(This is the second update. Xiao Bei’s last second update. Clicking directly on the latest update might cause you to miss the previous one.)
Since their debut, Kaleido has maintained a tradition of traveling together at least once a year. No matter how packed their schedules, whenever they had a break, they would always travel together.
Half a year after their debut, they finally found a suitable time and set off for Northern Europe, eager to explore several small countries in the region.
After the album promotion period following their public debut, Fang Juexia went into virtual hibernation. Although Pei Tingsong still had activities, the two rarely appeared in public together. Fans wailed day and night, flooding both their Weibo accounts with desperate pleas, hoping the young couple would publicly show some affection.
Though Fang Juexia didn’t check Weibo, Ling Yi interacted enthusiastically with fans daily. Even his secondary account was flooded with desperate pleas from Tingjue Girls, so Ling Yi couldn’t bear it anymore and reminded Fang Juexia every day.
Finally, during the group’s six-person trip, Fang Juexia opened his livestream.
The long-awaited moment arrived for the devoted fans, but the sheer volume and excitement caused the livestream to freeze completely. After fiddling with it for ages, Fang Juexia finally placed his phone on a stand facing the bed and went to the large mirror in the hotel room to adjust his clothes.
Pei Tingsong emerged after changing and saw Fang Juexia raising his hand to tie his scarf. Assuming the stream hadn’t started yet, he scooped Fang Juexia up in one swift motion, stumbled a few steps, and collapsed onto the bed, pinning him beneath him.
“Kiss me.” Pei Tingsong leaned down to press his lips against his, but Fang Juexia swiftly pulled the scarf up to cover his mouth. His hands were too fast—Pei Tingsong’s descending kiss landed on the soft fabric instead.
Pei Tingsong frowned and lifted his head. “What’s wrong? You won’t even let me kiss you.” With that, he forcibly pulled the scarf aside, cupped Fang Juexia’s face, and pressed his lips against his.
“Mmm! Mmm…” Fang Juexia’s hands slapped at Pei Tingsong’s shoulders as he struggled desperately. Pei Tingsong effortlessly pried open his teeth, plunging deep inside, sending electric tingles through Fang Juexia’s entire body.
“No… mmm… the livestream…”
Hearing those two words, Pei Tingsong suddenly snapped to attention. His movements froze instantly. He blinked at Fang Juexia from mere inches away.
Too late. The livestream had already gone wild.
[Aaaaaaaaah! Picking him up, throwing him on the bed, and forcing a kiss is just too hot!!!!]
[Holy shit, bed scene right off the bat!!! My ears are ringing!]
[My ears aren’t ringing! I just heard the wet sound of tongue kissing!]
[Oh my god, I’m covering my mouth and screaming silently at my phone. Waaah, someone save me!]
[jxgg why are you blocking him? I don’t care about the data usage, keep going!!!]
“Live… stream?” Pei Tingsong lay sprawled across Fang Juexia, utterly bewildered, still cradling his face.
Fang Juexia nodded, his heart sinking.
They scrambled off the bed. Pei Tingsong’s throat sounded like it had developed a serious problem—he kept clearing it incessantly. Fang Juexia, his face flushed, walked silently to the nightstand and picked up his phone. Seeing the screen flooded with [Deafened! Deafened!], he was so embarrassed he shoved the phone into Pei Tingsong’s hands. He wanted nothing more than to find a crack in the ground to crawl into.
Pei Tingsong took the hot potato, forcing a few dry laughs. “That was just a live stream glitch. Let’s pretend nothing happened.”
[You’re lying! We all saw it!]
[Holy crap, Brother Juexia’s lips are all red from that wolf cub kissing him!]
“His lips are naturally red,” Pei Tingsong defended himself. Fang Juexia had already wrapped the scarf around the mirror and handed another one to Pei Tingsong—the one they bought from a street artisan shop on their first day in Sweden.
Holding the phone mount in his right hand, Pei Tingsong instinctively reached out with his left. But before taking the scarf, he deliberately said, “I’m live streaming now. It’s inconvenient. I’ll put it on later.”
Fang Juexia held the scarf, glanced at it, and unsurprisingly helped him put it on himself, carefully tying a knot.
