Translator: Viv
Editor: thomas
On the sixth day after Tang Zhen’s discharge, Zhou Ziyuan couldn’t reach Zhou Zike. His phone was unreachable, and she waited anxiously outside Zhou Zike’s apartment, softly knocking on the door, but there was no response. She called Guo Xiaoli, but Guo Xiaoli sounded helpless and quickly hung up after saying that Zhou Zike wasn’t at the company. She then called Ai Wentao, who tried to persuade her without revealing Zhou Zike’s whereabouts, urging her to go back home first, saying, “It’s okay, sis. I’ll bring him to see you later.”
Zhou Ziyuan wasn’t the only one who couldn’t make sense of the situation. Xiao Yang arrived at the company early in the morning and heard from the assistant Xiao Zhu about the frenzy on the internet media the previous night. When Zhou Zike’s apology aired, the fandom of Asia Star Entertainment exploded, and social media went through a series of explosions. Even in the late hours of the night, the topic kept gaining momentum, with countless people staying awake, eagerly awaiting the spectacle. Zhou Zike had a significant following and a substantial number of haters among the younger generation of artists. Especially in the past two years, his image had become increasingly controversial. Whether it was his family background, character, work attitude, or even a blurry paparazzi photo of him, everything surrounding Zhou Zike was highly discussed. Every fan-hater battle felt like an earthquake, with the smoke of the conflict permeating the entertainment industry, cultural circles, financial realms, and even various car forums. Zhou Zike rarely made public appearances in the past. He didn’t have a Weibo account and didn’t participate in interviews or talk shows. The more the outside world buzzed, the more mysterious he became. However, this time, he suddenly appeared on Xiao Yang’s show and personally apologized. Instead of quelling the controversy, it further escalated the long-standing feud surrounding him. Countless industry insiders were affected, and assistant Xiao Zhu mentioned that even actresses of the caliber of Xin Mingzhu and Mei Yuan were also dragged into the chaos.
Xiao Yang continued eating his breakfast, feeling quite pleased by the intriguing tidbits about Zhou Zike that he had heard so far. However, his mood took a turn when he heard the name “Xin Mingzhu.”
She was his senior colleague with whom he would be collaborating in an upcoming film.
“Xin Mingzhu?” he asked.
Xiao Zhu’s expression became complicated as they replied, “Xin Mingzhu Laoshi posted a Weibo yesterday, publicly praising Zhou-ge for having the courage to admit his mistakes, stating that he is truly an idol of the new generation and so on.”
Xiao Yang nearly choked on his breakfast.
Xiao Zhu continued, “And then, the timing of her Weibo post was quite coincidental, right around midnight. It seemed like she had just finished listening to your program with Zhou-ge…”
Xiao Yang tried to stay composed and said, “This means that I’ll have an interesting topic to discuss with her the next time we meet. She actually listened to my radio show, that’s good.”
Xiao Zhu quickly nodded in agreement and added, “And then, her Weibo post received a lot of backlash.”
“Because she praised Zhou Zike?” Xiao Yang asked.
“Yes. Mei Yuan Laoshi even retweeted her,” Xiao Zhu added, “But I wouldn’t call it just backlash. Zhou-ge’s fans and haters flooded the comments section, causing a huge commotion. You know, Xin Mingzhu Laoshi gained tens of thousands of new fans, and many people joined in just to watch the drama.”
Xiao Yang pondered for a moment and let out a sigh, saying, “I used to be worried that Xin Mingzhu Laoshi wouldn’t like me when we met. I heard she doesn’t particularly favor young idols… But now, it looks like she won’t dislike me too much, I suppose.”
When Yi Xuesong arrived at the company with a bag on his back, he saw Xiao Yang alone in the gym, wearing boxing gloves and fiercely attacking a withered punching bag.
Yi Xuesong glanced at Xiao Yang’s face and saw him effortlessly pushing the punching bag aside with his right hand, catching a punch thrown at him.
Xiao Yang noticed Yi Xuesong and took off his gloves, running his hand through his sweat-soaked blond hair, lifting his head and saying, “You came at the right time. Teach me how to work this thing.”
Yi Xuesong observed the small expression on his face and asked, “What’s bothering you?”
Xiao Yang shrugged it off and casually replied, “I have to bust out a couple boxing moves for the upcoming MV, gotta play a boxer role. I could get away with faking it, but I want to look like I at least know what I’m doing.”
As he spoke, he hopped in place without looking at Yi Xuesong, then muttered in a small voice, “What could possibly be bothering me?”
Yi Xuesong raised an eyebrow and smiled.
He took the boxing gloves from Xiao Yang’s hand and said, “Lao Luo is waiting for you outside. Looks like he wants to talk to you about something”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“Why doesn’t he come in?” Xiao Yang asked.
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From afar, Xiao Yang could see Vice Captain Luo Cheng sitting hunched over on the steps.
