TL: Hua

Chapter 113: New movie

Three days later, the DJ Group’s concert officially began.

Xuan Yihan’s departure from the group had not affected their popularity in the slightest.

In fact, without him, the group had become even more harmonious.

By the time Lin Yanran arrived, the entrance was swarming with fans who had come for the concert.

Many booths were set up outside, with various fansite managers distributing beautiful support materials for free.

He didn’t go in immediately but waited until just before the start of the show to head to his seat.

The seat Qiao Ye had given him was excellent, and on it lay group support materials distributed by the DJ Group fans.

Lin Yanran hadn’t watched many idol concerts before, so the entire experience felt very fresh to him.

He unwrapped the support items, took out the lightstick, turned it on, and waved it in the air, drawing a few red circles.

A young girl sitting next to him saw his movements and told him with a smile, “Little brother, that’s meant for the group sing-along later.”

“Ah? Is that so?”

Lin Yanran quickly turned the lightstick off.

Hearing his voice, the girl found it somewhat familiar, so she looked up at him.

He was wearing a mask, and his baseball cap was pressed very low, covering most of his face.

Even so, she could tell he must be very handsome.

The girl was surprised that such a handsome guy had come to support the DJ Group, but seeing that he seemed to have arrived late and missed some individual support items, she enthusiastically pulled out her own lightsticks.

“Little brother, whose fan are you? I’ve collected everyone’s support items here. Why don’t you pick one?”

As she spoke, she presented a variety of multicolored light sticks before him.

Although the DJ Group had a unified official color, each idol also had another color unique to them.

Lin Yanran usually didn’t pay attention to such things and had no idea which to choose.

Just as he was about to pick one at random, the girl spotted the ticket he had just scanned.

In the bottom corner of the ticket was a blue icon—Qiao Ye’s support color.

“Oh, you like Qiao Ye?” The girl was quite happy because she liked Qiao Ye too.

Seeing that this little brother shared her bias, she stuffed the blue lightstick into his hand and then fished out an identical one from her bag.

The girl waved it at him happily. Lin Yanran smiled, thanked her, and followed suit by waving his.

The concert began soon after. The fans at the scene were exceptionally passionate, and the screams in Lin Yanran’s ears never stopped.

He watched the boys on stage.

Qiao Ye was still that all-around idol and king of the stage; no matter where he stood, he was the center.

Xia Xingxing was as lively and cute as ever; wherever he was, laughter followed.

Ji Shuai’s hair had grown longer than before, and it was dyed a light blonde with small curls, making him increasingly charming.

Ye Xiyuan’s songwriting skills had improved significantly, and he performed several of his original songs today.

After group dances, solos, various subunit performances, and different idol combinations, time reached its conclusion before anyone realized it.

The final song from the idol sub-unit was performed by Qiao Ye, Xia Xingxing, Ji Shuai, and Ye Xiyuan.

The song was titled “Chasing the Light.” It was an original song with lyrics written by several of them and music composed by Ye Xiyuan; it hadn’t been included in any album.

Different in style from their previous songs, this was a lyrical slow song, recording the moments of these light-chasing youths as they pursued their dreams, thanking the fans and important people for their support and companionship along the way.

The fans had followed them step-by-step since Super Idol. Listening to this song now, all the bitterness, sweetness, and beautiful memories of the past flooded back into their hearts.

Amidst the youths’ gentle singing, the director was also switching camera angles across the venue.

On the big screen, the live footage kept changing.

Suddenly, the camera captured a silhouette.

Lin Yanran only realized what was happening when the entire audience erupted in screams and shouted “Yanran.”

Since he had been recognized, Lin Yanran graciously took off his mask and gave a slight smile to the camera. Like the fans, he raised the lightstick in his hand and waved it toward the people on stage.

Seeing this, the fans in the venue went crazy with excitement once again.

The young girl beside Lin Yanran looked at this familiar scene and turned her head toward the person next to her in disbelief.

No wonder she thought the little brother looked so familiar at first glance. It was Teacher Yanran!!

Wuwuwu no wonder Brother Qiao Ye kept looking over here every now and then tonight.

Originally, she thought her lightboard was attractive, but it turned out the attractive one was Teacher Yanran!

On the screen, after Lin Yanran waved gently, the boys on stage also waved and bowed excitedly in his direction.

Xia Xingxing even blew several kisses, shouting, “Idol, I will love you forever!”

Lin Yanran smiled, his beautiful eyes filled with the images of the youths.

In a daze, many old fans felt this scene was so familiar.

