《Chasing Tides》 CH 1 Ning Lan squatted at the west entrance of the labour deployment centre. In his mouth was a cold Chinese pancake, and he dug into his pocket with one hand, feeling an identification card and two red notes of 100 renminbi in it. This was the total of what was left of his belongings. Counting with his fingers, he realised that the cheapest dormitory hostels around this area were at least 60rmb a night, and at the very least, he needed to have two pancakes and a bottle of water every day. This meant that within three days, he must find a job and a place to stay. Spring had just arrived, and the weather up north was still extremely cold. The snow had only stopped in the morning, and outside the doors of the centre, there was a winding path created from people¡¯s footsteps. The terrain was uneven, and the melted snow had flowed onto the road, forming dirty little puddles. Ning Lan happened to be squatting by one of those puddles. An icy wind blew, and he huffed into his hands, rubbing them vigorously. In this so-called labour deployment center, most of the people coming and going were either fraudulent agents or farmers who were here for the first time and did not know anything. He, too, did not know what went wrong with his brain for him to actually come here to seek a job. If not for the fact that he had nothing left from the wages that had been paid to him at the end of the year, as well as having to run and hide, not daring to appear in the industry that he had been working in for the past few years, he would not have ended up in such a state where he needed to seek a brick-transporting job. He had been squatting here for nearly the entire morning already, yet there was no contractor that was willing to hire him. Their reason was that his limbs were too slender, and he did not look like he had the strength. His bottle was empty, and Ning Lan swallowed down the last bite of the pancake with much difficulty. It felt as though he was getting a heartburn, and he cursed savagely, ¡°Fuck¡­¡± Wobbling as he stood up, Ning Lan planned to toss the empty bottle and the plastic bag into the trash. But when he stood in front of the trash bin, he felt that he was an idiot. The surroundings were covered with rubbish, yet he still wanted to make a contribution to the capital¡¯s environment? Throwing the things in his hand away, he was just about to turn around when a drink can rolled to his feet, bumping into them before rolling away again. Turning his head, he saw a little bright red sedan that had stopped by the roadside. The window was wound down, and the female driver, whose basketball skills were not very good, smiled at him from behind a pair of sunglasses. ¡°Sorry, Xiao-xiongdi1. I didn¡¯t aim correctly.¡± Ning Lan was in a bad mood, but with the years of habit ground in him because of his work, he just smiled. Bending over, he picked up the can and tossed it into the trash before stuffing his hands into his pockets and sauntering back to the west entrance. He continued observing the various people who were anxious about their livelihoods, pondering if he should try his luck over at the east entrance in the afternoon. In these dusty fringes of urban areas, the clacking of high heels was extremely out of place. ¡°Xiao-xiongdi, you¡¯re looking for a job?¡± Ning Lan raised his head, and the female driver from before was smiling faintly at him. It took him only seconds to notice the outfit of this woman, who seemed to be around thirty years of age. He then quickly reacted, beaming brightly, ¡°Yes, is Xiao-Jiejie2 going to introduce a job to me?¡± Zhang Fan brought Ning Lan to the office of the planning department, located on the 26th floor of Starlight Entertainment. From a drawer, she withdrew a contract and placed it in front of him. ¡°Take a look, if you agree to this, just sign on the last page.¡± On the way here, Zhang Fan had already gotten Ning Lan¡¯s basic information from him, including his height, weight, age, place of birth, education level, horoscope, and even the size of his shoes. By this point, Ning Lan was still unsure of what he was supposed to be doing. The contract was filled with tiny words, and he felt giddy just looking at it. Zhang Fan saw that he was in a daze, and so, she took the contract back and circled the key points with a marker pen. ¡°It¡¯s a 3 year contract, and you¡¯ll be paid immediately with effect. You¡¯ll have a base salary as well as bonuses, and the bonuses include album releases, commercial performances, participation in programs and various other public activities. If you have the ability, get as many of them as you can. The company will not hinder your progress.¡± ¡°How much is the base salary?¡± This was the thing that Ning Lan was most concerned about. Zhang Fan named a number, and it was twice the base salary that Ning Lan got at the restaurant he worked at. He flipped directly to the last page, putting his signature down on the line. Zhang Fan was a little surprised. ¡°You¡¯re not looking through it again?¡± Ning Lan tossed the pen aside, stretching his waist. ¡°No need, Jiejie, you don¡¯t look like a fraud. Also I¡¯m a brokeass, there¡¯s nothing to be scammed from me.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that what you signed was a contract to sell your body?¡± ¡°This is a society with laws. If there are really such underground dealings, you also won¡¯t bring me to a place like this surrounded by windows¡­ Also, didn¡¯t the contract mention that I have some other group members? There are other people with me, so what¡¯s there to be scared of?¡± Zhang Fan laughed in amusement. She had not thought that in her careless search, she would have found such an amazing person. ¡°Take out your ID.¡± Zhang Fan stretched out her hand. Ning Lan took out the card and placed it on the table. Zhang Fan picked it up and took a look, raising a brow. ¡°Aren¡¯t you just 18 years old? Why did you say that you¡¯re 23 in the car?¡± Ning Lan froze. He had nearly forgotten about this matter. ¡°I¡¯m really 23, there¡¯s a problem with my ID,¡± he explained. Zhang Fan waved at him, ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. Just say that you¡¯re 18 in the future.¡± Ning Lan acknowledged it. Whoever gave the money, was the lord. As long as they gave enough, it was ok even if they wanted him to pretend he was 8. After the signing of the contract, Zhang Fan held out her hand to him. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Zhang Fan. From today onwards, I¡¯ll be your manager.¡± Ning Lan smiled brightly and shook her hand, ¡°Please take care of me.¡± At noon, Zhang Fan brought him to the company¡¯s cafeteria for lunch. Ning Lan discovered that all employees in this company were dressed very attractively, on par with the guests coming in and out of the star-rated restaurants. He then looked down at himself. His ragged cotton-padded jacket was two years old, paired with a pair of jeans that had already turned white after multiple washes. Only holes torn around the knees were considered fashionable, but when they were torn at the bottom, they just looked extremely shabby. Ning Lan thought that he had to go buy some decent clothes once he received his salary. After all, he now would have to rely on his appearance for his livelihood, and he could not look too horrible. After the meal, Zhang Fan led him to an empty room with a wall that was basically just a giant mirror. ¡°In the next two weeks, you will just train properly here. The dance teacher will come later and you should learn the dance steps as quickly as possible. The lyrics and other things are simpler, and we also won¡¯t ask you to sing live. You just have to lip sync on stage.¡± Muddleheaded, Ning Lan just nodded and agreed. Not long after Zhang Fan left, the dance teacher arrived. It was a girl just past twenty years of age, and she introduced herself as Xu Rui. ¡°Xu-laoshi3, may I ask you a question?¡± Ning Lan grimaced as he pressed on his legs, stretching them. Xu Rui looked like a gentle young lady, but she was very strong. Pressing on his shoulders, she did not relax a bit, ¡°Just ask.¡± Ning Lan gasped for air, ¡°Your company, oh no, our company¡­ when looking for dancers¡­ you don¡¯t go to dance troops or dance schools or something, but just grab people off the streets?¡± Xu Rui looked at him, puzzled, ¡°You were grabbed off the streets?¡± ¡°Mn.¡± Xu Rui smacked his waist and thighs lightly, wanting him to maintain his pose. ¡°Hmm, no wonder you have no basics at all. With your ability, the company also won¡¯t accept you as a dancer.¡± ¡°What?¡± Xu-laoshi pointed at the dimples on his face that faded in and out of his cheeks. ¡°However, as an idol, after some cleaning up it¡¯s still acceptable.¡± I¡­ dol? Ning Lan was astounded. Zhang Fan listened to Ning Lan as he shouted over the phone, unable to keep herself from laughing. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll just go on stage to sing and dance. Whether you can really become a superstar, it all depends on yourself.¡± Ning Lan could barely hold onto his phone. ¡°T-t-then w-w-when would I go on TV?¡± ¡°Why, you¡¯re a wanted criminal?¡± Ning Lan licked his lips, feeling guilty. ¡°No, I¡­ I just want to be prepared.¡± ¡°Next month, the Focus Show Music Festival. It¡¯ll be your debut. Don¡¯t be scared, you¡¯re not the only one in this battle.¡± Ning Lan now recalled about this, ¡°What about my group members?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll see them later.¡± During the break in the afternoon, Xu Rui updated Ning Lan with the information that he sorely lacked. The boy band he was joining was called AOW, and there were a total of seven members. Ning Lan looked at the debut announcement on Weibo, feeling amused. Were these not the seven little dwarfs? Three members of the group had already been announced. Ning Lan glanced at their profiles. All three of them were at most 18 years old, and all were so young and tender. These children probably did not have to change their age like him, right? ¡°So you¡¯re saying, if not for that fellow seeking trouble, I wouldn¡¯t have had any chance at all?¡± Listening to Xu-laoshi, Ning Lan understood clearly why he could join the group. AOW had actually been formed in the second half of the previous year. They had also already recorded their single and were waiting to release it after the new year. Who would have known that when the new year started, one of the members, Feng Qiu, created trouble back at his hometown, fighting on the streets and getting dragged to the police station, and the incident even appeared on the local TV station. It was actually nothing major, but the only problem was that this Feng Qiu was a participant from a singing competition, and he was already somewhat famous. On top of that, he was supposed to have an adorable, innocent, youthful image. When the video of him fighting was released, his established image immediately collapsed. Both his fans and passersby blacklisted him and all requested him to get out of the entertainment industry. ¡°Mn, you can put it that way,¡± Xu Rui said. ¡°We can¡¯t change the date of the debut, and so the company can only look for a replacement. They¡¯ve been searching all over, but could not find anyone suitable. Everyone had thought that the seven member group was about to turn into six members, but then you appeared.¡± Ning Lan suddenly felt that he had just been entrusted with a mission at a critical time, and also that this company was really too casual. Were they not afraid that they had grabbed a crook? Xu Rui smiled as she patted him on the shoulder, ¡°Zhang Fan-jie is famous for her good eye. You know V-Wish? Every member has been personally selected by her, and when they first debuted, no one thought that they would amount to anything. As idols, their skills were secondary. But this can all be polished and trained up later, whereas having the spark to attract popularity is something innate.¡± V-Wish was a girl group that was currently famous throughout Asia. ¡°Also, it¡¯s very likely that the second she knew your name, she had asked someone to investigate you through all the various systems already. If you have any sort of unmentionable history, she definitely would have just thrown you out of the car mid-way and not even look back.¡± Ning Lan laughed along, but he could not help getting goosebumps internally. After graduating from high school, he had pretty much just waded and crawled through society. He believed that he was experienced in life, but no matter how experienced he was, he would not be able to fit into this completely unfamiliar territory. He thought that it was still best for him to be cautious, so as to prevent himself from ending up in the same situation as that little brother with the surname Feng. It was not easy to get such a bright, shining livelihood. Also¡­ he heard that superstars earned money very quickly. He really was in desperate need of money. CH 2 Outside the office building in the evening, Ning Lan was leaning against the wall, gazing at the fractured clouds that were dyed gold by the setting sun. He was humming the debut song that he had been learning for the entire afternoon, bobbing his head and wondering, is this what they call salvation in desperation? Maybe from this moment on, his luck had changed, and he would be heading up the path of glory. He could not help but take his phone out, using the screen as a mirror. Touching his face, he had a rare moment of gratefulness towards his mother for giving him this face. Not long after he finished admiring his face, his phone rang. Looking at it, it was a foreign number. Ning Lan thought about it for a moment, but still picked it up. ¡°You damn whore, you¡¯re finally answering your phone?¡± The voice was rough and boorish, extremely malevolent. Ning Lan frowned, ¡°Keep your fucking mouth clean.¡± The man spat, ¡°Since your mother sold you to me, you¡¯re mine. Damn whore, you actually dared to run away?¡± Ning Lan stuffed a hand in his pocket, shifting his position so that he was facing away from the setting sun. ¡°If not? Was I supposed to go home and spend the New Year¡¯s with you?¡± The man¡¯s breathing grew heavy, enraged by his provocation. ¡°Where are you?¡± Ning Lan raised his brow, pleased with himself. ¡°Take a guess.¡± When he escaped, he had stolen 300rmb from the man¡¯s clothes. He did not even dare to take the train, instead taking the coach near the expressway to come to the capital. Without needing to use his identification card, he had not left any traces behind. ¡°You fucking wait and see!¡± The man threatened, ¡°When I catch you, I¡¯ll break your damn legs, and you¡¯ll only be able to lie there, waiting for me to fuck you!¡± Ning Lan pulled the phone away from his ear, speaking into it, ¡°Fuck your mother! If you can, come catch me!¡± Then he ended the call directly. Crouching, he fiddled about with his phone for quite some time before managing to remove the SIM card. Savagely, he broke it in two. Ning Lan¡¯s heart, that had been trembling ever since he heard the man¡¯s voice, was finally able to calm down a little. He was actually not as composed as he had presented himself to be. Once he recalled that dark, empty room, the chaotic footsteps, as well as the hand that slid into his clothes, his hair stood up on ends, and he was so disgusted he wanted to vomit. His gratitude towards his mother, which had only just welled up, completely vanished in an instant. When that woman sold him, did she ever consider that he was her son whom she had given birth to? Ning Lan was no longer as excited as he was previously. Feeling dispirited, he remained crouching, staring at his phone in a daze until the female assistant came over and called out to him. ¡°Are you Ning Lan? I¡¯m AOW¡¯s personal assistant, An Lin.¡± The girl was dressed simply, a pair of black-framed glasses on her nose, looking just like a curve wrecker. Ning Lan dispelled the gloominess on his face, immediately replacing it with a smile and stood up to shake hands with her. An Lin¡¯s face heated up when she looked at him and gave him a compliment. ¡°You look better than your photos.¡± Ning Lan had been hearing such praises ever since he was a child, and this was nothing new to him. However, he still responded modestly, ¡°No, no, I¡¯m not as good-looking as them, like¡­ Lu Xiaochuan, Gao Ming, and Wang Bingyang.¡± These names were the three members who had already been announced. An Lin was a little surprised that he could recite all three names. ¡°You¡¯ve met them already?¡± ¡°No, not yet. I saw their photos online.¡± An Lin nodded. ¡°You¡¯re all very handsome, and belong to different categories.¡± They chatted as they walked. Ning Lan was curious, ¡°What sort of category do I belong to?¡± An Lin pushed her glasses up, studying him carefully. ¡°Hmm¡­ You¡¯re the fresh and cute type.¡± Despite having the self-awareness of being a replacement, Ning Lan still objected a little to getting such an evaluation. He said half-jokingly, ¡°Do you think I can be the wild, cool and aggressive one?¡± An Lin smiled, ¡°I¡¯m afraid not, there are already two members with this role.¡± Two? Ning Lan recalled the three faces. From the photos, the one named Lu Xiaochuan was the most suitable for the designation. Gao Ming and Wang Bingyang looked friendlier, they completely did not look cold and aloof at all. Who was the other one? One of the members that had yet to be announced? Ever since Ning Lan set foot in society, he had always been solitary. Even at work, he had never tried participating in group projects. Being a singer could be considered a brand new start in his life, and thinking that he was soon about to live and eat with his other members, an unnoticed anticipatory feeling welled up in him. An Lin drove the car, and Ning Lan sat in the passenger seat. It only took them ten minutes to reach an ordinary residential zone, not too far from the company. They parked the car in the garage and the two of them headed towards the elevator. ¡°2306, it has 3 bedrooms and 2 living rooms.¡± An Lin introduced the place to him, ¡°There¡¯ll be 2 to 3 people per room, the beds are single. This is the arrangement the company makes for all groups. If you have a place to stay outside, inform Zhang Fan-jie. Normally, unless your schedule requires you to stay outside, you will need to inform us if you¡¯re not staying in the dorm.¡± Seeing that Ning Lan was frozen, An Lin thought he was shocked. Smiling, she consoled him, ¡°This is for your own good. If anything happens, it¡¯ll affect the entire group.¡± Ning Lan was noncommittal. A place to live and food to eat, why would he have any comments? It was only that the last time he had been controlled like this, he was still living in the high school dormitory. Now that someone was in charge of him again, he felt quite intrigued by it. Walking through the last corridor, the elevator appeared right in front of them. At this moment, a black Maybach turned in from the garage entrance, passing by both of them. Steadily, it stopped in the parking lot nearby. The doors opened, and people exited from both the driver and the passenger side. An Lin immediately changed her direction and headed towards the car. She walked towards them as she talked, ¡°You guys went out again? Your names are about to be released, don¡¯t go out too far, especially Chenkai, you¡­¡± ¡°Yes, I know, my An-jiejie.¡± The person speaking was a boy who exited from the passenger side. He was dressed in a plain coat and jeans, looking to be around 180cm tall. His smile was very sweet, and both his brows and eyes curved gently. ¡°From tomorrow onwards, we won¡¯t go out anymore. Today, Ge brought me to buy some clothes. For all we know, we might not be able to go out shopping openly again in the future.¡± The ¡°Ge¡± he referred to was clearly the driver. Ning Lan gave a start when he saw the car, but he told himself, there were many people driving the same type of cars in the entire capital. He had a very good memory and was extremely sensitive towards faces, names and numbers. Turning his eyes towards the car plate, his heart skipped a beat. Was it really that coincidental? The boy driving the car stepped out, closing the door behind him. Straightening up, he was even taller than the sweetie-pie in the passenger seat. He wore a black jacket, black pants, and black shoes, and even his hair was black. It was as though ¡°wild, cool and aggressive¡± was inscribed on him. He was clearly one of the two who took the designation away from him. His height, together with the aura that he exuded, even from a distance, would make people feel overwhelmed by him. Unconsciously, Ning Lan turned to hide his face, as he heard An Lin speak. ¡°Sure, in the future you have to pay more attention; if not, Zhang Fan-jie will start nagging again. I¡¯ve brought the new member over. Come say hi to him.¡± They walked towards them, and Ning Lan had no place to hide. Hunching, he tried to reduce his presence as much as possible, performing his ultimate struggle. ¡°Ning Lan, this is Sui Yi and Gu Chenkai. Sui Yi is the leader of AOW.¡± When An Lin said the group¡¯s name, she did not say each letter individually, but as a whole. It sounded very similar to a howl. The leader spoke first. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m Sui Yi.¡± A slender hand extended out to him, and Ning Lan did not need to look up to know that the owner of the hand had a face that no compliments were worthy enough of. AOW¡¯s leader¡­ It sounded just like the leader of a pack of wolves. It did not sound casual1, and was even a little scary, all right¡­ CH 3 ¡°Hey, that day at 4S Hotel, weren¡¯t you¡­¡± The sweetie-pie, Gu Chenkai, pointed at him, surprised. Only then did Ning Lan understand that he did not have a change in luck, but instead, he had ran from one wolf den to another. In this lifetime, nothing good would ever befall him. ¡°You¡¯ve met?¡± An Lin asked. Just as Ning Lan was racking his brains on how to answer her, Sui Yi replied. ¡°No, Xiao Chen is mistaken.¡± The four people stepped into the lift, and Gu Chenkai kept looking suspiciously at Ning Lan. He constantly muttered ¡°it¡¯s him¡±, but without getting a response from the concerned parties, he could only let it go. Upon reaching the 23rd floor, 2306 was the first apartment on the right. Gu Chenkai bounded over with his bags to open the door, singing out, ¡°I¡¯m~ back~¡± Ning Lan speculated that this child¡¯s position in the group was probably to be the sweet little fool. An Lin stood by the door, asking if it was convenient to come in. Only after getting a confirmation did she bring Ning Lan in. Ning Lan entered the apartment to see underwear and socks strewn all over the couch in the living room. Gu Chenkai placed his bags down and clumsily tidied them up with Wang Bingyang. Wearing just a singlet and boxers due to the heating, Gao Ming walked out from one of the bedrooms. Seeing An Lin, he immediately retreated, and when he came out again, he was wearing a pair of pants and a shirt. Ning Lan speculated that this probably was a heterosexual male group. An Lin seemed to be used to these children¡¯s disorderliness. Clapping her hands together to attract their attention, she announced, ¡°This is our AOW¡¯s new member, Ning Lan.¡± The five people exchanged their names. Other than Sui Yi and Gu Chenkai whose names had yet to be released to the public, Ning Lan had already seen photos of Gao Ming and Wang Bingyang on the internet. They looked pretty similar to their photos, and they were all handsome. Gao Ming asked about his age. Ning Lan remembered Zhang Fan¡¯s instruction, so he swallowed back the ¡°23¡± he was about to say, and instead replied, ¡°18.¡± ¡°We¡¯re of the same age then.¡± Gao Ming clapped his shoulder, ¡°Which month were you born in?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ November.¡± Lying made Ning Lan a little uncomfortable, and his words were not very confident. ¡°Then you¡¯re younger than me,¡± Gao Ming said. He pulled at Wang Bingyang next to him, ¡°Quick, call him Ge.¡± Wang Bingyang was from Dongbei. He looked both naive and straightforward, cheerfully, he greeted him, ¡°Ge!¡± Like Wang Bingyang, Gu Chenkai was seventeen. Gu Chenkai¡¯s birthday was even later, and according to An Lin, he was the group¡¯s ¡°maknae1¡±. He had been assessing Ning Lan the entire time with doubt in his eyes. Tightening his lips, he refused to call him ¡°Ge¡±. Ning Lan thought, actually, it should be you guys who call me Ge, all right? When I was crawling about in the dirt and teasing little girls, you were all still wailing and crying in your cots. However, he did not dare to say this aloud. He had to try his best to fit in the group. One of the ¡°wild, cool and aggressive¡± members, Lu Xiaochuan and another member called Fang Yu were not present. An Lin said that both of them had accommodations outside and rarely slept in the apartment, so they were assigned to the smallest room. As for the other two bedrooms, one belonged to Sui Yi and Gu Chenkai, and the other belonged to Gao Ming and Wang Bingyang. Ning Lan wanted to stay in the room occupied by the two members who rarely came back, but An Lin was a little troubled. ¡°Lu Xiaochuan would still occasionally come back and stay, and he¡¯s more¡­ more picky, and hates noise. I had to speak until my throat was dry before he agreed to share his room with Fang Yu.¡± So, Ning Lan chose to stay with Gao Ming and Wang Bingyang. These two people seemed easier to get along with. No one had any objections, and after reminding Ning Lan to report punctually at the studio at 9am, An Lin left. Gu Chenkai anxiously returned to his room to unpack his new clothes, and Sui Yi too returned to his room. Ning Lan followed Gao Ming into the bedroom. The space available was not much bigger than the empty room. There was a single bed and a double-decker bed. Against the west wall, there were two computer desks, and the yoga mat on the floor made the room seem even more cramped. Gao Ming and Wang Bingyang were using the single bed and the bottom bunk respectively, and Ning Lan was only left with the top bunk. Wang Bingyang gathered up the dirty clothes that were scattered across the top bunk and shoved them all under his bed. With a mocking smile, he spoke, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Ning-ge to arrive so early, so I didn¡¯t have time to tidy up.¡± Ning Lan was not bothered by the mess. He had lived in a school dormitory before, and he had seen how slovenly boys could get. Climbing onto the top bunk, he wanted to see the size of the bunk so that he could buy a suitably sized mattress. However, the moment his knee touched the bed board, he heard a creak, and he fell. A support of the top bunk had broken, and it collapsed. Wang Bingyang helped Ning Lan up, alarmed. ¡°Luckily I wasn¡¯t on the bed; if not, I might have been turned into a pancake.¡± Ning Lan was speechless. He was not that heavy! This lousy bed had clearly rusted over the years, and he only happened to be the last straw it could handle before it collapsed. The two people next door rushed over when they heard the noise. Pointing at the broken support hanging there, Gu Chenkai laughed till his tears fell. Only when Sui Yi gave him instructions did he come over to help, and the few people clumsily removed the broken support. The top bunk could no longer be slept on. Ning Lan was considering if he should just lay a mat on the ground and sleep there when Sui Yi spoke up. ¡°Come to our room to sleep then, there¡¯s an empty bed.¡± Gu Chenkai immediately stopped smiling. He grumbled continuously, expressing his reluctance. Ning Lan also did not want to share a room with the two rich kids, but seeing that he did not have any other options, he could only agree to stay there temporarily, and move back once the bed was repaired. Sui Yi seemed to be indifferent towards him, and Ning Lan thought that it was just a fluke, that maybe he had forgotten about the incident that day. After all, they had only seen each other for such a short moment, and in this whole world, there were many people who looked similar to each other! However, he had underestimated how recognisable his face was. Sui Yi took the responsibility as the group leader seriously. On his own initiative, he gave Ning Lan the bottom bunk, moving to the top. From where he was standing, Gu Chenkai nervously supported the bed. ¡°Ge, why don¡¯t you just squeeze in with me? I have no confidence in the quality of this bed.¡± Next to them, Ning Lan was playing with his mobile nonchalantly. Hearing Gu Chenkai¡¯s words, he was full of unspoken criticism. Driving their Maybach and flaunting it, yet they were unwilling to spend some money to buy two better beds? Sui Yi¡¯s actions were very fast. After making his bed, he straight away stepped onto the last rung of the ladder and jumped down. After he straightened his body, Ning Lan discovered that this fellow was taller than him by half a head, and for some reason, he felt oppressed. Ning Lan forced a professional smile onto his face. ¡°Thank you, Lead. I¡¯ll treat you to a meal next time.¡± Sui Yi shook his head slightly, implying that there was no need to thank him. He asked, ¡°Where¡¯s your luggage?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t bring any. I¡¯ll go out and buy some things later.¡± Little boy Gu Chenkai was not very interested in him. Grabbing his new clothes, he headed to the balcony. Sui Yi remained standing there, and just as Ning Lan was wondering if this fellow was waiting for him to immediately produce the meal on the spot, Sui Yi finally spoke. ¡°You were only concerned about avoiding your responsibilities and running away, so you didn¡¯t have time to bring your luggage?¡± Ning Lan¡¯s face paled instantly. Sui Yi had immediately recognised him in the garage, as Ning Lan had a very conspicuous mole on the right side of his neck. The first time he saw him was about a year ago, in a place with lots of cars. The reason Sui Yi was there was because Gu Chenkai wanted to buy a car, but he was underaged. Sui Yi had promised his youngest aunt to take care of his cousin. Afraid that he would go wild and drive on the streets without a license, he then accompanied Gu Chenkai as a guardian. Behind his parents¡¯ backs, Gu Chenkai took the red packet money he had been saving for seventeen years to buy a car. Although the amount on his card was not a small sum, it was not exactly enough to buy a luxury car. When the salesmen saw that one of them was underaged and the other had just come of age, they did not allow them to pay in installments. This situation turned out to be completely what Sui Yi had expected. He persuaded the raging child back into the car, then continued persuading him after they were seated inside the car, promising that once Gu Chenkai was of age, he would lend his car to him to drive. Finally, after much difficulty, his little cousin agreed. Just as he was about to start his car, they heard a bang! Something had collided with the car, and the extremely stable Maybach even jolted. Sui Yi looked out of the window, and someone happened to be plastered to it. It was not at all an exaggeration to say that the person was plastered to the window. He seemed to be pressed forcefully against the car, then his neck was grabbed and he slowly slid down. His face was again pressed back onto the glass, and his warm breath left a patch of condensation on the window. A one-way film had been installed on the windows of the car, and people outside were unable to look in. However, sitting inside the car, Sui Yi could see the mole on the other person¡¯s neck very clearly. ¡°There¡¯s a fight? Ge, let¡¯s go out and take a look.¡± Gu Chenkai wanted to join in the fun. Sui Yi touched his controls and locked the doors. ¡°Don¡¯t make any sound.¡± He held onto Gu Chenkai. Their car was parked along the road outside 4S Hotel. Next to the car stood more than 2 people. If they were to get out of the car, they might also be beaten up. The hefty person pressing on the head said, ¡°Still want to run? Where are you running to?¡± He slapped the person being held down. The figure of the person getting slapped seemed more than a size smaller than the hefty man. His jacket was open, and his shoulders, covered in a T-shirt, were revealed. Sui Yi heard him speak. ¡°Let me go, I¡¯ve already said that I¡¯ll return it. My identification card is also with Old Liu already, what more do you want?¡± ¡°Why the hell would Liu-laoban2 want an identification card that has already been reported as lost?! You dishonest fellow, this time, we¡¯ll break off one of your legs and bring it back. If you still don¡¯t return the money, you can just hop around on one leg!¡± With the hand around his neck, Ning Lan could barely breathe. Gasping, he waved the white flag. ¡°My lousy leg, even if Liu-laoban t-takes it, it¡¯s also useless. Can you take something else?¡± The hefty man probably got tired, and let go of his neck. Holding onto his neck, Ning Lan coughed for a long time before catching his breath. Swaying, he straightened up. ¡°So, what are you going to give us?¡± The hefty man asked. Ning Lan turned and patted Sui Yi¡¯s car. ¡°How about this Maybach?¡± In the car, Gu Chenkai was both furious and shocked. He wanted to get out of the car and teach Ning Lan a lesson, but Sui Yi held him back. Sui Yi was a little curious. He wanted to know how this person was going to make this car sound like it belonged to him. The hefty man chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t make me laugh, this car is yours?¡± ¡°No.¡± Having regained his freedom, Ning Lan turned around. He raised his chin towards the car, showing it off, ¡°It¡¯s my husband¡¯s.¡± ¡°Husband?¡± ¡°Yes, why else do you think I¡¯m here? I accompanied him here for the car¡¯s maintenance. He was introduced by my family, although he¡¯s a little old, he¡¯s rich. Later on when we get our marriage license, his money will be my money.¡± When Ning Lan said all this, his words had a lack of confidence. However, he really did have someone that he had to marry if he went home. His mother had sold him, and to gain a better price, she even changed his age and said that he was five years younger. Now, that identification card was in that man¡¯s hand, and it made looking for a job very inconvenient. The reason why he had borrowed money from his previous boss was to buy back his own freedom. In the end, he had dug a deeper hole. He mocked himself secretly, that he might just be born to be tossed around like an object. The hefty man was suspicious. Stroking his chin, he glanced at the car plate. ¡°Your husband bought a license tag for Beijing?¡± Sweat beaded on Ning Lan¡¯s forehead. ¡°Of course. He has business here, it¡¯s much more convenient.¡± ¡°Where is he? Let us see him.¡± Ning Lan casually pointed. ¡°He¡¯s inside. I only came out to get some fresh air. He¡¯s the one wearing a black suit, you can go take a look.¡± The hefty man really believed him and turned to look inside the 4S Hotel. Ning Lan was about to take advantage of his laxness and run away, but the lackey next to them shouted, ¡°Da-ge, look! The side mirror of this car has moved!¡± Inside the car, Sui Yi had not kept a tight watch over Gu Chenkai. As Gu Chenkai was unable to see the proceedings clearly, he had adjusted the side mirror. He did not expect that such a small movement would actually be discovered, and he was so frightened that he froze in his seat. ¡°Seems like your husband is out here, and he¡¯s in the car.¡± The hefty man sneered at Ning Lan, walking over and knocking on the window. Sui Yi gestured at Gu Chenkai to remain silent, and wound down the window on the driver¡¯s side. The sun was radiant, and he was finally able to see the face of the little liar with a mouthful of deception clearly. He looked different from what he had imagined. Surprisingly, his appearance was innocent and refined, looking just like a good student. If only he could ignore the red palm marks on his cheeks and neck. With the abrupt change in events, Ning Lan did not dare to say anything. His eyes glanced about, and without a change in expression, he shifted to one side. The hefty man could not help but laugh when he saw Sui Yi in the driver¡¯s seat. ¡°Is this the son of that husband of yours? Did you get married to become his stepmother?¡± He then looked at the passenger seat. ¡°Yo, there¡¯s even two of them.¡± Acting along, Ning Lan glanced at the people in the car. How would he know that the people inside would be so young? He laughed, ¡°Maybe¡­ I was mistaken, it¡¯s the same type of car, the same type of car¡­ Hey, it should be the one over there!¡± He pointed towards the east. When everyone¡¯s attention was diverted, he sprinted in the opposite direction. The hefty man and his gang realised that they had been tricked, and immediately yelled and chased after him. Seeing that they had gone far away, Sui Yi remained in the same spot. Only when he saw Ning Lan stick his head out from the corner of 4S Hotel and slip out, clearly having gotten rid of his tail, did he start the car and drove off. Gu Chenkai had made fun of this incident the entire New Year. Each time he saw him, he would ask, ¡°How does it feel to be a newly-wed husband?¡± Sui Yi only smiled, and did not respond. Who would have guessed that this reckless little liar actually had the ability to scam his way into this place. Sui Yi saw how Ning Lan¡¯s face had whitened, and for some reason, he found it amusing. Still acting in his role as the group leader, he reminded him, ¡°Since you¡¯re here, you¡¯re now a member of AOW. I hope that from now on, you¡¯ll be cautious with your words and actions, and not do anything you¡¯re not supposed to do.¡± What could Ning Lan say? He obediently agreed. In the evening, Gao Ming and Wang Bingyang brought him to the nearby supermarket to buy some things. Blankets and a mattress already cost him more than 200rmb, and in the end, Gao Ming lent him 800rmb before he could afford all his daily necessities. Back home, he boiled some water to cook instant noodles. He had planned on eating it in the room, but Gu Chenkai had immediately sat down in front of the keyboard and started playing and singing the scales as though no one was around. Getting a headache, Ning Lan went out and ate his noodles in the living room. Just as he took a couple of bites, Sui Yi returned from somewhere. He saw the noodles in his hand and spoke, ¡°Remember to toss it out when you¡¯re done. The ventilation in the room isn¡¯t good.¡± Ning Lan automatically took his unruffled tone as disdain. He thought, this person really seemed to want to stick his nose into everything, including his bodily releases. A rich young master with a luxury car, why was he not staying in his own place? Did he receive a blow to his brain and so he decided to come and squeeze with all of them? Just now, on the way back from the supermarket, Wang Bingyang provided him with some information. Sui Yi and Gu Chenkai were cousins, and both their families were very rich. During the talent competition, Gu Chenkai had quite a good ranking and was somewhat popular. Sui Yi only entered the company at the end of last year, and when he joined, he was immediately entrusted with the responsibility of the group leader. Everyone else had originally thought that the leader would be Gao Ming. Towards this point, Ning Lan did not feel that it was unfair. He had been exposed to society earlier than these boys, and he knew about the laws of surviving in society. No matter which industry it was, money would always pave the way. Since there was this natural resource with an impressive background, why would the company not take advantage of it? Furthermore, Sui Yi was so good-looking. Ning Lan had worked in a club for two years. He had seen many pretty boys and girls, but there was only this face that he had been immediately enchanted by. The glimpse he barely caught that time outside 4S Hotel had nearly made him unable to move. Ning Lan, a purveyor of good-looking faces, finished his last bite of noodles, and personally brought the bowl to the trash bin downstairs. Leaning against the wall of the lift, he burped. Fantasising aimlessly, if the ¡°husband¡± his mother had found for him looked like this, there was a possibility that he would not have run away. CH 4 The next day when Ning Lan woke up, he found that his entire body was sore. Even a simple motion of getting up from his bed required five minutes. He had always thought that he was quite physically fit. In the past, standing for the entire day as a waiter or a bellboy, he did not feel any discomfort. Who would have thought that just some stretching of muscles would cause so much pain, his joints aching so much that his body did not feel like it belonged to him. Like a stiff robot, he slowly made his way to the bathroom. Only after turning on the tap, did he remember that after buying everything yesterday, he forgot about something extremely important ¡ª a towel. When he was done brushing his teeth, he was resigned to wiping his face with the toilet roll like what he had done last night. ¡°You didn¡¯t buy a towel?¡± A voice called out from behind him. Ning Lan looked up into the mirror. Sui Yi, who was half a head taller than him, was standing behind. Dressed in black athletic wear, there was still sweat on his face. It looked like he had just come back from a run. ¡°Mn. I forgot.¡± Ning Lan responded feebly. ¡°Hold on, I¡¯ll get you one.¡± Sui Yi raised his hand to open the door of the cabinet above the sink. He leant forward, and Ning Lan too shifted in front slightly. With their chest and back against each other, they stood very closely together. Sui Yi soon got what he wanted. Closing the cabinet, he returned to his original position and handed the towel to Ning Lan. ¡°It¡¯s brand new, wash it before using.¡± Ning Lan accepted it. ¡°Thank you very much.¡± He took Sui Yi¡¯s actions as a leader¡¯s care for his group members, just like how he had given the bed to him yesterday. However, Ning Lan was still concerned about the 4S Hotel incident, and did not dare to easily have a good impression of this person. Although he thought that way, he still chit-chatted with the group leader. ¡°Putting your towels here, aren¡¯t you afraid that others would just use them?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. They¡¯re meant to be used anyway.¡± The bathroom had been renovated to fit two sinks. Both people used the same style of grey towels and washed their faces, hanging them on the towel rack once they were done. Ning Lan rubbed at his chin. ¡°Hmm. I¡¯ll hang mine on the right while you hang yours on the left. Remember, don¡¯t grab the wrong one.¡± With a turn of his head, Sui Yi could see the mole on the left side of Ning Lan¡¯s neck. He replied, ¡°Alright.¡± The group of five headed to the company, and headed to different floors. Ning Lan returned to the studio that he had used yesterday. Following the music, he grimaced as he stretched his body. Not long after, Zhang Fan, the manager, and the dance teacher Xu Rui appeared. Zhang Fan directly asked how Ning Lan¡¯s training was coming along. Xu Rui said that his body was a little inflexible, but his rhythm was pretty good. Zhang Fan nodded, then informed Ning Lan that he would have to go to the music classroom in the afternoon to attend music lessons, before hurrying away. Halfway through the morning dance class, Ning Lan limped his way to the mobile kiosk near the company to apply for a new SIM card. He then sent a message to Zhang Fan and the few group members whose numbers he had stored in his phone yesterday. Gu Chenkai ignored him, and Sui Yi was the last to reply with an ¡°Mn¡±. He seemed to be very busy. Ning Lan did not know what sort of training the other members were doing. However, he had heard that the group members who were not very good at singing would be attending the music class with him in the afternoon. Finally, he would not be foolishly training by himself, and he was a little excited about it. During lunch in the staff canteen, Ning Lan happened to bump into Gao Ming and Wang Bingyang. Ning Lan could see that the relationship between the two of them was pretty good, probably because they both came from an ordinary family background. On top of that, they had also participated in the same talent show, and so they had fostered a camaraderie between the two of them. People would always draw a line according to their status and ranks. As for Ning Lan, he was of a rank lower than this two. Thinking about this, Ning Lan¡¯s excitement faded away. He asked casually, ¡°Will you be attending the music class later?¡± Wang Bingyang shook his head. ¡°We¡¯re not. My dancing isn¡¯t up to par, and I¡¯ve asked Ming-ge to guide me in the afternoon.¡± Gao Ming bit his chopsticks. ¡°The music class¡­ Most likely the leader and Lu Xiaochuan will be attending it. Their singing isn¡¯t up to standard yet.¡± Ning Lan¡¯s eyelid twitched. Did this not mean that he would have to attend the class with two ¡°wild, cool and aggressive¡± people, both above the height of 185cm? ¡°What about Gu Chenkai and that Fang Yu? Don¡¯t they have to attend the music class?¡± Ning Lan asked. Wang Bingyang was amused. ¡°They¡¯re the main vocals. They¡¯ve long surpassed such basic music lessons.¡± In the end, Ning Lan¡¯s excitement had completely been washed away, and he even had cold feet. He arrived at the music classroom half an hour before the class started. Someone was even earlier than him. There were 3 rows of seats in the classroom, and that person had chosen a corner in the last row. Sprawling across the table, he was napping. Ning Lan could only see his hair that had been dyed a golden yellow, as well as his coat. From his body, it was most likely Lu Xiaochuan. The average height of AOW¡¯s members was around 180cm. Wang Bingyang and Gu Chenkai both happened to be 180cm, while Ning Lan and Gao Ming were the shorter ones. Sui Yi and Lu Xiaochuan both helped to pull up the average. Ning Lan stared at his legs, thinking that his height of 185cm, which was what had been reported online, was not false advertising. It was unavoidable that tall people would have a sort of oppressive aura about them, and the 177.5cm tall Ning Lan thought that he should go to the supermarket that evening to check if there were any soles for his shoes that could elevate his height. Sui Yi arrived right on the dot. Like Ning Lan, he chose to sit in the second row, leaving a seat empty between the both of them. Just as he sat down, the teacher walked in. The surname of the music teacher was Zhao, and she was a middle-aged woman around forty years of age. Her dress sense was fashionable, and she was very solemn. Leading the students through a musical scale, she discovered that someone was sleeping at the back of the classroom. Straight away, she knocked on a desk in the front row with her pointer. ¡°Lu Xiaochuan!