Chapter 7: Wrong Ship
The livestream was temporarily closed after the guests boarded the plane.
However, the platform’s search index showed no signs of declining. The hashtag #AwaySameFrame alone was enough to top the trending searches.
Not to mention the reappearance of Tang Yue, a person who had been absent from the public eye for five years.
#JiangShuLuTangYueEmbrace
#TangYueIsMarried
#WhereIsYourMom
#LiuXiChaoCanYouPhotoshopmMeIn
…
This day was nothing short of a feast for male idol group fans.
Many fans of current top male idol groups had also been Away group fans. Chasing stars isn’t just a fleeting craze; it’s more about the shared growth experience between idols and fans.
Fans reminisced about the past, yearning not only for the idols’ appearances but also for their own unwavering dedication back then.
This nostalgic boost became the biggest promotional tool for the variety show, A Mountain Journey with Little Ones.
This show, billed as a kids’ variety show, was considered by many to be essentially a group variety show. Furthermore, the only member who couldn’t attend, Liu Xi Chao, also stated he would participate, just as a guest in the second leg.
Of the four members back then, Captain Jiang Shulu is now a business tycoon, the undisputed head of an established wealthy family. Second member Yao Lixin is still pursuing his passion for dance. Third member Liu Xi Chao is an actor, and his filming schedule prevented him from attending earlier.
Only Tang Yue seemed to have vanished from the face of the earth.
Even artists who have relocated overseas are sometimes spotted by fans, leaking bits and pieces of news, but not Tang Yue.
This became the biggest selling point of the show.
The app’s associated forum was practically flooded, and after Jiang Shulu and Tang Yue’s meeting, it became a cacophony of screams and cries.
——《I never noticed how good Jiang Shulu x Tang Yue looked together! I was blind!》
1L: I can’t live anymore. Now that he’s married with a child, how can I ship them? I missed it, I missed it.
2L: Who needs morals?! Ship them! Didn’t Xiao Mie say his mom is gone?!
3L: But Tang Yue looks incredibly lonely, not like someone who’s married, but more like a widower… What’s going on?! I’m definitely watching this show.
4L: I don’t know about other wealthy families, but the Jiang family seems to marry young, arranged marriages and all. How come Jiang Shulu is almost 29 and still unmarried?
5L: There were rumors that he’s gay.
6L: Thankfully, Yao Lixin is still in this show. I remember he loves a good spectacle. If Liu Xi Chao were here, it would be even more exciting; a dramatic group variety show.
7L: This is a kids’ variety show! Wake up!!
8L: Someone just shared how to ship the captain x maknae during their group days. I’m in! How did those people ship the captain x Liu Xi Chao back then? It’s nothing compared to the intrigue of Tang Yue.
9L: Why haven’t they gotten off the plane yet? I’m dying! I keep replaying that hug. They were fully clothed, but it felt like… heh.
10L: Jiang Shulu is the classic type: gentle and smiling, but his eyes reveal a different story. Have you seen his corporate press conferences? He’s incredibly in control. Not to mention that line at the airport: “If you won’t come over, then I’ll come to you…” I saw him practically shove him!
…
Tang Yue, meanwhile, was restless.
The show’s chartered flight was headed to their destination. Tang Yue didn’t want to sit next to Jiang Shulu, keeping a considerable distance.
Yao Lixin introduced his nephew, Yao Xuan Yu, to Tang Mian.
Yao Xuan Yu was a bit aloof, but Tang Mian was very affectionate, and the two children quickly bonded, even sitting together on the plane.
Yao Lixin looked at Tang Yue beside him, then at Jiang Shulu across the aisle.
Even though he made time for the variety show, Jiang Shulu still looked busy, seemingly handling work matters.
Yao Lixin asked Tang Yue, “Why are you still so afraid of the captain? You’re a dad now; I thought you’d be more composed.”
The man with tan skin smiled brightly, easily drawing others closer.
When Tang Yue first arrived in this world, he was timid and nervous, like a newly hatched chick. Yao Lixin was the one who initially took him out to eat and play.
Tang Yue: “Is the captain okay?”
Yao Lixin was amused: “If you’re so concerned, why didn’t you say so earlier?”
