SGSHE91

Hearing this, Jing Heguang glanced over at the buzz-cut guy and briefly considered recruiting him for his own studio.

It was simple: the guy was incredibly observant! Contrast that with Xiao Chen, who was on his payroll yet still hung up on him.

Look at buzz-cut guy, he really knew how to zero in on the details.

The other trainees, bored and restless, looked up and realized the buzz-cut guy was right.

The pair’s lips didn’t look like they had lipstick on. It was a unique, indescribable shade of red.

One trainee exclaimed in shock, “Xing’an! Did you and teacher Jing sneak off to eat spicy snack strips behind our backs?!”

Jing Heguang thought: this guy is clearly single.

He was different, he was already off the market!

Glancing at the flustered, sweet younger guy, Jing Heguang walked over with an amused smile. “Spicy strips? I went out of my way to come here, do you guys want to know the premiere ratings or not?”

The trainees, instantly captivated like cats drawn to catnip, promptly abandoned the observation the buzz-cut guy had made.

“Teacher, we want to know!”

“Teacher Jing, you’re the best-looking, please tell us!”

“Teacher Jing is so nice, surely he wouldn’t keep us in suspense…”

Luan Xing’an breathed a sigh of relief.

Thank goodness brother Jing was here, otherwise, he wouldn’t have known how to deflect the buzz-cut guy’s questions.

But no sooner had he relaxed than he tensed up all over again!

Brother Jing had actually sat down right next to him and draped an arm over his shoulder.

Leaning in close to look at Luan Xing’an’s profile, Jing Heguang said, “It looks like our little Xing’an doesn’t want to know, then?”

Buzz-cut guy grinned and urged Luan Xing’an, “Xing’an, go ahead and ask!”

The others joined in, teasing Luan Xing’an. “Little brother Xing’an, hurry up and satisfy teacher Jing’s request!”

“Brother Xing’an, save us!”

Luan Xing’an felt that brother Jing was being incredibly bold, flirting with him right in front of so many people and so blatantly showing favoritism toward him.

Urged on by the crowd, Luan Xing’an looked shyly at Jing Heguang and said, “Brother Jing, just tell us! Stop keeping us in suspense.”

As he spoke, Luan Xing’an’s heart fluttered. He felt an indescribable sense of nervousness.

It felt almost as if…he were acting coquettishly toward brother Jing in front of everyone.

Jing Heguang flashed a brilliant smile: “We were the top-ranked trainees of our intake!”

As soon as the words left his lips, a roar of cheers erupted in the hall, filling the entire floor with excitement.

They didn’t know how much screen time they would get, but they had weathered the grueling initial auditions together and then the first live performance. They had shared the pressure and worked hard alongside the people around them. In this moment, they were a united whole.

The cameras captured the scene: Jing Heguang had his arm around Luan Xing’an, and the two of them exchanged a soft, knowing smile amidst the clamorous excitement.

Qu Liuguang, who had been keeping a low profile lately, kept his eyes on the pair and narrowed his gaze.

He felt as though he had finally uncovered the truth.

— There was affection in the eyes of both Jing Heguang and Luan Xing’an. They were hardly just simple schoolmates or good friends, they were clearly a gay couple!

***

The Qu family home.

After her outburst, mother Qu looked at the broken television and suddenly remembered that Luan Xing’an was also on the show. She asked tentatively, “Xing’an is on this show too, isn’t he? He’ll get some screen time, right?”

She looked toward Qu Jialiang, looking at a loss. Qu Jialiang nodded. “Yes, his performance will definitely be included. Xing’an is a promising talent the director really took a shine to.”

Father Qu suggested, “Shall we go upstairs to watch TV?”

Qu Wenyuan stood up. “I’ll go turn it on!”

The family went upstairs. With no appetite left for their meal, they waited anxiously for the program to begin at eight o’clock.

As they watched, Qu Jialiang glanced around and noticed the look of apprehension and unease on his family members’ faces.

Deep down, he felt the same way — filled with a mix of guilt, worry, and anxiety.

What Qu Liuguang had done had deeply hurt them all. Even father Qu, who is usually the most good tempered person in the family, was furious.

If it were merely a cruel twist of fate, that would be one thing. But this was the work of human hands, the mere thought of it reeked of such malice that it made one’s blood run cold.

Their resentment toward Qu Liuguang was matched only by the guilt they felt for the child who should have been part of their family.

Qu Jialiang felt that everyone in the family bore some responsibility for the child being swapped at birth. He and his second younger brother had already been old enough to understand things, and their parents, of course, had a duty to properly care for and raise the child.

Their youngest brother could have grown up carefree and pampered, surrounded by family affection and living a life of abundance where he could have anything he desired.

