Idol Chapter 70

Not long after February 10th, Valentine’s Day was approaching.

Being idols in this industry, birthdays, holidays, and the new year were inevitably dedicated to their fans. Moreover, the company’s rules against dating made it almost impossible to celebrate holidays in a romantic way.

They had already finished filming the related promotional advertisements two months in advance. The luxury gift boxes sent by partner companies piled up in the living room, filled with all sorts of items.

Silk scarves, perfumes, gloves, coats, scarves…

Huo Ren had a habitual desire for control over both the stage and his personal space. He quickly sorted the dozen gift boxes, restoring order to the living room.

Most of the gifts were given to his brothers, leaving only one with his English name printed on it as a keepsake.

He opened the gift box, finding a collection of top-quality skincare products inside.

Toner, aftershave lotion, facial cleanser, lip balm…

Huo Ren paused and picked up the lip balm, falling into silence.

Lately, he had started dreaming about his teacher again.

Most of the dreams were peaceful, with the two of them occasionally sitting in a car or standing outside the glass honeycomb door.

He would quietly observe the man’s expressions, making sure he didn’t reveal any subtle affectionate thoughts.

Fortunately, he didn’t.

Their relationship remained neither too close nor too distant. Even after a long separation, they still shared an unspoken bond as teacher and student.

Since his coming-of-age ceremony, Pei Ruye had never personally given him anything again.

When he was seventeen, Huo Ren jokingly called him “master of the feeders.”

The teacher accepted the title without any objections, and during Christmas and Lantern Festival, he received special treats, delicious food, and fun activities, all given to him quietly as personal gifts.

After turning twenty, all the gifts were delivered by the assistant, and they came in sets of six.

Huo Ren later pondered over it for a long time and realized that this was his teacher’s way of encouraging him indirectly.

To let go of dependency and childishness and become a more mature person.

He felt a slight joy at this speculation because he wasn’t used to it, but occasionally, he would still feel a little down.

The young man hesitated while holding the gift box, his gaze fixed on the words “lover” for a long time, reluctant to look away.

Teacher… Although it’s impossible, I want to be your lover.

Right next to his hand, a card fell, providing a series of descriptions about the company’s product line.

The facial cleanser had the fragrance of Hongshan tea, and the lip balm had a white rose scent.

Huo Ren quickly closed the lid, tightly hugging the square box against his face, feeling a youthful flutter in his heart.

Teacher, when I first appeared in front of you, I was so disheveled that I didn’t have a single clean piece of clothing.

Even if you stand at such a high place, you may not even notice me.

Teacher, am I now… worthy of being with you?

Listening to his own shallow breath, Huo Ren raised his head after a while and realized that he still held the lip balm in his hand.

When he regained his senses, he found himself standing in front of Pei Ruye’s office.

What am I doing?

The young man took a deep breath, hesitated for a moment, and involuntarily knocked on the door.

Sending a gift on February 14th would be too ambiguous, but on February 13th, it shouldn’t have that meaning anymore.

Even if the teacher asked, he could explain that it was just a casual gift. He shouldn’t read too much into it.

Assistant Zhang answered the door and looked at him with a tilt of the head, “Mr. Pei is on a business trip to Zhuqian. He’ll be back tomorrow.”

“I came to get the training schedule,” Huo Ren said calmly. “Sorry for the disturbance.”

Assistant Zhang adjusted his messy hair and pointed to the bookshelf, holding a folder in his arms.

“The choreography materials and training schedule are over there. I’m about to go to a meeting. Captain, please remember to close the door for me.”

“Sure, I will.”

Assistant Zhang hummed a tune and walked away. Huo Ren took the documents and forms, and with his head lowered, he took out the lip balm.

This wasn’t a wise gift, he thought.

If he had sent a tie clip or a lapel pin, even if the teacher didn’t know it was from him, he could still see how he looked when wearing them.

But sending lip balm… how could he know if the teacher had used it?

Huo Ren stared at it for a while, feeling somewhat disappointed, and placed it next to the computer mouse.

He still couldn’t bring himself to tell the teacher that he was the one who gave it.

It felt as if he wasn’t just giving a small daily gift but expressing his carefully guarded affection.

