Author: 反舌鸟 / Mockingbird
Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/
Editor: Eli
Chapter 32
Going to school was just an excuse to avoid some activities, but he still had to show up for his group’s activities.
Jiang Yu was currently trying to get out of something via WeChat. “I have to go to school.”
The agent replied, “It’s only three subway stops away, which is practically nothing in Beijing. How can you not come?”
She added, “Xingyu, you only got 200 points on your mock exam, so stop pretending you love studying.”
Frustrated, Jiang Yu shut off his phone. Getting 200 points was already a great effort for him. After so many years and so many changes in the curriculum, remembering this much showed he was a genius.
This genius packed his bags, ready to go perform.
Unconsciously, his role in the group had changed. Originally doing more dancing, now he often used the excuse of a back injury, like a mistreated, disabled person, to show off his singing skills—not great, but good enough for a boy band. He thought, in his past life, his mother made him learn to sing, and it finally had some use. However, he had cut ties with her, never seeing her again.
Mainly, even if they met, he wouldn’t know what to say. Jiang Yu comforted himself with self-deception, thinking he couldn’t say, “Hello, Auntie, I’m your son’s boyfriend’s new lover. Do I look like your son who died young?” He feared being seen as provocative and then thrown out.
Unexpectedly, besides participating in activities, there were other tasks.
“Record a cheer-up video for Zhong Mo,” the agent holding the phone ready to shoot said.
Jiang Yu almost asked who Zhong Mo was but then remembered seeing the other party standing and smiling. That teammate, always concerned about his popularity, was about to participate in a new talent show, leaving for several months.
“I don’t have much to say,” Jiang Yu said helplessly, but surrendered when Zhong Mo’s expression changed. “Fine, I get it. I’ll say something polite.”
He cleared his throat, said a lot of courteous words, and, seeing Zhong Mo’s expression improve, he couldn’t resist teasing.
“Finally,” Jiang Yu said, “don’t be too afraid of not debuting. Life is about constant failure. Even if you have temporary success, more failures await. You just have to keep going and not stop.”
It sounded like a curse, yet it was spoken tenderly, leaving the agent and Zhong Mo unsure how to react.
The ride back to the company was unusually quiet. Jiang Yu sat by the window, next to Lu Zheming, looking at the commercial district outside. He said to Lu Zheming, “A whale was unearthed here.”
Lu Zheming didn’t catch it at first. “What? A goldfish*?”
*Clarity: Jiang Yu says whale [jingyu] (鲸鱼) but Lu Zheming thought he heard goldfish [jinyu] (金鱼).
“A whale,” Jiang Yu said. “You can’t distinguish between front and back nasal sounds. In Wangfujing, whale vertebra fossils were unearthed, indicating Beijing was once a sea.”
Zhong Mo snorted. “Just back to school for a few days and already pretending to be cultured.”
But the other teammates were intrigued. “A whale? In Wangfujing? Wow, that could crush a mall!”
“Yeah,” Jiang Yu agreed. “If it traveled to the present, there would be no sea—just air pollution. If it fell on a road, traffic would be worse.”
They were stuck in traffic now, but everyone was used to it. Traffic jams were normal in Beijing.
The weather was gloomy and oppressive, likely to rain soon. Dark clouds hung low, almost about to fall. Jiang Yu suddenly wished for rain, imagining himself as the whale. Thousands of years ago, the whale wouldn’t have expected this place to become dry, bustling land. He crossed a year, becoming someone else. Everything changed, but the whale didn’t die in the Beijing of a year later, because someone was waiting for him, and he could find a water source.
Back at the company, Jiang Yu pulled Lu Zheming aside and asked, “I wanted to ask, with him going, why aren’t you participating? Are there quota restrictions?”
In their group, only Long Xingyu, Zhong Mo, and Lu Zheming had some presence. It was really a pitiful, unknown group.
Lu Zheming understood, smiling. “Thanks to you for introducing me to the crew. I might have something to do later, no need to join the commotion. Regardless of overall ability, I can’t compete.”
Jiang Yu remembered that to the public, Lu Zheming was already a recycled idol. Participating again had no appeal, and at almost 26, though young to Jiang Yu, some might think he never had a chance from the start.
Jiang Yu didn’t press further, turning to see the excited Zhong Mo.
He found Zhong Mo both cute and annoying, the annoyance coming from Zhong Mo’s resemblance to Jiang Yu’s younger self.
“He hasn’t failed yet,” Jiang Yu said. “He was very happy the first time he surpassed me in popularity. Thinking I had a scandal, he was also happy, as if that made him better. Joining an uncertain talent show, happy again, because there’s hope for success.”
A little bit of progress made him very satisfied, and his attempts to trip people up were so obvious, displayed directly on Weibo. He pinned comments suggesting an ambiguous relationship between Long Xingyu and the Film Emperor to the top, even adding, “Don’t say that.” As Jiang Yu expected, although Long Xingyu faced some criticism, there was no evidence, and it negatively affected Zhong Mo instead. His backstabbing comments about his teammate weren’t well received.
Unexpectedly, Yu Ruoyun’s studio issued a rare statement, indirectly stating that they reserved the right to take legal action against online rumors. The Film Emperor had almost never taken such actions. His first rumor clarification was in response to open slander, which Jiang Yu found quite absurd.
But perhaps, it wasn’t the only exception Yu Ruoyun made for him.
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