Idol Chapter 60

On the way back, the world became quiet, as if only the faint sound of the wind outside the car window remained.

Huo Ren’s mind had been occupied with thoughts of how many jumps it would take to burn off the calories, but now he nestled against a soft pillow in the passenger seat, feeling drowsy.

He had devoured most of the late-night snacks that Pei Ruye ordered. After restraining himself for so long, he didn’t hold back today.

Pei Ruye noticed that he had closed his eyes and raised the temperature of the air conditioning by two degrees.

“Teacher,” the young man leaned casually against the backrest and asked absentmindedly, “What color do you think I resemble?”

Pei Ruye glanced at the traffic light for two or three seconds. A colleague from the dance troupe happened to call to inquire about arrangements, so they chatted for about half a minute.

After hanging up the phone, at the deserted intersection, the traffic light turned green, and the sports car continued on its way back.

Huo Ren had already sunk into a long-lost drowsiness, but now he opened his eyes and looked at Pei Ruye, waiting for an answer.

Pei Ruye turned his head and glanced at him.

The young man had a lazy expression, with disheveled hair falling on his forehead, and his fair and smooth skin resembled ivory.

Pei Ruye placed his hands on the steering wheel and said softly, “Vivid red.”

“Why would you say that?” Huo Ren laughed speechlessly. “I thought you would say black.”

He had always felt that he appeared reserved and introverted in front of others, with a somewhat cold temperament.

Vivid red was more suitable for someone like Long Ge, who was flamboyant and lively.

“Don’t you think so?” Pei Ruye gazed ahead at the road conditions and countered, “What do you think vivid red represents?”

It’s the scorching sun, it’s flames, it’s the blood in the heart.

Huo Ren suddenly woke up from his drowsiness.

He rarely considered things from this perspective.

Colors that were too intense always carried aggression and could even be associated with sexual implications.

If the core of the team wasn’t vivid red, what else would be appropriate?

“You should take a good look at yourself on stage,” Pei Ruye said lightly. “It’s… vibrant.”

Huo Ren raised his head and glanced at the profound darkness beyond the windshield. He opened his phone and searched for the video of the New Year’s Eve performance.

Data plans had become cheaper now, and the internet speed had improved significantly, making it more convenient.

Halfway through the song “Night Fire,” his ears were already turning red from watching the video.

After putting on makeup, he rarely looked in the mirror, and his hidden sense of shame prevented him from looking at himself on stage.

As he carefully examined his bold and wild smile in the close-up shot, his heartbeat skipped a beat.

He felt embarrassed and restless at the same time.

The idol in the painting was at the boundary between adolescence and adulthood, retaining purity and determination, while also exuding a hint of seductiveness in his eyes and brows.

Like dancing on burning flames.

Huo Ren abruptly turned off his phone.

He turned his head away from Pei Ruye and muttered, “I told you the makeup was too heavy. It doesn’t look good.”

“I won’t wear eyeshadow on stage anymore.”

Pei Ruye smiled without revealing anything.

“It looks good.”

When they returned to SPF, Xie Lianyun had just finished playing a game and was about to take a shower and sleep.

He was highly efficient in songwriting and rarely had the opportunity to play games during his time off.

“Three forty-two,” Xie Lianyun pushed up his silver-framed glasses and spoke gently, “Huo Huo, there’s no need for this.”

Huo Ren remained calm. “I fell asleep in the dressing room after the performance. My mind was fuzzy.”

“Your health is important, you need to rest more.” They passed by each other, and Xie Lianyun casually patted his shoulder.

Then he caught a faint aroma of fried noodles.

Xie Lianyun pushed his glasses again and suddenly had the urge to go downstairs and drive out to find something to eat.

I must have starved myself stupid with this diet.

Huo Ren went back to his bedroom and fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. He had a dreamless night.

He rarely slept in, and from three in the morning until half past twelve, when he woke up, his mind was clear, and all negative feelings had dissipated.

After bathing and getting ready, he had a clear idea of how to write the two songs, as if a dead end had suddenly been opened.

He had always had quick thinking, but sometimes the accumulation of trivial emotions in his mind limited him.

Now that he was back in the right state, he found himself getting distracted while typing on the keyboard.

It would be embarrassing if the media asked how this song came about.