There was a rehearsal on the evening of the 14th, but on the 13th, everyone was relatively free. They were taken by Uncle Jiang to make phone calls to the fans in the afternoon.

“The Crown Dressing Room” currently has fifteen slots available, and the production team is ready with the equipment to record the first interaction.

When they confirmed their participation in the show, the six of them had different reactions.

Mei Shengyao had an eager expression, but was quickly held back by Chi Ji.

Xie Lianyun lay on the side, indicating that he wasn’t good at hands-on tasks and could probably smudge eyeliner up to their cheekbones.

Huo Ren went straight to borrow a stack of professional-level tutorials and started cramming from the basics.

Now, they gathered around the Bluetooth speaker, feeling both excited and a little nervous.

“I’ll go first.” Huo Ren cleared his throat and dialed the first phone number.

After a couple of beeps, the call was quickly answered.

“Hello?” The voice on the other end sounded energetic. “Is this the delivery person? You can leave it at the collection point near the school gate!”

Huo Ren hadn’t spoken yet when Xie Lianyun burst out laughing beside him.

The person on the phone suddenly fell silent, took a deep breath, and nervously said, “No, not a delivery?!”

“It can be,” Huo Ren replied calmly. “Do you need me to leave it for collection?”

“Fuck—” The girl quickly changed her curse word. “Oh my goodness, are you Huo Ren?! Was that laugh just now from Bo Jue?!”

Bo Jue coolly replied, “How is that possible?”

Then, the sound of a wolf howling came through the speaker for nearly ten seconds.

“Oh my god!!!”

“I’m talking to Corona!!!”

“Yes, Miss Zhu, I would like to confirm with you if you are willing to participate in the recording of our show?”

“We will prepare outfits and makeup for you, accompanying you through this important stage.”

Huo Ren calmly explained the process and awaited her response.

Zhu Ning had just been immersed in the surprise of having a one-on-one interaction with her idol, and hearing him finish speaking left her feeling hesitant.

“But… I’m very fat,” she stammered. “And… I’m not good-looking. I might look strange on camera.”

Huo Ren whispered, “You will look better.”

“Maybe I should give this opportunity to someone else,” the girl said, clearly troubled, still trying to consider their feelings. “It’s already great to have a chance to talk to you. I’m just a terrible and ordinary person, I shouldn’t take up your time. I’m sorry.”

The staff nearby signaled that he could accept this rejection, but Huo Ren paused for a few seconds and did not hang up the phone.

“You’re not ordinary.”

“What?”

“Now, we have had over seven million draws, and you are the first one we have chosen.”

“You are not ordinary now, and you will never be.”

The girl was stunned for a few seconds before asking softly, “But what if I still don’t look good after the makeup?”

“It’s not the makeup that makes you look good,” Bo Jue suddenly spoke up. “It’s about first believing that you are beautiful.”

Zhu Ning was left bewildered, and just before hanging up the phone, she felt like she was dreaming.

The staff immediately arranged for someone to coordinate the timing and continued filming the remaining phone calls.

The second call was made by Xiao Chi and Mei Shengyao together.

“Good afternoon,” a calm and gentle voice answered. “May I ask who is calling?”

“Hello,” the two boys exclaimed loudly with a smile. “We are Xiao Chi and Yao Yao from Corona!”

“The show, right?” The woman was stunned for a moment and then became a little flustered. “I was chosen? Wasn’t it said that only ten people would be selected nationwide?”

“Yes, you’re super lucky!”

After listening to the program details, the woman remained silent for a long time, and her voice became softer.

“I’m afraid I don’t meet the requirements of your show.” After a long pause, she laughed a bit self-deprecatingly. “I’m already forty-six years old.”

Not youthful nor graceful, even if she appeared on TV, she would be an uninteresting character.

“Sister, leave it to us!” Mei Shengyao’s voice was clear and crisp. “We also want to meet you!”

The woman hadn’t expected this answer, but in the end, she agreed.

The next three or four calls were also interesting.

There was a freshman girl who, upon hearing the voices of all six of them, screamed so loudly that she almost threw her phone away, nervously asking if she could play the speakers in her dorm room.

