Idol Chapter 63

When the recording of the program was about to end, Huo Ren was pondering the words spoken by Jiang Yanzhi.

“Because time will inevitably bring separation.”

“And we cannot escape from time.”

He looked back at the playful and laughing crowd, as well as the fans who were busy taking pictures with their phones during the break. He felt that those words had a hint of unreality.

In Huo Ren’s mind, he couldn’t imagine a day when Crown would disband. The only reason that could convince him was that everyone would have been in the industry for too long and reached the age of retirement, where they could pursue different things in various fields.

But both Xie Xie and others had said that even on that day, they could still use the group’s name individually and have fun together, drinking and playing cards during festivals, without having to worry about albums, concerts, or paparazzi. It would be a joyful and free life.

When they discussed this matter in the past, Long Jia and Mei Shengyao had already planned what flowers to send to the others when they reached their nineties and went to sweep graves.

Sitting next to Chi Ji, Huo Ren seriously contemplated for a long time and felt that it would be nice to spend his life writing songs and reading books. That’s how he wanted to live.

“There are five more minutes to record additional segments. Take another five-minute break, everyone!”

The young man snapped out of his thoughts, brewed a pot of coffee, and distributed it to the staff and fans in paper cups.

Bo Jue and Xie Lianyun were still touching up their makeup when they saw Huo Ren approaching with a tray. Their expressions changed, and they exclaimed, “Captain–”

But it was already too late.

Huo Ren walked into the midst of the fans, filled with little hearts, and smiled as he handed out coffee to each person.

“You’ve worked hard during the recording.”

The fans who were privileged to receive the warm cups of coffee were so happy that they couldn’t bear to drink them.

I can brag about this for the rest of my life!!!

The captain of CORONA!! My boyfriend!! He made coffee for me with his own hands!!

Other fans of the group, as well as those who were not Huo Ren’s fans, received the cups with surprise, thinking that the captain was really obedient and polite. Oh no, this is inappropriate to fangirl so much…

Long Jia just finished a phone call and returned to the recording site. He immediately noticed Xie Lianyun and Bo Jue petrified in place.

Then he abruptly turned his head and saw Huo Ren serving coffee to everyone.

Long Jia: !!!

“Why didn’t you stop him?!”

“I—I—” Xie Lianyun struggled for a while, unable to help but tell the truth, “I wanted to see their reactions.”

Long Jia reached out and knocked his head, saying, “What are you thinking, Xie Xie??”

They used to think that the black coffee made by the captain was bad because it lacked sugar and milk, but later they realized that it had nothing to do with black coffee.

As long as it was coffee brewed by Huo Ren, regardless of the flavor or type, it tasted like a sea of stewed fat sea cucumbers with monk fruits.

—-However, he himself, due to his strange taste buds, couldn’t detect any problem.

To the point that during the recording of these episodes, there would always be members standing by the coffee machine, keeping a close eye on it, in perfect coordination.

“It’s here, it’s here,” Xie Lianyun reached out and nudged Bo Jue, “Look at that girl in the blue dress, she’s about to drink it—-”

Bao Jue whispered, “What does JK mean…”

The young lady, with a radiant face, looked at the captain’s back, holding the coffee cup with both hands and took a small sip, afraid of drinking too quickly.

Then her expression froze on her face.

Huo Ren happened to turn around and smiled, saying, “Is the taste okay?”

The young lady forced a smile and nodded, accidentally swallowing the coffee.

Immediately, her whole body began to tremble.

The assistant director called Huo Ren over to brief him on tomorrow’s segment, and more and more people in the audience area were drinking coffee.

However, no one dared to openly ask what was going on.

“These Baccobean coffee beans… have a very unique flavor.”

“Yes, yes! You can’t taste this flavor at home. It’s only when the captain brews it himself!”

The Gem Sisters struggled to maintain their forced laughter, clutching their cups and continuing their conversation.

It must be a mistake in the beans or the machine! How could anything brewed by our captain taste bad!!

No, it must be that my taste is not refined enough, I’m not worthy of appreciating such beauty!!!

After finishing the segment, Huo Ren walked back and waved to everyone, saying, “Is everything going well?”