¡± The student who had been called out, slowly lifted his head. He stretched his body first, before drawling, ¡°Here¡ª¡± ¡°Move to the front!¡± Zhao-laoshi was relentless, and she knocked on the desk a few more times. Lifting his long legs, Lu Xiaochuan crossed over the desk and moved a row up, sitting between Ning Lan and Sui Yi. Ning Lan could smell a heavy fragrance wafting off him, and the fragrance was like a mixture of various different perfumes. The teacher continued on with her lesson. Lu Xiaochuan was still fooling around and was not paying attention. He nudged Ning Lan with his elbow, whispering, ¡°What¡¯s your name? I¡¯ve never seen you before.¡± Ning Lan looked at his defined facial features and grey-ish blue eyes with some astonishment. Lu Xiaochuan was of mixed-blood, and his appearance was more biased towards his caucasian side. Ning Lan did not expect that his chinese would be so good. Lu Xiaochuan seemed to have guessed what Ning Lan was thinking and he smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like this. I grew up in the capital, and I don¡¯t know how to speak English.¡± Ning Lan nodded. ¡°Oh. I¡¯m Ning Lan.¡± ¡°Which Ning and which Lan?¡± Zhao-laoshi could no longer tolerate it and knocked the desk again. ¡°Lu Xiaochuan, if you¡¯re not going to pay attention, you can just leave!¡± Lu Xiaochuan raised his hands, signifying his surrender. He shut his mouth to show that he would no longer speak. He took a paper and pen from Sui Yi¡¯s desk on his right, then scrawled some words on it before sliding it over to Ning Lan. Ning Lan had no choice, and wrote his name down on the paper. Lu Xiaochuan replied: Your name sounds nice and is really pretty. Ning Lan glanced at him. He felt that the ¡°wild, cool, and aggressive¡± label was really only a designation, and this person, other than having an air of a hooligan, had nothing to do with the label at all. He wrote down two words neatly: Thank you. Lu Xiaochuan then wrote his own mobile number for him. Since they were group members, Ning Lan too wrote down his new number for him. Finally, Lu Xiaochuan drew a pair of full, plump lips on the paper. His strokes were confident and practiced, and it was obvious that he had drawn them more than three hundred times. Ning Lan drew a smiley face by the side, ending this silly exchange of notes. Lu Xiaochuan smiled happily as he tossed the paper he used onto the table. Next to him, Sui Yi glanced at it, and a small, barely present crease appeared on his forehead. In the evening, Ning Lan did not leave with the other group members. Gao Ming and Wang Bingyang were going to the canteen, Sui Yi and Gu Chenkai were going to a restaurant, and he could afford neither of them. He was left with only about 200rmb out of the 800rmb Gao Ming had lent him. He decided that he would only have five meals at the canteen this month, and he would settle the rest of his meals with instant noodles. After walking one round around the supermarket, Ning Lan did not find the soles he wanted. He picked up three sets of underwear, as he was about to start stinking if he still did not wash his clothes. Returning to the dorm, he found that the group members were not back yet. As he showered, he washed his clothes as well. Spending about half an hour in the bathroom, he wrapped his lower body with a padded jacket when he exited, and hung his clothes out on the balcony. As such, when Sui Yi opened the door, he was immediately faced with a swaying pair of fair legs. Ning Lan was humming their debut single that he had just learnt in the music class. Tip-toeing, he bounced on his feet to toss his clothes over the clothesline. Fortunately, there was Gu Chenkai¡¯s woolen blanket there to act as a cover; if not, he would have ended up revealing his buttocks. Ning Lan heard the door close and turned his head around, greeting Sui Yi. ¡°Lead, you¡¯re back.¡± ¡°Mn.¡± Sui Yi headed to his room. After hanging his clothes up, Ning Lan too went into their room. Covering himself with a blanket, he held a glass of hot water to his chest to keep warm, occasionally sneezing. He had always been afraid of the cold since he was a child. Even though there was heating up north, it did not always work well. He often had to spend his winters coughing and sneezing with a stuffy nose. Sui Yi who was sitting by the table doing something suddenly stood up. He opened a cupboard and rummaged through it, then handed a few heat packs over to Ning Lan. ¡°Use these, they¡¯ll emit heat after you stick them on.¡± Ning Lan extended his hand out from under the blanket, accepting them. ¡°Lead, you even prepare such things for yourself?¡± With Sui Yi¡¯s musculature, the heat packs did not suit his image. ¡°Xiao Chen¡¯s mother mailed them over, but he doesn¡¯t use them.¡± All of Ning Lan¡¯s clothes were hung out on the balcony, and he did not have anything on. Fiddling about for some time, he finally stuck one outside his underwear. It felt a little like he was using a heating pad for menstrual cramps, but at least his stomach was now warm. Having received so much help from Sui Yi over the past two days, Ning Lan was also not an ungrateful and unthankful person. Wrapping himself in the blanket, he stood up and hopped his way to Sui Yi¡¯s table. Placing the food he bought from the supermarket on it, he spoke generously, ¡°Just take whatever you want.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already eaten, thank you.¡± Ning Lan had expected that he would look down on such cheap, instant food. Happily, he packed them back into the plastic bag, then casually glanced over at the book he was reading. It seemed to have something to do with music, as he could see musical notation on the pages. ¡°Lead, you can read music?¡± Ning Lan asked. Sui Yi nodded. Ning Lan¡¯s eyes brightened, and he dragged over a nearby stool and sat down. ¡°Can you teach me? I felt like I was basically listening to a foreign language in class today.¡± He had wanted to ask Gao Ming when he returned, but he did not know where the two kids had gone, and they had yet to come back. Sui Yi paused before answering, ¡°Ok.¡± As the leader, Sui Yi had quite a bit of patience. Ning Lan was also not stupid, and within fifteen minutes, he had learnt the notes and sounds of the musical notation. Just as Sui Yi was starting to explain the differences in the duration of the notes, the door of the room opened. Gu Chenkai was back. The little young master was pulling a long face today, and there was no trace of his usual sweetness. Seeing Ning Lan sitting next to Sui Yi with bare legs, he immediately rolled his eyes, looking at him as though he saw something dirty. Ning Lan guessed that Gu Chenkai must have confirmed that the one outside 4S Hotel was him. After all, Sui Yi had already confirmed it, and with their close relationship, they were bound to share this information. Ning Lan stood up, unconcerned. He thanked the group leader, then returned to his bed in the blanket. It was only when he met Wang Bingyang in the studio the next day did he learn why Gu Chenkai was so moody. It was Gu Chenkai¡¯s turn yesterday to be revealed to the public. His profile had been posted onto the company¡¯s website, and he received a mixed reception from the public in the comments. It was common knowledge that he came from a privileged background. Even during the talent competition there were already people saying that his high ranking was due to him buying votes, especially since his family was so rich. Someone had mentioned this in the comments yesterday, and others had immediately joined in the discussion. As such, Gu Chenkai was extremely angry, and ended up singing Vitas loudly in the studio the entire evening. Ning Lan felt that this little young master was too pretentious. He secretly thought, I¡¯m not afraid of getting scolded, why not let me be a rich person too. Today¡¯s schedule was still dancing in the morning and music in the afternoon. Lu Xiaochuan again shamelessly sat next to him. Like yesterday, he asked for a piece of paper from Sui Yi, then drew a large heart on it and passed it to Ning Lan. Ning Lan was extremely speechless. He felt no delight in having a brat flirt with him, but as he could not offend his group members, he pressed his pen heavily into the paper, drawing a savage smiley face before passing it back. Lu Xiaochuan laughed lowly when he saw that face with a crooked smile. He then drew on it, and shoved it again at Ning Lan. Now, this face had two additional marks on the side. They seemed like dimples, and next to the face was a sentence: Give me a smile. Ning Lan who had dimples when he smiled was unable to smile. This music lesson lasted a little longer. When leaving the company, the sky had already darkened. Ning Lan packed his belongings and left swiftly, but Lu Xiaochuan still managed to catch up to him. He patted Ning Lan¡¯s shoulder, ¡°I have something on today, I¡¯ll treat you to a meal next time.¡± Lu Xiaochuan then walked to a silver sports car parked by the entrance. After opening the door, he even blew a kiss at Ning Lan. Ning Lan gave him a superficial wave. Turning around, he bumped into Sui Yi who just happened to exit the building as well. Ning Lan gave him a friendly smile, but Sui Yi seemed to not have seen it, and walked away by himself. In the evening, Ning Lan specially spent 3rmb to purchase a notebook. He dragged the stool over to Sui Yi¡¯s table, asking him to continue teaching him about the musical notation. However, he was rejected. ¡°Just look at this, you should be able to understand it.¡± Sui Yi handed a green book titled to him. Ning Lan felt that something did not seem quite right. However, he did not know how to ask about it, and could only take the book and return to his bed to study it. A while later, Gu Chenkai returned. He seemed to be in a much better mood than yesterday. In his arms, there was a bag that contained snacks Ning Lan knew were more expensive than his. As Gu Chenkai munched on them, he even distributed some next door. But he did not give any to Ning Lan. Ning Lan did not want any, after all, he was not a child. Gu Chenkai was really very immature. Sui Yi was not much better. His unpredictable moods were truly baffling. CH 5 Sui Yi too felt that his actions were not very mature, but ever since he was a child, he was used to being conceited and arrogant. He had yet to learn how to put on a hypocritical face like the adults did, and was unable to pretend that he had not seen anything. Ning Lan¡¯s appearance was the simple and innocent sort, and it was easy for him to leave a good impression on others when meeting for the first time. Sui Yi understood why Zhang Fan had arranged for him to join AOW, as the group was currently lacking in a member who could fulfil this role. Still, after their interactions over the past few days, he observed that Ning Lan¡¯s behaviour and actions completely did not match his face. He was in debt, a liar, and was always flattering and fawning on him and the other members. Sui Yi even suspected that before Zhang Fan had arranged for Ning Lan to join the group, she had not investigated his character thoroughly enough. In the evening, before Sui Yi¡¯s information was publicly announced, Zhang Fan gave him a call. She told him to inform all the members to gather in the meeting room next Monday morning. Sui Yi casually asked her where Ning Lan came from, and Zhang Fan half-jokingly said that she had picked him up from the roadside. Sui Yi only believed part of it. ¡°Has he been vaccinated?¡± Zhang Fan laughed for quite some time. ¡°I¡¯ll hand over this task to you then. I believe you¡¯ll be able to tame him.¡± Sui Yi returned to his room after hanging up. Under the book of , Ning Lan was napping. The sound of the door closing jolted him, and the book slid down his face. He was biting on a pencil, and he was almost drooling. Seeing that he was deep in sleep, Sui Yi bent over and removed the pencil. He closed the book and placed it next to his pillow before climbing up onto his own bunk. The next morning, all the five people in the dorm woke up early. Squatting by the locked meeting room, they were eating their breakfast. Everyone had a Tianjin pancake in their hands for which Wang Bingyang had woken up even earlier to go downstairs and queue for. Gu Chenkai had a scornful look on his face. Pursing his lips, he picked out the onions from the pancake, one by one. Gao Ming nudged at Wang Bingyang. ¡°Don¡¯t you know that Xiao Chen doesn¡¯t eat onions, garlic and coriander?¡± Wang Bingyang smiled foolishly. ¡°I was too sleepy and I forgot. I just ordered five identical ones from the boss.¡± Although Ning Lan was not from the North, he had been living in the capital since he was 18. He was used to this flavour and finished the pancake with a few bites. With his cheeks bulging, he patted Wang Bingyang. ¡°It¡¯s delicious. When we go back, I¡¯ll treat everyone to stuffed Chinese pancakes, with two sausages inside.¡± In Gu Chenkai¡¯s hand, there was a pile of onions. His competitive spirit raised, he spoke, ¡°Tomorrow I¡¯ll treat everyone to breakfast at the Hong Kong-style cafe below the office.¡± Gao Ming and Wang Bingyang clapped their hands in support. Ning Lan smiled cheerily, thinking that this foolish child could really be easily roused. Zhang Fan arrived on the dot, opening the door for everyone. Just as she was about to make her announcement, she saw that one of them was still missing. ¡°Where¡¯s Fang Yu?¡± Sui Yi responded, ¡°I¡¯ve informed him yesterday, he should be here soon.¡± With his arms folded, Lu Xiaochuan laughed. ¡°He¡¯s in the parking lot, and he¡¯s unable to reverse park his car. I bet he¡¯s still having trouble.¡± Zhang Fan asked him, ¡°Could you not have just helped park his car?¡± ¡°Why should I help him?¡± Lu Xiaochuan was a rich kid and was even worse than Gu Chenkai at hiding his feelings. His disgust was very apparent. Now, Ning Lan was even more curious about this group member that he had never seen before. From the photo released last night, he felt that Fang Yu was extremely pretty. His beauty was of the sort that would dazzle and enchant people, and he was the undeniable visual of the group. Logically speaking, Lu Xiaochuan, this hooligan who went after both males and females, should be very interested in people like Fang Yu. Just now, when he arrived at the meeting room and saw that Zhang Fan was not there yet, he immediately turned and left for the training studio downstairs to flirt with the girls there. When he returned, his face was full of joy, and he again smelled like a combination of many perfumes. They waited for another ten minutes. Only then did Fang Yu knock on the door, and quietly apologised before sitting next to Sui Yi. Zhang Fan did not reproach him. Ning Lan felt that it was probably because she could not bear to scold a beauty like him. With his rosy lips, pretty white teeth, and his big attractive eyes, if he were to look at someone, that person would definitely be brought to high heavens. Everyone was now present. Zhang Fan announced that they would be taking the group¡¯s promotional photos tomorrow. As the new member, Ning Lan¡¯s solo shots will be taken as well. Currently, the only member of AOW who had yet to be announced was Ning Lan. The public all thought that Starlight Entertainment was hiding an ace up their sleeves to whet their appetite. Also, as it was someone who would be replacing Feng Qiu, everyone¡¯s eyes were on him. They did not know that the reason why the announcement had been delayed was because the seventh member did not even have a decent photo to be released. Taking promotional photos as a group, as well as shooting the cover for their single, meant that they would soon be filming the official music video as well. Everyone was very excited, and even Lu Xiaochuan, who never cared for anything but flirting, brightened up. He said that he would treat everyone to lunch as a celebration. Zhang Fan then told him to go and practise dancing with Ning Lan later, and he immediately withered, moaning and groaning as he sprawled across the table. After the meeting, Zhang Fan called Ning Lan out for a private talk. She asked him if he had gotten used to the ongoings in the past couple of days, and whether it was tiring or not. Ning Lan felt that it was pretty ok. Previously, as a waiter, he had often worked two shifts in a row, and working for more than 12 hours a day was something he was used to. In comparison, singing and dancing only required half the amount of energy. Zhang Fan encouraged him to learn everything well. Not much time was left, and they would be filming the outdoors shots for the music video a week later. From tomorrow onwards, he would be attending training to get used to being in front of the cameras. Finally, Zhang Fan took out an envelope from her bag. ¡°This is your wages for two months. The company is giving it to you in advance.¡± Ning Lan was taken aback. ¡°I¡¯ve only been here for a week.¡± Zhang Fan smiled. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Our company is humane. Young people tend to have more difficulties getting a headstart. If we don¡¯t help you now, who else would? When you get back, text me your account number. In the future, your wages will be deposited directly into your account.¡± Ning Lan nodded. He accepted the envelope a little awkwardly. ¡°Thank you¡­¡± To receive his wages after working for only about a week, this was unprecedented. ¡°There¡¯s no need to thank me. It¡¯s your group leader who told me that you seem to have some difficulties. I have many artistes under me, so I¡¯m bound to miss things, and I¡¯m not able to take care of everyone. In the future, you can just call me directly about such matters. Our company wants to not only train all of you, but also take good care of you. After all, you¡¯re all still teenagers, and back home, you¡¯re all your parents¡¯ little darlings.¡± Manager Zhang, did you forget that I¡¯m already 23? At ten in the morning, all seven members of AOW gathered together for the first time in the training studio. The dance teacher, Xu Rui, gave them their positions. The positions of the members when they attended any official activities were all pre-determined. The tall ones were usually standing in the center, and the height would decrease accordingly towards the ends. They also had to consider the visual impact. Most people¡¯s attention would be attracted towards the center first before looking towards the sides. As such, the people standing closer to the center had to be more eye-catching. With a face that was attractive to both males and females, as well as his domineering height, the center position was for no one else other than Sui Yi. Looking from the front, on his right was first Fang Yu, Wang BingYang, then Gao Ming. On his left was Lu Xiaochuan, Gu Chenkai, then Ning Lan. Just as the positions were about to be confirmed, Gao Ming raised his hand. ¡°This arrangement doesn¡¯t seem too logical. Ning Lan is very good-looking, and his appearance doesn¡¯t lose to Wang Bingyang and Gu Chenkai. But why is he placed at the end?¡± Ning Lan¡¯s brows lifted. Fuck, even just standing there, I can get shot like this? He soon understood what was going on. As the member with the most experience on stage, Gao Ming was naturally unhappy with his position. However, he could not directly say that he wanted to stand in the center, and so, he used Ning Lan, who was also standing right at the edge, as an excuse to highlight the unfairness of the arrangement. Ning Lan too knew that his position was not good. The members were spread out at a distance of about 4 to 5 metres. In case of the cameraman¡¯s skills not being good enough, he would easily be cut out of the lens. If he could choose, he also wanted to stand in the center. However, he knew that with his current qualifications, he had no right to say anything. Now that Gao Ming had spoken, even if Ning Lan did not have such considerations, Gao Ming had already implied that he did. Ning Lan glanced at Gao Ming from the corner of his eye. This child was really not that simple. The positions naturally could not be changed, and so, Xu Rui separated the group into two rows. The few in the center now stood at the back, while Gao Ming, Gu Chenkai and Ning Lan stood in the front. Only then did Gao Ming¡¯s expression improve. During lunch, Lu Xiaochuan invited everyone to the Sichuan restaurant downstairs. Not only was Fang Yu beautiful, he was very refined as well. When eating the fish with pickled cabbage, he would dip it into a bowl of water before eating it. Ning Lan was curious, and asked him why he did so. Fang Yu smiled slightly, ¡°I can¡¯t take spicy food, my skin will break out.¡± Lu Xiaochuan snorted heavily. It seemed like he could not stand how pampered Fang Yu was. Halfway through his meal, he tossed his chopsticks aside and told everyone else to take their time, before settling the bill and leaving. He even remembered to throw Ning Lan a flying kiss, his eyes impassioned, as though he was saying, ¡°Once I¡¯m done I¡¯ll come visit you again.¡± The group was used to this. No one batted an eyelid, and they all continued eating. Lu Xiaochuan did not attend the music class in the afternoon. Zhao-laoshi asked Sui Yi to give him a call, but his calls were rejected three times, and no one picked up the next two times. Zhao-laoshi nearly broke the pointer in her hand. After class, Ning Lan slowly packed his belongings. The lift took too long to arrive, so he decided to just take the stairs. It was dark and quiet in the stairwell, and only the muffled pounding of his footsteps could be heard. As he walked, he took out the photo he had kept in the book. It was a polaroid shot that had been taken by Xu Rui in the morning when they were standing in their positions. She said that it was to commemorate AOW for finally becoming a group, and let everyone have a copy. She even joked that they could show it off to their family members. Ning Lan saw some of the members taking their phones out on the spot to tell their families the good news while he stood by watching. It was probably because he had only spent such a short time training, and so, he could not feel the joy of his results. However, everyone had a little vainness in them. He too did wish to share this news with someone. He took out his phone and dialled a very familiar number. A slow and long beep rang out, signalling that the call had connected. Half a minute later, his call was finally answered. ¡°Hello? Who¡¯s this?¡± Ning Lan cleared his throat. ¡°It¡¯s me, Ning Lan.¡± A moment of silence. ¡°Oh, Xiao Lan? Why did you change your number?¡± Ning Lan grabbed at a random excuse. ¡°My phone was spoilt, so I decided to just change it. Auntie, you can save this new number.¡± ¡°Oh, ok.¡± ¡°Has Xiao Xuan started school yet? After changing her school, is she used to it?¡± ¡°She¡¯s doing pretty well.¡± The other person clearly had no intentions of wanting to continue the conversation. Ever since Ning Lan had been caught and locked in that basement, he had never contacted his family, nor did he dare to go back. Now, facing these new, unfamiliar faces everyday, no matter how unfriendly his family was, he was reluctant to hang up. ¡°That¡¯s good. I¡¯ve got a new job, in the future, I might even be on TV¡­¡± ¡°Ah, the water¡¯s boiling. I won¡¯t chat with you anymore, I¡¯m hanging up, ok?¡± The other person hung up hurriedly, as though she was avoiding some pestilence. Ning Lan listened to the busy tone and gave a self-mocking grin. He was the pestilence, after all, his father died, he was a burden to his mother, and caused his originally already not well-off auntie and uncle to have to support him as well. If not for the fact that he had given his auntie a sum of money during the new year, so that his cousin Ning Xuan could transfer to a good school in the city, his aunt might have just hung up on him after hearing his voice. So what if he was going to appear on TV? Who would want to watch him? Ning Lan did not return straight to the dorm. He took the bus to a private hospital in the south of the city and entered just before they closed. The somewhat unorthodox little hospital only had a doctor and a nurse present. Seeing how shabby he looked, the doctor did not give him any of his attention. ¡°All surgeries have to be booked in advance. Look at the pricelist on the table.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t there anything that can be done today?¡± Ning Lan asked. The doctor pushed at his glasses, nearly rolling his eyes. ¡°No, even a botox jab has to be booked.¡± Ning Lan pointed towards the bottom corner of his left eye. ¡°How much time is required to add a mole here?¡± The clock slowly ticked past ten. Sui Yi closed his book, turned off the table lamp, and was ready to head to bed. While removing his jacket, he glanced at the empty bunk below his, and took out his phone, scrolling through his contacts. Although he had not intended on becoming the group leader, since joining the group two months ago, the responsibility he had cultivated since young had invisibly guided him into becoming a passable leader. Now that a member was staying out without any reason, he of course had to look into it. As he was about to dial the number, he heard the door opening outside. That person changed his shoes, then knocked on the door of the next room. The sound-proofing was not good, and Sui Yi could hear Ning Lan and Gao Ming talking, something about ¡°returning money¡± and ¡°treating¡±. This little fellow really liked signing blank cheques, he thought. He had been here for less than a week, and he owed almost everyone a meal already. Sui Yi put his phone back, and hung his jacket on the clothes stand. The voices next door stopped, and the door to this room opened. Seeing that the room was dark, Ning Lan used his phone as a flashlight. When the light hit Sui Yi who was standing near the clothes stand, Ning Lan gasped in fright. ¡°Oh my heavens. Lead, you scared me to death standing there silently.¡± Ning Lan patted his own chest. Sui Yi had never left the capital ever in his life, and he did not know what dialect Ning Lan had just been using. ¡°Where did you go?¡± Ning Lan removed his coat. Seeing that the clothes stand was full, he turned and casually hung it on the back of the chair by the desk. ¡°I just went out to play¡­ Can I leave my coat here?¡± Sui Yi glanced over. ¡°Mn.¡± He grabbed the ladder, thinking over it before he spoke, ¡°Next time, come back earlier. It wouldn¡¯t be good if someone captures a photo of you before we debut.¡± Ning Lan first froze. Only when he recalled how he and Sui Yi met the first time did he then understand that this fellow probably had a bad impression of him since that moment, afraid that he would cause trouble for the group. Ning Lan was glum. Why was it that wherever he went, no one liked him? Giving a superficial smile, he said, ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± Then he took the coat that he had just hung on the chair, and prepared to throw it onto his bed. Turning around, he did not pay attention to where he was stepping in the dark. His toes hit something, and losing his balance, he fell forward. Things happened too fast, so fast that he did not even have the time to extend his arms. Accepting it, he shut his eyes, but the pain that he was prepared for, did not hit him. Someone had swiftly caught his arm and pulled him forward. ¡°Be careful.¡± Sui Yi¡¯s voice had never been so close to him before. Ning Lan¡¯s head jerked up, and their eyes met. Only when the deeply asleep Gu Chenkai muttered something and turned over, did the two slowly took a step back. Ning Lan quietly thanked him, then tossed his phone with its flashlight function still switched on onto his bed. Groping about, he grabbed a pair of clean underwear from under his pillow. Sui Yi who had once again stood upright did not climb onto his bunk. Ning Lan felt that he should say something. Touching the corner of his left eye, he felt his new mole. ¡°Zhang Fan-jie gave me my wages today. Thank you, I¡¯ll definitely treat you to a good meal next time.¡± Sui Yi was standing with his back against the light. Ning Lan did not know where he was looking at. Hearing him acknowledge him, Ning Lan then quietly went to take a shower. Sui Yi climbed onto his bunk and shut his eyes. The only thing he could see was that bright pair of eyes under the swaying light. Ning Lan¡¯s features could not be considered outstanding after studying them carefully, but they came together very well. He had a high nose bridge, his lips were full and plump, and so it was the lower part of his face that was more attractive. However, just now his eyes had been completely drawn to the upper half of Ning Lan¡¯s face. When Ning Lan turned away from him, he even had the impulse to chase after him to continue staring. He did not want to let that pair of bright, black eyes leave his sight. He clearly had a simple and innocent appearance, but inexplicably, there were now additional traces of vividness and charm. Sui Yi turned over, facing the white wall. He stared at it for two or three minutes, then closed his eyes again. That seemingly familiar feeling finally dissipated a little. CH 6 Ning Lan¡¯s motive was actually very simple. He was about to make his debut, and he wanted to change his appearance and start anew. Since time did not allow him to replace his face entirely, then he would just add a mole. At least, it would prove that he was no longer the Ning Lan from before. He desperately wanted to get rid of the version of him that was helpless against his fate, and greatly anticipated the next step of his life. Although, in his subconscious, he did not hold much hope. He had thought that in the entertainment industry where plastic surgery was so commonplace, such a small change was nothing. However, the next day, all the people who saw him seemed to have swallowed a large rock. When Gu Chenkai woke up, he stared at him for a moment before huffing his scorn. Gao Ming bumped into him in the bathroom, and he bit his toothbrush as he looked at him through the mirror. His words were mumbled, and Ning Lan did not understand what he was saying. Wang Bingyang was even more exaggerated, cupping his face in his palms and wailing, ¡°Lan-ge, why did you walk this road of despair?!¡± Ning Lan asked him what he meant, and Wang BingYang pressed at his mole. ¡°Doesn¡¯t a mole at this location mean tears? It¡¯s unlucky.¡± On the way to the company, Ning Lan searched online. He was amused, thinking, my mole isn¡¯t even real, and it means I¡¯m ¡°born under an eclipse¡±? Sure, come get me if you dare. The company arranged for a 9-seater SUV to send them to the photography studio. Not long after the seven of them took their seats, the assistant An Lin joined them. Wang Bingyang asked, ¡°An¡¯an-jie, aren¡¯t you our assistant for our daily lives? You¡¯re also following us for work?¡± An Lin opened up her big canvas bag, retrieving a few bottles of water from within and handing them to the members and the driver. ¡°Outside of work, I¡¯ll take care of your private lives, and during work I¡¯ll be your assistant as well. Do you have any comments?¡± The youths all laughed and shook their heads. Ning Lan said, ¡°Then the company should increase your pay.¡± He took An Lin¡¯s bottle, opening it before handing it back to her. An Lin smiled and accepted it. After drinking, she spoke. ¡°I think so too¡­ Hey, what happened to your face?¡± The driver heard the alarm in her voice, and he too turned his head to look. Today, Ning Lan had been studied by everyone he knew. When they gathered in the meeting room, he was even reprimanded by Zhang Fan. She told him that if he wanted to make any changes to his face in the future, he would have to talk to her first. By then, he was already used to everyone making a mountain out of a molehill. ¡°I¡¯ve only added a little black dot. People who don¡¯t know would have thought that I¡¯ve replaced my entire head.¡± An Lin leaned over and scrutinised him. ¡°It¡¯s actually quite good-looking. Previously, I never noticed that your eyes were so pretty. Later on when your hair is getting styled, we¡¯ll get the stylist to cut your fringe a little; the effect would definitely be even better.¡± Ning Lan quickly agreed. Sui Yi, who was sitting all the way inside next to the window, glanced over at him, then averted his eyes and looked out of the window again. The photos would be taken in an indoor studio. There were two outfits for each of them, one styling them as rebellious young teenagers, and the other as cute and fresh youths. The theme coincided with the styles of their two songs in their EP. For their rebellious look, the style was not exaggerated a bit. With canvas sneakers and clothes from a trendy brand, the clothes looked ordinary yet their details were inlaid with a sense of design, keeping a fashionable style yet leaving everyone with the aura of youth. Ning Lan¡¯s hair would be dyed a chestnut colour. To maintain the colour for the shooting of the MV next week, they used a long-lasting dye. Sui Yi and Wang Bingyang too had to dye their hair. One was grey and the other gold, and they did not look too outlandish or bizarre. Ning Lan felt that the aesthetics of this company were not too bad, and they were quite trustworthy. Now that everyone had been styled and dressed up, the shooting process was very fast. The group shots of the seven people were according to their arranged positions and poses. For the one with the rebellious flair, they only needed to be expressionless, while for the cute one, they had to smile brightly. As for Ning Lan¡¯s solo shots, it took quite a bit of time. He was unused to the shutter snapping every half second, and was unable to come up with a variety of poses. The photographer probably had never seen such a stiff idol before, and he kept shaking his head as he saw the photos on the screen. Ning Lan believed that he had already done everything that he could. Even the embarrassing pose of forming a heart with his arms above his head, he gritted his teeth and did it as well. Now, he could only wait and see if everything worked out. After the shoot, he first went to wash his face. Rubbing and rubbing for a long time, the eyeliner still did not come off entirely. He just ruffled through his hair, hiding behind his newly cut fringe. On the way back, An Lin got everyone to register a new Weibo account each, their username using the group¡¯s name along with their own name, following the company¡¯s account as well as following each other mutually. Lu Xiaochuan joyfully followed a few other popular internet celebrities, only to get reproached by An Lin. He unfollowed them unhappily, saying that if he knew that his personal freedom would be so restricted, he would not have joined this industry. Ning Lan entered ¡°AOWNingLan¡± and confirmed, before asking An Lin, ¡°Why is this the name of our group?¡± An Lin replied, ¡°It¡¯s an acronym for All Over The World.¡± Ning Lan pondered over the meaning, and Gu Chenkai sneered at him. ¡°It means the entire world.¡± Whatever Ning Lan was, he still did finish high school. He smiled at Gu Chenkai, ¡°Then shouldn¡¯t it be AOTW?¡± Wang Bingyang yawned. ¡°The planning department said it didn¡¯t look nice, so the T got dropped.¡± Ning Lan silently took back his compliment about how trustworthy this company was. Their schedule for the afternoon was dance practice for the entire group. Ning Lan had been training alone for an entire week, and his basic steps were pretty decent. However, when all seven of them were together, they often had to dance and move into various formations. Even though Ning Lan was mostly standing all the way at the back, there were moments where he still could not catch up. Ning Lan again bumped into someone when changing positions. Gao Ming, the one who had been bumped, was annoyed. ¡°How many times is this now? It shouldn¡¯t be difficult to move from front to back, right?¡± Before this session, Gao Ming never thought that Ning Lan¡¯s ability could not even make the passing grade. Ignoring how poor his coordination was, his movements were weak and feeble. With one look, it was clear that he lacked any foundations in dance. If he had not been arranged to stand at the back, and with others covering him such that he could not be seen very clearly, the entire group would have been dragged down by him. Gao Ming was a talented dancer who had been grabbing all opportunities to practice in the studio, giving up 3 years of sweat and blood. Previously, he did not know Ning Lan¡¯s background, and so, was always polite towards him. Now, knowing that he was just someone who had parachuted in, without money nor capability, Gao Ming did not even want to look directly at him. Ning Lan was no fool as well. He knew that Gao Ming definitely had a ¡°new appraisal¡± of him. Ever since he noticed how bad this person¡¯s temper was, he never really wanted to be close to him. When he had returned him his money, Ning Lan even added 200rmb more, and he did not know if Gao Ming had discovered it. This matter had nothing to do with the few people in the front row, yet standing right in front, Fang Yu still turned to diffuse the situation. ¡°Working together for the first time, we¡¯re bound to have some issues. Let¡¯s try it again.¡± Wang Bingyang too came over and patted them both on their backs. ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine, we¡¯re all brothers here.¡± They all returned to their positions. Another two more times, and Ning Lan finally stopped stepping on anyone else¡¯s feet. During their break, Ning Lan took the initiative to head downstairs, buying water for everyone. He had originally taken seven bottles of mineral water, but when he was about to reach the cashier, he thought about it then gritted his teeth and swapped six bottles for isotonic drinks instead. Back at the studio, he took the mineral water, and distributed the rest to the other six members. Very gentlemanly, Lu Xiaochuan wanted to exchange his isotonic drink for Ning Lan¡¯s water. Ning Lan smiled and said that he was on a diet, and Lu Xiaochuan pinched his cheek intimately. ¡°Don¡¯t go on a diet anymore. What happens if the dimple I like disappear?¡± Ning Lan did not expect this touch. He did not like it and unconsciously took two steps back, nearly falling onto Sui Yi. ¡°Careful.¡± Sui Yi supported him. After steadying himself, Ning Lan turned his head, about to thank him, but Sui Yi had already walked off. Looking at his back, Ning Lan inexplicably thought about what had happened last night. He then touched his new mole that was still itching. They practised as a group for a week. Before the song recording as well as the filming of the MV, the company arranged for a dinner for AOW as well as the other people involved in the entire process. It was a seafood buffet, and there were more than two hundred guests. Ning Lan saw the price per person and his heart hurt. It was enough to buy more than a hundred packets of instant noodles. As such, he was prepared to eat his worth. Ignoring the rice, the drinks, the vegetables, the dessert, and even the chicken, duck, and fish, he stood guard in the seafood zone. Whenever the sashimi was refilled, he would squeeze with the crowd to fill his plate up. He kept taking plates of salmon, crab, scallops and prawns, and even Fang Yu and Lu Xiaochuan who loved seafood started exclaiming that there was too much, and they could not finish them. They asked him to take a seat instead, and stop taking more food. Wang Bingyang placed an orange segment on his plate. ¡°Lan-ge has been busy alone, and fed our entire table full. Don¡¯t tell me, you¡¯re also taking the nanny role?¡± Ning Lan tilted his head. ¡°There¡¯s actually a nanny in our group?¡± Fang Yu pointed at Sui Yi. ¡°There, our leader! I heard that in the dorm, he¡¯s even in charge of washing your underwear for you?¡± Gu Chenkai spoke up, ¡°When did that happen? We all wash them ourselves. However, Ge truly works very hard. As a girl, it¡¯s not convenient for An Lin-jie to come to our dorm, so every small thing is passed on to him.¡± Gao Ming led the group in paying respects to the leader with a drink. Sui Yi laughed and accepted it. Sitting across, Ning Lan observed him secretly, registering that even the way he raised his glass was different from others his age. Steady and composed, yet not too worldly, he truly was the best person for the role of the leader. When Ning Lan went to fill his plates for the last time, he took a serving of pizza and fried chicken for Sui Yi. Wang Bingyang asked him why he knew about the leader¡¯s preferences, and he said, ¡°Just now I saw the leader eating the crust of the spring roll and not the filling, so I made a guess.¡± Sui Yi thanked him, slowly emptying everything on that plate. The dinner lasted till after 9pm. Out of the seven members of AOW, five were drunk. Sui Yi who did not drink, and Ning Lan who only had a taste of the cocktail so as to save space in his stomach, helped the drunk and half-conscious teenagers into the car. The back office personnel had also attended this dinner. Five cars had been allocated for the use of a dozen or so people, and they helped shove the drunk Wang Bingyang who was cheering ¡°Long live AOW, AOW will be famous!¡± into a car. In the end, only the trunk of one car was left empty. At this moment, the window of the backseat wound down. A car key was tossed out, and Sui Yi caught it. So drunk that his words were slurring, Lu Xiaochuan shouted, ¡°Lead, you¡­ you drive my car. I-it¡¯s at car park zone B.¡± So Ning Lan followed Sui Yi down the elevator to two floors underground. Searching about for several minutes, they finally managed to find the silver sports car which was not parked in zone B but zone D. The two looked at each other in resignation, smiling wryly and climbing in. Ning Lan had never sat in such a luxury car before. After pulling on the seat belt, he stared straight ahead. Feeling breathless, he did not even dare to blink. Something seemed wrong to him, and he kept feeling as though he wanted to stand up. Only when the car was on the stable main road did the leader/chauffeur notice his uneasiness. ¡°This car has a low chassis.¡± Ning Lan was finally enlightened. He pointed at the large truck in front of them. ¡°If this truck in front were to slam on the brakes, will we just end up driving under it?¡± Sui Yi laughed. ¡°You think an emergency brake is a game?¡± ¡°I think I¡¯ve seen it on the news before. Didn¡¯t those stars, who died in car accidents, all drove sports cars like this?¡± Ning Lan wrapped his arms around himself, his teeth chattering. ¡°Lead, drive a little slower. Safety comes first.¡± The amusement on Sui Yi¡¯s face did not lessen. ¡°I won¡¯t offer up your life.¡± ¡°I¡¯m relieved to hear that.¡± Ning Lan¡¯s eyes fell shut, and he spoke earnestly. ¡°In the entire AOW, Lead, you¡¯re the most reliable.¡± Sui Yi was caught off guard by the praise, and asked curiously, ¡°How am I reliable?¡± Ning Lan said leisurely, ¡°Xiao Gu was right. If I were to be the leader, I definitely won¡¯t be able to do it. It¡¯s too fucking tiring. Yesterday, in the middle of the night, I even heard you getting up and going next door to close the windows for them. If it¡¯s me, I can¡¯t even be bothered about my own biological brother.¡± Sui Yi turned and glanced at Ning Lan. Maybe he was drunk too. Swearing silently, he noticed that from his angle, he could see the mole in the corner of Ning Lan¡¯s eye fading in and out of sight under the street lights passing by. Later on, Sui Yi had contemplated over this. The reason why he would notice Ning Lan¡¯s eyes that night was probably because that sudden mole had drawn his attention to the upper part of his face. Without a sound, it caused people to unconsciously be drawn into that pair of deep, black eyes. Ning Lan registered Sui Yi¡¯s eyes, and turned to look at him as well. His lips split in a smile, revealing two deep dimples. A moment of absent-mindedness passed, and Sui Yi was quickly wrenched back to reality. He turned his head back to the front, speaking composedly. ¡°It¡¯s no bother.¡± Ning Lan laughed to himself. ¡°Thank you for your towel that was no bother, your heat pack, your music theory book, and¡­ and sending me back to the dorm.¡± Ning Lan wanted to stretch his body, but just as he raised his arms, he immediately hit the car ceiling. Timidly, he shrunk back into his seat, complaining in a small voice, ¡°It¡¯s so uncomfortable in this damn car.¡± ¡°Just endure it a little while more, we¡¯ll be reaching soon.¡± Ning Lan¡¯s consciousness drifted a little, only feeling that this voice was very gentle, and it made him even sleepier. He acknowledged Sui Yi quietly, wrapping his arms around himself and leant back into the seat. His head started nodding off, and then he fell asleep. Sui Yi no longer heard any sound from beside him. When he stopped at the traffic lights, he could not help but look to the right. Ning Lan¡¯s side profile glowed under the reflection of the dim light, and his ear was as fair as his face. He did not have any piercings. In the afternoon, An Lin had let him try on a clip-on to prepare for the MV, and there was still a red mark left from it even now. As though possessed, Sui Yi raised his hand. Just before he was about to touch his ear, he quickly pulled his hand back. Fortunately, Ning Lan did not wake up. Before he had time to think about why he would do something so strange, his phone suddenly rang in his pocket. The ringing as well as the vibration made Ning Lan, who was not deeply asleep, mumble something. Sui Yi grabbed his phone in a panic and randomly tapped on it, and the call was connected. ¡°Hello, Sui Yi?¡± The car was very quiet, and a steady male voice emitted from it. Sui Yi looked at the caller ID, his eyes dimming. CH 7 The traffic light turned green. Sui Yi turned on the handsfree mode for his phone, then placed it on the center console of the car as he released the brakes. ¡°Mn.¡± He answered. The man on the line quickly said, ¡°You¡¯re not asleep yet?¡± ¡°Mn.¡± ¡°How have you been recently? Are your living expenses enough? Do you need¡­¡± Before the other person could finish talking, Sui Yi interrupted. ¡°It¡¯s enough, I don¡¯t need anything.¡± He was firm and distant, unwilling to speak even one more word. The other party was silent for a moment. ¡°Alright. It¡¯s your father¡¯s birthday next Saturday. He misses you very much. If you have time, come back home to see him.