Tang Yue: “I didn’t know how to say it.”
Yao Lixin sighed: “Let this older brother see how you’re doing now.”
His voice was slightly low, inconsistent with his bright smile. After saying this, he naturally cupped Tang Yue’s face.
Jiang Shulu, on the other side, pretended to look at his computer, but his peripheral vision was on them.
Tang Yue’s avoidance was obvious. After the hug, he quickly moved to Yao Lixin, clinging to him in the small space.
Jiang Shulu couldn’t pull him over. He’d been raised to be restrained and composed, so he could only give up.
He could only watch Tang Yue obediently have his face cupped by Yao Lixin.
Jiang Shulu thought: Yao Lixin, you’re married with a wife! Is this appropriate?
Thankfully, it wasn’t a live stream; otherwise, the comments would have been a repeat of the old days.
Jiang Shulu hadn’t really understood fan culture before joining the boy band.
He had simply been feeling stifled, otherwise he wouldn’t have disrupted his family to pursue a career in entertainment halfway through his studies.
Cheng Kong Media was also a company under the Jiang family, but it had been taken over by Jiang Shulu’s uncle, Jiang He, who changed the operating model and restarted it.
The only family member who supported Jiang Shulu’s boy band dreams was his uncle, who wasn’t in good health.
The boy band Away only existed because of Jiang Shulu.
Members like Liu Xi Chao and Yao Lixin were artists signed by Cheng Kong Media from talent shows.
Liu Xi Chao was the champion of the first talent show organized by Cheng Kong Media.
Yao Lixin was from a street dance talent show and a returned overseas Chinese.
Before all this, Jiang Shulu was simply a business heir destined for a strict path in finance.
No one expected that at age 21, he’d unleash a rebellious streak that hadn’t surfaced during his adolescence, becoming the personification of rebelliousness in the eyes of his peers.
This lasted for two or three months. Not long after Jiang Shulu settled things with his family, he received news of Tang Yue’s accident.
The company held several meetings discussing whether to replace him.
Jiang Shulu had always been expected to be the best. Plan B was virtually nonexistent in his life. This applied to his studies, his overseas education, and even marriage.
His family had even arranged a blind date for him that year.
He was supposed to choose a suitable woman to marry, have children according to plan, and continue the family business.
But Jiang Shulu wasn’t content. He wanted to try something different.
His uncle, Jiang He, happened to suggest this, jokingly adding: “I remember when you were a child, you were so obedient that the pressure made you sick, studying at home instead of going to school.”
He paused: “I thought you’d gotten over it.”
The Jiang family only had Jiang Shulu as its heir, and his mother had very high standards, demanding that he be both restrained, powerful, and gentle.
So Jiang Shulu had forgotten whether his hobbies were actually hobbies or just impressive items on his resume.
Jiang He: “Maybe you should try.”
He pushed the proposal across the desk. It was Cheng Kong Media’s shelved boy band plan.
It addressed the shortcomings of the previous seven-member debut model and discarded the requirement of forming a group immediately after a talent show.
It also reflected the planning department’s new ambition – a group with the strong team spirit of the 1990s.
Something that could leave a significant mark on the entertainment industry.
Jiang He: “Something long-lasting isn’t always good, so this will be a limited-time group.”
“Three years. I believe it won’t significantly affect your life plan.”
Being members of the same family, Jiang He and Jiang Shulu shared some similarities.
But Jiang He possessed more of the seasoned wisdom of a mature man, having experienced highs and lows.
Jiang Shulu, on the other hand, exhibited a refined air, like bamboo that hadn’t yet been weathered by storms. Precisely because he was at his prime, Jiang He, with an investor’s eye, knew that Jiang Shulu’s face was the best selling point.
Jiang He: “After all, your parents want you to get married right after college, don’t they?”
Jiang Shulu accepted the proposal. He’d lived a meticulously planned life for twenty-one years, knowing that there was something inside him that needed to break free.
He never forgot his life before the age of seven, when his young mother looked at the posters on the wall and said, “I have idols I like, too.”
Things didn’t go as smoothly as Jiang Shulu expected.
