No matter how fiercely things were raging online, the fan meeting still proceeded as scheduled.
The venue this time was a small hall that could only hold about a hundred people. The seats were arranged like cinema-style sofas, allowing fans to sit comfortably while listening to songs. Each seat also had water and small gifts as fan appreciation.
At seven in the evening, the fan meeting officially began.
Because it was not a concert, Xu Tang dressed casually—a loose T-shirt and ripped jeans, youthful yet still stylish.
The moment Xu Tang appeared, it triggered screams from the fans. While everyone’s attention was focused on the stage, one person was arranged by Kang Duo to sit in the very corner—not anyone else, but Zong Xuan.
After that WeChat exchange, he had contacted Wen Hui. At first, he wanted to ask her about Xu Tang’s recent activities, and also to prepare in case anything happened during an event, since the online conflict was still ongoing, so he could respond immediately. But he found out Xu Tang only had this fan meeting recently, nothing else. After thinking it over, he asked Wen Hui to contact Kang Duo to arrange a seat for him so he could come and watch.
Kang Duo was surprised when Wen Hui asked for a seat—had the sun risen in the west? Was Movie Emperor Zong turning into a little fanboy?
But no matter what she thought, since the Movie Emperor had spoken, even if she had to add a seat, she would make space for him. However, she did not tell Xu Tang, worried it would make him nervous and affect his performance—after all, as a fanboy, Zong Xuan had quite a big influence on Xu Tang. Others might not know this, but she knew very well.
Xu Tang first greeted everyone, then chatted a bit, slowly warming up the atmosphere.
“Are there any male fans today?” Xu Tang looked around and felt like it was mostly girls.
“There are!” a girl immediately responded, pointing at the boy beside her.
A few other boys also responded.
Coincidentally, the boy pointed out by the girl was relatively close to him, so Xu Tang walked over and crouched down, saying, “My male fans should be quite few. Come on, let’s shake hands.”
The female fans immediately erupted in envious screams. The boy turned red, excitedly reaching out to shake Xu Tang’s hand.
Xu Tang smiled at him. His hand, which should have been released quickly, remained held a bit longer because of the boy’s nervousness. Xu Tang did not rush him.
After a while, the boy finally mustered the courage to say, “I really like you. Keep going!”
Xu Tang smiled deeper. “Okay, I will work hard.”
Only then did the boy let go, eyes shining as he looked at him.
At that moment, a boy from the back shouted, “Xu Tang, I love you!”
Xu Tang did not know exactly who it was, but still replied, “I love you all too.”
……
Zong Xuan watched Xu Tang on stage shaking hands, shouting “love you” and casually charming everyone, completely ignoring him. He felt a bit unhappy.
But he had to admit Xu Tang looked dazzling when relaxed on stage; even he could not help but want to watch a little longer. Still, he needed to make this little thing understand—they were not divorced yet, which meant Xu Tang’s ownership still belonged to him.
After the atmosphere warmed up, Xu Tang began the singing portion.
He prepared six songs, enough to fill the forty-minute session.
Zong Xuan knew almost nothing about music; his judgment was only whether something sounded good or not. But today, he was drawn into Xu Tang’s voice.
Xu Tang’s voice had strong recognizability, wide range, and a unique style. Even live, there were no flaws, and he unconsciously became immersed—this was probably what people meant by “crushing covers.”
Zong Xuan touched his chin and suddenly thought: I wonder if Xu Tang’s voice in bed also sounds this good?
For the final song, Xu Tang sang the ancient-style piece he had rearranged for Yu Lun.
The fans clearly did not expect a cover, but when the flute sounded, everyone got excited. As loyal fans, they had watched that competition and were familiar with this accompaniment. Hearing the original version live made them even more excited.
When Xu Tang’s singing began, the fans fell silent, fully immersed. It was as if everyone had become classical scholars, calmly experiencing the atmosphere.
When it reached the chorus, they suddenly “woke up,” waving glow sticks and screaming wildly, their emotions becoming part of the accompaniment.
When the final note ended, the excitement reached its peak.
The performance was quickly uploaded online, as fans eagerly shared the surprise with those who could not attend. Of course, some did it specifically to slap Yu Lun in the face.
