Chapter 8: The Party
Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations
Editor: Karai
Shi Wenze found it difficult to explain the situation. So he decided to stay cold and distant, “Is something the matter?”
Xu You didn’t respond right away. His eyes swept across the room, and after a moment, he suddenly sighed deeply, walking over to pat Shi Wenze on the shoulder. “Shi Ge, it’s okay. It’s not embarrassing, but as a good brother, I still have to remind you: trying to make money off counterfeit posters won’t be enough to buy a Lamborghini.”
Shi Wenze, “…”
Xu You continued to lament the harms of consumerism. Shi Wenze, feeling annoyed, decided to kick him out. After locking the door, he turned to look at the bed covered in Xia Jiayang posters. He thought to himself that this night seemed to stretch on forever, waiting for the dawn.
Equally sleepless was Lin Su.
Before bed, he had made another round through his walk-in closet, meticulously putting together his outfit as if he weren’t attending a fan meet but a press conference. To avoid clashing with the surroundings, he even called the KTV to inquire about the room’s decor style. The person on the other end was so flustered, thinking it was a fire inspection, that they nervously muttered, “Rest assured, our walls are made of fireproof faux leather.”
Lin Su thanked them but was left puzzled about the peculiar industry term.
On one side of the closet sat Siberian Blue, a painting he hadn’t taken for repair. Perhaps it was because Shi Wenze’s silhouette under the tree, gently touching the frame, made him feel that the damage had become part of the painting, its significance even surpassing the original work.
If this viewpoint were to be heard by the famous artist Cang Daming, he might demand the piece back immediately, but of course, Cang Daming would never know, so Lin Su continued to live carefreely in Russia, enjoying his sausages and rye bread.
The clock on the wall ticked away, each round of its chimes.
“Have you ever seen Chengdu at four in the morning?”
Shi Wenze & Lin Su: Thanks for the invite, we’ve seen it. And so they both slept until noon.
Shi Wenze arrived on time to pick up Lin Su at Qinghu Garden. When they met, they both noticed the efforts the other had put into their appearance. Shi Wenze was wearing a new T-shirt, so new that the creases were still perfectly aligned, while Lin Su, despite managing to make his outfit look effortless, had overdone it with the perfume—he smelled like a walking diffuser. They both simultaneously felt a little sour. Xia Jiayang, the winner of life.
Lin Su pointed to a large bag on the floor and asked, “What’s in this?”
Shi Wenze replied, “Xia Jiayang’s merch. If you want, you can pick something out. I’ll take the rest to the KTV.”
Lin Su: No need!
Luckily, Shi Wenze agreed that the conversation had reached a dead end and handed him the helmet, hastily ending their talk about Xia Jiayang’s merchandise.
Lin Su, sitting behind on the motorcycle, couldn’t understand why Shi Wenze had accumulated so much merch—it felt like he was hoarding for winter like a squirrel. After a moment of confusion, Lin Su remembered his new “newcomer” persona of not knowing how to wear a helmet. With practiced hands, he quickly strapped it on, his mood growing even more complicated, to the point where he didn’t even have time to enjoy the urban speed thrill.
Emo mood doubled. Shi Wenze followed the navigation and parked the bike in front of the affluent KTV.
These days, running a physical store wasn’t easy, and as soon as a group of young men in shirt vests saw a customer arrive, they immediately greeted them with wide smiles. One group praised Shi Wenze’s bike, while another ushered them upstairs. Because of this, Shi Wenze didn’t have a chance to notice Lin Su’s emo mood. Besides, he was feeling a little nervous too.
His nerves mainly stemmed from a lack of knowledge. While others were celebrating the end of their college entrance exams at KTV, his own exams were about to start right there. Lan’s little class, fighting!
Inside the private room, the music pulsed, lights flashing, and the big screen was playing a fast-paced song. Facing this festive scene, Lin Su could only stuff his feelings away for the time being.
The fan meeting had more than twenty attendees, all young girls in their teens and twenties. They knew Lin Su had an older brother, but they never expected him to be so handsome, and they definitely didn’t expect the handsome older brother to be a package deal. The room fell silent, with only Xia Jiayang rapping on the screen.
“Let me introduce him. This is my older brother, Lin Su.” Lin Lu jumped up from the sofa. “And this is Shi Ge—” She looked at Shi Wenze, unsure if he was willing to reveal his identity.
But her sister was overthinking it. The only identity Shi Wenze could reveal was his Kirin identity, which, though cool, had nothing to do with what the fans expected from an “industry insider.” He pointed to the large bag on the floor to change the subject, “These are some merch from my friend. If you don’t mind, feel free to take whatever you want.”
While fan meetings usually involve exchanging small gifts like cards or badges, seeing a bag filled with merch definitely piqued everyone’s curiosity. They all crowded around to take a look. Taking advantage of this moment, Shi Wenze pulled Lin Su into a corner and said to Lin Lu, “We met at Xia Jiayang’s birthday concert. So she’s your sister.”
Lin Su gave a cold “hmm” in response. I know, and not only do I know, but I also saw the photo of you passionately holding up a sign. Surprised?
He thought about the video where Shi Wenze was squeezing next to Xia Jiayang, then grabbed the drink menu and carefully selected a lemonade for himself. After taking a sip, he was hit with such sourness he couldn’t speak.