He maneuvered carefully, trying not to become a variable, but the variable turned out to be the lead singer he and two others chose.
The planned rookie lead singer, Tang Yue, had amnesia.
Everything had to start over. Fortunately, after a serious illness, he blossomed into a genius.
That year, Jiang Shulu didn’t expect to fall for this boy with pure eyes.
Eight years later, in this situation, it was bittersweet and somewhat frustrating.
Yao Lixin rubbed Tang Yue’s face like a dog on the plane, until Tang Yue finally slapped his hand away.
The tan-skinned man grinned, but Tang Yue stared at his ring, “Yao Ge, you’re engaged too?”
Yao Lixin nodded, “Wrong, I’m married.”
His voice held a hint of regret, “Really, you weren’t even my best man, you didn’t sing at my wedding. Such a pity.”
Tang Yue’s face crumpled with sadness, then Yao Lixin lifted his chin.
He was like this even when they were in the group, known for his flippancy, jokingly called naturally gay. Ironically, he was the first to get married.
Yao Lixin: “I’ll introduce you to my wife sometime.”
Tang Yue removed Yao Lixin’s finger, letting out an “oh.” His long eyelashes cast a lonely shadow as he looked down.
He thought that Yao Lixin was married and couldn’t help but ask, “Then what about the captain and Liu Ge?”
Yao Lixin: “Are you asking if the captain is married?”
Tang Yue nodded.
The book mentioned an engagement, but same-sex marriage was legal in this world, so were they married?
Yao Lixin shrugged, “No. There are always rumors of him having dinner with some heiress, seemingly getting engaged, but he always denies it.”
Tang Yue said “oh,” thinking: Fake news, probably to reassure Liu Ge.
Yao Lixin: “But your Liu Ge is planning to get engaged. You can still make it to his wedding as a wedding singer.”
Yao Lixin’s voice held a lazy smile. He genuinely treated Tang Yue like a younger brother, and now that the boy had a child, he was even more affectionate.
Tang Yue said “oh,” “I know, will he and the captain have their wedding in China or abroad?”
He instinctively looked towards Jiang Shulu, and Jiang Shulu caught him.
The cabin was quiet, enough for Jiang Shulu to hear the question from across the aisle.
His face darkened.
Yao Lixin exclaimed, “Why would Liu Xi Chao marry Jiang Shulu?”
Tang Yue: “Aren’t they engaged? They’ve been dating for a long time, haven’t they?”
His mind was a mess, and he spoke incoherently: “When… when we hadn’t disbanded, I… I saw Liu Ge and the captain’s… back… a picture of their backs, holding hands… it wasn’t…”
His voice trailed off, because Jiang Shulu was walking over.
Tang Yue stammered for a long time, finally squeezing out, “Wasn’t it a natural progression?”
Yao Lixin laughed, looking at the man who couldn’t stand it anymore and automatically gave up his seat.
He also patted Tang Yue’s head: “Have you been reading too many fan comments? Liu Xi Chao’s boyfriend has never been the captain. It’s the captain’s uncle.”
Tang Yue: “Uncle?”
Jiang Shulu had already sat next to Tang Yue.
Tang Yue looked at Yao Lixin through Jiang Shulu, trying to confirm.
His face was turned, Jiang Shulu’s aloof and noble face was very close, Tang Yue was almost dizzy from the familiar scent.
He felt the place where Jiang Shulu was holding his face was burning hot.
Why does he have to talk so close?
So strange.
Jiang Shulu looked at the face close at hand, a little amused and helpless. He felt Tang Yue was even more clumsy than before.
Jiang Shulu: “What have I done wrong to make you dislike me so much?”
He fled to the ends of the earth, making him yearn for him.
Then, he reappeared without warning.
Unforgivable.
It almost made Jiang Shulu want to disregard everything, whether Tang Yue had a woman or not, whether Tang Mian’s mother was dead or alive.
His past rebelliousness surged back, urging Jiang Shulu to possess Tang Yue completely.
Like in a dream, holding the young man’s slender waist, marking his burning soul inch by inch.
Letting the flowers bloom and bear fruit, using burning desire to make the person he longed for entirely his.