“Well, I hadn’t been able to write anything for over a week, but then my teacher treated me to soup dumplings at the last minute…”

Huo Ren hastily wrote two demo songs in three hours and selected one, taking the USB drive with the sheet music to the twelfth floor.

The twelfth floor was Qi Lin’s private floor.

SPF appears to be an independent entertainment company on the surface but is actually a subsidiary of Hongguang Group.

Huo Ren had guessed that the young master of the Qi family lived here, but he didn’t care about the hidden identities beneath the surface.

“Huo-ge?” Qi Lin appeared on the screen with a toothbrush in his mouth. “I just woke up. What’s up?”

Huo Ren waved the sheet music in his hand.

Qi Lin’s eyes brightened, and he quickly opened the door.

“Wait for me, my hair is a mess…” The young man ran back and forth in slippers. “The music room is over there. Can you wait for me there?”

“Sure, take your time.”

Since only one person lived on the entire floor, the music room alone spanned 150 square meters.

In addition to a complete set of imported reverberation equipment, there were deep red and bright green guitars and basses hanging on the walls, and there were also violins and grand pianos.

Adjacent to it was a large floor-to-ceiling glass window that provided a panoramic view of the city, offering excellent lighting and a wide field of vision.

Qi Lin spent five minutes quickly getting ready. Whistling, he sat in front of Huo Ren and casually picked up a silver-blue guitar.

“Huo-ge, are you writing a new song?”

“One explosive pop song, and one R&B song.” Huo Ren pushed the sheet music towards him and spoke frankly, “You’re more familiar with this.”

R&B, short for rhythm and blues, refers to a genre of music characterized by a strong rhythm and bluesy melodies.

Most of Corona’s songs were fast-paced and energetic, and Huo Ren’s own performance style leaned towards a more aggressive style.

Qi Lin had previously won first place in the national R&B singer-songwriter competition, excelling in both ballads and up-tempo songs.

Corona’s overall composition style tended to be consistent, so introducing fresh elements could potentially yield great results.

“If we can collaborate this time…”

“Of course we can.” Qi Lin casually strummed a series of chords and was already in work mode.

Huo Ren took a guest guitar, adjusted the capo to the right position, and began playing accompanying chords for him.

They spent the entire afternoon writing the songs.

Qi Lin’s thinking was somewhat scattered, sometimes his ideas would veer off to completely different angles halfway through, effortlessly adding a long string of technical flourishes to the song.

Huo Ren initially didn’t understand his composition process, but he later realized that naturally gifted musicians didn’t rely much on a specific thought process.

Once the motivation for composition was established, everything else could freely change based on inspiration. The same song could be written in ten different keys.

—-This aspect was quite similar to Xie Lianyun.

In the latter half, Qi Lin got carried away and casually recorded demos for the piano and bass accompaniments.

The entire song had a fantastic sense of rhythm, and it could shine as a solo performance or produce great results with a group acapella.

And that was precisely what Huo Ren needed.

He didn’t want his image to always lean towards being fierce and aggressive. That was just one aspect of his stage persona, not the entirety of it.

“I won’t meddle much with the piano part. Let’s have Bo-ge fix it based on the demo,” Qi Lin said, rubbing his head as he walked him to the door. He also remembered to give a box of mung bean cakes to the 17th floor. “Try these. They won’t make you gain weight.”

“Thank you for your hard work,” Huo Ren sincerely replied. “You really suit being a singer.”

“Maybe,” Qi Lin thought seriously. “I’m about to enter my final year of high school. After that, I might take a break from work and go to university.”

“Shidu Conservatory of Music? Or Berkley in the US?”

“Neither. I’m planning to go to Shixi Theater,” Qi Lin smiled somewhat sheepishly. “I’ve been doing music for three to four years and want to learn something new.”

Huo Ren hadn’t expected that answer but nodded with a faint smile after a moment. “I wish you all the best.”

He didn’t understand that choice, but he respected it.

Once the piano score fell into Bo Jue’s hands, it took less than five minutes for the entire piece to be completely revised with red and blue pen markings, like a high school student’s essay after being reviewed by a teacher.

“The structure is much more flexible than before,” Bo Jue said, pushing his stray hair behind his ear. “Did you find some assistance?”

Huo Ren sat beside him, pointing downstairs with a smile.