¡± Despite Sui Yi¡¯s rudeness, that man¡¯s voice was still gentle and calm, and he did not seem even a little bit angry. ¡°I¡¯m not free. I¡¯m hanging up.¡± Sui Yi completely did not appreciate the warmth, and was going to hang up straight away. ¡°Sui Yi, hang on.¡± The man stopped him in a hurry. ¡°Laoshi1 knows¡­ I know you still hate me. About your mother, it¡¯s really my fault, and I don¡¯t plan on pushing the responsibility away. However, it has already been so long, and what you saw was not the entire situation. Your father¡¯s health hasn¡¯t been very good recently. You should at least come back and take a look at him; listen to what he has to say.¡± Sui Yi hung up, and the car returned to silence. After driving down a section of the road, Sui Yi spoke up. ¡°You¡¯ve woken up already?¡± Ning Lan had been frozen in his position, and his neck was almost stiff. Hearing Sui Yi speak, he slowly turned over, yawning exaggeratedly, and he put on a blank expression as though he had just woken up. ¡°We¡¯re here?¡± Sui Yi did not expose him. ¡°Soon.¡± Ning Lan was actually very nervous. He had not eavesdropped on purpose. Even more so, this was such a private conversation, but he could not have covered his ears, right? In this sort of situation, pretending to sleep was already the best way to handle it. Parking the car in the underground garage, the two of them took the lift upstairs. ¡°Looking around, it seems like there are quite a few expensive cars in this area.¡± Ning Lan spoke randomly after the door to the lift closed. Sui Yi was not paying attention to it, and he replied casually, ¡°You¡¯ve done some research on cars?¡± ¡°No, I just like them. If not, I also would not have gone to 4S Hotel to work.¡± Ning Lan glanced at Sui Yi. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t tell me you were thinking that I went there specifically to get beaten up?¡± Sui Yi smiled and shook his head. ¡°No.¡± Looking at his expression, Ning Lan knew that he was not telling the truth. Ning Lan wanted to explain everything, but he suddenly recalled how he had called him ¡°Hubby¡± that day. In the end, he did not say anything, only coughing awkwardly a couple of times and rubbing his nose. When they exited the lift, Sui Yi asked. ¡°Are you still in need of money?¡± His tone was calm and placid, and following behind him, Ning Lan could not see his expression. He was unable to confirm whether Sui Yi was really showing concern or just mocking him. However, no matter why Sui Yi decided to ask this question, Ning Lan would still give the same answer. ¡°No, I don¡¯t. Lead, thanks for your concern.¡± Sui Yi did not press on any further. Taking out his keys, he unlocked the door. The other group members who had arrived earlier were all sprawled across the couch in the living room. The two people worked together to carry them back to their respective rooms, and by the time they were done, it was already very late at night. Sui Yi returned to his usual manner as a leader, and told Ning Lan, ¡°We¡¯ll be shooting the MV outdoors tomorrow. Don¡¯t sleep too late.¡± Despite being young and healthy, the youths could not withstand the impact of alcohol. It was only till afternoon the next day when the five drunk youths recovered a little. After washing and dressing up, they all rushed to the shooting location. It was a school field. Taking advantage of a Sunday when no students were around, they had booked the area, and they wanted to shoot the youths running and chasing after each other in the light of the setting sun. Before he left the house, Ning Lan had secretly inserted elevated soles into his shoes. He was now a little more confident when standing, but he was not as smooth when it came to running. He kept feeling as though if he were to run too fast, his shoes would fly out. Fortunately, everyone was busy, and no one noticed his weirdness. Gao Ming, Wang Bingyang and Gu Chenkai were all on skateboards, practising, while Lu Xiaochuan and Fang Yu were still arguing. ¡°We¡¯ve already agreed that you¡¯ll stay in the dorm on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, while I¡¯ll stay there on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Yesterday was Saturday!¡± ¡°I know, but I was drunk yesterday. You think I want to stay with you too?¡± ¡°Who knows if you did it on purpose. You probably think that I¡¯m rich and handsome, and so you decided to throw yourself onto me.¡± ¡°Then why wouldn¡¯t I go find Lead instead?¡± ¡°You even want to seduce Lead?¡± Lu Xiaochuan leapt up immediately. ¡°Do you still want your dignity? What sort of karmic retribution is this, for me to be in the same group as you¡­ Zhang Fan-jie, Jie, please change a group for me, I don¡¯t want to be in the same group as this fellow, or you can chase him out¡­¡± Ning Lan shook his head, listening to them. They had been arguing the entire way here, and they still were not done yet. A few days ago, he had heard the reason for the conflict between the two of them from Wang Bingyang. Apparently, when the rakish Lu Xiaochuan saw Fang Yu for the first time, his eyes had nearly fallen out. Crying and whining, he was begging to debut in the same group as him. Later, after hearing some rumours from somewhere, his attitude towards Fang Yu did a complete 180 degree turn. Ignoring his constant vicious jabs, he also often behaved in a very annoying and childish manner towards him. Ning Lan asked what sort of rumours they were. Wang Bingyang looked around before leaning over and whispering secretly into his ear. ¡°I heard¡­ It¡¯s only hearsay, ok, Fang Yu-ge is being kept by someone outside, and that¡¯s why he rarely stays in the dorm. I also heard that he¡¯s actually already 21 years old, and to debut, he changed his age to 18. Once, Ming-ge saw him being picked up by a luxury car outside the company. However, he denied it resolutely, and this matter became an open secret in the company.¡± Ning Lan laughed dryly after listening, thinking that it turned out he was not the first one to change his age and pretend to be young. Fortunately, everyone sleeping in the dormitory was straight. At least he could sleep comfortably at night. On the grass, the two people started arguing again. Zhang Fan went over to persuade them, before Lu Xiaochuan was willing to stop. ¡°AOW gather around!¡± In the evening, under the setting sun, the clouds in the sky were dyed a deep, golden colour. Seven youths stood in a line on the track. The director called out, and all of them ran forward in a rush. The gentle spring breeze blew past their faces, and in front of the camera, they all jumped towards the sky, reaching up as they tried to touch the last thread of the golden light of the setting sun. At 8pm, the last member of AOW was announced, and so, all members were now present. Starlight Entertainment posted their group photo and released the social media accounts of the seven members accordingly. Sitting in the living room of the dormitory, the gang of five heterosexuals each had a phone in their hands. Wang Bingyang was the first to get nervous, and his trembling legs affected Gao Ming. The nervousness spread down the line, only ending at Sui Yi. ¡°Lead, aren¡¯t you nervous?¡± Even Wang Bingyang¡¯s teeth were chattering. Sui Yi shook his head, reassuring him, ¡°The company¡¯s promotion has been prepared very well, there¡¯s no need to worry.¡± ¡°But the comments that the some of us received weren¡¯t very good¡­¡± Wang Bingyang cautiously looked at Gu Chenkai. ¡°Would AOW become infamous even before we could get famous?¡± Gao Ming, ¡°Touch wood, don¡¯t say nonsense.¡± Wang Bingyang shrunk back, closing his mouth. Ning Lan also was not nervous, but he accompanied them, sitting there trembling with them. He was very open minded. Whether he would be popular or not, that was something out of his control. It was enough that a couple out of all of them could become famous. In the next three years, all of them would be in a group, and at that time, they would be able to benefit from their association, right? His objective here was to earn money, and he had heard that even the most unpopular stars in the industry could earn more than ordinary citizens out there. After the announcement, the fan count of all seven people started rising. The fastest rising ones belonged to the three who had participated in the talent show, followed by the other three who had outstanding appearances. Twenty minutes later, Ning Lan was left all the way at the back, and the distance was only increasing. Now, Wang Bingyang was no longer nervous. He even comforted him, ¡°Lan-ge, you¡¯re just not photogenic, so they don¡¯t realise how good looking you are. Once the MV is released, your fan count would definitely rise. Ning Lan only smiled and exited his Weibo page. He had read most of the comments. ¡°This person can actually debut with his appearance¡±, ¡°the standards of Starlight Entertainment is really dropping¡±, ¡°his appearance is so smarmy, did he do plastic surgery for his dimples¡±¡­ Many of the comments were derogatory, and only a few were complimentary. It was most likely because he was Feng Qiu¡¯s replacement, and so, the online citizens were especially critical towards him. If he truly was 18 years old, he might have gotten angry like how Gu Chenkai did that day. However, he was 23, and the so-called youthful vigour had long been polished away by the grinding of time. Even he himself could not feel where his edges were. Refusing to let anyone casually arrange his life was probably the last line he would defend in his life. They kept watch till 10pm, and the first wave of publicity dissipated. They all returned to their rooms. Gu Chenkai was the first to shower. Ning Lan went to the balcony to keep his clothes, and collected Sui Yi¡¯s and Gu Chenkai¡¯s clothes as well, out of convenience. Sui Yi stood up, taking the clothes. ¡°Just leave them, I¡¯ll do it. Don¡¯t move around.¡± Ning Lan paused. ¡°Huh?¡± Sui Yi placed the clothes on their beds accordingly. ¡°You hurt your waist during the shooting in the afternoon, right?¡± Ning Lan blinked. ¡°How did you know that?¡± ¡°I was right next to you when we were hurdling.¡± Ning Lan recalled what had happened. In the afternoon when they were shooting, the director had suddenly requested for a shot of all of them hurdling over the fence of the school field. Ning Lan had already left school for five years, how would he still be able to do something like that? However, seeing that even the delicate Fang Yu had no objections, Ning Lan could only grit his teeth and do it. In the end, he immediately sprained his waist on the first jump. If not for someone behind helping him, he would have crashed face first into the wall, and broke his teeth. At that time, all he could focus on was his pain, and he did not notice who was the one who had helped him. Now, thinking about it, according to their positions at that time, the person on his left was Sui Yi. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m getting old¡­ Oh, no, I¡¯m getting old before my prime¡­ I have to thank you again.¡± Holding onto his waist, Ning Lan spoke in embarrassment. Sui Yi was done separating the clothes. From his cupboard, he retrieved some medicated plasters. ¡°This one is quite effective, you can use them.¡± Ning Lan wanted to thank him again, only for Sui Yi to speak first. ¡°This belongs to Xiao Kai. He has injured his joint before, and I bought some just in case.¡± Ning Lan did not mince about. Taking the plasters, he lifted his shirt, trying to position the plastic. In an awkward position, he spoke, ¡°From your daily life, I have experienced how difficult it is to be an older brother.¡± Sui Yi saw that he was having trouble, and so he took the initiative to go up and help. ¡°You have an older brother?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± Ning Lan again pulled his shirt up higher, revealing a slender waist. ¡°I¡¯ve been alone since coming out from my mother¡¯s womb. That¡¯s the meaning, right?¡± ¡°Alone since coming out from your mother¡¯s womb means that you¡¯ve been single until now, not that you¡¯re an only child.¡± After correcting him, Sui Yi pressed onto his waist. ¡°Is it this spot?¡± ¡°A little lower¡­ then to the right. Yes, there¡­ Hahaha don¡¯t touch that spot, it tickles!¡± Ning Lan suddenly broke out into laughter. Curling up, he shied away. Sui Yi had finally found the right spot, and now that Ning Lan had moved, he again did not know where to place the plaster. Sui Yi just grabbed onto one side of Ning Lan¡¯s waist, trying to hold him down. ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± Feeling ticklish, Ning Lan¡¯s movements only turned more vigorous. Laughing loudly, he pushed Sui Yi¡¯s hand away, and the two of them pushed and pulled at each other, nearly falling off the bed. Finally, it was Sui Yi who grabbed both of Ning Lan¡¯s wrists and held them behind with one hand. He then quickly applied the plaster with his other hand, smacking it down on his waist, ending this difficult process of applying a medicated plaster. The indoor shooting of the MV was done on Monday. To release two MVs for their debut, the company was regarded to be very generous in the entertainment industry, and showed how big an importance the company had placed on the group. The youths who were about to debut were all in high spirits, and they had all done their preparations for their single. Hence, the shooting of the MV was done efficiently, only having a few hiccups when shooting the MV with the cute flair. ¡°Lead, let¡¯s redo the last shot. 1, 2, 3, smile~¡± The director demonstrated how he should smile again for the nth time, and the muscles on his face ached badly. It was not that Sui Yi did not know how to smile, only that in An Lin¡¯s words, it was ¡°too official¡±. When he smiled, he would raise the corners of his lips, just like a robot that had received a command. His looks were too handsome, and if he did not smile naturally, it looked a little fake. If one did not focus, his smile would still look acceptable in a photo. However, in a video, it could not deceive the audience. ¡°We have to try smiling sincerely. You can fantasise a little. Think about seeing a girl you like, or a beautiful flower.¡± The director tried describing a scenario for him. Sui Yi shook his head. He did not have any girls he liked, nor did he like flowers. Gu Chenkai searched for some lame jokes online, reciting them to him. In the end, Sui Yi did not laugh, but Gu Chenkai was rolling on the ground, laughing. All sorts of methods were tried, and they failed. Exhausted, the director called for a break. Ning Lan stroke his chin, watching Sui Yi from the side. Then, taking advantage of him talking to others, he suddenly pinched his waist. Sui Yi, ¡°¡­ What?¡± Ning Lan was surprised. ¡°You¡¯re not ticklish?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± Ning Lan saw that his expression did not seem feigned, and sighed. ¡°Your funny bone must have been stolen away by your younger brother when you were in your mother¡¯s womb.¡± Sui Yi thought about it. ¡°We¡¯re not actual brothers.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Who was supposed to be making who laugh here? After the break, the director was too tired to have any more hope, and declared that no matter what, this would be the last shot. The camera aimed at Sui Yi, and all the other members of AOW twisted about behind the camera, making all sorts of faces. Sui Yi still could not find anything to laugh at. Resigned, he mustered up his spirits. As he faced the camera, and tried his best to cultivate a smile from within. His eyes swept past the crowd. Everyone was looking over at him, and only Ning Lan, seeing that no one was watching him, was hiding in a corner, lifting his shirt up and rubbing at his own waist, grimacing. Sui Yi suddenly called how this fellow was twisting about yesterday, trying to avoid being tickled. He was laughing breathlessly, his dimples deep within his cheeks, and his eyes were squinting in laughter, looking like two crescents. ¡°Very good, this is the smile!¡± The director shouted excitedly, ¡°Cut!¡± CH 8 After the filming of the MV was done, there was only slightly more than a week left to their debut show. The members of AOW trained and practised fervently. The two songs and dances seemed to be played on constant repeat. From their training studio to their dormitory, it felt as though only these two songs existed in the world. Ning Lan¡¯s foundation was weak, and in the MV, he could get through with edits of the video. However, it was not good enough to stand live on stage. Other than the training with the entire group, Zhang Fan even arranged for him to attend solo practices with the dance teacher Xu Rui. Every day, Ning Lan was exhausted, feeling wrung out. Crawling back to the dorm, he did not want to move again once he was lying on his bed. There were many times when he was awakened by the person sleeping on the bunk above him. ¡°It¡¯s time to change the medication. Turn around.¡± Sui Yi nudged him. Groaning and moaning, Ning Lan did not want to move. Sui Yi had no choice. With one knee on the bed, he flipped Ning Lan over such that his back was facing up. After pushing his clothes away and revealing the waist, Sui Yi slowly removed the old medicated plaster with practised ease and replaced it with a new one. ¡°It¡¯s the fifth piece already, do you feel better?¡± Ning Lan nodded slightly, speaking in a feeble tone. ¡°I do feel much better¡­ Lead, you¡¯re my benefactor. If not for you, I might just die here.¡± Lying on the bed next to them, Gu Chenkai snorted, slamming his book onto the table. Ning Lan continued sprawling on the bed for a while. Unable to withstand his hunger anymore, he struggled up from the bed to go and cook some instant noodles. After slamming the book down, Gu Chenkai started playing the piano, using it to express his displeasure. Banging and pressing randomly on the keys, he was still unable to vent his feelings, and so, he stood up and walked over to Ning Lan who was currently tearing open the sachet of seasoning. ¡°Hey.¡± Sui Yi was currently not around. Ning Lan guessed that Gu Chenkai was calling him, and so looked up. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think about seducing my brother.¡± The fork in Ning Lan¡¯s mouth nearly fell out. ¡°What?¡± Gu Chenkai¡¯s cheeks puffed in anger. ¡°My brother isn¡¯t blind, so don¡¯t even dream about it.¡± He then turned and walked away, only to walk back again after a couple of steps. With disdain, he spoke. ¡°Eat your food outside, it smells.¡± The little young master could not be provoked. Ning Lan left with his instant noodles, eating and thinking, turns out this little child is so against me because of this? What injustice, how was the leader someone whom he could seduce as and when he liked? Sui Yi was brought up extremely well; he was very refined, cultured and responsible at such a young age. With his self-discipline, his mind was clearer than most people. Although Ning Lan still could not understand why he would want to join the group and debut in the entertainment industry, a person like Sui Yi would never allow himself to be implicated in any trouble in this area. Furthermore, he should be straight. Despite the country allowing homosexual marriages to occur, it could not get rid of the prejudices against homosexuals. This was especially the case for Sui Yi, who had been hurt by his family. Ning Lan sighed lightly. The medicated plaster on the back of his waist was still giving off heat, but his heart was cold. He swiftly finished up his noodles. The little boy in the room was still playing his piano, and he really did not feel like going back in. Now that he was full, he started to feel sleepy. Holding onto his bowl, Ning Lan started nodding off. He only woke up when his face fell into the bowl, so he quickly went to the bathroom to wash his face. Someone was inside, showering. The bathroom was not locked. There was only one shower enclosure that had been simply separated by a clear, glass participation. Whoever was showering could be identified with a glance. A tall body, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. It was Sui Yi. With his fringe still dripping oil, Ning Lan stood there, rooted to the spot. The people living in the dorm had previously verbally agreed that they would knock on the door before entering the bathroom in the evening, so as to prevent walking in to someone showering. In his hurry, Ning Lan had forgotten. To go out now would make him look even more guilty. Ning Lan silently spun around, turning on the tap and rinsing his hair furiously. After turning the tap off, he still did not dare to look back. He heard the running water sounding a little quieter than before, and with a dry throat, he spoke. ¡°Excuse me, I dirtied my face just now, so I came in without knocking.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Sui Yi¡¯s muffled voice came through the glass. Ning Lan scurried away. That blurred figure was imprinted in Ning Lan¡¯s head. Sui Yi returned to the room after his shower. As Sui Yi walked about the room, Ning Lan did not dare to make even a single move. He did know that Sui Yi had a very nice body. In the training studio, everyone wore a t-shirt and sweatpants. Only Sui Yi¡¯s pecs could be seen, nicely defined through the t-shirt. He was the only one, when his sweat rolled down from his face and down his neck, who could give off the beauty of strength and a flood of pheromones. Ning Lan was even a little envious of Gu Chenkai for being able to look at Sui Yi openly, and taking his care and consideration for granted. Not only was he good-looking, he was also gentle and reliable. Ning Lan brought his finger to his mouth, biting it harshly. The pain cleared his head, and got rid of the nonsensical thoughts in his mind. He was grateful that everyone else in the dorm was straight, and so, his orientation was not easily exposed. Ning Lan woke up late the next day. The reason was that he had been having wet dreams the entire night. In his dreams, there was a naked male with a very good physique. Grabbing a clean pair of underwear, he hurried into the bathroom. Just as he was about to hold the door shut with his foot, someone pushed the door open and entered. Ning Lan looked up, and his heart skipped a beat ¡ª he was the naked male who was now wearing clothes. Sui Yi had just returned from a run. He washed his face with cold water, and greeted Ning Lan, panting. ¡°Good morning.¡± Ning Lan did not dare to look at him directly. He seemed to have gain an additional x-ray ability. The sexy panting only made things worse, and this was basically an audiovisual feast with 3D effect and surround sound. Wiping his sweaty palms on his pants, Ning Lan turned and pulled the towel away from the rack. ¡°Good morning.¡± Sui Yi took a towel as well, then called out to him. ¡°Ning Lan.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Ning Lan was rarely addressed directly by Sui Yi with his name. Startled, he was nearly choked by the wet towel on his face. ¡°You took the wrong towel.¡± ¡­ No wonder the towel had a scent that made his adrenaline soar. Ning Lan pulled the towel off his face, rinsing it over and over again with soap. ¡°Sorry, the two towels looked identical. In a hurry, I took the wrong one.¡± Sui Yi seemed to have gotten used to his clumsiness. With a smile, he said, ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Ning Lan immediately bought a new towel to replace it the next day. He could not bear to toss the old one away, and after washing and drying it, he kept it. Into the third month of the lunar calendar, the weather gradually became warmer. As the countdown to the debut show started, all seven members of AOW were in the training studio almost the whole time, singing, dancing, running the whole performance through with each other. The company had given each of them a rough personality to follow. They advised them that they could display their own uniqueness, as long as they did not deviate from their assigned personality. Not everyone was able to handle the intricate requirements of being a lovable villain. Ning Lan was to be the boy next door. What he had to do was smile often. This was not difficult for him. Working in the service industry, he also had to smile all the time. Now, his targets had only switched from the customers to the fans, and he was well aware of how he should appeal to others. Sui Yi and Fang Yu were the two visuals of the group. Apparently, fans on Weibo had already named their ship Soaring Flower, as one was tall, and the other was as pretty as a flower. Lu Xiaochuan frothed in anger hearing that. He asked Wang Bingyang, ¡°Then what about me? I don¡¯t have a CP?¡± Wang Bingyang scrolled further down. ¡°Yes yes, you do. You¡¯re with Xiao Kai, and your ship is called ChuanKai.¡± Having been on a talent show before, Gu Chenkai was familiar with such methods of forming ships to try increasing their popularity. Unconcerned, he had his earphones on, still listening to his songs. Lu Xiaochuan was still unhappy. ¡°Why is it not Ning Lan and me together? Also, this name is too casual. One look and you know not much thought had been placed into it.¡± Ning Lan was not shipped with anyone. Even Gao Ming and Wang Bingyang were ¡°MingYang¡± because of their good relationship during the talent show. Amongst the seven people, he was the only one alone. It seemed like he was the only outsider in the group. A day before their debut show, the families of Wang Bingyang and Gu Chenkai both came. A large group of people squeezed into their tiny dorm, preparing hot pot. The parents were very proud of their own child, coming all the way to watch their child¡¯s debut show. Even though Ning Lan had never experienced such familial intimacy before, he could not help but be affected by the warm atmosphere. Halfway through eating, Ning Lan silently retreated, leaving the space for the families while he ran to sit in the stairway. Sitting there for a bit, he started to feel cold, and so stood up and started practising his dance steps. A creak, and the safety exit to the stairway opened. Sui Yi shone a torch onto Ning Lan. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Squinting in the light, Ning Lan rotated his overworked, aching shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m full, so I decided to come out and work it off.¡± Sui Yi held out a mango. ¡°Here¡¯s dessert, you want some?¡± The two people sat on a step, sharing the mango. Hanging with Sui Yi¡¯s keys was an exquisite charm, and after opening it, it turned out to be a small blade. Deftly, he cut the mango into two, removing the seed of the mango. Making a few horizontal and vertical slices into the flesh, he handed one half to Ning Lan. Ning Lan sniffed at it under the dim light. ¡°How is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s really fragrant.¡± ¡°Gao Ming¡¯s parents brought them. He¡¯s from a coastal city in the south.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Ning Lan again started thinking about what he should give to Gao Ming in return, as he could not take things for free. He asked casually, ¡°So where are you from?¡± ¡°Right here,¡± Sui Yi replied. Ning Lan recalled his Maybach with a local number plate. He realised that he had asked a silly question. ¡°I don¡¯t hear a rhotic accent in your words, so I thought you aren¡¯t from the capital.¡± ¡°My mother is from Jiangnan.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a nice place.¡± Ning Lan did not know how to respond. Out of the seven people, only the two of them did not have any family to come visit them. Now knowing that Sui Yi was from this city, saying anything now would feel like he was poking at his sore spot. Sui Yi spoke up. ¡°What about your family? Will they be coming to watch the show? The company will arrange for front seats for family members.¡± Ning Lan shook his head. ¡°They¡¯re not coming.¡± Maybe it was much easier to be honest in a place with dim lighting. He suddenly had a desire to pour his heart out. ¡°My dad had passed away a long time ago, and I have no idea where my mother is fooling around now.¡± ¡°Fooling around?¡± ¡°Yup, fooling around. It means she¡¯s playing around outside, playing like crazy, and not caring about anything,¡± Ning Lan explained. ¡°Lan, that means waves, right?¡± Sui Yi asked. Ning Lan paused. He had never thought about why he was called Lan.1 ¡°Maybe¡­¡± Ning Lan spoke uncertainly. ¡°My dad was the one who named me. He died early, and I did not have time to ask him.¡± Sui Yi did not respond. ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s a good day, but I keep talking about death.¡± Ning Lan felt that he was being unlucky, and slapped himself lightly on the mouth. ¡°No,¡± Sui Yi spoke. ¡°Although my father is still alive, he might as well be dead.¡± Ning Lan¡¯s eyelid twitched. He had a good memory, and he could still remember clearly the contents of the phone conversation that day. If he recalled correctly, today was Sui Yi¡¯s father¡¯s birthday?¡± To lay such a harsh curse on this day, it was either that the child was extremely foolish, or the father had truly done something utterly devoid of conscience. Ning Lan was more inclined to believe the latter. The serious topic dampened the atmosphere, and so, Ning Lan raised the mango in his hand. ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about these unhappy matters. Come, cheers!¡± Sui Yi was taken aback by his sudden action. Without thinking, he raised his hand as well, and they bumped their mango halves together. ¡°For freedom, for tomorrow!¡± Ning Lan¡¯s voice was amplified in the small, cramped space. The voice-activated lights outside the stairway all lit up. The door was not shut fully, and the lights shone into their area. Ning Lan was alarmed at first. He thought someone had come in. Then, thinking about them sitting here secretly eating the mango, he found the humour in it. Laughing, he fell. His hand shook, and the mango landed onto his new shoes. The pair of white shoes was now stained with the yellow of the mango. He stopped laughing. Looking at his dumbfounded look, Sui Yi burst out laughing instead. A youthful laughter that had traces of a matured man sounded low and pleasant, with a husky magnetism. Copying Ning Lan, he raised his mango. ¡°For tomorrow, cheers.¡± ¡°No more, no more, I¡¯ve already dropped it.¡± With drooping eyes, Ning Lan waved him away dejectedly. Sui Yi held his own mango to Ning Lan¡¯s mouth. ¡°I haven¡¯t eaten it yet, you can eat it first.¡± Ning Lan hesitated for a moment before leaning over and taking a bite. His teeth bumped into Sui Yi¡¯s finger accidentally. Sui Yi seemed to be unaware of it. After Ning Lan¡¯s bite, he bit into the mango from the other side, critiquing, ¡°It¡¯s really sweet.¡± Before falling asleep, Ning Lan¡¯s ears still felt a little warm. Using his phone, he transferred what little money he had left to his aunt, then sent her a message, asking her to use this money to buy clothes of Ning Xuan. He remembered that when he went home during the New Year, the girl had been very unhappy that her family could not afford to buy her new clothes. He suddenly was a little hopeful about his future, and he started to earnestly anticipate the arrival of the next day. Times would always get better. Just like today. CH 9 The sky had been dark since early morning on Sunday. The rehearsal for Focus Show Music Festival was in the morning, and the red carpet event would be in the afternoon. At night, the show would be streamed live globally, and the schedule was very tight. All members of AOW had gathered at the company at 6am in the morning, and when they reached the venue, they waited for their turn to rehearse. Many singers ahead of them took their own sweet time finding their positions, and by the time it was their turn, it was nearly lunchtime. Amongst the seven of them, only a few had experience being on stage. Everyone was very nervous, and they could no longer remember how their teachers had emphasised on controlling their expressions and looking for the camera. Even the usually professional Gao Ming made a mistake. While changing their formation after a jump, he ran to the wrong position, bumping into Ning Lan. Ning Lan was a little low on blood sugar. After getting bumped into, he fell two steps back. His legs weakened, and he fell, sitting onto the ground. Gao Ming had wanted to apologise at first, but seeing how Ning Lan did not stand back up, he felt that Ning Lan was faking it. Who did not come here without eating breakfast? The music stopped abruptly, and Wang Bingyang, standing nearest to them, went forward to help Ning Lan up. Sui Yi too walked over from the front row, asking what happened. With a pale face, Ning Lan shook his head, and in the end, Sui Yi went to talk to the staff, saying that they had to take a short break, and to let others rehearse first. Fang Yu took out a few pieces of chocolate from his pocket and gave them to Ning Lan. ¡°Have something sweet first to help. I also have low blood sugar, and so, I often have some snacks on me. Next time when you¡¯re hungry, just look for me.¡± Lu Xiaochuan spoke, ¡°The food we ordered will be delivered soon. Let¡¯s continue after eating.¡± Ning Lan thought that these two people were actually not too bad when they were not fighting. After lunch, AOW again went on stage and swiftly ran through their two songs. Zhang Fan then led them offstage to wardrobe and makeup. Zhang Fan was extremely busy today. Many of the artistes under her were performing today, including their seniors V-Wish. She told AOW that the girl group would be walking down the red carpet before them. If they were to take a photo together at that time, they would be able to gain a little more exposure. In the afternoon, the sky still did not clear up. The clouds were grey and low, seemingly ready to fall onto people. Ning Lan¡¯s nervousness in walking down the red carpet was not as bad as when he was taking the high school leaving examinations. He looked up at the sky. The weather then was just like this as well, and he had a fever. The words on the exam paper danced and twisted in front of him, and halfway through his examination, he tossed his pen away, losing consciousness on his desk. In his heart, he persuaded himself. There¡¯s no need to be nervous, it¡¯s fine. This is only a job, and people¡¯s criticisms have nothing to do with me. I¡¯m only here to earn money. Just like his high school examinations, so what if he was nervous, so what if he put in a lot of effort? He was destined to not be able to enter a university, and he was already very lucky to have been able to finish high school. They all said that studying was the only way for lower-class citizens to liberate themselves from their lives, but he was unable to even get that chance. Muddleheaded, he walked down the red carpet. While waiting for their turn to be on stage in the lounge, Sui Yi led AOW around to greet their seniors. Ning Lan had seen him studying a book with information on various entertainment artistes in the training room before, and he was very astonished at that time. Were these people not familiar faces who had often appeared on television and the internet? Was there a need to memorise their names? It was only later then that Ning Lan learnt that the young master had studied classical music, and he had no interest in the entertainment industry. As for why Sui Yi decided to suddenly enter the entertainment industry despite excelling on his violin, Ning Lan pondered over it, and felt that he could only explain it as his rebellious stage, wanting to antagonise his family. What a wilful life. Ning Lan could not help but sigh. When they were on the red carpet, everything was captured by the cameras, and so, Zhang Fan did not allow them to bring their phones with them. AOW¡¯s performance was arranged towards the end. After the youths had greeted their seniors, they all hid in a corner, tapping at their phones furiously, sharing their emotions about walking down a red carpet with their friends and families. Wang Bingyang was so excited that his entire face flushed red as he spoke into his phone. ¡°Xue Ying, the best actress Xue Ying spoke to me! You definitely will not be able to imagine how pretty she is in real life!¡± Ning Lan was holding onto his phone as well. Pressing on the ON button, he made the screen light up, before switching off the screen again. He did not know who he could share his feelings with, as there was no one who would be happy for him. Just as An Lin came over with her huge canvas bag to collect the phones, Ning Lan¡¯s phone suddenly rang. It was an unfamiliar number that he had no impression of. He thought it would be a cold call, and straight away rejected it. Within a few seconds, that number called again. An Lin stopped in front of him. ¡°Quickly answer it, if not, you¡¯ll only be able to touch your phone again 6 hours later.¡± So Ning Lan turned around and answered the call. ¡°Stupid whore, you finally know how to answer a call? Who the hell gave you the guts to change your number and not inform me?¡± Ning Lan¡¯s heart jolted. He could only think of one way Xie Tianhao had managed to get his new number. He shifted to the side, leaving the crowd. ¡°What do you want?¡± Xie Tianhao laughed with insolence and wretchedness. ¡°To do you, of course. Stupid whore, I¡¯ve spent so much money, but I only just touched you a couple of times. Say, don¡¯t you think I¡¯ve made a huge loss?¡± Ning Lan lowered his voice. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything to my uncle and aunt. I¡¯ll return the money to you very soon.¡± ¡°Yo, listen to this,¡± Xie Tianhao¡¯s voice sounded further away. Noise could be heard from the other side, and it seemed like he was surrounded by quite a few people. ¡°Listen to what your good son has just said. He doesn¡¯t care about you, only caring about his uncle and aunt.¡± A shrill voice of a woman could now be heard. ¡°Lanlan, Lanlan, quick, save Mama! Lanlan, they¡¯re going to kill your mom!¡± The men on the other side all burst out laughing, and Ning Lan could hear a woman¡¯s pained cry. Xie Tianhao¡¯s voice again sounded in his ear. ¡°Did you hear that? Your dear mother is calling you, begging you to come and save her. Are you going to care?¡± Ning Lan¡¯s breath was stuck in his throat. ¡°Let her go.¡± Xie Tianhao clicked his tongue. ¡°You make it sound so easy. I¡¯ve spent so much money, wait, how does that phrase go? Oh, I¡¯ve lost the bait along with the fish. How can I swallow this down?¡± A flurry of actions could be heard through the phone, interspersed with a woman¡¯s pained howls. ¡°I¡¯ve said that I¡¯ll return the money. Can you let her go first?¡± Ning Lan himself felt that his words were not convincing at all, but he did not know what else he could say. Xie Tianhao tossed the rod in his hand away, and a lackey next to him lit his cigarette for him. ¡°How about this, I¡¯ll give you two choices. You either gather that 200,000rmb right now, without a single cent missing, or you immediately appear in front of me.¡± Ning Lan had no other choices, and yielded. ¡°Ge, three days, please give me three days.¡± There was no need to speak of any sentiment between the two of them. Xie Tianhao slowly exhaled. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it have been good if you¡¯ve been so obedient right from the start? I¡¯ve been looking for you for so long, and I¡¯m extremely annoyed now. How about this, before the day turns dark tomorrow, I must see either you or the money. I¡¯m giving you your last chance, you should know what to do.¡± Ning Lan hung up, taking two deep breaths. He tried his best to return to the group, composed, and spoke to An Lin. ¡°Jie, I want to go back to the company for a bit.¡± ¡°Why are you going back? You¡¯re about to go onstage.¡± ¡°I-I¡¯ve left my protective amulet in the training studio. Without it, I don¡¯t dare to go onstage.¡± An Lin nearly burst out laughing. ¡°Why are you so superstitious at your age? I¡¯ll go and bring it back for you, just sit here and wait.¡± Ning Lan hurriedly said, ¡°I¡¯ll go take it myself. You don¡¯t know where it is, I hid it very well.¡± An Lin looked at the time, hesitating. ¡°Fine, I know you¡¯re very nervous going onstage for the first time.¡± She gave Ning Lan some directions. ¡°Leave from the back door. There are many cabs waiting there. Come back quickly once you¡¯ve got it.¡± Ning Lan agreed, turning around and leaving. Sui Yi ran up and caught him, taking two pieces of 100rmb out from his pocket. ¡°You didn¡¯t bring any money along, right? You¡¯re going to take a cab with empty pockets?¡± Ning Lan did not dare to look at him. Feeling flustered, he accepted the money and thanked him, before walking through the crowd towards the back door. He reached the dormitory in less than twenty minutes. Ning Lan looked up at the clock on the wall, it was 6pm on the dot. The last bus back home was at 7.30pm, and the journey would take 21 hours. By the time he reached, the sky should have yet to turn dark. Ning Lan haphazardly wiped the water off his face. The rain that had been threatening to fall for the entire day had finally descended upon them. Disembarking from the cab, he was drenched walking from the entrance to the lift. A spring rain was like a thunderstorm, and the windows rattled away with the rain drops, just like the chaos in his heart. He had left the show venue on impulse. However, the several minutes he spent in the cab were enough for him to think things through. Despite how bad that woman was, she was still his only mother. She was the mother who hugged him to sleep as a child, and the mother who sang for him. Maybe his aunt was the one who told his mother his new number, or Xie Tianhao had gotten it directly from his aunt. No matter which scenario it was, they were both the worst. He was unable to gather up such a large amount of money, so he had no choice but to appear. With trembling hands, Ning Lan opened Gu Chenkai¡¯s drawer, as he had seen the child take money out from it before. He found a wallet all the way inside, and he took all the cash out. There was over 1000rmb, and it was enough to buy him a bus ticket. In the entire dormitory, Gu Chenkai was the one with the worst spending habits. All his snacks were imported, and he never repeated any of his clothes within a month. The loss of a 1000rmb should not affect his life. There was no one like him in AOW, so down and out. They might even cheer joyfully once he was gone. One less person would disrupt the group formation, but they could just find a dancer to temporarily replace him. Today, Starlight Entertainment had brought along two car fulls of dancers, and every one of them danced better than him. When the festival was over, the company would probably make an announcement, saying that ¡°Member Ning Lan has left the group without any reasons, and is now expelled from AOW.¡± With their efficiency, they might even be able to find another member very quickly, or they could also just go ahead with six members. As long as there was not a scourge like him around, everything would be very good. Maybe because of the day¡¯s weather, Ning Lan felt a stuffiness in his chest, and it seemed like he could barely breathe. He tore out a page from the book which he had filled with musical notations, but did not manage to find a pen after some time. Taking one from Sui Yi¡¯s table, his hand was shaking horrendously. Despite writing the same word three times, the word still could not be read. Finally, with a shift of the pen, a hole was poked into the paper. He moved the paper away. On the surface of the desk, there were three letters that Gu Chenkai had spent half a night carving when he could not sleep ¡ª AOW. Those youths came from all corners of the country, each with their own goals. Their only similarity was treating this group as a brand new start of their lives. With anticipation, they left their past behind them, walking towards an unknown future filled with hope. The word ¡°sorry¡± felt extremely insignificant. Did his apology even mean anything? He was beyond hope, dragging innocent people down along with him, and yet he still sought forgiveness? Feeling numb, Ning Lan let go of the pen, and did not write anymore. He also did not dare to look at it again, carelessly taking two shirts from the cupboard. When he saw the heat packs and medicated plasters on the bed, he paused for a moment, before picking them up and shoving them into his bag with the shirts. Ning Lan did not even turn back to take one last look as he left. It was as if the heavens had never given him a chance to go back on his words. Opening the door, the sound-activated lights above his head lit up. Outside the door, there stood someone who had also been drenched by the rain. Sui Yi was holding an umbrella, but it was not open. His eyes slowly slid down Ning Lan¡¯s ashen face, stopping at the bag in his hand. A drop of rainwater dripped down from Sui Yi¡¯s fringe. His voice was as icy as the rain. ¡°Where are you going?¡± CH 10 Sui Yi saw the trembling of Ning Lan¡¯s lips. With Ning Lan¡¯s wet lashes covering his eyes, Sui Yi was unable to discern what he was thinking. Ning Lan looked just like how he had looked when he was about to run away in front of Hotel 4S. The only difference was that he looked even paler now, and that might be due to the fright from his unsuccessful escape. Just now, after Ning Lan had taken the money and rushed away, Sui Yi walked to the window and realised that it was raining heavily outside. Borrowing an umbrella from An Lin, he chased after him, only to see Ning Lan get into a cab. Sui Yi shouted after him, but Ning Lan did not hear him. Suddenly feeling that something was wrong, Sui Yi flagged down the next cab and followed. His instincts were proven right. The cab ahead did not stop at the company, but continued making two more turns and stopped near their dormitory. The second before the door opened, Sui Yi was still hopeful. Maybe Ning Lan had remembered that his amulet was in the dormitory? He was a pretty careless guy, and this was completely within expectations. Today was the first show that AOW would put on, it was impossible that he would be so reckless and run away at the last minute. ¡°Let¡¯s go, we¡¯re about to go on stage.