When Fang Juexia woke up, he felt like his entire skeleton had shattered.
He opened his eyes groggily, staring at the white ceiling as if his soul had been stolen. Three minutes passed before his memories slowly returned.
Memories that were… utterly unbearable to recall.
“You’re awake?” Pei Tingsong had woken earlier. Holding the still-sleeping Fang Juexia as if cradling a precious jade artifact, he kissed him with the utmost gentleness, afraid to disturb his slumber. He’d hoped Fang would wake naturally after sleeping his fill.
Fang Juexia’s face flushed instantly as his memories returned. He pushed against Pei Tingsong’s chest, determined to shove him away. “Let go. Don’t press against me.”
“Why is it always like this?” Pei Tingsong’s tone carried a hint of hurt. “Could it be you’ve forgotten everything?”
Fang Juexia hadn’t forgotten, of course. He remembered it all too clearly. But he said nothing, merely curled up and pulled all the blankets over himself. A quick glance revealed Pei Tingsong lying completely exposed beside him. His ears burned, so he pulled a corner of the quilt out and draped it over Pei Tingsong.
He needed to distance himself from the source of danger.
Pei Tingsong tugged that corner of the quilt, pulling him into his embrace. Holding Fang Juexia through the fabric, he deliberately sighed long and low into his ear, “Fang Juexia, I’m dirty.”
That cheeky attitude after getting what he wanted! Fang Juexia felt his blood boil, wanting to punch him.
“If you’re dirty, go take a shower.” “ Fang Juexia’s ears flushed crimson as he jabbed at Pei Tingsong with his elbow, kicking his feet beneath the covers like a small fish caught in a net. Pei Tingsong found it adorable, showering him with kisses and hugs. ”You wash me. Last night, I washed you. Now it’s your turn to return the favor.”
Fang Juexia grew so flustered he started talking a mile a minute. “Return what? Are you borrowing an eraser from a kid in elementary school?”
“You don’t even know if I’m a kid or not.” Pei Tingsong clasped his hands tightly, sighing heavily again. “What am I supposed to do? I’m no longer pure little Pei. You took my precious first time, along with the second and third. You have to take responsibility for me.”
Who’s responsible for who? Fang Juexia rolled over in anger, ready to smack his head, but his hand was caught the moment it rose. Pei Tingsong raised an eyebrow. “Or else I’ll cling to you for the rest of my life.”
Fang Juexia’s heart pounded violently. He might truly be completely at this guy’s mercy.
“You’re already clinging to me like this,” he said, then pressed his lips together, stinging with heat.
Pei Tingsong kissed the corner of his eye, then pulled him close, burying his chin in Fang Juexia’s shoulder and nuzzling his neck like a puppy. “I love you so much.”
He often spoke to him like this, like a child. Fang Juexia usually responded with actions, since words didn’t come easily to him. But now his hands were trapped under the covers, unable to return Pei Tingsong’s embrace.
So he hesitated for a moment before whispering in his ear, “Me too.”
How could someone who didn’t like him give in so easily?
Pei Tingsong smiled contentedly, loosening his arms to lift the quilt. “Let me see how many bug bites you got?”
“No, keep your hands off.”
“Just a peek! Just once!”
“…Give me back the blanket.”
“Oh god.”
Sunlight spilled through the white curtains, flowing like water over the lovers’ skin.
Every summer romance was passionate, like sunlight that never cooled.
Fang Juexia and Pei Tingsong savored these days with the same care and reverence as tasting a limited-edition ice cream.
Though they couldn’t stroll hand-in-hand down beautiful tree-lined paths like ordinary couples, nor dine together at hard-to-book restaurants by candlelight, they could cook side by side, simmering soup. Fang Juexia could nestle in Pei Tingsong’s embrace while he recited poetry and novels, teaching him mental arithmetic tricks. They watched movies, kissed, read books, and shared even longer kisses.
Trapped in their high-rise apartment, they savored three days of limited romance—restrained yet liberating.