“The coffee brewed by the captain is super delicious!!”

“CAIN is amazing!! Keep up the good work, sweetheart!!!”

“What kind of divine coffee is this—-I won’t be able to drink instant coffee ever again!!”

Huo Ren smiled somewhat bashfully.

“It’s usually Xiao Chi and Yao Yao who make the coffee; I’m not very good at it.”

“Thank you, everyone.”

Seeing his smiling face, everyone’s hearts floated along with it.

Not to mention drinking one cup, I can drink ten cups without any problem!

“Captain, your skills are good enough to work at Starbucks wearing a black apron!”

“I love the cinnamon powder you put in! Huo Huo, I love you!”

Mei Shengyao sat nearby, listening with great curiosity. He went to the kitchen and poured the last bit from the coffee pot into a half cup.

Perhaps Huo-ge has improved?

Xie Lianyun reached out to stop him, saying, “Wait a minute!”

Mei Shengyao had already drunk it, and he chuckled.

Long Jia silently handed him a tissue, saying, “The camera didn’t capture it, it’s fine.”

Mei Shengyao almost sprayed Xie Lianyun, his face now in a sorry state as he wiped it off.

It’s true love.

The Blei sisters managed to finish the coffee while maintaining their cheerful demeanor. Each one of them was truly tough.

After a few rounds of filming, everyone had improved their food choices.

Skimmed milk and coarse grain flour could be combined to create many healthy and delicious dishes. It was definitely ten times better than the monotonous chicken breasts and beef in the nutritional meals.

When they returned to the dormitory, Bo Jue found a new recipe in a cookbook and baked strawberry cookies for everyone after work.

He miscalculated the amount of low-gluten flour, so there was only enough for four servings after baking.

The little swan with long hair stood beside the oven for a while, thinking maybe he should bake another batch.

Long Jia quietly approached him.

“Teacher Bo,” he sniffed the aroma, “Give me a piece.”

Long Jia strictly kept track of the days, only approaching him for a chat every three days, aiming for an open and honest conversation.

Bo Jue was feeling annoyed and pushed the baking tray in front of him, saying, “You can have it all. I’ll bake more.”

“I can’t do that,” Long Jia restrained himself from reaching out to touch the stray hair on Bao Jue’s shoulder, “Can you not be angry?”

“I’m not angry.” Bo Jue pierced the strawberry cookie with a fork and turned to prepare more flour frosting.

Long Jia wasn’t hungry initially, but the scent of strawberries made him suddenly crave a bit.

He reluctantly glanced at the plate of desserts, then walked past the counter to help Bo Jue get the sieve.

As they got closer, Bo Jue lowered his head and refused to look at him.

With the eggs in his hand, his grip loosened, and they rolled out.

“I almost dropped it.” Long Jia quickly caught it and skillfully helped beat the eggs. “Am I capable or what?”

Bo Jue remained silent as he focused on cutting strawberries.

He took the butter, and Long Jia handed him a bowl.

He poured milk, and Long Jia handed him a spatula.

Bo Jue sulked while kneading the dough, and suddenly he threw the spatula into the bowl.

“What’s wrong with you, Long Jia?”

Long Jia poured erythritol powder into a bowl, pretending not to understand. “Here, for you.”

Bo Jue reached out and wiped powdered sugar on his face. He felt both annoyed and amused. “Is it fun to tease me? Huh?”

Long Jia didn’t even dodge, allowing Bo Jue to cover his eyebrows and side of his face with milky white powder. His gaze was gentle. “Calm down, calm down.”

Huo Ren was passing by with Xie Lianyun, holding a book, when he suddenly saw the two of them in the kitchen. He reached out and pulled Xie Lianyun back, taking a deep breath. “Those two?”

Although it was normal for brothers to play around with each other, the expressions they had while looking at each other… Did his mind get corrupted from reading novels secretly lately?

Xie Lianyun clicked his tongue and said, “I knew it.”

Huo Ren had just finished reading the three precious works of the Long-Jue TAG last night, rubbing his eyes. “Why do I feel…”

No, it’s my imagination running wild.

It’s just brotherly affection, they’ve always been like this.

