Pei Tingsong quickly climbed off Fang Juexia. He heard a ding sound, which was the sound of the door opening.
“Damn, how did they get the room key?” Pei Tingsong couldn’t push Fang Juexia out of the way in time, so he quickly ran to Fang Juexia’s bed.
Fang Juexia stared blankly at the ceiling, still in the same position, until Ling Yi entered with a camera.
“Surprise!” Ling Yi bounded in, “It’s time to announce who the biggest slacker in the group is…”
This was not quite what he had imagined.
He had assumed that Pei Tingsong would be the one sound asleep, but to his surprise, the little tyrant was now sitting upright on the bed, a pillow over his stomach, wearing a forced smile, with his hands folded on top, resembling a gender-swapped knockoff of the Mona Lisa’s smile.
“Morning.”
Pei Tingsong’s pure American English made Ling Yi feel like he had walked into the wrong production crew. It was so strange. Based on Pei Tingsong’s usual behavior, he should have already been kicked out of the room with two pillows by now, but instead, he was greeting him with such proper manners. Was he possessed by a ghost?
On the other hand, Fang Juexia wrapped herself in the blanket after he entered, rolling from one end of the bed to the other like a rolled omelet.
Something was off—the atmosphere felt so eerie…
Ling Yi was a sharp one; he quickly noticed something was off. He wondered if they had just had an argument, but what could they possibly fight about this early in the morning?
He cleared his throat, lifted the collar of his pajamas, and pretended it was a walkie-talkie, “Code 01, Code 01, surprise mission completed, no lazy eggs caught, preparing to move to the next room! Over!”
“Wait,” Pei Tingsong raised his chin, “where did you get the key card to our room?”
Ling Yi gave him a look that said, “I knew you’d ask that,” then plopped down on the edge of the bed, pulled out three cards with the swagger of a gambler, and raised his eyebrows. “All from Qiang Ge.”
What on earth was going on?
They’d almost been caught in the act.
Pei Tingsong rolled his eyes, “Get out of the way, I want to sleep some more.”
The only pillow covering him was about to be pulled away by Ling Yi, so Pei Tingsong naturally refused, “I’m not hungry, you go without me. I’m exhausted.” With that, he pulled the blanket over himself and pretended to sleep, “Remember to close the door for me!”
This was peculiar.
With the camera behind him, Ling Yi didn’t dare say anything, afraid that if he probed further, he might uncover something major. As a shrewd individual, he would never allow such a thing to happen to him.
“Alright, I’ve completed the surprise shot anyway~ Objective achieved!” Ling Yi got out of bed and was surprised to find that after Pei Tingsong pulled back the blanket, he was wearing the T-shirt Fang Juexia had worn while drinking last night.
That’s odd. Why is Jue Xia’s clothes on Pei’s bed?
Just as Ling Yi was puzzled, his eyes, as sharp as those of Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, spotted an even stranger detail.
Fang Juexia’s pillow had Pei Tingsong’s phone next to it! That flashy purple phone case was definitely his!
Damn it, had he discovered some shocking secret?
Ling Yi, filled with a mix of excitement, joy, and fear, quickly ushered the confused cameraman out and closed the door himself, saying, “Don’t sleep in too late, okay?”
His heart was pounding wildly, and he couldn’t wait to share the earth-shattering secret he had observed with his brothers in the group chat after the filming ended, so they could all feast on the gossip to their hearts’ content!
Once Ling Yi’s loud voice and footsteps faded into the distance, and he was certain there was no chance of him returning, Pei Tingsong finally pulled back the blankets, got out of Fang Juexia’s bed, and casually grabbed the T-shirt that had slipped out, tossing it in front of Fang Juexia, who was turned away.
Fang Juexia was clearly still sulking, burying himself under the blanket without peeking out. Pei Tingsong sat on the edge of the bed, feeling like he was back in last night’s awkward situation, unable to break the tension no matter how he tried.
“Hey, Fang Juexia, you really don’t remember what happened last night?” Pei Tingsong couldn’t believe it, as if they were acting in a TV drama, “You really don’t remember a single thing?”
Fang Juexia suddenly pulled back the blanket covering his head, glaring at Pei Tingsong without a word. His voice had returned to its usual cold tone, completely different from the cute, carefree demeanor of last night. “Don’t try to fool me.”
