Chapter 88 – Business Partners

The melody was pleasant, the voice melodious, and the most stunning parts were “Isn’t it breathtakingly beautiful? The years in the mountains pass, a bit lonely,” and “Drinking a great deal, wishing to remain drunk forever. The glow of fireflies and candles may be bright, but how can they compare to dawn?” These sections were sung in an operatic style.

Shen Fubai wasn’t professionally trained in opera, so his singing wasn’t particularly professional, but he had practiced with a professional opera teacher for two months, doing vocal exercises every day. When he sang, even though he wasn’t an expert, he sounded quite convincing to the layman’s ear.

It was more than enough to impress his fans.

Nowadays, many ancient-style songs or national-style songs incorporated some elements of opera, which didn’t make them true opera. They just added opera elements, giving them a touch of charm. Some of the younger generation found traditional opera forms such as Peking Opera, Pingju, and Huangmei Opera too dry and boring, but they enthusiastically embraced pop songs that mixed these elements. This combination could be seen as another resurgence of these ancient cultural traditions.

Of course, if one was truly interested, buying a ticket during their free time to support the real artists would be best.

But we digress. In short, when Shen Fubai opened his mouth, his diction was clear and smooth, his voice winding and graceful, instantly eliciting exclamations from the audience below.

Jiang Heng, sitting in the guest seat, also widened his eyes slightly in surprise when he heard this section.

He knew exactly what Shen Fubai’s true level was – he had no sense of pitch at all.

That was why, when he heard this impressive singing, Jiang Heng was more shocked than anyone else.

Everyone else usually listened to Shen Fubai’s heavily edited songs, so in their eyes, Shen Fubai’s performance went from ninety to a hundred. But for Jiang Heng, who had heard the original versions, Shen Fubai’s improvement went from zero to a hundred.

It was simply unbelievable.

But after a moment of surprise, Jiang Heng felt mostly pride.

Hard work paid off. His Fubai was so outstanding, how could he not be proud?

The two-hour concert passed quickly in the heated atmosphere. It wasn’t until it was time to say goodbye that the fans realized it was already nine o’clock.

How did time fly so fast? They hadn’t felt its passing at all.

Tonight, Shen Fubai had given them too many surprises. One after another, they came at them in waves, leaving them breathless. The only certainty was that this trip was worth it. They were still not satisfied and wished for another two hours, no, for it to never end.

“The goodbyes still need to be said,” Shen Fubai’s face remained exquisite on the high-definition screen, and he held the microphone seriously. “At the end of today, there’s still something I want to tell everyone.”

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the enthusiastic crowd below: “This is my last concert.”

“…”

Dead silence.

Then the venue erupted.

“Why???”

“Are you leaving the industry, Fubai?!”

“No! Is it because people often say you’re just a pretty face? You’ve already proven yourself tonight!”

“Wah wah wah, brother, don’t do this. I won’t listen, you must be joking…”

The crowd was completely in an uproar. Wang Xiaoran and Li Ruowei were also shocked; they didn’t know why Shen Fubai would suddenly say something like this.

Xie Weiluo was on the brink of collapse. “Why?!”

Xie Chian replied indifferently, “Can’t you see that he doesn’t like being an idol?”

Xie Weiluo bit her lip. “But, we really like him…”

“Don’t you think you should let him do what he truly loves?” Xie Chian showed little emotion.

“It’s true…” Xie Weiluo was about to cry with sadness. “But it’s still hard to accept! Just thinking that I won’t see him anymore… Wah wah wah…” She was very emotionally invested in her fandom, something her brother couldn’t understand at all!

Xie Chian sighed lightly, his head aching. “Don’t worry. He won’t leave the industry.”

Xie Weiluo looked up. “What do you mean?”

Xie Chian was succinct. “Transition.”

Xie Weiluo: “Eh?”

“How do you know? Do you have insider information?” Xie Weiluo was suspicious.

Xie Chian said, “Reading people isn’t that difficult.”

Xie Weiluo was impressed but didn’t understand-

Shen Fubai stood in the center of the stage, the spotlight shining on him, making everything around him dim. He seemed to be glowing.

