Xie Lianyun’s heart felt that people who came out of Broadway were indeed different.
He leaned against the door and didn’t say a word. Xiao Chi asked slowly, “Shall I continue singing?”
The door creaked open, and a young man with silver-rimmed glasses sighed.
Without waiting for him to apologize again, Huo Ren pulled him out.
“Let’s go, Yun-ge, take me to play games.”
Long Jia was studying the assembly line of the new iPhone 4, while Bo Jue wore headphones and sat on the couch listening to music.
“Yun-ge is out!” Mei Shengyao raised the game controller. “I’m in fourth place!”
Xie Lianyun was silent for two seconds, then he sat down Huo Ren and Xiao Chi in the middle of the couch and squatted back next to the LCD TV.
“Long Jia, you plugged it in the wrong way.”
Fortunately, Huo Ren’s recovery was going well. During this time, he couldn’t even touch any soy sauce-based food for fear of uneven pigmentation due to melanin deposition.
“When your eyebrows grow out, it won’t be very noticeable in close-up photos,” the doctor smiled. “If you’re worried, you can cover the edges when you apply makeup.”
During the holiday, various packages were delivered one after another.
SPF Entertainment managed things very strictly. All gifts from fans would be opened by managers or assistants first, and then selectively delivered to the artists.
They also encouraged the artists to play offline or console games and regularly checked the security of all online accounts to prevent hacking incidents.
That’s why most online purchases had to be reported to Mr. Wang or Assistant Ge in advance.
Huo Ren would occasionally buy a few books to read, Mei Shengyao secretly bought snacks for Xiao Chi and Xie Xie.
Long Jia had no concept of online shopping. He would simply tell the butler what he needed, and it would be delivered to him according to his preferences.
So, the one who occupied the elevator the longest time was actually Bo Jue.
The entire 17th floor, from scented candles to plush dolls on the bedside, succulent pots, and wind chimes on the balcony, were all identical sets of six, all bought by Bo Jue. He always bought in multiples.
In the end, Mr. Wang and Assistant Ge decided to buy a small cart to help him transport the packages.
“Mr. Bo… Please take it easy,” Assistant Ge wiped his sweat. “This time there are sixteen boxes, and we almost missed one.”
Bo Jue held the list and carefully checked one by one. A ‘ding’ sound came from behind the door.
“Make way—”
Several workers were carrying half-height delivery boxes out. “Be careful, don’t bump into anything, go slowly!”
Uncle Jiang frowned and asked, “Who bought this thing? Are we getting a freezer or a washing machine?”
“I didn’t buy this…” Bo Jue wondered, “I only bought small items. We already have the big ones at home.”
“I bought it,” Xie Lianyun cleared his throat. “It’s a redwood bathtub for the balcony. Soaking in it will improve your skin.”
Uncle Jiang and Bo Jue: ???
The elevator door across the hall rang, and Huo Ren came out holding some mail.
He had just gone to the security check for the latest fan mail. Nowadays, they had to be extra cautious due to the threat of malicious fans who might send dangerous items like blades, powders, or insects in the mail.
The security team would wear rubber gloves to open and inspect the letters, making sure they were safe before repackaging them in uniform envelopes to give to the recipients.
“Thank you. Do you remember the lady from the makeup room last time?” Huo Ren unfolded the letter and stepped aside to let the workers through. “She wrote us a letter.”
Xie Lianyun looked a bit surprised as he took the letter and read it line by line.
When the plagiarism scandal had broken out, they were in the middle of recording “Crown Dressing Room” and had to temporarily halt their return trip. The lady from the makeup room had not only been understanding but had also written them a heartfelt and encouraging letter.
The letter expressed understanding of their difficulties and gratitude towards the entire Corona team for their work. Due to the incident, the lady and her daughter had broken many preconceived biases they had held against each other. Now, their relationship was more harmonious, and they had many common topics to discuss.
She firmly believed that Xie Lianyun would never plagiarize someone else’s work and encouraged him to break free and explore higher horizons.
The letter was not too long but had a peaceful and serene tone, as if one could see the lady’s smile through the words.
After reading the letter, Xie Lianyun pursed his lips and thought for a while.
“I’ll write a reply to her first.” He hugged Huo Ren tightly. “Once the bathtub is installed, I’ll accompany you for a soak, maybe in the double-surfing model!”
Huo Ren replied quietly, “Yun-ge, there’s really no need for that.”
While they were busy moving the bathtub and handling the deliveries at the entrance, the elevator door rang for the third time.
