much calmer. He sat back next to the other five and dialed a phone number.

“I’ve thought it through.”

“This is something between you and him. Please resolve it yourselves.”

The other person didn’t expect the usually playful kid to have such a serious side. They responded somewhat bewilderedly and hung up the phone.

Bo Jue thought for a moment and cooked a bowl of instant glutinous rice balls in the kitchen. He brought it over and said, “One for each person, no overeating.”

“Let’s have something sweet. We should all get a good night’s sleep.”

Huo Ren hadn’t had sweets for a long time, but he joined in and had one too.

The glutinous rice balls were soft and tender, and when they took a bite, the sesame filling flowed out, making their bodies feel warm.

Subconsciously, Huo Ren narrowed his eyes and savored the taste. Bo Jue happened to see it and smiled, giving him his own glutinous rice ball.

“The captain has been working hard lately. It’s okay to have an extra one.”

Huo Ren felt a bit hesitant but obediently ate it.

The peanut filling was delicious.

They slept well that night.

The next day, they recorded a program at the Oceanarium. They not only fed small fish to penguins and seals but also helped clean the teeth of dolphins and played with them.

The air conditioning in the venue was too strong, and they were all wearing short sleeves. Only Long Jia put on a jacket.

He took it off and draped it over Chi Ji, who had crossed his arms. Chi Ji tried to push it back, but eventually, they ended up huddling together with two people sharing one jacket for warmth.

The staff smiled and captured this scene, signaling the tour guide to continue the explanation.

“Dolphins are highly intelligent creatures, and each one has a unique whistle that they use to recognize family and friends.”

The tour guide handed them a bucket of small fish, saying with a smile, “First, let’s say hello to Cici.”

A dolphin by the shore cheerfully chirped and extended its long snout, offering it to Xie Lianyun’s palm. It even suddenly leaped up and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

Xie Lianyun blushed as he was unexpectedly kissed by a dolphin.

“Eh… isn’t it afraid of you?”

Bo Jue curiously asked, “What about Long Jia? Why didn’t it go to him?”

Long Jia reached out and touched the wet and smooth dolphin’s head, smiling and saying, “So smooth. I really want to have one at home.”

Everyone instinctively didn’t take this statement as a joke.

If Long Jia really wanted to have one at home… it wouldn’t be a problem to set up an aquarium with killer whales in the living room.

Xie Lianyun, who rarely had close interactions with animals, felt relieved. In the past few days of recording, he had been a walking awkwardness generator wherever he went. Now, he breathed a sigh of relief and fed the dolphin sardines one after another. He couldn’t help but laugh as he squatted beside it.

“So obedient…”

Several other dolphins swimming happily in the pool also swam over, calling out and begging for attention and food like they were singing.

“Dolphins instinctively protect humans and take good care of their own calves.” The tour guide smiled and handed a small ball to Huo Ren. She continued, “When faced with premature birth, mother dolphins will constantly push the baby to the middle of the water surface, allowing it to get more oxygen to survive-—even if it means stopping their own feeding for two days. They tirelessly care for and rescue the baby dolphins.”

Huo Ren subconsciously didn’t want Mei Shengyao to hear these words.

Instead of immediately shifting his gaze, he played catch with another dolphin in the distance three or four times before tossing the ball to Mei Shengyao, allowing him to interact and play with these marine creatures.

Mei Shengyao wasn’t in the best mental state today. If it were a regular recording, he would have probably rushed over to take turns petting their heads and feeding them.

“Do you want to touch them?”

“They’re so cute!” Mei Shengyao gradually became captivated, and suddenly, he was sprayed with water. “Hahaha!”

Bo Jue handed them tissues and wiped their faces and necks. “Your clothes are all wet! Don’t stand so close!”

Their recording gradually entered the mid-to-late stage. According to Uncle Jiang, the lineup of the behind-the-scenes team for the concert was quite luxurious, which also meant that the coordination work would be very tedious.

Everyone cherished this half-vacation, half-entertainment variety show recording. On weekends, they would even make cakes and pumpkin pies for the cameramen.

Huo Ren had mastered the order of serving the dishes, and after a few weekends of recording, everyone had become accustomed to the sequence of steps. Occasionally, they would switch a couple of dishes or change the flavors, and everyone cooperated well.

On that Sunday, they added two new dishes: freshly roasted beef tenderloin and baked scallops with cheese. The window was crowded with fans taking photos and screaming.