“Deceive you?” Pei Tingsong laughed bitterly, his expression resembling that of a jilted wife. “Do you know what you did to me last night? Who was whining nonstop, refusing to be soothed, insisting on being held to sleep? Before you fell asleep, I didn’t have a single second to spare, do you know that? Now you’re turning your back on me. Fang Juexia, you really have no heart.”
Fang Juexia narrowed his eyes, wrapped in the blanket, doubting every word Pei Tingsong said. “Impossible.”
“Fine, you’re forcing me to pull out the big guns,” Pei Tingsong said, furious. “Do you know what it means to be humiliated? I’ll make you taste the bitter taste of humiliation today.” Saying that, Pei Tingsong picked up the phone tucked under the pillow, found yesterday’s recording file, and straddled Fang Juexia like a piece of fried egg.
“I’m a genius. I knew you’d turn your back on me, so…”
A beep sounded.
The door opened again.
“I’m going in first!”
“Shh!”
“Stop pushing! My slippers fell off!”
Holding his phone, Pei Tingsong straddled Fang Juexia’s body, turned around, and glared at the remaining four members, all of whom looked dumbfounded.
“Um…” Ling held the slipper in one hand, a guilty smile on his face, “We’re here to check on you, worried that you might be fighting…”
Pei Tingsong smiled blankly, “Fighting? Fighting in bed?”
Lu Yuan snapped his fingers. “Would it have ended if we’d come in later?”
Jiang Miao coughed twice as a warning.
Ling Yi: “It wouldn’t have ended that quickly, would it?”
Two pillows crashed onto the four people.
“Get out, get out, get out.” Pei Tingsong rolled his eyes. “How did I end up with this group of teammates? This is too much for me.” After saying that, he got out of bed, pocketed his phone, and walked toward the bathroom.
Lingyi obediently ran over to Fang Juexia. “Are you okay, Juexia? Actually… the captain was coming to bring you some hangover medicine, so we all followed him.”
“I’m fine, just a little headache.” Fang Juexia sat up, put on a T-shirt, and after washing up, followed everyone downstairs for breakfast. The show’s camera crew also followed them, filming their self-service breakfast outing.
Along the way, Pei Tingsong and Fang Juexia didn’t have a chance to be alone, and the two sat far apart. The group chatted noisily, and after finishing breakfast, Cheng Qiang took them away to get ready.
Probably because they knew that the charity dinner that day would be popular, the magazine released a video of Pei Tingsong and Fang Juexia’s interview that morning, selecting a few questions. Soon, the hashtag #Definition of Auditory Idols# trended on social media. The questions themselves were inherently controversial, sparking widespread discussion. These two idols, both from boy bands, were seen by the public for the first time not just for their stage presence and polished appearances, but for other qualities as well.
Many people became fans, and it even changed many people’s prejudices about the idol profession. Of course, there were also many marketing accounts claiming that this was just a pre-written interview script, which was the magazine’s usual tactic to promote people. In any case, positive comments and mindless criticism clashed, and the buzz rose at an unusual speed.
The two at the center of the whirlwind were currently in the makeup room, listening to Cheng Qiang’s repetitive reminders about the evening banquet. They were newcomers in this industry, and everything was still unstable. There were too many people watching them closely, and one careless move could extinguish the flame they had worked so hard to ignite. This is the entertainment industry.
“Remember the final group photo. You have to give way to your seniors. Don’t push forward no matter what, even if it means blocking their faces. It’s not acceptable to fight for the center position. It’s better not to have this kind of topic.”
Ling Yizhong nodded emphatically, “I understand.”
Jiang Miao: “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of them.”
Fang Juexia didn’t say anything and didn’t really listen to Cheng Qiang’s words. The headache had eased under the effect of the medication, but he still couldn’t remember what happened last night. He only vaguely felt that something had happened, otherwise they wouldn’t have woken up in the morning hugging each other.
Could it be that he really lost control after drinking and did something he shouldn’t have done to Pei Tingsong?
His mind was too chaotic to think about anything else. This was strange. He had work to do, yet he couldn’t stop dwelling on the night he spent with Pei Tingsong. This wasn’t like him at all.
