Huo Ren usually appears very stable, sometimes even fooling Uncle Jiang, giving people the impression that he is a mature artist in his twenties.
Rarely showing a youthful demeanor, he exudes an indescribable cuteness.
Pei Ruye didn’t say much either. He grabbed his car keys and headed out, saying, “Put on your coat, it’s windy outside.”
“Teacher, where are we going?”
“The sports arena.”
Huo Ren grabbed his coat and caught up with him, feeling a bit embarrassed. “There’s no need to go specifically today. Tomorrow…”
“In a few days, you’ll be going up high together,” Pei Ruye interrupted him, waiting for him to catch up. “By going today, you’ll have more confidence in front of them.”
The young man paused for a moment, thinking that it made sense.
He absolutely couldn’t show any fear in front of his teammates. It was better to take the initiative and get used to it.
After finishing their classes, it was already 9:30 in the evening. It would be around 10 o’clock by the time they arrived.
Shidu Sports Arena was still brightly lit, with trucks carrying scaffolding and other steel materials coming and going. Workers were loudly shouting and carrying equipment forward.
When Pei Ruye got out of the car, he displayed his work ID and calmly led Huo Ren inside.
Along the way, staff members of various sizes greeted them.
They might not recognize Huo Ren, who had just debuted, but when they saw a regular concert-goer, they all respectfully called out, “Mr. Pei.”
Pei Ruye casually nodded and led the young man, familiar with the distribution of different areas inside.
“You will be singing on this stage later.”
The snowflake-shaped three-layer rotating stage was not yet fully constructed, resembling a bird’s nest full of weeds on the branches of a park tree.
“There are a total of six lift platforms. The ace section, marked in yellow, is for guests to go on and off the stage. Your group will select someone to cue the flow of the program.”
Although he was only responsible for choreographing the concert, Pei Ruye had a clear understanding of the scheduling and distribution of hundreds of people.
Huo Ren followed behind Teacher Pei like a little assistant, and suddenly his heart settled.
The main stage and side stages were still under construction. For safety reasons, they only took a distant look and then headed to the entrance of the elevator on the west side of the sports arena.
“This machine will be decorated as a cloud of roses, holding you up while you sing around the stage.” Pei Ruye stood in the center of the high platform and leaned forward, handing his hand to Huo Ren. “Want to come up and take a look?”
Huo Ren nodded vigorously and reached out his hand to get some leverage.
The man’s hand had distinct tendons and bones, dry with a slight callus.
At the moment they stabilized themselves, the staff below lifted the intercom control panel, and the mechanical platform arm rumbled as it continuously lifted them upward.
The night wind suddenly accelerated, brushing against their faces like an invisible curtain.
Huo Ren tightly gripped the railing, once again controlling himself to face all the fear and nervousness.
He took a deep breath, keeping his gaze forward and not daring to look down at all.
The man stood next to him, replying to two messages from his subordinates. His tie fluttered unpredictably in the strong wind.
“Stay a little longer,” Pei Ruye said casually, “It’s windy up high.”
The young man dared not let go of his hands, let alone imagine how he would be sitting on a cloud, waving and singing to the audience below.
He had to find some topics to divert his attention and try to ignore the inexplicable sense of panic.
“Do other artists often perform at such heights?”
“Yes, but they are mostly solo performers, which makes it much more difficult.”
Pei Ruye seemed to be strolling on the street, leaning against the railing in a relaxed posture.
“Feng Jin used to leave herself with only two-foot pedals and flew around the stage while holding onto the support pole.” He pulled out a video on his phone to show him. “There are also people abroad who sit on a swing in the sky and play the guitar while singing.”
In the video, tens of thousands of people looked up, shouting and admiring. The singer swayed through the night sky like a star, with flowing robes resembling an immortal.
“Feng Jin used to have acrophobia, but she forced herself to overcome it in the end.”
“During rehearsals, her psychiatrist and health doctor were both on standby below, and everyone was very nervous.”
Huo Ren snapped back to reality, his knuckles gripping tightly once again.
He inexplicably didn’t want to admit defeat, even to a senior.
“Look down,” Pei Ruye said calmly, “Everyone will look up to you.”
The young man closed his eyes for a few seconds, then finally lowered his head and opened his eyes.
They were standing thirty meters above the ground, and everything in the sports arena appeared small yet clear.
Nearby, the lights intermingled and blurred like a psychedelic mist, while in the distance, the city’s night view resembled trails of stars in the darkness, all flowing forward on their own.