In the distance, Long Jia coaxed Bo Jue to place the bowl of flour properly, then smeared all the frosting on his own face onto Bo Jue’s long hair.

“Get your grumpy face away!!”

Xie Lianyun in the corner said, “I’ve already figured it all out.”

Huo Ren’s mind suddenly had a breakthrough. “Could it be true?!”

“You can observe a little more,” Xie Lianyun said, putting his arm around Huo Ren’s shoulder as they walked back. “For a situation like this, forced intervention is useless. Whether they are together or not depends on timing, conditions, and people.”

Huo Ren, holding the book, was bewildered. “But we’re not allowed to date within the team.”

Xie Lianyun paused for a few seconds. “Huo Huo.”

“Yes?”

“If, and I mean if, these two idiots are really dating,” Xie Lianyun looked at him, “Would you tell Uncle Jiang?”

“…No.” Huo Ren replied seriously. “I might even help keep it a secret.”

Both of his older brothers treated him like family, so he couldn’t do something like that.

“Do you think Yao Yao and Xiao Chi will tell Uncle Jiang?”

“…I don’t think so.”

“Whether Long Jia can successfully pursue him or not,” Xie Lianyun reassured him as they walked back, their steps light and cheerful, “whether their relationship will be exposed if they really start dating is another matter.”

“What if Uncle Jiang finds out?”

“Then we’ll have to shoulder it together.” Xie Lianyun rubbed his temples. “That’s what brothers do, face difficulties together.”

Huo Ren had just finished reading about the elusive love in novels and now encountered intimate relationships among the people around him. Finally, a part of his brain that was blocked by theorem formulas opened up.

He took a light sniff of the faint strawberry fragrance in the air and inexplicably felt very good.

When the first episode of “Crown Cafe” aired, the response was quite good that evening.

SPF, the leading force in online entertainment this year, not only had several exclusive variety shows on the official video platform, but also collaborated with fan forums to sell video memberships like hotcakes.

SPF itself had signed numerous talented artists and idol groups, and now with multiple official fan forums joining in the video membership, it meant a crazy diversion of traffic among various fanbases.

Most fans from other groups bought memberships to support their own idols and increase their popularity. As a bonus, they would also click into the variety shows to watch them.

–And then they couldn’t leave.

What on earth was “Crown Cafe”? The entire group was so adorable!!

Why did they have such great visuals as a group and such amazing albums?!!

I couldn’t even get past this wall in the past, but now I can’t stop climbing it!!!

When the first episode aired, a side profile of Huo Ren sleeping and a short video of Bo Jue adjusting his voice were pushed to the top of the hot search list.

The posts were shared intensively, accompanied by enthusiastic recommendations that even caught the attention of foreign friends.

“What kind of century is this beautiful boy prprprpr?”

“Who is he? I want to stan him!!”

The show’s effect was so good that tens of thousands of people were online, eagerly waiting to continue watching before the second episode aired.

And then it exploded.

-2-

By the time the second episode aired, the weekly ranking battle on the official forum had reached a fever pitch.

Fans were working tirelessly to produce fan arts and crops, almost missing the group’s variety show. The leader of the ranking list shifted from ALL-Ren to High Mountain, Flowing Water, and then to Xie-Chi-Chun. The rankings were updated every six hours, like a rotating carousel.

Trending topics kept emerging, forcefully occupying the first, third, and fourth spots.

#Huo Ren’s Life or Death Crisis#

#The Gems are really amazing!#

#Which Crown CP is the most genuine?#

In the beginning, the topic square was filled with screenshots from the show. However, as people started discussing, they began sharing long images and long posts, turning it into a massive recommendation event.

Passersby clicked on the topic out of curiosity, started reading, and then all their time was sucked away by the black hole of shipping CP.

The inside fandom had no idea when the fanfiction and fanart had gone mainstream.

Everyone was busy promoting and voting, spreading recommendations everywhere, living happily in their own little worlds.

But the outsiders, the bystanders, had already been sucked into the addictive world without even knowing about the CP ranking list.

“This fanart is too amazing! Are these stunning long legs real?!”

“Why are there so few fanfictions about the Twin Geniuses—-I won’t allow it!”