But they had lost him…

Qu Jialiang dared not dwell on the kind of life his youngest brother had actually endured while growing up.

Yet, one didn’t need to dwell on it to realize just how grueling it must have been for a solitary, elderly person to raise a child alone.

The first part of the program featured performances by the mentors.

When Jing Heguang appeared on stage, Qu Jialiang introduced him: “This is Xing’an’s senior and his boss, actually, he is also his best friend.”

The Qu family members nodded in unison, committing Jing Heguang’s face to memory, while their favorable impression of him soared.

Father Qu remarked, “That young man has a great singing voice, and his vibe really suits our airline. How about we have him be our brand ambassador?” The Qu family’s airline was one of the top four in the world.

Mother Qu shot him a glare. “He’d be better off endorsing jewelry. The connection with Lina from COLL would be a great opportunity for him!”

Qu Wenyuan chimed in tentatively, “I want in on that too. Could aunt Lina consider me as well?”

Qu Wenyuan was just being playful, trying to lighten the mood.

After Qu Jialiang gave him a light rap on the head, Qu Wenyuan spoke seriously: “When Xing’an’s best friend decides to switch careers, I’ll introduce him to some directors.”

An hour and three minutes into the broadcast, Luan Xing’an appeared on screen.

Watching the fresh-faced young man on stage singing a lighthearted, romantic tune, the Qu family felt a great sense of relief. At the same time, they also noticed the nervousness and awkwardness Luan Xing’an displayed before the performance, as well as his cautious demeanor, which stirred up a deep sense of pity within them.

Mother Qu’s eyes welled up with tears as she leaned against father Qu, whispering with emotion, “He looks so much like me…”

“And yet, in all these years, this is the first time I’ve ever seen him.”

For a mother, watching her child grow up bit by bit is a source of immense fulfillment and happiness. Yet, all these years, she had watched someone else’s child grow up healthy and strong, while never witnessing her own child’s growth, not even for a single moment.

***

The next day.

Qu Jialiang, accompanied by several bodyguards, drove to Green Channel building where Voice of Heaven was being filmed.

This was his second time there. The last time, he had come to handle matters regarding Qu Liuguang, but this time, he had come to take Qu Liuguang away.

***

Qu Liuguang found it strange, why was Qu Jialiang coming to see him again?

He had been behaving himself perfectly lately. Although he had discovered the illicit affair between Jing Heguang and Luan Xing’an the previous night, he was still in the early stages of figuring out how to obtain evidence.

The director acted as the messenger, urging him, “Liuguang, your brother is waiting outside. He said there’s an emergency at home and wants you to go back.”

Qu Liuguang scratched his head, feeling that something wasn’t quite right.

But if there was an emergency at home, he certainly had to go back.

Qu Liuguang threw on a jacket and hurried off after the director.

As the director led him past the area, Luan Xing’anm who was in the middle of teaching someone how to read a musical score, looked up curiously.

Qu Liuguang glanced at him too, thinking it was good that Qu Jialiang wasn’t coming inside, it would prevent him from seeing Luan Xing’an too often and perhaps finding his face familiar.

Qu Liuguang stepped out of Green Channel building and located the Qu family’s stretch luxury car, which bore a lucky license plate number. Qu Liuguang opened the back door, sat down next to Qu Jialiang, and asked, “Big brother, why are you driving this car?”

Noticing several bodyguards stationed in front and behind, Qu Liuguang found the situation even stranger: “Brother, has something happened?” So many bodyguards?

Qu Jialiang pulled a photograph from his pocket.

“Qu Liuguang, do you recognize this woman?”

The woman in the photo was Qu Liuguang’s biological mother.

***

Bodyguards restrained Qu Liuguang. Qu Jialiang stepped out of the vehicle, leaving the car to transport Qu Liuguang to his intended destination.

The director, having just bought a pack of cigarettes outside, turned to see that Qu Jialiang was still there.

He patted Qu Jialiang on the shoulder: “Boss Qu, what are you doing standing here?”

Qu Jialiang took a cigarette from the pack and lit it with his lighter.

After exhaling a smoke ring, Qu Jialiang said, “As for Qu Liuguang, consider him withdrawn from the competition.”

Although the director didn’t understand the reason, he had a fair idea of ​​what was going on.

Suspecting some sort of wealthy family drama, the director simply stood by and smoked with Qu Jialiang.

Once he finished the cigarette, Qu Jialiang spoke tentatively: “Say, Director…could you take me to see the show’s contestants?”

“Which ones do you want to see, boss Qu? Or just a casual look around?”

“Just a casual look for now…and maybe take a look at Mentor Jing. I need to thank him.”

Qu Jialiang ran a hand through his hair, he didn’t dare go see Luan Xing’an directly.