The strong wind howled once again, and Huo Ren slowly released his grip on the railing, taking a step back from the support.
Pei Ruye raised a hand loosely to stabilize his balance at any time, a smile in his eyes. “Are you afraid?”
“No longer afraid.” A glimmer of light gleamed in the young man’s eyes. “It’s nice here.”
“Staying in high places for a long time can be addictive,” Pei Ruye nodded. “You should come often in the future.”
“Teacher,” Huo Ren turned to look at him, finally finding a sense of being on solid ground. “Will you be watching me sing from the audience then?”
“Yes.” Pei Ruye looked toward the position of the VIP seats in the arena, leaning against the railing and enjoying the breeze.
“I’ll be there, and I’ll watch everything until the end.”
When Huo Ren returned, he felt much more at ease.
He went through the entire process of the aerial platform and even familiarized himself with the emergency exit.
In his dreams, he saw a dazzling cityscape with his hand reaching for the stars from the highest point in the sky.
The young men roughly went through all nine dance routines, finally snapping out of their state of being surrounded by fans while doing everyday tasks like feeding animals and cooking.
The concert was expected to last for one hour and forty minutes, including the twelve songs from the album, as well as performances by four guest artists and six solo shows by the members.
Corona had only released one album so far, and in the future, their repertoire would continue to grow, making it unlikely that they could finish singing everything in two and a half hours.
Before departure, Huo Ren distributed the current version of the schedule to everyone, sitting in the co-pilot seat and explaining the situation: “Uncle Jiang is still negotiating with the fireworks vendor, and Boss Pei is on a business trip abroad. Wang-ge will accompany us through the rehearsal.”
Once they were familiar enough with the venue, the intensive closed-door training would start. In the first half month, they would focus on practicing the six-member group dances and solo performances. In the second half month, they would move to a larger dance studio to train with the entire dance troupe.
“We’re going up today?” Xie Lianyun was in a good mood. “Is Bo Jue still nervous?”
Bo Jue curled up in a corner, not saying a word.
“When we go up, Teacher Bo will stand in the middle,” Huo Ren comforted. “If anyone falls, it will be us first.”
“Do we have safety harnesses?”
“Yes, they will secure our waists.”
“But just securing the waist is not enough, right?” Bo Jue murmured, hugging his knees. “We might end up sacrificing our lives up there…”
When they stepped onto the high platform again, everyone surrounded Bo Jue in the center, signaling the staff to ascend slowly, slower than before.
Mei Shengyao stayed close to the railing the whole time, curiously looking left and right. Chi Ji also felt a bit nervous, his face pale as he dared not look down.
The high platform continued to rise, and then it started rotating clockwise.
“Ah-ah-ah-ah!”
“Slower! Slower!!”
Several people instinctively screamed, belatedly clutching the handrails tightly and not daring to move.
“It’s so high, damn it!” Xie Lianyun looked down and suddenly felt weak in the legs. “What the hell are we singing? It’ll just be a wavy line when we sing it…”
Long Jia helped Bo Jue gather his long hair. “Stand firm. The more it sways, the more scared you’ll be.”
Bo Jue clung tightly to the railing, one hand gripping Huo Ren’s left wrist, still shaken. “Captain? Aren’t you afraid? Don’t you need support?”
“I’m fine,” Huo Ren said sincerely. “Actually, the view up here is quite beautiful.”
“Captain, you have such strong composure.” Mei Shengyao also started panicking when they reached the highest point. He grabbed the railing with one hand and tightly held onto Huo Ren’s right arm with the other. “Let me lean on you a bit more!!”
Then a gust of wind blew, causing the high platform to sway slightly.
Everyone: “Ah-ah-ah, stop swaying!!!”
A staff member greeted them over the intercom, “We’re descending now, it might be a bit faster.”
Everyone huddled tightly together, “Help, slow down, please!”
When they finally descended, Bo Jue and Chi Ji supported each other and sat on a nearby bench for ten minutes, their faces still filled with fright.
“It’s so difficult,” Bo Jue murmured, “I’m really struggling.”
Not to mention singing, it was impossible for him to even manage his facial expressions.
Huo Ren sat beside them and handed them hot water, saying, “Take it easy for now.”
“Thank goodness a few of you are standing by our side,” Bo Jue whispered, “If I had to go up there alone, I’d faint on the spot.”