After the last song, Xu Tang did not leave immediately but chatted with fans for a while. When the excitement calmed slightly, he ended the fan meeting.
The stage lights dimmed and audience lights turned on for exit. At that moment, fans near Zong Xuan noticed him and almost screamed, but he made a “shh” gesture, stopping them.
He smiled and left with Yuan Shang to the backstage.
Someone quick managed to take a side photo of him and posted online, saying she had been silently fed dog food and surprisingly did not want to refuse it.
When Zong Xuan arrived backstage, he asked Yuan Shang to take him to the lounge.
Inside, Xu Tang was lying on the sofa with eyes closed, resting.
Thinking it was Yuan Shang bringing water, Xu Tang said without opening his eyes, “Put it on the table, I’ll drink it later.”
Zong Xuan smiled, closed the door, walked over, and knelt on one knee on the sofa, hands on either side of Xu Tang, leaning closer.
Xu Tang immediately sensed something wrong, opened his eyes, and froze when he saw Zong Xuan right in front of him.
Zong Xuan smiled. “Your guard is too low.”
Xu Tang came back to himself, not daring to move. “W-why are you here?”
“To attend your fan meeting,” Zong Xuan said, still in that position. “If I didn’t come, how would I know you like shaking hands with male fans? Or how would I know you’re so generous?”
Xu Tang’s face reddened slightly. “Isn’t that normal? Better than randomly holding girls’ hands.”
“I don’t think so.” After all, he was a man—and Xu Tang’s legal partner.
Xu Tang felt he could not stay like this. Zong Xuan was too close; he was almost reacting physically. He pushed himself up with one hand and pressed against Zong Xuan with the other, trying to move him away.
But Zong Xuan did not step back; instead, Xu Tang ended up even closer. Now neither lying back nor leaning in worked, leaving him awkwardly stuck.
Zong Xuan did not care about his stiffness. He actually quite liked this distance—it made him want to kiss him. But he restrained himself; their relationship did not allow such direct action.
Kang Duo opened the door looking for Zong Xuan and immediately froze at the sight, quickly retreating and closing the door.
“…What is this situation? This is not what I expected.”
Now Xu Tang was even more embarrassed. Kang Duo knew about their relationship; she would definitely question him later.
Zong Xuan smiled, supported Xu Tang’s back, and helped him sit up.
“I’ll take you home later,” Zong Xuan said.
“No need, Kang-jie will send me,” Xu Tang replied.
Zong Xuan looked at him without speaking.
After a moment, Xu Tang gave in.
After most fans left, Kang Duo arranged for them to leave. She glanced meaningfully at Xu Tang but said nothing.
At the car downstairs, Xu Tang unbuckled his seatbelt. “Thanks, I’ll go up first.”
“Aren’t you going to invite me up?” Zong Xuan asked.
Xu Tang said nothing, just looked at him quietly. He did not want Zong Xuan to leave traces in his home; otherwise he would keep thinking about him.
Zong Xuan smiled and did not force it. “Next week my mother is holding a birthday banquet. Come with me.”
“I understand. I’ll prepare a gift.”
Zong Xuan nodded. “I’ll pick you up then.”
“Okay.”
After Xu Tang went upstairs, Zong Xuan drove off. He planned to open a bottle of red wine at night and watch one of Xu Tang’s performances. Today’s small fan meeting left him wanting more.
After fans uploaded the video online, the original version of the song quickly spread. Public sympathy for Yu Lun disappeared.
Most viewers could not explain technical details, but they could tell which version sounded better. Compared to Xu Tang’s performance, Yu Lun’s so-called “sticking to himself” was simply self-sabotage.
Yu Lun’s fans split—some went silent, others accused Xu Tang of manipulation, claiming the version was altered to deliberately destroy Yu Lun.
But Kang Duo had already prepared. Around ten o’clock, as Xu Tang’s manager, she released full rehearsal footage and discussion recordings involving Xu Tang, Shen Jiajia, and Yu Lun.
This was originally recorded as a precaution, and now it proved useful.
This time, Tang fans became even more justified, overwhelming Yu Lun’s side.
Half an hour later, the original singer of the ancient-style song reposted Kang Duo’s Weibo:
【This is the best version I have ever heard. I hope I have a chance to collaborate with Xu Tang.】