¡± Sui Yi reached out to pull Ning Lan. Ning Lan shrunk backwards, but his feet still pointed towards the door, looking as though he could run at any moment. Sui Yi was a little anxious, and he suddenly snatched at the bag in Ning Lan¡¯s hand. Ning Lan wanted to switch the bag to his other hand behind his back, but forgot that he was still holding onto something in his palm. With a motion, all the things fell onto the ground. In a panic, Ning Lan crouched down to pick them up. Sui Yi caught his arm, stopping him. The moment before the voice-activated lights dimmed, Sui Yi saw a pile of money on the ground. Amongst the five people who spent most of their time in the dorm, Wang Bingyang never drew more than 500 from the ATM each time. Gao Ming¡¯s drawer was locked, and he, himself, would only have 200 on him in case of emergencies. As for Ning Lan, despite getting two months¡¯ salary, he was always tight on cash. It was evident whose money this was. ¡°Is that Xiaochen¡¯s money?¡± Sui Yi still ended up asking. Ning Lan did not struggle out of his grip. He lowered his eyes, ¡°Yes.¡± After a moment, he continued. ¡°I have to go.¡± Although he had already surmised it, this response still came at Sui Yi like a tight slap. He always misread people, trusted the wrong people, and he did not know if these sort of things had to do with his age and experience, or if it was just because he was too stupid. Ning Lan had not changed at all. He was selfish, arrogant, and he could betray his group mates if he stood to gain anything. He was even unashamed of being in debt and stealing. Sui Yi must have been crazy to think that this person was inherently kind, just because when he smiled, he looked pure and innocent, and there were no shadows in his eyes, which was very similar to that person. Sui Yi felt that there was something in his chest that was expanding, fermenting, rolling about and bubbling as though it was about to burst out. Ning Lan struggled, but did not manage to get out of his grip. With just one hand, Sui Yi was able to hold onto his two hands, so of course Ning Lan was unable to break free. Using his hand that was holding onto the bag, Ning Lan pushed him, his voice pleading. ¡°I¡¯ll return the money¡­ I really have to go.¡± Ning Lan actually had countless dirty tricks to make Sui Yi let go. For example, he could just knee him in his groin, but he did not want to do so. The youth in front of him had aided him, had given him warmth when he was cold. Even if it was only out of responsibility, or out of habit, it was enough for Ning Lan to remember it. Ning Lan looked at Sui Yi¡¯s hand that was holding onto him, and noticed that the veins on his arm were bulging. He wondered muddledly, who would not be angry about this? It only showed how excellent Sui Yi¡¯s upbringing was, seeing that he had yet to hit him. Feeling vacuous, Ning Lan slowly repeated, ¡°I have to go.¡± A moment later, he heard Sui Yi speak. ¡°How much more money do you need?¡± Ning Lan raised his head, meeting Sui Yi¡¯s guarded eyes. His lips moved, a little disbelieving. Sui Yi relaxed his grip on Ning Lan¡¯s wrist. ¡°How much money do you need? I¡¯ll give it to you, go with me to the show.¡± That night, the debut of Starlight Entertainment¡¯s new boy band on Focus Show¡¯s music festival ended successfully. Less than an hour after the seven youths left the stage after their performance, a new topic #AOWoutoftheworld appeared in the top ten list of Weibo. Even when the festival ended, their ranking was still increasing. On the way back in the car, Wang Bingyang and Gu Chenkai kept refreshing Weibo, reading the comments out for everyone excitedly. ¡°When will the single be released? I¡¯m going to play it on loop ten thousand times!¡± ¡°The singing and dancing aren¡¯t too bad. They¡¯re V-Wish¡¯s juniors, I think I¡¯ll like them.¡± ¡°Is that the new boy band with an average age of 18? How young and capable!¡± ¡°The rapper¡¯s not too bad, he¡¯s fluent and doesn¡¯t have an accent¡­ Hey, it¡¯s a compliment for you, Chuan-ge.¡± It was rare that Lu Xiaochuan would be in the same car as them. He turned his head around. ¡°This can be called a compliment? The next time I¡¯ll do a Chinese-styled English rap for them, and let them hear what¡¯s really cool.¡± Everyone burst out laughing. ¡°Wow wow wow that tallest one is too handsome¡­ Lead, it¡¯s about you!¡± Wang Bingyang reached out and patted the shoulder of Sui Yi, who was sitting in front. With his arms crossed, Sui Yi was leaning back in his seat and looking out of the window. Hearing Wang Bingyang, he turned his head back, looking a little weary. ¡°What?¡± Gu Chenkai tugged at Wang Bingyang, ¡°My brother is tired, just let him rest.¡± The two people continued huddling together and reading comments aloud. During the performance just now, everyone had been extremely nervous. Fortunately, there had been no mistakes, and they did manage to showcase their normal standards from the studio. Their performance was complete and powerful, and the more explosive song, , together with the advanced acoustics and lighting effects, the intense rhythm and melody of the chorus had the entire crowd moving along. The comments for the edited video from the festival circulating Weibo were mostly from fans. Together with some commenters and marketing accounts bought by their company, they spread even more rapidly. The phrase ¡°the light of local boy bands¡± even appeared, and the youths were both happy and anxious. They could not wait to get the affirmations and suggestions from the comments, so as to better improve their performance for the next time. ¡°The one in the black jacket is the one parachuted in, right? He¡¯s better looking than his photo¡­¡± Wang Bingyang read it halfway before raising his phone to Ning Lan, who was sitting next to him. ¡°Lan-ge, someone said that you¡¯re good looking!¡± Ning Lan was distracted. Wang Bingyang nudged him a few times before his shifty gaze focused, and he slowly turned his head around. Wang Bingyang continued reading. ¡°It¡¯s just that his hairstyle is a little strange. The company should pay more attention.¡± Ning Lan touched his hair unconsciously. At that time, he had left in a hurry, and after getting caught in two bouts of rain, the fluffy hairstyle that they had given him had drooped quite a bit. When he returned back to the show, he took a hairdryer and dried his hair any old how before taking his seat. He did not even have time to straighten up the clothes that he was wearing for the performance. Covered in cold sweat, before the first song came to an end, he noticed that his fringe was disobediently stuck to his head. In that moment, his thoughts were in a mess, and when his earpiece fell out, he also did not replace it. It was amazing that he had been able to endure the two songs without any mistakes. ¡°Didn¡¯t the leader go look for you with an umbrella? How did you two still end up drenched, and your makeup even got washed off?¡± Fang Yu asked. Ning Lan forced out a tiny smile. ¡°The umbrella was too small, it wasn¡¯t enough for the rain.¡± Arriving at the company, the youths split up. Lu Xiaochuan and Fang Yu both returned to their own homes. The parents of Gu Chenkai, Wang Bingyang and Gao Ming had made the rare trip down, and each of them took their child out to celebrate. Sui Yi rejected the dinner invitation from Gu Chenkai¡¯s mother, who was also his aunt, saying that he wanted to go back and rest. He walked back to the dorm with Ning Lan. The rain outside was still pattering down. Ning Lan opened the umbrella, hesitating for a moment. In the end he still chased after Sui Yi¡¯s footsteps, walking next to him, and slowly held the umbrella over him. Sui Yi did not react, and even his face was expressionless. His steps were large, and while holding the umbrella, Ning Lan pretty much had to run to catch up. By the time they reached the stairway, he was already gasping. Half his body was soaked away, and he looked extremely pathetic. Back in the dorm, Ning Lan first took a towel to wipe his face. Just as he came out from the bathroom, Sui Yi took his phone and asked him for his bank account number. Ning Lan returned to his room to look for his bank card before reciting the digits to him, and he soon received a text informing him that the money had been transferred to his account. ¡°I¡¯ve hit the limit, I¡¯ll transfer the rest to you tomorrow,¡± Sui Yi said. Ning Lan nodded. Picking up the notebook by his bed, he tore out another piece of paper, ¡°I¡¯ll write an IOU for you.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no need for that,¡± Sui Yi¡¯s tone was flat. ¡°An IOU without notarisation does not hold any legal effect.¡± Feeling a little helpless, Ning Lan put his pen down and bit his lip. ¡°I¡¯ll return the money to you as soon as possible.¡± After he said that, Ning Lan recalled that he had said the exact same words to many previous debtors. Even this new debtor in front of him had heard it before. The words ¡°as soon as possible¡± from his mouth were equivalent to a fairy tale. Sui Yi was still expressionless, clearly not taking his words to heart. He put his phone back in his pocket. ¡°I hope you¡¯ll keep your promise, and stay in AOW until you fulfil your contract.¡± He did not mention the money at all, but Ning Lan¡¯s heart felt like a stone rolling down a cliff, sinking all the way down. Later on, it took Ning Lan some time before he understood. To Sui Yi, money was not important. He had helped him out only to save the group. Just like Gu Chenkai, he was a young master who never had to worry about money. Naturally, he did not understand that for a person in dire straits, having money meant that they would not have to sell themselves out, that it would represent freedom, and the future. Sui Yi would never be able to understand why he would betray his conscience and go against his promise for a little sum of money. The day after the music festival, AOW¡¯s new song and MV were officially released. Before the morning was over, the song had reached the top of the music charts. Taking the opportunity of their current popularity, the official Weibo account of Starlight Entertainment posted two new updates. First, AOW would be a guest on the broadcast of Sweet Orange tomorrow evening; and second, the physical copy of AOW¡¯s first single would be available for sale, and starting from the end of the month, they would kick off a series of autograph sessions around the country for one and a half months. During the broadcast that night, Ning Lan received a call from his mother. Xie Tianhao had a violent temperament, but he was quite trustworthy. Once he received the money, he immediately let her go. ¡°You ungrateful heartless bastard. You told Jin Feng that you changed your number, but you didn¡¯t tell me. Are you even my son? You gave her quite a bit of money behind my back, didn¡¯t you?¡± Ning Lan¡¯s mother asked sharply through the phone. Jin Feng was his aunt¡¯s name. Ning Lan kneaded the center of his brows. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t. I have to work, I¡¯ll hang up now.¡± ¡°Hey, hold on!¡± His mother shouted, ¡°Where did you get the two hundred thousand from? Is there any left? I¡¯m a little short on cash recently¡­¡± Without a word, Ning Lan hung up and turned on the silent mode for his phone. The location of the broadcast was an empty studio. The host of Sweet Orange loved making their guests participate in all sorts of strange games. This time, he specially designed a little game to test the coordination between the members of AOW, and split everyone into pairs. Sui Yi was the most popular, and the comments were all about him. As such, he gained the right to pick his first choice, and the host asked the members who wanted to work with their leader to raise their hands. Afraid of being left out, Ning Lan silently raised his hand. Out of everyone who had their hands up, Sui Yi picked Fang Yu. As expected, Ning Lan was the odd one out, and formed a team with the host. Again, as expected, he lost the game. The punishment was very interesting. He had to choose someone for the Pocky challenge. To enhance the broadcast, the host first clarified that he, himself, could not be chosen. Holding onto the Pocky stick, Ning Lan stood awkwardly in front of the camera. His eyes swept past the six people standing in front of him, and gritting his teeth, he again chose the leader, Sui Yi. Gao Ming and Gu Chenkai were antagonistic towards him. He could not really tell what sort of temperament Lu Xiaochuan and Fang Yu had. Wang Bingyang hated chocolate, and he had been signalling at him all this while to not choose him. The only person left was Sui Yi alone. Since Sui Yi was able to share a mango with him, there should not be an issue sharing a Pocky stick with him now, right? The background music was light and joyful. Ning Lan bit one side of the Pocky, walking towards Sui Yi. Sui Yi had a smile on his face, and it could not be seen if he was looking at Ning Lan or not. Raising his hand, he directly broke the Pocky stick in Ning Lan¡¯s mouth, then tossed the half in his hand into his mouth. Finishing it, he asked the camera, ¡°This will do, right?¡± CH 11 After that, fans of the pairing of Sui Yi and Fang Yu took this broadcast as evidence. They all insisted that if the person biting the Pocky stick had been Fang Yu, Sui Yi would definitely not have rejected him. As for the other fans, they too did not find that Sui Yi¡¯s behaviour was unacceptable. He smiled the entire time, and it was obvious that he gave way to the other members of the group during the game. The rules of the game were also not dictated by him. To let two boys play Pocky Kiss, what exactly was Sweet Orange trying to do? Was he an idiot? Ning Lan was the only one who knew that things were no longer the same. If the members of this group were all fence-sitters, he was probably about to be excluded. Fortunately, there were still people like Wang Bingyang, Lu Xiaochuan and Fang Yu around. They were either obtuse, or had no time to be concerned with him. Even though they were not close to him, they also would not be hostile towards him. At their third signing session, Sui Yi, having been forced by the emcee to sit next to Ning Lan, once again expressionlessly swapped seats with the person next to him. Little obtuse Wang Bingyang only then realised something was wrong and leaned into Ning Lan¡¯s ear, whispering, ¡°Lan-ge, did you fight with the leader?¡± Ning Lan pretended to be unaware. ¡°No? Why did you ask?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t join us for the dinner gathering last night.¡± So it turns out that you guys went out for dinner together. Ning Lan reacted very quickly, ¡°My stomach wasn¡¯t feeling well, so I had no appetite.¡± Wang Bingyang suspected that he had speculated wrongly. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s good that both of you aren¡¯t fighting.¡± Ning Lan saw that the emcee was still dawdling, and so he asked Wang Bingyang, ¡°What did all of you have last night?¡± ¡°Hotpot. It¡¯s a rare opportunity for us to come to C City, so of course we had to have its hotpot specialty.¡± Ning Lan swallowed his saliva. He only had a box of instant noodles last night, and he could not even bear to add a sausage to it. He was suddenly somewhat disappointed. AOW¡¯s signing sessions were held in ten cities around the entire country. Having lived over twenty years, this was the first time that Ning Lan was taking a plane, and the first time coming to these cities that he had only read about in geography books. An Lin said that depending on the future responses, they might even have a chance to have signing sessions overseas. Thinking about this, Ning Lan was no longer as upset. Where else would he find such a good job like this? He only needed to stand on stage for a few hours, sing two songs, then sign his signature for a few hours and talk to the fans, and he would be able to travel the world on the company¡¯s expense. If Sui Yi did not appear that day, his situation right now would definitely be terrible, and even his dreams would not be this beautiful. At today¡¯s signing session, he again played a tiny role without any presence, standing in one corner. He spent the entire time cheering on his group members who were performing on stage, and by the time the tables were carried out to kick off the autograph signing, he was still immersed in the show. Gao Ming¡¯s solo dance was really entertaining, and Fang Yu¡¯s singing was really wondrous too. This time, Fang Yu was sitting next to him. From his pocket, he retrieved a fingerstall, holding it out to Ning Lan. ¡°Put this on, and the pressure on your finger won¡¯t be as intense.¡± Ning Lan did not accept it, as the fans said that the colour pink belonged solely to Fang Yu. He dared not use it, afraid of getting dissed. After all, Fang Yu¡¯s singing was excellent, and his appearance was outstanding as well as he was kind. There was no one who would not like him, and even the team leader did so. After the previous broadcast, the fans all said that a certain parachuter sought for his own humiliation, and the Soaring Flower ship was standing strong. Ning Lan only wanted to ignore everything around him, and bury himself in signing. However, the fans always left him free. Space on the title page of the album lyrics was deliberately left for the signatures of all seven of them, and the girls, holding their albums, approached asking for signatures in sequence. When meeting the member they liked, they always wanted to chat a little while more. They would hold things back for half a minute here, and thirty seconds there. However, no fans came to chat with Ning Lan, and he was the most idle. To sign his name, he would need to wait for very long before the next person came to him, but he also did not dare to take too long to sign, as the girls were still waiting to chat with the next member of the group. The next fan finally arrived at his spot, and while signing, Ning Lan secretly peeked at Sui Yi¡¯s signature on the top left side. During this time last month, he had not thought that he would be writing his name this many times, and he was almost about to not be able to recognise his own name. However, Sui Yi¡¯s name was still able to grab his attention in an instant. Perhaps his words were too proper and handsome, just like his person. ¡°Bubble Lan, you¡¯re really very good-looking. Remember to smile more often.¡± Ning Lan heard these words from the girl standing in front of him. It took him a few seconds to realise that ¡°Bubble Lan¡± referred to him, and he could not help but ask how this name came about. The girl hid her smile behind her hand. ¡°Because you¡¯re always standing right at the end, and you don¡¯t like to speak, nor attract any attention. You¡¯re AOW¡¯s little bubble, and once you¡¯re poked, you¡¯ll vanish.¡± Ning Lan, who had only ever thought about keeping a low profile, had never expected that such a nature could still garner fans. A girl¡¯s heart was truly hard to fathom. After their official debut, the members of AOW barely slept in the dormitory. Every week, other than rushing to different cities to attend their signing sessions, the company also arranged for them to participate in a few variety shows that were broadcasted on cable. They had just debuted, and they were not widely known in the country. Temporarily, they were still unable to gain a chance to be invited to the better variety shows available on Star TV. The programs on cable could still increase their exposure a little, but the recordings took quite some time, and some outdoor programs required a couple of days just to shoot. All seven people often slept outside the dormitory. The company would book three standard rooms for them, and the one person remaining from the seven members would have to squeeze in with the crew members. The person left out was usually Ning Lan, so he was rarely updated with the going ons, and would often miss out on activities such as dinner gatherings, etc. The next day after the signing session in C City, AOW rushed to D City next door to record a variety show without a pause. Yesterday, the crew member Ning Lan was staying with snored the entire night. Ning Lan had thought that there were no activities in the morning, and so he caught up with his sleep in the hotel. When he arrived at the shooting site in the afternoon, only then did he realise that a dance had been arranged for during the last minute. All six of the members had already practiced it previously, and he was the only one who did not know about it. Ning Lan checked his phone. It was charged, and his phone had no issues. There were no missed calls, nor were there any texts. Fang Yu and Wang Bingyang said that they thought he did not participate because he was not feeling well. There was less than one hour to the shooting, and they hurriedly showed him the steps of the dance. Ning Lan¡¯s coordination was poor, and both his teachers were also not very adept. Wang Bingyang went to seek Gao Ming for help, and Gao Ming gave Ning Lan a side-eye, saying, ¡°Lazy people have no rights to go on stage.¡± Ning Lan still gritted his teeth and got on stage. Just like before, he memorised the steps of the dances as numbers. However, there was too little time today, and he could not memorise everything well. Focusing on remembering his steps, he did not pay attention to his footing. While going onstage, he tripped over a step, and his knee crashed heavily onto the floor. The members walking in front probably did not hear it, and they all did not turn back to look. The recording was completed a few hours later, and Ning Lan¡¯s kneecap was numb from pain. The clothes arranged for him today were a sweater and torn jeans, and during the game section, they had to crawl and move about. He was so tired that his entire body was aching, and he could not even bend his waist to look at the state of his injury. The first people to actually notice that he was injured were actually the fans. The hashtag for AOW that night exploded. Someone had uploaded a behind the scenes photo of them finishing the recording, and Ning Lan, just like usual, was standing in the most inconspicuous corner. The camera was quite far, and his entire body was captured. Zooming in a little, his reddened, scraped knee could be clearly seen through his torn jeans. As the group was at the beginning of its establishment, the lines among the fans of the group, the individual members, as well as the various ships were rather blurred. The hearts of all the young female fans ached, and they decided to pay more attention to the parachuter Ning Lan. As such, during the next signing session, there were a lot more fans who stopped in front of Ning Lan. Some of them even brought gifts for him. There were strawberry-scented band-aids and strawberry-shaped cushions, all because the company had stated that Ning Lan liked everything to do with strawberries. On the spot, Ning Lan stuck the band-aid onto the back of his hand, and expressed his happiness for the gift. He then shook hands with the girl, and upon discovering that her hand was icy cold, he immediately asked their assistant An Lin to get her a cup of hot water. The girl was moved to tears, and at night, she posted an update about supporting Bubble Lan now ¡ª ¡°He¡¯s extremely good-looking in person, and his dimples are very sweet. He couldn¡¯t be any more warm and gentle! I love Bubble Lan, and I hope that you¡¯ll soar to immense heights! @AOWNingLan¡± Out of nowhere, Ning Lan harvested a large group of fans. His followers on Weibo leapt up furiously, and he was soon on the same standing as Gao Ming and Wang Bingyang. One day, while in the waiting room after a recording and waiting to go to the next location for their signing session, Ning Lan took the initiative to get water for everyone. Gu Chenkai spoke enigmatically, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare to trouble you. Do you know that there are fans capturing everything at the door? You scheming person.¡± Ning Lan was speechless. He walked past Sui Yi who was resting with his eyes closed, and Sui Yi did not even open his eyes a single bit. Ning Lan had no expectations that Sui Yi would stand up for him. Not telling the other members about Ning Lan nearly running away before their debut show was already very benevolent of Sui Yi. If the other members were to know about the matter, they might not only simply exclude him. The few members who were still kind to him would too probably tear him apart to feed the dogs. So, Ning Lan had no right to retort anything. No matter what they said or what they did, he deserved them all. During late May, the group headed down south for their signing sessions, arriving at a warm and humid southern coastal city. The temperature here was warmer than the capital, and the fans too were particularly passionate. As the leader, on behalf of the other members, Sui Yi had long mentioned at previous signing sessions that they would not accept any gifts that cost money. As such, the fangirls turned creative, preparing cross stitches, rhinestone paintings, a thousand paper cranes, lucky paper stars and various items that were handmade with great effort, and these gifts filled up three entire cars. A fan gifted Ning Lan with pain relief ointment, telling him that she saw how his knee injury had yet to heal. Also, his ear where he wore his ear clip was always very red, and asked him to carry the ointment around with him just in case. The fan was very adorable, and when presenting Ning Lan with the present, she even specially reported to the group leader seated next to him, saying that this was purchased with her medical insurance, and she did not spend any money. Sui Yi took a look at it, and nodded his head in acceptance. Ning Lan¡¯s skin was the type to easily bruise, and every injury he received would take very long to heal. Although he was not tall, his legs were fair and shapely. The company knew how to play to his advantages, and always liked to prepare all sorts of torn jeans for him to wear. He really had no intentions of displaying the injury on his knee for everyone to see. The gifts from the fans were usually sent straight back to the company. Ning Lan remembered the ointment, and after the session, he quickly went to the car in search of it. There were too many presents, and he did not know where An Lin had kept it. ¡°It¡¯s in the blue checkered bag.¡± A voice suddenly appeared behind him. Ning Lan was shocked into curling his body inwards. Turning around and seeing that it was Sui Yi, he then patted his chest in relief. ¡°Lead, could you not always appear out of nowhere¡­¡± Halfway through, Ning Lan then remembered that his relationship with the leader now was not like before. Ning Lan cut himself off silently, turning back to open the blue checkered bag, and soon quickly found the ointment. Leaping off the vehicle, he thanked Sui Yi who was still standing there. He then walked a couple of steps away, but feeling that it seemed to be rather rude of him to just walk off like this, he again returned. Sui Yi seemed to have come here looking for something as well, but after rummaging through everything, he did not find what he wanted. Ning Lan hopped back onto the vehicle again. ¡°What are you looking for? I¡¯ll help you. Just now I searched through two bags, and I still remember what¡¯s in them.¡± Sui Yi was silent for a moment. ¡°I¡¯m also looking for ointment.¡± The two of them searched for some time, but did not find it. Ning Lan handed his own ointment to Sui Yi, pointing at his hand. ¡°Just use this first. It¡¯s anti-inflammatory and relieves pain, the effect should be similar.¡± The finger on Sui Yi¡¯s right hand moved a little. He had worn away the skin on his finger today while signing, and he did not know how Ning Lan had found out. He did not want it, turning around and leaving. Ning Lan chased after him, shoving the tube of ointment in his hand. ¡°Take it, the injury on my leg has nearly recovered. I currently don¡¯t have any use for it.¡± He also pulled out a strawberry-scented band-aid from his pocket. ¡°After applying the ointment, cover it with this. Don¡¯t let it get infected.¡± Sui Yi looked down. Now that he was standing closer, he finally clearly saw how appalling the dark bruise on Ning Lan¡¯s knee was. Other than the scabbed, broken skin that was still bruised, the injury was clearly not from that time he had fallen down. Ning Lan¡¯s skin was very fair. When he removed the medicated plaster from his skin, the red mark left behind also required a few days to disappear. This was something Sui Yi was aware of. Sui Yi tightened his mouth, averting his gaze. ¡°There¡¯s no need, just use it yourself.¡± CH 12 Ning Lan seemed to not have heard him properly. On his own initiative, he opened the tube of ointment, squeezing out a little and smearing it on Sui Yi¡¯s wound. After that, he deftly tore open the packaging of a bandaid, wrapping it around the first knuckle of his middle finger. Sui Yi wanted to pull his hand back. ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± Ning Lan gripped his hand. Sui Yi stopped moving. Ning Lan¡¯s fingers were long and slender, his fingernails kept clean and rounded. His fingers were tipped with a little pink, but the pulps of his fingers gripping him were full of wrinkles, and even some small scars. It completely did not match the image of him living in a comfortable lifestyle. Sui Yi found it strange. Wasn¡¯t he very clever, wasn¡¯t he very good at swindling money and deceiving others? Why did he always make himself look so miserable? ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± Done with dressing the wound, Ning Lan blew on his finger. ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore, right?¡± The part of his skin where Ning Lan blew on prickled. Sui Yi pulled his hand back, tightening his fist. He pressed the tips of his fingers into his palm, trying to get rid of that strange feeling. Ning Lan realised that his action just now had been too intimate, and rubbed his nose. ¡°Please excuse me, it¡¯s a habit¡­ I heard that blowing on a wound would cause it to not hurt anymore.¡± A habit? Sui Yi opened his mouth, but the question never came. Finally, he only politely thanked him. The first signing tour of AOW around the country ended in early summer. When Ning Lan received his third monthly pay from the company, he was a little lost. Only then did he realise that he had already joined this group for over two months. This time, the profits from their EP had also been included in their pay. After removing the company¡¯s cut, the remaining profit was divided amongst the seven people, and there was nothing much left. However, for Ning Lan, it was still quite a large sum. He divided a portion for his living expenses next month, then another portion to transfer it to his aunt. The balance was kept in his card, untouched. He wanted to accumulate the money to a five-digit sum before returning it to Sui Yi. Repaying the money to him in dribs and drabs was really too rude. Before returning to the dormitory, he went to the supermarket. Other than some instant food, he even picked up a few bottles of imported drinks and some groceries. When paying the bill, these items were a bulk of the cost, and it made his heart ache for quite some time. There was no one in the dormitory. Ning Lan sent the group members a text, saying that he would treat them to dinner that night. He then placed the drinks on each and everyone¡¯s table, and headed to the shower. Hot water pattered down gently onto his face, and Ning Lan shut his eyes. Having drifted around outside for over a month, returning to the dormitory gave him a sort of ease that he had not felt in a while, as though he had returned home. Thinking about this, he froze for a moment. When did he have a home? Before his father died, there were people knocking on the door to collect their debts every other day. Ning Lan remembered that there was one morning when he was going to school, he had opened the door only to be splashed by stinking filth, and was nearly even beaten up. As for his father who should have borne this responsibility, he was hiding in his room for the past few days, not daring to show his face. After that, they moved around often. They lived in micro-apartments, private housing for the poor, shared rental flats, and even in temporary sheds for workers and underground tunnels. When he was growing up and able to get a proper meal, there were even times when he stole his classmates¡¯ money. The sums were very small, and only enough to purchase a packet of instant noodles. He thought that once he had money, he would secretly return it to them, but he was soon caught. The teacher had called his mother over, and in front of the entire class, his mother had pushed him around, beating him and crying hysterically. In the end, his only decent, undamaged jacket was torn into a ragged mess. After that, his father died. He was sent to his uncle and aunt¡¯s home. His uncle partitioned half of his little female cousin¡¯s room, placing a spring mattress within, and that was his room. He really treasured this room that did not come easy, trying his best to appeal to his uncle and aunt, as well as being nice to his cousin. Every school break, he would go out and work, and the money he earned would all be given up for the household expenditures. Whatever that was left, he would buy some tasty snacks for his cousin, as well as various accessories for her. However, people would change. Slowly, delicious food and fun things could no longer appeal to his cousin, and his aunt¡¯s original courteous behavior and concern turned into irritation and disdain. One day, when standing outside the door of the kitchen, he heard his aunt speaking to his uncle, ¡°When are you going to send that kid away? Don¡¯t tell me he¡¯s going to stay here until he¡¯s married and has a baby?¡± Ning Lan¡¯s memory was very good, but he could no longer remember how he had felt back then. He probably was rather sad. He might have been a little sadder than that time when filth was thrown at him, yet his father did not even come out to look at him. After graduating from high school and starting work, Ning Lan worked desperately to earn money. He aimed to earn enough in the next eight to ten years to buy a reasonably-sized house in his hometown, a house that belonged to him. He would not need to be poised over a knife¡¯s edge, having to move around, and he would not need to fear that he would be chased away. Each day he would be able to leave the house in the light, and return home when dark, he wouldn¡¯t need to hide all over the place, and live subservient to others. Originally, he was nearly done saving a sum of money. The property prices of his hometown were low and stable, and saving up for the capital was not difficult. If not for that trouble¡­ Ning Lan wiped away the water on his face. Ignoring the fact that he no longer had any money, now he was even in debt. The amount he owed Liu-laoban, together with the amount he owed Sui Yi, he would never be able to clear the sum before he turned thirty. Unless he got a windfall. Done with his shower, Ning Lan spent two dollars online to buy a sports lottery ticket, then headed into the kitchen. Previously, when working in the capital, and when he was not that hard up on cash, he would also buy some groceries home to cook, improving his meals occasionally. Today, he had bought some pork ribs, fish, pork belly, chicken wings, prawns, and even quite a lot of vegetables. Even if Lu Xiaochuan and Fang Yu dropped by, there should be enough for them. When preparing the cola chicken wings, Ning Lan specially left a few wings out. After marinating them, he coated them with an egg mixture and flour, then placed them by the side to make fried chicken wings. Although he had not shared a meal with the rest for a very long time already, he always remembered that Sui Yi liked eating fried food. After a busy two hours, nearly all the dishes were done. The vegetables were also chopped up, and placed on the chopping board, awaiting the moment when the group members returned, so that they could be thrown into the wok and stir-fried. Ning Lan washed his hands and picked up his phone, seeing Wang Bingyang¡¯s reply that had been sent ten minutes ago. ¡°We¡¯re outside, and won¡¯t be coming home to eat tonight. Lan-ge, go ahead and eat!¡± He guessed that the ¡°we¡± Wang Bingyang was talking about most likely included the four other people in the dormitory except him. Lu Xiaochuan and Fang Yu both individually replied that they were eating at home, and were not coming. Ning Lan sat down in the living room, his head in the clouds. He then took out the little cake that he had bought at the supermarket from its box. Before shoving it into his mouth, in a very impious manner, he made a wish, wishing that he would win the lottery that he had just bet on. Today was his birthday, and the November stated on his identity card was something his mother had decided by herself when changing his age, saying that the later his birthday month was, the younger he would seem. Xie Tianhao liked extremely youthful boys, and Ning Lan¡¯s appearance was very boyish. Reducing his age by five years was completely not suspicious at all. Originally, he had never celebrated his birthday whatsoever. When he was withdrawing money from the ATM, the date shown on the screen had given him a reminder. He happened to be free this afternoon, and long ago, he had said that he would give everyone a treat. Eating outside was both expensive and unhygienic, so while walking about the supermarket, he came across the fresh food section. Thinking that since he happened to be free today, he would just hold the dinner today. Actually, in his subconscious, he still had a tiny, unrealistic thought. Today was his birthday, and didn¡¯t people say that the person celebrating his birthday was king? For all he knew, the heavens might help him, and allow him to pass this day smoothly? As expected, he was thinking too much. When he finished eating the cake, Ning Lan was no longer hungry. He covered the already cooled dishes with cling wrap and stored them in the refrigerator. With nothing left to do, he walked a few rounds around the house before grabbing his keys and leaving, deciding to go to the company and practice his dancing to kill some time. He found an empty studio in the company. Just when he finished stretching his muscles, and practiced his dancing for a bit, Ning Lan received a call from his mother. Recently, his mother was calling him periodically, and most of the time, he had ignored the calls. In any case, if there was something urgent, she would desperately call non-stop, or spam his phone with messages. If that did not work, she would call him with someone else¡¯s phone, until she forced him to answer. As for today¡¯s phone call, Ning Lan had a slight urge to answer it. Silently, he counted to ten, then answered. ¡°Hello, Lanlan?¡± Ning Lan wiped away the sweat on his forehead. ¡°Mn, Ma.¡± A pause occurred. ¡°You brat, how long have you not called me Ma already?¡± Ning Lan leaned against the wall, sitting down. He did not know what to say, and made a very nasal sound in response. ¡°I saw you on television. So it turns out your new job is to be a star? Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± Ning Lan scratched the itchy scar on his knee. ¡°It¡¯s nothing much. I¡¯m only just singing and dancing, I¡¯m not a star.¡± ¡°Superstars also started like this. My son is so good-looking, sooner or later, you¡¯re going to be very popular.¡± Ning Lan laughed shortly. This indomitable character of his was probably inherited from his mother, the only thing was, he was not as heartless as her. He wanted to ask his mother if she still remembered what day it was today, but what she said next made what little warmth that had welled up in him all shatter into pieces. ¡°I now don¡¯t even have the money to eat, and when I call you, you don¡¯t answer. The previous time, my nose had even been hit out of shape by Xie Tianhao, and I want to do plastic surgery¡­ Even though you¡¯re not popular, you should have earned quite a bit, right? I saw that you could pull out two hundred thousand in one go the last time¡­¡± His smile slowly fading from his face, Ning Lan tightened his lips. ¡°I don¡¯t have any money left.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you borrow some from your company? I heard that your company is very rich, and the clothes they let you wear are all so pretty¡­¡± Not hearing a response from Ning Lan, his mother continued, ¡°If not, just borrow some from your group members. I¡¯ve seen the gossip online, and they say that many of your group members are from rich families¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going to borrow anything,¡± Ning Lan cut her off. After saying that, he found himself laughable. He already owed his group member two hundred thousand, why was he acting stubborn and unbending now? ¡°Alright, don¡¯t borrow, don¡¯t borrow.¡± His mother immediately changed her tune. ¡°However, Lanlan, you should at least get some money so that your mother can eat. I¡¯m now very pitiful, and I can¡¯t get a proper meal, and I don¡¯t have anywhere to go. My nose is still bent¡­¡± Sobs could be heard in her voice, and if she wasn¡¯t stopped, she would definitely wail out loud on the spot. Ning Lan did not want to listen anymore. He hung up savagely, then transferred the last sum of money in his bank account to his mother. A while later, his mother sent a text. ¡±Son, I¡¯ve received it! In the future, don¡¯t send any money to Jing Feng, that horrible woman. I¡¯ll help you save up for your marriage.¡± Marriage? Could selling him to someone else be considered a marriage? Ning Lan looked at the words on his phone, a bitter laugh spilling from his throat. By the time he dragged his weary body, stumbling to the building of his dormitory, the sky was completely dark. The early summer night¡¯s wind was very cool, and stars glittered in the night sky. Ning Lan sat down by the flower bed downstairs, looking up and counting. Only when the clouds drifted over, concealing the pricks of light, did he then wrap his clothes tightly around himself, pulling the hood of his jacket over his head. Rubbing his cold hands together, he went upstairs. Opening the door, the lights in the living room were turned on. Vaguely, he could hear sounds coming from the kitchen. Ning Lan was exhausted. He felt that he was unable to put on a smile for anyone today, and so he walked around the dining table that was covered in shopping bags, wanting to head straight into his room. Near the kitchen, he heard the conversation between Gu Chenkai and Gao Ming. ¡°What are all these? Who cooked them?¡± ¡°It¡¯s probably Ning Lan. He was in the dorm during the afternoon.¡± ¡°How irritating. The refrigerator is already so small, and with all these plates in the way, where can I put my drinks and yogurt?¡± ¡°Tsk¡­ Preparing so much food, he really thinks that we¡¯ll come back to eat them? Take them out, they¡¯re only taking up space.¡± ¡°Even if we take them out there¡¯s nowhere to put them¡­ We¡¯ll just throw them away.¡± Ning Lan did not want to listen to them any longer. He had reached his fill of unpalatable words today, and if he were to continue listening, he would not be able to breathe. As though escaping, he quickly returned to his room, and upon entering, he saw two drinks lying in the trash can by the door. Sui Yi was changing his clothes. He had just removed his t-shirt, and turned around to see Ning Lan who had just entered. Ning Lan¡¯s complexion did not look very good, his lips slightly purple. It looked as though he was very cold. Looking downwards, he greeted Sui Yi, then went to his bed and lay on his side, facing the wall. Sui Yi wanted to ask him what was wrong, but felt that he seemed fine. Thinking about it, he put his clothes down, turning around to take out a rectangular box from the shopping bag on the table and walked over to Ning Lan¡¯s bed. ¡°I didn¡¯t manage to buy the same medicinal ointment, but the salesman said that this is equally as effective.¡± Ning Lan moved, turning his head and glancing at that ointment. Reaching out, he accepted it. ¡°Thank you.¡± This thanks is baffling, Sui Yi thought. I was clearly the one who used his ointment first. Ning Lan immediately turned away after taking the box. His shoulders were hunched over, and the bones of his spine protruded sharply. He was so thin that he looked rather pitiful. Just now, he did not smile, and his dimples could not be seen. Sui Yi stood there for a moment. He bent down, helping Ning Lan shake out the blanket by his feet, and covering him with it. Ning Lan trembled, and again curled his body up. Sui Yi was just about to ask him if he was not feeling well, but the door to their room was pushed open from outside. Gu Chenkai and Gao Ming walked in, laughing and joking. Gao Ming was very good at dancing, and often guided Gu Chenkai. Recently, they had been quite close to each other. Sui Yi was still in the position of covering Ning Lan with his blanket. Gu Chenkai was suddenly faced with this situation, and his laughter came to a halt. ¡°Ge, what are you doing?¡± Sui Yi straightened, facing him. ¡°Have you tidied away the things? Sleep early tonight, we still have training tomorrow.¡± Gu Chenkai¡¯s eyes had widened into circles. Walking forward in disbelief, he glanced at the person lying on the bed. Suddenly flames of anger burst out within him, and he raised his foot to kick Ning Lan¡¯s back. ¡°I asked you not to seduce my cousin, you think I was joking with you?¡± He wanted to kick Ning Lan again. Sui Yi had not expected that Gu Chenkai would hit Ning Lan, and hurriedly stopped him. ¡°Xiaokai, what are you doing?¡± Pulled away, Gu Chenkai did not manage to kick Ning Lan. He still continued flailing his limbs at Ning Lan. ¡°Quick, get up! Explain everything! You think my cousin is a fool, rich and easy to bully? You actually deceived him into transferring money to you, didn¡¯t you? You scum, going around to swindle people, poo, shameless!¡± Sui Yi was stunned. He looked at Gu Chenkai. ¡°Where did you hear this from?¡± Ning Lan sat up slowly, his face still expressionless. While he got off the bed, wearing his shoes, Wang Bingyang next door too came over due to the shouts over here. Muddle-headed, he asked what was going on. Spilling the beans, Gu Chenkai told them how Ning Lan had seduced his cousin, how he had cheated his cousin of his money. He even added quite a bit of his own conjectures and his imaginations, adding a dramatic flair to the story, and making it sound very believable. Sui Yi wanted to interrupt a few times, but was unable to do so. Gu Chenkai was still furious, and he could not be stopped, and Sui Yi too could not hit him. Listening to him, Ning Lan himself was almost convinced. His chest was vibrating violently, as though it would explode any moment. He did not want to stay a second more in this place. Opening the cupboard, he swiftly packed up his luggage, and after taking a couple of steps away, he was stopped by Sui Yi. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Sui Yi frowned. The hood of Ning Lan¡¯s jacket was still pulled over his head. He raised his chin, meeting Sui Yi¡¯s eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t run away. I¡¯ll return the money to you as well.¡± Seeing Ning Lan¡¯s reddened eyes, Sui Yi froze. With the lapse in attention, Ning Lan managed to squeeze past him. ¡°Yangyang, has the top bunk in your room been repaired?¡± Sui Yi heard Ning Lan ask Wang Bingyang. He was close by, and could hear the tiny trembling in Ning Lan¡¯s voice. ¡°Huh? Ah¡­ it¡¯s repaired.¡± Gu Chenkai raised his voice. ¡°You¡¯re thinking about staying next door?¡± Gao Ming followed. ¡°I don¡¯t agree, don¡¯t move over.¡± Wang Bingyang walked over to tug at Gao Ming¡¯s sleeve, lowering his voice, ¡°Ge, don¡¯t be like this¡­ Lan-ge was originally supposed to live with us.¡± Gu Chenkai folded his arms, mockingly reminding the two next door, ¡°Gao Ming-ge, Yangyang, you must be careful. Not only does he steal things, he¡¯ll even¡­¡± ¡°Even seduce people?¡± Standing by the door, Ning Lan turned around, continuing Gu Chenkai¡¯s words himself. CH 13 Ning Lan threw the bag to the ground, and the resounding thud was very loud. He then unzipped his jacket, removing it and throwing it down as well. Next, he started tugging at the only top he had left¡ª a thin t-shirt. Ning Lan was already very thin, and the loose, baggy t-shirt soon fell away from his shoulder, and nearly his entire upper body was exposed. While stripping, he slowly walked forward. Because of the quiet, his footsteps seemed to be magnified. The tearing sound of the shirt was heard clearly as well, and the dull steps interweaved with the sharp ripping sound. For some reason, it gave people a spine-tingling experience. ¡°What¡­ what are you doing?¡± Gu Chenkai raised his chin and asked loudly, but his darting eyes betrayed his inner nervousness. Ning Lan took another step forward, sliding his tongue out and licking his lips. ¡°I¡¯m seducing all of you.¡± A chill welled up from the bottom of his feet towards his body, and Gu Chenkai stuttered. ¡°A-a-aren¡¯t you disgusting?¡± His t-shirt now ragged, Ning Lan was still leaning forward. His shoulders and a portion of his waist were revealed. Sui Yi stood behind him, and on the back where Gu Chenkai kicked Ning Lan, a large red mark could be seen. Surrounded by Ning Lan¡¯s sickly pale skin, the mark looked even more striking. Sui Yi¡¯s breath caught abruptly, just like how he had unconsciously reacted the last time he saw Ning Lan¡¯s injured knee. Ning Lan laughed lowly. ¡°So you guys are actually really afraid of getting seduced by me.¡± The space in the room available for people to stand was very tiny. As Ning Lan got closer, the three people standing in a row unanimously retreated half a step. Gao Ming even bumped into the table behind him, and was supported by Wang Bingyang before he regained his footing. They never expected that Ning Lan would have such a reaction. Previously, they had excluded Ning Lan out from everything, whether openly or in secret, but Ning Lan had never made a sound, quietly enduring it. Hence, Ning Lan¡¯s counter-attack that came out of nowhere made them dumb with shock. Ning Lan¡¯s expression was also different from usual. He was clearly smiling, but the iciness in his eyes completely revealed his emotions. He was very angry, and he might even really hit someone the next second. They were all teenagers who had never experienced the perils of society, and being scared like this, they lost their presence of mind. Gu Chenkai¡¯s face was completely pale. He had grown up very well sheltered, and his parents, relatives, and even his cousin, who was only one year older, all pampered him. How could he have met such anger before? As such, he was very panicked, but his tongue still remained very sharp and unforgiving. ¡°A-a-afraid my ass! If you want to fight, just fight properly like a man, why are you taking your clothes off? You¡¯re gay, you¡¯re disgusting!¡± One corner of Ning Lan¡¯s lips quirked up, and he shrugged. ¡°Other than seducing people, I don¡¯t know anything else.¡± Wang Bingyang¡¯s hair stood on end as well, and he kept feeling that if he did not stop this, things would break out badly. Taking a step forward, he said, ¡°Ah, don¡¯t argue anymore. The rules of the dormitory don¡¯t allow us to fight. Calm down, calm down.¡± There was no effect on the tense atmosphere. Ning Lan remained where he was, a faint smile curling around his lips, and his anger was uncertain to others. His height and stature clearly gave him no advantages in intimidation, but with his straightened back and his raised chin, he inexplicably had a heavy aura of oppression around him. Surrounded by such a manner, despite his thin body only covered with the remnants of his ragged t-shirt, it still made the others feel a bone-chilling fierceness, and no trace of weakness or absurdity could be detected within him. Even Ning Lan himself had thought that his edges had long been ground away. It turned out that they had only been sanded out a little and buried in the earth. When a storm came without any warning, a bit of that sharp edge would still be exposed under the wind. It was not that he would not hurt, but just that he hid it well, hid it deep, and ordinary stimulations were not enough to touch him. Just when the air was still, as though something was brewing, and about to explode, Sui Yi stood out. ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough. Everyone, return to your room and go to bed.¡± A thick jacket wrapped around him from behind. Ning Lan¡¯s body warmed up, and his tense body could not help but relax. He turned around. Sui Yi¡¯s eyes were lowered, and his arms came around his body to help him pull the jacket together, barely managing to cover his cold skin that had been exposed to the air. A serious conflict dissipated into nothing. Gao Ming and Wang Bingyang fled, and due to the pressure Sui Yi gave him, Gu Chenkai too shut his mouth. His cheeks puffing in anger, he grabbed his clothes and headed off to shower. Ning Lan remained standing in his position, calming himself down. His head that had heated from his anger slowly cooled down, but his lingering emotions still made him a little light-headed. The bag that he threw on the ground had already been picked up and placed on the chair next to his head. Ning Lan strode towards it, picking it up and turning around, heading outside. Sui Yi again blocked his way. Ning Lan did not even look at him. ¡°Please give way.¡± Sui Yi froze. Ning Lan¡¯s tone was calm and steady, as though the one sneering just not wasn¡¯t him. However, the distance and the defiance in his voice were obvious. Sui Yi could probably guess what he was angry about. He did not like to be mistaken, and he explained himself on the spot. ¡°I didn¡¯t tell anyone about the money, I don¡¯t know how Xiao-Kai found out about it.¡± Ning Lan did not make a sound, but his lips tightened further. ¡°I¡¯ll apologise on his behalf. Give me some time to investigate, and I¡¯ll¡­¡± ¡°No need,¡± Ning Lan interrupted him. ¡°I¡¯m the one who borrowed money from you in the first place, and I¡¯m also currently unable to pay it back. He¡¯s not wrong.¡± Sui Yi was cut off halfway, and before he could think about how to respond, Ning Lan continued. ¡°I will return the money to you. Please give way.¡± He then moved his way past Sui Yi. Their shoulders came into contact, and separated, not leaving even an imprint of warmth. Ning Lan did not go very far. He spent the night in Lu Xiaochuan and Fang Yu¡¯s room. Sui Yi woke up the next morning to see the jacket that he had wrapped around Ning Lan last night folded neatly on the chair. On his table was that green . The dispute of room swapping ended when Ning Lan called Zhang Fan to submit his request, and Lu Xiaochuan and Fang Yu both agreed that he could stay in their room. For this incident, Zhang Fan gathered all of them to knock some sense into their heads, warning them that they had yet to even become popular, so they ought not to first learn how to exclude another as a group. Sui Yi listened absent-mindedly. Although he did not deliberately subject Ning Lan to such psychological abuse, the other members did keep track of his actions, and followed suit. He definitely had a hand in this matter. He only did not know how to face someone like this. He hated and scorned all the actions of this person, but unknowingly, this person was still able to attract his attention. Perhaps it was out of curiosity, or maybe it was due to sympathy. After all, in front of him, Ning Lan had mostly shown a side of himself that was fragile, that he needed to be protected. As for how much of it was feigned, only Ning Lan himself was aware of that, and Sui Yi did not want to probe into it. A week after a group training, AOW received its first commercial shoot ¡ª it was a new sports beverage produced by a famous company, and its target audience was people in their teens and twenties. As it was a commercial to be released online, the models used did not have to be very well known in the country. Being the newest male group climbing up in popularity, AOW stood out easily, and gained the company¡¯s attention. Not long after they returned to the capital, the seven members of AOW took a flight to S City. The weather in S City during June was warmer than that of the capital, the heat enough to make them feel like they were melting. However, under the scorching sun, they had to leap and jump about in the alarming heat, and it was really tough for them. Fang Yu was applying sunscreen for the nth time today. When he was done, he asked Nin Lan, the only person fairer than him in the group, ¡°You really don¡¯t want to apply any? Don¡¯t come crying when you become tanned.¡± Ning Lan drank some water, shaking his head. ¡°I¡¯ll just have to endure a few days and the tan will fade away.¡± Sui Yi had just returned from completing his solo shoot. When accepting a bottle of water from An Lin, he glanced towards them. Ning Lan had his back towards him, and he could only see the back of Ning Lan¡¯s neck that had turned red from the sun. After that day, they barely had any interactions with each other. Staying in the same room previously, they would always see each other around. Now, they did not even bump into each other in the training studio. Other than when Zhang Fan called for a group meeting, or when they had scheduled group activities, there was basically no chance for them to encounter each other face to face. Once, he was the one avoiding Ning Lan, and now Ning Lan was the one avoiding him, no, them. In the end, either way had the same effect, and also helped Sui Yi resolve quite a bit of trouble. However, he kept feeling that something was not right. When it was Ning Lan¡¯s turn for his solo shot, the director wanted him to smile. Ning Lan pressed the drink against his cheek, his lips splitting in a grin and his eyes curving along, as though this drink could really bring him an unmatched sense of the refreshing summer. The searing rays of the sun hit the lounge area directly. Everything was shimmering, looking as though they could melt any moment, but Sui Yi was very focused while watching, and he even registered that Ning Lan was thinner than before. When the filming for the commercial concluded, the youths arranged to go and eat the famous pan-fried buns of S City. Arms around each other¡¯s shoulders, they were about to head out, but An Lin¡¯s call came. They were asked to gather downstairs half an hour later, as in the last minute, the company had arranged for them to attend a local live broadcast. Everyone had some snacks to settle their dinner, then sighed and groaned as they made their way downstairs. Ning Lan, who was arranged to room with a crew member, was already in the car. With folded arms, he was seated in the corner of the last row. His head was leaning on the window, and he had his eyes closed, resting. Hearing that people were getting into the car, he only moved a little, his body shifting further inwards. Wherever there was Ning Lan, the other people staying in the dorm could not converse easily. All the way till they reached the location, the interior of the car was completely silent. After that conflict, Ning Lan no longer tried being nice to everyone, nor again display that monstrous rage he felt that night. In the dormitory, it was like he was invisible. He did not need others to deliberately ignore him, but he himself had already walked out of this group, standing there alone, no longer trying to join them. Towards this, Gu Chenkai and Gao Ming were delighted. This matter did not concern the other three members, and only Sui Yi felt a little uncomfortable about it. Just now, after receiving the notice, he sent Ning Lan a text, asking him to come to their room to eat together. He remembered that Ning Lan had low blood sugar, and if he did not eat before they left, it might affect their work later. After sending the text, he regretted it a little. Sui Yi recalled those texts that Ning Lan had sent in the past, and how he never replied to any of them. If Ning Lan did not reply to him now, it would be understandable. Ning Lan did reply, and it was two simple words: No need. Receiving the reply, for some reason, Sui Yi felt relieved. On second thought, Ning Lan¡¯s texts were all mass-sent, and it would not be amiss for him not to reply. The live broadcast was a culinary show, and today¡¯s topic was ¡°A New Way to Eat Lobsters¡±. They had originally thought that they would be eating spicy crayfish1. Who would have guessed that once the broadcast started, two chefs carried up a huge australian lobster the size of a basin. The jaws of the youths fell to the ground, and the host asked for those who had never eaten lobsters before to raise their hands. It sounded a little like he was shaming poor people, and only Ning Lan held his hand up with a smile. Of course, they were not invited there to cook. The aim of inviting guests to culinary shows was to increase the show¡¯s popularity, and to liven up its atmosphere. They surrounded the grill, watching the lobster, as they brightened up the atmosphere with their chatter. The comments from the viewers came rapidly, and they were all happy to watch. Once the lobster was done grilling, it was naturally time for the guests to try it. As the group leader, Sui Yi led the group in trying a small bite first. He then wiped his mouth with a napkin, his expression enigmatic. He did not say that it was delicious, but also didn¡¯t say that it tasted bad. Instead, he allowed everyone to try it for themselves. All the members crowed, making a fuss, saying that their leader had learnt from some bad examples. They then each took a plate and fork, sharing the meat of the lobster. As they pretty much did not eat anything for dinner, the lobster was nearly demolished in a short period of time. ¡°Hey hey hey, don¡¯t eat so much. Ning Lan hasn¡¯t had a chance to try it yet.¡± Lu Xiaochuan¡¯s mouth was filled with food. Sui Yi looked at Ning Lan who was standing in a corner, trying his best to blend into the background. He picked up a clean plate, placing the last piece of somewhat complete chunk of lobster meat on it, then handed it to Ning Lan who was standing on the opposite end of the table. ¡°Ah, look, Lead has given the last piece to Lanlan.¡± Fang Yu bit on his fork. Sui Yi watched Ning Lan, a little worried that he wouldn¡¯t accept it. He responded to Fang Yu, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you were going on a diet?¡± ¡°I was just saying it, and you believed it?¡± Ning Lan did not look at the person handing him the plate. Smiling, he accepted it, then with a twist of his arm, he steadily offered the plate to Fang Yu. ¡°Have it, I¡¯m not hungry.¡± This scene was later named ¡°a textbook example of playing the spoiled child¡± by the Soaring Flower CP fans, and shared multiple times. In it, Ning Lan played the role of a waiter. This time, his action was excellent, as he understood that food from the leader¡¯s hand should not be easily eaten. In the eyes of the CP fans, he finally left a good impression. CH 14 The day they returned from S City, AOW experienced an unprecedentedly grand welcome at the airport by fans. They had only debuted two months ago. Previously, at most seventy to eighty fans would be waiting for them at the airport, and the group could even chat with them as they walked. This time, there were more than three hundred people, and the support crew that had just been recently set up had only appointed two staff to maintain the order. The unexpected situation threw the scene into chaos, and the fans were all squeezed together, blocking the exit of the airport completely. Within a few steps, all seven members of the group were split apart. Ning Lan fell right to the back, squeezed by the crowd until he had no idea where he was, and could only follow along with the crowd helplessly. ¡°Lead, wait for Fang Yu!¡± A girl in the crowd shouted. Sui Yi was disoriented as well. Hearing the voice, he turned and looked around as well. He did not manage to find Fang Yu, but immediately saw Ning Lan who did not have a mask and sunglasses on. There were two girls next to him holding onto his arms and taking selfies with him, and Ning Lan¡¯s face was red from the pressure of so many people around him. ¡°Ning Lan!¡± Sui Yi called out, reaching a hand towards him. Ning Lan looked up, then averted his eyes as though he did not see Sui Yi, and continued to move forward with his head bowed. In the end, Lu Xiaochuan, who was even nearer to Ning Lan, went over and pulled him along, guiding Fang Yu over as well. The seven members managed to gather together again. Once in the vehicle, everyone gasped for their breaths as though they had just survived a disaster. In everyone¡¯s hands were gifts from the fans. Sui Yi and Lu Xiaochuan had the most, Fang Yu and Gu Chenkai took second place, and the difference in popularity among the group members could clearly be seen. Ning Lan only had a little fruit basket filled with strawberries and a letter that was shoved along with it. He opened the letter, and within it, a fan wrote saying that he was too thin, pleading with him to eat a little more. Back in the dorm, he washed the strawberries. Fruit could not be kept for too long in the current weather. He gave half to Wang Bingyang, yet there was still quite a lot left. Today, Lu Xiaochuan had surprisingly returned to the dormitory with them, and was sprawled on the couch playing on his phone with a dark face. Perhaps he was still grumpy from getting up in the morning. ¡°Would you like some strawberries?¡± Ning Lan asked him as he walked past him. Lu Xiaochuan stuck his head out from behind his screen, lazily opening his mouth and asking to be fed. ¡°Ah¡ª¡± Ning Lan always gave in to Young Master Lu, especially since he had never ostracised him before. Picking up a strawberry with a toothpick, he held it to Lu Xiaochuan¡¯s mouth. Craftily, Lu Xiaochuan caught Ning Lan¡¯s hand and fed himself the strawberry, then smiled naughtily after eating. ¡°It¡¯s very sweet, just like you.¡± Speechless, Ning Lan pulled his hand back. Turning around, he saw Sui Yi standing at the door of his room, watching him calmly. The two people looked at each other for two seconds. Ning Lan looked away, going into the room with a plate of fruit. Before lunch, AOW received a new task. The company wanted to hold the first showcase for them ever since they debuted, and the location would be an indoor stadium in the capital that could hold a thousand people. It would be rather similar to a small-scale concert. After receiving this notice, some of the members were delighted, while others were worried. The ones eager for an opportunity to display their talents were Gao Ming, Gu Chenkai and Wang Bingyang. After lunch, they rushed off to the company. Lu Xiaochuan wailed and whined, saying that if he knew earlier that being an artiste was so tiring and there was no time to rest, he would not have debuted. Then, hanging onto Ning Lan clingily, he insisted that Ning Lan take him to the company. Ning Lan treated him like a child, a big-sized, playful little kid. Allowing Lu Xiaochuan to play around, he accepted all his teasing with a smile. Following behind them, Sui Yi¡¯s eyes darkened a little. In the afternoon, Zhang Fan found some time to check up on them. She said that the showcase would last an hour and a half, and as AOW only had two songs, they definitely would not be able to fill up the time. As such, they had to prepare other performances, both group and solo. In the list were some suitable songs that had been selected. Other than everyone having to do a solo performance, the members were even divided into pairs, which added three more performances for the show. With how the company was trying to promote the group through fanservicing and the official pairings of the members, AOW was naturally divided into the three official pairs. ¡°Gao Ming, Wang Bingyang, the two of you will have a dance segment. Make it more explosive. I¡¯ve already told Xu Rui, go look for her later to discuss this¡­ Lu Xiaochuan, Gu Chenkai, the two of you will sing a song.¡± Lu Xiaochuan whined, ¡°Jie, I¡¯m a rapper¡­.¡± Zhang Fan glared at him. ¡°You can add a rap in the lyrics, go and look for Zhao-laoshi to write it later.¡± Lu Xiaochuan wailed again, ¡°Zhao-laoshi hates me the most, I¡¯m not going!¡± Zhang Fan placed a hand on her hip. ¡°Skip another class if you dare!¡± Lu Xiaochuan pursed his lips, remaining silent. ¡°Sui Yi and Fang Yu, you¡¯ll be dancing as well. The song has already been chosen, and it isn¡¯t difficult. Just watch the video and learn.¡± Zhang Fan continued assigning the work, ¡°Ning Lan¡­ other than a solo, you temporarily don¡¯t have any other performances. You can learn from the rest, and on that day, we¡¯ll play along by ear.¡± Ning Lan nodded. He understood that playing along by ear meant that he should stand by the sides and not create any trouble. This completely agreed with his intentions, and he could relax happily. Who would have guessed that Fang Yu would raise his hand and suggest, ¡°I want to sing, how about letting Ning Lan dance with Lead.¡± Ning Lan tensed up abruptly. Rolling up the document, Zhang Fan knocked it against her palm. ¡°This is the arrangement made by the higher ups, it won¡¯t be easy to change it.¡± Fang Yu whined cutely, ¡°Zhang Fan-jie, aren¡¯t you the higher ups?¡± Zhang Fan laughed aloud. ¡°I¡¯m not, don¡¯t say nonsense. In any case, this is the arrangement made by the planning department according to the current situation. You¡¯ll have to understand that they know more than you about how to make this showcase more entertaining, and how to garner more fans for you.¡± Fang Yu¡¯s hand dropped listlessly. Taking advantage of how everyone was in the midst of discussion, Sui Yi turned his head to look at Ning Lan, only to see Ning Lan patting his chest and heaving a large breath of relief. He did not know if it was because Ning Lan did not have to dance, or it was because he did not have to dance with him. After Zhang Fan left, the members dispersed into different training studios to practise. After looking at the dance video, Sui Yi finally understood why the management would arrange for Fang Yu and him to dance together. This had originally been a dance for a male and a female. After some modifications, some extremely intimate steps involving close body contact had been removed. Sui Yi¡¯s part was still fine, as he was dancing the male¡¯s part, and the moves displayed a male¡¯s masculine fortitude. However, Fang Yu¡¯s part was very feminine, involving a lot of raising of the legs and twisting of the hips. Together with many parts of the dance where they had to hug and hold onto each other, the entire dance had a very heavy sexual taste to it. The company clearly wanted to firm up their pairing, and this was what the fans called fanservice. Sui Yi immediately gave Zhang Fan a call, asking if they could change to another dance. In the conversation, Zhang Fan spoke breezily, ¡°Just dance this one. You¡¯re not at the point where you can dance whatever you want, you have to dance according to what the fans want. If you want to become popular, you have to give it your all. Don¡¯t treat yourself like an idol, after all, which boy group hasn¡¯t danced this kind of dance before?¡± Sui Yi hung up, silent and tightlipped. In actual fact, Fang Yu was not resistant to this dance. He was very pretty, and before his debut, he had played a girl¡¯s role before in his school¡¯s art performance. Photos of that had been discovered by fans and posted on Weibo. He was also well aware of the fanservice the management was trying to employ. They only had to put on a show, and would be able to create a synergistic effect, so why would they hesitate? However, it seemed as though Sui Yi could not really accept it. ¡°Lead, do you have a girlfriend? Are you afraid that she¡¯ll see it?¡± Fang Yu made a daring conjecture. Sui Yi paused, ¡°No.¡± Then, seemingly to prove his words, he stood up and walked to the center of the studio. ¡°Let¡¯s dance along to the video once to try.¡± The moves were not difficult. When Xu Rui-laoshi dropped by to check on them, they could almost complete the entire dance already. Even the move where Sui Yi had to lift Fang Yu up and spin him around before placing him on the ground had no problems. However, Xu Rui kept shaking her head as she watched them. She said that they were not in the right mindset, especially Sui Yi. He was too stiff, and the stiffness was not in his movement, but his expression. ¡°You have to imagine that the person in your arms is your beloved,¡± Xu Rui explained. Sui Yi¡¯s expression became stiffer. Fang Yu fell down laughing. ¡°I¡¯m lacking two bumps on my chest, I¡¯m afraid Lead cannot get into the act while looking at me.¡± They practised for another hour. Fang Yu headed downstairs to get some food, and Sui Yi made a call. The last time he called his aunt, he was connected to his uncle instead. His uncle said that she was overseas, and would return in about a week. At that time, Sui Yi was a little anxious. Trying to come up with an answer, he even called his teacher. After the call was connected, he then remembered that the bank card had been left behind by his mother, how could his father know about it? His teacher was very happy receiving his call, and his voice even lit up. He asked if Sui Yi was living well, and when would he come back to have a meal. Greatly holding back his impatience, Sui Yi brushed him off politely, then hung up. It was impossible for him to go home. Giving up the opportunity to further his studies in an overseas music college, and joining the group despite everyone¡¯s persuasion, these were the only ways he could declare his stand and determination. He had already burned his bridges, and destroyed all paths of retreating. Also, why would he go home? To watch his beloved and respected teacher of over a decade be intimate with his father at home, to watch them live like a couple? How extremely disgusting. Sui Yi walked to the stairway, took in a deep breath, then dialled his aunt¡¯s number. As expected, his aunt was back in the country already. After some greetings, Sui Yi asked her directly if she was able to see the activity in the bank account that his mother had left him. After a moment of silence, his aunt admitted to it. ¡°Jiejie had asked me to take care of you before she left. You¡¯re still young, and you don¡¯t know how evil people can be. I¡¯m too far away, and I can¡¯t take care of you, so I asked Xiaokai to help me see what sort of friends you¡¯ve been making recently.¡± It was just as he thought. Feeling helpless, Sui Yi closed his eyes. He knew that what his aunt had said to Gu Chenkai was not only this. She had definitely found out the name of the person he had transferred the money to. If not, Gu Chenkai would not have been able to name Ning Lan so accurately, and insisted that the twenty thousand had been transferred to Ning Lan. In the conversation, Sui Yi requested his aunt to stop supervising his daily life. ¡°I¡¯m already an adult. Although I still need to rely on my mother¡¯s inheritance to live, I have great confidence that I¡¯ll soon be able to remain independent. I hope that you can let me have my rights to manage my own finances. I¡¯m also well aware of the sort of friends I¡¯m making, I hope that you won¡¯t interfere.¡± The polite yet rather discourteous remarks caused his aunt to fall silent for quite some time. In the end, she still agreed. Telling him to take care of Xiaokai and vice versa, she hung up. Sui Yi remained standing in the stairway for sometime. The narrow and dim stairway made him recall the scene where he shared a mango with Ning Lan one night before their debut. The current Ning Lan would no longer make funny gestures at him. He would even avoid him now, and no longer speak to him. And this was simply because of one misunderstanding. While feeling very regretful, Sui Yi felt that it was not worth it for someone like Ning Lan. If not for Ning Lan¡¯s treacherous actions first, attempting to abandon the group, things would not have become the way they were. So what if Ning Lan no longer smiled at him? Ning Lan did not even have the qualifications to make him feel down. Ning Lan was only an unimportant person, and his existence, sooner or later, would be wiped away from his life, leaving no trace. After convincing himself, Sui Yi turned to pull the door of the stairway open, prepared to go back to the studio to practise some more. The stairway was next to a corner of the building, quiet with a view, and it was a great place to smoke or exchange secrets. Before Sui Yi could pull the door open, he heard two voices coming from outside. ¡°As a manager, I¡¯m only responsible for passing the word down, and I¡¯m not in charge of making a decision for you. With regards to such matters, some people feel that it¡¯s a betrayal of their dignity, and cannot accept it, while others feel that it¡¯s necessary to make a sacrifice for what they want. So, you have to weigh it yourself.¡± It was Zhang Fan¡¯s voice. If her words made Sui Yi confused, then the other party¡¯s reply enlightened him completely on their topic of conversation. ¡°I only have to drink with them?¡± Ning Lan asked. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s hosted by a famous film producer. You¡¯re not the only one, I have some youths under me who are going as well. You don¡¯t have to think of this as something dirty. In this industry, those people who have achievements yet do not come from any powerful backgrounds, which of them are clean? Everyone is only out to help themselves. Those attending this today are all powerful people, if you¡¯re not used to it, you can come back after drinking and chatting with them, no one will stop you.¡± ¡°Mn, I understand.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll take my leave first. Whether you¡¯re going or not, send me a text before 6 to let me know.¡± Zhang Fan¡¯s high heels tapped on the ground as she left. ¡°I¡¯m going,¡± Ning Lan called out to her. Through the thin door, his voice sounded very calm. ¡°Where¡¯s the location, and what time should I go?¡± Zhang Fan stopped. ¡°It¡¯s eight o¡¯clock, at Green Tide Hotel.¡± CH 15 Ning Lan remained in the practice room until fifteen minutes past seven before he left. He did not depart with the other youths Zhang Fan mentioned. He felt that there was no need to know them at all. They were only here to sell themselves, were they expected to huddle together and exchange confidences? While the lift descended, he checked the lottery ticket he bought the last time. None of the numbers had been drawn at all, and his last flicker of hope was extinguished. He really wanted to earn money as quickly as possible. Boss Liu had long since been unable to wait, and if he did not quickly pay Sui Yi back, he would feel very uneasy. His payment schedule could not be dragged on for years, as no one had the duty to happily allow him to slowly earn and repay them. Exiting the building, Ning Lan walked down the stairs. A muffled crash of thunder happened abruptly, and his steps paused. He had finally thought things through and was about to sell himself, yet the heavens were not going to even provide him with nice weather? Glumly, he stuck his hands in his pockets, slowly making his way down and stood by the road, waiting for a taxi. One finally appeared, only to be snatched away by another person running over. ¡°Fuck¡­¡± Ning Lan swore a beat later. When the first drop of rain struck his face, no taxis appeared. Instead a black Maybach did. The driver¡¯s window wound down, and Sui Yi¡¯s expressionless face appeared. ¡°Get on.¡± Ning Lan did not want to acknowledge him. He continued gazing into the distance, watching for an empty taxi. ¡°I¡¯m not going back to the dorm.¡± ¡°Where are you going? I¡¯ll drive you there,¡± Sui Yi said. Thunder crashed around them, and raindrops the size of beans started falling from the sky, landing on their bodies. Seeing that time was tight, and how it would only get harder for him to hail a taxi, Ning Lan hesitated for a moment before going over to the passenger side and getting into the car. ¡°Green Tide Hotel, thanks.¡± While lifting his foot off the brake, Sui Yi asked, ¡°Why are you going there?¡± ¡°For a meal,¡± Ning Lan answered perfunctorily. When he got onto the car, he started fiddling with his phone, then with the messy strands of hair around his forehead, and took out a foundation compact from his backpack and started touching up his face. Personally, he did not have the habit of applying makeup, and he even went to borrow this from Fang Yu. After all, he had to leave a good first impression on others. Sui Yi turned and took a look. Pinching the cushion puff, Ning Lan was dabbing at the mole at the corner of his eye. Ning Lan blinked, and his thick and long eyelashes fluttered slightly, brushing right across Sui Yi¡¯s heart. A strange emotion ran through Sui Yi, and he averted his eyes in panic. ¡°You¡¯re going there for a meal?¡± He did not know why he would ask a question like this. ¡°Yes.¡± Ning Lan had no plans of dodging the question. In any case, he was well aware of how this person viewed him. ¡°Why, only rich people like you are allowed to go there to eat, and us poor people are not allowed to go and take a look?¡± Sui Yi¡¯s lips tightened. He remained silent. Ning Lan too felt that the thorns in his words were too obvious, and he would only end up offending Sui Yi even more, but he could not stop himself. Anyway, he had already offended him before. These rich and arrogant people, they could easily believe that a person was bad, but it would be extremely difficult to convince them that a person was good. However, Ning Lan was truly, ridiculously bad. Looking at it from another angle, if he was Sui Yi, he would probably also be unable to forgive such wicked, treacherous actions. So, no matter how hard he tried, his efforts were only insignificant and useless, and there was nothing he could do to cover up his mistakes. With these thoughts in mind, Ning Lan could not help but mock himself. Having lived for twenty-odd years, did he still not understand anything? The past few months, he had giddily fallen back into his old, foolish behaviour. Who would not wish that a person they like, would like them as well? Even if they were just friends, when one recalled their memories in the future, they would still be able to gain a little bit of temporary warmth from this gentleness of that person, and recall how it had once been so near them. The rain came down heavily. Despite the very good sound insulation of the car, they could still hear the pounding of the raindrops on the car. Or maybe it was just too quiet within. The hotel was located in the city center. Due to the rain, the traffic was not smooth, and they needed to wait a few rounds at just one traffic light alone. Ning Lan looked at the time. He was a little anxious, and stretched his head out to count the number of cars in front of them. His behaviour made Sui Yi feel inexplicably annoyed. Was he that eager to deliver himself up? The car crawled forward at the speed of a tortoise. When the conspicuous signboard of Green Tide Hotel could be seen, there was less than ten minutes left to 8pm. Sui Yi did not expect that they would arrive so quickly. While queueing at the entrance to the parking lot, he let a number of cars cut the queue. Not feeling in a hurry at all, he slowly crept his car forward. Ning Lan could no longer wait anymore. Even though the car had yet to reach the entrance, he opened the door, speaking hurriedly, ¡°I¡¯m going first. Thank you.¡± Sui Yi was too slow to lock the doors, and Ning Lan had already shot out of the car. Without thinking, he exited the car as well, striding over and grabbing hold of Ning Lan¡¯s arm. ¡°Why are you in such a hurry? There¡¯s a lift at the parking lot that you can use.¡± Ning Lan tried to block the rain with his hands, but the torrential downpour still soaked him thoroughly. He looked at the hotel entrance. ¡°I can enter through there as well.¡± He wanted to press forward, but Sui Yi still did not let go. Instead, the grip around his arm grew tighter. Ning Lan¡¯s forehead creased in pain, and he turned around. ¡°What are you doing? Let go.¡± Sui Yi was looking at him as well. He blurted out, ¡°You¡¯re so eager about selling yourself?¡± Ning Lan was stunned, and very quickly understood what was going on. Sui Yi¡¯s actions had been really unusual today, and he should have long guessed that he had heard something about this. Looking at how anxious Sui Yi was, he was probably worried again that he would be dragging the group down. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Ning Lan said, ¡°as long as you don¡¯t say anything, no one will spread this around. It¡¯s not like this is any good news that can be shared.¡± Sui Yi became even more frustrated by Ning Lan¡¯s nonchalant attitude, and his grip tightened further. Ning Lan struggled a couple more times. Seeing that Sui Yi had no intention of letting him go, he looked up at him, ¡°Could it be that Lead wants to go up with me and sell yourself too?¡± Ning Lan¡¯s lips quirked up. As though afraid that Sui Yi would not be able to hear him, he leaned closer. ¡°Or¡­ does Lead want to buy me himself?¡± Ning Lan entered the hotel alone. The room was located on the third floor. He did not take the lift, instead climbed up the marble steps. The staircase was broad and quiet, completely blocking out the wind and the rain. Soft, soothing music could be heard, reminding Ning Lan how different this place was from the outside. At the corner of the second floor, there was a window that spanned from ceiling to floor. With the bright lights indoor, Ning Lan could see his reflection in the glass. Miserable, unfortunate, ugly. The smile full of provocation in the rain just now had long vanished. If he could see clearly, Ning Lan guessed that the foundation he had applied on his face earlier should have pretty much been washed off. Some people would disguise themselves behind makeup, just like how he would use smiles to disguise his panic and anxiety. He turned around, slowly sliding down with his back against the window. He did not know if his actions could be considered a mistake. Being sold to a dark, dirty basement, and being sold to such a luxurious and decadent world, was there a difference? Actually, they were all the same. He would only be lying to himself if he tried counting the differences with his fingers. Ning Lan raised his hands, slowly covering his face, blocking the light shining directly into his eyes. If only it was not raining. The raindrops outside slid down the windows, blurring the vision of the person sitting inside the car, and even made the streetlights barely distinguishable. Sui Yi parked his car in the parking lot, then remained sitting there, motionless. There was a hotel attendant who came over, knocking on his window asking him if he did not have an umbrella, and informing him that the hotel could provide guests with one. Sui Yi shook his head, winding the window up. He understood that he should leave. Ning Lan had already gone in, and he might even be staying in one of the rooms in the hotel tonight, only coming out tomorrow when the sun was up. But he did not want to leave. There was nowhere he could vent the inexplicable frustration within him, and so he could not leave yet. After sitting there for some time, Sui Yi inhaled sharply. Opening the door, he walked into the rain. Just as he entered the main hall of the hotel, he bumped into Ning Lan, who was slowly making his way down the stairs. His lips were slightly parted, his eyes blank and unfocused, and he paused after a couple of steps. Afraid that he would trip, Sui Yi quickly made his way to him. When Ning Lan registered a figure suddenly appearing next to him, he got a shock and retreated. Only when he saw that it was Sui Yi, did he relax a little. He asked, astonished, ¡°What¡­ what are you doing here?¡± The incomprehensible rage within Sui Yi was immediately extinguished upon hearing Ning Lan¡¯s soft words. Ning Lan was very pale, the redness in the corners of his eyes spreading, and he looked even worse than that time he had exploded in the dormitory. Sui Yi could not bring himself to say anything harsh. He reached out, wanting to grab his wrist, but slowly put his hand down after a moment of hesitation. ¡°Is it over?¡± Sui Yi asked. Ning Lan lowered his eyes, grunting in acknowledgment. ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡± One following the other, they walked into the rain. Sui Yi turned his head around a few times to look at the person behind him, a little regretful that he did not ask for an umbrella from the attendant. Despite the rain, the summer was still warm and humid. On the way back, Sui Yi dared not set the AC at a temperature too low. Leaning back in the broad, comfortable sleep, Ning Lan dozed off, and when he woke up, they had already arrived at the underground garage of the dormitory. Nearing the entrance, Ning Lan thanked Sui Yi again. Under the corridor lights, Sui Yi looked down and saw the very conspicuous mole on Ning Lan¡¯s fair neck. He acknowledged his thanks indifferently, then inserted the key into the lock, opening the door. For the next few days, Sui Yi still did not see Ning Lan in the dormitory and the company. During the occasional periods of rest, Sui Yi¡¯s mind would drift off, wondering if that night was a dream. Sitting in his car, Ning Lan did not ignore him, and even smiled at him. Nevermind that it was a mocking and challenging smile. He did not really dare to think about what Ning Lan had experienced in the hotel during the period of less than an hour. Sui Yi eagerly wanted to forget this bridge that interrupted the rhythm of his life, but for some reason, he could not bear to do so. It was as though if he were to dig out this memory from his head, then some string would be broken, and he would never be able to repair it again. Sui Yi exhaled lightly. It was good that that fellow did not appear as well. Every time he saw him, he would always feel a sense of having lost control of the direction, which made him very unhappy. However, they were in the same group, and it was not possible for them to never meet. There was still a week left until the showcase. An Lin brought a small video camera into the practice room, saying that she wanted to gather entertainment clips of the group. The company had already given the instructions for this a while ago, but no one had expected that even their daily activities would be captured. As it was a group event, everyone had to appear. Ning Lan was the last to hurry over. Today, he was dressed in a white T-shirt and black pants, his fringe combed back and tied into a little ponytail, and on his bright, clean forehead, there were starry beads of sweat. ¡°I was practicing my dancing just now, and forgot to check my phone. Sorry for being late,¡± Ning Lan gasped. An Lin waved him off, signalling that it was fine. She turned on the video camera and started shooting. At first, the youths were a little cautious. An Lin asked them to do whatever they liked, but they did not know what they should do. Finally, Wang Bingyang and Gao Ming kicked it off by performing a segment of the dance they would be presenting in the showcase, and the atmosphere finally improved. Other members started learning the dance moves, saying that the dance was too cool, and wanted to exchange their performance. Everyone then started showing off the results of their practice over the past few days. When it came to Sui Yi and Fang Yu, the atmosphere was brought to a climax by the seductive movements of their dance. Lu Xiaochuan ran over, dragging up Ning Lan who was squatting in one corner, and insisted that he had to be his partner. Ning Lan was unable to dissuade him, and had no choice but to cooperate with him. Lu Xiaochuan danced Sui Yi¡¯s part, and while dancing, he roguishly praised Ning Lan for twisting his hips in a very attractive manner, so much so that he was about to harden from it. Holding onto the video camera, An Lin coughed a few times. ¡°Although we can edit the footage later, you should still avoid saying things that shouldn¡¯t be said.¡± Ning Lan was extremely embarrassed. Shrugging away Lu Xiaochuan¡¯s arms, he ran back to his corner to continue squatting. From just now, while turning around during the dance, Sui Yi kept looking at Ning Lan and Lu Xiaochuan dancing. In the past, Ning Lan did not know how to dance at all. Now, he only needed to watch a couple of times and he could pretty much learn the dance. However, such visible improvement could not make him happy. His partner, Fang Yu, seemed rather unhappy as well, pursing his lips and quietly scolding, ¡°Pervert¡±. Sui Yi turned to look at him, and he hurriedly stuck his tongue out, saying, ¡°I wasn¡¯t referring to you, Lead.