[Do you know how well-behaved you were last night?]
[You turned on me after we slept together.]
The last few words Pei Tingsong said kept echoing in his mind, and no matter how he listened to them, they didn’t sound right. Fang Juexia pressed his Jingming acupoint, closed his eyes, and carefully searched his memory.
“Today, Juexia, let’s blow-dry your hair.” The stylist tended to his hair, “Juexia, your hairline is beautiful, and combing it up makes your features look more refined.”
“Should we cover the birthmark?”
“Then let’s not cover it up.” Fang Juexia smiled at the stylist.
The car door opened, and the captain got out first. They heard the fans on both sides of the red carpet erupt into loud cheers, shouting their names.
Fang Juexia straightened his suit jacket and got out of the car, with Pei Tingsong following behind him. They stepped onto the red carpet, walking toward the host’s signing board, and the six of them stood side by side with smiles on their faces.
“Welcome, welcome to the popular boy band Kaleido!”
The fans’ shouts nearly drowned out the host’s voice. The walk down the red carpet seemed endless, reminding Fang Juexia of a music award ceremony from their debut year. They had arrived early at the host’s red carpet but were blocked outside by staff, waiting for other actors, singers, and even other groups who debuted the same year to enter first. By the time the six members of Kaleido walked up, there were only a few fans left on either side of the red carpet, and even the scalpers had left.
When they first debuted, they didn’t even have the chance to introduce themselves. They quickly wrote their names on boards filled with various signatures and ended that parade of self-esteem in a sloppy manner.
“This should be Kaleido’s first time here at the charity fashion gala,” the host awkwardly smiled, as the fans’ voices were too loud, “Everyone is so enthusiastic, let’s say hello.”
Jiang Miao counted to three, and the six raised their hands together, “Hello everyone, we are Kaleido!”
The male host laughed, “Is Kaleido’s style today that of a prince on a white horse?”
Jiang Miao handled the host’s questions with ease. They were receiving unprecedented attention, entering first, signing their names on the blank autograph board, with countless flashes of cameras aimed at them, people shouting their names, all hoping to capture a news photo.
After entering, they followed the staff’s instructions into the banquet hall. With some time before the event began, they were informed of their specific roundtable seat numbers. Each roundtable seated six to seven people, and Kaleido’s group could fill one table perfectly.
The lighting inside the venue was dim, with all the light focused on the stage. Fang Juexia instinctively fixed his gaze on Jiang Miao in front of him. The tables and chairs inside the venue were arranged densely, and the aisles were narrow and curved.
Visibility was very low, and he was careful, but there was a chair pushed out diagonally in front of him, not on the same track as the others.
He couldn’t see clearly.
As he took a step forward, Fang Juexia’s waist was supported by a hand, guiding him slightly off course.
He managed to avoid the obstacle.
The task accomplished, the hand did not withdraw. The custom-made tailcoat highlighted his waistline, and the slender fingers rested naturally on it, as if they belonged there.
It was only natural for people to feel emotional fluctuations toward the unknown.
“Found it.” Jiang Miao checked the table number, “Everyone, please sit down.”
Everyone sat down, following the seating arrangement, with Fang Juexia sitting next to Pei Tingsong. The venue was not quiet, with staff coming and going, and artists gradually taking their seats.
Fang Juexia did not look at him, but spoke softly, “You don’t have to help me.”
Even he found his tone a bit cold, but Fang Juexia could only say that. He had confided his secret to Pei Tingsong because it had already been exposed, and he had no choice. But he had never expected to receive Pei Tingsong’s “special attention” because of this flaw—that was the last thing he wanted.
He wasn’t insecure; he had never felt lacking in confidence because of it.
It was normal, just like everyone else.
So he didn’t need special treatment.
Pei Tingsong smiled, picked up the glass on the table, poured some soda water, and placed it in front of Fang Juexia. Leaning in briefly, he said, “I’m not helping you; I’m helping myself.”
“I know you’re strong; you don’t need me.” His profile was illuminated by the dazzling stage lights, “But I need a business partner.”
“So I’m asking you,” he looked at Fang Juexia with a smile, “to leave me some room to maneuver.”
