Hearing these words, Fang Juexia felt a sudden pang of emotion.
Born with a birthmark, he had heard countless embellished legends about it—that it was a mark from heaven, that loved ones or partners from past lives would remember him no matter what form he took when reincarnated. But Fang Juexia was a thoroughgoing atheist, a man who had believed in science since childhood. To him, such talk was nothing but superstitious legend.
Life itself was unpredictable enough—how could one possibly pin hopes on some afterlife?
Moreover, he had once loathed this flawed mark that had cost him his stage dreams.
Yet his naive and stubborn lover, even without a natural mark, insisted on carving one to match his birthmark. This stubborn determination to force things through, no matter what, was truly Pei Tingsong’s character.
Yet recalling his earlier words, Fang Juexia couldn’t help but smile. He extended hisindex finger, mimicking Pei Tingsong’s familiar gesture, and lifted his chin. “What nonsense are you spouting? Your appearance is anything but ordinary.”
Pei Tingsong chuckled in response. “Opposites are relative. In this regard, I’m quite content to be second to you.”
Knowing he couldn’t win an argument with this guy, he could only chuckle. “Anyway, you’re the master of sophistry.” Fang Juexia lowered his head and let his hand fall, his fingertips gently tracing the ‘scar’ along his wrist crease. “Did it hurt more when I bit you, or when you got the tattoo?”
Without hesitation, Pei Tingsong replied, “Neither hurt.”
“You’re lying.” Fang Juexia looked up at him with the same gaze he’d used when accusing him of saving him on stage. “The skin here is so thin, it must have hurt.”
“Relax, the scabs are all gone. I don’t feel a thing.” Pei Tingsong even deliberately rubbed the spot to prove he really wasn’t in pain.
“Then how do you explain this?” Fang Juexia asked. “Qiang Ge and the media will definitely ask.”
Pei Tingsong shrugged. “Just say I wanted it. Who can stop me?”
He really was fearless, not a bit changed. Fang Juexia stared at the scar, recalling that drunken night he’d spent with Pei Tingsong. Though he had little memory of it, judging by his drinking capacity and behavior, the young master must have suffered quite a bit that night.
But Pei Tingsong’s behavior when drunk wasn’t much better either. Hadn’t he gone to great lengths to take care of him? Fang Juexia mentally rebutted himself.
Thinking of something, Fang Juexia lifted his head, touched his own Adam’s apple, then leaned close to his ear. “Shouldn’t I get one here too? This is where you bit me.”
“No way.” Pei Tingsong immediately pulled his hand away. He certainly didn’t want his treasure running off to get a tattoo—the thought of needles piercing his skin made his heart ache. “The birthmark at the corner of your eye is enough. That’s the most special one.”
The awards ceremony livestream didn’t wrap up until nearly 11 p.m., but this major music event, watched by the entire nation, had already sparked heated discussions across the internet. Many influential Weibo users were live-tweeting the award results as they happened.
Originally, the three most anticipated awards at the BMA ceremony were Male Artist of the Year, Female Artist of the Year, and Group of the Year. The group category typically went to bands, making it seem more niche. But this time, the group award went to a popular boy band, generating immense buzz. Kaleido once again trended on social media.
[@Can I Borrow Your Lighter?: A boy group getting four nominations and two wins at the BMAs is seriously impressive.]
[@You’re Beautiful: When Kaleido got nominated for Best Group, I bet my friends it would win. With two smash albums under their belt, no solo artist could compete like that. Rising to stardom and topping charts within a year—Kaleido is truly destined for greatness.]
[@Thinking About Eating Peaches: The BMAs are really going downhill…]
[@456 Follow Me Reply to @Thinking About Eating Peaches: Change your profile pic before criticizing the BMAs. After all, your idol will never get nominated for awards like this in their lifetime.]
[@GoldfishBrainIsHopeless replies to @ThinkingAboutPeaches: I think they totally deserve it. They had over a dozen live performances, and K-pop groups are definitely top-tier. Plus, the bands nominated alongside them were just okay. Oh, if you’re a niche fanatic, forget I said anything. But your avatar looks like an idol too—why make things hard for your own people?]
[@Zi Fei Yu: Pei Tingsong’s acceptance speech was seriously impressive—proud but not arrogant, casual yet articulate. No wonder he writes so many great lyrics. P University really does produce geniuses who outshine their peers.]