Finally, one of the Gem Sisters noticed the situation outside and rushed over, shouting, “The official website is over here!! Everyone, while you’re here, please vote for ALL-Ren!!!”

Everyone looked up.

“What? Are these six incredibly sweet characters in the fanfictions real?!”

“What? There’s a CP ranking list too?! Where’s the official forum—-let me in!”

A large number of passersby turned into fans, flooding into the forum like a tsunami, and on that very afternoon, they propelled the Yun-Ren pair to the top of the artificially created CP ranking list.

The Twin Geniuses are so easy to ship!! They must be in first place!! Charge, Yun-Ren, charge!!

The fandom within the circle finally snapped out of it: ????!!!

Where did all these people suddenly come from?!

What? The second episode has already aired?

It’s already Sunday today?! How many days have I been shipping CP?!

When Pei Ruye received a call from an old friend, he was responding to official documents in his office.

“Pei, your company is really trending strongly. It’s been trending all afternoon,” Qin Lu said with a smiling voice on the other end of the phone.

“Trending?” Pei Ruye paused with his pen, furrowing his brows. He thought the publicity department hadn’t intentionally bought any trends recently. Holding the phone with one hand, he opened a web page. “Yes, I know.”

“Oh, you know.” Qin Lu’s tone suddenly drifted off. “Then, you can witness it live—-cough, see it yourself. Xie Lianyun and Huo Ren seem to have a very close relationship, don’t they?”

Pei Ruye calmly looked through the top four trends and then scrolled down to see a fanart of the Twin Geniuses passionately kissing, trending under the hot topics.

“No,” he said flatly. “My boy won’t be in a relationship.”

“When he gets a little older, he will be,” the old friend said meaningfully. “Youth really stirs the heart, huh…”

After the call ended, Pei Ruye silently flipped through a few more pages, his gaze stopping on a fanart depicting Huo Ren being kissed at the corner of his lips by his teammate.

In the painting, the teenage boy transformed into a white wolf demon with a tail, his fair and slender neck, and a slight hint of red in the corners of his eyes.

The office door was knocked three times.

“Come in.”

“Teacher,” Huo Ren opened the door and peeked in. “Everyone is here. Are we practicing ‘Nameless Moment’ today?”

The man propped his chin and looked at him, his gaze leisurely scanning his eyes, the corners of his lips, and then returning to the screen.

Reality still looked pleasing.

Huo Ren felt that the teacher seemed a bit serious today.

As usual, he and his teammates arranged themselves in formation to practice the dance, with Wei Jie nodding to prepare for the beat.

Pei Ruye leaned against the glass wall nearby and suddenly said, “Give each other some space, no need to be so close.”

The Crown Six nodded upon hearing the words and began spinning and dancing to the music.

They were used to being close to each other, their hearts and bodies naturally drawing near.

In the first two or three rounds, they maintained the distance of a concert. But afterwards, they instinctively drew closer, forming a tight cluster of six.

Pei Ruye said expressionlessly, “Is the dance studio not big enough?”

Everyone instantly dispersed, “No! It’s big enough!”

Huo Ren couldn’t help but feel that the teacher was observing him today.

From the morning when he was writing songs and arranging music until now, he hadn’t heard Uncle Jiang mention anything happening recently.

…Are my movements not precise?

As the formations intersected and overlapped, Huo Ren glanced at Xie Lianyun.

The other person averted their gaze, refusing to make eye contact.

As Xie Lianyun completed half a turn, he ran into Pei Ruye’s scrutinizing gaze head-on.

A chill ran down his spine.

He took a deep breath, pretending he knew nothing, and continued dancing with enthusiasm.

Oh no, could the teacher think I’m secretly dating the captain?

Trending?! Could it be that he saw the trending topics?!

Why is every single day so tumultuous…

After finishing the dance practice in the evening, it was already half past eleven.

Huo Ren finished washing up and returned to his room. Before going to bed, he quietly opened the Little Crown app.

The first place on the CP ranking list had changed to the Twin Geniuses, with their popularity far ahead.

Second place was the Long-Jue Duo, and third was Xie-ALL.

Huo Ren: …!

Yesterday, High Mountain, Flowing Water was still in first place!