[Deafening, deafening, deafening, I’m truly going deaf]
[So sweet, our beautiful baby is such a sweet angel]
“We’re heading out now, come over.” Pei Tingsong wrapped his arms around Fang Juexia contentedly, holding his phone at arm’s length so the screen could frame both of them. Stepping out of the hotel, they walked beneath the winter sun. The streets here were filled with exotic charm. Pei Tingsong and Fang Juexia walking side by side against this backdrop created a scene so beautiful it seemed unreal.
“Ah.” Fang Juexia suddenly stopped, feeling inside his pocket, then took off the backpack on his shoulder to check.
“What’s wrong?”
[Why doesn’t jxgg ever grow up? He looks exactly the same as when he first debuted. His bare face is so innocent and adorable]
[So cute, Juexia. Today is another day I want to green pts]
Fang Juexia lifted his head, held out his hand, and replied with deadpan seriousness: “I forgot to wear gloves.”
Pei Tingsong burst out laughing. “I thought it was something else.” He handed the phone holder to Fang Juexia, then bit the fabric of the leather glove on his fingertip and pulled off one glove. The tattoo on his web space was exposed. Pei Tingsong grabbed one of Fang Juexia’s hands, intending to put the glove on him. “Wear this. It might be a bit big.”
“If I wear it, what will you wear?” Fang Juexia struggled to pull his hand away, unwilling to accept the glove. But unable to break free from Pei Tingsong’s grasp, he grew impatient and grabbed his hand instead.
“What are you doing?” Pei Tingsong chuckled. “Teeth itching again? Want to bite me?”
This offhand remark instantly ignited the live chat with comments.
[What?? Did I just hear that??]
[Want to bite me again? So that bite mark really was from jxgg!]
[I knew it!!! Holy crap, I’ve been guessing this all along and it turned out to be true! I said that bite mark didn’t look like it came from a kitten!]
[Now I remember their earlier description—the teammate said it was a kitten raised by the grapevine, pure white… Well, in a way, that’s technically true too]
[Aaaaaah this long-buried bombshell! PTS, you’re something else!]
The two people busy putting on gloves were completely oblivious to the secret being spilled. After putting them on, Juexia narrowed his eyes at the comments, suddenly realizing something. He smacked Pei Tingsong’s arm with a slap, his eyes widening.
Pei Tingsong looked utterly confused, mouthing [What’s wrong?].
[Hahahaha jxgg is too cute]
[So clueless, Fang Juexia]
[It’s been so long since we heard Grapevine call him big bro, waaah]
The two stood by the roadside waiting for a ride. Fang Juexia wanted to move past this awkward moment quickly, so he steered the conversation with fans toward other topics. “Brother Huo and the others are still at the hotel. They played cards late into the night yesterday and are sleeping in now. They haven’t even had lunch yet.”
When a fan asked if they’d come out for a special date, Pei Tingsong beamed and said yes. Fang Juexia smiled faintly and shook his head. “Actually, we came to meet an old friend we haven’t seen in ages. Since it’s been so long since we’ve chatted with everyone, we thought we’d go live and catch up.”
“Did you miss us?” Pei Tingsong raised an eyebrow.
[Missed you so much waaah]
[Our little Pei is getting more and more handsome]
The prearranged car arrived. Fang Juexia and Pei Tingsong got in and chatted with the driver in English for a while. The driver even asked if they were Asian models. Fang Juexia laughed and said no, but the driver insisted they were very handsome.
[The driver has such great taste!]
[Hahaha, wherever Little Pei goes, people say he looks like a model.]
Chatting with fans, they soon arrived at their destination. The two got out and walked along the street to a corner where a cozy-looking coffee shop hung a string of snow-white wind chimes at its entrance. Fang Juexia led the way, pushing open the door. The chimes swayed, emitting a pleasant tinkling sound.
Pei Tingsong followed behind Fang Juexia. “We chatted with this guy beforehand, and he really wanted to say hi to everyone. We were originally planning to find a restaurant to grab a bite since he kept saying he was hungry. But since this guy wanted to come out too, we headed straight to the cafe. Hopefully the food here isn’t too awful.”
[Why do I sense a hint of jealousy in Little Pei’s tone?]