The director was a decent man. Sensing that his benefactor had something weighing on his mind, he took him to meet the energetic young people on the show.

However, after walking around for a while without running into Luan Xing’an, Qu Jialiang felt a sense of disappointment. He hadn’t seen the one person he wanted to see most.

Deciding they had seen enough, the director called Jing Heguang: “Mentor Jing, where are you? I’m bringing the investor over to take a look.”

***

Meanwhile, elsewhere. Jing Heguang had just slipped away to a secluded room with his sweet little boyfriend when he heard the ringtone that always gave him a headache.

He glanced at the screen, it was the director again!

Luan Xing’an hugged him and smiled. “Go ahead and answer it. The director is a pretty nice guy.”

Jing Heguang planted a quick kiss on him, then sighed and answered the call.

But the call dropped a bombshell: the director said he was bringing the investor over to see him.

The investor, that meant the person coming was the real older brother of Luan Xing’an, who was currently in his arms!

Jing Heguang thought to himself: …I can’t go on like this.

Since Qu Liuguang hadn’t appeared in a single shot the previous night, Jing Heguang knew that Qu Jialiang, and the Qu family, must have learned the truth about what happened back then.

Frowning slightly, Jing Heguang replied, “I’m in the A1 training room.”

Luan Xing’an blinked. The A1 training room? Isn’t that his own training room? The director knows that too…Why did brother Jing use such a formal, distant way of referring to it?

Luan Xing’an finally sensed that something was off. He suspected brother Jing was definitely keeping a secret from him.

Glancing at Jing Heguang’s incredibly handsome face, Luan Xing’an quietly became more guarded.

***

A few minutes later, the director led Qu Jialiang into the training room.

Qu Jialiang finally laid eyes on Luan Xing’an. The moment he entered the room, he flashed a genuinely friendly smile at him.

However, Luan Xing’an felt awkward and stood half-hidden behind Jing Heguang, so Qu Jialiang had no choice but to address Jing Heguang instead.

Shaking Jing Heguang’s hand, Qu Jialiang said sincerely, “Thank you for the heads-up the other day, teacher Jing.”

If Jing Heguang hadn’t warned him, Qu Jialiang might well have been fooled by Qu Liuguang and failed to notice anything amiss.

Jing Heguang smiled. “It was nothing, just a small favor.” Not to mention, the person he was helping was his own boyfriend.

Qu Jialiang held onto the other man’s hand, expressing his immense gratitude: “Don’t say that, teacher Jing, you have no idea what a huge help you’ve been!”

Remembering that Jing Heguang was close with Luan Xing’an, Qu Jialiang had a sudden idea: “Teacher Jing, there’s no need for modesty, I really must thank you. Why don’t you come over to my place for a meal sometime?” And bring my younger brother along too!

Jing Heguang felt that Qu Jialiang’s enthusiasm was…bordering on bizarre?

The man likely didn’t know yet that he and Luan Xing’an were already a couple.

Once he found out…

Jing Heguang’s expression stiffened for a split second.

Luan Xing’an, watching from the side, was getting annoyed.

This oddball investor, brother Jing had already said there was no need for thanks, yet he insisted on it, and even wanted to invite brother Jing to his home for a meal?

What was the next step, wanting to go to brother Jing’s place for a meal? Did he intend to actually step foot inside his home?!

On top of that, this guy knew Qu Liuguang. Logically, he ought to dislike both brother Jing and himself. Yet, not only was he being overly enthusiastic toward brother Jing, but he had also just flashed an ingratiating smile at him…

Could it be — a love rival?!

The thought made Luan Xing’an panic. He stepped in to intervene and rescued brother Jing’s hand.

“Hello, boss Qu. I’m Luan Xing’an.”

Qu Jialiang: ???

Could it be that his younger brother also secretly likes him?

Qu Jialiang smiled cheerfully. “Hello, I’m Qu Jialiang.”

Luan Xing’an shook his hand briefly, then immediately let go.

After releasing the hand of his supposed love rival, Luan Xing’an stood beside brother Jing and secretly touched the hand that Qu Jialiang had just held.

— Brother Jing belongs to him!

The director, oblivious to his subtle movement, said happily, “Xing’an is quite the young talent! And Jialiang is a talent too, two talents together, a meeting of kindred spirits!”

Qu Jialiang, however, was far more perceptive, not to mention the way Luan Xing’an was looking at him, clearly treating him like a love rival.

Qu Jialiang: …

Stay calm.

Must stay calm.

T/N:

Jialiang: formally meeting my little brother and his best friend boyfriend… ∑(O_O;)

AGuang: meeting eldest brother-in-law (￣～￣;)

Xingxing: a love rival appears! (╬ Ò﹏Ó)

Director: ✧*｡٩(ˊᗜˋ*)و✧*｡