SGSHE93

Qu Wenyuan covered his forehead and slipped away quietly.

Back in the car, his parents were whispering to each other in the back seat, while Qu Wenyuan sat lost in thought, replaying the scene he had just witnessed.

As he pondered, a brilliant idea suddenly struck him: since his younger brother was so fond of Jing Heguang, couldn’t he curry favor with Jing Heguang and get him to put in a good word, to ‘whisper sweet nothings’ in his brother’s ear, on their behalf?

Qu Wenyuan thought this was a fantastic plan. He excitedly turned to his parents in the back seat and said, “Dad, mom, the way I see it, little brother and that senior of his, Jing Heguang, are practically family.”

“Why don’t we try to get on good terms with Jing Heguang? We could ask him to act as a go-between and help us get closer to little brother first! What do you think?”

Qu Wenyuan rephrased the ‘whispering sweet nothings’ idea, making it sound quite reasonable.

Father Qu and mother Qu exchanged glances, seeing the gleam of interest in each other’s eyes, they nodded in agreement.

“That’s a great idea,” father Qu said with an approving smile.

Mother Qu added, “Your father and I have another idea too.”

Qu Wenyuan asked curiously, “Oh? What is it?”

Although he doubted any idea could top the ‘whispering sweet nothings’ plan. After all, he had seen firsthand how his father’s mind could change overnight after a little pillow talk, he was willing to listen.

Mother Qu said, “Since we don’t have anything else going on, we were thinking of becoming ‘fans’. We’ll become ‘mom-fans’ and ‘dad-fans’ for your little brother. Your older brother is busy, so why don’t you become a ‘big brother-fan’ too?”

Whether it was Qu Wenyuan’s idea or his parents’, the ultimate goal was the same.

The three of them discussed the plan and even shared the news with Qu Jialiang.

***

Amidst a flurry of messages, Qu Jialiang’s eyes were immediately drawn to his second brother’s suggestion.

— A roundabout strategy: getting close to Jing Heguang.

Qu Jialiang was struck by how incredibly sharp his second younger brother was. Without knowing the full picture, he had immediately pinpointed the absolute crux of the matter.

After a moment’s thought, Qu Jialiang replied ‘Got it’ in the family group chat, then sent a few private messages to Qu Wenyuan.

[Qu Jialiang: Wenyuan, I’m going to tell you something, but don’t let mom and dad know.]

[Qu Wenyuan: Go ahead.]

Qu Jialiang: Our youngest brother and Jing Heguang are a couple. That line of thinking you had earlier was spot on, we need to make full use of whatever resources are available.]

[Qu Wenyuan: Bro!! You knew too?!]

[Qu Jialiang: What do you mean by knew too? What exactly do you know?]

[Qu Wenyuan: Well…just that our youngest brother and Jing Heguang are a couple. I can tell he really likes Jing Heguang.]

[Qu Jialiang: As long as you know, that’s fine. I’m going back to my meeting now.]

Qu Jialiang closed the chat.

Since his second brother was already in the loop, he’d let him handle it for now.

He couldn’t bring himself to admit that his youngest brother had mistaken him for a love rival. It was too much of a shock, he needed a moment to recover.

Meanwhile.

Realizing his eldest brother had gone back to work, Qu Wenyuan let out a long, wistful sigh.

It was a tough spot for him too. Even though he was an award-winning actor, he was worried he wouldn’t be able to keep a straight face when he finally met Jing Heguang.

***

Xiao Chen drove up to the entrance of Green Channel, feeling a bit bewildered.

When other agents visited their artists, they’d bring scripts, song demos, endorsement deals, or at the very least, lucrative scheduling opportunities. He, on the other hand, was here to…deliver spicy snack strips.

His boss was a singer who rarely touched junk food like spicy strips, so Xiao Chen found the request rather odd. Still, since the boss had asked him to find some tasty, mild-flavored ones and bring them over, he’d done exactly that.

He had the contact details of other singers and their agents saved on his phone, so it hadn’t taken long to find someone who could point him in the right direction.

Jing Heguang came out to collect the spicy strips. Standing at the doorway, he asked Xiao Chen, “Do you want to come in and take a look?”

“No need, no need.” Xiao Chen hurriedly shook his head. After a pause, he added in a low voice, “Boss, there have been quite a few event offers coming in for you lately. Should we consider a few of them?”

“Let’s hold off on events until the show wraps up. I’m heading off now. dDive carefully.”

