Chapter 72 – The Free World Within

“Hello, Xiao Ran.” A young man with beautiful almond eyes approached the hospital bed, bending down slightly. “Are you feeling better? Your health has improved, right?”

Wang Xiaoran: “…”

Shen Fubai smiled faintly. “I said before that I would come see you after your successful surgery, so here I am.”

Wang Xiaoran: “…”

“Fubai,” Shen Fubai looked at the girl who had remained silent the entire time, growing a little worried. He had heard that children with heart disease were often quiet due to their inability to experience extreme emotions, which made them less adept at socializing.

Wang Xiaoran spoke calmly. “Don’t talk.”

Shen Fubai: “Huh?”

Wang Xiaoran said lightly. “Let me get excited for a moment first.”

Shen Fubai responded, “You don’t sound excited at all…”

In the next second, an ear-piercing, high-decibel scream echoed through the ward: “AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!”

Jiang Heng immediately covered Shen Fubai’s ears.

Shen Fubai: “… I heard your excitement. Calm down.”

The previously sickly girl jumped out of her bed in a sudden burst of energy, her bare feet hitting the floor. Her lively and energetic demeanor left Shen Fubai feeling alarmed.

Wang Xiaoran screamed frantically. “Is it really you, Shen Fubai?!”

Jiang Heng removed his hands and whispered to Shen Fubai. “This girl’s reaction time could circle the Earth three times.”

Shen Fubai blinked. “It’s me.”

“I can’t believe it,” Wang Xiaoran covered her face and turned around, hopping once happily before turning back. “My God, I actually met you. When my father told me, I thought he was joking… Ah, Emperor Jiang is here too!”

Jiang Heng quietly muttered, “Four circles.” He’d been there for quite some time.

On the surface, Jiang Heng said, “Yes, I came to see you together with Fubai.”

“I-I don’t know what to say.” Wang Xiaoran was so agitated that she was about to cry. “Let me gather my thoughts.”

She sat on the bed, bowed her head, and buried her face deeply in her hands.

Shen Fubai asked, “Are you alright? Hello?”

Wang Xiaoran shook her head, muttering. “I’m going to die.”

Shen Fubai panicked. “Do you need me to call a doctor?!”

“No, no.” Wang Xiaoran hurriedly stopped him. “I just, I really, really am so excited. I’ve been a fan of yours for six years!” She pointed to a note stuck on the head of her bed. “Ruowei said you wrote this for me, and I was thrilled for a long time. I… wah wah wah…”

The girl started crying, overwhelmed with emotion.

Shen Fubai didn’t have much experience comforting girls, and seeing her like this left him flustered. However, Jiang Heng stepped in, saying, “Xiao Ran, I understand how you feel. But now, you need to calm down. Fluctuating emotions aren’t good for your health. You know, Fubai is a very gentle and meticulous person, and you wouldn’t want him to blame himself for you, would you?”

Jiang Heng truly understood Wang Xiaoran. In a sense, he was similar to her – both had been fans of Shen Fubai for six years, idolizing him. When they first met him, their inner excitement was intense, but unlike Wang Xiaoran, he couldn’t openly express it.

Wang Xiaoran was indeed convinced, gradually calming down. However, her tightly clenched fists still betrayed her turbulent emotions.

Shen Fubai chatted with her like a friendly older brother. “You said you’ve been following me since I debuted? At that time, you should have still been a primary school student. How did you end up liking me?”

Wang Xiaoran’s story of becoming a fan was already known to Father Wang and Mother Wang, who had shared it with Shen Fubai. Wang Xiaoran had been unwell since childhood, spending most of her time in bed, finding life dull and wishing she could die. One day, while watching TV, she saw Shen Fubai’s stunning dance performance on ‘Rising Star’. She was instantly captivated, marveling at how someone could be so radiant.

Then, the show aired behind-the-scenes footage. The sight of the teenager working hard to practice his dance moves touched her heart; even when sweat drenched his cheeks, he never showed any sign of slacking. Sixteen-year-old Shen Fubai was still chasing his dreams, his whole being glowing with brilliance.

Wang Xiaoran had dreams too, wanting to become a journalist, but her weak body turned those aspirations into mere illusions. Seeing Shen Fubai reignited her belief that life held pursuits and hope. Even if it was just to share the same world as such a wonderful person, she needed to fight to live.

That was her faith.

Sixteen-year-old Shen Fubai was the faith of countless people.

He was handsome, determined, diligent, hardworking, and excellent – every aspect of him was worthy of admiration. Even when he became a mere pretty face, Wang Xiaoran firmly believed that the original Shen Fubai was still there, just… hidden away.

Wang Xiaoran told Shen Fubai, “You are the continuation of my life.”

Shen Fubai: “… That’s a bit scary.” It sounded as if he was Wang Xiaoran’s son.

Wang Xiaoran quickly corrected herself. “I meant, you extended my life. Without you, I might not have made it this far… You’re great, really, I adore you.”

Looking at Wang Xiaoran, whose eyes sparkled with light, Shen Fubai suddenly felt a strange yet subtle sensation. For years, he had stirred up trouble, almost destroying his reputation among the general public. Those who remained were just fans of his looks, and such loyalty was superficial.

His poor behavior had left him with nothing worth liking, except for his face.

Sometimes, he even thought he was terrible. Though it was only for brief moments, most of the time he believed he was the coolest guy in the world.

But sometimes, he found it rather pointless. Like an ant trying to shake a tree or a mantis blocking a chariot, foolishly fighting against the company. What was the point? Dreams? Too distant.