They suddenly remembered that every time the trainees from Yanran’s group went up to perform, the cameras would occasionally sweep past him, and he would look exactly like this.

When no one believed in them, he told these boys to be their own heroes and acted as their only supporter.

When the boys shone with brilliant light, he quietly hid his contributions and acted as their loyal audience member below the stage.

That autumn and winter were both fiery and inspiring. On the boys’ journey of chasing the light, their mentor had accompanied them with a presence that was consistently gentle yet firm.

A concert venue is the easiest place to get swept up in emotion. To the sentimental melody of “Chasing the Light,” many fans in the audience were moved to tears by the bond between the mentor and the trainees.

On stage, Xia Xingxing burst into tears, seemingly lost in thought. But after wiping away his tears, his reason was, “Why isn’t the light stick in my idol’s hand my color…?”

The fans, who originally had moist eyes, burst into laughter instantly.

Qiao Ye reached out and gently rubbed Xia Xingxing’s head before letting his gaze settle on the splash of his own support color held in Lin Yanran’s hand.

At least for this concert, at this very moment, it belonged to him and Lin Yanran.

By the time Lin Yanran returned from the DJ Group concert, a trending topic about him had already appeared on Weibo: #YanranSupportingQiaoYe#.

Netizens were discussing how Lin Yanran’s support for Qiao Ye ended up making Xia Xingxing cry from frustration, causing the topic to trend rapidly.

In the small group chat consisting of Zhong Xiao, Hong Huixue, and Gu Siye:

Zhong Xiao posted a link to the trending topic and laughed loudly.

Zhong Xiao: Little cutie Yanran actually went to Qiao Ye’s concert.

Zhong Xiao: He even held up a support light for him.

Hong Huixue: …..

Hong Huixue: Watch your back.

Before Zhong Xiao could finish reading Hong Huixue’s warning, he realized he had been kicked out of the chat by the group creator.

Zhong Xiao: “…”

Gu Siye, you petty, narrow-minded man!!

A minute later, he asked Hong Huixue to pull him back in.

He refreshed the screen for a long time, but it didn’t work.

Eventually, Hong Huixue sent him a screenshot. Gu Siye had enabled identity verification…

Zhong Xiao: “…”

Gu Siye, you vinegar jar demon!!!

After waiting and waiting without an invite, three minutes later, Zhong Xiao sent a private message to Gu Siye. He intended to have a serious talk and correct his friend’s pettiness.

It’s just going to a concert to support an idol, is that really worth getting jealous over?

So he said:

Zhong Xiao: No matter what, in his eyes, you’re the only one!!

After ten anxious minutes of waiting, Zhong Xiao was finally allowed back into the group.

—

Lin Yanran devoted himself to working on his album for several months. By the end of June, he had finally settled most of the details. The rest was left to the producer to finalize.

During the album production period, the company had kept other tasks off his plate.

Now that the word was out that he was free, invitations came pouring in. Variety shows, movies, TV dramas, musicals, advertisements… everyone wanted to collaborate with him.

Because Lin Yanran’s performances on variety shows were all outstanding, he received the most invitations to appear on variety shows.

Generally speaking, variety shows and advertisements offered the most money, had shorter filming cycles, and were relatively relaxed—the high-priority choice for most.

However, Lin Yanran hoped for more breakthroughs, so he focused his attention on acting.

Due to his superior performance in Imperial Power, many crews had sent him scripts, inviting him to star in what would be his first true film or television project.

After filtering through them, Lin Yanran set one script aside.

This script was different from the popular youth dramas on the market; it was a fantasy-themed youth drama. It used school and the college entrance exam as a vehicle for a light comedy about family and friendship. But that alone wasn’t enough to attract Lin Yanran. It was the suspense and the plot twist at the end that truly piqued his interest.

Compared to other film crews, this crew was very small, so small that it was inconspicuous, and even the director’s name was unfamiliar to most people.

However, they showed 100% sincerity. They provided a complete script, character introductions, and detailed scenarios. The director had even written a heartfelt introductory letter to Lin Yanran, explaining sincerely why he was the optimal choice.

Learning that Lin Yanran wanted to film this youth movie, Hong Huixue didn’t stop him, but she wasn’t very supportive either.

“I’ve read the script, and it is indeed good, but there’s an uncontrollable risk with this crew. They don’t have much investment, so filming conditions will definitely be harsh. Of course, that’s secondary; my biggest worry is that the capital chain will break mid-filming, or that the movie won’t get many screenings in theaters once it’s finished.”

Hong Huixue was telling the truth. This was why big-name artists rarely took scripts from small crews.