[@WWW replies to @Zi Fei Yu: Exactly! Fang Juexia’s acceptance speech was also incredibly polished—not at all improvised. Both of them feel like idols with genuine depth of thought, which is rare. Maybe because they both went to university? [dog head emoji]]
[@Lilychou: I thought “Bai Ya” could’ve snagged Album of the Year, but it seems they balanced things out. After all, in other music platforms’ year-end polls, the Song of the Year was either “Break the Array” or “Night Walk.” How could anyone else compete?]
[@Smarui: They’ve reached god-tier status! Winning Best Album instantly puts them in a different league from other groups. I’m so jealous of their fans!]
[@Dudu Laugh: Should I admit I’m now a fan because of that crybaby… He’s just so adorable]
[@IsItWrongToLikeHandsomeGuys: I’ve noticed this group is actually pretty good-looking, and they’ve got real talent]
[@We’reIncompatibleThanks: Star Map might be small, but at least they take music seriously and have good taste in artists. They don’t go down that short-sighted, capitalistic route. Seeing a boy band that genuinely focuses on creation is kind of heartening. At least not everyone is chasing views over quality. Hope more teams like this emerge—don’t let original music die out, okay?]
While everyone was discussing Kaleido winning Best Group and Best Lyrics at the BMAs, CP shippers were busy slamming their cabinets shut. The award ceremony was overflowing with Bae Hee-sung and Fang Juexia’s sweet moments. That iconic shot when Bae Hee-sung won alone hooked tons of new fans.
[PTS and FJX are so perfect together!] [Are they actually dating? This vibe is way too real!] [Holy crap, I’m hooked. This is like a “heavenly prince x stunning wife” setup—so real, so real!] Comments like these kept flooding in, growing more intense by the minute. At first, the Hearing Girls were smug, but soon panic set in. They started doubting themselves, questioning their very existence.
But this particular event was just too red-hot. Even major entertainment influencers made sweet moments compilations, leading the charge in shipping them. This forced the CP fans to go around shutting the closet doors for these two completely oblivious main characters.
[@JustSweetenItFast: Today’s BMAs were absolutely spectacular. I finally get why the Tingjue CP is so popular. Check out this compilation—it’s insane. P1 is the chin-grip during the performance—you HAVE to watch the video! P2 is the official camera shot! And it’s the shot announcing Bae Hee-sung’s win—they caught him placing his hand on his chest [faints]. P3 is Bae Hee-sung mentioning Fang Juexia after winning. The next few shots are Bae Hee-sung and Fang Juexia whispering madly in the audience, with Fang Juexia even rubbing his index finger against Bae Hee-sung’s hand. (this slow-motion GIF is way too hot). Thanks to Xingtu, thanks to the fan club—never been this into a CP before. Today I’m diving headfirst into this fandom, instantly deafened!]
[@GrapevineScenery: Honestly, it’s just deep collegial affection between them.]
[@DeafGirlToday: Um, it’s all just stage design. Stage design.]
[@Permanent Deafness: It’s just choreography, blame it all on Teacher Yuan! (Sorry, Teacher Yuan)]
[@Obsessing Over Hearing Is Obsessing Over Brotherhood: The lyrics are just Grapevine’s signature brutal style, don’t take it seriously…]
[@SSSStkl: This comment lololol, are all Hearing Girls this timid?]
[@AuditoryIllusion: This group’s most mind-bending thing is how every pair looks so genuine, but it’s all just business. We all know it’s just brotherly affection.]
[@StillNoRedBeanIceToday: Fang Juexia’s gaze in that P6 shot is seriously… Even regular male friends wouldn’t look at each other like that. Way too intense.]
[@HasYourHearingReturned Replies @NoRedBeanIceToday: No no no, Brother Juexia looks at dogs like that too. Plus the venue was so dark, he’s basically blind (just kidding)]
While the Hearing Girl nervously shipped the couple on Weibo, hiding behind the closet door, Kaleido finally went live after a long hiatus—after all, December 25th marked their third-anniversary debut celebration.
The six members headed straight to Cheng Qiang’s new place after wrapping up their schedule. Instead of helping with the move, they ordered a mountain of late-night snacks and streamed live from the floor of Cheng Qiang’s brand-new apartment—so new it didn’t even have a sofa yet. Though unexpected, the stream lagged horribly the moment it went live.