[Hahaha, “this person” left and “this person” right—it’s genuinely sour]
“Who’s bitter…” Pei Tingsong protested urgently, but when he looked up, he saw Fang Juexia being warmly embraced by a familiar figure. His face instantly fell. “Fine, I’m bitter.” He promptly switched the camera to rear view, letting the live stream fans witness it alongside him.
[Huh???? Isn’t that Liang Ruo!! !]
[OMG I’m getting goosebumps!!]
[It really is Liang Ruo! Waaah so Brother Juexia’s friend was Liang Ruo]
In the footage, after hugging Juexia, Liang Ruo spotted Pei Tingsong from afar. His first reaction? Smiling and flipping him off.
[Hahahahahaha Pei Tingsong, this is what you get]
[Hahahahahaha The Pei-style greeting method]
“Pfft.” Pei Tingsong gave him a look that said [You think I’d get mad?] and flipped him off right back. Liang Ruo burst out laughing and waved him over. “Come on over.”
This was their first face-to-face chat since Liang Ruo left the industry, and also his first public appearance. Knowing they were live-streaming, Liang Ruo even waved to the fans. “Long time no see, I’m Liang Ruo.” He glanced at Fang Juexia. “Feels kinda weird, greeting your fans like this.”
Pei Tingsong teased, “You bet! Your former rival’s fans.”
[Hahahaha it’s totally fine! We’re thrilled too!]
[As long as you’re doing well!]
[Liang Ruo hasn’t changed much at all, that’s great]
“Your fans are truly kind-hearted,” Liang Ruo remarked, glancing at the chat stream.
They gathered around a small wooden table beside the fireplace, two lazy Samoyed dogs lounging nearby. Liang Ruo served each of them a cup of coffee and plenty of the local specialty snacks. “Try these—they’re delicious. I never get tired of eating them every day.”
Fang Juexia smiled and tugged him back. “Stop bustling around. Sit down.”
“Alright.” Just as Liang Ruo sat down, he suddenly remembered something. “Ah, I’ll go tell Carl. He doesn’t know you guys are here yet.”
As soon as he left, Pei Tingsong immediately snuggled up next to Fang Juexia, tilting his head against his brother’s shoulder. He held up his coffee cup to the camera. “You know what? I paid four times the tip for this cup of coffee.”
[Hahahahaha What grudge is this?]
[Waaah this dog food is too sweet!]
“Don’t do that…” Fang Juexia tightened his grip on Pei Tingsong’s hand, glancing around at the other patrons in the cafe. “There are still a lot of people here.”
“What are you afraid of? We’re engaged.” Pei Tingsong deliberately cupped Fang Juexia’s face and kissed him once, then again. The other patrons began eyeing the young Asian couple, some even whistling and cheering with laughter.
Fang Juexia’s pale cheeks flushed crimson, nearly matching the birthmark at his temple. But Pei Tingsong only grew more cocky, draping an arm around Fang Juexia’s shoulder and declaring to the jeering crowd, “He is my love.”
[Ahhhhhhhhh my love, Huzi, you’re the man!]
[Ahhhhh hurry up and give me insulin and a hearing aid! I’m deaf and dumb right now!]
The bearded man at the next table didn’t hold back his praise for Fang Juexia, “Your lover is very handsome. He’s the most beautiful Asian boy I’ve ever seen.” “ Pei Tingsong graciously thanked him, casually flashing his ring. ”We’re engaged. I’m his fiancé.”
Fang Juexia instinctively reached to cover Pei Tingsong’s mouth, but Pei Tingsong grabbed his hand first and kissed his wrist.
[What a show-off, deafeningly so!]
[Now I finally understand why these two stopped flaunting their affection—if they kept up Pei Tingsong’s level of PDA, we’d be sweet-killed on the spot.]
Not long after, Liang Ruo returned, accompanied by a tall, blond-haired, blue-eyed man. They sat down together, looking quite intimate. Fang Juexia quickly realized this man might be Liang Ruo’s current partner. During their phone call, Liang Ruo had hinted he’d found someone special—someone who loved him deeply and had healed his wounds.
“This café is so cozy,” Fang Juexia remarked, looking around. “It feels like happiness the moment you walk in.”
