SGSHE102

The public declaration stunned the entire venue.

The director was dumbfounded, his immediate thought being…his ratings were about to skyrocket.

The other mentors were equally stunned. They had assumed Jing Heguang was simply promoting a newcomer to make money, never imagining he was actually boosting his own boyfriend and publicly flaunting their romance to boot!

The contestants were even more dumbfounded.

They had come to compete on the show, only to find that Luan Xing’an wasn’t just aiming for first place, he’d also snagged the head mentor…

Compared to him, they were all total amateurs.

Needless to say, the fans in the audience went wild. Luan Xing’an had the largest fanbase, and Jing Heguang had plenty of fans too. There’s hardly anyone who didn’t ship the XingGuang pairing.

Even fans of other contestants often had a soft spot for the two of them.

“Ahhhhh!”

The silence was shattered by a scream from a fan in the audience.

It wasn’t just an ordinary scream, it voiced the shared sentiment of everyone present and everyone watching from afar.

After that scream, the die-hard shippers truly lost their minds.

The scene was chaotic, yet there seemed to be a mysterious order to it all.

“I! Got! The! Real! Deal! Ahhh!”

“Get together! Get together!”

“Kiss him!”

“Oh my god…”

“Say yes!! Be together!”

“Damn! Be together!!”

The observant Qu Jialiang touched the headband atop his head.

Sitting in the front row, he had heard it clearly: what Jing Heguang had just said was, ‘I love you, too’.

That single word ‘too’ revealed volumes.

On stage.

Luan Xing’an heard nothing but a chaotic roar, he couldn’t make out a single distinct sound.

He never imagined that brother Jing would actually respond right there, microphone in hand!

When he had said I love you, he wanted to tell brother Jing that the song was meant for him too.

He was grateful for the love from strangers, grateful that they liked his work and him as a person, and grateful for everything they had done for him.

The outpouring of love from fans brought him a sense of peace, dissolving the grievances and feelings of injustice he had harbored since childhood.

Yet, he was even more grateful for the care and affection shown by brother Jing.

To have someone who likes you so very much, someone who helps you clearly realize that you aren’t actually that bad…

It has nothing to do with talent or anything else. Simply being you makes you worthy.

Luan Xing’an stood there in a daze. Jing Heguang waited a moment, then waved his hand.

“Give me a reaction, will you?”

He didn’t speak into the microphone this time, so only those in the front rows could barely hear him.

The venue was too noisy.

Luan Xing’an snapped back to reality, and the sound of screaming fans finally registered in his ears.

He glanced toward the audience, then, blushing, he stepped closer to Jing Heguang and gave him a hug.

Jing Heguang was thoroughly satisfied.

This was practically an official announcement!

From now on, whenever he got teased, he could tease right back!

Screams erupted from the audience. CP fans were ecstatic.

Most of the fans were young. Seeing a couple together, they naturally joined in the playful teasing, filling the venue with joy.

On the livestream, viewers were dying of curiosity.

“What did Jing Heguang just say?”

“Ahhh! They hugged! I’m witnessing the real deal, it’s actually real!”

“This is the sweetest CP I’ve ever invested in! Highly recommend, come join the fandom!! It’s seriously, seriously sweet!!!”

“I’m so jealous, what kind of life is Luan Xing’an living?”

This comment, highlighted in yellow, drew attention.

“Just a fan who happens to be a big shot.”

“Just a fan who happens to be a best actor winner.”

“Just a boyfriend who happens to be Jing Heguang.”

“Just a shoo-in for first place on Voice of Heaven.”

“Just someone who writes incredibly beautiful songs…”

“I’m jealous, but I still love him, he’s just so sweet and well-behaved!! Big sis loves you!”

Everyone was incredibly excited, their adrenaline surging.

On stage, Jing Heguang finally decided to rein it in. He simply planted a kiss on Luan Xing’an’s cheek before letting his well-behaved younger brother step away.

Watching Luan Xing’an head back down, Jing Heguang raised his microphone once more.

Glancing at the script, he beamed and said, “Thanks to Xing’an for that wonderful song. Now, it’s time for the moment we’ve all been waiting for, the announcement of the rankings.”

Exciting, you say?

They’d already had enough excitement for one day.

The fans felt exhausted, yet they cooperatively sat back down to await the results.

The director had managed the show’s tone well, ensuring every trainee got their moment in the spotlight and fostering an inspiring, collective spirit.

Simply put, the audience loved this younger brother type and that older brother type alike, there were plenty of fans who happily stanned multiple contestants at once.

Waiting quietly was, in itself, a sign of respect for the show, the trainees, and everyone involved.