– – Then the entire dormitory started howling along, excitedly banging on the walls.

There was a male fan who looked completely bewildered, reacting as if his social functions had crashed like Peking Opera singers with strained voices.

“Ah… Oh… Oh my… Mom, Mom, I won!! I actually won!!”

On the seventh call, the six of them prepared to shout in unison, “Crown Express, please acknowledge receipt!” However, the person on the other end didn’t answer right away.

When the call finally connected, a weary and bitter male voice came through, “Hello?”

Xie Lianyun sensed that something was off with this guy’s mood and quickly said, “Hey, are you okay, buddy?”

“Oh,” the person on the other end responded, “You guys are Corona? Did I win with this number?”

“Yes.”

“Sorry,” the guy chuckled bitterly, “I didn’t know it was an identification-based lottery. I was actually helping my ex-girlfriend participate.”

Huo Ren realized that he had probably just gone through a breakup. He spoke in a soothing tone, “I hope we didn’t bother you.”

“No, I just feel a bit regretful,” the guy said calmly. “My ex-girlfriend really liked you guys. Her previous phone had your pictures as the WeChat profile and chat background, all of you.”

“You guys approached me to be on the show without even needing to dye my hair,” he chuckled, “but it’s already turned green.”

Long Jia suddenly spoke up, “Don’t you want to regain your status?”

“Regain?” The guy instinctively denied, “I can’t compare to that rich second-generation guy… Wait a minute?!”

“Hmm?” Xie Lianyun repeated in a leisurely manner, “Think about it again?”

“Are you guys… actually willing to help me?”

“The wrong people don’t need to be won back,” Huo Ren continued, “but dignity is something worth reclaiming.”

“What the f*ck? Does this mean I can turn things around?!”

“Bro, I’ll teach you how to dress and style your hair. Don’t be a wimp,” Long Jia assumed the big brother role.

A clattering sound of a water cup being knocked over came from the other end of the phone.

“Oops—”

“Take it easy,” Huo Ren spoke lazily, “Did you burn yourself?”

“No!! Huo-ge, I’m waiting for you!!!”

In the end, they made twelve calls, and three fans declined the offer for various reasons. The company considerately mailed them signed gift packages, and three replacements were found.

The filming schedule for the program was gradually arranged, aiming to wrap up before April.

On the morning of February 14th, Monday’s meeting was held again. Uncle Jiang sat in the living room, ringing a bell frantically.

“Meeting, meeting, meeting—”

The six of them stuck their heads out sleepily.

“Can we go in our pajamas?”

“Can we go a little later?”

“Can we not go?”

“Have some ambition!!” Uncle Jiang scolded, “You’re all so aimless!”

Everyone hurriedly washed their faces and got ready, and in no time, they were sitting in the meeting room looking presentable.

Long Jia even managed to style Huo Ren’s hair, and the two of them openly flirted.

This time, Mr. Zhong and Director Nan were leading the meeting.

“Hu Zhu, pour them a few cups of black coffee,” Zhong Fengyu tapped the table with the back of his hand. “Wake up, we’re discussing important matters.”

Three to four years ago, the company needed manpower and statistical information to analyze the market, but now they can rely on Weibo members and official website data forms to obtain big data.

“The majority of Corona fans are between 15 and 25 years old, with approximately 78% being female. Their education and employment fields are evenly distributed.”

Director Nan glanced at Xie Lianyun, who was lost in his coffee.

Mai Shengyao didn’t understand. “So what?”

“So, so,” Director Nan said seriously, “You need to transition.”

“If the fourth album continues with the same style as before, Corona will only go downhill.”

The five boys didn’t expect such a serious discussion early on Valentine’s Day, and their expressions were somewhat dazed.

Xie Lianyun discreetly cleared his throat.

Director Nan immediately sat up straight and continued to explain the pros and cons for someone.

“Corona’s previous three albums had a strong battle-like and fast-paced style, which was indeed popular and well-received when they first debuted. The market and reputation were both very good.”

“But now, with the passage of time, the market inertia and marginal benefits have become apparent. Therefore, the company needs to address this issue before you start working on the fourth album.”

Huo Ren glanced at Yun-ge and asked, “Completely change the style?”

