“What?” Pei Tingsong spread his hands wide, his face a mask of disbelief. “Seriously?”
But the male fan quickly couldn’t hold back his laughter. “No no no, just kidding! Could you please sign for me? I’d really appreciate it.” He even bowed.
I knew it.
Pei Tingsong tugged at the headband on his forehead. “Fine. Since we’re both 20, I’ll sign ‘Forever twenty’ for you.”
“Thanks, thanks,” the male fan quickly added, “But Jue Xia mentioned in an interview that his ideal type is someone more mature. I guess I need to grow up faster.”
As Pei Tingsong wrote the letter F, he nearly let an F-word slip out.
Hearing this, Fang Juexia snapped his head up. He first looked at the bright-eyed, upright young man, then glanced sideways at Pei Tingsong, whose expression management was teetering on the edge of collapse. Finally, he whipped his head back to meet Ling Yi’s amused gaze and whispered, “When did I ever say that?”
Ling Yi whispered back, “How should I know when you made that up…”
“Fine.” Pei Tingsong’s smile grew increasingly kind. “Then I wish you a speedy maturity.” His signature was signed with surprising force, the scratching sound of the pen on the album cover sounding eerily sharp. Yet Pei Tingsong still smiled as he handed the album over. “Here you go.”
“Thanks.” The male fan took it and tucked it into his bag, then grasped Pei Tingsong’s hands with both of his, his expression earnest.
Huh, he even knows to be considerate since he’s injured. Seems he’s not entirely heartless after all.
Pei Tingsong beat him to the punch, speaking with casual flair, “No need to wish me a speedy recov…”
“Please take good care of our Juexia!” The fan gripped Pei Tingsong’s hand tightly with genuine emotion, cutting him off.
Wait… what?
Our Juexia???
“I know you’re just doing your job!” the male fan persisted, “But please take good care of our Juexia! Our Juexia is really going through a tough time!” With that, he released his hand and bowed deeply to Pei Tingsong, who still hadn’t withdrawn his own.
Business???
I’m the real deal! The genuine article!
“Here are the rehabilitation tools I bought for you, plus calcium supplements.” The fan pulled items from his bag one by one, like a pyramid scheme salesman. “I heard guys over 190cm tall tend to have weaker constitutions. You need to nourish yourself properly too.”
“I’m not weak at all!”
This was a direct insult to his physical strength! It felt like a personal attack.
Seeing his little wolf dog getting so flustered he was about to jump the wall, Fang Juexia immediately stepped in to smooth things over. “Thank you for the gifts. I’ll make sure Little Pei takes them.”
Seeing Fang Juexia speak, the male fan flushed with a shy smile again. “Thanks, Juexia. I’ll find another chance to come see you!”
Fang Juexia bowed his head modestly with a smile. “Alright, thank you so much for your support.”
After finally seeing off this die-hard fan, Ling Yi switched back to his sharp-tongued mode. “Tall but weak—that describes certain group leaders who usually act all tough. Here’s a song for you: ‘You Have Your Day Too.’”
Pei Tingsong grabbed a toy flail from the table and pointed it at Ling Yi. “Shut up! I’m not weak at all.”
Lu Yuan handed the album to the fan with both hands, muttering, “Yeah, Little Pei’s in top shape—he eats like a horse.”
“Respect, Brother Yuan.” Pei Tingsong saluted him.
Lu Yuan returned the salute and continued, “But he really is kinda weak. He even needs someone to fetch his bathrobe when he showers.”
The fans nearby all burst into laughter.
“Hahahahaha!”
“This job is impossible now.”
Fang Juexia patted his back and smiled at him. To the fans below the stage, it looked exactly like the affectionate smile an older brother in the team would give the youngest member. He had just noticed Pei Tingsong wanting to drink the Wangzi milk in front of him, so he inserted the straw for him and pushed it over. “Drink up.”
“Fans really do follow their idols.”
Fang Juexia frowned in confusion.
“No heart at all.” Pei Tingsong picked it up, bit down on the straw, and took a sip, as if transported back to that dreadful time a year and a half ago when he drank Wangzi milk every single day.
“Too sweet.” He frowned and set the milk down.
Fang Juexia naturally picked up the Wangzi carton again and took a sip. “It’s fine.”
CP fans below swooned at the sight of the two sharing a carton, sweet enough to make them faint on the spot.
Another new fan approached, wearing a T-shirt that looked like it was from a merchandise booth. Two small cartoon figures adorned the chest—one with blue hair, the other with long black straight hair. Above the figures were three large characters: 睡一觉 (Sleep One Night).
“Ling Yi! Do you remember me—!”