Like a small boat in the vast sea suddenly losing its direction. Countless people took him as their goal, yet he himself was lost, leading to his current state, far from the awe-inspiring young man he once was upon his debut.

However, Sister Li, Xiao Lin, and Wang Xiaoran all said that he was great, always had been. He hadn’t changed at all.

Was that true?

It must be true. Shen Fubai thought, narcissistically.

Who was he? He was Shen Fubai, a beacon of light meant to illuminate the world. He wouldn’t be dragged into the darkness, for he was fearless…

Suddenly, Shen Fubai recalled the time at the couples restaurant, when Jiang Heng grabbed his hand in the pitch-black stairwell.

He carried him, taking him to a pink fairy-tale world. Everywhere he looked, pink bubbles filled with sweetness. He thoroughly pulled him out of the deep blackness.

“Thank you for your love,” Shen Fubai finally said to Wang Xiaoran. “In two months, I have a concert in Beijing. Would you like to attend?”

Wang Xiaoran’s eyes widened in surprise.

Attending one of Shen Fubai’s concerts was her dream.

She nodded vigorously. “Yes!”

“Good, I’ll send you two tickets then,” Shen Fubai smiled. “Thank you for your support, I won’t disappoint your expectations.”

After leaving the hospital, the two got into the car in silence. As Shen Fubai settled into the passenger seat, he suddenly asked, “Heng Heng, am I really that great?”

Jiang Heng glanced at him, not asking why he was asking, simply replying, “You are great.”

Shen Fubai continued, “Am I really likable?”

Jiang Heng answered, “At least I find you very likable.”

“Ah, I’m serious,” Shen Fubai buckled his seatbelt. “I suddenly feel a lot of pressure. Someone like me actually becomes someone else’s faith…”

“Someone like you?” Jiang Heng raised an eyebrow. “Fubai, what kind of person do you think you are?”

Shen Fubai replied, “Apart from my looks, I’m worthless.” He was brutally honest; that was the image he had in the public eye.

Jiang Heng shook his head. “Fubai, there are many reasons why you deserve to be someone’s faith, and looks are the least important of them.”

He opened the sunroof, transforming the car into a convertible. Jiang Heng pressed the gas pedal. “You shall be free, no longer hiding.”

No longer mired in the mud, no longer concealing his light. He wanted Shen Fubai to unleash his brilliance fully, shining bright like the moon, dazzling like the sun, hanging high like stars in the sky.

With the roof open, the wind roared past their ears.

Shen Fubai looked up at the blue sky outside the window, suddenly feeling that the world was wonderful.

Freedom.

How desirable it was.

He lay in the passenger seat, the wind blowing over his soft hair and gorgeous face. The world was beautiful.

Then he felt a drop of cold water land on his nose.

Hmm?

Shen Fubai opened his eyes and saw that the clear blue sky had instantly turned overcast, gray clouds rolling in.

A drizzle soon fell, quickly turning into a heavy downpour within seconds, pelting the two free souls.

“Ahhhh, Heng Heng, close the roof quickly!! Quickly, quickly, quickly! My new clothes!!!” Shen Fubai screamed.

Jiang Heng fumbled. “The rain is too heavy, I can’t see the button!”

“I don’t care! Close it quickly!!! Or I’ll skin you and make a raincoat out of you!”

Finally, the two ended up soaked to the bone, returning to the villa dejectedly and collapsing on the sofa.

Shen Fubai looked at his wet new clothes with heartache. “I was wrong, this world is terrible.”

Love may be precious, and freedom priceless, but if it rains, both can be abandoned.

The rain outside grew heavier, accompanied by thunder. The dark sky resembled nightfall.

Shen Fubai looked at Jiang Heng listlessly. “Aren’t you going to take a shower? You’re completely soaked.”

Jiang Heng didn’t want to move. “You go first, so you don’t catch a cold.”

Shen Fubai sat up. “Then you’ll catch a cold?”

Jiang Heng also sat up. “How about we shower together?”

Shen Fubai stared at him for three seconds, his eyes conveying, “I didn’t expect you to be like this, Heng Heng.”

“No, I’ll go first,” Shen Fubai stood up and took off his shirt. “Otherwise, something unspeakable might happen, Jinjiang-style.”

Jiang Heng felt utterly hopeless. “Why haven’t you forgotten that joke yet?”

Shen Fubai replied, “That joke will run through the entire story. Are you scared?”

Jiang Heng asked, “What happened to you, Fubai? Who turned you into this?”

Shen Fubai let out a soft hum and entered the bathroom, closing the door, leaving Jiang Heng puzzled.

He would never tell Jiang Heng that he recently discovered a fanfiction about him and Heng Heng on the website Jinjiang Literature City. The author was named Fubai Qu, obviously a fan of his.

My God, what an excellent and dedicated fan. Before the army of dedicated fans even rose, there was already a vanguard who learned to produce their own content.

The fanfic titled ‘Those Years of Mutual Fandom’ immediately replaced ‘Overbearing Emperor Falls in Love with Me’ as his favorite BL novel. Unfortunately, because it was on the Jinjiang website, there were no explicit intimate scenes, making Shen Fubai wish he could shout, “Let me take over the keyboard and write an 18+ scene for you!”

But it was all for naught.

Shen Fubai was filled with resentment.

Jiang Heng was equally resentful.

Damn Jinjiang, damn Fubai Qu, always getting in the way of his love with Jiujou.

Indeed, Jiang Heng also found that novel.

Compared to Shen Fubai wanting to personally write an 18+ scene, Jiang Heng wanted to personally act out an 18+ scene.

But Fubai (Qu) disagreed, leaving him with a massive headache.