“That’s a suggestion.”

As artists, due to the closed and continuous nature of their work, they can easily become detached from the real world.

For Huo Ren and the entire Corona team, they are almost always in a high-stress state. Every month, they either receive harassing messages from black fans or face car chases. They are constantly in a battlefield-like state.

There are too many fame, honor, and recognition to pursue, and there are also too many new things to challenge and learn.

“So the songs you write have strong battle-like themes, but it’s difficult for most fans to fully empathize,” Director Zhong remarked.

Xie Lianyun nodded slightly.

Songs with an inspirational theme can have a wide reach in areas such as online games, TV dramas, movies, and can even serve as motivation in the gym or during late-night study sessions.

However, if they remain stuck in this direction for too long, it could become a constraint.

Huo Ren looked at the pie chart and line graph and suddenly had a strange feeling.

“So your suggestion is—”

Director Zhong looked at Director Nan and Xie Lianyun, sipping his coffee and saying, “Write love songs.”

“To be precise,” Xie Lianyun added expressionlessly, “write love songs from the perspective of a boyfriend.”

Huo Ren: …!!

“I have a concern,” Mei Shengyao raised his hand. “None of us have been in a relationship, so wouldn’t it be difficult for us to write them—”

He turned to look at the expressions of the other members. Xiao Chi was absent-mindedly spinning his pen under his chin, Bo Jue was focused on taking notes, Long Jia was smiling while sipping his coffee, and casually making Huo Ren’s hair even messier.

“I made this proposal,” Xie Lianyun straightened up, showing a rare serious expression. “Every highly successful group should have at least three standout love songs.”

“One for confession, one for passionate love, and one for a breakup, like a complete story from beginning to end.”

“And when we run out of songs to write, we can always add one for reconciliation.”

“Love songs can also have a fast-paced rhythm and incorporate choreographed dances.”

“The key is to target the market and maintain our current leading position,” Xie Lianyun added.

Huo Ren nodded in agreement. “I agree.”

In the past year, there were already three or four boy groups emerging in the second and third tiers, and they were predicted to compete for awards at the OSC.

While they were busy with their own careers and work, they had paid less attention to their competitors for several months, and the gap had significantly narrowed.

“Previously, the main theme of our albums leaned towards struggle and fighting,” Huo Ren continued the analysis following Xie Lianyun’s train of thought. “But most people haven’t encountered so many crises and setbacks in their lives; their lives tend to be simple and ordinary.”

“To evoke genuine emotions and resonate with more people, we need to delve into the aspect of love.”

Huo Ren had been paying attention to the official blog and the comment sections of various members’ Weibo accounts.

With his sharp thinking and rapid information absorption and analysis, he was getting closer to understanding the fandom world.

Different fan groups, shipper fans, casual fans, and neutral fans each had their own language systems, such as using jargon to filter out unrelated people, discussing free-riding, spending money, voting, and analyzing data.

Transforming their style to be more universally appealing was a necessary step at this stage.

Director Nan let out a long sigh and muttered softly, “We can actually outsource it. Outsourcing is fast and efficient.”

With the increasing number of idols, there were very few who independently wrote songs and choreographed dances.

Not taking the OSC too seriously, they could still make a good living in China. It wasn’t cost-effective to complicate things too much.

Xie Lianyun glanced at him indifferently.

“Xie-ge, I’ll keep quiet… You write, write whatever you want!”

“Let’s go with that for now,” Huo Ren stood up. “We’ll discuss the specifics in an internal meeting.”

The others nodded one by one and followed him back to the 17th floor.

Having been together as Corona for three years, they had a well-established collective approach.

They prioritized listening to their captain’s decisions externally, while internally discussing and negotiating details. If they couldn’t reach an agreement, they would still follow the captain’s lead.

—The captain is the most good-looking, so whatever he says is right!

When the door closed, everyone changed their shoes and prepared to go back to their respective rooms.

“I’m okay with writing love songs too… Let’s leave the lyrics to Yun-ge!”

“Let’s give it a try! Captain, we can have a duet of love songs, right?”

“Hold on, everyone,” Huo Ren spoke up. “Don’t rush back to sleep just yet. We still need to have a meeting.”

