Chapter 44

They had barely prepared.

Gu Zhijing sighed inwardly.

What kind of situation was this?

"Couldn't we do something other than 'Customized Heart-Fluttering'?"

Jiang Yu protested, "It's not like we don't have any other songs."

Gu Zhijing patted him heavily on the shoulder. "We really don't have any."

With Comet, a group in the same age range, already out there, going for the national boyfriend style would have made them too similar. So the company had never planned to take them in that direction when it first drew up their concept.

As a result, of all the songs on their debut EP and album combined, this was the only one that even came close to a love song.

And now it had been dragged into a plagiarism scandal, sitting on the trending searches for haters, rival fandoms, and those oh-so-discerning passersby to mock.

"I checked."

Xu Linyuan suggested, "The rules say that if we don't want to perform one of our own songs, or don't have one that's suitable right now, we can contact the production team and discuss what song we want. They'll buy the rights."

"Though that probably won't go over well, if we really have no other choice-"

"No need."

Sheng Chi suddenly spoke up. Without even blinking, he made the decision. "We'll use this one."

The other three were startled.

After a long moment, Gu Zhijing looked at him. "...Brother Chi, are you serious?"

"What else? Do we just wait for the company to put out statements, press releases, and lawyer's letters on our behalf, then hide away and avoid performing the song until it blows over?"

His tone was calm, but his words carried a sharp sting. "I can't do that."

Gu Zhijing looked up at him, a little dazed.

The corridor lights shone down on the top of Sheng Chi's head.

His brows were knitted. After a while, they relaxed slightly, and he said calmly, with a resolve that would brook no retreat, "The best way to defeat a rumor..."

"...is to confront it head-on."

Sheng Chi was always quick and decisive when making decisions.

And once he had made up his mind, he was so stubborn that eight oxen couldn't pull him back.

As a result, when Yu Wenwen heard their song choice after they returned, she nearly fainted.

She took a moment to recover, then tried every possible way to persuade them.

To her surprise, Sheng Chi had already put on his earphones and started watching the original song Wei Ming's fans were accusing them of plagiarizing.

Wei Ming had released the song last year.

In the song, Wei Ming played three different boyfriend roles in succession. At the time, some fans had even shipped the characters he played in the music video with each other, giving it a little buzz.

But Color4 had four members each playing a boyfriend with a different personality. It was a concept that couldn't have been more common.

Besides, they hadn't put on a stage performance or filmed a music video yet. Wei Ming's fans had seized on the lyrics and the single's concept alone. The plagiarism comparison chart they had pieced together looked alarming, but it was nonsense from beginning to end. Anyone with an IQ above eighty could tell something was wrong.

Of course, not all of Wei Ming's fans were idiots.

But they had already insisted on the accusation, and the other side had already started calling them the origin of the universe.

Could they admit defeat now? Of course not.

So they stubbornly refused to back down.

When Sheng Chi watched the music video, Gu Zhijing came over too.

Sheng Chi gave him one of his earbuds.

Gu Zhijing obediently nestled beside him. After the music video ended, he clicked on the automatic recommendations that popped up and watched several of Wei Ming's stage performances of the song.

"What?"

Sheng Chi glanced at him. "Are you addicted to watching him now?"

Gu Zhijing froze, then immediately denied it in a low voice. "...No."

"Aren't we trying to clear our name of the plagiarism accusation? I wanted to avoid the elements he's already used."

"You don't need to give him that much importance."

As Sheng Chi spoke, he closed the video app and ruffled Gu Zhijing's hair. "His song isn't that good. It was made entirely for a niche audience of fans, and hardly any ordinary passersby have even seen it."

"If we do it, we can definitely do it better than him."

Gu Zhijing raised his eyes. His peach blossom eyes blinked, and he smiled. "I think so too."

"We'll definitely make this performance great: more viral than his, more spectacular than his, and more famous than his. Then we'll shut up everyone who twists the facts and says we're riding his popularity."

Traffic-star fans looked down their noses at everyone all day long, unaware that hardly any passersby outside their fandom liked listening to their idol's songs.