“Right?”
Liang Ruo looked around too. “Every little decoration in here is handmade by me. See that mural? The cross-stitch one? That took me months to complete. Pretty impressive, huh? And now I’ve even learned how to bake potatoes. They’re delicious. Carl loves them…”
Fang Juexia looked at Liang Ruo, seeing the sincere, contented smile on his face, and finally felt at ease. All his earlier worries and reservations vanished the moment he truly saw this person.
How wonderful—everyone found happiness in the end.
They chatted about food and life, Liang Ruo sharing amusing stories from his own experiences, while Fang Juexia and Pei Tingsong also shared many tales.
“Oh, right! Carl used to be a guitarist in a band,” Liang Ruo said proudly, urging her lover to fetch two guitars and generously lending one to Pei Tingsong. “Let’s sing! It’s been ages since we last sang.” ”
Hearing Liang Ruo say this, Fang Juexia felt transported back to years ago, to the times they practiced together.
He nodded. Carl and Pei Tingsong improvised accompaniment on guitar as they sang a classic English oldie.
[I don’t know why, but I feel like crying]
[It’s so heartwarming, I feel so happy. I want my own café too.]
One song ended, and another began. The other café patrons couldn’t help but applaud them. They ended the livestream, sipping coffee and beer while chatting about past dreams and present lives. Time flew by quickly; dusk fell early in Scandinavia. As twilight approached, Fang Juexia received a call from Jiang Miao.
“We have to go. Miao and the others are already heading out.” Fang Juexia patted Liang Ruo’s shoulder. “We’ll come see you again tomorrow.”
Though reluctant, Liang Ruo nodded. “Are you going out together?”
“Yeah. To see the Northern Lights.”
The reason they chose Scandinavia in the first place was because Ling Yi had casually mentioned wanting to see the Northern Lights. Coincidentally, Fang Juexia knew about Liang Ruo’s café in Sweden, and the idea clicked instantly. They quickly settled on the destination.
After leaving the café, He Ziyan picked them up in the rented RV. The six finally reunited. Jiang Miao, sitting in the passenger seat, consulted maps and guides, directing him from the small town toward the aurora viewing spot. Nordic winters were bitterly cold; all six were bundled in thick down jackets and fur-lined hats, fully equipped.
“I just checked the website again—it says they might appear around midnight!” Ling Yi started bouncing around in the car. “So exciting!”
“Oh, right.” Lu Yuan pulled a pair of gloves from his bag and handed them to Fang Juexia. “Xiao Pei said you guys forgot gloves when you left, so we bought another pair.”
Fang Juexia unwrapped them and put them on Pei Tingsong. “Camping tonight?”
“No camping.” He Ziyan said while driving. “We switched to an RV—still rented by Little Pei. He said camping’s too cold. Next time we’ll camp somewhere prettier.”
Fang Juexia looked at Pei Tingsong. With his gloves on, he ruffled Fang Juexia’s hair and murmured, “Camping would be too much for your back.”
“Alright.”
Everyone was bored in the car, so Ling Yi opened Kaleido’s main livestream to wait for the aurora with fans. Once the stream went live, they resumed their traditional entertainment routine of Kaleido performing crosstalk.
By the time they reached their destination, hunger had set in. The group decided to do a food livestream right in the RV. Ling Yi wolfed down forty meatballs in one go, then sprawled on the sofa chair too stuffed to move, looking like a turtle stuck on its back.
Fang Juexia sat in front of the streaming phone, slowly peeling a baked potato, occasionally glancing up at the screen.
[So this livestream’s theme is: Pretty Baby Peeling Potatoes]
[Hahahahaha so adorable, Juexia]
Suddenly, he noticed a user named ChloePei send gifts worth nearly five million RMB to their livestream in one go. Stunned, he stared blankly for a long while. Only when Pei Tingsong walked over to ask if the potatoes tasted good did Fang Juexia snap back to reality.
[Holy crap, what kind of rich fan is this?]
[Holy shit, holy shit, take a screenshot! This is the closest I’ve ever been to a millionaire!]
