Translator: Viv
Editor: thomas
Ai Wentao asked Zhou Zike to take his temperature before going to sleep, but Zhou Zike had already closed the bedroom door, completely dismissing him.
Xiao Yang pondered over Zhou Zike’s reaction just now. He lowered his head to text Luo Cheng while glancing up at Ai Wentao.
“You’re Zhou Zike’s friend?” He asked again.
Ai Wentao replied, “Yes, why?”
“You just seem more like a babysitter,” Xiao Yang remarked.
Ai Wentao adjusted his facial expression and said, “Ordinary people don’t get the opportunity to treat him this well. Do you understand?”
“I don’t understand,” Xiao Yang retorted dismissively and bypassed Ai Wentao, heading straight for Zhou Zike’s door. Ai Wentao was startled and asked him what he was doing. Suddenly, Xiao Yang reached out his hand and banged on the door, shouting loudly, “Luo Cheng wants you to come out for a meal. The four of us are going. Are you coming or not? Are you coming or not?!!”
Yi Xuesong walked into the private room with a backpack on his back. He saw that Xiao Yang and the others were already grilling meat. Tao Rui and Luo Cheng were there, and there was also a rare guest sitting beside them. Yi Xuesong stared at the person for a while, then slowly took off his sunglasses, leaned in, and carefully looked at him again, confirming that it was indeed Zhou Zike himself. He turned to Xiao Yang and asked, “What’s the occasion today?”
Xiao Yang, holding tongs, diligently flipped the meat on the grill and generously placed several undercooked and burnt pieces of beef into Yi Xuesong’s plate. Yi Xuesong sat next to him, raised his chin in Zhou Zike’s direction, and silently mouthed, “How’d he end up here?”
Xiao Yang also mouthed back, “I got him to come. Isn’t it crazy?”
Tao Rui had been talking to Zhou Zike the whole time, going San-ge this, San-ge that. Zhou Zike, ranked third in KAIser by age, was always called “Third Brother” by Tao Rui. At this moment, Zhou Zike was half-listening to Tao Rui’s words while drinking with Luo Cheng.
Although Luo Cheng had known Zhou Zike for over three years, they hadn’t had many meals together. His unexpected appearance today was both strange and rare. Luo Cheng told Zhou Zike that he had truly been scared out of his wits earlier, thinking that Zhou Zike was really going to leave the group. When Luo Cheng had said this, Tao Rui had been stunned beside him, while Zhou Zike had merely propped up his head with his hand, gazing at Tao Rui’s youthful face with a hint of nostalgia, and then after a while gazing at the mature face of Luo Cheng.
Both of them waited for him to speak, but he remained silent. It was unclear whether he didn’t want to speak or simply had nothing to say. What was the reason behind Zhou Zike’s sudden appearance?
Beer was brought over, Zhou Zike took it and continued drinking. When it came to private gatherings among the members of KAIser, Zhou Zike never participated. He truly had no idea what had happened among his teammates or what was currently happening. He knew nothing about their experiences, lives, or personalities. Compared to the others, he seemed too distant. Xiao Yang had a bit too much to drink and started shouting, asking Tao Rui if he was still in contact with any fangirls. Tao Rui stuttered, unable to explain clearly, and became even more nervous with Zhou Zike sitting next to him.
Luo Cheng, with nothing better to say, decided to bring up the issue of little Tao Rui.
At Asia Star Entertainment, for anyone who was an idol with some popularity, they received boxes upon boxes of letters from the company every week. Some were sent from thousands of miles away, while some fans persisted in personally delivering them to the reception desk every day. Most idols were busy, living lives with reversed day and night where they didn’t even have time to eat a proper meal. With so many letters piling up, they simply didn’t have time to open and read them all, so they had to find a way to manage them.
But at the very least, they would show some attitude. They would bring the letters and gifts back home and express their gratitude and appreciation to the fans.
Zhou Zike was an exception. He had made it clear a long time ago that he didn’t read them and told everyone not to bother writing.
Tao Rui was also an exception. When he debuted, he would read every letter he received and not only that, but he would also make time to write back to each person.
The entire team saw Tao Rui as the youngest, most innocent, and energetic member. While others were sound asleep backstage or utilizing any available time to rest, he was busy writing replies. Whether on planes, trains, or cars, whenever he had a spare moment, he would dedicate it to responding to letters. However, Tao Rui no longer had the ability to do so as new fans continuously sent him letters, overwhelming him to the point where he no longer had time to read them all. The only fan he maintained contact with was the very first one he had corresponded with.
Xiao Yang said, “You’ve been exchanging letters for three years. If you like her and she likes you, shouldn’t she at least come to see you after all the lovey-dovey talk in the letters? You’ve done so many tours, and she still hasn’t come?”