To be honest, Fang Juexia wasn’t great at remembering faces, so he had to think for a moment. But when he heard “Sleepyhead CP Station,” Fang Juexia guessed she must be a huge fan of the Ling Yi/Fang Juexia pairing, so he nodded. “Hello.”
The Sleepyhead Station admin was thrilled. “Ahhh, I’m so happy!”
Ling Yi mimicked her excitement, “Ahhh, so happy!” and reached out to high-five the girl.
“I brought some fan merchandise from our CP site—dolls! And our photo books!” The admin rummaged energetically through her giant Minions backpack.
Ling Yi stared at her bag. “That backpack is so cute!”
“Right? I got one for you too!” She pulled out the doll and photo book, along with a Minion backpack and Minion Polaroid camera she’d bought for Ling Yi. “These are all for you.”
“Thanks! I love them!”
As requested, Ling Yi wrote a message for the CP site in her album. The admin tucked it away contentedly before turning to Fang Juexia. “Juexia, I got you a new game console. It has Sudoku games and lots of challenging number puzzles—perfect for before bed.”
“Thanks.” Fang Juexia was delighted with the gift, examining the box several times.
“And this—a photo book each for you and Lingyi.”
Fang Juexia accepted all her gifts, big and small, repeatedly thanking her before signing the albums as requested.
“Ah, I have one last little request.”
Fang Juexia capped his pen. “Sure, go ahead.”
The station manager girl tugged at her backpack strap. “Could Juexia and Lingyi hold up your hands together to make a heart shape?”
Ling Yi set down his pen. “Of course!” With that, he raised his left hand, curving it into a half-heart shape, and obediently leaned it against Fang Juexia’s shoulder.
In the past, Fang Juexia had felt no psychological burden about promoting CPs. But now, whenever he promoted other pairings, he felt a chill run down his spine.
Sure enough, when he turned his head, he saw Pei Tingsong, who had just finished signing autographs, smiling kindly at them.
Fang Juexia pretended not to notice, quickly coordinating with Ling Yi to form a heart shape before waving goodbye to this adorable Sleepy Station Master.
Glancing over, Pei Tingsong saw Ling Yi flaunting the CP plushies everywhere, and felt utterly sour.
Where was the CP fandom? What about the promised trending CP? The top CP super topic?
Fake! All fake!
Just as he was mentally berating his own CP fandom for being so lackluster, a short-haired lolita approached him. Her jacket bore several large characters: Hearing Girls Under the Blue Sky.
Pei Tingsong, who had been slumped over moments ago, perked up instantly.
“Hi, Jue Xia!” The short-haired girl’s face was plastered with Tingjue cartoon stickers. Fang Juexia looked up, found her adorable, and complimented, “Those stickers are so cute.”
“Really?!” The short-haired girl excitedly pulled out all the remaining stickers from her pocket. “Here, Mom—no, wait,” she quickly corrected herself, “I mean, I’ll give you all the ones I have!”
Fang Juexia smiled as he tucked the stickers away. “Thank you.”
“What about mine?” Pei Tingsong chimed in, tilting his head. “I want some too.”
“You can go back and split them with Juexia,” the girl added pointedly. “Juexia gets to pick first.”
Why?
Pei Tingsong was puzzled. Why wouldn’t even his own CP fans take his side!
“I’m the station master of the Spring Snow Captive CP site. We prepared so many gifts for you guys, we had to haul them to Xingtu in a truck. These are the ones we wanted to give you personally. “The young admin first handed the bouquet in her hands to Fang Juexia. It contained baby’s breath, white lisianthus, peonies, and white roses, wrapped in pearl-colored floral paper and tied with a light gray satin ribbon.
“Wow, this is so beautiful,” Ling Yi interjected. “It looks like a wedding bouquet.”
It did bear a resemblance. Fang Juexia adored the bouquet’s color scheme. He thanked her twice before gently placing it on the table.
The stationmaster then produced a glasses case, opened it, and handed Juexia a pair of custom-made gold-rimmed glasses with a chain. What made them unique was the exquisitely crafted white flower affixed to the left lens.
She pointed it out, explaining, “This is a white lisianthus made of resin. We had it specially made for you.”
Pei Tingsong admired the flower, finding it beautiful and perfectly suited for Fang Juexia. “It’s truly exquisite. Why don’t you put them on so they can see?”
Fang Juexia nodded and slipped on the glasses. The left lens was obscured by the lisianthus, leaving only one eye visible. Immediately, the sound of rapid camera shutters filled the air.
“So gorgeous!” The stationmaster excitedly started rummaging through the bag again. Seeing the beautiful glasses Fang Juexia had gotten, Pei Tingsong naturally grew more eager about his own gift.