Once they actually performed this stage,

there was no telling who would be riding whose popularity then.

The dream was beautiful.

Reality, however, was less than satisfactory.

They had never rehearsed a stage for this song before, so everything had to start from scratch.

Sheng Chi had finally managed to put together a routine in just half a day, and the four of them had barely begun trying it out when Yu Wenwen came to inspect their progress and interrupted them.

"Stop, stop, stop."

"Is this supposed to be a love-song stage? Does it feel even a little romantic?"

Yu Wenwen shook her head repeatedly as she watched. "When your girlfriend fans see this, I'm afraid they'll buy standing-room tickets and run away overnight."

Color4: "..."

They happened to be tired from practicing too, so they gave up and sat down in a corner to rest. "We haven't had any experience doing a similar stage before."

Yu Wenwen thought for a moment and tried to guide them. "Do any of you have, you know, any dating experience?"

The four blank slates below her looked up and answered in unison, "No."

Yu Wenwen: "..."

"Then suppose there's a girl you like right now. How would you act if you were trying to pursue her?"

She urged them on. "What kind of girl do you all like? Tell me more. Or should I find a staff member to pair up with you temporarily so you can get a feel for it?"

"How can an idol have someone they like?!"

Jiang Yu, whose professionalism as an idol was exemplary, immediately protested. "Do we have a death wish if word gets out?"

He looked around at his teammates and declared confidently, "We don't! Right? None of us do!"

Gulp.

Beside him, Gu Zhijing swallowed a little guiltily and nodded in agreement.

Yu Wenwen frowned. "If you don't have that feeling, what comes across onstage will be too dry."

The boyfriend vibe they were forcing was painfully awkward, like an elementary schooler who had just learned a few words trying to deliver cheesy pickup lines. It was enough to give anyone goosebumps.

She paced around the practice room a few times, then came up with another idea. "How about this? Don't spend all of tomorrow obsessing over the stage. Pair up and go shopping on dates to get a feel for romance."

She clapped her hands. "Perfect, now we have content for this episode of your group variety show too."

Color4: "?"

Jiang Yu was the first to raise his hand in opposition. "Isn't that the company itself selling BL fanservice?! Aren't you afraid we'll be cursed to death when the episode airs?"

"What do you mean, the company selling BL fanservice? This is called reasonable fanservice."

At that, Yu Wenwen put on an exasperated expression. "Just look at how far your CP super topics have fallen on the rankings."

"Everyone knows a group of four is perfect for a free-for-all of ships. With anyone else, it would be a paradise of sweet moments. But look at you: the only CP in the top ten of the super topic rankings now is Sheng Chi and Gu Zhijing. Do you lot think that's acceptable?"

Sheng Chi: "..."

Gu Zhijing: "..."

With perfect tacit understanding, they turned their eyes away, avoiding each other's gaze.

Leap Entertainment had never shied away from the subject of CP fanservice.

They were all friends anyway. What was there that couldn't be discussed openly?

Besides, promoting a CP within the group was much better than being dragged into rumors and paired up by outsiders who wanted to suck their blood.

When their own people sucked each other's blood, how could that be called bloodsucking? It was called mutual benefit.

"Besides, the editing won't be nearly so straightforward."

Yu Wenwen's plans were clicking neatly into place. "We'll edit it as the two pairs going out separately and give the fans some treats at the right moments. Everyone wins."

With that little nudge from her,

Jiang Yu immediately said, "That works, but I want to go with Gu Jing!"

Gu Zhijing's eyes instantly widened at being called out. "Why?"

Jiang Yu looked at him as though it were obvious. "You're popular! Let me ride your popularity. Maybe our Hundred Sights of Jiangnan can break into the top ranks of the CP charts."

Gu Zhijing: "..."

Color4 was currently focused on promoting its image as a group, with every member sharing in its successes and setbacks. They had also debuted only recently, so there were few conflicts of interest. As a result, most of their fans were friendly solo stans.

Though they only liked one member, they bore no ill will toward the group or his teammates.

Among them, Gu Zhijing had attracted high proportions of mom fans, feminizing fans, and CP fans because he was good-looking and easy to feminize. He had quietly become the most popular member of the group long ago.

