Chapter 3: Long Time No See
More than half of Tang Yue’s suitcase was filled with Tang Mian’s clothes. Before leaving, he couldn’t help but check the contents again.
Even the aliens who once relied on AI for packing had learned how to optimize luggage space. However, his obsessive-compulsive tendencies remained, and having not faced a camera in many years, he looked stiff and awkward from every angle.
The number of viewers in the livestream steadily increased. Many were shocked to see Tang Yue’s child, the scrolling comments filled with question marks.
The hashtag #TangYueChild quickly trended. Neither marketing accounts nor industry insiders expected that Away’s youngest member would be the first to have a child.
The program crew was also surprised by the higher-than-expected viewership.
The topic’s popularity spanned all platforms, eliminating the need for further promotion from the publicity team.
“Why is he living here?”
“The house is clean, but it looks so old.”
“This kid is so cute. Does he have curly hair?”
“Tang Yue has straight hair.”
“When you say curly hair, I think of Jiang Shulu. He’s…”
“This is terrifying! Who spread this? My entire WeChat Moments is having an Away renaissance, and they’re saying that Jiang Shulu and Tang Yue having a child is irrefutable evidence!”
“Men can’t have children! Who slept with our lovely maknae?!”
Jiang Shulu and Yao Lixin met at the airport, waiting for Tang Yue to arrive.
They had met just last month, so there was no feeling of a long-awaited reunion.
Yao Lixin: “This is my nephew, Yao Xuan Yu. He’s six years old, and he takes my sister’s surname.”
The child somewhat resembled Yao Lixin, but their personalities were completely opposite. He was rather aloof.
He emotionlessly called Jiang Shulu “Uncle” and then went back to reading his manga.
With over an hour until boarding, Yao Lixin was bored in the VIP lounge, constantly asking the staff, “My nephew has a manga to read, can’t you give me back my phone?”
Jiang Shulu simply asked, “When is Tang Yue arriving?”
“Gosh, I’m so excited! But Liu Xi Chao said he can’t make it for the first leg, but they’ll definitely reunite eventually, right?!”
“How does Jiang Shulu look like that? Does wealth make you look good? He’s become even more handsome. Who told me he was number one in the appearance assessment group back then? There must be a charisma bonus, too.”
“Does he need an assessment? He’s the boss’s nephew, just a rebellious rich kid.”
“Is this a belated second rebellion? The Jiang family’s style is completely different from the entertainment industry.”
“How did Tang Yue manage to disappear for so many years?”
Off-camera, the staff began their routine questioning.
They first asked Jiang Shulu: “What was your reason for participating in this variety show?”
Jiang Shulu initially answered quite formally, with the demeanor he usually displays during work interviews: “The producer invited me.”
Yao Lixin, who was crammed next to his nephew reading manga, scoffed, unceremoniously contradicting the team leader: “It’s because of Tang Yue, isn’t it?”
He was very open about it: “We haven’t seen Tang Yue in many years, and every time I post on Weibo, fans ask when we’ll reunite.”
Yao Lixin shrugged: “So, here we are.”
The staff then asked Jiang Shulu: “They say your relationship with Tang Yue was the worst during your time in the group. Is that true?”
“Is this a long-overdue confession session after the group disbanded?”
“This sharp questioning style has me hooked. I have to watch this show!”
Jiang Shulu was speechless, pausing for a long time before finally saying helplessly:
“How could that be?”
The camera was practically a close-up shot. The face once hailed as that of a god-like being five years ago still retained its charm.
Jiang Shulu: “You should ask Tang Yue that question.”
For some reason, when he mentioned Tang Yue, the corners of his eyes would slightly turn upward, a habitual indulgence that hadn’t changed over the years.
This subtle upward curve made Jiang Shulu’s naturally aloof eyes seem to be tinged with affection, like a hint of worldly emotion, stirring up inexplicable emotions in the viewers.
It’s hard not to think of a certain Away concert ending where Tang Yue suddenly collapsed, and Jiang Shulu rushed him out of the venue.
He had a face that seemed incapable of emotion, and even when he smiled, it was always restrained, adhering to the rules of a wealthy heir. Yet, when facing Tang Yue, whether in outtakes, practice room footage, or other interviews, he always seemed particularly careful.
As if Tang Yue was a precious treasure from another world, requiring special protection.
After getting in the car, Tang Yue flipped through his documents.
He looked anxious, perhaps because he hadn’t been out in a long time, repeatedly checking the list he had made the day before.
The child sitting next to him grabbed Tang Yue’s hand: “Dad, you’ve checked ten times already! Everything’s correct; nothing is missing!”
The child had a round face and round curls, but not chubby, perfectly embodying cuteness.
“Help! I can’t accept Tang Yue being a dad! I can’t even imagine him… with someone… doing… that—”
“Come on, who among us didn’t read those famous Tang Yue fanfiction stories back then? Don’t pretend to be innocent!”
“I didn’t! Show me! (empty-handed plea)”
“Why?! Ever since Tang Yue showed up, my mind has been filled with questions. Aren’t you guys going to ask, program crew?”
Whenever Tang Yue appeared on screen, the comments exploded.
Firstly, after years of change in the entertainment industry, even countless newcomers debuting with a youthful image, or genuinely being young, couldn’t match Tang Yue’s stunning debut.