“This is for little Pei!”
The moment it was revealed, Pei Tingsong’s hopeful little face fell. It was a long, Hawaiian-style necklace strung with fist-sized cactus dolls, each sporting a unique expression—some with eyebrows furrowed in anger, others sporting cool sunglasses.
The stationmaster hung it eagerly around Pei Tingsong’s neck. “We made this specially. You can even take the little cacti apart, you know.”
Pei Tingsong squeezed the green cactus and tugged at its soft spines.
Fang Juexia watched the little dolls, her previously cold expression suddenly lighting up with delight. “I have a cactus too, but it’s the tall, slender kind.”
At this remark, the short-haired lolita suddenly let out a shrill squeal. She whirled around to her sisters below, making exaggerated expressions with excitement and stomping her feet. Startled, Fang Juexia feared she’d said something wrong. “What’s wrong?”
The station manager’s voice floated up, “Nothing, nothing! Just think it’s super cute that Brother Juexia grows a cactus.”
Alright then. Pei Tingsong thought of the cactus on Fang Juexia’s balcony, then squeezed the cactus doll a few more times. Strangely, it grew on him the more he looked at it. “It is pretty cute. Thanks.”
“You’re welcome! And this.” The station manager pulled out a hairband and insisted on putting it on Pei Tingsong. The security guard standing beside him tried to stop her, but Pei Tingsong raised his hand to signal her to continue. “It’s fine, let her do it. I can’t use one hand.”
“Thanks, Xiao Pei!” The station manager secured the headband, one side adorned with a soft cotton lisianthus flower, the other with a tiny cactus figurine.
“How’s it look?” Pei Tingsong turned to ask Fang Juexia after putting it on.
Fang Juexia reached out, adjusting his stray strands of hair. “Very cute.”
Pei Tingsong beamed with satisfaction, striking cool poses for the crowd of station sisters below with their DSLRs.
The station sisters told them what they wanted signed, then earnestly urged, “Juexia Brother and Xiao Pei, please take good care of yourselves. Don’t get hurt again—we’re all so worried about you.”
Pei Tingsong signed his name with a flourish. “Don’t worry. Look how handsome I am signing with just one hand.”
Fang Juexia smiled too. “You all take care of yourselves too.”
“Thanks, Brother Juexia. I’ll be off then.”
“Hey, wait a sec…” Pei Tingsong thought to himself. Why were their CP fans so clueless? Didn’t they know to get them to make a heart gesture?
He shot a look at the little station master, who, unable to follow his train of thought, shot a look right back.
Ugh. Pei Tingsong made a heart gesture at her, trying to hint.
“Little Pei, I love you too!” The station master flashed a heart back.
Seriously…
Pei Tingsong gave up. “Um, how about we make a heart together?”
He nudged Fang Juexia with his elbow, forcing him to join in. Fang Juexia wouldn’t refuse, of course, but he worried about Pei Tingsong’s hand—even his free right hand, not making the heart gesture, was propping up the one holding the microphone.
Listening to the rapid click-clack of camera shutters and the fans’ excited screams, Pei Tingsong finally felt satisfied.
Midway through the signing session, a break was called. Staff brought them snacks and drinks, while also preparing small treats for the fans below.
He Ziyan tore open a bag of potato chips, holding the microphone to address the fans below. “Alright, it’s time for the Elementary School Sports Day.”
Ling Yi quickly caught the joke. “My elementary school sports day was basically a snack fest. Everyone brought a little backpack full of treats to share around.”
Jiang Miao teased, “That must have been Yi Yi’s favorite school activity.”
“Hahahaha!”
Lu Yuan tore open a pack of Mimi shrimp crackers. “I’m dying for some spicy potato chips right now. But I can’t—all these cameras are on me. I can’t throw away the dignity of the stunning lead dancer.”
Ling Yi snorted. “You’re shameless.”
While the four chatted animatedly, Fang Juexia and Pei Tingsong at the far right of the long table seemed to exist in another dimension entirely.
“Let me put a sticker on you.” Fang Juexia tapped Pei Tingsong’s cast with her fingertip. “Right here.”
“Then pick a pretty one.”
The two buried their heads in the selection for ages. Fang Juexia stuck each chosen sticker onto her own finger before carefully placing them on the cast as requested, spelling out a large P.
Pei Tingsong beamed with satisfaction as he showed off the stickers on his cast to the audience below, the little doll on his head swinging back and forth.
Ling Yi, exhausted from performing a crosstalk routine with Lu Yuan, turned around to find Juexia’s chair had vanished into thin air. Just moments ago, the staff had arranged the chairs evenly spaced when they took the stage. Now, the gap between him and Juexia was wide enough to fit another chair.