Hearing that, Xu Linyuan immediately leaned over to Gu Zhijing and grabbed his arm. "Does our Childhood Friends Group have no rights, then? When you weren't around, I was the one keeping him company, okay?"

He turned to Gu Zhijing with a tender expression, looking just like the second male lead in a melodrama. "A-Jing, have you really forgotten all those days and nights when we struggled together with only each other for company?"

Jiang Yu made an exaggerated gagging motion, then said, "Please! I only got here a month later than you!"

"Is that one month all you were missing?"

Xu Linyuan wagged his index finger. "One step too late, and everything is too late."

The two of them bickered like elementary schoolers over there.

Gu Zhijing sat obediently between them, each of them tugging on one of his arms. He made no attempt to stop them, looking for all the world as if he wanted them to fight so he could enjoy the show.

Sheng Chi's eyelid twitched as he watched.

Finally, he could stand it no longer and rapped his index-finger knuckle on the floor.

All three turned to look at him.

"I'm the captain. I have the final say."

Sheng Chi paused, then announced the result expressionlessly.

"Stop arguing. Gu Zhijing is coming with me."

The author has something to say: Brother Chi: Don't even think about fighting me for my wife (?)

Thanks to the little angel who threw a landmine: Little Purple Sweet Potato, 1;

Thanks to the little angels who supplied nutrient solution: Ye, 21 bottles; Yilu and Youzi, 20 bottles each; Jiang Ting Is the Bottom Beneath Me, 4 bottles; Sweet and Sour Fish, 2 bottles;

Thank you, darlings! Muah, muah, muah!

Chapter 46

The next day, in the dressing room.

"Sister Yu really knows how to pick a day."

Curled up in his seat, Gu Zhijing obediently let the stylist blow-dry his bangs as he couldn't help muttering, "It's New Year's Eve."

After settling on the pairings yesterday, Yu Wenwen had rushed to book tickets for both teams, saying there was no time like the present, so why not tomorrow?

Then she had gone to arrange the cars and contact the other personal assistants, without a moment's hesitation.

It went without saying that there would be a huge crowd outside today.

From the sound of it, Sister Yu wasn't planning to clear the venues for them, either.

Gu Zhijing blew a frustrated puff of air upward.

"Isn't that perfect?"

The stylist's hands never stopped. After finishing his bangs, she began applying his makeup. "You can record the New Year's treat for the fans today too, and save yourselves having to get styled twice."

The makeup brush swept gently across Gu Zhijing's eyelid, tickling him slightly.

The corners of his peach blossom eyes lifted instinctively, and he smiled. "Yeah. With just one day out, she can get enough footage for two episodes of the group variety show and a New Year's treat."

"I bet Sister Yu did it on purpose. Three birds with one stone-a guaranteed profit."

His tone was soft, sounding less like a complaint than a joke to make the best of things.

The stylist's makeup brush suddenly paused, and she was nearly dazed by the sight.

No matter how many times she admired it, she had to admit that Gu Zhijing's face was truly a work of art by God.

The two chatted a little longer, and the stylist soon finished. She checked the time. "Perfect, it's not nine yet."

She carefully put a hat on him so it wouldn't flatten his freshly permed hair. After admiring her work of art for another moment, she made a joke too. "All right, off you go on your date."

Normally, there would have been no need to make such a production of it and spend three hours on styling just to film a group variety show.

But Yu Wenwen had said that this project was preparation for the new song's stage.

And she planned to edit the episode to complement the stage, presenting them as virtual boyfriends from the fans' perspective, so they had to take it seriously.

That was why Gu Zhijing had been dragged out of bed at six in the morning for makeup and styling.

He had even changed his hair color specifically to match his character image in the new song.

Once his styling was finished, Gu Zhijing rubbed his fingertips together and breathed on them for warmth, then happily dashed out like an elementary schooler about to go on a spring outing. "When are we leaving?"

Sheng Chi said, "Soon. Once Sister Yu gets here-"

He looked up, and his words abruptly stopped.

If saccharin were added to a cloud