Idol Chapter 84

Huo Ren was quite quiet while soaking in the hot spring, but he secretly watched Pei Ruye. His gaze was restrained, and he sighed softly to himself.

But still, it would have been better to wear the coat…

When the six of them returned to the villa once again, they huddled together in the back row and whispered.

“I think we shouldn’t slack off too much; we should do strength training every day.”

“How about swimming ten kilometers tomorrow morning?”

Long Jia spoke with admiration, “Senior, you’re indeed a senior.”

Bo Jue whispered, “Your physique is already very good.”

Xie Lianyun quietly drank water, turning his head away.

Why did I even come along?

Huo Ren had a birthday on September 17th, and his schedule was packed. They visited a medieval town in the morning, took group photos in the royal garden in the afternoon, and attended an opera in the evening.

Mei Shengyao and Chi Ji were completely absorbed in the opera, while Xie Lianyun dozed off on the side.

At 9:30 in the evening, all activities were over, and the six of them, along with Assistant Zhang, went to the beach again to set off fireworks and splash in the water.

Huo Ren noticed that many of the fireworks boxes were neatly lined up. He casually asked, “Where did Teacher go?”

“He has a video conference later; he’s probably gone back to the study to work.” Assistant Zhang was still wearing the carrot necklace that Chi Ji had given her, and she smiled, “There are so many stars out tonight, and the moon is beautiful. Setting off fireworks must be wonderful.”

Huo Ren nodded, smiling as he said, “Thank you for your hard work.”

Suddenly, he felt a bit petulant, not wanting to see Pei Ruye leave because of work.

We only have a few hours left; can’t you stay with me a bit longer?

In the end, he didn’t say anything, just signaled to Assistant Zhang that she could start setting off the fireworks anytime without waiting any longer.

Everyone sat or stood by the beach chairs, watching several bright lights whizzing into the sky, breaking apart and igniting in the deep night, creating a magnificent and splendid display like countless shattered rainbows, scattering in all directions with a brilliant and resplendent glow.

It was indeed beautiful, like endless rainbows being shattered and ignited, accompanied by the brilliance of starlight spreading in all directions.

Bo Jue leaned against Long Jia, quietly watching, and suddenly Chi Ji lifted his camera and took a shot.

“Smile!”

Long Jia blinked, and in the instant the shutter clicked, he kissed Bo Jue on the lips.

They kissed under the shower of fireworks, their fingers intertwined.

Huo Ren sat not too far away, quietly sipping on his ice wine.

I shouldn’t be too greedy.

It’s his birthday, there was cake, gifts, a trip, and fireworks lighting up the entire night sky.

He should be happy right now.

Xie Lianyun took several photos with Chi Ji and the others. When he sat back down, he pushed up his glasses and felt that something was not right.

“Huo Huo,” he bent down and shook the amber wine bottle, “Did you finish the entire bottle?”

“…It’s a bit strong,” Huo Ren rubbed his temples, his voice hoarse, “But the taste is alright.”

“Did you check the alcohol content?” Xie Lianyun pushed his glasses up again, sensing that something was off with his mood, “Another twenty minutes, and you’ll turn into a puddle of slime if you keep this up.”

How could he be fine when he was cheerful when they went out in the afternoon, but now he seemed melancholic just watching fireworks?

Huo Ren couldn’t really express his longing to him, so he casually picked up another bottle and poured himself a glass.

Xie Lianyun added some ice cubes to his glass and listened to the fireworks bursting in the sky.

“It’s fine to drink a bit more on your birthday. I’m just worried that you won’t be happy.” Xie Lianyun raised an eyebrow, speaking calmly, “Today, let’s consider it as an early New Year’s Eve for us. It’s better than eating boxed meals backstage.”

In the distance, Chi Ji cheered and pulled someone to frolic in the waves.

“Boom! Bang!”

“Hong!”

Huo Ren swayed the ice cubes in his glass, looked up at the fireworks in the night sky, and a smile appeared on his face as he started singing.

He was slightly tipsy, and his singing was less restrained than usual, with a lazy tone that had an indescribable allure.

Xie Lianyun calmly listened for a while, then realized that his little brother’s singing sounded even better when he was drunk.

As a specialist in love songs, he expressed the ups and downs of his emotions, enhanced by the alcohol, and it was as if wings were sweeping across the hearts of those listening. It made his nose feel a bit sour.