“The venue is not fully set up yet. Let’s try it again once the clouds and crowns are in place,” Long Jia handed him a horn comb. “Take it slowly.”
Chi Ji sighed with his head lowered, “The seniors are so amazing… How did they manage to do it?”
Mei Shengyao had already recovered by now, his eyes sparkling. “I want to try again!”
Once they became familiar with the venue arrangements, they returned to the seventeenth floor.
It felt like they were back to the days when they were trainees, practicing dance in the morning and singing in the evening, while also preparing for their respective solo performances.
Time started flying by.
Corona had gained immense popularity this year, and for the concert, they needed both senior artists to support them and junior artists for them to mentor.
After considering SPF’s overall considerations, Feng Jin and Qi Lin were chosen as the senior artists to come and perform, with one girl group and one rock band for interludes.
On one hand, it was indeed a way to cross-promote and assist each other, and on the other hand, it gave the six of them ample time to rest, drink water, and change clothes.
A large team headed to the gathering point on the sixteenth floor of Building G, temporarily borrowing Boss Pei’s venue to discuss matters with them.
Huo Ren finished collecting the schedule and prepared to go upstairs when he saw four or five costume designers pushing clothing racks into the elevator.
The freight elevator was already full of things being moved, so they had to use the artist elevator.
Qi Lin stood by the elevator door and waved when he saw Huo Ren. “Long time no see.”
“You’ve grown taller,” Huo Ren smiled. “Sorry, it might take a while.”
Qi Lin tilted his head while holding a thermal box. “Huo-ge, do you eat pork knuckles? My mom just stewed some.”
Huo Ren belatedly realized that he had instinctively blocked out the smell of that dish, but now he suddenly snapped back to reality, and the rich aroma of pork knuckles flooded into his mind.
He forced himself to swallow his saliva. “No, thank you.”
He hadn’t touched anything oily for a year and a half.
Qi Lin regretfully responded, “Before the concert, we have to control the oil and salt intake. I forgot about that.”
Suddenly, Huo Ren felt like time had become incredibly slow.
During this gap, while waiting for the elevator, he even began to distinguish what ingredients were used in the stewed pork knuckles.
Rock sugar, cloves, star anise, cinnamon…
The elevator “dinged” open, and three costume designers rushed over, pushing a cart full of boots. “Wait!!”
Qi Lin stepped aside with the stewed pork knuckles, waving his hand friendly. “You go ahead, I’m not in a hurry.”
Huo Ren momentarily spaced out and didn’t squeeze into the elevator with them.
This meant he would have to continue standing here for another five minutes.
The pork knuckles were still hot, their aroma driving people to the brink of losing their minds.
“Ah, my manager always keeps an eye on me and doesn’t let me eat,” Qi Lin stroked the lunchbox as if petting an animal. “Controlling sugar intake is one thing, but can salt really be controlled so easily…”
Huo Ren started considering whether he should take the stairs.
Taking the stairs would be good, it would exercise his body and cultivate a simple and frugal mindset.
The sixteenth floor wasn’t that high anyway.
What on earth was in these pork knuckles to make them so fragrant??
As the third elevator descended, three designers came over, pushing jewelry boxes. They bowed apologetically to them. “Can we…”
“Of course, please go ahead,” Qi Lin smiled. “You go first.”
After the elevator doors closed, the boy suddenly remembered that the pork knuckles would cool down quickly. He lifted the lid and took a sniff.
Huo Ren felt like his brain was being engulfed by the aroma of sesame oil. He turned around and headed towards the emergency staircase. “I’ll go up first.”
Uncle Jiang happened to arrive and the elevator door opened. “Where are you going? Why haven’t you gone upstairs yet?”
Huo Ren held his breath and entered the elevator with both of them.
Qi Lin waved and greeted, “Uncle Jiang!”
“Hey, did your mom bring you pork knuckles again?” Uncle Jiang lifted the lid and looked inside. “And half a braised chicken too?”
“I don’t have much going on in the second half of the year, so I can eat a bit more,” Qi Lin handed him a disposable chopstick. “Uncle Jiang, want to try a piece?”
“Well, I won’t be polite then—-I’ll try a piece.”
Huo Ren closed his eyes and waited to reach the sixteenth floor, starting to test how long he could hold his breath.
It had been over half a month of salt control, and it had never been so difficult to endure.
On the sixteenth floor, everyone was bustling about changing clothes. They saw the captain walk in expressionlessly and greeted him with a smile. “Captain, why did it take you so long to come down?”