It wasn’t about looking down on them, but rather they had been scammed too many times.

Many scripts look good, and the crews seem reliable, only for filming to stop halfway due to various issues.

As a result, the actors waste precious time and energy for nothing; few people can afford that kind of setback.

Relatively speaking, everyone preferred working with familiar, well-funded crews.

Even if luck was bad and the film never came out, at least the paycheck was secure, acting as a form of self-protection.

Lin Yanran nodded. He hesitated for a moment but didn’t make a final decision immediately.

“I really like this script. Let’s keep it here for now and decide after I learn more about their specific situation.”

Hong Huixue didn’t actually want to forbid him from taking it, so she agreed and began privately checking if the crew was reliable.

In the following days, Lin Yanran searched for the director’s previous works.

He found the director quite interesting. The other party had studied fine arts, moved into comics, and then transitioned into the film industry.

Initially, he was involved in animation, but when he started directing his own projects, most of his output consisted of public service short films and documentaries.

Lin Yanran scoured every nook and cranny of the internet to find his works one by one.

It wasn’t that he distrusted the director; rather, he found the works highly creative and interesting. Even the documentaries had excellent visuals and pacing, so he couldn’t help but want to watch them all.

By the time he finished watching everything, he was determined to participate.

However, before he could contact them, another crew sent a very sincere invitation.

This project was called “Sparrow Feather,” a historical fantasy drama.

Compared to the small youth film crew, “Sparrow Feather” was far more grand—huge investment, big-name director, top-tier screenwriting team, and top-tier production.

The entire industry was looking forward to it, believing it was a strong contender for awards and high box office returns.

With such a lucrative opportunity available, many people in the industry would love to participate.

However, after seeing Lin Yanran’s appearance and acting skills in “Imperial Power,” the director felt that he was a perfect fit and warmly invited him to audition.

The crew didn’t give him the full script, only some character bios and excerpts.

Even from that small glimpse, one could tell the protagonist’s character design was excellent. It’s the kind of beautiful white moonlight role that becomes a fan favorite if played well. Furthermore, this director was famous for filming people and landscapes beautifully, making it a great fit for a beauty like Lin Yanran.

Since the youth film hadn’t secured investment yet and had no immediate plans to start shooting, Lin Yanran went to audition for this crew first.

Early in the morning, Lin Yanran went for a costume and makeup test.

The makeup artist praised his looks and skin condition while working.

Since it was just a test, the crew had only given a general vibe to the artist.

To make the character appear more ethereal, the makeup was kept light, and the clothes were extremely elegant and simple.

Despite the simplicity, when Lin Yanran finished his transformation and appeared, the room erupted in gasps. Many people literally caught their breath.

“Wow, this look… is he an actual immortal?”

“Whoa… just, WHOA!!”

“Isn’t this just a real-life version of Ming Ye!!”

Many beauties with striking features are not actually suited to this kind of light makeup.

However, Lin Yanran’s facial features were surprisingly compatible.

It was as if he were born for the camera, capable of pulling off any look.

Watching the perfect fusion of noble elegance and moon-like coldness in Lin Yanran, the directing team expressed collective satisfaction and happily urged him to hurry and take photos for the records.

Today’s audition went very quickly; after Lin Yanran performed a short segment and finished the photoshoot, he headed back.

However, upon returning, Hong Huixue was not as happy as she had been before the audition.

Noticing her abnormality, Lin Yanran asked her, “What’s wrong, Sister Hong?”

Hong Huixue shook her head with a light smile and explained, “Occupational hazard. Until a contract is directly signed for these kinds of announcements, I’m never quite at ease.”

Two days later, marketing accounts somehow got wind of the “Sparrow Feather” crew’s audition and sneakily released a candid photo of Lin Yanran auditioning for the role of Ming Ye.

Although it was a candid shot, Lin Yanran was so beautiful, gorgeous, and ethereal that the moment the photos were posted by the marketing account, the topic exploded.

Thanks to the marketing accounts, almost everyone knew that Lin Yanran had gone to audition for “Sparrow Feather.”

While everyone was stunned and swooning over his looks, rumors were also spreading that Lin Yanran would be joining the cast soon.

Because “Sparrow Feather” was a major production, many people within the fandom circles were following it closely.

Learning that Lin Yanran had actually landed such a great resource, his fans were overjoyed, and fans of other celebrities expressed their deep envy one after another.

Half a month later, “Sparrow Feather” made its official announcement.

Everyone clicked in excitedly to check the lead cast list.

As it turned out, the actor playing the protagonist, Ming Ye…

Was not Lin Yanran, but Si Mingxu.

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