Tang Yue had a beautiful, cool appearance and a unique temperament, different from the captain Jiang Shulu’s elegance, the third member Liu Xi Chao’s gentleness, and the second member Yao Lixin’s rebellious charm. He was like the moon in the water, seemingly dissipating with a touch. Combined with his unique voice, no one could escape the allure of his personal charm.
But Tang Yue’s presence was also weak. During the group’s time together, they had forgotten Tang Yue twice.
Liu Xi Chao forgot him once, and Yao Lixin once.
Both times, Jiang Shulu found him. In a foreign country, captured by the show’s cameras, the young man looked bewildered and lost. It was Jiang Shulu who searched the streets and found him.
The handsome captain found the clueless maknae standing on the street in a downpour. Everyone could see that Jiang Shulu wanted to get angry, but he said nothing, directly pulling him into his arms.
Many people said it was scripted back then, while others argued that it was impossible.
But few weren’t moved by the atmosphere. The sound of thunder, Jiang Shulu carrying Tang Yue back to the hotel, Tang Yue not properly using his umbrella, both of them drenched.
But everyone could see how tightly Tang Yue held onto Jiang Shulu, as if afraid.
But no one expected Tang Yue to be lost a third time, disappearing completely for five years after Away disbanded.
At this moment, Tang Yue in the livestream said “Oh.”
He played with Tang Mian’s hand, his hair falling to his shoulders, his profile making him look exactly the same as before. It was as if time only affected the other three, while Tang Yue remained the same as five years ago.
Tang Mian, wearing matching clothes with Tang Yue, sat very quietly.
He was exceptionally cute, and even the cameramen in the car couldn’t help but chat with him.
“What’s your name?”
Tang Mian: “Mian, like sleep, Tang Mian.”
Cameraman: “Did baby have breakfast?”
Tang Mian sweetly replied that he had.
Before filming, the program crew had conducted several surveys on Away and had some written knowledge about Tang Yue. But upon meeting him in person, they discovered that this guest wasn’t very photogenic.
Tang Yue was twenty-five years old, appearing both unapproachable and captivating.
So, it wasn’t just the audience who was curious, but also the program staff.
Who is the child’s mother?
This question couldn’t be asked yet.
The cameraman called out, “Mr. Tang, may I ask you a few questions?”
Tang Mian called out in a milky voice, “Mr. Tang! They’re asking you!”
His skin resembled Tang Yue’s, looking like a porcelain doll, and his smile was very cute.
Tang Yue hummed and squeezed his son’s small hand.
“Why hasn’t he changed that habit? He likes to squeeze people’s fingers when he’s nervous.”
“Is there a compilation of Tang Yue squeezing fingers on a certain website?”
“Hahaha, it’s mainly because Tang Yue’s hands are pretty, and his teammates’ hands are pretty too, so the action of squeezing fingers looks…”
“Let me say it for you, suggestive.”
“Wuwuwu Tang Yue became a dad and still looks so young! Current boy group members should look at the quality and longevity of their predecessors!”
“This kid is too cute, I originally thought that the only child involved would be Yao Lixin’s nephew.”
Cameraman: “Why did you decide to participate in this variety show?”
Tang Yue slightly raised his eyes, the camera clearly capturing his gaze.
Ocean-like clarity, easily making one forget to breathe.
Information about Tang Yue could still be found on his Wikipedia page: his mother was a foreigner, and his father was mixed-race.
Tang Yue: “My little Mian wants a free trip.”
Tang Mian: “You wanted to travel too!”
Tang Yue: “You wanted to travel.”
He looked at the little one beside him. The child looked up, those eyes, identical to Jiang Shulu’s, often made Tang Yue lose his focus.
Tang Yue has been in this world for eight years. Initially, he thought he just needed to be well-behaved and avoid the actions of the villainous male supporting character from the book who shared his name.
Unexpectedly, some things were beyond his control.
In the book, Tang Yue did many foolish things out of jealousy towards Liu Xi Chao.
Tang Yue could only repeatedly avoid them, sadly discovering that he couldn’t escape his predetermined fate.
For example, the inevitable care from Jiang Shulu during his time in the group, and how he earnestly tried to matchmake Jiang Shulu and Liu Xi Chao, only to irrevocably fall for Jiang Shulu himself.
Tang Yue felt doomed.
Falling in love was one thing, but he could just not say anything, waiting for his contract to end and leaving the group automatically. He could go somewhere far away.
But on the last stop of the group’s final tour, Tang Yue ended up sleeping with Jiang Shulu.
And they had a… child.
Tang Yue used to feel lonely.
Even though he had avoided Jiang Shulu for many years, he was still grateful to him. He had given him a real family bound by blood, filling the void Tang Yue had longed to fill.
This world was wonderful; Tang Yue loved it.
There were real flowers, real animals, and fans who genuinely loved his singing.
Tang Mian was his biological son.
Tang Yue hoped Jiang Shulu would never know about this.
The cameraman asked, “Do you know who the other guests on this show are?”
The handsome maknae on screen paused: “Isn’t this a two-person trip with my little Mian?”
“Damn! He didn’t know!! I’m even more excited!”
“Fast forward to the meeting!!! I’m dying—”
“I’m looking forward to Jiang Shulu’s reaction when he sees Tang Yue’s child…”
“I’m more excited to see Yao Lixin’s comments. He used to love calling Tang Yue his good son, right?”
“Honey, I think you should tell the captain: ‘Shulu ge, I’m pregnant with your child,’ and scare him to death, hahaha!”