Xie Lianyun and Mei Shengyao were playing electric guitars in the adjacent room, while Xiao Chi was practicing dance in the living room with the stereo on.

The house was filled with noise both inside and outside, making him feel peaceful.

“That kid has some talent,” Bo Jue said, placing the sheet music back. He then taught Huo Ren how to express a particular section. “Start softly so that the contrast with the chorus’s emotions becomes evident.”

Huo Ren sat next to him, attentively playing along.

As the two of them focused on their lesson, Long Jia returned to the dormitory with his keys and leaned against the door of the music room, listening to them play and sing.

“The ship in my dreams sails against the light, at the end of the coastline is…”

Long Jia took a step forward and playfully ran his fingertips through Bao Jue’s long hair cascading down his waist.

Bo Jue mistakenly played three wrong notes on the piano keys but continued singing without changing his expression.

Huo Ren glanced at the two of them from the corner of his eye and still felt like they’re two older brothers playfully teasing each other.

“If I stop waiting, will memories sink and disappear? Like a bird with broken wings in the wind…”

“You made another mistake,” Long Jia leaned forward, sandwiched between the two of them. His left hand still held onto Bo Jue’s long hair, while his right hand skillfully played a lively decorative melody. “Teacher Bo isn’t focused enough.”

Bo Jue’s playing finally came to a halt, and he pursed his lips, breathing somewhat unsteadily.

Long Jia leaned against their shoulders, explaining techniques to Huo Ren. Despite the proximity, it felt like he could easily lean in and kiss Huo Ren’s cheek with a slight tilt of his head.

Huo Ren’s attention remained focused on singing the sustained notes as he attentively listened to Teacher Long’s instructions for a full ten minutes. Finally, he noticed that Bo Jue had gone silent.

“Brother, are you feeling unwell?” Long JIa finally let go of his soft hair and glanced sideways at the piano beauty within arm’s reach.

An audacious and blatant gaze.

Bo Jue pushed the sheet music away, stood up, and coldly said, “Play it yourself.”

The sound of the door slamming shut when he returned to his room indicated his annoyance.

Huo Ren wondered why Jue-ge had turned harsh again and continued to lower his head, making corrections to the misplaced rests.

Long Jia gazed at the tightly closed door and mimicked the action of twisting it open, but it was empty.

-2-

The recording at the Crown Cafe proceeded as scheduled.

The studio was set up in the adjacent building, making the commute to and from work quite short.

The cafe was actually a temporary studio, but the atmosphere was well-preserved.

The pure white crescent moon sliced through the space at an angle, and pendant lights cast rotating crown-shaped shadows on the floor.

The bar area was spacious, and the kitchen had all the necessary equipment, including ovens, sieves, and egg beaters.

Mei Shengyao had been focused on songwriting for over a month in the dormitory, gradually regaining his complexion and state. When he saw the staff, he would greet them with a smile.

“We’ll only use three types of coffee and two types of desserts, no need to worry too much,” Uncle Jiang said, holding the script and discussing the process with them. “The show will be recorded, and I’ll help intercept any overly pointed questions. Just relax.”

“So, it leans more toward a talk show?” Huo Ren noticed there was a high-definition electronic screen in the cafe. “The specific content of the conversation isn’t predetermined?”

“You’ll take turns as the hosts, and the hosts themselves should know,” Uncle Jiang stepped out of the camera frame, gesturing for the makeup artist to touch up their powder.

The first batch of fans was already waiting in the entrance area, brimming with excitement.

To ensure the shooting effect, the program organizers didn’t allow them to bring any supporting items such as posters or banners.

However, the Gem Sisters had Q-version badges hanging from their backpacks, and their bracelets were adorned with sparkling corona symbols, resembling a large mobile merchandise display.

Their earrings, necklaces, and rings were also decorated with tiny crowns, shimmering in unison.

Mei Shengyao sat on the bar counter, turning around and waving at them with a smile.

“Brother,” he reached out and poked the corner of Huo Ren’s clothes, “look over there. Isn’t that the girl in the red dress who used to pick us up often?”

“It certainly is,” Huo Ren confirmed while checking if the coffee machine was plugged in. He took a moment to glance outside. “And the one on the far right, she was sitting in the second row at the concert.”

