Author: 反舌鸟 / Mockingbird
Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/
Chapter 7
Long Xingyu knew nothing. As soon as he returned, he started getting scolded in rehearsals the next day.
He danced poorly, couldn’t keep up with the rhythm, and was criticized harshly. Long Xingyu didn’t mind that much. What annoyed him was when the criticism turned into accusations about his restless mind, claiming he was getting arrogant and complacent now that he had a bit of fame.
Long Xingyu thought, ‘If this is arrogance, you must be eating boneless wings all the time*.’
*Clarity: The line is “If these are tough wings, then you must be eating boneless wings all the time. Tough wings in this case is referring to “arrogance/acting tough”, followed by the rhetorical remark that the person making the criticism doesn’t even know what “arrogance” is (implying he only eats boneless wings).
He considered himself patient, enduring the harsh words without a peep. But after the lecture, he overheard some whispering. “I heard he’s hooked up with a sponsor and might go solo…”
They didn’t even bother to badmouth him in private. Long Xingyu was so angry he wanted to smash something, but all he had in the room were cosmetics, so he ended up smashing a compact powder case. Everything else he had to keep for use.
Before acting, he rarely wore makeup, only occasionally applying black powder to avoid reflections. Now, he had to wear full makeup and even be asked if he wanted to get fillers. Of course, he felt wronged.
The company also wanted him to endorse some sketchy facial masks. They were crazy for money. He refused the endorsement outright. He had seen Long Xingyu’s contract—it was unreasonable, exploitative, long-term, and had high penalty fees. Jiang Yu could see through it instantly, but it was more than enough to deceive a young man in his twenties. A lawsuit was possible but time-consuming, and others might hesitate to hire him due to contract disputes.
He thought this was karma. He used to look down on these idol groups, thinking they were just pretty faces with no real talent, exploiting opportunities. He’d often get asked by the media for his opinion. Although he wanted to keep quiet, the reporters would provoke him by saying young people loved these idols, implying that only the older generation liked him. This angered him, leading to some harsh comments that went viral (not bought this time). Some said Jiang Yu had the right to comment, while others argued he was just jealous of the younger generation. They pointed out that, despite being in the industry for over a decade, he hadn’t won any major awards and could never catch up to Yu Ruoyun.
Now he knew—he wouldn’t fare any better in this job either.
Speaking of which, what happened to that sketchy facial mask endorsement? Why did it suddenly disappear?
A hand holding a water bottle extended towards him. Long Xingyu looked up to see a smiling face. “Drink some water before you practice again.”
It was Lu Zheming, the group’s leader. When he first woke up, he couldn’t understand why Lu Zheming was the leader if he was supposedly the most popular. Later, he found out it was because Lu Zheming was the oldest and most experienced—he had been in a boy band before but had to disband due to a lack of opportunities. As the domestic industry grew, Lu Zheming returned, going from the youngest to the oldest—over 25 years old.
Long Xingyu took the bottle, thanked him, and set it aside, not planning to drink. He didn’t trust someone he wasn’t familiar with, fearing it might be poisoned.
Lu Zheming said, “I spoke to the dance teacher about your back injury. Some of the moves are too difficult for you. For non-synchronized parts, he’ll simplify them.”
Long Xingyu felt a bit embarrassed. He didn’t even know if he had a back injury, so he just said, “It’s a bit uncomfortable.”
Lu Zheming didn’t expose his lie and comforted him instead. “Most of the tickets are sold because of you. We should thank you. Don’t mind what others say. I’ve already spoken to them.”
Long Xingyu found it disdainful and boring. “It’s fine. They’re just jealous. If they have the guts, they can report me to the Trade and Industry Bureau for unfair competition, daring to have individual resources and a sponsor…”
He had indeed used some connections, but not Long Xingyu’s. A film company investing in the show was run by someone Jiang Yu had helped during its early days, even lending money when funds were tight. Long Xingyu approached the person, claiming to be Jiang Yu’s friend, saying nauseating things like “Jiang Yu Gege* always treated me like a little brother.” He wondered if the person thought he was a kept man.
*Brother (哥哥) Address towards men who are older than you and are close to you or your actual older relatives.
Saying this made him feel uncomfortable. The person eventually agreed to his request. After thanking him and leaving the company, he tried to hail a cab but found all taxis were occupied, and it started to drizzle.
Only after having died once did Jiang Yu realize he had connections and wasn’t doing too badly, but he couldn’t find a single friend with whom he could share his true identity without hesitation.
Except for Yu Ruoyun. But when he finally saw Yu Ruoyun, Yu Ruoyun had lost his memory.
He had to continue being Long Xingyu.
Lu Zheming didn’t comment on him, but Long Xingyu suddenly wanted to hear his opinion. Leaning forward slightly, he asked, “Don’t you want to know how I got the role?”
Lu Zheming didn’t refuse. “If you want to tell, go ahead.”
“Just like they said, I slept with the director.” Long Xingyu started spouting nonsense.
Lu Zheming patiently continued the conversation. “The new director doesn’t have that much power.”
“Then I threatened the investors with a knife,” Long Xingyu quickly said. “You know, the knife enters white and comes out red*.”
*(白刀子进红刀子出) Colloquialism refers to fighting to the death. It conveys a situation where the stakes are high and there’s no room for error, so you either come out of it unharmed (white knife) or injured/killed (red knife).
Seeing Lu Zheming’s helpless expression, Long Xingyu stopped. “Just kidding.”
“Actually, I took out a naked loan to buy the role. If I don’t pay it back soon, I’ll be ruined.” Long Xingyu said with a serious face.
Lu Zheming laughed. “I noticed your personality has changed a lot. You’re more cheerful.”
Long Xingyu paused, realizing he should tone it down, but since it was already like this, he decided to let it be. “I’ve come to terms with it. One should have a good attitude. I should learn that from you.”
He wasn’t joking. If he were like Lu Zheming, never becoming popular, he’d go crazy. If someone in the group had significantly more popularity, he’d go even crazier.
As if he hadn’t already gone crazy over this before.
His phone suddenly rang. Long Xingyu stood up. “I need to take a call.”
He spoke quickly, somewhat anxious, because it was Yu Ruoyun calling.
“Are you practicing?” Yu Ruoyun asked. There were noises in the background.
“Yeah.” Long Xingyu walked further away, leaving the corridor and entering the stairwell, closing the door behind him.
Yu Ruoyun didn’t have much to say. The questions he wanted to ask, Long Xingyu probably wouldn’t answer. After a few seconds of silence, Yu Ruoyun spoke first. “I went to the hospital a few days ago. The nurse told me that when I was in a coma, you stayed by my bedside. She thought you were family.”
“Thank you.” Yu Ruoyun said.
You’re welcome. I just wanted to make sure you didn’t die. Jiang Yu wanted to say this.
“You’re welcome.” Long Xingyu only said the first half.
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