Jing Heguang waved goodbye, taking only the few boxes of spicy strips with him.

Watching his boss walk away, Xiao Chen let out a contented sigh, things had really been quiet lately.

So great.

***

Carrying the boxes, Jing Heguang handed out quite a few to the staff members he passed along the way.

Finally, holding a small box in one arm, he headed toward the trainees’ area, intending to rescue Luan Xing’an, who was constantly being pestered for spicy strips.

However, Jing Heguang didn’t expect that, for once, no one was paying attention to Luan Xing’an’s lips. Instead, everyone was roaring with laughter.

Jing Heguang raised an eyebrow and asked curiously, “What are you all laughing at?”

Luan Xing’an was laughing so hard he was clutching his stomach. He turned to Jing Heguang and said, “Brother Jing, we’re laughing at brother buzz cut.”

“Huh?”

Luan Xing’an explained the story clearly: “Before making the call, brother buzz cut said he didn’t care, that he was fearless. But when his little sister answered and started crying, he started crying right along with her, crying so hard that the person next to him stopped crying in sheer shock!”

And so, the laughter grew even louder.

Buzz cut shouted out from inside the room, “Stop laughing! Keep laughing and we’re done being brothers.”

Everyone: “Hahaha.”

After finishing his laugh, Jing Heguang patted the box. “Alright, no more teasing buzz cut. You guys wanted spicy snack strips, right? I snuck some in for you, but you’re only allowed a little bit for now, you can gorge on them later. And if you can’t handle spicy food, don’t eat them, you need to watch your diet.”

Protecting their voices was a mandatory lesson for the trainees, but the moment they heard spicy snack strips, their eyes lit up!

It wasn’t necessarily about how delicious they were, it was the craving born of being denied them that made the trainees want them so badly.

Even Luan Xing’an pursed his lips and swallowed hard.

Someone nearby handed over a pair of small scissors, and Jing Heguang used the tip to tear open the box’s packaging.

Jing Heguang distributed the snacks, ensuring everyone got some, though not too much.

When he reached Luan Xing’an, a trainee who had already devoured his own packet in two bites wailed, “Teacher Jing, are you really giving some to Xing’an today? You two are always snacking behind our backs, give that packet to me instead! I’m dying for a taste!”

“Give it to me!”

“Let me have a bite.”

Seeing the group so desperate for a taste, Luan Xing’an smiled and said, “You guys can have it, then.”

He was naturally good-natured, and besides, everyone was under the mistaken impression that he got to eat them every day anyway.

Worst-case scenario…he could just ask brother Jing for some later and eat them behind everyone’s back!

However, Jing Heguang clearly noticed that his well-behaved younger brother was craving them too, so he openly slipped several small packets into his own jacket pocket.

The trainees: …Wait, weren’t those meant for us?

But since the mentor wanted to keep some for himself, there wasn’t much they could say.

Everyone looked at Luan Xing’an with even more envy. They, too, wanted a boss who treated them like a treasure!

Seeing Jing Heguang’s actions, Luan Xing’an felt a sweet warmth spread through his heart, as if he’d just snuck a piece of candy.

He didn’t even need to ask, brother Jing had already prepared it for him.

When the distribution reached the end, the guy with the buzz cut ran over, his eyes puffy and red from crying: “I’m here.”

Even the cool guy couldn’t resist the temptation.

***

Once their physical cravings were satisfied, a different kind of longing set in.

With the theme song recording complete, the first round of ranking-based eliminations was next. Out of forty trainees, only twenty would advance to the next round and continue to reap the benefits of the show’s exposure.

The broadcast had already covered the first round of live performances and the ranking announcement; the director had pulled a dramatic stunt by putting question marks over the top three scores, cutting the episode off right at the cliffhanger.

Three days later, the show aired the theme song evaluation and the emotional climax of the trainees making calls to the outside world, then immediately closed the voting channels.

At the Qu family home.

Father Qu, wearing his glasses, tallied the votes alongside mother Qu.

After finishing the count, mother Qu let out a sigh of relief: “Thanks to those thousand cases of milk I bought at the last minute, our Xing’an took first place across the board!”

Father Qu remarked, “That young man right behind him is quite likable, too.”

Qu Wenyuan, lounging on the sofa, chimed in, “It’s fine, the resources for the top three are all excellent. As long as he puts in the effort, he’s sure to make it big.”

Qu Jialiang messaged his assistant to arrange a new employee perk.