But every vacation must end. On the day they returned to work, Xiao Wen drove to pick them up. Hearing Pei Tingsong had the flu, Xiao Wen had foolishly brought a bunch of medicine. Pei Tingsong and Fang Juexia exchanged glances, barely suppressing their laughter. Fang Juexia took the medicine for him. As they got into the car, Pei Tingsong, who hadn’t been online in ages, scrolled through Weibo and instinctively cursed out loud.
“What’s wrong?” Fang Juexia leaned over to look.
“Brother Huo’s trending. They’re saying he’s dating. What the hell is this?”
Xiao Wen was so startled he couldn’t even fasten his seatbelt. “What?!”
“Let me check it out first.” Pei Tingsong clicked on the trending topic [He Ziyan Dating], which was extremely popular. Unlike Tingjue, He Ziyan had overwhelmingly more CP fans. His boyfriend material status was arguably the highest in the entire group, and he had tons of girlfriend fans. Seeing this trending topic would definitely cause a stir.
The top post was from a marketing account, posted just minutes ago: [Popular boy band Kaleido member He Ziyan allegedly spotted on a date with girlfriend. The pair shared a sweet “head pat” outside a KTV.]
Four photos were attached, all blurry night shots.
“Is that him?” Fang Juexia clicked on the images for Pei Tingsong. Sure enough, there was a girl with long black hair wearing a blue French-style mini dress and a mask. He Ziyan was unmistakable—even from the side and wearing a hat, someone who spent every day with him would recognize him instantly. The first two photos showed him reaching out to touch the girl’s head, while the latter two captured them standing side by side.
The comment section was flooded with fans trying to control the narrative, but real-time searches showed many netizens discussing it. Many were already emotionally charged, condemning He Ziyan for dating during his rise to fame and getting caught on camera.
Idol romances remain a highly controversial topic. Kaleido is currently one of the most talked-about groups, with nearly every member experiencing rising popularity and appearing on various ongoing variety shows. This dating news has sparked massive online debate, with almost everyone convinced it’s confirmed—though opinions differ. Many fandom fans consider this a serious offense, while others argue that Kaleido never relied on fan support to rise to prominence. They claim the group has repeatedly broken into the mainstream through sheer talent and earned their fanbase fairly, and shouldn’t be criticized so harshly.
For a time, opinions were divided, and the “collapse theory” quickly spread, causing considerable impact.
Pei Tingsong found it hard to believe and messaged He Ziyan, “No way, Brother Huo wouldn’t secretly date someone.”
“I need to call Brother Qiang.” Xiao Wen didn’t start the car.
Fang Juexia felt something was off the more he looked. “This dress looks so familiar.” He thought carefully and finally recalled something. “Wait a minute. This is the gift I gave Miao’s sister for her birthday last time.”
“Huh?” Pei Tingsong took a closer look. “It really looks like Jiang Yao.” He looked at Fang Juexia. “Brother Huo couldn’t possibly be dating Xiao Yao, right? Isn’t she just turning 18?”
Fang Juexia instinctively dismissed the idea.
Their phones buzzed simultaneously—the group chat from Kaleido.
[Sexy Round Teacher online, flipping through photos: What’s going on? I saw the street dance instructors’ group buzzing with gossip, rushed over excitedly, and what do I find? My house collapsed?? [Image][Image]]
[Brother Huo: Someone’s trying to frame me, right? This was our celebration after Xiao Yao finished her college entrance exams! Sanshui and Yiyi were there too. How did it turn into me secretly meeting my girlfriend?]
[Dash Account: Yeah, I was there too! Don’t I deserve to be mentioned?!!]
[Sexy Round Teacher online flipping cards: It’s clearly a four-person scandal scene, yet your name is never mentioned.]
[Shui Shui Shui: These rumor-mongers are way too much—they won’t even leave high schoolers alone.]
“Miao Ge must be furious,” Fang Juexia sighed. “His own sister dragged into slandering teammates.”
Pei Tingsong cursed under his breath, “If it were me, I’d be raging on voice chat right now.”
Xiao Wen immediately cut him off, “No no no, my dear, let’s head back to the company first. All these baseless rumors piling up one after another just proves you guys are really breaking out. I’m so proud!”