“This lag is insane,” Ling Yi tapped his foot impatiently, nudging Lu Yuan to hand him the fried chicken wings box. “With this crowd, I might as well grab a wing first.” He pulled out a steaming drumstick, and just as he popped it into his mouth, the stream suddenly smoothed out.
Lu Yuan clapped his hands and aimed the camera at Ling Yi. “Alright, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the first act of the Carleido Live Stream: The Great Chicken Bone Challenge! Friends, Ling Yi has now stuffed the wing into his mouth. Let’s see how he turns the tables and spits out a perfectly intact chicken bone…”
Before he could finish, Ling Yi punched and kicked his way to snatch the phone from Lu Yuan’s hands and thrust it toward Fang Juexia. Fang Juexia, who had been watching the drama unfold, suddenly found a phone shoved in his face. His bare-faced beauty was captured by the camera amidst the teammates’ scuffle.
[Ahhhhh Juexia Brother is so gorgeous!]
[OMG this bare-faced look is unreal! That little birthmark is seriously adorable]
[Why screenshot?! You’re frozen!]
[Mommy I saw an angel wuwuwuwuwu]
“Ling Yi, don’t drag him into the fray.”
[Ahhhhh it’s Grapevine’s voice!]
[That line is way too spoiled!]
[Grapevine is actually wearing that ‘Melting for You’ hoodie! It’s the one he wore during his first livestream after moving back to the dorm! And it’s Juexia’s!]
[When an auditory girl eats herself to 200 pounds, not a single grape is innocent]
In the end, Pei Tingsong took the phone and handed it to Jiang Miao. The captain set up the tripod, aimed it at the six of them, and said, “Say hello to your fans.”
“Mmm—” Ling Yi quickly turned his head away from the camera, finished spitting out the bones, and said, “All done.”
Only then did the six formally deliver their opening line: “Hello everyone, we are Kaleido!”
After finishing, everyone clapped enthusiastically. He Ziyan glanced up at Zhong. “By the way, it’s less than an hour and a half until our debut anniversary.”
Jiang Miao nodded. “Right. So we’ll probably stream for about an hour and a half. Staying up too late isn’t good for everyone’s health.”
[No worries, I’m already bald anyway!!!]
[Congrats on the award, guys! Happy 3rd anniversary!]
“Oh yeah,” Lu Yuan suddenly remembered. “Today’s our third anniversary. I should’ve mentioned it in my acceptance speech.” He then pretended to choke himself with a Coke bottle, adopting a sentimental tone. “Actually, today marks Kaleido’s third anniversary since our debut. Receiving recognition on such a special day means the world to us.”
Pei Tingsong kicked him, sending Lu Yuan flying off-screen. “You’re so fake.”
[hahahaha Group Leader Kicks Member Online]
[Fake Roundy Kicked Out of Group Chat Hahahaha]
He Ziyan suddenly spoke with solemn gravity, “Time flies. Three years have passed in the blink of an eye. Remember when Little Pei first joined…” He raised his hand to demonstrate, “He was only this tall.”
Pei Tingsong was thoroughly unimpressed with the measurement. “Am I a potted plant or something?” No sooner had he spoken than Fang Juexia, seemingly out of nowhere, turned his head to glance at Ling Yi.
Ling Yi immediately snapped, “Who are you calling a potted plant?!”
[HAHAHAHAHA!]
[I opened the crosstalk livestream again]
[HAHAHAHAHA Teacher Fang’s head-turn was so spot-on!]
Jiang Miao hurriedly reassured Ling Yi, “We’re way taller than any potted plant.”
“Exactly.” Ling Yi angrily took a bite of fried chicken.
[Hahahaha Is that even a nice thing to say, dash??]
“Let’s get serious.” Jiang Miao returned to the topic. “First, Merry Christmas to all the Dominos! I wonder if you’ve all received your Christmas gifts yet.”
The chat exploded with “No way!” and demands for gifts. Jiang Miao smiled and called out to Fang Juexia, “Juexia, give us a gift!”
Fang Juexia was happily sipping almond milk when suddenly asked to give a gift. He nearly choked, fumbling around his body in a daze. “My… where’s my phone?”
Pei Tingsong looked puzzled. “What do you need your phone for?”
“To send red envelopes,” Fang Juexia replied with deadpan seriousness.
[HAHAHAHA Brother Juexia is just too honest]
[Domino’s dark secret—begging his own brother for money on a holiday]
Pei Tingsong couldn’t help but laugh too, resisting the urge to pinch his cheeks on camera. “Sing us a Christmas carol.”