“Who’s coming now?” Uncle Jiang muttered, “Don’t tell me you guys bought six bathtubs.”
The elevator door opened slowly, revealing a cold and slender young man in front of them.
Uncle Jiang was puzzled because SPF Entertainment never allowed unauthorized access, and he couldn’t recall who this person might be.
Huo Ren turned his head to get a better look and also felt that the young man looked somewhat familiar.
“Jiang… Jue!!” Chi Ji’s eyes lit up, and he rushed over to hug his younger brother. “When did you return to the country?!”
“Last month, I’ve been running around at both ends, and I almost didn’t make it to rehearsals,” Jiang Jue, with one hand in his pocket, greeted his senior with a smile. “This time, I’ve brought you a few tickets to the play. It’s probably the last one before my college entrance exams.”
“You’re taking your college entrance exams already? Time flies,” Chi Ji sighed. “I remember you were just a little kid back then.”
“Chi-ge, I was only nine years old back then…”
Uncle Jiang finally reacted.
“Are you…”
The young man nodded with a smile, without elaborating. He had come to the theater to rehearse and happened to pass by to deliver the tickets.
Before saying goodbye, Jiang Jue remembered something else.
“Next year, ‘Hamilton’ will be performed. Shall we go together?”
Chi Ji waved enthusiastically. “Sure! We’ll see you on Broadway then!”
As the elevator doors closed, Jiang Jue handed one ticket to Huo Ren.
“‘The Pale Court’?” Huo Ren was curious. “We’re going to watch a play… won’t it cause a commotion?”
“We have VIP boxes and a private entrance, so it won’t be a problem.”
Before he could finish speaking, the elevator rang for the fourth time.
Uncle Jiang sighed.
“Are you guys giving out red envelopes for Chinese New Year or something? Is this ever going to end?”
The elevator doors opened, and Qi Lin came in from another entrance.
“Hey? Ren-ge and Chi-ge are here?” The young man looked to the side at the pile of delivery boxes. “Oh…”
Mei Shengyao had just helped Bo Jue with his gentleman’s orchids and came over to say hello. Curiously, he asked, “Where’s the little brother who was just here?”
“What little brother?” Qi Lin asked curiously.
“He just left, he’s a good friend of mine.”
Chi Ji was about to explain further when he suddenly had a change of heart.
Yao Yao didn’t know the secret yet.
“Uh… Xie-ge bought a bathtub for Ren Ren!” he blurted out.
“Huh?”
“Just on the balcony, do you want to go see it?”
“Let’s go, let’s go!”
Qi Lin was also going to take the college entrance exam this year. With various matters piling up, he still found time to invite concert guests.
“I’m about to take the college entrance exam, so I came for a hug from the study genius!”
Huo Ren wondered why everyone wanted to come over for hugs today. He reached out and ruffled Qi Lin’s hair.
“Which university are you aiming for?”
“I’m aiming for the Shi Du Drama College.” The young man smiled energetically. “After the two concerts in the summer, I’ll be off to learn new things.”
Huo Ren playfully tapped his knuckles against the young man’s forehead.
“I guarantee you’ll pass.”
“Alright~!”
After the guests and the movers had left, Huo Ren brought Chi Ji to the study.
“Xiao Chi, I want to ask you something, and it’s okay if you don’t want to answer.”
Chi Ji nodded.
“The person who was here earlier… is he Jiang Yanzhi’s son?”
Chi Ji hesitated for a moment but nodded, saying, “Ren-ge, please don’t tell anyone else.”
Huo Ren’s heart sank, and he asked, “Does Yao Yao not know about this?”
He had already started calculating the age difference between these two.
Chi Ji shook his head lightly.
“Does Aunt Wen know?”
“She… probably doesn’t know either.”
Yao Yao had been ostracized and ignored by his mother from the beginning because Wen Feng believed that his birth had hindered her path to fame.
Initially, Wen Feng and Jiang Yanzhi had competed for the same role, but Wen Feng had to withdraw due to pregnancy, and their paths as leading actresses had diverged ever since.
If Yao Yao and his mother were to find out the truth… these years of estrangement would seem like a joke.
“Please don’t tell anyone.” Huo Ren took a deep breath. “Let’s protect Yao Yao together.”
Chi Ji nodded firmly. “It’s a promise.”
As May arrived, the weather gradually became hot and dry.
Huo Ren’s wound had already healed, the fine white scar hidden within his eyebrows, and the mark becoming increasingly faint.
They once again immersed themselves in the alternating training for their variety show and concert.