Tao Rui’s face turned red, and he glanced awkwardly at Zhou Zike before replying, “I’ve talked to her about it, but she’s always busy.”
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.
Xiao Yang furrowed his brow and with a good-natured tone said, “So you don’t find this person suspicious at all?”
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Zhou Zike ignored him.
Xiao Yang chuckled.
Yi Xuesong pulled the tipsy Xiao Yang back and listened to him happily talk about the legend of “Mr. Zhou”: “I later discovered that every time she wrote a letter, the story about ‘Mr. Zhou’ was different. She made it up. What was her name again… Wenjun?”
Xiao Yang had consumed too much alcohol and was restlessly bouncing in his seat. Yi Xuesong, accustomed to his behavior, didn’t mind the ruckus.
Luo Cheng watched them and suddenly said, “Growing up together from a young age, the bond is different.”
Zhou Zike suddenly stood up.
Luo Cheng asked, “You leaving?”
Zhou Zike held the cigarette case in his hand, grabbed a lighter, and walked out.
Yi Xuesong asked Tao Rui how he felt.
Tao Rui glanced in the direction Zhou Zike had left, and the smile on his face seemed somewhat forced.
Luo Cheng chuckled and said, “This is your first time eating with your idol, huh?”
Tao Rui nodded vigorously. He picked up the chopsticks in front of him, held them in his hand without picking up any food, and after a while, he said, “Third Brother is the same offstage as he is onstage. He’s really amazing.”
Luo Cheng looked at Yi Xuesong, and the two of them exchanged smiles.
“Third Brother really has a charismatic idol aura,” Tao Rui said seriously. “Actually, when I first heard other seniors say that, I didn’t quite understand. But the more I got to know him personally, the more I understood what idol charisma means.”
Yi Xuesong listened to the young boy’s musings and asked, “So what does it mean?”
Tao Rui blushed and stammered, “It’s… it’s…”
He couldn’t articulate it for a while, so Luo Cheng asked, “Which senior told you that?”
Tao Rui replied, “Tang Zhen Laoshi.”
Luo Cheng listened and blinked. Yi Xuesong probably hadn’t expected it either.
In ASE, many people knew that Tao Rui’s idol was his captain, Zhou Zike. Many people had always regarded Tao Rui’s almost obsessive admiration for Zhou Zike as something cute and amusing.
Xiao Yang rubbed his eyes and asked, “What are you guys talking about?”
Yi Xuesong poured him a cup of tea, which he placed on the table. It had already gone cold.
Luo Cheng asked, “When did Tang Zhen mention this to you?”
Tao Rui thought for a moment, his ears turning red. “It was a long time ago, back when we hadn’t debuted yet.”
“Why haven’t you ever brought it up?” Luo Cheng said.
“If I’d mentioned it, you all would have laughed at me,” Tao Rui honestly replied, recalling the memory. “It was when Tang Zhen invited us to his house for the first time. He said if we had any questions, we could ask him privately, and he’d help us solve them and give us advice… Did none of you ask?”
Luo Cheng shook his head and looked at the other two. Only Xiao Yang, who had just woken up, said, “I asked.” He then urged Tao Rui, “Go on, continue.”
“On that day at his house, I asked, I asked how I could become a qualified idol, what kind of person an idol should be…” Tao Rui reminisced. “Tang Zhen said I should find my place and my own style as early as possible. And… Third Brother just happened to be there that day, but he kept to himself, didn’t talk to me or Tang Zhen Laoshi. Tang Zhen Laoshi said that Third Brother was someone with a lot of idol charisma…”
Xiao Yang held the tea, listening intently.
Tao Rui continued his recollection, “Tang Zhen also said that Third Brother is very dazzling… He said he has an authentic personality, a unique temperament, and is even a bit… dangerous? Something like that. He said he has the kind of aura that makes people feel a sense of danger. He also said that someone who leaves a lasting impression like that is a natural-born idol.”
Xiao Yang suddenly lowered his voice and asked Tao Rui, “Did Tang Zhen Laoshi mention anything about me?”
Tao Rui quickly replied, “Tang Zhen Laoshi has mentioned you many times. He said you’re the most outstanding among the new generation of artists in the company and that I should learn a lot from you.”
“Do you guys still talk?” Luo Cheng asked.
Tao Rui said, “We text sometimes.”
“Does he reply?” Yi Xuesong asked.
“Usually after a while,” Tao Rui replied.
Yi Xuesong said, “He can still reply to messages now?”
Tao Rui thought for a moment and said, “He… I’m not sure…”
He added, “Didn’t we all go see him together that day? I think Xin-jie helped him reply.”