“What’s going on?” Xiao Yang couldn’t be bothered to respond to the trainees constantly greeting him as he walked past them and went over to ask.
When Luo Cheng saw him approaching and looked around at the people nearby, he whispered in Xiao Yang’s ear, “Qi Xing was brought back to the company by Zike.”
Xiao Yang squatted down next to Luo Cheng and upon hearing the news, he remembered that during their radio show, Zhou Zike seemed completely oblivious to Qi Xing not being around. Xiao Yang said, “I didn’t expect that.”
“Qi Xing was deeply moved and told Zike that he wants to follow him for the rest of his life, to be his assistant forever,” Luo Cheng said.
Xiao Yang scoffed and said, “Qi Xing is such a silly guy. Zhou Zike probably wanted to fire him the very next second.”
“Nah,” Luo Cheng said, falling silent for a moment before adding, “But also kind of.”
Xiao Yang was surprised and asked, “Zhou Zike would do something like that?”
Luo Cheng lowered his voice, took a drag of his cigarette, and furrowed his brows. He didn’t seem like he was joking. “Zike told Qi Xing that, in other words, he himself might not stay in the company for much longer.”
Xiao Yang was stunned.
“I don’t get it,” Xiao Yang said, “Who’s not staying for much longer, Qi Xing or… Zhou Zike?”
“Zhou Zike,” Luo Cheng said, giving Xiao Yang a meaningful look. “He’s telling Qi Xing to find another job while he still can.”
Xiao Yang remained motionless for a while, his eyes blinking in disbelief.
“Qi Xing called me secretly this morning and told me about this. He didn’t clarify things yesterday, and now I can’t reach Zike by phone either,” Luo Cheng said, asking Xiao Yang, “Should I go and ask Guo-jie? What if Zike wants to quit the group…”
Xiao Yang leapt up from the ground.
“Is he at home now?” Xiao Yang asked.
Luo Cheng was startled by his sudden action and dropped his cigarette butt, chasing after him. “What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to find him now. Don’t alert Guo-jie for now,” Xiao Yang said as he walked, suppressing his anger. “It’s one damn thing after another… He wants to leave without a word? Over my dead body.”
Xiao Yang asked around for Zhou Zike’s residential address, but not a single member of KAIser knew it. Qi Xing knew, but he didn’t dare to say it. That guy was coward to the bone. Xiao Yang yelled him for a while until he reluctantly gave Xiao Yang an address and a phone number of someone named Ai Wentao. He said that this person was a friend of Zhou Zike, and if Zhou Zike ever asked, Xiao Yang should say that the address was leaked by this guy named Tao-ge.
Xiao Yang took Luo Cheng’s car to find Zhou Zike, but unfortunately, he wasn’t familiar with the roads, plus, he left in a hurry without bringing his assistant Xiao Zhu along. Thus, he wandered around the city, not only failing to find Zhou Zike’s place but also running a red light and nearly ramming into a car in front.
When Ai Wentao arrived to rescue Qi Xing after receiving his call, he saw a suspicious figure from afar. The person was wearing sunglasses, a mask, and a baseball cap, fully disguised and leaning against a car by the roadside.
Xiao Yang got into Ai Wentao’s car, shut the door, and without revealing his identity, his voice muffled behind the mask, he asked directly, “You’re Zhou Zike’s friend?”
Ai Wentao tilted his head and looked at him, assessing his glimpse of a pleasing complexion visible through the gap between Xiao Yang’s sunglasses, mask, and baseball cap. After a moment of contemplation, Ai Wentao said, “Who are you?”
“Xiao Yang,” Xiao Yang said.
Ai blinked his innocent round eyes. “Xiao…”
“You don’t know me,” Xiao Yang said, looking at him in disbelief.
Ai burst into laughter, the very image of honesty, masking his cunningness. “Well, take off your sunglasses. Maybe I’ve seen you before through my buddies.”
Xiao Yang frowned and glanced at the car window.
“It’s okay, no one can see from outside,” Ai quickly assured him.
Xiao Yang hesitated for a moment but eventually lowered his head and took off his sunglasses.
He also removed his cap. After waiting outside for so long, Xiao Yang had sweated quite a bit. His golden hair was damp, sticking in strands against his temples. He was wearing a cartoon T-shirt with a small round collar, resembling a child’s top. The sweat from his hair flowed down his neck and into the neckline, but he didn’t bother to wipe it off. The cold air inside the car was blowing fiercely, and Xiao Yang reached out to adjust the air conditioning in Ai Wentao’s car. As he turned his head, his peach blossom eyes locked onto Ai Wentao’s face.
Even though Xiao Yang still had a mask on, and only his eyes were exposed, they were beautiful, with long and curled eyelashes. When his gaze moved, it was like a gust of wind. Ai Wentao stared blankly, suppressing the inner urge to start applauding, and discreetly displayed the foolish grin of a gentleman.