The costume designers suddenly realized that the handsome young man earlier was their client. They panicked and apologized profusely.
“It’s nothing,” Huo Ren forced a smile. “I had a bit of hypoglycemia. It has nothing to do with what happened earlier.”
The whole place was now filled with mobile clothing racks, and the costume designers were measuring and helping them try on coats and change clothes. Uncle Jiang, with a cigarette in his mouth, stood by and watched as if it were a large-scale dressing-up game.
“This fur coat looks good. I’ll take a set.”
“The overcoat is quite shiny. I’ll take a set too.”
“Uncle, you know how hot it is in mid-August…”
“You’re right,” Uncle Jiang turned his head and instructed, “Choose a lighter fur coat. It should be made of Arctic fox fur.”
Huo Ren usually wore whatever the company provided, but after taking his measurements, he went to the adjacent dance studio to practice dancing. He didn’t plan to spend the afternoon browsing or slacking off.
In the dance studio, a new artist was packing up their things and greeted him respectfully as a senior.
Huo Ren paused and asked curiously, “What are those straps you have on your arms and legs?”
“They’re ankle weights,” the young artist scratched their head and smiled. “When dancing, if the movements aren’t light enough, wearing these will make it feel much better with the added weight.”
“Ankle weights?”
Huo Ren had never heard of this training method before. After they handed him the props, he tentatively strapped a few on himself.
Suddenly, his limbs felt heavier, and when he danced, his movements became much slower.
“Just get used to it,” the young artist laughed. “Once you’re accustomed to the weight, you can control your muscles better when you take them off and dance.”
“This set is for you, Huo-ge. I’ll go now~”
Huo Ren instinctively said, “I’ll buy them myself, no need to give them to me.”
“It’s alright, it’s alright. Senior, keep up the good work!”
Huo Ren tried dancing with the ankle weights for half an hour. After taking them off and dancing again, his body felt inexplicably light, agile, and flexible.
They were indeed very useful.
He vaguely felt that he had found a trick and, after re-strapping the ankle weights to his limbs, continued his training.
If only he had started adding weights last year. Maybe he should try strapping a couple of them while running… It could be an additional strength training?
The background music played halfway, and Pei Ruye and Wei Jie entered the room one after another.
“So, that AMV group—”
Wei Jie suddenly paused and quickly coughed when he saw the sandbags on Huo Ren’s body.
Huo Ren thought Wei Jie was gesturing for him to greet them, so he stopped and bowed. “Hello, Teacher.”
Pei Ruye still had a smile on his face when he entered the room, but his expression stiffened when his gaze fell on him. He pursed his lips but didn’t say anything.
Wei Jie immediately retreated outside the door. “I still have a package to collect! You go ahead with the class!”
He rushed out as if afraid of being swept away by the tail of a typhoon.
Huo Ren blinked in confusion and looked at Pei Ruye. “Should I continue?”
The man walked silently towards him, his face devoid of expression.
“You bought it yourself?”
“No, a friend gave it to me.”
“Which friend?”
“…Does it matter?”
Pei Ruye suddenly let out a cold laugh.
Without wasting any words, he reached out and began to remove the sandbags from Huo Ren’s arms, using considerable force.
Huo Ren instinctively tried to evade, but he was held firmly by the shoulder and couldn’t move.
His shoulder was being pressed painfully, but he dared not dodge or make a sound.
The young man belatedly realized that the other party was angry.
“…Teacher?”
“How long have you been wearing them?” The man’s voice was indifferent. “You didn’t ask me before making the decision?”
He raised his hand and threw the four sandbags into the trash can, his entire demeanor becoming cold and distant at that moment.
“I just started this afternoon,” Huo Ren helplessly replied. “Why throw them away?”
Pei Ruye’s brow relaxed slightly upon hearing that it was just this afternoon. Still concerned, he continued to assess the condition of Huo Ren’s muscles in his arms and calves.
“Fool,” he sighed when he stood up. “You don’t even realize when someone is playing you.”
“Why would they?” Huo Ren thought Pei Ruye didn’t understand the benefits of using these weights, so he explained, “I tried it myself. After getting used to the weight, when you take them off and dance, you can control your body better—”
Pei Ruye was initially getting angry, but seeing Huo Ren earnestly counting money for someone else, he couldn’t maintain his stern expression.
He paced back and forth in the dance studio for several rounds, took a deep breath, and said, “Huo Ren.”