The bag of merch was met with excited gasps, and from the volume of the cheers, it was clear that these girls were no ordinary fans. Lin Lu’s face was equally excited, and Lin Su felt a pang of bitterness in his chest. This girl has been supporting Xia Jiayang since the day he joined the competition, and I somehow lost to Shi Wenze.
I was careless. I shouldn’t have gone abroad.
He placed his glass on the table and turned to ask, “What exactly do you like about Xia Jiayang?”
And the bell for the college entrance exam rang!
Shi Wenze, prepared, quickly gave his well-thought-out answer, “Because he’s great at singing and dancing, works hard, doesn’t fight or compete, and has no scheming.”
Lin Su felt a headache coming on. Please, no more four-character phrases!
Shi Wenze asked, “What about you?”
Lin Su wasn’t like him. Lin Su didn’t secretly study and didn’t even want to. But he thought back to when Shi Wenze borrowed the old bicycle from the snack shop owner to take him across the city to see an art exhibition. In the end, he chose to embrace it with love.
There was no reason to always make the other person compromise.
So he replied, “I think Xia Jiayang is great at singing and dancing too.”
Just then, the next song started—Xia Jiayang’s debut solo track. Due to lack of experience, his rap had a distinct Tianjin fast talk flavor, making it seem more like it belonged to the DeYun Society than a 101 debut.
“…”
Shi Wenze and Lin Su both had the same question in their minds, but neither of them said anything. After all, they were no longer the impulsive high school students they once were, but steady adults now.
Lan Weiwei’s old memorabilia instantly set the tone for the gathering, solidifying Shi Wenze’s “insider” status. After all, not everyone could get their hands on Xia Jiayang’s middle school class reunion booklet. The messy handwriting made the fans’ affection flood over again, and they all gathered around, taking photos and praising, “No doubt, that’s my brother.”
Shi Wenze couldn’t understand it, but he was deeply shocked. Life really didn’t seem fair—both of them had terrible handwriting, but one was praised in all kinds of ways, while he was criticized endlessly. Lin Su ordered another cup of lemonade, planning to get drunk on it mentally.
Xia Jiayang hadn’t been in the industry for long and wasn’t famous, so there weren’t many songs he could perform. When he started rapping ROUND 3, Shi Wenze felt like he was already able to sing along. Just then, someone handed him a microphone, and he joined in, humming a couple of lines. Lin Su raised his third cup of lemon water for the day.
Shi Wenze noticed that Lin Su had been drinking the sour water without eating anything and worried it might hurt his stomach. He decided to go out and buy some nuts to go with the lemon. But as soon as he stood up, Lin Lu pressed him back into his seat and eagerly asked, “Shi-ge, can I ask you one more question?”
“…”
Normally, it would have been fine to ask. Lin Su’s younger sister could ask him a million questions, and he would patiently answer each one. But the problem was, this question was definitely related to Xia Jiayang, and he didn’t know Xia Jiayang at all.
At this point, there was no doubt that Lan Weiwei had made sure to highlight the key point.
“HOM is not only sponsoring Xia Xia for the main feature in Style, but are there any other fashion events planned? I heard there’s going to be a charity auction next month at Gao Diao magazine, and a lot of celebrities are going.”
Lin Su also looked over. Indeed, every bit of vanity came with a price. You couldn’t eat just anything or say whatever you liked. He remembered a question from the entrance exam: How to measure the collapse of a quantum wave function. Shi Wenze had no idea how to answer it.
Just then, his phone in his pocket started vibrating. Seizing the opportunity, Shi Wenze walked outside the room and saw the caller ID was Lan Weiwei.
She was talking non-stop on the other end, “Shi-ge, breaking news! That little celebrity you’re following is going to the charity auction at Gao Diao next month, walking the red carpet with the veteran star Li Yun, and she’ll be the closing act.”
He had to admit that Kirin was indeed a bit lucky. He returned to the event and looked at the group of girls blocking his way. He simply said one word: “Go.”
There was an immediate cheer, and then someone asked, “Is it true? Who is Xia Xia walking the red carpet with?”
“Li Yun.”
“Li Yun, yes, she’s also a spokesperson for HOM. She’s so big, she must be the closing act, right?”
“Yes.”
Lan Weiwei, the star-chasing expert, had truly become an indispensable guide for thousands of students during exam prep!
Lin Su looked at Shi Wenze. He still wanted to drink more lemon water, but he really couldn’t stomach it anymore. He took his phone, unlocked it, and was immediately bombarded by flashing green pop-up windows that made him dizzy.
The red leather, fire-resistant walls in the KTV room were a visual assault, evolving from a shocking impact into outright visual pollution.
Lin Su didn’t want to open the messages, but the vibrations didn’t stop. He had no choice but to answer the call. “Du Siyue, I’m really busy right now.”
“You must not have seen the messages I sent!” The voice on the other end was full of excitement. “Don’t worry, I’ll narrate it to you again!”
“I really have something to do.” Lin Su emphasized again, “Can you go share it with someone else first?”
“No way!” Du Siyue stood up enthusiastically. “Bro, no need to say more, thanks a lot for parking my car at Digital Square!”
Lin Su was left speechless.
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