Huo Ren didn’t drink much usually, and today, he was just enjoying the romantic atmosphere without someone he liked to accompany him. The alcohol helped to numb his defensive feelings, allowing him to get closer to his true emotions.

“Huo Ren,” Xie Lianyun lowered his voice, “What’s thirty-six times forty-two?”

The young man whispered, “I want some ice cubes, Yun-ge, can you give me some more?”

“You’re probably really drunk,” Xie Lianyun helped him up and signaled the others to continue playing, “Let’s go, we’ll head to the recording studio.”

“It’s rare to have this voice and this emotion! It would be a shame not to sing those few songs you wrote so well!”

Huo Ren walked steadily, but there was a hint of redness in the corners of his eyes.

He was feeling very unhappy right now.

Normally, whether he was happy or not, all his useless emotions were locked in a box, and they never had any impact on him.

But when the strong liquor poured in, the suppressed thoughts that had been pent up for so long all came out to play.

It was very annoying.

Xie Lianyun thought to himself that he was truly an emotionless devil. He had set up the monitoring headphones and other equipment with good intentions, signaling for Huo Ren to stand ready to sing.

The young man with red eyes looked at him.

“Yun-ge, am I drunk?”

“A little bit.”

Huo Ren sighed and let his reason slowly slip away.

His voice was hoarse, and sometimes he forgot the lyrics when singing, and his breath was intermittent, not particularly stable.

Xie Lianyun had a complicated expression as he listened.

So, what had Huo Ren been singing in the past?

When he sang with such emotional intensity, it made people’s hearts ache as if they had been secretly in love for thousands of years, and his emotions would be carried away along with the melody and soft hums. Taking a breath and sighing during the change of notes was simply a stroke of genius.

No wonder Teacher Zhong had repeatedly said that he lacked emotion when singing…

And now, he had emotion, but what was the point?

Wasn’t he on par with someone like Xiao Chi, who had a professional background?

Huo Ren listened to his second brother’s advice and sang all four songs, even adjusting the length of the notes according to the rhythm he was given.

Xie Lianyun thought that this album’s effect was simply amazing, and suddenly a familiar male voice came from behind.

“What are you recording?”

Pei Ruye also knew that the atmosphere during the fireworks display had become too ambiguous, so he had left early to go back to the study and watch from a distance.

They hadn’t even finished setting off a dozen boxes of fireworks, and the young master had already been carried away by his teammate, and his walking gait was all off.

Xie Lianyun quickly stepped aside and said, “Teacher, I just finished recording here.”

“Xiao Chi and the others are still waiting for me, could you please take him back to his room on your way?”

Pei Ruye remained silent.

Behind them came the sharp sound of a door closing.

Xie Lianyun rushed downstairs at a sprinter’s speed, thinking that it was fortunate that Ren Ren lived on the third floor while everyone else was on the second floor, so they probably wouldn’t run into each other.

Little brother, oh, I did my best.

That idiot Long Jia only knows how to go fishing, and I brought you along as bait to lure someone and recorded a CD in the process… I truly am a genius.

Huo Ren slowly sang half of the love song, feeling like he was about to lose his balance as he leaned against the wall.

No, this is bad, I’m so tired, I can’t even keep my eyes open.

He slid down the wall, feeling himself about to fall before being caught steadily.

Then, he was cradled in someone’s arms.

Wait a minute… When did Yun-ge become so tall?

He can actually carry me like this.

Huo Ren nestled in the man’s arms, and it took a while for his language system to restart, as his eyes were now too heavy to keep open.

He didn’t want to trouble the other person, but he really felt his limbs going heavy, and he didn’t even have the strength to move his arms.

“Yun-ge,” he whispered softly, “Did you figure it out again?”

“You’ve always been like this, seeing everything.”

Pei Ruye carried the young man back and didn’t say much.

Why is he so light? Maybe I should take better care of his stomach.

Huo Ren thought that Yun-ge had tacitly approved his question and continued softly, “I really like Teacher.”

“Teacher is so wonderful.”

“Why can’t I pursue him?”

The young man’s voice was soft and heavy, tinged with a hint of frustration.

Pei Ruye stopped in his tracks.

“Why is Teacher so great…”

Huo Ren’s voice grew softer, and there was a touch of reluctance in it.

Pei Ruye remained silent for a while, afraid that he might suddenly wake up. He waited quietly for a few seconds before continuing to walk back.