Just as crooked as its owner’s heart.
Ling Yi joked into the mic, “So it turns out we have a seventh member in Kaleido?” He then gestured with his hand, tracing a human shape in the vast gap between him and Fang Juexia. “See that, everyone? Right here.”
The fans below the stage burst into laughter. “Hahahahahaha!”
Jiang Miao chimed in, “This is the Emperor’s member.”
He Ziyan joined the banter, “What kind of supernatural phenomenon is this at a Kaleido signing event?”
Lu Yuan perched on his stool and glanced to the right. “Not as handsome as me. Case closed.”
Only then did Fang Juexia belatedly realize he’d been roasted. He shifted his chair slightly to the left and explained, “I was just sticking a sticker on him.”
“No, don’t move over! You’ll crush our hidden member’s legs!” Ling Yi feigned grief. “Don’t explain—explanations are just cover-ups. This scene makes me want to sing a song.”
He actually started rapping: “I sit to your left, like across the Milky Way~”
“Hahahaha, drama queen Ling Yi!”
“Hahahaha!”
Fang Juexia could only laugh helplessly, shifting his chair when Ling Yi wasn’t looking. He didn’t know why, but he always found himself drawn closer to Pei Tingsong.
Fans below the stage chanted his name, “Brother Juexia! Can Juexia put on those glasses? We want to take pictures of you!”
Fang Juexia obliged, once again slipping on the hydrangea-patterned glasses gifted by fans earlier. Paired with his preppy outfit and soft black hair, he looked both handsome and refined.
The fan club managers frantically snapped photos, then heard shouts from another section: “Brother Juexia! Can you hold the bouquet?”
“Yes! The bouquet looks great!”
Pei Tingsong chuckled, teasing, “He looks like a model.”
“Is this okay?” Fang Juexia complied, taking the bouquet and smiling at the cameras below. He wasn’t someone who particularly knew how to please fans, or rather, win their favor.
Compared to many stars who interact with fans as if they were “girlfriends,” Fang Juexia seemed much more distant. He rarely posted on Weibo and seldom uttered phrases like “I love you all.” Coupled with his naturally cool-looking face, many misunderstood him. Numerous haters even criticized him for being cold, giving fans the silent treatment, and acting indifferent.
But only his fans know the truth: Fang Juexia is simply not good at expressing himself. Yet he repeatedly and sincerely expresses gratitude, helping fans who fall at airports, offering tissues to those who cry. He genuinely cares for them, treating them as equals, as friends.
After the photoshoot, Fang Juexia bent down to tidy the flowers. He overheard Pei Tingsong muttering beside him, complaining that since they were CP fans, they should have gotten him a bouquet too.
Fang Juexia didn’t look up, but smiled. “Do you like flowers?”
Pei Tingsong answered honestly, “Not really.”
The table blocked Fang Juexia’s movements. Pei Tingsong continued interacting with the fans below, but he deliberately did the opposite of what they asked. When a fan told him to pick up the toy gun on the table for a photo, he deliberately grabbed a toy samurai sword instead.
Just as he was happily bantering with the fan, someone tapped his elbow. He turned his head to see a small bouquet tied with ribbon.
“For you,” Fang Juexia whispered.
He carefully plucked every single lisianthus from the bouquet, gathering them into a pure white cluster to present to Pei Tingsong.
Each lisianthus held a subtle hint of affection—known only to them, or perhaps known to the whole world.
Pei Tingsong took the bouquet in a daze, looking up at Fang Juexia. One eye was obscured by the flowers, the other gleaming brightly, reflecting his own face.
How could anyone be this gentle and adorable?
He wanted to kiss him.
So badly.
“Thank you.” ”
Pei Tingsong picked up the bouquet meant just for him and began posing with it, showing it off as if to show off, letting the fans below take pictures.
Just then, a staff member walked over to hand them microphones. Fang Juexia took his and flipped the switch. The moment he turned it on, Ling Yi handed him a sandwich. “Juexia, you want some?”
Fang Juexia nodded, casually setting the mic on the table before turning to unwrap the sandwich.
The guys on the left were doing a group comedy routine, but Pei Tingsong was too busy showing off the delphinium bouquet Fang Juexia had arranged for him to join in.
Fang Juexia hadn’t eaten much all morning and skipped lunch, so he was genuinely hungry. But as soon as he took a bite of the sandwich, he felt something inside. Upon closer inspection, it was pickles again. Whether fresh cucumbers or pickles, Fang Juexia wasn’t a fan of either. He placed the barely touched sandwich back in the box, deciding not to eat it.