“I haven’t eaten yet,” he turned to look at Pei Tingsong and told him about the astronomical gift. Pei Tingsong was speechless. “Who’s this nouveau riche? Do they think I’m poor?”
Fang Juexia didn’t know the person’s identity, so he recited the ID to him. Unexpectedly, Pei Tingsong immediately turned his head. “Chloe?”
Fang Juexia nodded. “You know her?”
“My sister…” Pei Tingsong sighed, then started speaking to the screen in English, telling his sister to chill out—he didn’t need the money.
“Damn! I thought it was a new rich person, but turns out it’s the whole family. 5555”
“The boss lady has arrived! Sis, I love you!”
As night deepened, they huddled in thick coats, sitting in a circle outside, waiting for the aurora to appear. Everyone started chatting casually. He Ziyan and Jiang Miao set up their camera equipment, while Lu Yuan and Ling Yi’s live stream of their duo performance never stopped, the two of them constantly making a racket.
Pei Tingsong brewed Fang Juexia a cup of hot chocolate, draped a thick blanket over him, and sat close by in a small corner of the livestream screen, chatting.
He lowered his voice and said to Fang Juexia, “Fang Ping successfully kicked his addiction and got out. I’m still uneasy, so I had someone keep an eye on him. But he seems different now—got a job right after release and didn’t go back to Guangzhou.”
Fang Juexia murmured softly in acknowledgment, sipped his hot chocolate, and gazed up at the night sky.
Pei Tingsong glanced sideways, studying Fang Juexia’s profile. Every time he saw him fall silent like this, memories surfaced—of that summer he’d rushed back from San Francisco to Beijing, of waiting for Fang Juexia to embrace him.
“Juexia.”
Hearing Pei Tingsong call his name, Fang Juexia turned back, gave a soft hum, and asked what was wrong.
Pei Tingsong asked softly, “Do you ever wonder if your life would have been more fulfilling if those accidents hadn’t happened back then?”
After all, he was someone so afraid of making mistakes that he would surely want to avoid all the errors that had occurred, if such a possibility existed.
Fang Juexia smiled. “I did think about it when I was young. Often. Right up until my debut, I would have similar dreams. But later, I stopped thinking about it.”
“Why?”
Seeing the puzzled look on Pei Tingsong’s face, Fang Juexia leaned closer to him, smiling sweetly. “Let me tell you a story. When I was in sixth grade, I was selected as an outstanding student to participate in an event organized by the Municipal Education Bureau. I was even chosen to give a speech on behalf of the students.”
Pei Tingsong kissed the top of his head. “Our Brother Juexia is so amazing.”
Fang Juexia hummed in acknowledgment. “I spent a whole week preparing for that speech. But then, out of nowhere, I came down with a high fever and could barely speak. So the school replaced me with another student.”
He sighed deeply. “I was devastated back then.”
“Poor little Juexia. “ Pei Tingsong hugged him. ”Then what happened?”
“Then, since I couldn’t attend the event, I went to my weekend math class as usual that morning. I always took a shortcut through the park. As luck would have it, I encountered a pregnant woman that day. I saw her about to collapse, and there was no one around. Fang Juexia, unusually animated as he recounted the story, sounded childlike, as if truly transported back to that day. “I was terrified. I helped her onto the grass, then ran around with my backpack until I finally found an adult who called 120 for me. We went to the hospital together.”
Pei Tingsong held him close, listening intently as he patted his shoulder. “You were such a kind little boy.”
Fang Juexia continued, “I missed my class and waited at the hospital for ages. Later, the woman gave birth to a little baby.” He grew animated, rising from Pei Tingsong’s embrace, his eyes sparkling. “You know what? That was the first time I ever held a baby’s hand. It was so soft. She clutched my thumb and wouldn’t let go, smiling at me. It felt so amazing. And the auntie said, without me, this little baby might never have been born.”
After finishing his story, his expression softened.
“Whenever I regret something, I bring this memory back to mind.” He leaned against Pei Tingsong’s shoulder once more.
“Truthfully, we’re all collections of experiences. Each event unfolds in sequence, weaving together to shape who we are today. If any single link in that chain had changed, I might not be the person I am now.