＊
Before noon, Zhou Zike was awakened. Ai Wentao had the key to Zhou Zike’s apartment, and Zhou Zike was aware of that. However, even if Ai Wentao had ten times the courage of Zike’s, he wouldn’t usually dare to disturb Zhou Zike. At this moment, Zhou Zike buried his head in the pillow and grumbling softly, looked up to see Xiao Yang standing at the bedside, wearing a mask, and glaring at him with cold and angry eyes.
Ai Wentao diligently tidied up Zhou Zike’s living room, throwing away cigarette butts, empty bottles, and some old car magazines that were on the table. Xiao Yang came out of the bedroom first and quickly sent a text message on his phone as he walked. Ai Wentao asked Xiao Yang if he wanted something to drink. Xiao Yang glanced at him and sat down on Zhou Zike’s sofa, paying no attention to the offer.
He looked around the room and his gaze paused on the floor-to-ceiling curtains on the largest wall of Zhou Zike’s living room.
“No, thank you,” Xiao Yang said, staring at the crane on the curtains for a moment. “I’ll leave as soon as I’m done talking to him.”
Zhou Zike came out of the bedroom, his eyes glancing at Ai Wentao, making Ai Wentao’s heart skip a beat.
Xiao Yang noticed that Zhou Zike had come out wearing dark gray pajama pants, bare-chested, and without shoes. He walked barefoot on the carpet, clearly not fully awake and ready to send the guest away at any moment.
“Are you planning to leave?” Xiao Yang asked directly.
Zhou Zike sat down across from him, squinting his eyes.
It seemed like he was really not fully awake yet.
As soon as Ai Wentao had entered the house, he’d opened the windows. However, despite the blowing air, the smell of alcohol and smoke in the room was still overwhelmingly strong. Xiao Yang lowered his head and picked up an empty whisky bottle from the trash can, looking at the alcohol content written on it.
“Qi Xing said you planned to leave,” Xiao Yang put the whisky bottle back and looked directly into Zhou Zike’s eyes. “Is that true? Are you planning to quit the group?”
Zhou Zike tilted his head back, observing Xiao Yang’s serious expression.
“Shouldn’t you be happy?” he mumbled, half-awake.
Upon hearing that, Xiao Yang tilted his head and said, “I… I am indeed happy,” then he asked, “Why do you want to leave?”
Sunlight streamed in through the window, illuminating Zhou Zike’s young, bare torso and highlighting the textured muscles. Zhou Zike took a sip of the tea Ai Wentao brought him, his fingers exploring around and finding a cigarette box in the crevices of the sofa.
“Don’t smoke,” Xiao Yang said.
Zhou Zike lowered his head, touched the cigarette, lit it up, all in one smooth motion.
Suddenly, Xiao Yang remembered when he first debuted, Guo-jie repeatedly warned him, saying, “Yangyang, you have to play along with him. You’re the lead, but this person Zhou Zike, will do what he wants.”
Xiao Yang noticed the still-unhealed wound at the corner of Zhou Zike’s mouth.
“What are you gonna do if you leave the group?” Xiao Yang asked bluntly. “Zhou Zike, you’ve been in the group for three years, and you still don’t know how to do anything, yet you’re giving up just like that. Are you going to rely on your family after leaving the group? Are you going to live on air?”
Zhou Zike lowered his head, smoked, and upon hearing Xiao Yang’s words, he smiled and didn’t argue.
Ai Wentao looked shocked.
This person spoke to Zhou Zike in such a tone, yet Zhou Zike didn’t even get angry.
Xiao Yang, on the other hand, grew even angrier because Zhou Zike didn’t say a word. Xiao Yang frowned and said, “You… You’re the captain. You come and go as you please. Have you ever thought about the rest of us?”
Zhou Zike spoke up, “I’m good for nothing. Whether I come or go, what difference does it make.”
His voice was shockingly hoarse, yet his demeanor remained calm. Hearing this, Xiao Yang angrily retorted, “It does make a difference!”
“Whatever, you can’t leave,” Xiao Yang stood up from the sofa in anger, startling Ai Wentao. “We’re about to go to Japan. Even if you want to leave, you can’t leave right now… Do you even know that you’re the captain? I’d rather you not sing and talk, even if you just stand on stage silently. I’d rather you keep going through the motions… There’s no way I’m letting you quit!”
He finished his rant, breathing heavily, his face and eyes turning red.
Zhou Zike looked at him in surprise.
It was only then that Ai Wentao understood what was happening. He asked Zhou Zike, “What’s going on? You don’t wanna do it anymore?”
Zhou Zike extinguished his cigarette and replied grumpily, “How would I know? I drank too much yesterday.”
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yang turned around and widened his eyes, staring at him.
Zhou Zike also looked at him and asked, “Can I go back to sleep now?”