He was about to tap into the Long-Jue tag to read a sweet bedtime story when there were two knocks on the door.

“Huo Huo, are you asleep?” Bo Jue’s voice sounded somewhat tired.

“Not yet.” Huo Ren quickly closed his phone and got up to open the door.

After Bo Jue sat down, he sighed and rubbed his forehead. “There’s something… I can’t figure it out.”

Bo Jue had an outstanding temperament, and he looked good when he smiled and even when he frowned.

He leaned by the side of the couch, his long hair cascading down, exuding a fragile feeling like that of a swan’s drooping wings.

Huo Ren sat properly, his expression serious. “Bo-ge, I’m here.”

“You can tell me if there’s anything bothering you.”

“It’s not that.” Bo Jue looked conflicted, holding a pillow and looking at him. “What do you think of Long Jia’s attitude towards me?”

Huo Ren, who had just entered a serious state for discussing matters, was a bit caught off guard. “…Jia-ge?”

“Maybe I’m overthinking it.” Bo Jue buried his face in the pillow and said softly, “He actively interacts with me every few days, and then acts like he doesn’t know me the next few days. He’s so unpredictable.”

“It’s every three days,” Huo Ren suddenly said.

“What?”

“Jia-ge actively reaches out to you every three days,” Huo Ren honestly shared his observations. “Xie Xie would go to the dentist every two months, and Yao Yao would go to the balcony to swing whenever he’s in a bad mood.”

“He’s doing it on purpose?” Bo Jue exclaimed. “I knew his hot and cold behavior wasn’t normal…”

Huo Ren followed the line of thought and analyzed further, “Jia-ge saw a GIF of a funny swan pecking someone the day before yesterday. He showed it to me, but then canceled the idea of forwarding it to you. He saved a few and will show them to you on the fourth day.”

Bo Jue suddenly twisted the pillow in his hand, and when he stood up, he furrowed his brows and said, “Why am I so caught up in these trivial matters when I’m not practicing the piano or writing songs? Let’s stop talking about it. You should get some sleep.”

Huo Ren nodded obediently. “Jue-ge, goodnight.”

Bo Jue walked to the door and turned back to look at him. Huo Ren waved his hand. “I promise I won’t say anything.”

“Good. Brother likes you the most.”

As the door opened, Long Jia stood there with a bowl of black sesame paste in his hands.

Bo Jue said calmly, “It’s so late. Do you have something to discuss with Huo Huo?”

“He’s too thin. I’m just giving him something to supplement.” Long Jia spoke seriously. “I’ll leave after seeing him finish eating.”

Bo Jue glanced at him, then returned to his room and locked the door.

Long Jia watched the Black Swan disappear and quickly closed the door, sitting back next to Huo Ren.

“Start eating.” He handed him a small porcelain bowl. “You’ve indeed lost weight recently.”

Huo Ren held the bowl and took a sip. “What’s the matter?”

“I… I think,” Long Jia tucked the pillow into his arms and murmured with his head down, “I’m starting to like Teacher Xiao Bo.”

… Why does this pillow smell so fragrant?

Huo Ren stood still, holding the porcelain spoon.

“Brother,” he said calmly, “those stories written by fans are just idle nonsense. Don’t take them to heart.”

“It has nothing to do with those novels.” Long Jia immediately denied. “When I first saw Bo Jue, I felt that he was shining among the crowd, like a black swan among a group of ducks.”

The captain continued to eat his black sesame paste in small spoonfuls, listening as Long Jia gradually explained further.

The conversation revolved around the topics of “Xiao Bo as a teacher is really graceful” and “I’ve been trying hard not to talk to him anymore.”

Towards the end, Long Jia sighed with a hint of melancholy. “He’s starting to get annoyed with me.”

Huo Ren scraped the bottom of his bowl slowly and said, “Not really.”

Long Jia reached out and rubbed his head.

“I can’t make mistakes. I’ll keep my distance from now on.” His gaze was serious. “I can’t cause trouble for you guys.”

“Brother,” Huo Ren suddenly spoke up, “if you’re confident about it, then it’s not a mistake.”

Empress Jiang was right, cherish the person in front of you.

Some things, once missed, may never come back.