I can’t prevent bad things from happening, nor can I stop regrets from arriving. But I always feel this world operates under an invisible law of conservation—behind every regret might lie a hidden gift. Thinking this way, regret ceases to be regret. That version of me standing at the podium, reading from a script, could never have held that infant’s hand, right?”
Gazing at Fang Juexia’s gentle face in the night, Pei Tingsong felt he could see the resilience within his heart. This, he thought, was the person he loved most—the most precious part of his beloved.
So he smiled. “Exactly. Only by missing that speech could you protect the birth of a little life.”
Fang Juexia nodded. “That’s why I won’t dwell on ‘what ifs.’ The chain of events that shaped me into who I am today—if there are regrets, they were worth it.” He looked at Pei Tingsong and smiled contentedly. “Because I have you.”
“You are the gift I received in exchange for my regrets, under this unnamed law of conservation.”
Without those hardships, those dark days of solitary waiting and groping, he might never have met Pei Tingsong.
If that were the case, Fang Juexia would rather not have the smoother life offered by hypothetical scenarios.
Pei Tingsong suddenly felt a lump in his throat, but he refused to admit it. Turning his face away, he tried to hold it back. When Fang Juexia asked what was wrong, he only said it was too cold, freezing his nose.
“Ah! The aurora!”
Ling Yi’s loud voice nearly echoed across the entire snowfield.
“Wow, it’s real! So beautiful!” Lu Yuan quickly adjusted the angle of his livestreaming phone, letting fans witness the aurora alongside them.
Pei Tingsong also looked up. In the deep night, exquisite blue-green arcs began to appear, intertwining and rippling outward in layers. The once boundless darkness was now tinged with a mysterious and wondrous glow.
Night blindness prevented Fang Juexia from seeing clearly. As the aurora grew denser, he felt the darkness before him shrouded in an ethereal, beautiful veil of light, like a delicate gauze. Suddenly, he recalled the fireworks they’d watched together, the kaleidoscopic night sky during their first tour—both, like this moment, the most beautiful darkness he’d ever witnessed.
Ling Yi called out to him, “Juexia! Is it beautiful? Can you see it?”
Fang Juexia smiled and nodded. “It’s beautiful.”
[It’s truly breathtaking. My first time seeing the aurora—it must be even more stunning in person.]
[Such a rare sight! Guys, make a wish!]
[Hahaha, make wishes for everything!]
“Right.” Lu Yuan set down his snacks. “Let’s all make a wish together.”
The suggestion met unanimous approval. But rather than making individual little wishes, they wanted to make one big one. After huddling together to discuss it, Jiang Miao asked, “Should we make it silently?”
Pei Tingsong objected. “If we’re making a wish together, how can it come true if we don’t say it out loud?”
“Exactly!” Ling Yi, unusually aligned with him, chimed in. “The louder we shout, the more sincere our hearts show!”
The six of them stood beneath the beautiful and rare aurora, facing their fans in the livestream. Just like every time they stood on stage, they even maintained their official lineup positions. Jiang Miao glanced left and right, then habitually shouted the countdown, “One, two, three…”
This time, they didn’t introduce themselves. Six young people who had matured over time shouted in unison toward the aurora.
“Forever Kaleido! Forever Domino!”
Their voices echoed through the night, followed by carefree laughter, like boys who would never grow up. After bidding their fans a reluctant farewell, Jiang Miao stepped forward to end the livestream, while the younger members behind him continued bickering.
“If you bully me again, I’m going solo!”
Pei Tingsong scoffed, “Go solo then. I’d like to see those skinny arms and legs of yours fly anywhere.”
Ling Yi instinctively called for backup, “Juexia, look at him! He’s messing with my hair again!”
“Stop bothering Ling Yi.”
“Exactly,” He Ziyan added fuel to the fire, “Keep messing with him and he won’t even reach 175 cm.”
Lu Yuan pulled out the leftover twisted doughnut he hadn’t finished, walking up to Pei Tingsong and Fang Juexia. “Oh right, have you guys picked out your wedding invitations yet? I saw some really nice ones the other day, I’ll tell you…”
Jiang Miao whipped her head around. “Lu Yuan! Shhh—”
“Huh? What’s wrong?”
“I haven’t turned off the livestream yet…”
—The End—