“Captain…” Long Jia suddenly quickened his pace and hurried back after delivering a meal. “There’s an unexpected situation!”

“What is it?”

“A little girl brought a notebook and asked if you could help her with some problems.” Long Jia scratched his head. “This wasn’t arranged in the script. Should I reject her on your behalf?”

Huo Ren pondered for two seconds.

“Okay.” He turned around to wash his hands. “Which table?”

“Table twelve, the little fan’s surname is Xu.”

“Alright.”

The captain rarely appeared in the earlier episodes, but today, he walked quickly out of the kitchen and into the open courtyard, accompanied by a chorus of screams from both inside and outside the island.

“He’s so thin, how can he be so good-looking!!!”

“My heart is about to explode! Cain is actually here! Weren’t you supposed to be aloof?!!!”

The little fan at Table Twelve couldn’t believe that her small wish was actually fulfilled. When she saw her tall and slender idol in person, her mind went blank. “Oh my… goodness?”

He’s alive??

Huo Huo is alive??

She was stunned for several seconds before she remembered to stand up and greet him. “Hello, my name is Xu Xiaoyu!”

Huo Ren smiled faintly. “Hello, Xu Xiaoyu. Which question are you having trouble with?”

Xu Xiaoyu hurriedly took out her book of incorrect questions and blushed when she saw him pull out a chair and sit down. “I’m about to enter my final year of high school. This is a math question from this year’s Nan Du College Entrance Exam. I’m having difficulty with the last question…”

Nan Du was not only a city known for its education but also a city that had won many gold medals in math competitions. The questions there were several times more difficult than average.

Huo Ren took the pen from her hand and quickly performed a few calculations on the scratch paper.

“The answer is the square root of 3 divided by 2, right?”

The girl nodded vigorously. “Yes! I looked at the answer, but I still didn’t understand…”

“Given that the moving line l passes through point P(3,0) and intersects the parabola at points A and B, is there a line l’ perpendicular to the x-axis that is intercepted by a circle with AP as its diameter, with a fixed chord length?” Huo Ren held the pen and reread the question for her. “If it exists, find the equation of l’.”

Instead of immediately giving an answer, he first looked at her derivation in the first part of the question.

“You made a mistake here.” He lightly tapped the end of one of the equations with the tip of his pen. “So the rest is also wrong.”

The girl apologized awkwardly. “I’m sorry, I’ve always been really bad at hyperbolas.”

“Remember to review your work in the future.”

Huo Ren wrote down the relevant theorems on the scratch paper and calmly explained the derivation process to her.

“Let’s assume that the midpoint of AP is C…”

Chi Ji, who was cutting a cake and noticed that someone was missing from the kitchen, casually asked, “Where’s the captain?”

The other chefs were all huddled by the window, watching the scene outside. “Come here, come here!”

In the courtyard, a large crowd had gathered around Table Twelve, and the photographers and lighting technicians were all in position.

“What are they doing?” Chi Ji handed a piece of cake to Xie Lianyun.

Bo Jue had a complicated expression. “Huo Huo… is teaching them math.”

“Teaching them math?!”

“It’s the Nan Du College Entrance Exam math paper.” Long Jia murmured, “He’s solving it on the spot and explaining it in real-time. It’s authentic.”

Huo Ren spent ten minutes going through the relevant concepts and explanations with Xu Xiaoyu, calmly asking, “Did you understand?”

Outside, the fans were teary-eyed and exclaimed, “We understood!”

Xu Xiaoyu was flustered and said, “Thank you! You worked hard!”

“Good luck with your final year of high school,” Huo Ren smiled and said, “I’ll take my leave now.”

Their brief conversation made it feel like they were not in a recording studio for a variety show, but rather in a classroom at a prestigious school.

Xu Xiaoyu blushed, “Good luck with your concert!”

“Thank you.”

Once he walked back to the kitchen, the group of girls surrounding him covered their faces and squealed.

“Why didn’t I bring a math problem? Am I stupid?!!”

“He’s such a good teacher! I’m a perennial underachiever, but I still understood everything!!!”

“Sis, are you selling the pen he used?!!”

“What price should I offer for this scrap paper?!!”

Typically, variety shows have confidentiality agreements that prohibit audience members from bringing phones or cameras inside.

From June’s visit to the zoo to mid-July’s filming and then the rehearsals and performances for the concert in August, they had a long period of no exposure, requiring coordination between the program’s team and internal and external promotions to maintain interest.