The brothers turned their heads simultaneously, looking at him near the coral clothes rack. “Is it necessary?”

They didn’t take it too seriously; singing confession songs or heartbreak songs was perfectly fine.

“It’s not just about love songs,” Huo Ren motioned for them to sit back down next to the sofa. “I have something very important to discuss with all of you.”

He rested his elbows on his knees, his spine straight.

“Last year, four groups entered their rising period, and now in February, three more groups have debuted.”

“Our competition is increasing.”

Buo Jue gazed at his expression. “Do you feel uneasy?”

“Yes,” Huo Ren said frankly. “They have advantages that we don’t possess.”

“Are you referring to?”

“They don’t have to chase after the OSC awards, and the quality of their concert stages and albums isn’t as important,” Huo Ren analyzed the current situation. “So—they have more time to compete with us for exposure.”

They could act in dramas, appear on various variety shows, and create all sorts of gimmicks and marketing strategies.

In the past, the fields of singers and actors were distinct, but according to Huo Ren’s observations, the barrier was gradually narrowing. Acting had become a powerful means to increase exposure and generate discussion.

However, it was impossible for Corona to pursue acting.

Their ultimate goal was the OSC, the pinnacle of original Asian music.

They would never compromise their reputation for quick money.

“Which means our competitors have more ample time and exposure in various fields,” Xie Lianyun analyzed. “If we don’t stay vigilant in advance, once our popularity declines, it will be even more difficult to regain it.”

“Today is February 14th, Valentine’s Day. We just discussed the love song album with the company, but what I want to say is—” Huo Ren paused for a long time, his eyes focused on everyone. “Our internal business.”

Xie Lianyun twisted open a bottle of mineral water to dilute the bitter taste of black coffee. “Image business? Trend business?”

“Neither,” Huo Ren spoke calmly, like a director.

“One of Corona’s advantages is that we have multiple genuine CPs.”

Xie Lianyun sprayed the water out. “Cough, cough, cough!!!”

Beside him, Mei Shengyao handed him a tissue, curious. “Captain, are you suggesting that we take turns dating to show them?”

“Are you sure you understand what you’re saying?!”

“While we’re working on our projects, they’re also working on theirs, and they have outsourced teams helping them.”

“While we’re practicing in a closed environment, they’re acting in web dramas, making appearances on various variety shows, and gaining high exposure.”

Huo Ren glanced at them. “Promoting CPs is one of the most effective ways to gain results.”

It’s also one of the best ways to gain popularity.

Two of the brothers hadn’t been involved in the discussion.

“Hold on a second,” Chi Ji furrowed his brow. “HuoHuo, are you suggesting that we create several couples internally and then perform our relationships in front of the fans?”

“Forced sweetness isn’t genuine,” Huo Ren shook his head. “Invisible sugar is real, and public displays of affection come across as fake.”

“We can’t overtly promote our relationships. We have to leave subtle traces for them to dig into.”

Xie Lianyun looked complicated. “How are you so skilled at this…”

Huo Ren was not just skilled.

He had mastered high school math problems in first grade and had read through all the trending fanfictions on pairings.

He had a great understanding of the dynamics.

Promoting CPs and publicly coming out as a couple were two different things.

Promoting relationships and subtly teasing were also different.

“We have to go against the current trend,” he looked at Xie Lianyun. “Xun-ge, you’re aware of the CP ranking list, right?”

Xie Lianyun immediately interrupted, “I don’t know, I really don’t know.”

Due to the six members in the group, there were too many options for possible combinations. The ranking lists only displayed the top ten, and even the likes of ChiAll, which included Chi Ji, couldn’t make it to the list’s tail.

Currently, the top-ranked CP was the Genius Duo, followed by LongJue in second place, and RenAll in third.

“Giving sugar to popular CPs doesn’t yield good results.”

The more popular a CP is, the more limited the potential for growth becomes, and their fan base is mostly saturated.

“Cold CPs, on the other hand, have fewer people paying attention, and hardly anyone sees the sugar.”

Couples like JueChi and MeiLong hardly have any tags or discussions, making them an absolute cult phenomenon.