He always used dependence to deny the relationship between them, preferring to believe that he was the only one addicted to sinking.

But that feeble defense had just been easily dismantled.

“Teacher is so wonderful…”

Huo Ren could sense from their movement that they were heading back to his room, and he relaxed a bit, burying his face in Pei Ruye’s neck.

The voice was close to his ear, and the trailing notes carried a deep sadness.

“He doesn’t even know how much I like him,” Huo Ren said, his voice filled with sorrow.

“What am I going to do if he gets married to someone else in the future?”

Pei Ruye gently stroked his face as he sat on the edge of the bed, unsure of how to love him at this moment.

“Have you ever seen Teacher playing the piano?” Huo Ren held onto his arm, curling up like a white wolf tucking its tail.

“When he dances, isn’t he… incredibly sexy?”

Pei Ruye helped smooth out the furrowed brows, whispering softly, “You’ve had too much to drink.”

Huo Ren slept for a while, cradling Pei Ru’s arm, and then woke up again, his eyes still heavy with sleep.

He continued to speak, his words disjointed.

“No, I can’t date Teacher,” the young man sighed deeply, “This industry is too chaotic.”

“Stalkers, jealous fans, paparazzi, and online hate… I can’t bring trouble to Teacher.”

As the saying goes, alcohol emboldens the timid. Huo Ren wasn’t timid, but he was acutely aware of the consequences of being impulsive. Right now, his defenses and self-control had been stripped away by alcohol, and many words that had been suppressed in his heart were pouring out involuntarily.

He talked about how much he missed Teacher when resting in the Long Family Manor, how he had typed Teacher’s phone number several times but couldn’t bring himself to call, and how he was afraid of talking in his sleep and having his teammates hear.

He talked about how Teacher always wore a four-leaf clover pendant and deer antler earrings before every concert, how it made him feel calm and content inside.

He talked about how bad he used to be at dancing, only daring to learn from the back of the group, and how even a single word of praise could make his day.

The young man’s feelings were simple and pure, like the first snowfall of winter.

Delicate and soft, as if it could dissipate and melt away when held against the warm chest.

Pei Ruye took deep breaths to control his emotions. He had already wanted to give his heart to him entirely; he couldn’t bear to hear these timid confessions of love.

In the past, he had been accustomed to fighting his own battles, and his soul and dreams had been filled with endless desolation.

But now, everything was like a wildfire suddenly ignited in the middle of the night.

Dark and intense, repressed yet indulgent, contradictions continued to entwine without ceasing.

He was his teacher, and he couldn’t afford to make a mistake.

Love required restraint.

It must be restrained.

Having a good time was one thing, but if the floodgates were opened for a romantic relationship, the cracks and vulnerabilities would only grow.

One wrong move and Huo Ren would be completely overwhelmed by his tens of millions of fanatical fans.

If one person collapsed, the entire boy group would follow suit, and it would be difficult to recover.

Pei Ruye had enough capital now; he could easily create another boy group for SPF. But for Huo Ren, Corona was his true home.

It was the core source of his sense of belonging and security.

The young man didn’t know what the person beside him was thinking.

His voice also became muddled, sounding like a little animal murmuring.

And then, he grumbled softly.

“Jue-ge and the others have kissed so many times.”

“I haven’t even once.”

Pei Ruye held his right hand, bending down to gently kiss the back of it.

Huo Ren’s dissatisfaction had all but dissipated, and he quickly drifted off to sleep, with one hand still held in the air.

He felt much better.

The pressure that the boy group had to face was simply too much. As the captain, he couldn’t easily show weakness and hesitation. He had to remain alert and resolute at all times.

No crying, no showing vulnerability.

This tipsy confession was more like a way for him to release all the suppressed emotions.

Pei Ruye smoothed his soft, messy hair, sitting alone for a long time before finally letting go of his hand, tucking him in with the blanket and pillow, and then getting up to take a warm towel to gently wipe his face.

Before leaving, he closed the curtains and prepared a cup of honey water at the bedside.

He listened to his even breathing repeatedly in the dimness, and his own heartbeat became slow and devout.

Then, with a farewell-like gesture, he stood up and finally walked to the room’s door.

The time stopped at 11:59.

The man took a deep breath for two seconds, then turned and walked back.

Then he bent down and lightly kissed his lips.

In the last second before midnight, their breaths intertwined, and their lips brushed lightly.