“But if you’re not sure about being able to walk the whole way with Bo-ge, then absolutely don’t get involved.”

He was the captain and also their younger brother. Some things had to be made clear.

Long Jia remained silent for a few seconds, then took the empty bowl from his hand.

“Okay.”

“Brother will promise you.”

The next morning at 7:30, Uncle Jiang appeared in the middle of the living room with eight copies of the shooting schedule, bending over and vigorously ringing a bell.

“Get up, get up, everyone get up!”

“Five minutes to change your clothes, go out and get ready for makeup and photoshoot!”

The assistants beside him carried brand promotion brochures and makeup plans, holding six cups of meal replacement milkshakes and boiled eggs in their hands.

Huo Ren had already gotten dressed and rushed out, with Mei Shengyao trailing behind him, calling out in a long voice, “Xiao Chi, wake up!”

The six of them quickly tidied up and drank their milkshakes while doing their hair. Meanwhile, the manager kept nagging, “I’ve scheduled four magazine shoots and four endorsements on the sixth and seventh floors of the next building. There will be a total of fifteen outfits, four hair colors, and ten makeup looks. Captain, pay attention and don’t get confused!”

The assistants and makeup artists scurried around, as if preparing for a major battle.

Huo Ren had read all the documents yesterday and nodded. “The timing is staggered. We should be done by early afternoon.”

This was a conservative estimate, leaving room for emergencies.

“One o’clock?” Uncle Jiang shook his head, thinking he was going crazy with these kids. “If we can finish before 6 p.m., that’ll be great!”

Suddenly, another male voice sounded from the side, with a lazy tone.

“We have time.”

Huo Ren’s eyes lit up. “Teacher?”

“I have a day off today. I came to take a look,” Pei Ruye casually took the itinerary from Uncle Jiang’s hand and said, “I’ll accompany you guys while I’m here.”

-3-

Coordination was an art.

To engage in art, one’s mind needed to be very clear.

Uncle Jiang couldn’t even make sense of the eight separate schedules and the master schedule, but Pei Ruye took a quick look and knew exactly what to do. He assigned three people to go upstairs for a mobile phone advertisement shoot and three people to go downstairs for a magazine endorsement.

“Three minutes to change clothes, fifteen minutes for makeup. I’ll manage the shooting time.”

The Crown Six members responded in unison and quickly followed his instructions, working separately.

Uncle Jiang had a hands-on leadership style, often delegating such detailed tasks to his assistants.

Today, he had the rare opportunity to be hands-off, but he wasn’t completely at ease.

However, the reality was that the efficiency of the six idols under Pei Ruye’s guidance was astonishing.

Pei Ruye had entered the business world at a very young age and had been involved in the business circle since childhood. He was clear and efficient in his work.

Not only did he manage the old family business in Los Angeles, but he also introduced new industries and expanded them in Time City. He participated in SPF’s diversified expansion and operation at a young age, demonstrating his abilities and skills.

It was truly a waste to have someone with such capabilities as Pei Ruye working as their manager.

The south side of the sixth-floor studio was assigned to CPHONE mobile phones, while the north side was designated for Liuxi Juice.

On the east side, a European-style hall was created with gold foil and silver liquid on the frames for a perfume advertisement. On the west side, abstract geometric sculptures and projected lights were set up, waiting for the collaborators to shoot jewelry advertisements.

Downstairs, the four magazine studios had scenes depicting snow, darkrooms, college settings, six dogs, and abstract decorations.

Huo Ren’s initial plan was to prioritize shooting advertisements with all six members together, and then split into two groups of three. Having too many people scattered around made it difficult to manage, and queuing up wasted time.

Pei Ruye’s choice coincided with his own.

“Liuxi Juice, the freshest sensation!”

“When refreshing pineapple meets New Zealand kiwi—”

The handsome idols appeared on the beach wearing brightly colored shorts, laughing and throwing swim rings at each other.

“CUT!”

Pei Ruye looked at his watch and calmly said, “Huo Ren, Chi Ji, and Long Jia, go to the south side to prepare for the perfume advertisement. The other three will shoot the jewelry ad.”

Uncle Jiang led the remaining three. “Come with me! Keep up, keep up!”