“You remember all that?” Xie Lianyun reached out and tapped his forehead. “What kind of magical little brain do you have…”

The sisters in the entrance area quickly exchanged glances.

No tapping, hide it! Nobody should tap today!

It’s all brotherly love! No need for explanations!

The opening process was straightforward. Thirty lucky audience members completed their orders in the waiting area, and the Corona Six had prepared coffee and soufflés in advance. Once the program officially started, each of them would deliver the meals to the audience while simultaneously beginning the first segment of the day—-themed conversations.

Everyone worked smoothly while cooking, and their coordination was even more seamless when it came to the coffee.

So synchronized that they unanimously appointed the team captain to squeeze cream and sprinkle chocolate on the soufflés.

Huo Ren turned around and glanced at his brothers a few more times.

Why do they all seem so concerned about me… I haven’t been tired recently either.

With thirty orders completed, the six of them took turns delivering the items.

As they carried trays toward the audience, their clothes and hair fluttered in the breeze.

A group of girls desperately held back their screams, their faces turning red when they saw Long Jia bending down to serve the cake up close.

The real person is so handsome and charming!!!

Why do they look so much better in person than in photos and videos!!

I can look at the team captain’s long legs another ten thousand times!!

“Hello, everyone. We are…” The six young men bowed neatly. “Corona!”

Steam seemed to rise from the heads of the boys and girls in the audience, their faces filled with dreamy excitement as they applauded.

Huo Ren led his companions to sit on the small sofa next to the screen, entering recording mode.

Long Jia was naturally suited for hosting, skillfully controlling the rhythm and atmosphere.

After briefly introducing the program’s format and smilingly emphasizing the key points, he said, “So today’s chat topic is old photos.”

The audience could share their cherished moments related to Corona, and the program team would also present unexpected photos.

The electronic screen lit up, displaying three different buttons.

『A. Most embarrassing black history photo』

『B. A moment captured by another member』

『C. Your most cherished photo』

“Each button can only correspond to two members,” Long Jia illuminated the first topic and smiled. “What’s your choice?”

Thirty audience members raised their signs, and surprisingly, most of them chose Bo Jue and Huo Ren.

“Why me?” Bo Jue instantly sat up straight. “There are way more embarrassing photos of Xie Lianyun and Long Jia…”

An audience member in the second row was brutally honest, “It’s because you don’t seem to have any black history photos!”

Huo Ren froze for a few seconds before finally remembering something.

He did provide Uncle Jiang with a few photos he took last year. Could it be…

“So, the first opening photo is—”

The electronic screen lit up, revealing the image of a young boy with long hair, wearing a pained expression while carrying a cello on his back.

Bo Jue was momentarily stunned, feeling a mix of anger and amusement. “Where did you find this picture!”

Back then, Bo Jue was only eight years old, and he hadn’t yet grown tall enough to match the size of the cello. He looked like he was frowning while carrying a giant coffin.

Huo Ren couldn’t help but burst into laughter beside him, and Bo Jue reached out and pinched his face. “You didn’t see anything!”

“Little Bo, your authority as a teacher is compromised,” Huo Ren forced himself to hold back his laughter. “They didn’t even help you carry something so heavy…”

“They did it on purpose,” Bo Jue said with a sour expression. “I almost tripped over my hair after a few steps.”

The photo changed once again, this time showing an eighteen-year-old Huo Ren.

His hair, nose, and cheeks were all covered in cream, and he sat in a car with a disheveled appearance, laughing.

The girls in the audience had their hearts fluttering, unable to speak due to the overwhelming cuteness.

This photo was taken by Uncle Jiang. After they finished singing the birthday song, they started smearing cream on each other, but nobody knew who started it first.

The six boys were a chaotic mess, with strawberry stains on their shirt collars.

Huo Ren was surrounded by them in the middle, with icing sugar on his eyelashes.

The sisters in the audience exchanged glances, using their brain waves to communicate without phones.

「As expected, All-Ren is real!!」

「Little Jue from earlier was so cute, I really want to pinch him!」

「Look at Xie Lianyun’s hand hanging near Huo Ren’s collarbone!!! The position of the strawberry is so suggestive!!」

「The captain is still the most youthful and charming!! Today, I’m going to ship All-Ren!」

“Huo Ren, do you have anything to say?” Long Jia turned his chair halfway as he hosted.