The rich scent of white roses met the sharp aroma of gin once again.

“Happy birthday,” he whispered.

I owe you a kiss, and I’ll repay it slowly in the future.

 

-2-

When Huo Ren woke up, he had a pounding headache that felt like a screwdriver was being twisted inside his head.

“Ugh…”

He reached out to hold his head, but his hand was strangely numb, and any movement only intensified the pain.

There was a crowd gathered around his bed.

“Ren Ren’s awake!”

“Shh, be quiet. People with hangovers are easily disturbed.”

“Xiao Bo-ge, how do you know about these things?”

It took Huo Ren nearly three minutes to open both of his eyes fully, and he found his older and younger brothers all gathered around him.

“Ren… Ren,” Chi Ji cautiously said, “The honey water has gone cold. Would you like to start by drinking some warm water?”

“Yesterday, I…” Huo Ren allowed Bo Jue to help him sit up, lowering his head to smell his own sleeve, “How much did I drink yesterday?”

Bo Jue had seen that he was already asleep last night and, to avoid waking him up, had only helped wipe his face.

“A bottle and a half of Bols,” Xie Lianyun said, looking at his clothes with a complex expression, “You didn’t even change your pajamas before going to sleep.”

Could it be that he had guessed wrong? It wasn’t a double arrow after all?

Unrequited love was so exhausting… He needed to take better care of his little brother in the future.

For the first time in his life, Huo Ren experienced a blackout last night. Besides the fireworks, he couldn’t remember anything else.

He looked embarrassed as he went to take a shower, changed into clean clothes, and came out. Once again, his teammates surrounded him, helping him dry his hair and handing him wet towels.

“Sorry, sorry,” Huo Ren said softly, “I must have caused you all trouble.”

“No,” Bo Jue replied calmly, “Xie Xie carried you back.”

“Actually, I carried him to the recording studio,” Xie Lianyun quickly confessed, “When he was drunk, he sang with so much emotion, I couldn’t resist…”

“Xie Lianyun, are you even human? How could you do something like this to him when he’s drunk?”

Xie Lianyun had brought a laptop with him, showing a genuine sense of repentance.

In the spirit of “honesty is the best policy,” it was better to hand over all the evidence of the “crime.” First, listen to Huo Ren’s attitude before deciding whether to destroy it.

This kind of opportunity doesn’t come twice, and it’s not possible to forcefully make someone drink and record again in the future.

He turned on the Bluetooth speaker and played the songs Huo Ren sang last night for everyone to listen to.

Indeed, they were both innocent and seductive, occasionally accompanied by a sigh, incredibly alluring.

The key was that the emotional expression was on point, capable of completely stirring up empathy and various memories in the listeners.

Long Jia looked bewildered. “Is this really Huo Huo singing?”

“Right?” Xie Lianyun said in puzzlement. “If you compare it to before and after, he usually sings without any emotion, just following the melody.”

It’s not that it sounded bad, but the infectiousness and unique qualities of his voice hadn’t been pushed to the extreme. It was far from being this impressive.

Chi Ji said in amazement, “The difference is too great… Huo Huo, can you sing it again now?”

—Absolutely not.

Bo Jue, after listening three times, wondered, “Is alcohol like a magical switch that can unlock something in him?”

Long Jia immediately got up. “Should I bring another bottle?”

“Sit down!”

“It’s recorded now,” Huo Ren rubbed his temples. “I was afraid I wouldn’t find the right pitch.”

Listening to it himself, he found it very unfamiliar, no wonder Teacher Zhong had always said he had no emotions in his singing before.

“But I have something to do, so I’ll leave first,” Xie Lianyun tried to inquire further, “Afterward, it was Boss Pei who brought you back.”

Huo Ren’s movements suddenly stopped, and he repeated, “Boss… Pei…?”

He was already embarrassed enough for getting drunk, and now, did he get carried back by his teacher?

Did he go crazy or something?

“Didn’t you have a photographic memory…” Xie Lianyun scrutinized his clean and unmarked neck, “Did you say anything to Boss Pei last night?”

Huo Ren was trying hard to replay his memories.

Reading error, memory blank.

“Drinking leads to trouble,” he murmured. “I regret it so much; I shouldn’t have acted recklessly.”

Xie Lianyun patted his shoulder and said earnestly, “It’s okay, there will be another chance in the future.”

Huo Ren: …?