Fang Juexia drank the water in front of him, maintaining a calm exterior.
When he looked up again, a group of entertainers walked past him, all dressed in matching black suits, all familiar faces.
“Qi Yao is sitting next door,” Ling Yi whispered.
Pei Tingsong heard the sound, rested his chin on his hand, and looked over. He saw one of them, with flaxen hair, raising his hand toward them and waving energetically, his face adorned with a social smile.
Liang Ruo. Pei Tingsong repeated this rather boring name in his mind.
He was waving at Fang Juexia.
Pei Tingsong turned to look at Fang Juexia, who remained calm as ever, smiling and nodding at the enthusiastic guy.
This was a polite gesture, Pei Tingsong knew. Not only did he know it, but he also knew that Fang Juexia was far from being that kind of person. He could get excited, get so angry that he would say the opposite of what he meant, shine when talking about his dreams, and want to rely on others.
This was a side of Fang Juexia that none of these people knew.
But then he thought, he had only known Fang Juexia for two years, and they had only really gotten to know each other for less than a month. What did he really know about him?
He lowered his head, took out his phone, and edited the message.
Soon, Fang Juexia’s phone vibrated once, and he was a bit puzzled.
[kaleido Pei Tingsong: Didn’t you want to know what happened last night? Listen for yourself.]
[kaleido Pei Tingsong: Share recording]
Was this the evidence he had been talking about?
He didn’t have his headphones.
Fang Juexia thought for a moment, took off his coat, stood up from his seat, and said to the captain, “Miao Ge, I’m going to the restroom.”
“Okay, go ahead.” Jiang Miao added, “I think it’s through that door.”
Fang Juexia nodded and left without giving Pei Tingsong another glance.
Pei Tingsong was naturally unhappy. Why did he go to the restroom as soon as he sent him a message? But he couldn’t just follow him, so he poured himself another glass of water and drank it.
“I didn’t expect us to be able to sit with the Seven Stars,” Ling Yi said self-deprecatingly.
Jiang Miao signaled to him to stop, and Ling Yi lowered his head, pretending nothing had happened.
This wasn’t the first time they had been involved with Qiyao. At the end-of-year awards ceremony in their debut year, Kaleido had secured a performance opportunity early on, but on the last day, they were suddenly notified that the program list had changed, and their performance had to be canceled.
Without the performance opportunity, they still had to attend. The six young men sat in the audience and watched the entire show, only to see their three-minute song and dance routine compressed into nothing, replaced by Qiyao’s thirteen-minute medley.
They knew there was nothing they could do; whoever was popular had the final say.
It was also during that performance that Pei Tingsong first experienced a sense of wounded pride. He understood what his father had once told him: “Your world is too idealistic. You should see what ordinary people’s lives are like, what it means to be insignificant.”
As more and more celebrities arrived at the venue, Liang Ruo from the Seven Stars table stood up and walked toward the door that Jue Xia had previously exited.
“I just feel uncomfortable. Why can Liang Ruo act like nothing happened and smile at Juexia?” Ling Yi remained silent for a moment but couldn’t help himself. Though he spoke softly, Pei Tingsong still heard him.
“What did he do?” Pei Tingsong asked.
Lu Yuan swirled his cup. “Liang Ruo’s talent definitely isn’t among the top tier of As trainees. He got to debut while Juexia was kicked out, and he even debuted with official endorsement. There’s definitely something fishy going on here.”
“What’s particularly interesting is,” He Ziyan leaned back in his chair, observing the reactions of the other members of the Seven Stars group after Liang Ruo left, “their group dynamics don’t seem very good.”
Ling Yi thought of something, “Right, I remember when we were about to debut, this Liang Ruo came to find Jue Xia. It was at the company parking lot, and I saw it when I was picking up takeout.”
Pei Tingsong frowned, “What happened?”
Ling Yi shook his head, “I don’t know. I couldn’t tell from Jue Xia’s expression, but he didn’t return to the dorm that night and slept in the practice room instead.”
“Stop speculating. They’re probably just friends.” Jiang Miao poured water for everyone. “There are photos of them from their trainee days circulating online. Looking at the photos… they seem to have a good relationship and are smiling happily. We don’t know the details, so let’s not discuss this anymore, especially in public.”