The results held a minor surprise: while the top two spots remained unchanged, the third-place contestant had climbed up from fifth.

Upon hearing the news, the third-place contestant’s fans hugged each other and wept, while the contestant himself shed tears on stage.

All the hard work and hardship, things that couldn’t easily be put into words, spilled out from the corners of their eyes.

Some gave perfunctory performances, while others truly poured their sweat and tears into chasing their dreams.

Luan Xing’an stood between the top three, brilliant lights shone down from above, and colorful streamers burst overhead.

In that moment, all eyes were on him.

He was bathed in starlight and surrounded by love.

Jing Heguang stood to the side, smiling and applauding.

The director…decided to cut the camera to Jing Heguang.

After all, Jing Heguang wanted to show his affection, and the director was happy to oblige, though the boost in ratings was certainly a sweet bonus.

Little did the director know, however, that this moment, a tender scene that would go on to win over countless die-hard fans was being born right then and there.

***

After a night’s rest…

All the trainees packed their belongings and left Green Channel studio.

Xiao Chen arrived to pick them up.

As soon as Luan Xing’an got into the car, he let out a yawn. Xiao Chen glanced over, thinking to himself: Did he not sleep well last night?

But when he looked at Jing Heguang again, he noticed his boss actually seemed quite energetic.

That didn’t seem right.

If someone was sleep-deprived, shouldn’t both of them look tired?

Jing Heguang shot him a look. ‘You’ve got a strange expression, what are you looking at?’

Xiao Chen gave a sheepish smile. “I thought Xing’an didn’t sleep very well.”

Luan Xing’an rubbed his eyes. “I was chatting with brother buzz-cut and the others last night, so I went to bed a bit late.”

So I got the wrong idea.

Xiao Chen rubbed his nose. “Boss, the villa has been cleaned and the bedding washed and aired out. We can go there and rest whenever you’re ready.”

Naturally, they couldn’t stay at the Luoshui house anymore. Security there was inadequate, and the location had already been exposed to the public.

After discussing it, Jing Heguang and Luan Xing’an decided to move into the small villa together.

The thought of going to their new home perked Luan Xing’an right up, and he chatted animatedly with Jing Heguang and Xiao Chen for a while.

Once the conversation wrapped up, Luan Xing’an picked up his phone, intending to check the online reception of his songs.

Jing Heguang sat beside him, and the two of them looked at the screen together.

Luan Xing’an checked the music app first, and the sight instantly energized him.

So many people really loved his songs!

Even the new song released just last night had made the charts and was a hit with listeners.

Luan Xing’an was delighted. He gradually recalled that he had also trended on social media several times.

He remembered how fans had come specifically to cheer him on without even catching a glimpse of him, though he hadn’t understood the reason at the time.

Jing Heguang watched as Luan Xing’an opened Weibo, making no move to stop him as he tapped around aimlessly.

Luan Xing’an shared things excitedly. Jing Heguang offered a few words of praise and stole a couple of quick kisses.

Finally…Luan Xing’an came across the online exposés and malicious rumors targeting him.

At the same time, however, Luan Xing’an also noticed the support coming from ‘Old Qu’, ‘Old Qu’s boss’, and ‘Qu Wenyuan’.

The fabricated smear campaign only annoyed Luan Xing’an slightly, after all, it was all lies, and he wasn’t stupid.

He knew that much of the negative chatter during his time on the show was likely driven by paid internet trolls.

The support from the Qu family, however, struck him as odd and piqued his curiosity.

“Why is the Qu family acting so strangely?” Luan Xing’an muttered, looking at Jing Heguang in confusion. “Brother Jing, what’s going on?”

Jing Heguang replied, “You can view the Qu family members separately from Qu Liuguang, the others actually have pretty sound values.”

“I see.”

Luan Xing’an thought to himself, feeling a twinge of guilt: If the Qu family has sound values, then people like Qu Jialiang and the best actor Qu probably didn’t have ulterior motives, they weren’t trying to seduce brother Jing…

How awkward.

Luan Xing’an lowered his head and continued idly browsing.

As he read on, he clicked through to some related posts about the gossip.

One post speculated that Luan Xing’an was an illegitimate child of the Qu family, a claim that made him chuckle.

Luan Xing’an said, “This person claims I’m an illegitimate child, but if I were, why would the couple be supporting me together?”

Jing Heguang agreed, “Right, you aren’t one.”

Luan Xing’an added, “Someone down below is refuting it, pointing out that my surname is different and saying I look like…the woman?”

By ‘the woman’, they meant the female half of the Qu couple.