Boss Pei’s live streaming platform Nightfire had gradually stabilized and had become the leading platform.
“In July, there will be a total of four concerts, at the Shi Du Sports Arena and the Bai Chuan City Celebrity Hall,” Pei Ruoye moved through the crowd of dancers, delivering instructions with a calm demeanor. “For the Qixi Festival event in August, and in September, I’ll give you all a month off. Huo Ren, no frowning while dancing.”
“Yeah!”
“Huh?”
“A month off!”
The other four members were overjoyed and almost lost their rhythm. “Can we really take a break?!”
Xie Lianyun blinked and turned to the team captain.
Huo Ren obediently smoothed out his eyebrows with his hand.
“It’s time for a break,” Pei Ruoye continued. “Jiang Shu needs to check his health and take a break, and you all need to stop working for a while and relax.”
He paused and casually added, “If you plan to go on a group vacation, I can help arrange an overseas trip.”
Long Jia was the first to speak up, “Spend half a month with family, and the other half together on a trip. How about that?”
“Come on, after three days at home, I’ll start getting annoyed by everyone,” Xie Lianyun finally came to his senses. “Staying at home for seven or eight days is enough. We haven’t officially gone abroad together yet.”
Before joining Corona, they did frequently travel abroad for work, but most of the time, they stayed within the work zone and hotel, and their schedules were always tight.
This time, even if they could spend a quiet and leisurely half-month by the beach, it would be better than having paparazzi take pictures of them eating ice cream in Shi Du.
Huo Ren suddenly realized that he had nowhere to go.
Everyone else was going back home, and Mei Heng had even said he would take Yao Yao abroad to play for a few days.
But he… would stay on the 17th floor and wait for them.
“Oh, by the way, Ren Ren, why don’t you come to my place during the break?” Bo Jue smiled. “I’ll take you to a concert.”
“I…” Huo Ren instinctively looked at Pei Ruoye, his eyes carrying a hint of anticipation. “Maybe I should continue training with the dance troupe.”
“Teacher, I want to stay with you, anywhere is fine.”
However, Pei Ruoye’s expression shifted slightly, and he shook his head slowly.
“The dance troupe has work scheduled for September, and I won’t be in the country either.”
He felt a deep sense of regret after their last close encounter and dared not cross that boundary again.
Once he made a mistake, allowing feelings that shouldn’t exist to develop unchecked, the consequences would be too deadly for Huo Ren. Pei Ruoye was well aware of this fact. Corona had just cleared away all obstacles and was on the rise. If Huo Ren misunderstood his attachment as love, the mistakes would only pile up.
Huo Ren could make mistakes, but Pei Ruoye couldn’t.
Absolutely not.
Huo Ren was momentarily stunned and subconsciously asked, “You won’t be in the country for the whole of September, Teacher?”
Pei Ruoye held his breath and replied, “Yes, I’ll be very busy.”
“Alright.”
“Come stay at my place!” Long Jia quickly intervened. “It’s a vacation, so why practice dancing? I’ll take you horseback riding and dog walking!”
“Stay at my place, Captain! My house is even bigger!”
“Can you guys be any more childish…”
As Pei Ruoye watched the six of them frolic together, a hint of a smile gradually appeared in his eyes.
The children had their homes now and wouldn’t be lonely.
That was already good enough.
Boss Pei was too busy with work, so he only spent half an hour with them, gave some instructions as usual, and left silently.
After an afternoon of dance practice, Chi Ji dragged Bo Jue away with a new phone in hand. “Ge, I found a great place for taking photos!”
Xie Lianyun brought over some iced water and handed a bottle to Huo Ren, who was sitting by the floor-to-ceiling window.
“You…” He had originally wanted to ask something but stopped when he saw the faint white line between Huo Ren’s eyebrows. “Never mind.”
Xie Lianyun wasn’t a nosy person by nature. He had a keen and perceptive personality, most of the time just wanting to know what was going on, to do what he could for the people close to him.
But this current speculation was too bold, and asking about it would be offensive.
Huo Ren was still thinking about whether to go horseback riding in the outskirts with Jia-ge or to go skiing in Europe with Jue-ge.
It was annoying; it was rare to have such a long break, and both options were so tempting.
“Yun-ge, what were you asking me just now?”
“Huh? Uh… nothing.”
Chi Ji discovered the prop room on the sixteenth floor east. Not only were there props samples for Corona’s performance, but there were also many strange items, like gilded rose vine birdcages.