“Let’s talk in the backstage kitchen later,” Huo Ren smiled and challenged him. “I remember we baked an extra cake, right?”

Everyone immediately shook their heads, “No! It never happened!”

In the second round of raising signs, the audience all held up their signs in unison: “Xie Xie!! Captain!!!”

Long Jia curiously asked, “Why did you all choose them?”

The gem sisters roared passionately in their hearts: Of course, we want to establish a CP and see who cares more about whom by taking special photos together!

But on the surface, they smiled modestly and shyly, saying, “Just curious.”

Xie Lianyun finally remembered that his assistant had asked his for photos of other members last year. “Oh my god…”

The screen changed, revealing a serene sleeping face of Huo Ren nestled among a pile of books.

The entire venue fell into silence.

The other five turned their heads simultaneously to look at Xie Lianyun. “Explain yourself.”

Huo Ren’s ears turned slightly red. “Yun-ge?”

The audience frantically exchanged glances with each other and tried to find time to glance at the reactions on the stage, but they were already overwhelmed.

The air was filled with brainwave barrage, resembling a large-scale Morse code examination.

[He actually took a picture of him sleeping!! Sisters, our vote for Xie Lianyun was right!! The genius duo is real!!]

[Oh my god! The captain looks so soft when he’s sleeping. I want to caress his face a hundred times, wuwuwu.]

[Xie Lianyun definitely took this picture with an ultra-gentle expression!! As a loyal fan, I’m ready to defend him—]

“I took this when we were sharing a dormitory back then,” Xie Lianyun coughed forcefully, explaining, “Huo Huo had just joined SPF at the time, and he studied until two or three in the morning every day. He read every book I gave him…”

The gem sisters in the audience nodded, holding their faces.

Yeah, yeah, we understand. When he studies until two, you accompany him until three, and you even took a picture of him sleeping.

It’s brotherly love, obviously brotherly love.

Xie Lianyun felt like the more he explained, the worse it became. Quiety, Chi Ji whispered next to him, “Brother, after taking this picture, can you send it to me?”

Xie Lianyun faintly found a lifeline. “His profile is naturally good-looking, isn’t it?!”

Chi Ji nodded. “I’ll use this picture as my screensaver.”

Huo Ren muttered quietly, “I’m still sitting here…”

The audience heard every word clearly and their smiles grew brighter with each passing moment.

Coming to Crown Coffee House was clearly not just for the cake!

Give me another ten minutes, and I can fangirl over the six of them without eating for three days!!

“Alright, let’s see who the captain took pictures of…?” Long Jia started but stopped halfway. “Who do you think it is?”

The other four raised their hands simultaneously. “Definitely me!”

Huo Ren propped his chin lazily and said, “I sent everyone a picture. Let’s see what the production team chose.”

“Huo Huo, you secretly took a picture of me!”

“Is it the one where I’m playing the piano and singing?”

The electronic screen changed, revealing the silhouette of Bo Jue standing on the side stage during last year’s concert. He was leaning over, talking to the bassist of the band, his long hair cascading in mid-air.

Bo Jue smiled triumphantly. “It’s indeed me.”

“Hey, what’s this picture?” Mei Shengyao couldn’t quite make it out. “Why did you take a picture of this silhouette?”

Huo Ren sat up straighter and said seriously, “Among the members of Corona, the ones I admire the most are Xie Lianyun and Teacher Bo Jue.”

Xie Lianyun made a knowing heart gesture with his hands. “Brother, I didn’t spoil you for nothing.”

“This photo is… Teacher Bo tuning the entire band during our rehearsal breaks,” Huo Ren turned his head and looked at the blurry silhouette. “Every time I see this picture, I feel deeply impressed.”

Xie Lianyun coughed. “Next time, when we’re boasting about each other in public, remember to mention me first.”

The other two members looked confused. “What?”

Bo Jue looked surprised. “You saw it all?”

“Yeah,” Huo Ren smiled and looked at him. “I saw everything.”

The gem sisters in the audience began to pinch each other’s wrists to control their screams.

The group’s darling, Huo Ren, is indeed the group’s darling!! Who doesn’t love him among the older and younger brothers!!

How many CP combinations are needed within Corona’s internal circle?!

Why are they all so genuine!! How can we handle this!!!