The netizens’ logic was this: if Luan Xing’an were a child of the Qu family, he would be far more likely to share a bloodline with the mother.

But if he were truly an illegitimate child, would the father really have the capacity to handle that?

He’d be furious to the point of exploding. There’s no way he’d step forward to act like a supportive dad fan.

People would father believe in a melodramatic soap-opera twist than the illegitimate child theory.

Of course, there were people refuting the soap-opera theories, too.

Luan Xing’an’s surname was different. If he were to be reclaimed by the family, surely the child would have changed his surname?

Amidst the various speculations, the prevailing opinion was that mother Qu simply liked Luan Xing’an, treating him like a celebrity crush because of their physical resemblance.

As for father Qu, his involvement was seen merely as a result of the couple’s close bond. He was just tagging along.

Yet, when Luan Xing’an saw a photo of mother Qu from her youth posted by a netizen, he couldn’t help but gaze at it for a long moment.

Jing Heguang asked, “What is it?”

Luan Xing’an smiled and held up his phone. “Look at this photo, doesn’t she look a bit like me?”

Was the woman who gave birth to him as gentle as mother Qu in that photo?

Luan Xing’an had asked the question casually, but Jing Heguang studied the photo seriously, then glanced back and forth between the picture and Luan Xing’an.

Jing Heguang said earnestly, “The eyes and brows are very similar, and the face shape matches too.”

Luan Xing’an said, “Brother Jing, surely you aren’t buying into those melodramatic tropes, are you? That family is so wealthy, they could easily afford to raise a child. How could they possibly have abandoned one?”

Luan Xing’an felt his biological parents must have been poor, or had rejected him for some other reason, perhaps the man abandoned the woman, leaving her to resent him, so she gave birth to the child but loathed him.

The Qu couple had a loving relationship and plenty of money, the idea of ​​them abandoning a child simply didn’t make sense.

Jing Heguang silently apologized to his eldest and second brothers-in-law, who were trying so hard to win him over, it wasn’t that he wasn’t trying, it was just that Xingbao refused to believe it!

But every problem has a solution.

Jing Heguang thought for a moment, then turned to face him. “Then don’t you think it’s a bit odd that they treat you so well?”

Luan Xing’an was swayed by this point.

He mused thoughtfully, “That’s true…it is pretty strange.”

Luan Xing’an pondered it further. He still couldn’t bring himself to believe in such melodramatic scenarios, yet he remained both puzzled and curious.

He tossed his phone aside, grabbed Jing Heguang’s arm, and said with a mischievous look, “Brother Jing, you definitely know. Tell me!”

It didn’t matter if he couldn’t figure it out himself, he could just ask brother Jing. He’d save his brainpower for sorting out his new songs later.

Xiao Chen was still in the car, with the driver right there too.

Jing Heguang glanced outside, they were only a few minutes away from their destination.

So, Jing Heguang said, “Give me a kiss.”

Xiao Chen, sitting in the front, thought: Boss is acting like a lovestruck fool again today.

He’d bet five packs of spicy strips that boss was saying all that just to trick Xing’an into kissing him!

Xiao Chen pressed a button, and a privacy partition slid shut from both sides, sealing off the front of the car.

It hadn’t been a big deal before, but the moment the partition closed, Luan Xing’an’s face flushed red.

Luan Xing’an felt like Jing Heguang was playing trick with him. “Stop messing around!”

Jing Heguang: ???

He wasn’t messing around.

Seeing Jing Heguang’s innocent expression, Luan Xing’an squeezed his hand and leaned close to his ear to whisper, “We’re almost home.”

Xiao Chen: Sorry, my hearing is just too good.

Xing’an is a lovestruck fool too, the two of them are a perfect match.

Xiao Chen could only sing silently in his heart — Oh~ wishing you a lifetime of happiness together.

***

Ten minutes later.

Their belongings were all put away, the large and small couple-style suitcases stood side-by-side, much like the two people in the house.

Luan Xing’an sat on the large suitcase, tilting his head back to kiss Jing Heguang.

There were no cameras watching their every move, and no need to carefully switch off microphones while speaking. There wasn’t another soul breathing in the entire house.

The air of freedom enveloped them, easing their minds and loosening their self-restraint.

And there was no need for restraint, anyway. Jing Heguang said in a low, husky voice, “Xingbao, we’re home.”

“Mm, we’re here.”

Luan Xing’an felt shy and didn’t dare look at Jing Heguang. He simply tightened his arms around Jing Heguang’s lean, muscular waist.

Jing Heguang watched as a flush of crimson spread across Luan Xing’an’s fair neck and vanished beneath the loose collar of his shirt.