His mother had actually been sensible, she hadn’t bought anything ridiculous. A thousand cases of milk could easily be distributed among the staff, it wouldn’t go to waste.

Knowing her eldest son had handled the items she’d bought, mother Qu, who had always taught her children that frugality was a virtue, gave a slightly sheepish smile. “After the first elimination round comes the second live performance. Make sure to get audience tickets for your dad and me when the time comes.”

After all, she had already told the fan group she founded that she would be there in person to cheer Xing’an on. Qu Jialiang nodded. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

***

While mother Qu was browsing the internet, she happened to stumble upon the #XingGuang# pairing tag, the recording for the first elimination round of Voice of Heaven was underway.

Jing Heguang looked at the young men below the stage, a flash of reluctance in his eyes.

He lowered his gaze to mask his emotions, then walked to the center of the stage with a faint smile.

“Everyone knows what day it is today,” Jing Heguang said.

The response from the crowd below was somewhat listless.

“We know.”

“Ah, it’s the day of the eliminations.”

“How did it come so fast? It feels like I just arrived for the show.”

Luan Xing’an had just switched to a new pack of tissues, and he handed them all out in a flash.

After distributing them, he felt for another pack in his pocket and panicked slightly. He had only brought two packs, what if it wasn’t enough?

It was only after a staff member handed him a few boxes of facial tissues that Luan Xing’an settled back into his seat, beginning to feel anxious about his future.

Information from the outside world was kept confidential from the trainees. This helped them maintain their mental balance and keep their drive alive.

In the interest of fairness, Luan Xing’an hadn’t asked, and Jing Heguang hadn’t volunteered any information.

Luan Xing’an had no idea what his popularity was like on the outside, nor did he know if people watching the show would like him, or hate him.

Brother Jing said he sang beautifully, and the other trainees said the same. Over the past few days, Luan Xing’an had slowly rebuilt his confidence to the point where he almost believed he was truly talented.

But at this critical moment, his confidence wavered. He couldn’t help but wonder: what if the audience didn’t like him?

After all, he had never been the sort of person people liked…

Luan Xing’an and the other trainees were seated on the left side. He looked up toward the advancement zone, the area reserved for those who would remain in the competition.

Among the twenty seats, the top three stood out prominently. They were larger and featured backrests.

Luan Xing’an thought to himself: The chairs for the top three qualifiers look so beautiful, like they’re pieced together from colorful, translucent candy wrappers, just like the sweets I used to crave when I was little.

As Jing Heguang announced the rankings, he caught a glimpse of this scene out of the corner of his eye. His heart skipped a beat at the simple, innocent longing in Luan Xing’an’s eyes.

His baobie’s dream was about to come true!

Luan Xing’an was so outstanding, and he wanted the whole world to know it.

Jing Heguang mentally pumped himself up, and without realizing it, he began to speed up the pace of the recording.

The director, baffled by this sudden burst of manic energy, spoke into Jing Heguang’s earpiece: “Slow down! Your…person isn’t going anywhere, what’s the rush?!”

Jing Heguang: …Sorry.

I just want to announce that my boyfriend is number one so badly!

Jing Heguang reined in his excitement and continued the recording, gradually making his way to the announcement of the top three trainees.

“Let’s announce the top three trainees first, and save the twentieth place announcement for last.”

“Who are the top three trainees? Please look at the big screen.”

Jing Heguang, dressed in a casual suit today, turned to look at the big screen. He saw two faces appear, followed by the back of a head and his quiet joy instantly turned to bewilderment.

Everyone else was showing their faces, full of excitement and surprise, why was his sweet little brother showing the back of his head???

Jing Heguang smiled helplessly. “Student ‘back of the head,’ please lift your head.”

Luan Xing’an kept his eyes closed, he didn’t dare look up at all.

There were only five people left whose rankings hadn’t been announced: three for the top spots, and two facing a two into one elimination. If he wasn’t called now, the final choice between the last two would be even more terrifying, scarier than a horror movie!

Jing Heguang called out again, “Xingbao? Look up.”

*Huh? Is brother Jing calling me?*

Luan Xing’an was coaxed into lifting his head, and he looked up at the big screen. On the screen, a fair-skinned, handsome youth with delicate features also had his eyes wide open, gazing right back at him.

Luan Xing’an could hear his heart pounding like a war drum, a sound so thunderous it seemed to shake the mountains and seas, sending sprays of foam rising along the cliff’s edge.

He grinned, revealing a set of small, white teeth.

He had made the top three! He would get to sit in the beautiful chair!