Among the six members of Corona, the most prolific at taking selfies was Long Jia, followed by Chi Ji.
When he first joined the group, Chi Ji noticed that Bo Jue was somewhat introverted. Whenever he came across interesting and fun things, he always dragged Bo Jue along. Over time, the two of them became close.
At just under twenty-one years old, Chi Ji had a slender frame and a cute appearance, making him look like a seventeen-year-old boy.
Chi Ji was snapping photos with his phone, circling around the props, and Bo Jue found himself inexplicably intrigued.
“Can I… give it a try?”
“Come inside the cage, Ge, I’ll take a picture of you!”
Bo Jue pursed his lips and nodded. He entered the two-meter-tall cage, wiped the bottom clean with a wet tissue he had with him, and looked towards the camera.
He draped his ink-black hair over one side, and inside the golden cage adorned with white roses, he appeared with a distant and classical beauty that was hard to approach.
“Looks great!” Chi Ji smiled. “Let’s take another one!”
Suddenly, Bo Jue’s expression changed, and he looked behind Chi Ji. “Get out!”
Chi Ji turned around and saw Long Jia beckoning by the door.
He quickly checked the two older brothers and hurriedly put his phone back in his pocket. “I’ll go first!”
“Hey, Chi Ji—”
Long Jia closed the door behind him and whistled to himself.
Bo Jue reached out to push open the cage but found the latch was on the outside, and he couldn’t reach it.
In just a few seconds, the youth had approached.
He placed his fingertips on the latch and smiled elegantly.
“Teacher Xiao Bo, this cage suits you very well.”
Bo Jue furrowed his brows and looked at him. “Stop fooling around and open the door.”
“Give me a kiss.” Long Jia looked into his eyes. “Kiss me, and I’ll let you out.”
Bo Jue hadn’t been in a romantic relationship for over twenty years, and hearing this made his ears and face turn red.
“If you don’t open it, do you believe I’ll call Ren Ren to come and open it for me?”
Long Jia rested his forehead against the roses, a smile playing on his lips.
“You won’t open it, will you?” Bo Jue sternly said, “I brought my phone with me. Do you believe I’ll call Ren Ren to come and open it for me?”
—Once I’m out, you’re in big trouble.
Long Jia pressed his lips against the rose, his eyes filled with a mischievous glint.
“You look really good when you’re angry,” Long Jia said.
There was a moment of hesitation in Bo Jue’s heart, but it quickly retreated due to embarrassment. He wanted to scold Long Jia or ask what their relationship really was and why he had the right to kiss him. But all his thoughts were blocked by his thin skin.
He let out a soft whimper, curling up and sitting in the corner. His ink-black hair draped over him, making him look even more aggrieved.
Long Jia still had a smile on his face, but alarm bells were ringing in his mind. Oh no, he’s really mad now. Why does he get angry every time I tease him? Can’t he just play along and not get mad?
He reached out and unlocked the door, then blocked the cage door, and began negotiating with the Black Swan once again.
“Give me a hug,” Long Jia said, his voice lower this time. “I won’t let go if you don’t hug me.”
Bo Jue hesitated for a few seconds before whispering, “You can’t hug me for too long.”
Long Jia nodded and said, “Okay, I promise.”
He reached out and helped Bo Jue to his feet. The two of them hugged each other awkwardly at the edge of the cage, like children.
Bo Jue buried his face in Long Jia’s chest, and his eyes seemed filled with grievance.
Long Jia had been flustered earlier, completely ignoring the fact that he should have held Bo Jue’s hand. Now he suddenly realized and felt like his head was smoking.
Why is Teacher Xiao Bo’s hand so soft?
It’s like holding white jade…
He didn’t dare to touch Bo Jue’s knuckles or the back of his hand, he was too careful.
It’s a bit cold, I should warm it up a bit more.
Why is it so soft? I can’t even pinch it.
Bo Jue muttered softly, “Have you hugged enough?”
Long Jia hesitated for a moment and said in a low voice, “Can we hug a bit longer?”
“…Okay.”
They embraced each other for a long time by the window in the setting sun. Even though their cheeks were pressed against each other’s shoulders, and they couldn’t see each other’s expressions, they were both secretly smiling.
…So happy.
Huo Ren sat next to Xie Lianyun, holding a light meal box, and waited for Jia-ge to return for quite a while.
“Got your food,” Xie Lianyun pointed to a bright blue lunchbox. “Here.”
“Thanks.”
Long Jia sat across from Huo Ren, and as he received his lunchbox, he was humming a song.