“Right. This is Qiangge’s spare phone. Use his to send the red envelopes.”
[Hahahaha Qiangge: ???]
Fang Juexia sat cross-legged on the floor and formally sang “Jingle Bells” for the fans. Ling Yi provided backing vocals beside him. Though brief, the two lead singers’ a cappella performance was already enchanting.
[Earthly Fairy Fang Juexia! Earthly Peacock Ling Yi!]
“Oh, please don’t bring up the peacock thing!”
[Hahahaha!]
Lu Yuan teased him further, “Everyone, type ‘peacock’ on the main chat!” Only after Ling Yi delivered a series of playful punches did he finally beg for mercy.
[My account is so broke. Even after winning the BMA, we didn’t get a proper celebration banquet. Eating takeout on an empty lot? So sad, so sad.]
Fang Juexia chuckled at this comment but clarified, “This isn’t an empty lot—it’s Qiang Ge’s new place. We just dropped by for a housewarming. We’ll have a celebration banquet tomorrow with the whole company.”
[Kaledo’s main gig is stand-up comedy, side hustle is bricklaying hahaha]
[What’s that on Grapevine’s hand? A tattoo?]
“Hey, I’m asking you!” He Ziyan grabbed Pei Tingsong’s hand. “Fans want to know what this is?”
Pei Tingsong admitted openly, “It’s a tattoo. Just got it done.”
[Is it really a tattoo???]
[So unique! Does it have any meaning?]
Fang Juexia silently stared at the live comments, wondering what this guy would say.
“Hmm…” Pei Tingsong held his hand up to the camera. “It’s just a bite mark.”
He actually said it so bluntly. Fang Juexia’s heart skipped a beat. Though he’d only drunk almond milk, his brain felt controlled by nonexistent alcohol.
Ling Yi suddenly seemed to grasp something, wearing a smug expression as if he’d just gotten the script. “I know!” he declared triumphantly.
Fang Juexia’s heart immediately sank, waiting for Ling Yi’s next words.
“San San told me too! He said when you recorded the first episode of Escape, you mentioned getting bitten by your own little master! Is this it?”
Thank goodness.
“No…” Lu Yuan frowned. “When did Pei Tingsong get a cat?”
The atmosphere instantly turned awkward.
Jiang Miao, quickest to react, immediately jumped in to assist. “He had one at the apartment before, didn’t you forget?”
He Ziyan chimed in, “Yeah, yeah! I saw it too. So pretty, pure white.”
Lu Yuan finally caught on, feigning sudden realization. “Oh right, right! I almost forgot. Little Pei has a cat in his golden house.”
[Wow, so Xiao Pei is a cat slave too!]
[When is the poop scooper Grapevine gonna show off his cat!]
This dramatic turn of events had Fang Juexia sweating bullets—both for himself and for Pei Tingsong.
Looks like we’ll need to buy a cat to cover this lie.
Everyone ate and played, quickly shifting the topic. Since it was Christmas and their anniversary, the six decided to let fans make wishes for them to fulfill—a triple treat of Christmas, anniversary, and fan appreciation.
Fans requested an a cappella version of “The Hunt,” so they sang several songs acapella in a row. When comments flooded in asking for a girl group dance, Fang Juexia knew he couldn’t dodge it, but he said, “I can promise you the dance, but I need to practice first. Otherwise, it won’t look good.”
[Pretty babies look good dancing anything!]
[How could you dance badly? Look at your face!]
[Brother Juexia spoils fans the most!]
[Want to see the six-member girl group dance practice room!]
“We still have half an hour,” Jiang Miao read the comments. “Anything else you want to see? Hurry up and say it, I’m about to take screenshots.”
Little did she know the screenshot would capture this very request.
[Miao Ge, look at me! I want to see the pairings! Huo Ge and Miao Ge together, Yi Yi and Yuan Yuan together, plus Grapevine and Brother Juexia!]
“Wow…” Lu Yuan mumbled with a french fry in his mouth, “Time for the emotional breakdown.”
[This sister’s vibe is way too much like mine!]
“Okay?” Jiang Miao asked the others.
Fang Juexia hesitated a bit, but saying no would seem even stranger. He didn’t need to give a reason—if push came to shove, he could just make something up on the spot.