One moment they were in a refreshing summer breeze, and the next they transformed into trendy men wearing hunting attire and sunglasses. The atmosphere changed with their eye and hair colors, as if there was a real portal.

Different studios completely isolated the sense of time and space, with large areas of colored lights and shadows, creating a feeling of traversing through different worlds every time they entered or exited.

They sat back in the makeup chairs, wrapped in isolation cloths. Their hair was sprayed with temporary plant-based dye, turning it silver-gray and light blue.

The GY perfume campaign for the new season aimed to convey a sense of cool nobility, and the scene was arranged to evoke a detached aesthetic.

Huo Ren wasn’t very comfortable in a long ivory gown and intricate jewelry, and he seemed a bit awkward at the moment.

With his arms and waist partially covered, he sat near the steps, unsure of how to pose.

“Focus your gaze on this point,” Pei Ruye positioned a bottle at a certain spot, his tone calm. “Bring out a look of disdain, like during the chorus of ‘Night Fire’ at a concert—”

He found his focus, quickly entering the right mindset, and raised his chin like an arrogant monarch.

The photographer whistled, and Pei Ruye once again raised the bottle, holding it horizontally to the right.

“Give me another one, this time evoke the emotions of a sonnet.”

Huo Ren understood and adjusted his posture, using a gentle gaze to stare at the bottle, immersing himself in the role in an instant.

The photographer thought to himself, “How is this manager more professional than me?” and followed along, capturing angles with his camera. It felt like being carried away while playing a game.

The shoot on Uncle Jiang’s side was progressing smoothly when a phone call came in.

“Take them to Studio E for the snow scene. We still have five minutes here. Let’s meet downstairs later to do the makeup and take group photos.”

“OK, we’ll contact you later,” Uncle Jiang breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m glad you’re here; I get confused just looking at those schedules.”

“Uncle Jiang, how many more advertising covers do you have left?”

“…There are still about seven or eight?”

Pei Ruye glanced at his watch again and said briefly, “Then let’s schedule them all for the afternoon. Let them have a one-and-a-half-hour nap at noon, and from 2:30 pm to 7:00 pm, we can finish shooting.”

Uncle Jiang was dumbfounded. “Add eight more?! Are you sure we can shoot sixteen advertisements in one day?”

He realized that these young ones nowadays are becoming more and more ambitious.

And their ambition seems to have a rhythm to it.

“After that, you can have a twelve-day break in your itinerary,” Pei Ruye gestured to Huo Ren to change into a different gown, his thoughts still clear. “Three days for rest and relaxation, and nine days for concert rehearsals.”

Uncle Jiang chuckled and cursed, “You really have it all figured out. I’ll go make the arrangements.”

Huo Ren realized that he hadn’t needed to use his brain for a long time.

He was accustomed to visual memory, where the few itineraries were originally fixed in different corners of his vision, always available for him to access and utilize.

But when Pei Ruye came, the individual schedules and advertisements of the six members seemed to transform into dynamic gears, seamlessly interconnected and coexisting perfectly, without any possibility of collision.

It was the hairstylist who almost couldn’t keep up with their efficiency, his eyes blurred as he picked up the wrong dye color.

“Take the red one.”

“You’re mistaken.”

Huo Ren and Pei Ruye simultaneously corrected him.

The hairstylist looked blankly at the schedule posted on the wall, realizing his mistake a bit too late, and hurriedly apologized.

When it was time to shoot the cover for “FIRE” magazine, all six of them were dressed in suits and ties, holding dogs in their hands.

The Golden Retriever circled around Long Jia, rubbing against him and following his every move.

Huo Ren held a Doberman and rested his elbow on his knee, exuding a rebellious and free-spirited demeanor.

“Very good—-relax your brows a bit—-” the photographer followed the shoot. “Great, one more shot!”

The Doberman suddenly heard the sound of a fan in the distance and nervously perked up its ears, shaking its fur.

Huo Ren reached out and rubbed the guard dog’s head, comforting it with a few words and a smile.

When he looked up again, his gaze met Pei Ruye’s.

The man was wearing a deep black windbreaker today, with a classic Napoleon collar and double-breasted buttons, highlighting his slim waist and long legs.