I’ll replay the gentle gaze between Bo Jue and Huo Ren three thousand times when I get home!!!

Huo Ren began to explain the story he saw.

On a certain day during the concert rehearsal, he went to deliver a file to Uncle Jiang and saw Bo Jue entering the band’s pool when he returned.

For the sake of performance and flexibility, professional bands and vocal harmony groups were arranged for last year’s concert.

Bo Jue had nothing to do that day, so he went to each instrument of the band members and listened for a bit.

“Let me explain this,” Huo Ren opened an app on his phone and showed the audience the tuning interface inside. “For small instruments like guitars and violins, professional equipment or software is needed to ensure the pitch. Instruments like pianos require an understanding of resonance and overtones, making tuning even more difficult.”

“But Teacher Bo has perfect pitch.”

So Huo Ren watched the long-haired tuning freak walk around, tuning each string as he went, and within half an hour, he perfectly tuned the string section.

No need for a flute, no need for a metronome, no need for a pitch tuner.

Perfectly exemplifying what it means to possess exceptional and unbeatable talent.

Many members of the band beside him were baffled, but they quickly caught on and eagerly handed him their violins and guitars, forming a circle to watch him tune the piano strings.

Piano tuners require even greater professional skills, which ordinary people simply cannot achieve.

However, Bo Jue always gets it right when he listens, never making a mistake.

He is an absolute presence more powerful than precision instruments.

The beautiful person with long hair blushed slightly and said, “I just did it casually…”

Chi Ji, standing next to him, suddenly realized, “No wonder several of the guys in the band asked you for autographs!”

-3-

As this segment was coming to an end, a fan handed over a Polaroid photo.

The photo had been preserved for several years, slightly faded but still clear in its image.

It showed Chi Ji sitting at London’s King’s Cross Station, playing the piano and singing with a smile among passersby on the street.

At that time, he was only thirteen or fourteen years old, looking youthful and innocent.

Both on and off the stage, everyone couldn’t help but sigh with emotion. Bo Jue expressed the desire to have a color print of the photo as a keepsake.

Chi Ji entered a shy state again, burying his face in a pillow, his ears turning red.

The filming of the first episode went smoothly.

The guest was a renowned scientist, and the charity project would be filmed separately outdoors.

The entire process was completed, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

They didn’t expect the atmosphere on set to be so good, with fans sitting nearby feeling like old friends.

There were many old photos that brought back memories and emotions, and they made sure to take pictures of the originals as mementos on their phones.

As they wrapped up for the day, Mei Shengyao pulled Huo Ren to go and divide the cake, while Chi Ji helped the staff collect the coffee cups. Everyone was laughing and chatting.

Long Jia handed the microphone back to the props team and, as he was leaving, noticed Bo Jue’s Q-version sticker had fallen to the ground.

He bent down and picked up the sticker, using his fingertips to gently wipe off the dust from the cheek of the cartoon character with long hair.

Xie Lianyun patted his shoulder and whispered, “Come to the terrace and accompany me for a while.”

“Sure.”

They went to the terrace one after another, closing the double doors before they started chatting.

“Jia-ge,” Xie Lianyun didn’t beat around the bush, “What’s going on between you and Bo Jue?”

Long Jia blinked his eyes, sounding a bit unsure, “Are you talking about…”

“Don’t tell me you’re not even clear about it yourself,” Xie Lianyun leaned against the railing, his eyes filled with insight, “Playing with someone’s feelings for fun can be taken seriously.”

“I’ve known Bo Jue longer than you have. He’s an introverted person and won’t refuse,” Xie Lianyun said casually, “If you mess around with others for no reason, it’s best not to hurt him.”

“It’s not messing around,” Long Jia furrowed his brow, “And I haven’t intentionally played tricks on anyone.”

He occasionally got close to a few younger brothers, but it was always within limits, and he was well aware of it.

Xie Lianyun acknowledged with a sound, then continued to ask, “What about you and Bo Jue?”

Long Jia instinctively responded, “But Bo Jue is a guy, isn’t he?”

Xie Lianyun squinted his eyes and stared at him for a few seconds, then used his index finger to poke his head, “Are you a real straight guy or are you kidding me?!”

Long Jia was caught off guard and was poked several times in a row. Suddenly, something flashed in his mind.