¡± This ¡°Mountain Flower¡± CP each had worries on their minds, their dancing seemingly in harmony but actually at odds. CH 16 AOW¡¯s first behind the scenes video was posted online three days later. In an hour, the views exceeded one million, and brought about great promotion for the upcoming showcase. The company had also assigned two popular members of V-Wish, a girl group who was their senior in the company, to participate in their showcase as special guests. As such, the first performance of AOW after their debut was sold out within five minutes. After their training, the members would also go online to look at the comments on the videos. The fans were very eager for the group¡¯s performance as well as their solo items. This was especially the case for Sui Yi¡¯s and Fang Yu¡¯s dance, due to their popularity and the support of fans who shipped them together. The behind the scenes video which was only about a minute or so had been edited over and over again by the fans to drool over it, and everyone held a lot of anticipation for their performance. However, something unexpected happened on the day of the showcase. Fang Yu suddenly felt unwell, calling to say that he was unable to participate in the performance. The whole situation was very urgent, and Zhang Fan asked what happened to him. Fang Yu¡¯s voice was weak, and faltering, he said that he really was unable to attend. Running over to his place to take a look, An Lin returned and confirmed that Fang Yu was really quite sick, unable to even get off his bed. With no other choice, Zhang Fan could only give up, and she asked An Lin to bring a camera over to Fang Yu¡¯s place to record a short clip for their fans. After that, she summoned the rest of the group for an emergency meeting. ¡°Fang Yu¡¯s solo performance was to sing a song. It¡¯s too much of a rush if we give you another performance to prepare now. I¡¯ll contact V-Wish to hurry up and prepare. They have many songs, and they can pick one randomly to use it as a stop-gap.¡± The group nodded their heads, agreeing. Zhang Fan¡¯s brows were tightly knitted. With her arms folded, she stroked her chin. ¡°As for Sui Yi¡¯s and Fang Yu¡¯s dance¡­ We¡¯ll change it to Sui Yi¡¯s solo performance then. I¡¯ll get the staff to find a violin for you.¡± Just as she finished speaking, Sui Yi refused resolutely. ¡°I¡¯m not playing the violin.¡± Ning Lan sneaked a look at Sui Yi, only to see an unhappy look upon his face. The look in his eyes was grim, and he did not seem to be joking. Zhang Fan knocked on the table, speaking sternly, ¡°The situation is very urgent now. As the leader, you should place utmost importance on the group¡¯s interest. Furthermore, giving you a chance to display your talents is only beneficial to your popularity, and there isn¡¯t any harm.¡± Sui Yi spoke without inflection, ¡°This has nothing to do with team spirit. Before I debuted, I had already requested not to include my violin-playing in my profile, but the planning team took things in their own hands. I will never play the violin.¡± Seeing how staunch he was, as well as how the company was in the wrong for having done that, Zhang Fan pressed her palm to her forehead for a moment, then compromised. ¡°Fine. Then this dance cannot be cut away, if not, the audience would have things to say if the showcase isn¡¯t long enough.¡± Zhang Fan surveyed the group, and her eyes locked on Ning Lan. ¡°We¡¯ll replace Fang Yu with Ning Lan then. Previously, when you were shooting the video, Ning Lan danced along as well, and I remember that you did quite well. There¡¯s still some time before the showcase starts, you¡¯d better go over it properly with Sui Yi.¡± Ning Lan tensed, his temples pounding. ¡°No, better not. I¡¯m not good at dancing, why don¡¯t they take over¡­¡± He pointed at Gu Chenkai, Gao Ming and the rest standing on the left. ¡°Lu Xiaochuan is too tall, while Gao Ming and Wang Bingyang already have a dance performance. Gu Chenkai¡¯s temperament doesn¡¯t match the dance, and you¡¯re the only one left.¡± Zhang Fan gave a well-grounded analysis. Ning Lan was breaking out in cold sweat. How could he be the one to take over Fang Yu¡¯s spot? Ignoring the issue of whether he would be able to dance well, with the extreme popularity of the pairing of Sui Yi and Fang Yu, Ning Lan did not have the guts to survive until the end of the dance. ¡°What the fans want to see is Lead dancing with Xiao Yu. If I take over, they¡¯ll definitely be unwilling to watch it anymore.¡± Ning Lan continued to struggle against the decision. ¡°How do you know that they would be unwilling? To cut off a highly anticipated performance would be even more infuriating. This is currently the best solution. Previously, you hadn¡¯t been assigned any solo performance, and now it¡¯s time for you to exert yourself for the group.¡± Zhang Fan glared at Ning Lan threateningly. Ning Lan dared not say a word anymore. In Green Tide Hotel, Ning Lan finally decided to not attend the gathering. Crouching by the door, he gave Zhang Fan a call. Zhang Fan scolded him very badly, but still helped him settle it in the end. As such, Ning Lan did owe Zhang Fan a big favour accordingly. Fine, he would just dance then. Ning Lan braced himself, following Sui Yi to a practice room. Today, he had tied his fringe into a little stump at the top of his head as usual. Perhaps because he was too nervous, after a move where it involved Ning Lan being lifted up, his legs turned weak as he landed. Ning Lan fell forward, and his forehead accidentally bumped into Sui Yi¡¯s lips. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t do it on purpose,¡± Ning Lan hurriedly explained. Sui Yi tried his best to ignore his burning lips. Averting his eyes, he said, ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± The two people continued practicing. When Xu Rui, the dance teacher, finally had the time to see them, they went through the entire dance once. The music ended, and she stood up clapping, gratified. ¡°This is exactly the mood I¡¯ve been asking for.¡± Ning Lan was confused and asked Sui Yi, ¡°What mood?¡± Sui Yi shook his head, saying that he did not know. During noon, except for Fang Yu, the six people of AOW gathered together for lunch. The youths were both nervous and excited, and at that moment, they had no interest in the internal conflict amongst themselves. After the meal, they came together and practiced their two group dances a few more times. Without Fang Yu, there was a gap, and the company thus assigned a dancer to work with them. Everyone devoted themselves to the practice, and during the final rehearsal before the showcase, there was no mistake to be seen. Their outfits finally arrived, leaving less than two hours to the showcase. The youths were styled backstage. Sui Yi¡¯s hair was dyed black again and combed to the back, revealing his full forehead and deep set features. Along with the suit he was wearing for the start of the showcase, he looked extremely fit and handsome. Ning Lan untied his fringe. The stylist wanted to fix his fringe to the side, but Zhang Fan gave an instruction when she walked past. ¡°Don¡¯t touch Ning Lan¡¯s fringe, just let it be. Later on, he has to change to another hairstyle for another performance.¡± At the start, Ning Lan was still confused. He did not remember that he needed to change to another outfit, only to be enlightened when he saw the clothes prepared for the performance he had to do with Sui Yi. It was a long, black dress, completely unlike something a male would wear. A wig was even attached to it, with blond, flowing locks. When placed on his head, the length of the wig reached his chest. Ning Lan ran over to Zhang Fan, asking if there was a mistake. Zhang Fan blinked at him. ¡°You didn¡¯t know that you would need to crossdress?¡± Ning Lan was speechless. He was not the one dancing in the first place, how would he know? Zhang Fan patted his shoulder in consolation. ¡°That¡¯s why I said that other people would not be able to do it. If you¡¯re not fair enough, you¡¯d be a piece of coal in this dress. But for you, you¡¯d be like a fairy coming down to earth.¡± Ning Lan: ¡°¡­¡± The compliment did not make him any happier. However, it was not like he could not do it. It also could not be considered sacrificing himself in the name of art. Ning Lan took it as it being part of his job. However, upon remembering that Sui Yi was straight, Ning Lan would feel a little awkward. Ning Lan found an unpopulated corner to try on the dress. It was tight-fitting, and the bottom slit went up very high, all the way to mid-thigh. As for the top half, from the chest to his shoulders, the dress was made of a translucent lace. Looking in the mirror, embarrassment slowly welled up in him. Ning Lan tugged the dress down, and he nearly exposed his nipples. When he tugged it up, his buttocks were nearly revealed. With a red face, he thought, the performance would only be about five minutes. All he had to do was to endure it. CH 17 The showcase opened with AOW¡¯s debut single, ¡°Out of The World¡±. There were no seats left vacant in the audience, and cheers resounded from the crowd. It was only when Fang Yu¡¯s video conveying his greetings to the fans was played did the atmosphere quieten for a moment. Due to the ample preparation, the showcase went quite smoothly. In the second half of the show, a small mistake happened during the performance between Lu Xiaochuan and Gu Chenkai. Lu Xiaochuan had a wrong verse in his rap, and then forgot the lyrics right after. Holding on to the mic, he stood there in a daze. Fortunately, Gu Chenkai reacted quickly, coming up with two lines and continuing the song, making the mistake less obvious. ¡°I asked you to memorise the lyrics properly, and yet you went out all the time!¡± Backstage, Zhang Fan reprimanded Lu Xiaochuan, her hands on her hips. ¡°From tomorrow onwards, stay in the dormitory! Report to the company everyday punctually, and you¡¯re not allowed to miss a day!¡± It was a rare moment that Lu Xiaochuan did not object. His head hung low, his eyes downcast. It was not sure what he was thinking about, and his attention was completely not present. Ning Lan was hurried away by An Lin to change his outfit. Once V-Wish¡¯s performance ended, it would be his turn to dance with Sui Yi. Sui Yi only needed to change the T-shirt he was wearing to a white shirt. Seeing Ning Lan hugging his clothes and shoes, running about looking for an empty room to change, he found it odd. When the guest performance ended, the lights on stage dimmed, creating a hazy, seductive atmosphere. Sui Yi went on stage first. A corner of his white shirt was tucked in his pants, and the rest hung loose casually. Two of his buttons were left undone, his tie loosely draping around his neck. His thin lips were pressed lightly together, and he looked indolently sexy. The fans offstage seethed in excitement, screams piercing the air. When the music started to play, his dance partner finally arrived. Everyone¡¯s eyes were glued to the rising platform, only to see a tall, thin, hazy figure slowly appearing in the centre of the stage. Sui Yi did not expect that Ning Lan would be in women¡¯s wear. According to the dance requirement, he walked over and caught his dance partner. Holding his hand, he pulled Ning Lan into his arms. Ning Lan looked up, and their eyes met. Glittery eyeshadow had been applied around the corners of Ning Lan¡¯s eyes, and that mole of his hid amongst the glitter, making others unable to tell which part of Ning Lan¡¯s face was actually blushing a shy red. The huge swath of skin exposed under the black lacy top was extremely pale in contrast to the dress, and the gold curls of the wig danced between Ning Lan¡¯s long neck and chest, along with his movements. During a movement when Sui Yi had to pull Ning Lan into his arms, then slide an arm around his waist, Sui Yi used his other hand and moved the hair in the way, revealing Ning Lan¡¯s long and slender neck. This action was originally not part of the dance. With the sudden absence of the hair covering his neck, Ning Lan shivered slightly. The temperature of that hand on his body was a lot higher than his, and through a very thin piece of cloth, its heat was transferring onto his skin, so hot that he wanted to flee. He dared not look at Sui Yi¡¯s expression, afraid that he would see disdain and contempt in those eyes. The shoes did not fit well, and halfway through the dance, one fell off Ning Lan¡¯s feet. When Sui Yi caught Ning Lan around the waist, lifting him up, one of his hands could not avoid sliding through the slit of the dress, his palm sealed against Ning Lan¡¯s bare thigh. Ning Lan¡¯s breath caught, and his toes curled instinctively. In the spin of the dance, his other shoe also fell. When he landed, his hands were still clasped around Sui Yi¡¯s neck. The moment his soles touched the icy, cold ground, he stumbled, out of balance. Without the aid of the high heels, he only reached Sui Yi¡¯s nose. As he lifted his head, with a careless act, his lips pressed against Sui Yi¡¯s chin. Sui Yi did not push him away, and instead, even pulled him tighter into his embrace. Quietly, he spoke into Ning Lan¡¯s ear without the earpiece, ¡°Stand firm.¡± The music on stage thundered, and the screams offstage too turned extremely loud. However, as they were standing way too close, Ning Lan could still hear Sui Yi very clearly. His ears immediately flushed red. Not wanting Sui Yi to notice it, his hand that was against Sui Yi¡¯s chest gave a push. His little finger curled, and he accidentally pulled two more buttons undone on Sui Yi¡¯s shirt. Ning Lan¡¯s body was a little cool to touch, but it felt as though a fire was raging within Sui Yi. Especially after touching Ning Lan¡¯s smooth and soft thigh, Sui Yi¡¯s eyes could not help but drift down to see that long, slender leg flashing in and out of the dress along with the dance moves, as well as the round, perky butt covered by the dress. The ground was extremely slippery. Without any shoes, Ning Lan dared not move too much. In Sui Yi¡¯s arms, he carefully twisted his hips and waist along with the music. He tried very hard to maintain the distance between them, trying his best not to lean onto Sui Yi. However, for some reason, the two of them were still pressed closely against each other. There were too many moves involving his back pressing against Sui Yi¡¯s front, and his buttocks were almost plastered to Sui Yi¡¯s crotch. Fortunately, there was only the friction between the materials of their clothes. If not, Ning Lan was afraid that he might have some strange reaction. A dance that lasted for around three minutes left Ning Lan covered in sweat. He reached up, brushing away the hair on his forehead casually. He was not sure if he was mistaken, but he felt Sui Yi¡¯s hand on his waist tighten. The last move was to lift his leg and slide it against Sui Yi¡¯s, then standing at an angle, they would fake a kiss. As though afraid of exposing himself, Ning Lan tugged at his skirt with one hand, curling his leg slightly as he slid it on the outside of Sui Yi¡¯s thigh. The peculiar prickling feel as his bare leg brushed past Sui Yi¡¯s pants made his heart beat a little faster. During the last four beats of the dance, Sui Yi reached out and grabbed onto Ning Lan¡¯s leg that was curling around him like a snake. Pulling the leg at the knee, he fixed it firmly around his body while his other hand pressed onto the back of Ning Lan¡¯s head. Sui Yi bent over, lowering his body and blocking Ning Lan, displaying an extremely intimate position. Ning Lan¡¯s entire body weight was nearly hanging off Sui Yi¡¯s body. The tips of their noses touched, and this was a lot closer than how they were during rehearsals. Ning Lan was so shocked that he did not even dare to breathe too hard, his hands unconsciously clutching at the front of Sui Yi¡¯s shirt. His eyes slid up the well defined chest, and in Sui Yi¡¯s amber eyes, he could see two tiny reflections of himself. Ning Lan was momentarily lost. Perhaps due to the great influence of the atmosphere, he had a misconception that he was actually important to Sui Yi. The lights gradually darkened, and the two people left the stage in the dark. Ning Lan walked barefooted, and he stumbled, nearly falling down. Following behind, Sui Yi reacted swiftly and reached out, supporting him as they walked on. The entire time, Ning Lan did not look back. Sui Yi released a breath slowly, rubbing his chest in the dark, trying his best to calm his pounding heart before they reached the backstage. After a song performed by all members of AOW and their guests, the showcase concluded successfully. The brilliant performance was quickly broken down into various hashtags and then uploaded onto Weibo. The company had arranged for a celebration dinner, and all staff headed to the restaurant after the show. The youths scrolled through Weibo excitedly in the car, except for Ning Lan, who sat in the corner, apart from the group. He did not even want to touch his phone. Replacing Fang Yu and dancing with Sui Yi today, who knew how badly the Mountain Flower fans were scolding him online? At first, he did not really understand why Zhang Fan would make such an arrangement, but now it was clearer to him. For a performance, not only did it have to be entertaining, more importantly, it had to be able to attract discussion. Whether Ning Lan was being scolded or mocked, as long as it could bring up further discussion, the objective was met. A small little role like him, was it not supposed to be used at this sort of timing? The celebration dinner was held in a large private room. After a few drinks, everyone started becoming close to one another, running around riotously. With the group, Ning Lan drank a few glasses with the company¡¯s higher-ups, and when the alcohol kicked in, his head started to swim. Exiting the room, he lingered in the corridor for a break. When he again opened the door to the room, the smell of cigarettes and alcohol was like a punch in the face, and he really did not want to go in. Closing the door, he swayed as he walked along the corridor, wanting to find an empty room to rest. At the end of the corridor, there was an empty room with its door open, and the lights were off. Ning Lan walked in, pulling the door nearly shut, and the light from the corridor shrank to a long slit across the carpet inside, and he could just about make out the furnishings within the room. In the dark, Ning Lan followed the wall and felt the edge of a chair. Without thinking, he sat down. What his butt touched was not the flat surface of a seat, but a pair of human legs with warmth. ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± Sui Yi¡¯s eyes opened in alertness, as he reached out and clamped down on the person leaning on him. He also could no longer stand the ugly, messy atmosphere in the room anymore, and hence came out to look for a quiet place to rest. In the end, when he closed his eyes, a figure in a black dress twisted continuously in front of him, causing his body to heat up, and his breathing hurried. It was as though if a spark came in contact with him, his entire body could flame up from within. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Ning Lan had not expected that there would be anyone here. Quickly, he wanted to stand up, but the hold around his waist was so tight that he could not move. Turning his head, he looked behind him. A face that was still very eye-catching in the dark appeared, and Ning Lan¡¯s mouth fell open in shock. ¡°Lead?¡± Sui Yi also saw Ning Lan¡¯s face clearly. Their dance had been arranged to be the second last item of the showcase, and Ning Lan had to make his way over to the celebration dinner with no time to remove his makeup. At that moment, the slit of light from the corridor happened to fall on his face. The corners of his slightly uptilted eyes had a lingering redness to them, and his black, inky eyes were glimmering gently. Unlike the cool temperature of his body, his heated breath exited his nose, spreading across his cheeks. Sui Yi¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Ning Lan surmised that Sui Yi had probably drank too much, and that was why he was sitting there stupidly, motionless. Ning Lan was unable to free himself from the other person¡¯s hold, and with nowhere to place his hands, he reached down, groping for the edge of the seat, wanting to push himself up. In the end, he did not manage to feel the chair. Instead, he touched Sui Yi¡¯s tensed thighs first. Just as he wanted to move his hand away, he then touched something hard and heated. Next, he heard the person behind him swallow. It was accompanied by a sexy, low panting. Forming a current, the sound shot straight into Ning Lan¡¯s heart, leaving a trail of sparks behind, spreading rapidly through his entire body. This time round, he could clearly feel Sui Yi¡¯s hand around his waist tightening. It was even more forceful than the time onstage, and it made Ning Lan¡¯s legs turn into jelly, causing him to want to give up resisting, and become obedient instead. Ning Lan turned away, taking in a few deep breaths. However, his chaotic thoughts did not expel from his body along with his breaths. Unable to bear it, he bit his lip, lifting his head. Just like what he did onstage, he leaned back onto that person¡¯s broad chest. Raising his arm, he reached backwards, tentatively touching that person¡¯s burning cheeks with the tips of his fingers. Not receiving any rejection, Ning Lan daringly slid his hand down the slightly trembling face, finally curling his fingers and hooking them around that stiff neck that seemed to be meaninglessly defiant. Ning Lan laughed quietly, leaning into Sui Yi¡¯s ear. ¡°Lead¡­ You¡¯re hard again.¡± CH 18 Struggling to free his rationality from the dark, it was not long before Sui Yi could not help falling into another foreign dreamland. Ning Lan had finally managed to extract himself from Sui Yi¡¯s hold. He then turned his body around, facing Sui Yi as he sat on his tensed thighs. With a hand on Sui Yi¡¯s shoulder, Ning Lan slipped a hand downwards, grabbing accurately at that thing that had been hard for quite some time. With what was left of his rationality, Sui Yi pushed the person on top of him. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Ning Lan smiled again, his long, slender fingers caressing an object whose heat could be felt through various layers of clothes. ¡°This should be something I should be asking you, right? Lead, why are you getting hard?¡± Both a heat and the scent of alcohol wafted in the air surrounding them. In the dark, one¡¯s senses towards sounds and scents were extremely amplified. Sui Yi could even hear the slight lilt at the end of Ning Lan¡¯s question, as well as his own, urgent, pounding heartbeat. He consoled himself, that this was definitely the result of alcohol. However, he was unable to remain indifferent towards Ning Lan¡¯s provocation. Placing his hand on Ning Lan¡¯s thin, flexible waist, he could neither grab nor push it. Ning Lan¡¯s grip was very tight, the speed of his action gradually increasing. Sui Yi endured, forcing himself to not let any sound escape his throat, but Ning Lan was panting heavily, twisting his body about as he moved his hand, and soft, clinging moans slipped out from between his lips. Sui Yi thought, Ning Lan must have been used to doing this sort of thing, or how else could he be so lewd? Feeling that bulging thing growing larger because of his actions, Ning Lan¡¯s eyes fell half-lidded with a sense of achievement. He curled his fingers, groping for the zip, and reached out an arm to pull Sui Yi¡¯s hand and placed it on his buttock. Gasping, he said, half-commanding and half-coquettish, ¡°Hold onto me¡­ I¡¯m going to fall.¡± As Sui Yi saw for himself how that pair of dewy, hazy eyes were clouded with a seductive pleasure, his brain fizzed out, and his last shred of rationality was completely gone. Increasing the strength in his hand, he grabbed onto the half of Ning Lan¡¯s perky, round buttocks. Through his clothes, his fingers dug deeply into the flesh. Ning Lan had just undid Sui Yi¡¯s zipper, and became flustered upon Sui Yi¡¯s crude and boorish action. His slightly cool fingers slipped into the edges of Sui Yi¡¯s underwear, and without any pause, he grabbed onto that alarmingly heated organ. ¡°It¡¯s so big¡­¡± Ning Lan licked his lips, exclaiming. His dazed and yearning expression made Sui Yi vaguely feel that Ning Lan saw him as someone else. Just like how, through Ning Lan, Sui Yi was looking at someone whom he would never, could never touch. The two of them were surrounded by the tranquil darkness, neither able to see the other. Even if they were really insane, or possessed, no one would know a thing. Ning Lan¡¯s temperature ran cooler, and snuggling up to Sui Yi¡¯s heated body gave him a sense of security. The warmth spread from his palm towards his limbs, and he could not help but release a mewl. Leaning over Sui Yi¡¯s shoulder, he whispered, ¡°Does it feel good for you?¡± Sui Yi¡¯s lips tightened, but the rapid breaths from his nose and the groans from his throat that could not be suppressed had already betrayed his emotions completely. Not getting a response, Ning Lan seemed to not be very happy. He stopped what his hand was doing, supported himself on Sui Yi¡¯s shoulders and stood up. However, his legs buckled, and he nearly fell back down again. Sui Yi had long been used to how Ning Lan¡¯s feet were always so unsteady, and reflexively supported Ning Lan by holding onto his waist. With how Sui Yi was touching him, Ning Lan felt as though his entire body was melting. The entire day, he had been completely distracted due to this pair of hands. Now, unable to see Sui Yi¡¯s expression, it was as though Ning Lan had been given a natural excuse to allow himself to do whatever he wanted. Slowly, he crouched down, his deft fingers undoing the buttons of Sui Yi¡¯s loosely-fitted shirt, stroking about Sui Yi¡¯s abdomen that was tensed up either due to his desire or nervousness. Occasionally, he would press lightly with the tips of his fingers, or smooth the lines of his muscles with his palms. Ning Lan¡¯s fingers were not as tender and smooth as his face. However, it was because of the fine lines and calluses that made it seem as though the fingers left burning trails along Sui Yi¡¯s skin. ¡°So it turns out you like being touched here.¡± This position made it such that Sui Yi could not see Ning Lan¡¯s expression at all. However, he was certain that Ning Lan was smiling when he said that. Ning Lan¡¯s hands continuously moved upwards, finally touching the pecs that he had been drooling over for so long. After touching his fill, his fingers lingered gently on the edges of the muscles. As he was about to pull his hands away, his wrist was suddenly caught by Sui Yi. Sui Yi continued holding onto Ning Lan just like that, neither moving nor speaking. His chest heaved violently, like a beast in the dark, demanding for its prey. Ning Lan knew that he had not had enough, and could not help but laugh. ¡°Alright, alright, just let go first, I¡¯ll make you feel good.¡± Under such an irresistible temptation, Sui Yi relaxed his hold. Using both his hands to hold onto Sui Yi¡¯s bulging erection, Ning Lan bent his head downwards. Sui Yi felt that that rebellious organ of his was entering somewhere soft and wet. First, it was the tip, and his shaft too was slowly enveloped in that warmth. Within that warmth, there was a nimble little muscle working its way along his skin, twisting and prodding. This was Ning Lan¡¯s first time doing something like that. Half-guessing and half-experimenting, with great difficulty, he swallowed down the enormous organ situated at Sui Yi¡¯s crotch, thinking that he had greatly underestimated this task. His mouth was small and rather delicate, and to swallow down Sui Yi¡¯s thing already took him a lot of effort, and yet he still had to make sure that his teeth did not come in contact with that organ. It was truly an arduous, thankless task. Still, he did not know how good the person who was being pleasured felt at that moment. Sui Yi had hit puberty early. Due to having a lack of desire for any sexual activity, the number of times he had masturbated in his life could be counted with one hand. As such, he had never known that this sort of thing would feel so good. It felt so good that all he wanted was to thrust his entire organ into Ning Lan¡¯s mouth. Everything about this night was already out of control, it was nothing to go overboard a little more. In any case, things were already like this. Holding onto that thick shaft, Ning Lan buried his head into Sui Yi¡¯s crotch, working hard. He sucked, he licked, he swallowed, and it was so exhausting that his cheeks even turned numb. Yet, this thing only grew larger, and it seemed to have no intentions of ejaculating. His tongue slid up and down the organ, licking it all over. Just before he was about to slide his mouth over the shaft again, he grumbled, ¡°It¡¯s so tiring, why aren¡¯t you coming yet?¡± Before his words could fade away, he heard the panting above him suddenly becoming heavier. Abruptly, Sui Yi used his right hand and pressed against the back of Ning Lan¡¯s head, thrusting his extremely swollen member into that warm, wet little mouth. ¡°Ahh¡­¡± There was time for Ning Lan to cry out only once, before he was made to swiftly swallow down that torturous organ by Sui Yi¡¯s action. Although he was unable to take the entire thing in, with the added force, it was evident that it had gone in deeper than before. Ning Lan was feeling extremely conflicted. Poised between discomfort and pleasure, he took the initiative to speed up as well. From Sui Yi¡¯s angle, all he could see was the top of Ning Lan¡¯s head bobbing up and down along with his own breathlessness. The final suppressed moan was almost roared out, and the pleasure of the release spun Sui Yi¡¯s head. Ning Lan had no time to pull away, and the warm, thick fluids spattered across his face. Exhausted, he sat back downwards, his hands falling back down to the carpet and supporting him up. That ray of light coming in from the crack between the door and its frame shone over again. Sui Yi could very clearly see his own bodily fluids on Ning Lan¡¯s face slowly dripping down towards the corner of his mouth. Curling his tongue, Ning Lan scooped a drop into his mouth, then beamed. The wetness in the corners of his eyes gleamed in the minimal light. ¡°It felt good, right?¡± The lively celebratory dinner only concluded in the wee hours of the night. The ones who were completely drunk were hauled up the cars, driven away by those who did not drink. AOW was completely annihilated, and it was fortunate that the driver who drove their usual vehicle did not drink, diligently sending the youths back to their dorm. Sui Yi and Ning Lan were now the only two who were sober. The two of them worked together, carrying their four unconscious group members into their room. Sui Yi settled Gu Chenkai down, looking up to see Ning Lan yawning tiredly, looking as though he could fall asleep any moment. He had no intentions of staying in this room, and after mumbling a goodnight, he gave a stretch of his body and left. The next morning, the two sober people met in the bathroom. Ning Lan was brushing his teeth, and his eyes met Sui Yi¡¯s in the mirror. In less than half a second, he averted his gaze, giving a muffled good morning with his toothbrush in his mouth. Sui Yi had just come back from a run, and his face was covered with sweat. Turning on the tap, he soaked his towel under the water. Ning Lan was also washing his face, scooping up the running water and splashing it onto himself. At this moment, there was barely a hint of any redness on his cheeks, and even the colour of the corners of his eyes was pale, completely different from his seductive look of yesterday. No one ever spoke of that matter again. Sometimes, Sui Yi even wondered if it had been a bizarre wet dream. The distinctive sounds were still in his ears, the softness seemed to still be at his fingertips, but why could the other party be so calm, as though nothing had ever happened? The matter of Ning Lan replacing Fang Yu and dancing the couple dance with Sui Yi had exploded among the fans on Weibo on the night of the showcase. It went on for quite a number of days, never abating. This was the first time Ning Lan¡¯s name had appeared on the first page of the topic of AOW on Weibo, and eighty percent of the comments about him were scolding him, fifteen percent were showing concern for him, and the rest of the five percent were teasing. Mountain Flower CP fans ¡ª Can you just go away? You think you can replace my flower¡¯s position? Twisting your hips like a slut to seduce Lead, you¡¯re really shameless! Persevering and mediating fans ¡ª This is clearly the company¡¯s arrangement, everyone, be a little bit more rational. The seven members of AOW should advance together, don¡¯t raise one up only to shoot another one down. The extremely small, tiny group of Ning Lan¡¯s fans ¡ª Forget it, you think our Bubble Lan wishes to dance this sort of dance in the first place? If not, let your own idol do it, it¡¯ll definitely be an eyesore! Passersby ¡ª It¡¯s quite nice, there¡¯s nothing jarring about the dance at all. Even girls would regret that they can¡¯t dance so well. Cross-legged, Ning Lan sat on the floor of the training studio, scrolling through the comments. Afraid that he would not be able to endure the hurtful words, Wang Bingyang half-jokingly consoled him, ¡°Any publicity is good publicity, right? It¡¯s better than not being talked about, haha.¡± Smiling, Ning Lan nodded in agreement. After he finished looking through the comments, he gulped down all the water in the bottle, standing up and bouncing on the spot a couple of times. Looking in the mirror, he touched his arms and legs. ¡°How do I even look like a girl¡­ Ai, I¡¯ll eat an additional bowl of rice for lunch.¡± Those offensive comments seemed to have been filtered out, and completely could not affect him. While feeling relieved that Ning Lan could endure the pressure, at the same time, Sui Yi felt an inexplicable annoyance. To someone like Ning Lan, that night could also be something that was easily forgotten, right? CH 19 It was an entire two weeks of rest before Fang Yu returned to the group, and the seven members of AOW were finally able to have a morning meeting together. In Zhang Fan¡¯s hands was a thick stack of documents, and she informed them that the first idol drama the company was investing in was starting to look for actors. They would be mainly promoting newbies this time, and both the first and second male leads would come from their own company. Such an opportunity was very rare, and those who were interested should raise their hands. The information came too suddenly. Everyone shot a look at each other and no one moved. Gu Chenkai nudged Sui Yi, quietly urging him, ¡°Ge, it¡¯s a great opportunity. Quick, raise your hand.¡± Sui Yi ignored him, waiting for Zhang Fan to speak. For a project where the company was able to make decisions about, even if they had yet to specify anyone¡¯s names, they would still have a list of potential candidates. Asking about their interest in it was only a formality. As expected, after a period of time where no one raised their hands, Zhang Fan straight away tossed the scripts at Sui Yi and Lu Xiaochuan. ¡°The two of you, you can try fighting for the role of the male lead.¡± Lu Xiaochuan returned the script. ¡°I don¡¯t want to act, just let Lead go ahead.¡± These few days, he had not been very chatty, and it seemed like something was weighing on him. He looked a little listless, and he even stopped flirting with the girls next door. Zhang Fan did not ask further, taking the script and handing it to Sui Yi as well. ¡°If anyone else wants to try, just get the script from Lead.¡± Fang Yu offered to treat everyone to lunch, expressing gratitude for their hard work when he was not around. An Lin was included in the invitation as well. Gao Ming, Gu Chenkai and she walked ahead, while Ning Lan finished packing up and stood up, only to see Lu Xiaochuan awkwardly joining them. The restaurant was a five-minutes walk from the company, and there were few people taking the path at the back entrance of the building. Fang Yu deliberately lingered behind, waiting for Ning Lan. He thanked him for his timely aid, replacing him in that dance. Ning Lan glossed over the issue, saying that there was no need for the thanks. However, Wang Bingyang, who spoke without thinking, had to say, ¡°Lan-ge was trashed so badly online for that dance.¡± Fang Yu was the optimistic sort, and he was like an old man who would sleep and wake up early. He had never gone online to look at the comments, and hearing that, he was alarmed. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because Lead and you are the main CP. They said that Lan-ge snatched your spot, saying that he¡­ ai, I won¡¯t say anymore, they¡¯re quite awful.¡± Fang Yu never thought that this would happen. He hurriedly apologised to Ning Lan. Ning Lan did not know if he should laugh or cry, and only told Fang Yu that he could not be blamed for it. Right from the start, Fang Yu could not be blamed, nor could Sui Yi. Even more so, the company could not be blamed as well. However, the fans were unhappy and they needed to find an outlet to vent. As such, they could only target Ning Lan and fire wildly at him. The comments that Wang Bingyang said that were ¡°quite awful¡±, Ning Lan had read them all. Phrases like ¡°neither a male nor a female¡±, ¡°slutty bitch¡±, ¡°riding on Lead¡¯s coattail¡± were already considered polite. Fans of the Sui Yi and Fang Yu CP even gave him a new nickname, calling him Black Bubble, saying that as a shady person who had parachuted into a spot in the group from nowhere, he would never have his name washed clean. Ning Lan originally had the habit of looking at his private messages, but recently, his inbox had been flooded with curses and mockery. Trying to find a few words of encouragement amongst them was nearly impossible, and so he stopped looking at them again. Although he had long guessed that this would be the result of everything, seeing such comments would still make him feel upset and suffocated. If Fang Yu was the one dancing, everyone would anticipate it eagerly. If he was the one dancing, everyone would only criticise and lambast him. Ning Lan felt that perhaps, he was born to be hated by everyone, and it was the same no matter where he was. On the third day of Fang Yu returning to the group, the list of actors for the idol drama was confirmed by the company. Sui Yi would be playing the male lead, and the youngest member of another boyband in the company would be playing the second male lead. Filming would start next month. Sui Yi was rather calm about it. It was a small web drama produced by their own company, and not only would it not be able to improve the actor¡¯s acting skills, it was bound to not raise much of a wave in the audience as well. As such, he would take it as an experience. However, Gu Chenkai was very excited about it, bounding about saying that he wanted to host a celebration for him. As such, Sui Yi adhered to the rules within the group, that whoever had an achievement would treat the rest to a meal, and called for everyone to join in the celebration. When Ning Lan received Sui Yi¡¯s text, he happened to just walk past a training studio in the corner of the corridor. He overheard Gao Ming complaining about the unfairness to Wang Bingyang, saying that he had attended the audition as well, but why did he not manage to even get a role as the third or fourth male lead, while Sui Yi could get the first male lead role with just a screen test. Holding his phone, Ning Lan sneaked away. He thought, if he was the producer, he would choose Sui Yi too. As a group of inexperienced newbies aged around eighteen or nineteen years old, none of them would have any acting skills to speak of. Even a fool would know to choose the most handsome-looking one, the one that would be able to garner the most attention. Even someone like him who parachuted into his spot could see clearly that, in the future, Sui Yi would definitely be famous. If he had the time to gossip behind people¡¯s back, he might as well grab the opportunity right now to maintain a good relationship with the man instead. Ning Lan suddenly recalled what he did the night of the celebratory dinner after the showcase. Could it be considered to be something he did to ¡°maintain a good relationship¡± with him? It probably should not count¡­ The things he did that night had come entirely out of his own personal interest, and he was not looking for Sui Yi to think well of him. That fellow, after sobering up, might even be annoyed by it, and Ning Lan was already very thankful that he had not been beaten up. Taking out his phone, Ning Lan again looked at the text inviting him to a meal, and he quirked his lips in resignation. Look, he even thinks it¡¯s too disgusting to speak to me face to face. With no hesitation, Ning Lan swiftly tapped on his screen and refused the invite. In the days that followed, Ning Lan continued keeping his head down, doing what needed to be done alone. Other than work requirements, he tried his best to shrink his presence in front of his group members. July in the capital had always been very hot. In the later part of the month, the entire AOW was arranged to attend a charity dinner. Such an event would usually involve the entire entertainment industry, and there was no disadvantage to walk the red carpet and gain some attention. Right after lunch, the waiting area was quickly filled with a lot of people. As a new group without any endorsements from any big brands, the members of AOW were all dressed in a low-key manner, in plain coloured shirts and neat little suits. However, with their above-average heights, they still stood out from the crowd, and they had been grabbed a few times by various reporters and journalists to be interviewed. One of the hosts of a live streaming platform just went ahead and dragged them in front of the camera for an interview. There was air-conditioning in the waiting area, but due to the large number of people crowding the space, any cool air produced had no effect on the high temperature. The members were all annoyed and frustrated, yet they still had to maintain their polite smiles towards the cameras, and it was quite uncomfortable for them. However, the host was a newbie, without much experience. The questions she asked were awkward and brainless. Seeing that Fang Yu was feeling so warm that he could not bear it, turning away to secretly fan at his face with his hand, she actually asked if he was feeling warm and if he wanted to take his jacket off. Feeling awkward, Fang Yu cracked a joke. ¡°At times like this, I¡¯m really envious of the female stars. Being in a dress would at least be a lot cooler.¡± The host suddenly remembered something, and of all things to ask, she asked, ¡°Eh? One of you wore a dress to dance during one of your performances, right? There were photos and videos all over the internet, was it you guys?¡± Ning Lan stood out. ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± The host¡¯s words were laden with meaning. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you¡­ You¡¯re really very pretty. I have quite a few male friends who even praised your beauty, saying that it¡¯s enough to make them want to do something criminal.¡± Sui Yi frowned, secretly noting down the name of this live streaming platform. He turned his head. Ning Lan was still smiling, as though he was not angered by such rude words. Later on, the host said that she wanted to see if he was really as fair as everyone said, and Ning Lan even generously rolled up his sleeve, revealing a fair arm for her. Finally managing to send off the low EQ host with much difficulty, the seven members of AOW retreated to a hidden corner and sat down. They had already greeted all the seniors whom they should greet, and now they finally had a moment to breathe and rest. An Lin brought them water, instructing them not to run around recklessly, before going over to the fan club to help them with decorations and providing support. Sui Yi distributed the bottles of water to the members. An Lin might have been too busy today, as there were only six bottles in the bag. Ning Lan said that he was not thirsty, shoving the last bottle at Sui Yi. The two pushed it at each other, and Wang Bingyang could not bear watching it anymore, saying, ¡°Just share it then, it¡¯s fine as long as you don¡¯t touch the bottle opening.¡± He even demonstrated it for them, showing how feasible his suggestion was. Sui Yi twisted the bottle open, tilting his head back and pouring some water into his mouth, then handed the bottle to Ning Lan. Ning Lan had never drank water like this before. Afraid of spilling the water on his clothes, he held onto the bottle, hesitating over it. Sui Yi said, ¡°Just put your lips to the bottle, I don¡¯t need anymore.¡± Ning Lan lowered his lids, bringing the bottle to his mouth. In that instant, someone bumped into him, and the water still ended up spilling over his clothes. There was less than an hour until the start of the dinner, and in a fluster, Ning Lan went to the washroom to tidy up. At this time, everyone was gathered by the entrance and the washroom was empty. There was a dryer next to the sink, and Ning Lan undid the buttons of his suit, leaning over for the dryer to work on it. Fortunately, there was only a small wet patch on his chest, and it should only take a little while to dry. For the past few days, he had been a little absent-minded. Other than a certain unforgettable incident when he had lost control, there was also a problem in his life waiting for him to deal with it. Last week, his cousin had used his aunt¡¯s phone and gave him a call. Once the call was connected, she started crying, saying that because she did not do well during the college entrance examination, her parents wanted her to repeat her studies. Ning Lan consoled her, saying that it was fine to repeat another year in high school, that he would provide the money for it. His cousin hemmed and hawed, refusing to accept it, saying that studying was too difficult, and she wanted to go to an overseas university instead. She even said that quite a few of her classmates, who did not do well too, had been sent overseas by their parents, and she wanted to go too. Thinking of this, Ning Lan sighed deeply. How could he not be aware that while his cousin was on the phone with him, his aunt was definitely next to her? Although the young girl was very vain, she would not come up with such schemes and tricks. For all he knew, it was his aunt who taught her to make this phone call. However, despite knowing that this was a trick, he could not refuse her. He had occupied half his cousin¡¯s room for a long decade, and now, any form of compensation would still not be enough. Where to get this amount of money was the issue he had been worried about during this period of time. The dryer continued whirring and his ears were filled with the noise. As Ning Lan was deep in his thoughts, he wanted to laugh. When people said that old debts had yet to be settled, only to be weighed down with new ones, were they not referring to him? His clothes were pretty much dry. Ning Lan buttoned up his jacket, straightened the lapels in front of the mirror and turned to head out. A stout man entered, a cigarette in his mouth. Looking up, their eyes met. Ning Lan froze. The next second, he hurriedly turned around. The stout man grabbed his hair harshly, tugging at it. Spitting away the cigarette in his mouth, he said, ¡°Run?! You¡¯re still running?! Let¡¯s see where you can run off to this time!