Besides…
He was also kinda curious what his nickname was in Pei Tingsong’s notes.
Surely it wasn’t just “pretty” over and over again?
“Since no one objects, let’s begin.” As team leader, Jiang Miao pulled out his phone first, opened his chat with He Ziyan, then covered the content below while showing the screen to the camera. “My label for Zi Yan is actually just a little flame emoji. Isn’t it cute?”
He Ziyan pulled out his phone too. “My note for Miao Ge is…” He chuckled involuntarily. “Hmm, I kinda think this might be misunderstood.”
“What is it?” Ling Yi leaned in to peek and burst out laughing. “Hahahaha why did you label him ‘group wife’?! You pervert!”
“No way!” He Ziyan immediately defended himself. “It’s because I was filming outside recently, and he was filming too. He kept reminding me to wear sunscreen and eat meals. Later, he even came to visit the set. When I was scrolling through Weibo, I saw fans calling him ‘San Shui’s Group Wife,’ and it felt so fitting that I just copied that nickname.”
[Wow~~~~]
[This ‘wife’ character is seriously… tsk tsk tsk]
[Group Wife Group Wife Group Wife]
“My turn!” Ling Yi eagerly showed his own nickname. “I call Lu Yuan ‘Round Melon-Melon.’” He explained, “Because in Sichuan dialect, ‘melon’ means ‘dumb.’”
“What a coincidence,” Lu Yuan picked up his phone. “Mine for Ling Yi is ‘One Dumbass,’ since in national internet slang, ‘dumbass’ means idiot.”
“Hahahaha!”
[What kind of dumb melon duo are you two, hahaha!]
[Time for auditory! Time for auditory!]
Fang Juexia glanced at Pei Tingsong and whispered, “You go first.” Pei Tingsong teased him deliberately, “What if I go and you don’t?”
“I won’t.” Fang Juexia looked serious, but Pei Tingsong had already raised his hand. “Rock, paper, scissors.”
[Are you two elementary school kids? So adorable!]
[That smoky purple hoodie looks amazing on Pei Tingsong, but it’s been almost a year and he still hasn’t given it back to his brother!]
Fang Juexia held up scissors and lost to Pei Tingsong, resigning himself to his fate. But after searching for ages without finding the phone, he simply blurted it out, “I labeled it ‘Hengzhen-style’.”
[What’s that??]
He explained further, “It’s basically a tautology in propositional logic. To put it simply, it’s a perpetual truth proposition.”
[Wow, suddenly feels kinda romantic…]
Hearing this nickname, Pei Tingsong was surprised, but upon reflection, it made perfect sense. Only Fang Juexia would come up with something like that.
“What does it mean?” Pei Tingsong nudged him gently with his shoulder.
How could he possibly reveal the true meaning live on camera?
Fang Juexia hesitated before offering an official answer, “Because you’re so confident. No matter what happens, you stick to your convictions. You live like a perpetual truth.”
Pei Tingsong gave a meaningful “Oh,” accepting Fang Juexia’s message without pressing further.
Ling Yi urged, “Your turn.”
“Mine.” Pei Tingsong pulled out his phone, flashed it briefly, then set it on the floor. “My note for Fang Juexia is ‘moonlight.’”
[Wow, these two are like a breath of fresh air in the comedy scene]
[Moonlight wuwuwuwu, is that a white moonlight?]
Fang Juexia didn’t need to ask why; he understood Pei Tingsong’s meaning instantly. In a split second, he recalled that night at the hotel when he’d said he wanted to come see the moon.
Almond milk trembled in his stomach, as if butterflies had swallowed it whole, their wings fluttering wildly at the sweetness.
Fang Juexia’s fingers, clutching the carpet, brushed against Pei Tingsong’s phone. He picked it up, typed a line in the chat window, then silently placed it beside Pei Tingsong’s hand.
This secret message passed between two souls in perfect harmony. Pei Tingsong picked it up and glanced at it nonchalantly.
[You asked what type I like. You can change.
I don’t know what type I like. I only know I like you.
[So the proposition ‘you’ is already eternally true. Regardless of weight or conditions, its truth value remains constant. No matter which category you might be classified under, it won’t change the fact that I like you.]
Ling Yi poked Pei Tingsong with her finger. “You still haven’t explained why you chose ‘moonlight’?”
“Is that even a question?” He locked his phone screen, lifted his head, and curved his lips.
“Because the moon is the highest form of praise.”