The director had already discussed this with Uncle Jiang and decided to relax the restrictions, considering it as a way to generate buzz for the show.

There were always some fans live-streaming, and now the hype was building up rapidly.

【Leaked photos】Cain is actually at the variety show, teaching math to someone!! Can we have a campus youth romance drama, please? I’m going crazy!

0l: I was the lucky goose who won a crown voucher in the album. Today, I came to eat desserts made by my beloved Chi at the neighboring table, and there were brave sisters online asking about a college entrance exam question! And it was the last question of this year’s Nan Du Exam, known as the most difficult math paper in history!!! He actually took a pen and solved it on the spot, explaining the process to us! How can a real person be this fair and good-looking—

1l: Holy crap, should I ask if the desserts are good first or ride on the lucky vibes or understand the math problem first? I understood it!

2l: That question is like giving me lines to memorize and asking me to explain the steps, but I still can’t solve it! It’s such a waste that Huo God didn’t attend the gifted class at SciTech University back then. Please, let’s all sign a petition for him to open a touring tutoring class!

3l: That’s not the main point at all! Sisters, did he have plastic surgery in real life? Is his nose transparent? How is his skin? What are the other teammates’ reactions???

…

258l: I’m the OP, why are you all commenting so fast? Let me answer all your questions together!

He’s definitely all-natural! His nose is not transparent! I was just two meters away from him, and I almost suffocated!

The other teammates were all leaning by the kitchen, watching cutely. When he walked back, Xie Lianyun even hugged him and rubbed his face. I was originally a loyal fan, but now I feel guilty if I don’t ship them together!

259l: Damn, the double prodigy pairing is quite appealing. Let’s go, AO3!!

260l: Why didn’t I win a voucher? I also want to hear my idol explain math problems up close! (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻

As soon as this leaked information came out, the tags skyrocketed to fourth place in the trending list.

#HuoRenSchoolVibes#

@JiRenHui: Brother Huo Ren, don’t get married to anyone else!! Don’t!! Can I still buy the album now?!

@EnthusiasticFan1: Why are there only gifs and no high-definition videos—-do I lack that bit of traffic? No, I don’t lack it! Not even a bit!

@FanZhi: I just finished watching Xie Lianyun chasing after a peacock in the living room. Hahaha, why can’t the variety show air ten episodes in a day—-there’s simply not enough to watch—

In the evening, when the store closed, Uncle Jiang arrived at the scene on time.

“We’ll end the recording early next Tuesday. There’s a situation with the stage scheduling, and you need to go there early to familiarize yourselves,” he said.

The six idols were busy cleaning the tables and picking up trash. “We heard you.”

Uncle Jiang found a chair for himself and sat for a while, feeling a bit awkward. He poured himself a glass of water and drank it.

Having nothing else to say, he brought up, “Today, Huo Ren ranked fourth on the hot search. Did you guys know?”

“We know, he was explaining the math problem,” they replied.

“The first and second spots on the hot search are already taken. The third spot is about a serial car accident, a news topic.”

Huo Ren was washing dishes with his back turned to Uncle Jiang, nonchalantly asking, “What’s in the first and second spots?”

“‘Wing finally debuts,'” Uncle Jiang lit a cigarette, “and ‘Wing’s god-tier lineup.'”

Uncle Jiang’s English was not great, and he pronounced the word with a nasal sound.

Huo Ren paused for a moment, without turning around.

“I see.”

“How good is their lineup?” Bo Jue casually asked, a hint of arrogance in his expression. “Can they compare to us?”

“It’s quite interesting,” Uncle Jiang took a deep drag of his cigarette, “their lead vocalist is a 20-year-old who holds a Ph.D. in Finance from a prestigious university.”

Huo Ren wrung out the dishcloth and said, “Did they complete the degree or just get admitted?”

“Where would they find the time to write a dissertation?” Uncle Jiang used one hand to hold the cigarette while playing with his phone. “Their singing isn’t that great. Zhong Fengyu hasn’t even finished listening to their singles. He told me not to poison his ears that he uses to make a living.”

“What else?” Bo Jue displayed a smug look. “Apart from the Ph.D. gimmick, what else is there?”

“Well, the group also has a Broadway actor who can sing and dance, as well as a violinist,” Uncle Jiang teased, “Isn’t it quite a coincidence?”