Luo Cheng looked at his watch and said, “Why hasn’t Zike come back yet?”
“He probably went for a smoke,” Tao Rui said.
Xiao Yang was still thinking about the previous topic. “Do you think there’s hope for Tang Zhen Laoshi to recover?”
Yi Xuesong turned off the grill.
Tao Rui looked at Xiao Yang and hesitated to respond.
Luo Cheng poured the remaining beer into a glass, breaking the silence. “Actually, I have a friend who works in this field. He said that although Tang Zhen Laoshi’s illness is difficult to cure and prone to relapse, as long as he’s taking his meds consistently, there shouldn’t be too many issues.”
“What do you mean by ‘not too many issues’?” Xiao Yang asked.
“At least he can live his life,” Luo Cheng speculated.
Tao Rui hesitated and said, “But to live his life, he would have to rely on medication for the rest of his life…”
Luo Cheng listened to his words and asked, “What about it?”
“Do you think Tang Zhen can bear that?” Tao Rui said timidly.
Luo Cheng glanced at Xiao Yang.
Tao Rui probably didn’t know how to continue, so he raised his hand a couple of times towards the ceiling. “After all, he used to be such a… such a…”
Xiao Yang suddenly nodded in understanding.
Luo Cheng said, “You mean the stark contrast between his current life and his past life makes it too difficult for him to accept.”
Tao Rui hadn’t spoken yet when Xiao Yang said, “It’s not like that, Lao Luo.”
“Tao Rui means that Tang Zhen Laoshi used to be godlike,” Xiao Yang explained, gesturing a couple of times. “Right? Everyone knew he was a genius—singing, songwriting, acting… Anything others couldn’t think of, he could do it effortlessly. People used to consider him a god among mortals.”
“For us, no matter how hard we work, we couldn’t possibly reach the heights he’d effortlessly achieved before. But now, look at Tang Zhen Laoshi. Without medication, he can’t even get through a normal day. Even with medication, he barely lives like a normal person. Everyone else can eat, sleep, and talks easily—things they were born able to do. But now he has to rely on medication to do those things. He can’t eat, can’t sleep, can’t have a conversation, can’t remember things. The meds help a little bit, but it comes with significant side effects. It’s essentially equivalent to being a useless person. Is this what you mean, Tao Rui?”
Luo Cheng pondered over Xiao Yang’s words for a moment and wondered, “Isn’t this still about not being able to accept the stark contrast in his life?”
“He can’t accept the outcome, not just the contrast,” Xiao Yang said to him. “It’s not like Tang Zhen Laoshi hasn’t been through ups and downs before. No matter how big the contrast, he could always pick himself up after a fall. But now, he’s not just falling—he’s sick. This illness is difficult to treat, and there’s a high chance he’ll have to live like this for the rest of his life. He’s not just anybody; he’s Tang Zhen. If he’s left to live his remaining years like a useless person…”
Xiao Yang didn’t know how to continue. He ran his fingers through his hair and finally said, “Forget it, I’m not him, so I can’t fully understand. I just feel that Tang Zhen, such a… such a proud person. This current life for him is a kind of humiliation.”
Tao Rui whispered, “I feel the same way. He’s not having an easy time.”
“You didn’t express your pity to his face, did you?” Yi Xuesong said.
Tao Rui replied, “Of course not.”
Xiao Yang shook his head, gripping his drink tightly. “He doesn’t need our sympathy anyway.”
Tao Rui said, “I know. I visited his house a few days ago, and he seemed quite happy. I didn’t say anything.”
Luo Cheng had been waiting for Zhou Zike to return, but when it was time to settle the bill, he stepped out of the private room and asked a familiar waiter. The waiter informed him that the gentleman who had left a while ago went to the balcony on the first floor and hadn’t come back yet. The waiter whispered, “Is he really Zhou Zike?”
Luo Cheng descended to the first floor, pushed open the balcony door, and saw Zhou Zike sitting at a windy spot, smoking.
Across the balcony from the barbecue restaurant was a chain supermarket with a small television embedded in the window. It was facing the street and playing a music video from nine years ago.
Luo Cheng sat next to Zhou Zike, who was blowing smoke into the air without looking at him, his gaze fixed on the TV screen.
Luo Cheng said, “My dad can also sing this song.”
Zhou Zike remained silent, so Luo Cheng continued, “But he always sings the wrong lyrics. Especially the line ‘cherish you like a dream, love you like a dream.’ He always sings it as ‘a lifetime’s dream’ or ‘you are the dream.’ He never gets it right, and he thinks that he’s singing it correctly, and that Tang Zhen sang it wrong.”