Huo Ren scrolled the list down to the bottom, entering a directorial mode. “The middle range is the most suitable.”

The bottom three on the list offer plenty of opportunities to attract new fans while maintaining a sense of intrigue and mystery.

“We spend most of our time training and creating, so we can only rely on simple and effortless things to earn extra points.”

His voice was steady, as if leading everyone to explore more possibilities.

Excessive promotion would be criticized as selling fanfiction, so they need to hype one CP and then switch to another. The core objective is to use creative methods to attract more fans and increase their exposure.

The more money Corona earns, the more capital they have to create even better and more powerful concerts.

Stage lights, 3D effects, holographic projections, and all the stunning effects that were once unattainable—

They were getting closer to the finish line.

Xie Lianyun remained silent for a long time.

“Why are you so skilled in this, Huo Huo???”

To put it into perspective, it’s like going on a main quest every day and conveniently picking up a stash of powerful pills and secret martial arts manuals along the way to level up and earn more gold.

Xie Lianyun had considered this strategy, but hesitated because of two foolish teammates who were just starting to understand love, and he hadn’t spoken up about it.

“If that’s the case,” Mei Shengyao began, then paused and glanced at Long Jia and Bo Jue, speaking softly, “does that mean…”

Chi Ji grinned and held his face, not saying a word.

Bo Jue, who hadn’t participated in the discussion earlier, suddenly caught on.

“So, all of you—”

“Long-ge likes you the most!” Chi Ji winked playfully. “We know nothing!”

Long Jia leaned on his chin and looked at him leisurely.

“Personally, I feel,” Huo Ren said calmly, “we can date along the way.”

“Who would date—who?” Bo Jue immediately denied. “There’s no one, Huo Huo, don’t talk nonsense.”

“Jia-ge, Jue-ge, we know you have concerns.”

While Huo Ren talked about this, his mind was filled with the image of Pei Ruye.

They existed in parallel worlds and had no chance of intersecting.

Having a close relationship with a teacher who wasn’t an artist would only lead down a risky path.

He knew there was no room for him in this matter.

“But if the six of us take turns promoting relationships, the smoke bombs won’t stop.”

“As long as you don’t kiss or sleep together in public, everything else is not a problem.”

When Director Huo entered his zone, his mind was clearer than anyone else’s.

“You can wear matching couple bracelets, because the rest of us will also wear the same ones.”

“You can openly say sweet words and confess your love to each other, because the rest of us will also take turns doing so.”

“As long as there’s no kissing, even if you peck each other on the cheek in front of the camera, no one will think it’s real.”

Bo Jue was still stiff and hesitant.

He had been avoiding further contact with Long Jia precisely because this matter was too dangerous.

He didn’t have the confidence to discuss this matter with him.

“Why—wouldn’t they think it’s real?” Bo Jue rarely visited forums and hadn’t caught up with Huo Ren’s thinking. “If I hug him, hold his hand on screen, won’t the fans suspect and ask questions?”

“Of course, they will ask,” Huo Ren laughed.

“When they ask, you just say it’s love.”

They could say any sweet words, but they couldn’t come out of the closet or make a serious and formal declaration of love.

They had to say it openly and casually, like a joke. Yes, this is love.

And then no one would believe it.

This world is both cruel and naive.

Xie Lianyun chose to flop back onto the couch and lie like a salted fish.

“My little brother has grown up…” He murmured while staring at the ceiling. “Whose bad influence did he follow…”

Bo Jue instinctively glanced at Long Jia and furrowed his brows. “I won’t take that risk.”

“I’m just offering a suggestion,” Huo Ren’s gaze softened. “Brother, you didn’t have a choice before.”

“But now I do.”

“I know you’re not officially together yet.”

“If you can truly confirm your feelings and continue on a good path, brother, the smoke bombs will be enough.”

As he spoke these words, he inexplicably thought of that lipstick again.

His heartbeat suddenly became bittersweet.

Huo Ren knew he shouldn’t have brought up this matter with his brothers. He had hidden his ulterior motives.

His unrequited love was distant and indefinite, a pale memory.

Idols in their rising period were not allowed to date, let alone have too much interaction with outsiders.