Boss Pei had been in meetings all morning, and lunch was delivered to his study by the servants. He didn’t show up at all.

Huo Ren didn’t know if he was genuinely busy or politely avoiding him.

After waking up from his hangover, Huo Ren tried to piece together his memories, but his mind was a mess.

He vaguely remembered that he had said a lot of things, but he had no idea if the sounds that came out of his mouth were coherent words or just incoherent mumbling.

Oh no, teacher must think he’s so foolish.

He anxiously waited until the afternoon and mustered up the courage to go to the study.

Assistant Zhang happened to be delivering some documents and greeted him with a friendly smile.

Huo Ren nervously asked for information, “How’s the teacher’s mood today?”

“He doesn’t show much emotion, probably too busy,” Assistant Zhang replied.

“Did I vomit all over him yesterday?”

“I don’t think so?”

Assistant Zhang cheerfully handed over the documents, “I won’t intrude. You can chat in peace.”

The door was knocked three times.

Pei Ruye, who had been focused on editing project documents, briefly said, “Just leave the documents outside.”

But the door handle was slowly turned, followed by hesitant footsteps.

Huo Ren usually exuded a strong idol presence, but now he knew he had made a mistake, so he stood in front of his teacher looking unusually docile.

“Teacher…”

Pei Ruye hadn’t expected that Assistant Zhang would open the door for him, so he wasn’t quite sure about the situation.

…Did he remember everything?

If he asked about the meaning of that kiss later, how should he explain it?

Deny it? Admit it? Or just kiss him again and forget about everything else for now?

Seeing that his teacher remained silent for a long time, Huo Ren felt extremely anxious.

Then he began to offer a middle school-style self-critique.

“Teacher, I drank until I blacked out yesterday, and I must have caused you a lot of trouble.”

“I absolutely won’t do this again in the future, please don’t be angry.”

Pei Ruye was relieved, but for some reason, last night kept replaying in his mind.

They returned to their polite teacher-student dynamic as if nothing had happened.

The Huo Ren from last night felt so real.

There was dissatisfaction, complaints, the cuteness of a young person, and the restlessness of an adult.

It was as if he had suddenly broken free from the perfect idol’s shell, becoming lively and cheerful.

It made him feel that rewarding him with just one kiss was not enough.

As they conversed, it felt like they had reverted back to their usual formal interactions, as if nothing extraordinary had occurred.

Huo Ren was getting anxious.

What happened? I’ve made minor mistakes before, but it has never been like this.

What did I do yesterday? Did I force a kiss on him?

“You can go back,” Pei Ruye said in a composed tone, “It’s okay.”

Oh no. Something is wrong.

Huo Ren’s heart raced. He couldn’t just leave like this.

“Teacher,” he asked, “Did I do something very impolite yesterday?”

Pei Ruye finally stopped his work and held a pen in his hand for a while without speaking.

You kept saying how much you liked me yesterday.

Then you complained about how everyone else has kissed, but you haven’t.

You were even worried about what would happen if I got married, how much dowry you should give.

“Huo Ren,” he decided to lie, “You did drink quite a bit yesterday, and you were mumbling like a little animal.”

“It’s good that you realize your mistake. It was your birthday, and the environment was safe. Just be more careful in the future.”

Huo Ren scrutinized his teacher’s expression.

No, something is not right.

Since when has teacher become so calm and understanding? There’s definitely something going on.

Afraid that asking too many questions would backfire, Huo Ren decided to bow as a gesture of sincerity.

“Teacher, I’m very grateful to you for bringing us here for a vacation.”

“Teacher, your usual work is so demanding. Please take care of your health; overworking is not good for your well-being.”

“I won’t disturb you…”

Huo Ren said a series of words, which actually made Pei Ruye feel annoyed.

Just last night, they were holding hands and professing their affection, and today, he was speaking with such formalities, like he was delivering flowers to a nursing home?

“I’m, only, twenty, five, years old.”

“Huh?”

Pei Ruye walked over to him, his tone complicated.

“You praised me for being very sexy.”

Huo Ren thought to himself, blushing and nodding in acknowledgment.

“Well… it’s just that… Teacher, you look really good in a suit today, especially your shoulder line.”

Pei Ruye, unexpectedly complimented, instantly improved his mood, and a smile played at the corners of his lips.

He walked him to the door, casually adjusting his tie knot, and responded casually.

“It’s nothing special, really.”