Fortunately, they’d taken several group photos that night as keepsakes. Though they’d initially thought not to post them, now they served as evidence. Star Chart’s response was as swift as ever—they drafted a clarification statement and immediately posted it on Weibo, confirming the identity of the girl in the photos.
He Ziyan also promptly posted a Weibo update.
[@Kaleido He Ziyan: Four-person gathering celebrating Miao Ge’s younger sister finishing her college entrance exams. Now you’re not satisfied with fabricating my background—you’re trying to set me up with a girlfriend too? Well then, I’ll just take the bait and go online to find a wife.]
He attached several group photos from that night, with his sister Jiang Yao’s face covered by stickers. Jiang Miao reposted the Weibo almost instantly.
[@KaleidoJiangMiao: Apologies for occupying public resources. The girl in the group photos and the leaked candid shots is my biological younger sister. Friends familiar with me know I have a sister several years younger. As she is still a student, I have always prioritized protecting her privacy and hope media professionals can give her some space. She was just celebrating after finishing her exams, and we never imagined it would cause such a commotion. I sincerely apologize.”
Jiang Miao’s statement was neither humble nor arrogant. He also shared a photo taken with his sister at her school that same afternoon after the exam, wearing the same outfit. Longtime fans who’ve followed him for years all know about this sister. Jiang Miao even has nicknames and tags like “sister-obsessed” and “his only weakness is his sister.” Upon learning that the so-called “girlfriend” was actually the captain’s sister, fans launched a fierce counterattack.
Only then did netizens realize they’d been fed fake news. Most scattered like birds, while many speculated rival agencies were behind the scheme, condemning both paparazzi and the entertainment industry’s rampant fake news culture.
Yet almost none of the netizens who had previously jumped on the “romance theory” bandwagon apologized for their actions. They shrugged off the embarrassment, with some even rationalizing that dating a teammate’s sister wasn’t impossible, then slapped on the label of self-promotion and marketing.
These gossip-mongers don’t care about clarification or explanation. They’re only eager to watch the high-rise collapse, to see the tower crumble. If it doesn’t fall, they’ll boo and jeer.
But even so, falsehoods must be clarified. Ling Yi, one of the parties involved, reposted He Ziyan’s Weibo almost immediately.
[@KaleidoLingYi: I booked the KTV. Why am I unworthy of rumors?]
Below, a crowd of fans began mocking Ling Yi for being ignored.
[@HukaZongShouLingYi: Maybe you should reflect on why you don’t deserve a girlfriend, hahaha]
Lu Yuan also reposted Ling Yi’s Weibo.
[@KaleidoLuYuan: Just landed for the show, thanks for the invite… Wait, why wasn’t I invited? I could skip the recording! //@KaleidoLingYi: I booked the KTV, why don’t I deserve the gossip?]
As a crosstalk boy band, Kaleido’s group spirit always manifested in the most unexpected ways. They constantly bickered among themselves, sparring relentlessly even in public, yet whenever trouble arose, they instinctively rallied to protect their own.
Fang Juexia headed straight to the piano room to practice and write songs upon arriving at the company. He then received a WeChat from Cheng Qiang, who mentioned the company had paid to clear the trending search. Fang immediately pulled out his phone to check the latest updates. Even though he hadn’t posted on Weibo in ages, the moment he saw He Ziyan’s post, he commented below it.
[@kaleido Fang Juexia: Why didn’t you bring me to the party? I was the one who gave your sister that dress. ]
His deadpan comment was quickly pushed to the top by fans.
[@KaleidoWonAnAwardToday: Holy crap, the influencer you follow commented!!!]
[@Grade6AStunningView: Aaaah Juexia bro! How adorable are you, seriously complaining about not being invited?]
[@DidFangJuexiaPostToday: Damn, that dress was actually a gift from fjx? I’m so jealous.]
[@DeafFansStepBack: I need to buy the same dress! Rounding up, my pretty darling gifted me a dress!]
[@AuditoryGirlUnderBlueSky: AAAAAH it’s fresh-off-the-press jxgg! His tone is just too adorable.]