—This was a denial and betrayal to almost all of their fans.

He was the captain, he couldn’t be wrong. Even the small gift he anonymously sent a day in advance made him feel guilty.

But the two brothers had a choice.

“This matter is too hasty,” Long Jia slowly spoke. “We all need some time to digest it.”

The group exchanged a few more words in hushed voices before dispersing.

When Huo Ren returned to his room, Xie Lianyun blocked the door.

“Xun-ge?”

“I have a question for you.” Xie Lianyun lightly adjusted the silver rim of his glasses, his gaze insightful. “Huo Huo, do you have someone you like?”

Huo Ren leaned against the door, smiling as he looked at him. “Is Xun-ge trying to confess to me?”

“You always smile like that when you’re lying,” Xie Lianyun calmly remarked. “Is it someone from outside the industry or within? An online relationship?”

Xie Lianyun looked at the most unconventional person in the group, but he was also the most meticulous and thoughtful.

He played games, bought capsule toys, and might be reading manga even at two or three in the morning. He had many quirks and flaws in small matters but never made mistakes in big ones.

Surprisingly reliable and mature.

Huo Ren withdrew his smile, his tone slightly somber. “Brother, I won’t make that kind of mistake.”

He couldn’t explain what he had encountered.

Xie Lianyun sighed and didn’t continue to ask.

“When you were talking about that plan just now, your eyes were always downcast.”

“It was the same when you got injured during training. You were in so much pain but never told us.”

He reached out and patted his shoulder before turning back to his room.

“Be happy and have a joyful holiday.”

“We need to talk.”

Bo Jue closed the door with his hand and looked up at Long Jia in front of the dressing mirror.

The latter was trying on clothes.

A black turtleneck sweater paired with a mouse-gray long coat, silver chains hanging down in a crossed pattern, it looked stylish.

“Hmm, let’s talk.” Long Jia tilted his head, adjusting the collar of his sweater, and then sat down on the spacious armchair. “What does Little Bo want to talk about?”

Bo Jue had gone through the script in his mind three times before knocking on the door, but now his gaze fell on the faint outline of Long Jia’s Adam’s apple, and he suddenly couldn’t find the words to continue.

“Let’s talk–”

Long Jia was still rolling up his sleeves, the deep blue gemstone on his ear flickering, and the silver tassels swaying with his movements.

Their fashion sense was consistently good, with a touch of noble elegance without being too rigid.

There was a kind of worldly and sensual allure.

“Hmm?”

Bo Jue lowered his gaze and looked at the slender line of his wrist, then took two or three steps forward.

He then knelt directly into his arms, pulling the lapel of his coat tightly with one hand and taking in the scent of his neck deeply.

It was a mixture of wool, silver chain, cologne, and the hormones mingling between their skins.

Chaotic and intoxicating.

After taking in the scent deeply, Bo Jue regained his composure, and his cheeks flushed immediately.

“Forget it,” he said coldly, trying to distance himself from this moment of losing control. He stood up, intending to leave. “There’s nothing to talk about.”

But then he was pressed in place, and he heard the man sigh in his ear.

“You’re too willful.”

Bo Jue’s breath hitched as he realized he was completely trapped in his embrace.

A whiskey-like masculine scent enveloped him, and the delicate tassels continued to sway beside the deep blue gemstone.

He felt the soft cartilage of his ear being captured by the man, who leaned down and bit it as a form of punishment.

The sharp teeth seemed to scrape against the thin skin of his ear, and the fiery breath penetrated his heart like an electric current.

In this moment, Bo Jue felt like prey, being controlled and manipulated. As he was bitten, a misty haze seemed to cloud his lowered gaze.

Subconsciously, he still wanted to smell more of the scent at the man’s neck, despite the inappropriate timing.

Then, he was gently pushed away.

“Go back,” Long Jia released his hold, not bothering to smooth down his long hair for him.

“You’re not ready yet.”

During the evening dance practice, Huo Ren had been distracted.

He didn’t see the teacher in the morning meeting, and in the afternoon, he went with his teammates to record a program. He checked his phone twice in the meantime.

The conversation was filled with messages from fellow industry friends and collaboration partners, but there was no response from the teacher.