¡± Ning Lan sucked in a cold breath, forcing a smile on his face. ¡°Dage, it¡¯s you¡­ I¡¯m not running, I¡¯m just going here¡­ Is Liu-laoban here as well? Quick, please bring me to him so that I can greet him properly.¡± The stout man sneered, ¡°If I bring you there, you¡¯ll bring along the money as well?¡± Ning Lan eyed the surroundings to see if anyone was nearby, trying to drag the time out. ¡°I¡¯m nearly done gathering the amount of money. Liu-laoban is kind and he would definitely give me a few more days of grace.¡± The stout man looked at him, smirking suddenly. ¡°Why would he do that? Because of this little eloquent mouth of yours, or¡­ your little pretty face?¡± Ning Lan jolted in shock. Gritting his teeth, his face paled. The stout man snorted a laugh, his eyes trailing across Ning Lan¡¯s face in a disgusting manner. ¡°Why did I never notice that you¡¯re actually quite good looking? What do people say, clothes make the man and a saddle makes the horse, right? Dressed like this, you¡¯re actually quite attractive. No wonder you can muddle your way into becoming a star.¡± Ning Lan¡¯s jaw tightened, his hands clenched into fists. However, he continued to show submission with his words, ¡°No no, it¡¯s all thanks to makeup that allows me to look somewhat presentable and deceive little girls everywhere.¡± Letting go of Ning Lan¡¯s hair, the stout man clicked his tongue, before grabbing Ning Lan¡¯s chin and forcing his head up. ¡°No need to be so modest. Liu-laoban has said that if you have no money, we can just drag you back and play with you for a couple of days as interest.¡± Ning Lan¡¯s eyes widened abruptly. ¡°What?¡± The stout man explained, ¡°In the past, he wasn¡¯t attracted to you. But now, you can be considered a star, and your status has risen quite a lot. Naturally, it¡¯s different from before.¡± Ning Lan¡¯s chin hurt from his grip. This stout man was open to persuasion and not coercion. The more he fought against him, the more savage and brutal he would be. His brain churned, and after deliberating over it, Ning Lan blinked, speaking fawningly, ¡°Did Liu-laoban really say that?¡± ¡°Oh? You¡¯ve thought things through already?¡± With great difficulty, Ning Lan nodded. The stout man¡¯s smarmy breath sprayed across his face and Ning Lan wanted to vomit. ¡°Alright, then follow me now.¡± The stout man grabbed his arm. ¡°Can you give me a bit of time? The event¡¯s about to start. I just have to walk the carpet, and when I¡¯m done, I¡¯ll leave with you.¡± The stout man followed his line of sight towards outside, a doubtful expression on his face. ¡°You¡¯ve fooled me so many times already, and you think I¡¯ll still believe you?¡± Ning Lan bit his lip, looking as though he was about to cry. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it just because I was afraid of you? You¡¯re always so fierce and yelling at me, saying that you wanted to beat me up and kill me, and I really have no money¡­ This time, it¡¯s different. Since Liu-laoban is interested in me, and he¡¯s not going to chop off my limbs, what would I be scared of? Later, if I can make him happy, he might even forgive my debt¡­¡± ¡°You must be dreaming, you still want Liu-laoban to be your sugar daddy?¡± Ning Lan squeezed out a smile. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I dare to dream of it? If Liu-laoban does like me, I¡¯m more than willing.¡± The stout man observed his expression and did not notice anything out of the ordinary. He then turned towards the place where everyone was gathering and felt that this place did not seem like one where they could leave easily. This was also his first time in a place like this, and he still wanted to look around. Thinking about it, he gave in. ¡°Then I¡¯ll give you two hours. If you dare run, then the next time, I won¡¯t wait for Liu-laoban¡¯s instructions, I¡¯ll just break your legs on the spot.¡± Ning Lan agreed. ¡°Whoever runs is the coward.¡± CH 20 Throughout the entire event, Ning Lan was pondering over how to be that coward. As he could be somewhat considered a public figure now, his schedule was not a secret in the least. Even if he managed to run away this time, it would not be forever. However, thinking over it carefully, he was usually in places that had more people, and these people would talk. Situations like today where he had been caught alone would be infrequent. In any case, he would decide what to do after escaping first. Countless scenarios ran through his head, and he was completely engrossed in his thoughts. When going onstage to take a group photo, Ning Lan did not pay attention to where he was placing his feet, and accidentally stepped on Gu Chenkai, thus receiving a severe eye-rolling from the youth. Their statement for the charity organisation was to be expressed by their group leader, and so Ning Lan just stood by the side in a daze. Even when his blank expression was captured by the cameras, he did not notice anything at all. When walking offstage, Fang Yu nudged him with his elbow, hiding his mouth behind his hand and asking, ¡°What happened to your chin?¡± Ning Lan returned to the present. Reaching up, he felt his chin. It still hurt a little, and it should have turned swollen from the pinch just now. ¡°I knocked into something accidentally, it¡¯s fine,¡± he said. Fang Yu took out a concealer. ¡°We¡¯ll still be appearing in front of the cameras for some time. Apply this first before returning to your seat.¡± Ning Lan was completely amazed by Fang Yu. He felt that the youth could be a reincarnation of Doraemon, with how he always managed to pull something good out of his pockets at the right time. Hiding in a corner, Ning Lan applied the concealer. When he returned to his seat, he discovered that it was occupied by Gao Ming, and so he could only sit next to Sui Yi, near the passageway. The moment he sat down, Sui Yi¡¯s gaze swept lightly across his face. In a businesslike manner, he said, ¡°After the event, don¡¯t run around. We have to gather back at the company.¡± Ning Lan nodded distractedly. ¡°Mn, got it.¡± Now, he desperately wished that there could be group activities 24/7. It would take horses to drag him away from the group! There was nothing to eat at all during the event, and even when drinking water, they would need to hide the action as much as possible, afraid that the cameras would catch them at an ugly angle. When the host onstage finally announced the end of the charity event, the seven people of AOW stood up eagerly. After making their farewells to the seniors around them, they left the venue with the crowd. The closer they got to the exit, the faster Ning Lan¡¯s heart pounded, the beat reverberating through his ears. He followed closely behind Sui Yi, shifting incrementally with small steps. In his heart, he prayed that the stout man would not see him, and even if he did, he would let him off first due to the number of people surrounding them. He wished that he could just roll himself up into a ball, or tunnel his way through the ground. However, the wishes could not come true, and he could only try his best to bow his head, hiding himself behind Sui Yi¡¯s height. Sui Yi¡¯s steps were not big, and halfway through, a distance was formed with their group mates in front. Ning Lan hid behind him, optimistically hoping that right now, he should not be able to be seen. Who would have guessed that the eyes of that stout man were so sharp. At the exit where the crowd parted, he immediately caught sight of Ning Lan. With a cigarette between his lips, and a dark expression, he strode over, reaching out to catch him. Ning Lan could only watch as the man came towards him, his heart about to leap into his throat. Just as the hand of that stout man was about to land on him, Sui Yi, who was originally walking in front of him, moved, shielding Ning Lan behind him. Missing his target, the stout man impatiently shifted, wanting to catch Ning Lan. Sui Yi caught his reaching hand, asking, ¡°What are you doing?¡± The stout man measured him with a sweeping glance. ¡°Where did this brat come from, to be such a busybody?¡± After a moment, he felt that this person looked a little familiar. His eyes darted between the two of them, and he said, ¡°Yo, isn¡¯t this our Xiao Lanlan¡¯s husband? Or is it the stepson?¡± Sui Yi¡¯s appearance was truly too eyecatching, and it was no wonder that the man could remember him with just one glance. The development of this situation was not among the scenarios Ning Lan had imagined. Bracing himself, he put on a show. ¡°Ge, you¡¯re here? I was looking for you just now¡­ Lead, Lead, let go, we¡¯re all friends here.¡± Sui Yi looked at him coldly, surveying their surroundings with the corner of his eyes. Seeing that no one was paying attention to them, he slowly let go of his grip. The stout man too did not want to cause a fuss in public. In any other situation, the combination of these two brats would be nothing to him. Snorting unhappily at Sui Yi, he curled his finger towards Ning Lan. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Xiao Lanlan.¡± ¡°He has to return to the company with me,¡± Sui Yi stated. Afraid that the stout man would say something unpleasant, Ning Lan quickly pleaded, ¡°Ge, just wait for a while more, just a little while more. I¡¯ll just report to the company first, then I¡¯ll be done very quickly.¡± This was a public place where many people were walking around, and there were also many cameras at the exit. Over there, security had already been keeping an eye on them, and so the stout man did not flare up, only warning Ning Lan to continue being obedient and not play any tricks. After shooting him a vicious glare, the man felt that he had been threatening enough, and so let him off for now. Even when their car stopped at the company¡¯s office, and the members of AOW filed out of the car one by one, entering the building in pairs or threes, the prickling sensation on Ning Lan¡¯s back still did not subside. It felt as if there was a pair of eyes staring at him darkly. When Ning Lan again feigned casualness and turned his head around for the nth time, Sui Yi, walking right at the back, said, ¡°He didn¡¯t follow us here.¡± Ning Lan hunched into himself reflexively. When turning back, he realised that his other group members had already entered the previous lift and headed up. Right now, in the lobby, there were only Sui Yi and him. Temporarily, he let down his guard, wiping away at the sweat on the back of his neck, and said to Sui Yi behind him, ¡°Thank you.¡± After pressing the button for the lift, Ning Lan silently watched as the number on the display changed, thinking about what he should do next. He also did not know why he was always like this, ending up in such a miserable and wretched situation. Even more so, nearly every single time, it would be witnessed by this person next to him. According to this person¡¯s usual prejudice against him, he was most definitely thinking that Ning Lan was doing it on purpose. Hanging his head down, Ning Lan stared at his toes. He felt that he was really hopeless, to still be concerned about what this person was thinking about him at this moment. When the lift finally descended to the ground floor, the two people entered. The whole time, they maintained a socially accepted distance between them. The silent atmosphere made Ning Lan feel a little at a loss for what to do, and so he continued staring at the number displayed in the lift. When the number ¡°5¡± was shown, Sui Yi suddenly opened his mouth again, ¡°You really want a sugar daddy?¡± Ning Lan¡¯s eyes rounded abruptly. He turned to look at Sui Yi, his lips moving a few times, but no words came out. Seeing how panic-stricken Ning Lan was, Sui Yi felt even more restless. Just now, during that event, Ning Lan had spent too long in the washroom, and so he went to look for him. It was completely an accident when he heard their conversation. If he did not overhear it, Sui Yi would not have known that this fellow was still thinking about taking a shortcut in his career. Looking at how he had been doing nothing but quietly going to the company then back to the dorm everyday, Sui Yi had naively thought that Ning Lan had already turned a new leaf. Things only proved that he had already abandoned himself, wallowing in abasement. Why else would he agree so breezily, instead of seeking help? Thinking about this, the corners of Sui Yi¡¯s mouth curled up in a self-mocking smile, feeling that the question that had burst out from him was completely meaningless. Ning Lan had such an interesting and varied social circle, and it was most likely that the people he knew would be very capable as well. Why would he seek help and shelter from him? Whether it was following the unspoken rules, or whether he was to find a sugar daddy, these were the choices Ning Lan made. If he did not want to lead a clean and scrupulous life, no one would be able to stop him. As Sui Yi was contemplating this, Ning Lan¡¯s expression had already recovered. His look of panic faded away, and he said calmly, ¡°What does it have to do with you?¡± His words were light and breezy, but behind his back, his fists were tightly clenched, trembling slightly. Still, Sui Yi only saw his cold and indifferent eyes, as well as that unexpected reddish mark on his sharp chin. The lift stopped on the 22nd floor. Only when the doors nearly closed again, did Ning Lan slowly exit. He walked in front as he rubbed his sweaty palms against his clothes imperceptibly. In the summer night, the corridor was very dark. Only the footfalls of these two people could be heard, disturbing the warm and long silence. ¡°Ning Lan.¡± Behind him, someone called out, the sudden voice cracking through the dark. Ning Lan¡¯s back stiffened. As though possessed, his feet came to a stop. Sui Yi caught up to him, standing closer. It felt as though there was a gasp of air trapped in his chest, and he spoke to the back that was almost fading into the dark, ¡°Since it all just ends up in you finding a sugar daddy, then, I¡¯ll take that role.¡± That voice was low and pleasant, knocking against his unsteady, swaying fragility. It was like the only beam of light that could lead him out of this swamp in this endless dark. CH 21 Back in the dorm, the youths all clamoured that they were hungry. With arms around each other¡¯s shoulders, Gu Chenkai and Gao Ming left for a barbecue meal. Wang Bingyang wanted to eat instant noodles, but was afraid of getting fat. When opening the packet, he gritted his teeth, refusing to look at the horrific amount of calories stated on it. Ning Lan happened to enter the kitchen. Holding Wang Bingyang¡¯s hand down, he said, ¡°I¡¯m going to cook some noodles, I¡¯ll make you a portion too.¡± Lu Xiaochuan, who had followed him to the kitchen to forage for food, raised his hand. ¡°Make me a portion too.¡± The dried noodles had been something Ning Lan bought a while ago. Stored in a corner of the fridge, it did not take up a lot of space, and so avoided the fate of being tossed away. Once the water boiled, the vegetables were blanched first. On a saucepan, eggs and bacon were frying. Once the vegetables were done, the dried noodles were tossed inside. Three bowls were filled with clear soup and soy sauce, the cooked noodles were then divided amongst them, and then went in the vegetables, eggs and bacon. With a few drops of sesame oil, the noodles were done. The two people were truly hungry, and with a few bites, they quickly reached the bottom of the bowl. Wang Bingyang could not help complimenting Ning Lan when he was done, praising his skills to be even better than that of the chefs in five star restaurants. ¡°It¡¯s only some simple noodles, is there a need for this exaggeration?¡± Ning Lan laughed. Lu Xiaochuan placed his chopsticks down when he was done, giving a thumbs up. ¡°It really is tasty.¡± When Sui Yi came out from his room, Ning Lan was clearing the table. Ning Lan had yet to think about what sort of attitude he should hold towards Sui Yi. A little nervous, his hands clenched tightly around the bowls as he asked, ¡°Do you want some?¡± Sui Yi shook his head, saying that there was no need. He pushed a card towards him, ¡°I¡¯ve made the transfer already. The rest is in this card, the PIN is 990318.¡± Ning Lan first glanced around them. Confirming that there was no one around, he put the bowls down and took the card. Lowering his eyes, he started at the numbers on the card, not knowing what he should say. Sui Yi saw how he was faltering to speak. Misunderstanding, he asked, ¡°Can you remember the PIN? Do you need a paper and pen¡­¡± ¡°I got it,¡± Ning Lan said quickly, ¡°thank you.¡± In this awkward, silent atmosphere, Sui Yi was a little discomfited as well. After telling Ning Lan to rest early, he turned and headed back to his room. The entire night, Ning Lan tossed and turned, wondering if he should request to return to his previous room. Only the next morning, when he arrived at the company, did he then hear that a photo of Gu Chenkai glaring at him onstage had been posted on Weibo. It had created a storm amongst the fans, and news about it had even spread beyond them, making the group a joke outside the fandom. Criticism about the situation was on two extremes, half of them concerned and sad that Ning Lan was being excluded, and the other half insisting that Ning Lan must have done something bad for Gu Chenkai, the youngest of the group, to be so angry. In the eyes of the fans, Gu Chenkai was a child who had yet to grow up. He was very much sheltered by his parents, and he had never gone through a tough time before. With his rich upbringing, there would not be any meanness in him, and his innate frankness was not affected in the slightest. The image he gave others was his actual personality, and there seemed to be no deceit or falseness. As such, it was very easy for him to be accepted by everyone, and he was very well-liked. With AOW¡¯s rising popularity, those who said that Gu Chenkai had relied on his family¡¯s backing to get his position slowly faded away, and even more fans had been attracted by his liveliness and cheerfulness, as well as his bright and moving voice while singing. As such, it was logical that the majority of the fans would support Gu Chenkai and blame Ning Lan for it. Still, the tiny group of Ning Lan¡¯s fans, along with casual fans, did not accept that ¨C this little young master had such a bad disposition. If he dared roll his eyes at someone older than him in the group under everyone¡¯s eyes, who knew how big a bully he was when in private! Very quickly, fans dug out AOW¡¯s previous appearances, poring over the details. They discovered that as expected, Gu Chenkai had always been rude towards Ning Lan. There were a number of times when the cameras were focused on Ning Lan, and Gu Chenkai would be standing behind, sneering and looking disdainful. Fans who stanned only Ning Lan pointed these out as evidence that their Bubble Lan was being bullied, while Gu Chenkai¡¯s stans retorted sarcastically, saying that if not for their Lousy Bubble having no capability and still wanting to snatch the cameras¡¯ attention, would their Kaikai have such a reaction? Ning Lan felt very wronged. He could swear to the gods, that he had never tried to snatch any attention from anyone before. Opening up Weibo, he saw a long list of notifications tagging him. The comments were all embedded within the comment war on Weibo, and there was all sorts of nonsense on there. Occasionally, some would step up to maintain order, reminding people not to tag the group members, but no one paid attention. The host of the Super Topic was an administrator of AOW¡¯s fan club. She had to delete so many posts to the point where her hand cramped up, and it took her half a day to somewhat suppress this conflict. Apparently, in the official fan club, the fans were still arguing. Gu Chenkai was so furious that he could not even eat his breakfast. Slamming the door shut, he howled loudly an entire morning. At first, Ning Lan had not been bothered by this issue at all, but once he heard from An Lin that because of this matter, Gu Chenkai had a drop in the number of fans, while his increased, he started becoming anxious. No matter what, Gu Chenkai was now his sugar daddy¡¯s cousin. Could this be considered¡­ repaying kindness with ingratitude? Ning Lan stood by the door, about to knock, but Sui Yi just happened to come out. Upon seeing Ning Lan, he first froze, then closed the door behind him. Ning Lan wanted to walk past him and enter, only to be stopped. ¡°Why are you going in?¡± ¡°To apologise,¡± Ning Lan said succinctly. Seeing how placid Ning Lan looked, it did not seem as though he was going to seek a quarrel. Thinking for a moment, he then said, ¡°He¡¯s just throwing a tantrum, ignore him.¡± This made Ning Lan feel at ease, but he dared not show it. Who asked this kid in front of him to have been promoted to become his sugar daddy? Ning Lan¡¯s decision to change back to his original room was also to make it easier for him to take care of this sugar daddy of his. With this point alone, even if he was asked to kneel down in front of Gu Chenkai right now, he would bend his knees with no hesitation and cry as he called Gu Chenkai his father. ¡°Have you paid the money back?¡± Sui Yi asked. ¡°Huh? ¡­ Yes, I did.¡± Ning Lan was a little flustered by this sudden show of concern. Last night, he had transferred the money he received straight to Mr. Liu. In fact, this was the first time he had contacted a creditor on his own accord. However, after paying that debt off, he did not feel relieved at all. Instead, the weight on his shoulders became heavier. After paying the debt, he still owed money. It was just that the money owed had switched to another creditor, and this person was someone he saw everyday and could never avoid. He did not know if the choice he made was the correct one. Thinking about the situation then, he still felt that it had been absurd. However, Sui Yi was the opposite. He was very calm, as though he was not a party involved at all. Nodding, he said, ¡°Mn. Today, the group needs to record some clips. Don¡¯t stray too far away.¡± In the evening, An Lin brought the camera right into AOW¡¯s dorm. She said urgently, ¡°Move quickly. Once we¡¯re done here, I still have to go back and edit the clips. They¡¯ll be uploaded tomorrow.¡± While tidying up the place, Ning Lan asked, ¡°Hasn¡¯t the episode for this week already been prepared?¡± An Lin sighed deeply. ¡°Isn¡¯t it all because of the two of you stirring up trouble onstage? We¡¯ll be replacing this week¡¯s video with one about your daily life in the dorm, and clean up your reputation.¡± Sitting on the couch, Gu Chenkai rolled his eyes upon hearing that, his anger swelling up again. ¡°Cleaning up our reputation? It¡¯ll never be clean! Let them say whatever they want!¡± Sui Yi frowned, continuing to patiently advise his cousin. Ning Lan was not in the mood to listen. After all, no matter what role he had to play, he would fulfil it to the best of his ability. 15 minutes later, filming started. It started with looking around every room, and the main point of the video was to record their warm, friendly, brotherly interactions. When the camera reached Sui Yi¡¯s room, Ning Lan hugged a strawberry cushion, telling the camera that it was given by the fans, and that it accompanied him to sleep every night. He then picked up the medicinal ointment next to the bed, saying that it was given to him by Sui Yi. ¡°Don¡¯t look at how his expression is always so frosty, he¡¯s actually an undeniably warm and friendly guy.¡± Brainlessly praising Sui Yi would never be a mistake. The camera then turned to Sui Yi, who was on the top bunk. Ning Lan said that he had a unique way of getting out of bed, and so, with a stretch of his long legs, Sui Yi jumped off from his bed. Gu Chenkai too jumped off from his much lower bed, very much showing off playfully. Playing along, Ning Lan applauded the two cousins. At the end, according to An Lin¡¯s instructions, Gu Chenkai gave his roommates a bag of snacks each, including Ning Lan, and the two people even had a casual conversation, before bringing this false pretense to a close. That night, an episode of a variety show AOW happened to participate in during June was playing on the television. An Lin stayed back a little while longer, recording the seven people watching the episode together. The TV station was famous for exaggerating in its preview clips, and in one of them, a segment where Lu Xiaochuan and Fang Yu were fighting each other for a piece of clue was played in slow motion, dragged out to an entire minute. In the scene, Lu Xiaochuan was holding Fang Yu down by lying on him, in a very intimate pose. Fang Yu, who had purposely come to the dorm for this recording, had a very dark expression. He turned his head away, refusing to comment. During the one and a half hour episode, as expected, Ning Lan had made the least amount of appearances, with only a few solo shots of him tapping the rhythm for Lu Xiaochuan¡¯s impromptu rapping. Once the recording was done, Ning Lan walked with An Lin downstairs. She pulled Ning Lan to one side, saying, ¡°The fans don¡¯t know the truth, but we all know that you can¡¯t be blamed for that matter. Zhang Fan-jie wants me to tell you that Gu Chenkai is just immature, so don¡¯t stoop yourself to his level.¡± Ning Lan nodded obediently. Having passed the message along, An Lin was about to leave with her camera. She thought for a moment, then turned back. She could not help but advise, ¡°In the future, you have to learn how to act on variety shows. Try your best to put yourself on display, but not like Gu Chenkai¡­ Although the recording will be edited, if you¡¯re just standing in the background, you¡¯ll have no chance of appearing at all. Did you forget everything you learnt during the training?¡± Ning Lan shook his head. He did not forget, but rather, he had no rights and standing to try to fight for the camera¡¯s attention. In the past, he did not, and now, he had even fewer rights to do so. For the days coming up, time went on, and every day was like the previous one. Now that AOW¡¯s debut single was past its promotional period, there was pretty much no group events in the first half of August. Gao Ming signed on to participate in a dancing variety show, and every week, he needed to travel to various locations for the recording. Ever since the showcase, Lu Xiaochuan was as quiet as a mouse. However, recently, he seemed to be slipping into his old ways, and from his occasional staying out all night, he soon disappeared entirely. Just like Fang Yu, no hide or hair could be seen of them. The little young master Gu Chenkai had found new amusement, bringing his guitar along with him and taking lessons everyday. As for Sui Yi, he was preparing to join the drama production crew and had started studying his script. After their daily training, Ning Lan would play with his little friend Wang Bingyang. Wang Bingyang had gotten his hands on a game console, and when the two people had nothing to do, they would just camp in the living room and play. Young people were full of endless energy, and they would never find it tiring even if they stayed up all night playing video games. Ning Lan liked to play as well, but unfortunately, his energy levels could not compare to one of a teenager. There were a few times, he almost dozed away on the couch, and yet was still pushed by Wang Bingyang into continuing to play as his eyes struggled to close. That night, Ning Lan heard someone say quietly, ¡°He¡¯s sleepy, let him go to bed.¡± He was sleepy. During the day, he had practised dancing to the point where he felt half dead, and now, he could barely keep his eyes open. Pulled up by someone, he stumbled to his room, his head resting on that person¡¯s shoulder. Absent-mindedly, he only noticed that this person was not Wang Bingyang. That kid was not this tall. He was placed on his bed. This person even knew to adjust his head, preventing it from sinking down. Under his eyelids, Ning Lan¡¯s eyes shifted. He seemed to be able to make out a figure, but with another shift of his eyes, he could not see anything again. Sui Yi covered him with a blanket. Just as he was about to straighten up, one of Ning Lan¡¯s arms suddenly stretched out, grabbing onto his retreating hand. Sui Yi saw that pair of eyes open. Those black irises met his, and he reflexively held his breath. Over the past few days, just like usual, Sui Yi had been doing what he had to do, fulfilling his role as AOW¡¯s leader. However, he was aware that he had been hiding. Pretending that he needed some quiet to study his script, he avoided staying in the same room as Ning Lan. He even woke up early everyday, trying his best to avoid seeing Ning Lan alone. Every time he thought about it, he felt that he must have been crazy that day, to have said something like that. What was even more terrifying was that he did not regret it in the slightest, even if he knew that his actions were not heroic or gallant at all, and were even very immature. Sui Yi could actually feel as well that Ning Lan¡¯s attitude towards him had been changing. Like now, in his drowsy state, Ning Lan¡¯s lips were curving up slightly, his thumb sliding up Sui Yi¡¯s ring finger, lightly caressing Sui Yi¡¯s palm. Sui Yi could not help but immediately recall how yesterday, in the studio, he saw Lu Xiaochuan sneakily attack Ning Lan from the back, tickling Ning Lan to the point of giggling. At that moment, he was inexplicably unhappy, and even after pondering over it for some time, he still could not find the reason for feeling that way. Now, he suddenly saw the light. In his subconscious, he had already tucked Ning Lan under his wing, seeing him as his possession. He wanted Ning Lan¡¯s every action, every smile and delight, to develop according to his own expectations. This awareness made Sui Yi even more nervous. At the end of the day, he was no different from those who tried to use money to control the lives of others. This was his desire to control, to possess, or some other innate human desire making mischief. With how much he had experienced in life, analysing this was like trying to make sense out of something unknown. During the seconds when Sui Yi was lost in his thoughts, Ning Lan opened his mouth, giving a tiny, small yawn, tears of sleepiness welling up in his eyes. He released his grip, turning over in his bed, leaving only the view of his back to Sui Yi. He drawled, ¡°Good¨C night¨C¡± The lights were switched off, and all was quiet and still. Lying on his side, Ning Lan opened his eyes, before shutting them again. He repeated this cycle many times, but he could not disperse that baffling tension that wrapped around his heart, layer by layer. If Sui Yi was able to treat him a little worse, perhaps he might be able to feel more relaxed. At least, he would not need to think about how to respond to him, and he did not need to think about what he should repay him with. A gentleness that came innately was the most soundless and silent sort, and the sort that was irresistible. CH 22 Before Sui Yi had joined the group, Zhang Fan had accepted an appearance on a variety show on behalf of all the AOW members. It was a talk show, and every week, they would invite guests and chat about a certain topic. The seven members of AOW were split into two rows. The female and male hosts of the show were both famous. During the recording, they would rattle away about anything, and the atmosphere was quite harmonious. During the portion of the show where they showed off their talents, Fang Yu and Gu Chengkai garnered applause from the audience as they sang together. Wang Bingyang performed a magic show as his talent, and despite saying ¡°I¡¯ll perform a mushroom show¡± in his nervousness, it attracted good-natured laughter from the crowd instead. The later part of the show was an impromptu question and answer time. The female host, with a frank and bold character, did not conceal her liking for Sui Yi at all. She made every use of any opportunity to ask him what sort of girls he liked, and Sui Yi recited the model answer prepared for him by the company. The female host said that he was too perfunctory about it, that all the girls in the audience could fit his description, and so insisted on him telling the truth. With no choice, Sui Yi added a phrase ¡ª ¡°pretty eyes¡±. The female host exaggeratedly found a mirror to examine her eye makeup. Sitting in the back row, Ning Lan reached up to his own face. The tip of his finger brushed against that tiny mole at the corner of his eye, and he swiftly put his hand back down, tucking it behind his back. For the last part of the recording, the show freed up time for AOW to perform as a group. When they were backstage, changing their clothes and applying makeup, Ning Lan received a call from Zhao Jinshan, his mother who never called unless she needed something from him. ¡°Little brat, did your head get kicked by a donkey? You¡¯re going to pay for Ning Xuan, that wench, to study overseas? If you have the money, why didn¡¯t you transfer it to me? I¡¯ve been living in such hardship my entire life, and I¡¯ve never even been to the capital. You ungrateful brat, are you actually my child?¡± Like a machine gun, the rebukes sprayed all around. Covering his phone, Ning Lan avoided the crowd and went into a corner. ¡°Where did you hear that from?¡± ¡°You still want to hide it from me? I bumped into that wench below your uncle¡¯s apartment, and asked her where she was going. She said that she was attending some TOEFL class. You think I never went to school before and I don¡¯t know what this class is for? How could their family have so much money to send that wench overseas to study? You gave them the money, right?¡± The grating voice pierced right through Ning Lan¡¯s eardrums. He pulled his phone away a little, thinking that the intelligence his mother had in her life was all used up on racking her brains to come up with ways to get money from him. Ning Lan said resignedly, ¡°I only gave her the money to sign up for classes. It¡¯s not certain whether she¡¯ll be able to pass them.¡± Zhao Jinshan refused to let it go. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t give her the money for the classes as well! Does she not have a father or a mother? Why are you the one to pay her fees?¡± ¡°Then do I not have a father or a mother? Was it not my uncle and aunt who brought me up?¡± Ning Lan asked. Silence fell on the other side of the line, and very quickly, sounds of sobbing travelled across. ¡°Listen to that, just listen to that, is that what a human being should say? Your uncle and aunt are credited with raising you, then, as your mother, I¡¯m nothing? Who was the one who carried you inside her for ten months? Who was the one who protected you when your father was beating you in a drunken frenzy? This heartless kid, why is my life so tough¡­¡± Ning Lan pinched the centre of his brows. He already knew that saying those words would result in this scene that was hard to conclude. But just now, his frustrations had swelled up, and he had been unable to control himself. Since he had already said the wrong things once, he did not want to speak anymore. Holding his temper back, he asked directly, ¡°How much do you want?¡± Zhao Jinshan immediately stopped crying, reporting a number. Ning Lan did not even ask what it was for. He straight away hung up, transferring the money on his phone. He knew that his unconditional acquiescence would make his mother even more audacious and unscrupulous. However, he understood his mother well. If he did not give in, once or twice was fine, but once it happened too often, she was the sort who would be able to do anything, no matter how brainless it was. Five years ago, he had just arrived in the capital, and was working in a hotel. During the first three months, when he was in training, his salary was a little lower. Squeezing out whatever money he could, he transferred it all to Zhao Jinshan. Yet, she felt that it was too little, and thought that Ning Lan was hiding money from her. Ning Lan was unable to get through to her, and so just ignored her. Who would have thought that she had somehow managed to find a phone number, and then tracked her way to the office of the hotel president. She told him that they had an employee called Ning Lan, who was heartless and inhumane, not providing for his mother who was lying in her sickbed. Once the matter blew up, everyone in the hotel knew about it, and the eyes of his leader were filled with probing and queries whenever he looked at him. In the end, he did not manage to pass his probation, and he could only leave dejectedly. Now, he was in a career that paid even more attention to his image. He could not withstand another episode like this, and so he could only give what he could. Ning Lan looked at the account balance displayed on the screen of his phone. It was clearly quite a big sum, but he was unable to feel happy about it at all. Something that had been gained without having earned it, in the eyes of others, it may be a good thing that had fallen out of the sky, but in his eyes, it was an extremely heavy burden. He wanted to live in an upright and honourable manner, and the first condition of that was to not owe anything to anyone. So even if Sui Yi never mentioned it, he would still return it, no matter what method he used. After the recording, it was already dusk. Fans were standing on guard outside the recording studio, and some had even rented cars, about to follow theirs. The seven members of AOW split into three rental cars, and without raising any alarms, they slipped away from the back door. They still had to rush back for a livestream. Today was Lu Xiaochuan¡¯s birthday. As they did not hold a fan meet for this occasion, they had to give the fans something to share and discuss. The location was a meeting room in the company. The place had been decorated, and on the wall were the words ¡°Happy Birthday¡± pasted in colourful letters. The cake was also ready in the room next door, waiting to be shown. There was still an hour to the livestream, and the birthday boy Lu Xiaochuan was sprawled on the couch disinterestedly. Casting a glance around the room, he asked, ¡°Where¡¯s that Fang fellow?¡± An Lin answered, ¡°He¡¯s gone home, and he said he¡¯ll come by a little later. It¡¯s alright, we can start first.¡± No wonder that fellow had taken the last rental car, it turned out that he was running away. Lu Xiaochuan became even more gloomy, punching the armrest of the couch in frustration. The livestream started punctually at 8pm, and the people there first presented their gifts that they had prepared. Despite his lack of interest, Lu Xiaochuan still had some professionalism and acting ability. Smiling, he unwrapped the gifts. Sui Yi was the most generous, giving him a watch, while the other members prepared items like sneakers and a wallet, all of them putting some thought into the presents. Ning Lan¡¯s gift was the last to be unwrapped, and it was a box of cookies. ¡°I went to the shop yesterday to make them, and froze them in the chiller for an entire night. The weather¡¯s hot now, so quickly eat them,¡± said Ning Lan. Lu Xiaochuan was astonished. ¡°You made this yourself?¡± ¡°Mn.¡± Ning Lan smiled. ¡°My skills are so-so. If it doesn¡¯t taste good, just throw it away.¡± There and then, Lu Xiaochuan picked one up and shoved it inside his mouth. As he chewed, he said, his voice muffled, ¡°It¡¯s delicious, how could it not be?!¡± He then shared it with everyone else to have a taste. Sui Yi said that he was not hungry, and did not take a piece. Across the screen, fans asked the leader if he was feeling uncomfortable, and the staff in charge of reading the comments expressed the fans¡¯ concerns on their behalf. Reading in sequence, they came across a comment, ¡°Is it because Flower isn¡¯t around, so Lead is not in a good mood?¡± The Mountain X Flower CP was famous both among the fans and the staff, and there was no one on the scene who did not know about it. Sui Yi said mildly, ¡°No, Fang Yu¡¯s about to arrive.¡± He then did not continue to comment about any discussion with regards to the CP. As the fans flooded the screen with gifts and well wishes, over here, the AOW members performed their talents to celebrate the birthday boy. Wang Bingyang repeated his ¡°mushroom¡± show again, and Lu Xiaochuan pretended to be seeing this for the first time, applauding him enthusiastically. The company even thoughtfully invited his little brother, Lu Xiaozhou, who lived overseas. Lu Xiaochuan had been living in China ever since he was born, and in reality, he was not close to his brother at all. When Lu Xiaozhou walked out, he still had to feign delight, and after hugging each other, they were both mutually at a loss for words. Ning Lan looked between the two, saying, ¡°You brothers really look alike.¡± As the candles were lit and Lu Xiaochuan was making a wish, Lu Xiaozhou squeezed over to Ning Lan¡¯s side. In poor chinese, he whispered, ¡°Beauty, come, add me on Wechat.¡± Ning Lan looked at his greyish-blue eyes and wickedly charming smile that were identical to Lu Xiaochuan, thinking that they truly were brothers. Sui Yi did not like to eat anything sweet, and so he was leaning against the wall, watching everyone horsing around. Ning Lan cut a slice of cake, going to one side to eat it, and Lu Xiaozhou enthusiastically followed after him. Seeing that he was about to reach up and wipe away the cream smeared on Ning Lan¡¯s face, Sui Yi strode a couple of steps forward and pulled Ning Lan to one side. ¡°This area is still within the view of the camera, turn around and eat.¡± When Sui Yi had his poker face on, his aura spelt for people to stay away from him. Lu Xiaozhou¡¯s eyes darted between the two of them, then he stuffed his hands in his pockets, pouting as he walked away. Ning Lan obediently turned around to eat the cake, and when he was done, he accepted the napkin Sui Yi held out to him, wiping his mouth. Quietly, he said, ¡°Thank you, Lead.¡± Seeing that the cream on his face had been wiped clean, Sui Yi nodded, returning to the crowd. It was only after the birthday song was sung, the candles blown, and more than half the cake had been distributed, did Fang Yu finally hurry over. ¡°My apologies. Something happened at home, so I¡¯m late.¡± He put his bag down, first greeting the camera, then wished Lu Xiaochuan a happy birthday. After that, he held his stomach and said that he was hungry, asking for some cake to eat. Seeing how perfunctory he was, the smile on Lu Xiaochuan¡¯s face gradually vanished. He thought about it, and was still unreconciled, so he deliberately walked over, pacing about in front of Fang Yu. The livestream came to an end, and everyone bade farewell to the fans. The camera was turned off, and Fang Yu continued eating his cake, completely ignoring the big birthday boy in front of him. ¡°Eh, where did you go just now?¡± Lu Xiaochuan asked. Fang Yu did not even look up. ¡°I went home.¡± Lu Xiaochuan¡¯s expression turned even uglier. ¡°Why did you go home?¡± ¡°To play,¡± Fang Yu said as he picked up a cookie from the box nearby, shoving it inside his mouth. Lu Xiaochuan¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°That was given to me by Lanlan, who let you eat it?¡± Fang Yu swallowed what was in his mouth, looking up at him with no fear. ¡°I even ate your cake. It¡¯s not like you made it.¡± Lu Xiaochuan was very angry. Since early this morning, he had been waiting, and despite waiting until now, all he got was a perfunctory ¡°Happy Birthday¡± from this person. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that he was an idiot. ¡°What were you doing at home?¡± He asked again. Fang Yu laughed. ¡°What does it have to do with you?¡± Lu Xiaochuan was completely enraged by Fang Yu¡¯s unbothered laughter. Channelling his anger through his laugh, he asked, ¡°Hah, did you go home to serve your sugar daddy?¡± CH 23 Fang Yu was no longer smiling. He looked at him. ¡°What did you say?¡± Whenever the two of them fought, they never hid from others, and so everyone around them heard them clearly. Upset, Lu Xiaochuan did not guard his tongue. ¡°I said that you¡¯re going home to serve your sugar daddy. Why? You don¡¯t dare to admit to what you¡¯re doing? Who doesn¡¯t know that you have a sugar daddy out there?¡± An Lin reacted the fastest, shooting forward to pull at Lu Xiaochuan. ¡°Don¡¯t speak anymore.¡± But Lu Xiaochuan insisted on getting it all out of him. ¡°Going home? Is that your home?¡± They only heard a crisp slap in response. Fang Yu had slapped Lu Xiaochuan across the face. The blow left Lu Xiaochuan stunned where he stood, and only then did the astounded group members realise how serious the matter was, going forward and pulling them apart. Fang Yu¡¯s arm was caught, and his lips quivering, he said, ¡°You¡¯re the one with a sugar daddy, your entire family has sugar daddies!¡± He did not know how to scold others, and this was the most savage insult that he could come up with after racking his brains. Sui Yi dragged the completely stunned Lu Xiaochuan over to the next door¡¯s lounge, while Ning Lan helped Fang Yu, who was shaking, to take a seat, getting a glass of water for him. Holding the glass, Fang Yu did not speak. Just as Ning Lan was wondering how to comfort him, he saw a teardrop splash into the cup. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t cry.¡± Ning Lan was in a panic. Fang Yu was very beautiful when he cried, and whoever saw such beguiling tears falling from his eyes, their hearts would ache. Ning Lan was no exception either. He thought that Lu Xiaochuan was really horrible. Later on, he would have to make him spit out all the cookies he ate. ¡°Do you¡­ do you also think that I¡­ I have¡­ a sugar daddy?¡± Ning Lan said hurriedly, ¡°No, of course not. Xiao-Yu is so wonderful. If it¡¯s me, I¡¯ll get a marriage licence with you straight away, eager to let the entire world know that you¡¯re my partner.