Fang Juexia refreshed his feed and unexpectedly spotted Pei Tingsong’s comment—it had already been pushed below his post in such a short time.
[@Kaleido Pei Tingsong: Why didn’t you bring me to the party? And my little sister isn’t wearing the shoes I gave her either.]
Fang Juexia burst out laughing upon seeing it.
This guy is so weird—even copying his comments? What, are you a copycat?
Before Fang Juexia could respond, his fans spoke up first.
[@UnderTheGrapevinesWithYouAndMe: Are you a copycat tree? Why do you copy everything from your brother?]
[@CactusBloomingBellflowers: Seriously, one sends her a dress, the other sends her shoes—I’m so jealous I could die! This girl was born under a lucky star. Her biological brother is Jiang Miao, plus five gorgeous godbrothers showering her with gifts and throwing parties. Her first rumored boyfriend is He Ziyan… What kind of Mary Sue romance novel heroine is this…?]
[@HearingIsReal: I’m just confused—Teacher Yuan was filming elsewhere during college entrance exams, so not bringing him makes sense. But PTS and FJX should’ve been in Beijing… why didn’t they bring you two?…]
[@IDontDareSayHearingIsReal replies to @HearingIsReal: Sis, watch out—he’ll roast you lol]
[@Putuo Temple Scenery Line replies to @HearingIsReal: Don’t ask. The answer is team discord.]
Yeah, what did those two do the night after the college entrance exams ended?
Fang Juexia glanced at the date, then shut down Weibo with flushed ears.
Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
That evening, the company held a special meeting. Recent controversies had been piling up. While such commotion was normal for a boy band riding a surge in popularity, Cheng Qiang still addressed each issue with his team.
“This mix-up was definitely orchestrated. Such tactics aren’t uncommon in the industry. Just recently, a rising actress had her secret marriage exposed—that was also leaked by someone within the circle.”
Ling Yi clicked his tongue in disapproval. “How nasty.”
“That’s just how fame works—nothing we can do about it. Star Chart is primarily a music-focused company, so our atmosphere is actually quite relaxed. Aside from Shang Sirui, all your senior members have dated before. The company doesn’t prohibit relationships, but there’s one thing you must understand.” Cheng Qiang tapped the conference table. “If I find out, you must notify me at the very latest once your relationship is stable. That way, I can prepare accordingly.”
“Got it—”
Lu Yuan asked, “Does the company arrange dates? I can’t even meet a girl right now.”
Ling Yi squeezed his hand. “Me neither. I’ve only seen Xiao Yao lately. At this rate, I’ll end up dating someone in the team!”
Fang Juexia stiffened at the remark. Pei Tingsong, thick-skinned as ever, shrugged it off as if nothing happened and retorted to Ling Yi, “You want a team romance? Who’d want you?”
“Well, Juexia, of course,” Ling Yi leaned toward Fang Juexia. “After all, I’m a total face-obsessed guy.”
Fang Juexia gave a nervous laugh to play along, but his eyes involuntarily darted toward Pei Tingsong diagonally across from them. Their gazes met briefly, and Pei Tingsong instantly wiped the smile from his lips.
He quickly averted his gaze, his ears filled with Ling Yi’s incessant chatter. For some reason, Fang Juexia found himself feeling not just awkward, but also strangely pleased. It seemed this secret romance brought him not only sweetness, but also a thrill.
Every day spent with Pei Tingsong felt like breaking a taboo.
Stealing a taste, stealing love, stealing forbidden fruit.
None of these were clean words, yet they all applied to him. Strangely, Fang Juexia was beginning to relish this uncleanness.
Cheng Qiang went over some matters for the Xia Special Project, arranging song selection and recording. Fang Juexia had been zoning out until Cheng Qiang called on him near the end of the meeting, snapping him back to attention.
“Hm?” Fang Juexia looked at him.
“I was saying—that demo you played us last time. It’d be great if we could include it in Xia’s album this time.” Cheng Qiang said.
So that’s what it was about.
Fang Juexia nodded. “I’ll speed up production, but I can’t guarantee it’ll be perfect. This is my first time trying my hand at composing.”