He had a vague sense of what the outcome would be.

A lipstick, unmarked, seemed like an item someone accidentally left behind in his office.

Perhaps it had already been thrown away.

At nine o’clock in the evening, they gathered on the sixteenth floor for their usual dance practice.

Pei Ruye had just returned on a flight in the afternoon, looking slightly weary.

Uncle Jiang said he had been shuttling back and forth recently, preparing to start a new company, seemingly intending to expand into other fields.

Two hours could be long or short, depending on how you looked at it.

Pei Ruye was back in his oversized training attire, occasionally with his hands in his pockets, wandering among the six of them.

He looked hip-hop and unrestrained.

Huo Ren sincerely appreciated the presence of expression management classes, which prevented him from showing his sense of loss.

Before class, he didn’t greet the teacher, and he didn’t act like he knew that there was actually a gift for him.

… Perhaps the teacher had just gotten off the plane and hadn’t even returned to the office.

They spun sideways, their figures resembling egrets on the surface of a lake.

The sound of music and drums rose with each section, and Huo Ren’s heartbeat quietly sank.

He really shouldn’t have had such childish fantasies.

Teacher, I like you, do you know?

Today is Valentine’s Day.

I secretly sent you something.

Teacher, please don’t throw it away, okay?

He bent down and leaned closer to the other three, a few strands of soft hair falling in front of his eyes.

The music coincidentally entered a blank space.

Suddenly, Pei Ruye reached out his right hand and brushed the stray hair away from the youth’s ear.

His fingers passed over the cool and fragrant scent of the white rose.

“It smells nice,” Chi Ji, who was nearby, laughed. “Does the teacher use hand cream too?”

“Why would I?” The man retracted his hand and walked away again. “Maybe I just brushed against lipstick.”

---

The author has something to say:
Long-awaited Q&A session:

Q1: How many words does this book have?
A1: The progress is about 35%, but the exact number is uncertain.

Q2: Will there be angst in the future?
A2: Yes, major angst plots will be preceded by warnings and chapter skips.

Q3: What about the romantic relationships?
A3: Ye-Huo doesn’t have the possibility of falling in love in the first half of the book, and the Long-Jue line is a small supplement in between career-focused storylines. But the main couple will have double the sweet moments in the second half, and all the restraint and self-control will BOOMBOOMBOOM…

Q4: The lyrics are too monotonous, the dialogues are too formal, and the settings are not rigorous…
A4: I will seriously consider and improve upon all constructive feedback regarding good communication. Thank you all for your inspiration and understanding. Since it’s not possible to insert audio in the novel, reading lyrics alone can be awkward. I have already avoided all rap segments, and in the future, I will try to reduce the length of the lyrics as well. It’s true that I’m not a professional. The amount of updates is too high to handle, and I currently don’t have the energy to revise. Let’s talk about it after the completion. However, phrases like ‘rice with feces’… are quite jarring. Let’s respect each other, thank you.

Q5: Are there any related materials to enjoy?
A5: I have already obtained the authorization from Mrs. Qiu An for a super cute animated mini-drama. The voice acting has been contracted to the Yuyin Voice Club and is currently in progress. Stay tuned for a small BaoBao & All Members Q series, and a scene of Ye-Huo kabedon. You can check out the passionate indulgence of Mrs. Black’s Duan Momo.

Once the CVs are set, I will take the opportunity to read all the coming-of-age letters~~!

———————————–
—Since I’ve rambled too much, here’s a little mini-drama as an apology—
———————————–

“He came to my office?”
“Just yesterday afternoon.”
Assistant Zhang rubbed his nose and continued to hand over reports to President Pei.
“Last time when Director Chen wanted to come to this office for tea, you didn’t allow it. But why did Huo Ren…”
“Take these two copies, make duplicates, and directly send them to the Public Relations Department.”
“Okay…”

The door closed once again.
Pei Ruye picked up the lipstick next to the mouse and quietly stared at it for a long time.
The white rose branch hung silently, resembling a hesitant gaze.
He tightly held it again, slowly pressing the lipstick against his chest.
As if he wanted it to listen to the sound of his own heartbeat.
… It was chaotic.