Chi Ji froze for a moment, then lowered his head and continued wiping the table.

This hot search was a direct boost.

Before this, any artist who wanted to make it to the hot search had to at least climb up the rankings symbolically.

This new company called Minhua Culture played a tough game. They not only forcefully promoted themselves by sky-rocketing to the top of the hot search, but also bought a bunch of KOLs (Key Opinion Leaders) to praise and hype them up. The comment section was already prepared, with fans coming in to show off their meticulously edited pictures and shower them with flattery, attracting unsuspecting bystanders to take a look.

There were also some mysterious accounts that directly set the tone and led the rhythm of the discussion.

“With such a lineup, can they even compare? Is it really worth boasting about a high-scoring student?”

“Ah, ah, ah, Lao Lin is actually debuting! He’s my favorite violinist! His name is trending worldwide on Instagram. He’s bound to become popular!”

“Front row for the strong promotion of Wing’s new album ‘Born with Wings’! Come be a little feather and experience boundless joy together!”

“Hey?” Long Jia pushed the mop aside and sneered, “When their people meet us, won’t they feel embarrassed?”

Their team members had identical settings, and the topics were intentionally associated with keywords, making it quite obvious.

“No need to rush,” Uncle Jiang took a drag from his cigarette, “Let them go wild for a while.”

“Next week, I’ll take you to warm up for the concert. The first show will be on August 10th, with two shows in Shidu and two shows in Nandu. There will be announcements and promotions before and after. After that, from September to October, you can focus on working on the new album.”

Huo Ren thought Uncle Jiang would be angry, but as he carefully observed, he realized that Uncle Jiang didn’t show any emotion about the matter.

Instead, it seemed like he was prepared for it.

“Be patient and endure, immune to all poisons.”

Uncle Jiang leisurely finished smoking a cigarette, then got up and flicked the cigarette butt into the nearby trash can.

“The OSC Crown Award has three main criteria.”

“First, it looks at the precision of the content in the annual album. The proportion of original works must exceed 80%.”

“Second, it evaluates the innovation, leading-edge quality, and natural virality of the songs themselves.”

“Third, it considers the stage performance in official promotions and concerts.”

He glanced at everyone again and emphasized his words as he continued.

“Playing with geese, cooking, and solving math problems are just for fun.”

“Don’t worry about what the small fry are making a fuss about. Your only goal now is the crown.”

The program ended with the final recording on Tuesday, and as soon as the boys finished feeding the panda cubs, they were immediately sent back to SPF’s closed building.

The scene changed too quickly, and the six of them stood in the elevator, feeling a bit dazed.

“I think there’s still a hint of milk smell on my sleeve,” Chi Ji sniffed himself and then smelled Huo Ren, “The captain has a scent of bamboo leaves.”

“I haven’t taken a picture with the panda yet…” Bo Jue’s mood was a bit low, “It was so soft. If only I could touch it a little longer.”

The luggage had been taken to the 17th-floor dormitory by the assistants in advance. They arrived on time at the conference room, but most of the people inside were unfamiliar, with different skin tones and styles of clothing.

Uncle Jiang regained his strong posture in a suit and introduced, “This is the stage design master from Belgium.”

“This is the head of the lighting team from the Netherlands.”

They shook hands and exchanged greetings with the unfamiliar people, and then the slideshow lit up.

“Now, I will talk about the overall process of the concert,” Uncle Jiang took the remote control and spoke calmly, “From the beginning of this year until now, we have come up with the most perfect plan after comprehensive coordination.”

“First is the stage construction and effects.”

The screen switched, displaying colorful graphic designs.

A hexagonal gem-shaped central stage with three levels that can be raised and lowered.

The venue can accommodate over 50,000 people in total, with the best audio and mixing equipment.

Uncle Jiang rapidly explained the intricate lighting schemes and stage effects. The images kept changing, one after another, with dozens of effect pictures without pause.

“At the opening and intermission, you will need to go up in the air twice.”

All six of them froze simultaneously as a floating crown appeared in the image.

Xie Lianyun and Mei Shengyao’s eyes lit up, showing some eagerness to try.

“First, at the opening, the six of you will sit at the six connection points of this crown, and there will be professional equipment ensuring your safety.”

Long Jia turned to look at Bo Jue, whose face started turning pale.

“How high exactly?”