“Yes,” Huo Ren replied softly.
“You better tell me the truth.” Pei Ruye turned to look at him and said bluntly, “Knee and back injuries are irreversible.”
“Knee injury?” Huo Ren realized something was wrong. “When they gave them to me, they didn’t mention…”
“Your diligence and eagerness to learn are no secret in the company,” Pei Ruye said coldly. “Some people have become audacious enough to act recklessly in my presence.”
“The sandbags are a shortcut,” he squatted against the wall and looked at Huo Ren. “You can tie them around your calves or ankles, and they do have effective results.”
“Your calves will be forced to bear additional weight, and both your knees and lower back will experience accelerated strain.”
Controlling such weighted calves will require greater effort from your knee joints, and while your lower back may temporarily become more flexible and natural, once the sandbags are removed, the repercussions will begin.
“Even if you practice like this for just a few months, when rainy days come and inflammation recurs, no one can share your pain for you.”
It can range from dull aches to excruciating pain, far more severe than the typical lumbar spine issues faced by office workers—-and the duration will continue to increase beyond control.
“You, who are so afraid of pain, would willingly endure it for a lifetime if you suffer from injuries?”
Huo Ren instinctively denied, “I’m not afraid of pain.”
Pei Ruye frowned at him. “Say it again?”
Huo Ren felt as if this person had turned into an X-ray machine, able to see through everything.
“I haven’t told anyone,” he didn’t argue much. “How did you figure it out?”
“It’s simple,” Pei Ruye said calmly. “When I strike with a bamboo sword at normal force, others would instinctively dodge and protect themselves.”
“Only you grit your teeth and take the blow.”
Indeed, it hurts, but it’s only a momentary pain. Although he can’t avoid it, it quickly dissipates.
Huo Ren has an extremely acute and enduring sensitivity to any kind of pain.
Even if he accidentally bumps into a table corner, he has to endure for twenty or thirty seconds before the pain eased.
The young man stood still for a few seconds, lowered his head, and said, “Teacher, please don’t be angry.”
“I’ll trust you from now on.”
He instinctively didn’t want to discuss this weakness any further, nor did he want the other person to treat him differently from others because of it.
Pei Ruye managed to hold back his anger throughout the conversation and kicked the trash can when he stood up.
“Who gave them to you?”
“They may not have intended to harm me,” Huo Ren frowned. “I randomly found a dance studio, and I was supposed to change clothes with others…”
The man looked at him intently for a few seconds, then kicked the trash can again, this time hitting the corner of the wall precisely.
The can rolled for a while and shattered into two halves with a clattering sound.
The sandbags, stained with dirt, scattered and rolled across the wooden floor like dark scars.
“Listen.” Pei Ruye turned around again, facing him with a calm and composed tone. “For the past two days, there has been maintenance on the electrical circuit from the tenth to the twentieth floor. The cameras are temporarily disabled, and people on the elevators have goods covering their faces.”
“There have been too many unfamiliar people coming and going in Building G these days, and they all know that the sixteenth floor is loaned to Corona for their concert costume fittings. They are also aware that you have a habit of letting others choose the styles while you find a nearby place to practice dancing.”
“Except for Wei Jie and a few other teachers, the staff below the senior level only know me as an ordinary teacher and have no knowledge of my whereabouts.”
If they encounter a careless teacher or someone who takes advantage of their short-term desires, they might overlook these sandbags or even encourage others, including Huo Ren, to train with added pressure.
The company doesn’t care about the artists’ physical conditions during the later stages, and besides, back and leg injuries are common in the industry. No one will think too much about it.
“Huo Ren, don’t forget a single one of those ten reminders Uncle Jiang gave you.”
As Pei Ruye spoke these words, there was a barely perceptible hint of regret in his tone.
“There are too many people who want to pull you down from the altar, even though you’ve only just debuted half a year ago.”
“….And they won’t hesitate to pay any price.”
Author’s Note:
I apologize for being unwell yesterday and for posting even later today…
——–
Regarding the sandbag plot… all I can say is, please pay attention to your posture and avoid lying crooked on your pillows for too long.
Back pain can be life-threatening, tut.
——
I have a severe cold, so I’ll take a day off tomorrow. I apologize.
Yeah, I would never be able to become famous and live in constant fear of antifans and rivals sabotaging me. Life is stressful enough as it is, but this level of necessary paranoia would drive me crazy.