“You mean…”

“Hold on…”

“What if…” Xie Lianyun asked back, “Why do you stick to him every day?”

Long Jia instinctively said, “You don’t feel the same way about him?”

“No, not to that extent,” Xie Lianyun leaned back against the railing, sighing slowly, “Uncle Jiang used to tell me that we should start dating early.”

“The problem is, I haven’t been able to meet someone I really like all these years… it’s been quite lonely.”

Long Jia inexplicably sighed with relief and fell silent.

He leaned against Xie Lianyun’s side and spoke after a while, “Xiao Jue is different from others.”

“It’s like an instinct for me to want to tease him and touch his hair every day.”

It wasn’t just for fun, nor was it intentional teasing.

It was a sense of closeness buried deep in his heart since the first meeting.

Xie Lianyun said teasingly, “Third Young Master Long, you’re so innocent and naive.”

“I’ve never felt that close to any other guy before, so I didn’t think in that direction,” Long Jia furrowed his brow, “And besides, Corona only debuted a year ago, so it’s not possible…”

“Yeah, think it through. You can’t be confused about this kind of thing,” Xie Lianyun said calmly, “Leading the team is not easy for Huo Ren; he already has a lot on his plate.”

“It’s my immaturity that led to this,” Long Jia rubbed his nose and sighed, “I’m sorry, I’ll change.”

Whether it’s the budding affection or the excessive intimacy with his teammates, it’s time to put a stop to it.

He couldn’t afford to make any more mistakes.

Xie Lianyun patted his shoulder and walked out, wearing his coat.

“Buddy, stay awake,” Huo Ren was collecting powdered sugar in the kitchen when Long Jia walked in to help him put things away.

His tone became somewhat apologetic.

“Huo Huo, I almost messed up, but I won’t do it again.”

Huo Ren remained silent for a second. “Which bowl did you break this time?”

Long Jia reached out to ruffle his hair but stopped halfway and withdrew his hand. “It’s nothing, I won’t touch it again.”

Huo Ren nodded, and Bo Jue happened to come in holding freshly baked caramel pudding. “Huo Huo, try a bite of this.”

Long Jia smiled faintly, put the dishcloth aside, and turned to leave.

There was no eye contact between them.

Bo Jue looked slightly surprised at Long Jia’s departing figure.

Did this guy suddenly change? No more playful antics and asking for food?

“You go ahead and eat. I’ll sweep the floor for you,” Bo Jue waved his hand, not overthinking it. “I added some honey, so it might be on the sweeter side.”

Huo Ren responded absentmindedly.

“Alright, thanks, bro.”

Why is everyone so… enthusiastic about cleaning the kitchen today?

The Gem Sisters, after finishing the show, immediately grabbed their phones and rushed to the feedback thread to scream.

[33l]: Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh—

[34l]: I’m dead, I’m dead, I’m dead, I’m dead.

[35l]: Stop it, I’m going to buy the album. I must go to the show again in my lifetime kswlkswl—

[36l]: Hug the sisters on the 33rd floor ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

[37l]: Are the people upstairs using “ahhhhh” as secret code now?? Just tell us what happened at the show?!

The crowd hugged each other and shook their heads in unison: The show hasn’t aired yet! We’re not allowed to talk about it!

[44l]: Why keep us in suspense… I happened to have an appointment for tomorrow. Let me go and see for myself!

[45l]: Sisters on the upper floors, remember to join the group chat! Only ticket holders are allowed in, no onlookers! Number: xxxxx…

The next day, the recording resumed with Huo Ren as the host, and the theme was “Questions.”

The distance between celebrities and fans has always been like a Schrödinger’s existence.

Sometimes it feels very close—-unread private messages and overflowing comments on Weibo, countless confessions.

Sometimes it feels distant.

They lead completely different daily lives, and their sources of information are entirely different.

Huo Ren and his companions spend most of their time rotating between shooting commercials, recording albums, and participating in TV shows. They have very little time to browse Weibo or forums, and any spare time they have is used to catch up on sleep.

Gradually, they find it hard to understand the fans’ secret language and feel like they’re using a different set of words.

There are too many abbreviations, but they don’t seem to fit into the vocabulary they are familiar with.

The segment where fans and idols take turns asking each other questions is indeed a design that has never been seen before in variety shows.

Both sides were a bit nervous before it started.