“From 30 meters to 10 meters,” Uncle Jiang calmly said, “You will need to sit on the crown and finish singing the opening song. Then, the stage facilities will smoothly transport you to the central stage.”

The six of them exchanged glances.

Aerial stunts in concerts were nothing new.

There were seniors who were lifted while flapping their wings and singing around the venue, and others who sat on a flying chair and sang from the south to the north.

But hearing rumors and actually becoming involved were two completely different things.

“…I’m a bit afraid of heights,” Bo Jue took a deep breath, “Is there no room for negotiation?”

“No,” Uncle Jiang said plainly, “How afraid are you?”

“I don’t know,” Bo Jue replied stiffly, “Last time when I stood on the lifting platform during a recording, I felt dizzy.”

“You’ll adapt in advance this time,” Uncle Jiang looked at him, “Once you get through it, you’ll adapt.”

With his extensive experience as a manager, he was used to dealing with such minor issues.

Even for major events, enduring a bit would get them through it.

The manager didn’t give others any time to ask questions or voice objections and continued to explain the flight arrangements for the second segment.

“Radiant Gem” currently has three popular songs: the title track “Your Crown,” the high-energy battle song “Fangs,” and the emotional ballad “Clouded Sky.”

“Clouded Sky” was independently written and composed by Long Jia, and it underwent minimal modifications during the final review.

Originally, this song was relatively unknown and hadn’t been deliberately promoted. However, last month it coincidentally became the background music for a movie montage by an internet celebrity Scissorhands. Subsequently, it gained popularity on Bilibili and Weibo.

“We have designed a cloud,” explained the stage art director, “using lighting and sheer fabrics for effects. When you sing on the cloud, it will give a similar effect to a float in a parade.”

Bo Jue’s forehead started perspiring. “Sing on a cloud?”

“And with all mics open,” Uncle Jiang said nonchalantly, “The stage has already begun construction in advance. Today and tomorrow, you and Boss Pei will rehearse and memorize all the choreography. The day after tomorrow, we’ll take you to try the flying apparatus.”

Huo Ren, considering Bo Jue’s expression, didn’t reveal his own fear.

Fear of heights was a human survival instinct. Usually, the lifting platforms were several stories high, but descending from over thirty meters while singing was a test of their self-control limits.

He was the captain; he couldn’t show any fear.

“I should have taken you for an extreme sports team-building activity,” Uncle Jiang joked, “Once you make up your mind, it’ll be over. After a few times, it’ll become normal.”

Huo Ren calmly nodded on the surface, but he spoke less after the meeting as he led them to the sixteenth floor.

Thirty meters, equivalent to ten stories high.

Not only did they have to wave from up there, but they also had to sing with a smile.

Even with safety measures securing him, he wasn’t sure how well he could perform.

–What if he fell and was squashed into a puddle of goo due to gravitational acceleration? The fire truck would probably struggle to clean it up.

Pei Ruye also sat in the conference room for an hour and a half, exchanging glances with the other five kids.

Only Huo Ren kept his gaze fixed on the screen, blinking slower than the others.

The meeting concluded, and the kid hadn’t noticed that he was present.

Wei Jie had been waiting in the glass-walled hive. He danced with them from the afternoon to the evening, with Pei Ruye occasionally giving instructions. He also observed the little captain of Corona with interest.

The young man maintained a serious expression throughout the entire dance routine, hardly making a sound during breaks.

After the six of them finished rehearsal and bowed to express their gratitude as usual, Teacher Pei stood at the door, smiling and waving at them. When Huo Ren reached the door, Teacher Pei extended his hand to stop him.

“Captain,” he slowly spoke, “Stay behind.”

“Okay,” the young man lowered his head and stopped, slowly saying, “I didn’t dance well just now; I was distracted.”

Pei Ruye smiled lightly and remained silent.

Huo Ren thought he was angry and took a deep breath. “I shouldn’t have been distracted. Please punish me.”

Pei Ruye opened a bottle of water and handed it to him, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. “Still scared?”

Huo Ren didn’t expect him to see through it. He stood there, holding the water, and remained silent for a moment, his eyelashes casting a shadow.

Then he softly uttered, “Yes. Teacher, I’m scared.”

---

Author’s Note:
How could our captain possibly be afraid? (Indignant face)

There’s only one week left until the comments are enabled. The comment section is filled with talented sisters, and I really want to share some daily screenshots with you all.

The top twenty red envelopes for the previous six days (including today) have been sent out~

Enjoy!