This small gesture was again noticed by Pei Tingsong. He picked up the half-eaten sandwich, plucked out the pickle, and ate it himself, muttering under his breath, “Pickles are so good, and he won’t even eat them.”
Little did they know that the microphone in front of them amplified the words, broadcasting them throughout the entire venue.
Fang Juexia froze solid, motionless except for her darting eyes.
Her teammate on the left flashed an awkward smile, covering the cabinet door. He Ziyan let out another “Wow!” before Captain Jiang Miao instinctively stepped in to save the situation. “Ah, is Juexia being picky again?”
His teammate on the left flashed an awkward smile, covering his mouth like someone caught red-handed. He Ziyan let out another “Wow!” before Captain Jiang Miao instinctively jumped in to save the situation. “Ah, is it because Juexia is being picky again? That’s why our Juexia is so skinny—the whole card team knows he’s a picky eater.”
Listening to the captain’s awkward chuckle, Ling Yi hadn’t snapped out of it yet. “How come I didn’t know?”
Lu Yuan shot back over Jiang Miao’s shoulder, “Because all you ever think about is eating.”
Pei Tingsong hadn’t realized the mic was live either, but turning it off now would look suspicious. He picked up the mic to say something, only for a fan below to suddenly shout even louder than him.
“Pei Tingsong, didn’t you say you hate pickles?!”
“Wow, you’ve got some lungs…” Pei Tingsong held the mic. “When did I ever say that?”
The fan on the other end kept shouting, “During the double-feature magazine interview! Quick Q&A! You said your favorite thing to eat is cheeseburgers—no pickles!”
The crowd below immediately gasped, “Whoa…” mixed with muffled screams from a small group of CP shippers.
He Ziyan wore an amused expression, “This girl’s got guts—loud voice and a sharp memory.”
Ling Yi sighed upon seeing the pickles in his identical sandwich. “Sigh… All these years of being picky and dismissive… it was all for nothing.”
Hearing the fan’s words, Fang Juexia suddenly remembered. He carefully recalled the interview from back then—Pei Tingsong had indeed answered that way.
So, he actually didn’t like pickles…
But every time, he’d pick out the cucumbers he disliked and eat them himself, scolding Fang Juexia for his picky eating habits.
“Does that mean I can’t like them now?” Pei Tingsong continued defending himself into the mic. “I thought they tasted awful during that interview, but after eating them a few more times, I realized they’re actually delicious. Can’t help it.”
Another girl in the audience shouted, “So good!!”
Author’s Note: Sleeping together doesn’t determine CP order. In Juexia and Lingyi’s pairing, he’s the top (Why am I even explaining this??)
Juexia has always been the top in the team! A 180cm tall, cool beauty top!
————————
After the live audience’s Tingxue CP fans posted photo previews and video clips on Weibo:
@SpringSnowCP Station: [Image][Image][Image]
[Ahhh our Juexia fairy is looking stunning as always today 555]
[OMG this glasses shot is too gorgeous! Divine station, divine pics! Mom fans are melting!]
[Xiao Pei’s cactus outfit is just too adorable!]
@Auditory Feast CP Station: Every single lisianthus is for you. [Image][Image]
[Holy crap! Lisianthus is Juexia’s signature flower! He took apart the bouquet Qiu Xue Station sent, picked out every single lisianthus stem, and gave them to Xiao Pei. Isn’t this basically saying, “I’m giving myself to you?” kswlkswlkswl]
[Aaaaaah! “Giving myself to you” is such mind-blowing sweetness! Waaah, our Juexia is such an utterly cold yet sweet little bean!]
[I’m shocked. The scenery looks cold, but how can it be this sweet? Ice cream itself is too sweet.]
[Who wouldn’t want to date the stunning Scenery Line? Waaah]
Spring Snow Captivity CP Station: Postscript! When we gave Xiao Pei the cactus plushie, Juexia mentioned he also grows a cactus~ A tall, slender one.
[Aaaaaaah! That’s exactly it! [Covering mouth]
[If Scenic Line has a cactus, doesn’t that mean he has Xiao Pei?!]
[Please, please, please—don’t let the real deal dance in front of the CP fans lol]
Spiky Platycodon Station: Somebody said they wouldn’t eat pickles? [Video]
[So even auditory types hate pickles? Oh my god, I need oxygen…]
[LOL Ling Yi is totally one of us, right? Main account hiding behind the closet door, alt account shipping the ship?]
[PTS is amazing. Is there anything sweeter than a younger wolf dog being spoiled by a grapevine?]
[Eating pickles he hates for his brother’s sake… so real…]
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