A boy in the fourth row raised his hand first and confidently said, “I want to ask, is it awesome to be a celebrity?”

Mei Shengyao took the microphone curiously and asked, “What makes it awesome?”

“You can buy whatever you want, and you can travel to any country you like.” The boy showed an envious expression. “And you can often meet other big celebrities, isn’t that fun?”

Mei Shengyao pondered for a moment. “That is indeed… But we also envy you.”

“No way,” the boy laughed and waved his hand. “I’m still worried about not passing the English proficiency test. I don’t even know if I should take the postgraduate entrance exam or look for a job.”

He never thought his ordinary life was something worth envying.

Especially considering the other person was such a famous idol.

“But you can watch movies with your friends anytime,” Mei Shengyao smiled. “And you can always go home and visit your family during the Chinese New Year. It’s actually quite happy.”

Gradually, everyone understood the significance of this conversation, and their postures relaxed.

Then it was Huo Ren’s turn to ask the fans a question.

Huo Ren looked at the audience curiously and asked, “What does ‘cp’ mean?”

The fans fell into silence instantly.

Who taught our little Ren these weird things!! Come forward!!!

Huo Ren thought he had asked a not-so-good question and explained softly, “I searched it on Baidu. ‘Cp’ stands for ‘character pairing,’ and it seems to mean ‘couple,’ but… I can’t understand a lot of the things you say on Weibo.”

Xie Lianyun couldn’t help but cover her face in embarrassment.

This child’s insatiable curiosity is truly troublesome.

The Gem Sisters fell into silence, never expecting to encounter such a day.

What kind of public execution is this!!

Captain, are you sure you want to ask such a explosive question right from the start!!

“Well, it’s just that,” one of the girls whispered, “the way you interact with each other is very affectionate, and sometimes we feel that it would be romantic if you paired up.”

Affection between teammates is awesome, affection between brothers is awesome, and affection between teammates, brothers, and love all combined is even more awesome…

“So that’s how it is?” Chi Ji found it amusing. “What are the different types?”

He usually sees everyone from the perspective of being brothers, never considering the romantic aspect.

Another boy, seeing that they didn’t object, looked at Long Jia and Bo Jue, saying, “For example, those two, we named them the ‘Sealing Officials and Bestowal (Feng Guan Jia-Jue)’ pair on our forum, and there are also people who ship Long-Bo-Long…”

Long Jia and Bo Jue: ?

Long Jia suddenly blushed a bit. “How does that even happen?”

Bo Jue keenly caught on to the key point. “What does ‘Long-Bo-Long’ mean?”

The boy had just finished reading a super popular fanfic on AO3 last night, and now he was blushing for some unknown reason.

“N-nothing…”

Corona’s six members suddenly felt like they had opened the door to a new world, looking at each other with peculiar expressions.

Xie Lianyun looked disgusted.

Who wants to date their teammates! Isn’t it torturous enough to be clients for each other when writing songs!

Mei Shengyao was super happy.

I love the captain the most!! If we were paired up, I would definitely want to be with the captain!!

Huo Ren was momentarily left behind.

We’re all brothers… Isn’t it weird to be in a romantic relationship?

“The currently popular CP pairs are the ‘Mountain and Flowing Water’ pair,” another girl raised her hand to continue, “and there’s also the ‘Twin Genius’ pair.”

She had just finished reading a fanfiction before going to bed last night, and she was still immersed in it.

The audience in the vicinity instantly became agitated.

The Mountain and Flowing Water pair is clearly heresy!! The Xie-Chi-Long-Ren CP is more popular than that!! You’re definitely sneaking in your personal preferences!!

“I think I understand now,” Mei Shengyao suddenly raised his hand. “How about we have a live vote among the six of us?”

The entire audience: !!!

The other teammates who had just opened the door to this new world: ??

“Yeah, if we were really going to date and marry a teammate, who would you choose?” Mei Shengyao blinked her eyes. “Countdown, three, two, one—”

All the teammates looked at Huo Ren simultaneously.

“Of course, it’s the captain!!”

“I like the captain the most!”

“I’ll go with Huo Huo…”

“…It can only be Huo Huo within the team.”

Huo Ren: ?

The audience in the audience held hands and hearts, looking serene.

As expected!!

Innocently true! All in for Ren!!,.,…