There was a restrained air of hidden depth about him.

Huo Ren glanced at his throat for a moment, then continued to listen to the photographer’s instructions and posed with his teammates.

His mind suddenly wandered.

Judging by Pei Ruye’s appearance, physique, and abilities, he could easily be an idol himself.

But… he doesn’t usually dress like this, does he?

They managed to tackle all eight tasks in a morning of non-stop multitasking.

Pei Ru’s instructions were clear and concise, and Uncle Jiang executed them swiftly with his team, displaying excellent coordination.

They made full use of all the waiting time, and the six of them even had time to drink water and take a short break while waiting for the photographers to review the results.

The eight projects for the afternoon were already being set up with props, and roughly calculated, they had about two hours of rest.

The rest area was limited in space, and everyone was physically exhausted after a busy morning, quickly dozing off.

Long Jia didn’t sleep on the sofa; he sat on a small chair, leaning against the armrest beside Bo Jue and fell asleep, resembling a large dog guarding him.

Huo Ren gave up the entire couch for Yao Yao, who had fallen into a deep sleep, and as he walked out, he happened to encounter his temporary manager.

Pei Ruye was quietly briefing the manager in a low voice and caught sight of the captain sneaking out alone. He nodded and gestured for him to leave first.

“Tired?”

“…Yeah.”

There was only one row of benches here, and upstairs, the photo studio was being set up, occasionally emitting muffled sounds.

The man took a sip of his coffee and casually said, “No one else will come in; I made sure of that.”

Huo Ren understood and brought out a soft blanket, curling up on the bench, intending to take a short nap.

Pei Ruye, on the other hand, didn’t rest. He sat next to him, opened his laptop, and started dealing with the piled-up work emails.

Five minutes later, someone turned over.

Seven minutes later, the same person turned over again.

Pei Ruye continued to reply to emails in French, his gaze fixed on the screen.

“Can’t sleep?”

Huo Ren sat up and whispered, “It’s uncomfortable.”

That’s just how his body is. He prefers sleeping on soft beds, finding harder surfaces uncomfortable.

Pei Ruye paused his typing for a few seconds and moved half an inch closer to him.

“You can lean on my shoulder.”

A smile crept up in Huo Ren’s eyes, and just like many times before, he wrapped himself in the blanket and leaned towards him.

When they had just debuted last year, their teacher often accompanied them to various TV stations to help them adapt to the stage. He didn’t go until the storm of Corona subsided.

Whenever there were many people, they would split into two cars. Huo Ren would lean on Pei Ruye’s shoulder and sleep peacefully. Occasionally, when he woke up, there would be an extra blanket on him.

He leaned in again. When he made contact with Pei Ruye, his breathing involuntarily became slightly irregular.

Pei Ruye’s shoulder wasn’t particularly soft. He needed to adjust his posture and get closer to his neck. The closer they were, the more comfortable Huo Ren felt while sleeping.

Not only did he get a bit of warmth, but he also entrusted a part of his body weight to Pei Ruye.

When Huo Ren was eighteen and slept leaning against his teacher, his heart was innocent.

Now, leaning like this, his drowsiness diminished instead.

Pei Ruye was wearing Armani Acqua di Gio.

Clear and transparent, elegant and composed, with a hint of elusive rosemary.

After leaning for a while, Huo Ren faintly felt his earlobes grow warm.

He adjusted his breathing to pretend to be asleep and gently sniffed the scent on Pei Ruye’s body.

Every time he got close to his teacher… he would inexplicably feel at ease.

Over time, just smelling this fragrance would unconsciously relax his body.

“Can’t sleep?”

Huo Ren opened his eyes and blinked, blaming the noise upstairs.

“It’s a bit noisy.”

“You’re like a young master,” Pei Ruye sighed and closed his laptop, setting it aside.

“Sleep here.”

Huo Ren smoothly rolled over to his side, and before closing his eyes, his eyes were gently covered, and his ears were softly muffled. Once again, a tranquil darkness enveloped him.

The moment before falling asleep, he unconsciously memorized the texture of Pei Ruye’s palm through touch.

Dry, warm, and clearly winding.