“Alright. Anyway, the company policy is to prioritize your original work.”
After the meeting, the six members—who had barely managed to gather—found an empty vocal studio to discuss the summer album. They didn’t finish until 11 PM and headed back to the dorm. On the way, Jiang Miao expressed concern about Pei Tingsong’s cold. Just then, Pei Tingsong’s phone rang. He gave Jiang Miao a vague look and answered the call. Fang Juexia sensed something was off. His expression turned serious the moment he answered, saying nothing but a few “uh-huhs” before finally saying, “Send me the stuff to look at.”
Had something else happened? Fang Juexia wondered.
The conversation shifted away from Xiao Pei to He Ziyan, whose day had been a rollercoaster.
“Actually, thinking back, it was kind of interesting,” He Ziyan said. “It was like testing the waters of romance early. Never expected the netizens’ reaction to be so intense—they even dug up my two ex-girlfriends.”
“Yeah,” Lu Yuan teased him, “You said you didn’t even have your first girlfriend’s WeChat anymore? Netizens are terrifying.”
Listening to their discussion, Fang Juexia felt a faint unease.
Even though he enjoyed this secretive romance, he knew that given Pei Tingsong’s personality, he must also want to go public, like other celebrity couples.
But he didn’t want their relationship to affect the team. No matter how he looked at it, the timing wasn’t right in the short term.
Perhaps in another three or five years, when their respective careers had matured…
At this thought, Fang Juexia couldn’t help but ponder further.
Would they still be together by then?
Forever.
That word seemed like an inescapable trap for every person in love. Fang Juexia believed himself sufficiently level-headed and courageous, yet he couldn’t evade its pull.
He hoped this improbable event called [forever] might happen to him.
The commotion in the living room died down, and everyone returned to their rooms. Fang Juexia walked over and slid open the glass balcony door. The summer night breeze carried the scent of jasmine. His phone vibrated—a message from Pei Tingsong.
[Hengzhen Style: Are you afraid?]
Scared?
What would I be scared of?
Ling Yi was tidying up his newly bought Minion figurine, humming a tune: “I’ll always remember the summer breeze…”
Fang Juexia typed a line, deleted the last part before sending, and rewrote it.
[Moonlight: I’m not afraid of our relationship going public, but if it ever does become known to everyone, I hope it’s because we chose to share it ourselves.]
Staring at the words he’d sent, he thought of the original sentence that had only survived three seconds in the editing box.
[I’m not afraid of our relationship being made public. I’m only afraid this love’s shelf life is shorter than I imagined.]
Before it could ripen, this candy’s best-before date had already passed. Peeling off the wrapper to display it to the world now seemed pointless.
When it came to that anxious, clingy nature, Pei Tingsong had truly inherited it from him.
Moments later, Fang Juexia’s phone buzzed again.
[Hengzhen Style: Of course. This is all about self-sabotage. I’d love for everyone to know right now that you’re mine alone—no one can take you away. How could I let others beat me to it? That’d be slapping my face, and I won’t stand for it.]
Is that so?
A smile touched Fang Juexia’s lips as certain individuals’ embarrassing pasts instantly flashed through his mind.
[Moonlight: Kid, your face seems to be getting slapped constantly.]
[Moonlight: “Why would anyone want to sleep with you? I can’t even imagine what you’d be like in bed.”]
[Moonlight: “Do these people have a thing for ice or wood?”]
[Moonlight: “Don’t worry, I’m not after your body.”]
[Moonlight: “I’m not gay.”]
[Moonlight: “Does it hurt?”]
Pei Tingsong watched the messages pop out one after another, like a school of goldfish leaping out of their tank.
Fang Juexia, who rarely messaged at all, was now firing off messages in rapid succession, leaving Pei Tingsong struggling to keep up. Staring at the screen, he muttered to himself, “Wait… why are we digging up old issues now?”
He Ziyan happened to overhear. “Old scores? What old scores? Oh right! You still owe me money for that game top-up!”
“What… You’re taking advantage of the situation!”
“Taking advantage of what? I am the situation.”