And then, he lost all restraint.

The suitcase was left abandoned in the living room as the two masters of the house couldn’t wait to get to the bedroom.

Amidst the beautiful night, the storm of passion swept over them.

When the storm finally subsided, Jing Heguang carried him into the bathroom.

***

In the bathroom.

Luan Xing’an reached out to touch his own soft belly, then glanced at Jing Heguang’s eight-pack abs.

He felt like he’d been duped!

Brother Jing had sculpted such an amazing physique for himself, while he had been trying hard to put on weight.

Noticing Luan Xing’an looking at his abs, Jing Heguang said generously, “You can touch them.”

Luan Xing’an replied, “No.” Brother Jing never let himself come out on the losing end. If he reached out, who knew what brother Jing might do next?

“Really not touching?” Jing Heguang chuckled as he squeezed out some body wash to lather Luan Xing’an up.

“Not touching.” His waist was sore.

Luan Xing’an took a couple of glances but obediently kept his hands to himself.

He thought to himself: I’m already in the house, anyway, I can just wait until brother Jing falls asleep to touch them!

But before they could drift off to sleep, just as they had settled into bed, Jing Heguang’s personal phone rang at an inopportune moment.

Jing Heguang picked it up and saw it was a call from Qu Wenyuan.

Jing Heguang was half-reclining, so Luan Xing’an could clearly see the text on the screen.

Jing Heguang looked at him and said, “It’s a call from Qu Wenyuan.”

Luan Xing’an: ?

Jing Heguang gave his cheek a playful pinch. “Didn’t you say in the car that you wanted to know why the Qu family treats you so well?”

“Mm.” Luan Xing’an perked up. “Why is that?”

Jing Heguang looked at him. “Because you are the Qu family’s youngest son, the biological younger brother of Qu Jialiang and Qu Wenyuan.”

The phone was still ringing, amidst the steady beep-beep-beep sounds, Jing Heguang stated the facts simply and clearly: “They didn’t lose you on purpose, they were set up. Qu Liuguang’s mother swapped you with him.”

Luan Xing’an was completely bewildered.

How could he possibly be the protagonist of such a melodramatic cliché?

It was as bizarre and absurd as a gossip-loving bystander suddenly finding themselves at the center of the scandal.

While Luan Xing’an sat there in a daze, he heard Jing Heguang ask, “Are you going to answer it?”

Luan Xing’an leaned closer to him, his mind still reeling. “Mm, let’s answer it.”

At least…it meant he hadn’t been abandoned because his parents detested him. Although he didn’t mind that as much anymore, it was still a happy realization.

Luan Xing’an’s thoughts were in a jumble as he absentmindedly squeezed Jing Heguang’s hand.

However, when a voice came through from the other end of the line, his ears perked up and he snapped back to reality.

Qu Wenyuan’s voice came through the phone: “Heguang, you’re home, right? You can get some good rest today.”

Jing Heguang nodded. “I was just about to take a nap.”

***

“Take a nap?” Qu Wenyuan glanced out the window, looking a bit confused.

Qu Jialiang shot him a meaningful look.

Qu Wenyuan quickly smiled and said, “Say, Heguang, are you free to hang out tomorrow or the day after? I’ve invested in a new farmhouse-style retreat for people in the industry. Come over and help me drum up some buzz and bring the person along if you can!”

Qu Wenyuan figured that by being so direct, Jing Heguang would surely understand, realizing this was a signal to bring his younger brother along.

To his surprise, Jing Heguang turned him down: “Tomorrow and the day after? We want to rest.”

Qu Wenyuan persisted: “Rest today and tomorrow, then come out and have fun the day after! A lot of my friends are coming too, it’d be a great chance for everyone to get to know each other.” After all, Qu Wenyuan’s friends were big names in the entertainment industry.

Jing Heguang stated flatly, “Xingbao needs to rest.”

“Ah…alright then, maybe another time. Let me know when you’re free. I’ll send you the address later, I’m covering all the expenses.”

After a few more words, Qu Wenyuan hung up, feeling dejected.

He muttered in puzzlement, “Isn’t two days of rest enough? A farmhouse retreat isn’t tiring, you just look at the scenery and sit around waiting for the food.”

Qu Jialiang looked at him expressionlessly, his gaze tinged with disdain.

He recalled that his foolish younger brother hadn’t bought his best actor award, so why was he so dim-witted?

Qu Wenyuan looked back at him.

Half a minute later, Qu Wenyuan let out a curse: “Shit.”

It was broad daylight, not even noon yet, so what the hell kind of ‘resting’ was Jing Heguang doing?