¡± Fang Yu¡¯s smile broke through his tears. When Ning Lan answered that question, he actually had no confidence at all. Fang Yu was feeling such a grievance, and about him having a sugar daddy, it was clearly just a rumour. However, it was completely true that Ning Lan had a sugar daddy, completely undeniable. This situation left him feeling both guilty and ironic. At night, in the dorm. Sui Yi had his luggage open on the ground, and he was packing. He had a flight the next morning to the film studio complex in J City, to report for production. Ever since the dorm vlogs, Ning Lan had moved into that room. When the broadcast was over, Gu Chenkai went to look for Mr. Zhao to learn how to play the guitar. Wang Bingyang and Gao Ming went to listen as well, and now, in the dorm, there was only him and Sui Yi. After his shower, Ning Lan entered, towelling his hair dry. Seeing how terribly Sui Yi had folded his shirts into a mess, he went forward, saying, ¡°If you fold them like that, by the time you reach there, you won¡¯t be able to wear them. I¡¯ll do it.¡± Sui Yi considered it, then handed the shirts over to him while he went to pack his other belongings. While folding, Ning Lan asked him, ¡°How¡¯s Lu Xiaochuan? He hasn¡¯t turned into a fool from the slap, right?¡± ¡°No,¡± Sui Yi said. ¡°He¡¯s just quite startled from it. It¡¯s probably the first time he¡¯s been slapped.¡± Ning Lan recalled that extremely amazed expression on Lu Xiaochuan¡¯s face, finding it comical. ¡°He deserves it. Fang Yu doesn¡¯t have a sugar daddy at all. Forget about him believing such a rumour, but he had to say it aloud. Didn¡¯t he deserve the slap?¡± Sui Yi said, ¡°Mn, he deserved it.¡± Ning Lan saw how he randomly bundled up his chargers and shoved them into his luggage and quickly stood up. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t keep your cables like that. They¡¯ll get tangled.¡± After straightening out and packing the cables and chargers neatly, Ning Lan continued to help him pack. The already-folded clothes had been taken out as well and re-folded. In the end, the entire luggage was tidied up by him. The clothes, daily necessities, and toiletries had been arranged orderly, and even the socks had their own compartment. Before closing the luggage, Ning Lan reminded, ¡°Your mug and toothbrush are sandwiched here, wrapped up within the towel. Don¡¯t forget it.¡± Sui Yi looked at his luggage that had never been so tidy before. ¡°You¡¯ve learnt how to organise before?¡± He remembered how they were flying around previously for the album promotion, and he did not know if Ning Lan had helped others pack their luggage like this before as well. Ning Lan said, as though nothing could be more obvious, ¡°Do people even need to learn this? Practice makes perfect. I¡¯ve been staying in dormitories since I was in middle school, so I¡¯m probably a little more adept at taking care of myself than you guys.¡± From his voice, Sui Yi could detect a slight bit of pride, and he nearly smiled along with him. When he was back from his shower, Ning Lan had already fallen asleep. He lay on the bed, facing the room, and his blanket was over his face, only revealing his nose and his eyes that were shut. His chest rose and fell with every breath. Sui Yi switched off the ceiling lights, switching on the table lamp and flipping open a book. Previously, he had always been the one going to bed first, but this time, Ning Lan was faster than him. Lu Xiaochuan did not return to the dorm today, and so Gu Chenkai decided to just run next door with his pillow and sleep there. Now, in this room, there were only the two of them left. Sui Yi glanced over. Fortunately, Ning Lan was already asleep. This fellow was usually very straightforward when he spoke, and it seemed very easy to see through him. However, Sui Yi had seen too many of his different faces ¡ª an innocent one, a fragile one, a pitiful one, and even a seductive one. He did not know which one was the real him, and even more, he did not know what sort of new, fresh face would he reveal again when the two of them were alone. Sui Yi did not like it when things were out of his control. Ning Lan also shouldn¡¯t be controlled by him. After reading two pages, Sui Yi switched the light off. Quietly, he made his way onto the top bunk. With his long legs, he scaled the four steps in two and climbed up. Just as he lay down, he heard the person in the bunk below call out, ¡°Lead.¡± The voice was practically akin to the buzzing of a mosquito. It did not come out of nowhere, but it caused Sui Yi¡¯s heart to speed up a little. He did not respond, but pretended to sleep. The bed frame shook slightly with the movements of the person in the lower bunk. After some rustling, Sui Yi could distinctly feel a couple of tugs on his pyjamas. He was not good at pretending to sleep, and under his eyelids, his eyes shifted violently. As such, he could only open his eyes, unable to avoid the gaze of Ning Lan who was leaning right up against his bunk. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Sui Yi asked him. Ning Lan tilted his head, resting it on his arm, looking very obedient. He said, ¡°Lead, you¡¯re leaving tomorrow.¡± Despite the dim surroundings, Ning Lan¡¯s eyes were still very bright. There was a gleam in his black eyes, and each time he blinked, they would flash, so alluring that one¡¯s desires were teased at. Sui Yi seemed to be able to guess what he was about to say next, but also not. Ning Lan let go of his grip on Sui Yi¡¯s shirt, sliding his hand towards his waist. Then, taking advantage of Sui Yi being unguarded, his deft fingers slipped past his waistband. ¡°Lead,¡± he said softly, ¡°since you¡¯re my sugar daddy, not sleeping together at all, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re losing out?¡± Sui Yi grabbed hold of his groping hand. He did not answer his question, only saying, ¡°It¡¯s very late already. You should go to sleep.¡± Ning Lan slowly removed his hand. Sui Yi thought that he would listen to him and head back down to his bunk, but who would have thought that Ning Lan would climb up and over him. His actions were nimble and quick, and before Sui Yi could even react, Ning Lan was already on top of him. The bed was too small, and two men could not fit on it at all. With great difficulty, Sui Yi managed to push Ning Lan to one side. Sitting up right against the wall, he panted, his breathing heavy. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Ning Lan was still able to laugh. ¡°I¡¯m delivering a fuck to you.¡± Sui Yi didn¡¯t like such crude words, and he frowned. ¡°Go down.¡± However, Ning Lan was determined to do so. Sneakily, he again reached down towards Sui Yi¡¯s crotch. This time, Sui Yi¡¯s speed was faster than before, and he grabbed his wrist. The strength in Sui Yi¡¯s hand was great, and his grip left Ning Lan in pain. Biting his lip, he still refused to give in. The two were in a stalemate for a moment. Sui Yi sighed, letting go as he tried to come to a consensus. ¡°You head down first. The top bunk won¡¯t be able to hold the weight.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Seeing that his plan had succeeded, Ning Lan agreed. He flipped around, sticking his legs out to climb down. However, due to the shifting of their weights, the bed frame swayed, and turning back to take a look, Ning Lan suddenly froze there, no longer moving. After some time, he was still hanging off the side of the bed. Sui Yi thought that he was going back on his word, and thus asked him what was going on. Ning Lan was too embarrassed to say that he was scared. Even after staying in the school dormitories for six years, he had never slept in the top bunk before. Coming to AOW¡¯s dorm, his first top bunk did not even manage to wait for him to climb up before it collapsed. How could he have ever known that it was so easy to climb up, and so difficult to climb down? This feeling of being without any handrails, while being unable to reach the step was too terrifying! Sui Yi seemed to have discovered the issue, and he reached out. ¡°Hold on to me?¡± Ning Lan felt ashamed, but was stuck there; unable to move, he had no other choice but to hold onto Sui Yi. In the end, the unsteady support left him feeling even more shaky, and he kept feeling as though he would just fall onto his face at any moment. Shifting his hand back to the bed frame, Ning Lan gritted his teeth and prepared himself to try again. Suddenly, he heard someone laughing. Ning Lan¡¯s miserable state of being stuck where he was had been witnessed entirely by Sui Yi. He really could not hold himself back anymore, and chuckled a couple of times. Noticing how Ning Lan was glaring daggers at him, he immediately swallowed his laughter back. Holding onto the other side of the bed with one hand, he stretched his legs out and carried out an elegant turn, landing on the ground firmly. Was he showing off? Gnashing his teeth, Ning Lan thought, it was too fucking embarrassing. He should just jump down. Just as he was taking a few deep breaths, preparing himself, from behind him, Sui Yi¡¯s voice came. ¡°Come on down.¡± Ning Lan turned his head around nervously. Below, Sui Yi held out his arms towards him, a trace of amusement that had yet to fade away curling around his lips. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared, I¡¯ll catch you.¡± CH 24 Ning Lan finally chose to stand facing outwards before he jumped down. Releasing his grip on the bed frame, the moment he turned around, he was no longer that afraid anymore. Sui Yi caught him with his arms. Worried that Ning Lan would not land steadily, he exerted a little strength and lifted him above the ground. His feet in the air, Ning Lan turned one round before landing. His heart sped up a little. Perhaps it was due to his nervousness. Pulling away from Sui Yi¡¯s arm, he said, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°How many times do you want to thank me in one day?¡± Sui Yi too took a step back, turning on the lamp on the desk. Ning Lan felt that there was no way to answer this question. This depended on how many times Sui Yi helped him and pulled him out of a difficult situation; Sui Yi didn¡¯t seem to be very interested in the answer as well. A ruckus was pounding in his head. Thinking of something, he looked down at his clothes. With how he was dressed in a white singlet and blue shorts, even if his physical appearance was somewhat attractive, it was completely negated by his clothes. Ning Lan took a few steps forward, wanting to turn the lights off. Sui Yi probably thought that he had other intentions on his mind, and thus he vigilantly retreated to the side. The back of his leg knocked into the luggage lying on the ground, producing a sudden sound. Why did this scene look so much as though Sui Yi was being forced into prostitution or something? This thought ran through Ning Lan¡¯s head. He reached out, switching the lights off. Sui Yi swiftly turned and moved past him, and by the time the lights went out, he was already back on his bed. Turning around, Ning Lan asked angrily, ¡°Why did you go up?¡± Sui Yi spread his blanket over his body, turning away from Ning Lan. ¡°To sleep.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t we agree that we¡¯ll come down together?¡± Ning Lan felt cheated. ¡°Just go and sleep,¡± said Sui Yi, ¡°I still have to wake up early tomorrow.¡± Ning Lan lifted his foot, wanting to climb up again and deliver himself into Sui Yi¡¯s bed. As though there were eyes on the back of his head, Sui Yi reminded him, ¡°If you come back up again, I¡®m not going down to catch you anymore.¡± Pausing, Ning Lan remained where he stood and thought for a moment, then snorted and pulled his foot back, returning to his bed in resignation. The person in the top bunk did not speak again. Ning Lan lay back down dispiritedly, and the first thing he did when he picked his phone up was to go online and order a set of nightclothes. It was the sort made of real silk, and when one undid the belt, it would slide down one¡¯s body. Waking up in the middle of the night, groggily, he recalled what he did and felt that it was not good to purchase things impulsively. From under his pillow, he groped for his phone, cancelling the order he made less than three hours ago. He wouldn¡¯t even be able to claim the expense of such a flashy item from his sugar daddy. Whoever bought this was a fool. The next morning, the two people went into the bathroom together. Half asleep, Ning Lan was stumbling about, and he nearly put the wrong end of the toothbrush into his mouth. ¡°Why did you wake up so early?¡± asked Sui Yi. His mouth full of toothpaste foam, Ning Lan mumbled, ¡°I¡¯m seeing you off.¡± Before they left, they looked over Sui Yi¡¯s luggage for the last time. Already completely awake and dressed, Ning Lan, like last night, took over the task. He deftly checked everything off and zipped up the luggage. It was a little heavy, and he was unable to lift it with just one hand. Sui Yi took the luggage from his hand, then looked down at his wrist. ¡°Does it still hurt?¡± Ning Lan followed his line of sight, and only then did he realise that Sui Yi was referring to the red marks left by his grip last night. ¡°It¡¯s fine, marks have always easily appeared on my skin since I was a kid. It doesn¡¯t hurt,¡± said Ning Lan, unconcerned. Sui Yi did not answer. He opened the drawer of his desk, retrieving a bottle of Yunnan Baiyao spray before turning around and picking up Ning Lan¡¯s hand, spraying it across his reddened wrist. The cool burst scattered across his skin. Twisting his arm away, Ning Lan shrank backwards, only for Sui Yi to hold his hand tight and not let him move away. ¡°Spraying this will let your skin heal faster,¡± said Sui Yi. The medicinal scent was very strong. When they reached the departure hall of the airport, Ning Lan sniffed at his wrist, still able to smell the sharp scent. The skin on his wrist was also slightly heated. While walking, Sui Yi suddenly turned around. Ning Lan was unable to stop in time, and he nearly slammed into his chest. Sui Yi propped him up. ¡°We¡¯re here. You can go back now.¡± Looking at the board announcing the flight departures, Ning Lan said, ¡°It¡¯s still early. I¡¯ll walk you to the security check.¡± Both of them were wearing masks, so Sui Yi could not see what expression Ning Lan currently had on his face. He said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to be like this.¡± Ning Lan blinked, asking naively, ¡°Like what?¡± Sui Yi patted his luggage. ¡°It¡¯s enough for you to pack my luggage already. Thank¡­¡± Before he could finish, his words were forced back into his mouth. Through the mask, Ning Lan¡¯s hand was pressed against the bottom half of his face. His eyes rounding, he said, ¡°Please, don¡¯t say it! My life will be shortened!¡± Sui Yi didn¡¯t know how to react to this train of thought, and so he nodded in response before Ning Lan finally took his hand away. Near the security check, Ning Lan was unable to enter, but he instructed Sui Yi, ¡°In the future, remember to leave this sort of packing and organising tasks to me.¡± Seeing the earnestness on his face, Sui Yi wanted to tease him. ¡°Why? You¡¯ll be able to do it for me for the rest of my life?¡± Blinking innocently, Ning Lan seemed to be calculating whether this agreement was worth it or not. A moment later, his eyes curved in a smile, and he nodded firmly. ¡°I don¡¯t have an issue with that!¡± That night, he received a text from Sui Yi. ¡°Are you there? Where is the razor kept?¡± Ning Lan¡®s reply came quickly. ¡°It¡¯s in the black toiletry bag in the zip pocket of the luggage.¡± A while later, Ning Lan received another question. ¡°My pyjamas?¡± Ning Lan¡¯s thumbs flew across his phone. ¡°The white T-shirt? It¡¯s on top of the pile of trousers, underneath your underwear.¡± The cycle of questions and answers repeated a few times, and Ning Lan finally completed the task of taking care of the young master. He could not help but ask, ¡°How do you travel normally? Do you not bring any luggage?¡± Sui Yi replied, ¡°I do. But this time it was packed by you.¡± Ning Lan pondered over it for a beat before he finally understood. Young Master Sui was shifting the blame to him. There was only him in the dorm, alone. Ning Lan lay on his bed, cocking his feet up in complete freedom, swaying them around as he texted on his phone. ¡°How is it, are you used to it over there?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not too bad.¡± Ning Lan then asked, ¡°How long will the shoot be?¡± ¡°A month.¡± While feeling that their country¡¯s production of idol dramas was really too slipshod, only needing one month to complete filming, Ning Lan flipped through his calendar. A month? It would be almost autumn by the time Sui Yi returned. He did not text him again, but scrolled through their chat aimlessly, discovering that the last time they texted was when Sui Yi got the role of the male lead and he sent a mass text to everyone inviting them to a meal. Earlier than that, it was before the live broadcast in S City, when Sui Yi called him over to their room to grab a bite. Pressing down on the screen, Ning Lan deleted these texts, as well as the ones he sent but did not receive any responses to. After deleting, he scrolled through their chat history again. Now, their chat started from ¡°Are you there?¡±, creating a false impression that they shared quite a good relationship. Ning Lan lifted his wrist, sniffing at it. After his shower, the smell of the Yunnan Baiyao spray had lessened a lot, and just as he was considering whether to sneak the bottle out and spray it again, his phone vibrated. Sui Yi had sent another text. ¡°I¡¯ve left the spray bottle in the first drawer on the right side of my table. Take it and use it at least three times a day.¡± Holding his phone, Ning Lan stared at the screen for a while. He typed a few words in, only to delete them again. Wavering over it for quite some time, in the end, he replied with only an ¡°OK¡±. The leader wasn¡¯t here, and so the rest of the AOW members lazing at home were like elastic bands whose tension had gone out of them. They were all slumping and slouching, and no matter what they did, there seemed to be no energy to them. Worried that they would slack off so much to the point where they might end up being completely lazy, Zhang Fan arranged for each of them to attend classes. Ning Lan was dragged and coaxed by Wang Bingyang to participate in acting classes. He finally perked up a little in the class, or at least, he was more interested in it than he was for singing and dancing. Fang Yu had also accepted a role in a drama, acting as the ex-boyfriend of the female lead. He didn¡¯t have many scenes, and he was only needed on set for about a week, and the filming was located right in their city. Outside of his acting classes, Ning Lan would visit him on set. The female lead¡¯s appearance wasn¡¯t even as exquisite as Fang Yu, and before the shoot, she constantly pleaded for the cameraman to pay attention to the angles, to not make her face look too big on screen. ¡°With one glance you can tell there¡¯s basically no logic to this drama. With your face right there, the female lead must be blind to break up with you,¡± said Ning Lan before taking a large bite out of his ice cream. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t eat it first. I haven¡¯t taken a photo yet.¡± Fang Yu held his ice cream out, placing it together with Ning Lan¡¯s as he started capturing photos of the ice creams from various angles. Bored as he waited, Ning Lan took his phone out too and captured a shot. After taking about a dozen photos, Fang Yu finally stopped. As he added filters to his photos, he said, ¡°I don¡¯t know if the female lead is blind or not, but the male lead¡¯s vision definitely isn¡¯t fantastic.¡± Speaking about the male lead, Ning Lan asked Fang Yu, ¡°Didn¡¯t Lu Xiaochuan previously insist on playing the role of this male lead? It came to nothing in the end?¡± Fang Yu snorted. ¡°If it worked out, wouldn¡¯t it be horrible? A blind and stupid male lead. Before the drama can even be broadcasted, it would already fail completely.¡± Ning Lan¡¯s shoulders quaked with laughter. His phone chimed, alerting him that he received a notification from someone he followed. Fang Yu had posted a photo of their hands holding onto the ice creams on Weibo. By evening time, the comment section was still filled with people discussing in great interest about who the other hand belonged to. Some said that it was the female lead of the new drama, but after some comparison, her hand shouldn¡¯t be this big. Some said it was their assistant, and a girl who was camping outside the set said that AOW¡¯s belle had very few scenes, and he did not bring an assistant at all. Even more said that it was AOW¡¯s leader, and CP fans all brainlessly came up with all sorts of imaginary fluff for them to enjoy. However, very quickly, they were slapped in the face by the older, more experienced fans based on the skin colour. Although Sui Yi wasn¡¯t tanned, he still wasn¡¯t as fair as the hand showed in the image. After a period of arduous speculation and elimination, the fans finally came to a conclusion ¡ª it was Bubble Lan¡¯s hand. At night, Ning Lan shared this Weibo post, adding an emoji of showering hearts. With this one stone he threw, multiple ripples were formed. It wasn¡¯t just the CP fans, even AOW¡¯s fans found it unbelievable ¡ª as the third party between the CP of the leader and the belle, as well as his personal setting as a cannon fodder, how did Ning Lan suddenly step up and start showing off his ¡°love¡± with one of the main characters? Drowning in unease for less than half an hour, they started expressing their instincts as CP fans. They started fantasising as a form of self-consolation ¡ª our flower was so good, that even after having his opportunity of being the leader¡¯s partner in the dance snatched away, he wasn¡¯t angry at all. Posting such a photo definitely was something that was asked of him by the company. There was the tiniest group of fans who started shipping Sui Yi and Ning Lan after the showcase. They secretly gathered in a topic called ¡°Following and Chasing the Tides1¡±. Even they themselves deemed their CP as being ¡°heretic¡±, and quietly they squealed in excitement ¡ª Leader¡¯s official spouse and new love actually got along so well together, Leader was truly impressive! After sharing that post, Ning Lan did not look at the comment section anymore. Naturally, he did not know how various fans were dissecting and interpreting all this information. Before falling asleep, he shared the ice cream photo in his friends circle. Upon waking up, he saw that Sui Yi had liked it. Tapping on Sui Yi¡¯s name, he went into Sui Yi¡¯s friends list and saw that his latest update was yesterday, and it was a photo as well. It was a shot of the distant sunrise, and the roofs in the photo were all tilted, as though the photographer was not standing straight. The caption only contained one word ¡ª sleepy. Ning Lan admired the shot, feeling that through this, Sui Yi finally seemed a little like the eighteen year old teenager he actually was. In the spirit of reciprocity, Ning Lan too liked the photo. Switching back to the chat interface, his thumb hovered over Sui Yi¡¯s chat for some time, but he didn¡¯t tap on it. He didn¡¯t know what he should say, yet he didn¡¯t want to leave the app just like that. At this time, the heavens helped him make a choice. The chat interface suddenly changed to show that he was receiving a call, and his phone vibrated non-stop. The moment Ning Lan accepted the call, the voice of his cousin, Ning Xuan, came through. ¡°Gege, gege, I want an Apple watch.¡± Every time Ning Xuan looked for him, ninety-nine percent of the time, she wanted money. Ning Lan had only bought her a new phone and laptop last week, and now, she wanted some apple watch. Such frequent, unreasonable requests made Ning Lan feel that his original intentions had now been deviated from. ¡°Can¡¯t you just look at the time on your phone? Why do you need a watch?¡± Ning Lan asked. ¡°It¡¯s an apple watch, and it¡¯s different from normal watches. It can keep track of your heartbeat, and you can answer calls on it as well.¡± Ning Lan ignored the contempt in her voice. He asked, ¡°Is this thing helpful in your studies?¡± Ning Xuan did not answer that question, only saying, ¡°Every single one of my classmates owns one.¡± She was referring to her TOEFL class. Classes like that were usually attended by children who were getting ready to go overseas, and their family finances were often pretty decent. For Ning Xuan to compare herself with them was already barely doable. Ning Lan minimised the chat interface, opening up a browser page and checking on it. Patiently, he said, ¡°I¡¯ve taken a look. It allows you to send voice messages, navigate, play music, track your heartbeat, and something about tracking your footsteps. All these can be done with apps on your phone as well, there¡¯s no need to buy this¡­¡± Before he could finish, he was rudely cut off by Ning Xuan. ¡°It¡¯s only around three thousand RMB, and it can¡¯t even compare to the amount of money you gave your mother. Why are you so petty?!¡± Ning Lan¡¯s mind blitzed out. ¡°How did you find out¡­¡± Ning Xuan asserted, ¡°Yesterday, your mother even came to our place to show off, saying that you just sent her thirty thousand RMB. She bought a gold necklace, gold bracelet and gold earrings with that. Tsk, how gauche.¡± Not responding for some time, Ning Lan felt as though all the energy in his body had been sucked out of him in an instant. He would have never thought that they would use the money he gave them as competition against each other, taking pride in being able to squeeze the very last drop of blood out of him. Holding onto the chair, Ning Lan sat down. In a daze, he looked down at his leg that was still covered in medicated plasters due to the injuries he received while practising his dancing. On the other side of the call, Ning Xuan was still chattering away non-stop. Ning Lan did not want to listen, and he groped around to end the call. The sun was now above the horizon, casting a bright golden glow into the room. However, Ning Lan felt that his body was icy cold, and he could not get warm. The surface of Sui Yi¡¯s desk was very clean. Ning Lan reached out, wanting to take the ointment spray. However, his phone suddenly vibrated, and after a moment of hesitation, he still picked it up. It was a text from Sui Yi. ¡°Is your wrist better?¡± Perhaps due to the strong, piercing sunlight, Ning Lan¡¯s eyes ached a little. He replied, ¡°It¡¯s fine now.¡± Sui Yi did not seem to believe him. ¡°Really?¡± It was quickly followed by, ¡°Let me see.¡± Ning Lan knew that he wanted a photo. The photo he posted in his friends circle was of his left hand, and his reddened right wrist could not be seen. ¡°You really want to see?¡± Ning Lan asked. Sui Yi¡¯s reply was only one word. ¡°Mn.¡± Sniffling, Ning Lan went online to book a train ticket. However, the high speed train tickets to J City were sold out, and only standing tickets were left for K City and T City. Browsing through the site for a little while more, he finally realised that he was being stupid. He left the site and went to look at the airline tickets instead. A return ticket was around one thousand RMB. He would treat it as though he bought half an Apple watch then. Fuck that Apple watch. Seven hours later, Ning Lan stood by the door to the film city of J City and gave Sui Yi a call. ¡°Hello?¡± This was the first time Sui Yi received a call from Ning Lan, and he answered, feeling a little uncertain. ¡°Ning Lan?¡± Each time he heard Sui Yi call his name, Ning Lan¡¯s heart would pound rapidly. It was as though there was something expanding wildly within, and it felt so realistic. ¡°Sui Yi.¡± This was also the first time Ning Lan had called his name directly. ¡°I¡¯m at the entrance of J City¡¯s film city. I¡¯ve just arrived.¡± The other person on the line fell silent. Around him, people were walking about, the place bustling with sounds. However, nothing was heard on the phone at all. Just as Ning Lan felt completely embarrassed, about to flee the situation by hanging up, Sui Yi finally spoke up. ¡°Stay there, I¡¯ll pick you up.¡± CH 25 Sui Yi only arrived half an hour later. Dressed in a black T-shirt, black pants, a black mask and a black cap, he looked like a walking heat absorber. During this half an hour, Ning Lan thought about many things, and the chaos in his mind calmed down too. Now, when facing Sui Yi, he didn¡¯t know what he should say. He wanted to feign breeziness and ask him why he took so long to come, but Sui Yi spoke before he could. ¡°The filming location isn¡¯t here. It was just moved yesterday to a school in the east.¡± Ning Lan felt even more awkward. Scratching his nose, he made a sound of acknowledgement. Taking a couple of steps forward, Sui Yi then turned his head around. Ning Lan thought he wanted to ask him why he came here so suddenly, and feeling anxious, he stopped as well. In the end, Sui Yi only reached out to take his bag from his hand, then turned back and continued walking ahead. Hailing a cab, they spent the entire journey in silence, before arriving at the entrance of some university. As Ning Lan got out of the car, he pulled the hood of his hoodie over his head, and the two people, covered firmly from head to toe, entered the shopping street outside the school. ¡°The hotel that the production team booked is over there.¡± Sui Yi pointed over to the end of the road, but he led Ning Lan to another hotel instead. ¡°You can stay here tonight.¡± Accommodations around the school area were very cheap. Ning Lan had no money in his pocket, and Sui Yi quickly took out his wallet, handing over both the deposit and the room charge. Upon opening the door and entering the room, only then did Ning Lan realise that during that half an hour, Sui Yi must have thought about many things as well. Just look, he had even thought about where he should stay. Although the room was small, it was quite clean. Sui Yi put Ning Lan¡¯s bag down and asked, ¡°Have you had lunch?¡± Ning Lan shook his head. ¡°There are many places to eat where we just walked past. You can go down and buy some food. If you don¡¯t want to go out, you can get the food delivered too.¡± Ning Lan shook his head again. Sui Yi didn¡¯t know if that meant he didn¡¯t want to go downstairs, or if he didn¡¯t want to eat. As such, he made the decision for him. ¡°I¡¯ll go down and order you a meal to be sent up.¡± He paused, then continued, ¡°I still have a scene to film in the afternoon, I¡¯ll leave first.¡± Afraid that he wouldn¡¯t return after leaving, Ning Lan hurriedly asked, ¡°How long will the shoot take?¡± Walking to the door, Sui Yi turned around and said, ¡°Until seven or eight at night.¡± Ning Lan nodded slowly. ¡°Oh, come back¡­Take care.¡± Less than ten minutes after Sui Yi left, someone knocked on the door, delivering the food. Ning Lan had seen the person delivering the food before. When they were walking along the shopping street, he had seen this guy standing by his food truck, yawning. Ning Lan hadn¡¯t had anything from morning until now. He only had two cups of coke on the plane, and now, he did feel hungry. Finishing all the food, Ning Lan then headed downstairs to throw the trash. Standing by the door of the hotel, he glanced at the big bronze script ¡°XX University¡± that was a distance away, before returning to his room alone. After filling his tummy, Ning Lan started to feel sleepy. He sat on the bed, switching the TV channels with the remote control. There was nothing worth watching, and so he stopped at a channel that was currently playing a show about animals. Hugging a pillow, he fell asleep. He had a dream. It was a small, cramped room, the mattress smelling of mildew. The windows were covered with thick, heavy curtains, and he could also hear non-stop arguing. Bang, a metal rod flew through the window, shattering it. He was terrified, and without even putting on his shoes, he ran out. The sound of bare feet hitting the ground was feeble yet jarring. When he reached there, he discovered that his parents, who were just arguing, had disappeared. The house was empty, and only a ceiling fan above him whirred noisily. What happened next was a loud crash. A large piece of glass crashed onto the floor, and people from outside came running in. He wanted to escape, and desperately, he tried to unlock the door. The cacophony of footsteps was drawing closer, but the door had been locked from outside, and no matter how he tried, he couldn¡¯t open it. No one wanted him, he was a burden to everyone. When he woke up in alarm, his forehead was covered in sweat. Ning Lan flung his blanket away, sitting up and gasping for air. Only when his breathing settled did he then look out of the window. The nights came late in summer. The sun had yet to set, and the sky outside was still bright. Pleasant Wolf and Big Big Wolf was playing on the TV. Amidst the cheerful music, he picked up his phone, sending Sui Yi a message. ¡°Are you coming over at night?¡± After about twenty minutes, Sui Yi¡¯s reply finally came. ¡°You need something?¡± Ning Lan found it a little amusing. He clearly knew the reason why he came over, yet he could still ask that. ¡°Let¡¯s have dinner together.¡± Ning Lan typed on his phone. Another thirty minutes passed, and Sui Yi replied, ¡°Mn.¡± There was still ten minutes to eight when someone knocked on the door before opening it. Holding something, Sui Yi entered. Upon seeing how there were already a few boxes of food on the table next to the TV, he was a little surprised. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me you¡¯re getting food? I bought dinner too,¡± said Ning Lan as he took the plastic bag from Sui Yi¡¯s hand. Opening the box right on top, he said, ¡°Roast duck? It smells great. I thought you would have to watch your weight because of filming, and so I only bought healthier food.¡± The two sat down to eat. There was only a chair in the room, so Sui Yi offered it to Ning Lan while he sat on the edge of the bed. The bed was a little far from the table, and it wasn¡¯t too convenient for serving himself. Ning Lan was not very hungry. He had half of a small bowl of congee before splitting apart a new pair of chopsticks to take some roast duck for Sui Yi, picking the slices with bigger pieces of crispy skin. At first, Sui Yi was unwilling to accept the food, saying that he could do it himself. However, Ning Lan insisted on filling his bowl, saying ¡°this piece is tasty,¡± then ¡°this piece is tender,¡± picking out more food for him. Unable to stop him, Sui Yi then let him be. As he cleared the table after dinner, Ning Lan asked, ¡°What would you like to eat tomorrow? I¡¯ll bring some food back earlier¡­ Right, do you want supper?¡± Sui Yi felt that Ning Lan¡¯s current state was a little different from how he was in the afternoon. He seemed to be a lot more chatty now, and even a little clingy. As he headed downstairs to throw the trash, Ning Lan continued to follow closely behind him, babbling on, ¡°When I was buying dinner, I saw that there was a stall selling Tianjin-style pancakes. I never thought that they would sell them here as well. I wonder how they¡¯ll be compared to the ones sold below our dorm¡­ Shall we have that for breakfast tomorrow?¡± Not getting any response, he then pointed at the gate of the university, asking, ¡°How¡¯s the university here? School¡¯s about to start, will they let you continue filming? When the filming is happening, do people come and watch?¡± Sui Yi picked a question to answer. ¡°They will. The crew rented a multipurpose room.¡± ¡°What does a multipurpose room look like? Will it change shape?¡± Ning Lan continued asking. ¡°It won¡¯t.¡± Back in the room, Sui Yi picked up the bag hanging off the back of the chair and slung it across one shoulder. Leaving a ¡°rest early¡± behind him, he turned, about to go. Almost without thinking, Ning Lan blurted out, ¡°You¡¯re not going to look at the injury on my hand?¡± Sui Yi¡¯s hand on the door handle hesitated for a moment, but in the end, he still put his hand back down. Turning, he faced Ning Lan and asked, ¡°Let me see.¡± Ning Lan was wearing long sleeves today. He lifted his arm, pushing up his sleeve and revealing his wrist. ¡°Aiyah, I got it wrong. It¡¯s my left hand.¡± Ning Lan switched his hand. His left wrist, covered by his shirt, was as fair and clean as his right. Thin and slender, his bones under his skin stood out starkly, and his veins could be seen faintly. It was a wrist that was well suited for a bracelet. Sui Yi scrutinised it for a moment, then concluded, ¡°It¡¯s all healed already, right?¡± Half a month had passed already, it¡¯d be strange if it hadn¡¯t healed. Shifting his backpack up his shoulder, Sui Yi bade him farewell again. ¡°Then I¡¯ll head off first. If there¡¯s something, just give me a call.¡± Again, he put his hand on the door handle. In the end, he still wasn¡¯t able to open it. Ning Lan had taken two steps forward, suddenly hugging him from the back. Sui Yi¡¯s back stiffened, and he looked down to see two slender arms, their sleeves rolled up, wrapped around his waist. Ning Lan had his face pressed against Sui Yi¡¯s broad back. Not realising it, he nuzzled into it as he mumbled, ¡°It¡¯s not healed yet¡­¡± A pause, and he added, ¡°It really hasn¡¯t healed, it¡¯s still a little painful.¡± Sui Yi stayed. There were two beds in the standard room, and each slept in one, no different than how it was in the dorm. He had toiletries and clothes in his bag, having previously prepared them for a night shoot. He didn¡¯t like the feeling of his clothes being soaked in sweat. He stepped out after a shower. Ning Lan was sprawled across the bed by the door, looking at his script, and he even looked quite serious. Flipping a page over, Ning Lan looked up at him. ¡°The female lead is Huang Xiaoxi, right? How is she? Is she pretty in real life?¡± Sui Yi didn¡¯t blow his hair dry. Covering his head with a towel, he casually rubbed at his head, saying, ¡°She¡¯s quite pretty.¡± ¡°Eh? Don¡¯t you young people like the pure and innocent style? Or are you the sort that welcomes everyone who knocks at the door?¡± ¡°Us young people?¡± Sui Yi felt that this demarcation was very strange. Ning Lan flipped the script close, getting out of bed and gesturing at Sui Yi to take a seat on the chair. ¡°You young people, none of you like to blow your hair dry. Come, I¡¯ll help you dry your hair.¡± Sui Yi originally wanted to refuse, but Ning Lan had already taken the towel. Hesitating for a moment, he still sat down. Ning Lan was as gentle as the time when he applied medication to Sui Yi¡¯s finger. It was as though he often did such caring things. His back facing him, Sui Yi was unable to see what Ning Lan¡¯s current expression was. This gave his impression of Ning Lan a temporary, hazy veil. Flipping the towel over, Ning Lan asked, ¡°When did you dye your hair?¡± ¡°Before filming started. It was required by the production team.¡± Ning Lan seemed a little regretful. ¡°You still look better with black hair.¡± Before Ning Lan stepped out of the bathroom after his shower, Sui Yi had already gotten into bed and pulled his blanket over himself. Only then did he feel that the one being strange was himself. He didn¡¯t ask Ning Lan why he came, and neither did he refuse his invitation to stay the night, but now, he was avoiding him. The running water in the bathroom came to a stop. Ning Lan came out, walking gingerly over to the bed further into the room. ¡°Asleep?¡± As Ning Lan spoke, Sui Yi noted a refreshing, minty scent mingling in the sweltering warmth from the bathroom. Just now, when he was showering, he completely didn¡¯t pay any attention to the scent of the soap. He heard Ning Lan walk away, then the light behind him went out. Then, came some rustling. Ning Lan had climbed back into his own bed. Shutting his eyes, Sui Yi exhaled slowly. The next day, the weather started playing tricks. It was still sunny and bright in the morning, but during the afternoon, thunder crashed loudly, and very quickly, a storm broke through the dark, grey clouds, scouring the land audaciously. The production crew was only left with filming the scenes outside the school campus. With the bad weather, they were unable to continue shooting, and so they had no choice but to call it a day. Ning Lan stayed in the room the entire day, and feeling stifled, he wanted to go out for a walk. Sui Yi was watching a movie on his tablet. Behind him, Ning Lan spun around a few times, but still did not capture his attention. He could not help but glance at the screen, then a naughty thought popped into his head and wickedly, he said, ¡°This older brother, the one played by Lin Weifan, ended up killing his half-brother who shared a father with him, then gave himself up. The reason he did so many bad things was actually because he wanted to attract his father¡¯s attention.¡± Despite his movie having been spoiled for him, Sui Yi was not angry. His eyes were glued to the younger brother on the screen, who was dressed in a school uniform and had a pure and innocent smile on his face. It was only when the boy disappeared from the screen did he then put the tablet away, standing up to say, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± The two shared an umbrella as they walked down a path inside the university campus. School had yet to start, and it was also raining. Hence, there was no one else on the path, and they could see all the way down to its end. All across the ground were leaves blown off by the storm. Ning Lan made sure to land his feet on a leaf every time. This was something the younger brother in the movie did, and humming the main theme song of the movie, he did all this unconsciously. Holding the umbrella, Sui Yi followed along, speeding up and slowing down accordingly. Ning Lan was focused entirely on stepping on the leaves for a while before he remembered that there was someone walking with him as well. Turning to search for him, he saw how a shadow was cast across Sui Yi¡¯s face by the canopy of the black umbrella, yet how his face seemed to have been washed by the summer rain, so gentle that it seemed all edges had been smoothed out. Seated on the steps under the gymnasium¡¯s porch, the two people chatted for a while. Ning Lan took a deep breath. The fresh air filled his lungs, and he exclaimed, ¡°Going to school is great¡­Why didn¡¯t you continue studying but come and be a star instead?¡± Sui Yi said, ¡°Isn¡¯t that the same case for you?¡± Ning Lan¡¯s eyes traversed through the rain over to the sports ground in front of them. ¡°I¡¯m different from you.¡± Sui Yi turned to look at him. The little mole at the corner of Ning Lan¡¯s eye dragged his eyes upwards. Ning Lan¡¯s eyelashes were very long, his pupils black. He could barely see any impurities within, and they were like mirrors, reflecting exactly what the world was like. It was no wonder that the first time he saw him, he felt that he should be a student, and he had used the words ¡°pure and simple¡± to describe him. Unfortunately, people were different. People could share similar appearances, but a clean, clear heart was not something everyone could have. After dinner, they were free to do whatever they wanted. Ning Lan continued waffling his boredom away by looking at his script, while Sui Yi opened the book he brought with him, annotating it with a pen as he read. Reading for a little while, Ning Lan¡¯s eyes started to ache, and he ran over to the table to look at what Sui Yi was doing instead. The book was filled completely with words. Looking at them separately, he knew them all, but when put together, he didn¡¯t know what he was reading. Ning Lan blinked, surmising, ¡°You¡¯re taking the exams as a private candidate?¡± There was no need to keep this matter a secret, and so Sui Yi said, ¡°Mn. If I can¡¯t get famous, it¡¯ll be good to have another path of retreat.¡± Ning Lan¡¯s jaw fell. ¡°Other people treat getting into university as their path in life, and you¡¯re seeing it as a form of retreat?¡± Sui Yi saw how silly he looked, and so he continued playing along, ¡°Yes. My results were very bad. If I really can¡¯t make it in this industry, only then will I consider going to school.¡± Ning Lan pursed his lips together, signalling his doubt. Seeing that Sui Yi didn¡¯t seem like he was joking, he believed him a little more. Thinking that he was poking at Sui Yi¡¯s sore spot, he said guiltily, ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. These days, it¡¯s not so difficult getting into university¡­ As long as you don¡¯t insist on getting into the top universities.¡± Sui Yi gave a serious nod. Perhaps their interaction today had been too harmonious, Sui Yi could not help but put down his guard. When he was done with his book, he took a shower, then lay on his bed and scrolled through his Weibo, preparing to go to sleep. There was only one lamp still lit in the room, and the sound of the rain outside was gradually coming to a stop. Not too long after he put his phone down. Half-asleep, he felt a weight on his bed. Then, an arm suddenly encircled his waist. Sui Yi woke up immediately, turning around to come face to face with Ning Lan¡¯s dark, bright eyes. Their eyes met, and they watched each other quietly, keeping quiet in tacit understanding. After some time, a smile slowly appeared on Ning Lan¡¯s face. The corners of his lips curved up, revealing two cheeky dimples. ¡°Lead, are you going to film a kissing scene tomorrow?¡± he asked. Sui Yi¡¯s heart jolted. The warm breath brushed across his skin, and just like Ning Lan¡¯s body, it also smelled like mint. This made him recall that dark room. It was a different scent, but it evoked exactly the same effect. Looking at his eyes, Ning Lan drew a few centimetres closer, and his voice became even lower. ¡°Lead, have you kissed anyone before?¡± Sui Yi¡¯s lips parted slightly, and just as he was about to answer, Ning Lan¡¯s face magnified in front of him, and then he felt his lips covered by softness. Things were happening too quickly. A few seconds later, the two people drew apart, their distance increasing again. Ning Lan¡¯s back was facing the door, blocking the light. As such, Sui Yi could not see his bright red cheeks and ears. They were not hugging as well, so Sui Yi could not hear how loud his heart was pounding. Holding onto one of Sui Yi¡¯s hands, Ning Lan placed it on his waist. Then, with his knee, he nudged gently against Sui Yi¡¯s crotch, which was already starting to react. Huskily, he asked, ¡°Then¡­ Lead, do you want to?¡±