The captain spoke, and the others couldn’t say anything else. Everyone could only silently watch the stage, waiting for the first performance.
The restrooms in this venue were hard to find. Fang Juexia searched for a while before discovering them. They were luxurious and well-hidden. He walked to the sink and took out his phone, turning the volume down to the lowest setting.
It was so absurd that Fang Juexia couldn’t help but laugh out loud while holding his phone.
He had actually gone out of his way to leave the venue and find a secluded place just to listen to a recording sent by Pei Tingsong.
As his finger was about to tap the screen, another person suddenly appeared at the door.
“Juexia?”
Fang Juexia looked up at the sound and saw Liang Ruo walking in.
“Great, you’re really here. I was worried I wouldn’t find you when I came out.” Liang Ruo smiled warmly at him. “It’s been so hard to meet up. How have you been lately?”
Fang Juexia held his phone tightly, his tone calm. “I’m fine.”
“I saw your interview on the trending topics this morning. That’s impressive. You’re just like you were back then—not a bit changed.” Liang Ruo moved closer. “Are you really that busy? You know, I sent you so many messages. I even sent you a WeChat on your birthday, wanting to go out for a meal to celebrate, but you never replied.”
Fang Juexia smiled. He remembered that on his birthday, Qiyao was holding a concert in Japan.
But he didn’t call her out on it. “Is that so? Thank you. I haven’t used social media in a long time, so I didn’t receive those messages.”
“I see.” Liang Ruo smiled brightly and reached out to hug him, but Fang Juexia dodged her.
This action seemed to hurt him deeply, and his expression suddenly turned sad, but Fang Juexia remained calm and started to walk away.
“Do we have to do this?”
Liang Ruo’s words made him stop in his tracks.
“We were such good friends. Wasn’t it me who stayed up all night with you practicing?” Liang Ruo looked up at Fang Juexia, her eyes filled with hurt. “I’m grateful for what you did back then. Wasn’t it because we were friends that you stood up for me? Why are you ignoring me now?”
“You’re lying, aren’t you? You’re still blaming me.”
Fang Juexia didn’t speak. He wasn’t good at handling such situations, which made him feel exhausted and a bit breathless.
He didn’t want to recall the past. He had spent a long time convincing himself that what he had done was right, that standing up for her was right, and that sticking to his principles was right.
“Juexia, about the past…”
Dong dong—
The sudden knock on the door interrupted Liang Ruo’s rebuttal. Fang Juexia looked up and saw Pei Tingsong leaning against the doorframe, a carefree smile on his face.
“Am I interrupting you?”
Liang Ruo turned to look at him. “Sorry, we’re a bit busy right now…”
“Great.” Pei Tingsong didn’t wait for him to finish, slipping his hands into his pockets and walking straight inside. “I’m here to interrupt you.”
Fang Juexia froze.
He had intended to reply…
Pei Tingsong grabbed his shoulder, “You took so long in the restroom, I thought you got lost. Did you listen to what I sent you?”
“I haven’t had the chance yet,” Fang Juexia admitted honestly.
Liang Ruo seemed unable to tolerate the two of them ignoring him. He made a final attempt, “Juexia, you…”
Pei Tingsong stopped, his tone unfriendly, “Originally, Qiang Ge and the captain told me not to cause trouble when I went out. I promised them, but you’re forcing me to break the rules.”
He turned around, looking down at Liang Ruo with a malicious tone, “Don’t take yourself too seriously. I only helped you once. You should be grateful in your heart.”
Liang Ruo took a deep breath, “You… What right do you have to comment on our past?”
“Because I was his teammate,” Pei Tingsong wrapped his arm around Fang Juxia’s shoulder, “because we spent every day together, because one-sixth of the dream he finally achieved has my name on it.”
Pei Tingsong sneered.
“And what are you?”
Liang Ruo stared at Pei Tingsong with innocent eyes.
“Don’t want to say?” Pei Tingsong pretended to think, “Let me think for you… A trainee from the former company? An old friend who parted ways? Or the person who took his place to debut?”
“You want fame and fortune, friendship, and moral blackmail.”
The smile vanished from his face, and he raised an eyebrow.
“Do you deserve it?”
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