“Feeling pleased with yourself?” Xie Lianyun focused on picking at his salad. “Did you succeed?”
Huo Ren was suddenly choked by the fruit and vegetable juice.
“No… we just hugged for a while.” Long Jia separated a piece of steak with his fork, looking at a tomato as he sighed. “His birthday is coming up, and I still haven’t kissed him.”
Huo Ren tried to keep his presence as low as possible, wondering if his brothers were teaching him how to date hand in hand.
“Why are you guys talking about this in front of the captain?!”
“Kiss him already, why are you waiting?” Xie Lianyun was clearly dissatisfied with today’s meal and continued to poke at his salad. “You should know his temper by now. Will it kill you to act first and apologize later?”
“I wanted to see him act spoiled,” Long Jia said, looking at him sideways. “It’s satisfying to bully him occasionally.”
Huo Ren tried his best to swallow the sweet potato balls and downed his water in one go, keeping his head down.
Xie Lianyun, uninterested in chatting with idiots, turned his head and chewed on his salad without saying a word.
“Oh, by the way,” Long Jia put down his fork and spoke seriously. “Xiao Bo’s hands are really soft.”
Xie Lianyun refused to engage in conversation with a fool and turned his head to chew on his greens in silence.
“Hack, hack, hack, hack…”
“Ren Ren, take your time to eat. What’s the rush…”
The reality show “Crown Dressing Room” aired as scheduled and received an excellent response.
The first contestant, before undergoing a transformation by amateurs, had an outdated and conservative appearance. However, as she stepped out of the dressing room after the makeover, her image underwent a dramatic change.
She suddenly seemed to come alive, as if she had been given a burst of color.
She didn’t have a model’s figure, but the roundness of her apple-shaped face was now cute and charming. With careful styling, her weaknesses were effectively concealed, and her strengths were amplified. The obsidian-like little jewelry pieces highlighted her fashion sense perfectly, and the silver crown-shaped earrings subtly hinted at the theme.
The show was a huge hit, but the comments seemed to have taken a strange turn.
After the first episode aired, the sales of the two beauty brands endorsed by Corona skyrocketed, and signature and limited edition products were even being hoarded and resold by scalpers.
What’s just a spokesperson advertisement? Their own idol personally trying on makeup and applying powder, showing how the product works on camera, that’s what really matters!
Compared to a short commercial clip of just a few seconds, the scenes of Huo Ren applying blush, Chi Ji trying lip color, and Xie Lianyun spraying perfume are the ones that truly capture people’s hearts!!
Sales were booming not only for the brand they endorsed but also for others in the same industry who were envious and eager to compete. Why doesn’t our own artist participate in this kind of interactive variety show? Unfair!
Meanwhile, the highly anticipated second episode of “Crown Prosecutor” started its live broadcast after nearly a month of suspense, leaving the audience eager for more. Just the private messages of submissions on the official account alone numbered nearly a million.
All sorts of rumors, both true and false, were thrown at them in various ways, and it became necessary to have a dedicated team to manage and compile the questions. The trailer was released only three days in advance, and various major advertisers also generously contributed to the lottery. By the time it started, there were already over three million viewers.
“Welcome to the June edition of the second season of ‘Crown Prosecutor’!”
“Based on the enthusiastic voting by the audience over the past month, the current top three bizarre Corona rumors are—”
Top 1: Huo Ren has a photographic memory and it’s all a performance for publicity.
Top 2: Bo Jue’s hair is actually a wig.
Top 3: Mei Shengyao is domineering and often gets into fights within the group.
Top 4: Xie Lianyun is secretly a hardcore internet addict and an extreme homebody.
Top 5: Long Jia is secretly engaged to a Dubai royal princess.
Xie Lianyun nearly choked on his water, and Mei Shengyao quickly patted his back.
“I—”
“One by one,” Huo Ren took responsibility for diverting attention. “Starting with the first one, is it about me?”
The male host pushed a cart full of books over.
“Which book should I start with?” Huo Ren bent down, picked up a book, and waved it in front of the live camera. “Shall I recite a sonnet for you?”
Meanwhile, Pei Ruoye stood in the shadows, watching the young man under the spotlight, his eyes filled with an indulgent smile.
He really liked this bold and proud Ren Ren.
The author has a message to share:
The next chapter will feature a lengthy group performance at a concert. If you’re not a fan of that, feel free to skip it.
Enjoy your reading! (Bows)
Wait, I need more of the Prosecutor show! Talk about your Princess Bride, Long-ge!