“This decision came after much thought and was not made in a fit of pique. I’ve been thinking for a long time. This is my seventh year in the industry, but I haven’t been able to fight for the career I truly love. I’m sorry.” Shen Fubai smiled faintly. “There’s no need to panic. This isn’t the end, it’s just a new beginning. I’ll come back, in another capacity, by your side.”

This statement calmed the restless crowd somewhat.

“What does ‘in another capacity’ mean?”

“Is he planning to take a break?”

Shen Fubai didn’t explain further. The matter of terminating his contract with the company would inevitably be brought up sooner or later and would certainly cause a stir online. This was merely a preemptive warning to his fans.

“Thank you again for your love over the years.” Shen Fubai bowed deeply. “Tonight, I’m very happy.”

Many fans had tears in their eyes, perhaps due to the melancholy of parting.

“We’re also very happy!”

“You have to take care of yourself in the future! We can spend another seven years with you!”

This shout was particularly loud, and Shen Fubai couldn’t help but chuckle softly. “Will there be a seven-year itch?”

“No!” The fans shouted in unprecedented unison. “We’ll support whatever you do, cheers!!!”

The concert ended, just as expected, in a grand finale. At the same time, Shen Fubai’s seven-year career as an idol also came to an end.

A new beginning was imminent-

When the concert ended, Shen Fubai stopped Xie Chian and tried to return the white bear bouquet that Xie Weiluo had given him. “Such an expensive gift, I can’t accept it. You should take it back.”

Xie Weiluo had already been pushed away by the crowd. Xie Chian was looking for someone, and upon hearing this, he turned around. “No need, it’s not expensive.” Then he disappeared into the crowd.

Shen Fubai: “…”

This bouquet, worth at least several million, was considered “not expensive” in his eyes?

The people he knew were all so rich.

Jiang Heng walked over. “Accept the fans’ heartfelt gifts.”

He didn’t think that gifts worth millions were particularly expensive. In his eyes, they were merely pocket money from his student days.

Shen Fubai muttered, “I always feel that our consumption concepts will create a mismatch between us…”

The noise of the dispersal was too loud, and Jiang Heng didn’t hear clearly. “What?”

“Nothing.” Shen Fubai pulled him backstage, closed the door, blocking out most of the sounds outside.

Finally, it was quiet.

Shen Fubai sat down to remove his makeup.

Jiang Heng smiled. “Tonight was great.”

“That’s right.” Shen Fubai was proud of himself. “Was my singing good?”

“The dancing was great, the singing was good too.” Jiang Heng watched Shen Fubai, whose makeup was gradually removed in the mirror. “It must have been tough to practice to that level, right?” It seemed that Fubai’s singing wasn’t hopeless after all; with effort, he could still sing well.

“In fact, it wasn’t that bad. My vocal coach said that I could always sing an octave higher than the sheet music and then lower three notes and a half tone.” Shen Fubai explained, “So she gave me the wrong sheet music from the start, and if I strictly followed that incorrect sheet music, I could hit the right notes.”

Jiang Heng: “…”

He took back his previous words. Shen Fubai’s singing was still beyond saving-

The internet exploded that night.

Shen Fubai dominated the trending topics on Weibo, occupying five out of the top ten, and they just happened to occupy the first five spots.

Trending topic #1: Shen Fubai announces departure from the industry.

Trending topic #2: Shen Fubai and Jiang Heng collaborate on the new song “Fubai”.

Trending topic #3: Shen Fubai’s concert.

Trending topic #4: Shen Fubai’s opening dance.

Trending topic #5: Shen Fubai’s “Wine Shop” dance.

This was the first time that the top five trending topics were all occupied by the same person, leaving no room for others.

As soon as the concert ended, various videos started circulating. The most forwarded video was the two-minute opening dance, which was spreading wildly across the internet. In addition, the views for the performance of “Fubai” and Jiang Heng’s appearance were also high. Cuts of the “Wine Shop” dance and high-definition images were released. A white-clad immortal with cranes and a red-clad youth drinking unrestrainedly – even just looking at the pictures conveyed the impact.

Shen Fubai’s fans were elated.

Fan A: Ahhhhhhhhhh, God, why didn’t I go to the concert tonight? Why! Now I regret it so much that I want to pull my guts out!

Fan B: Six-year-old fan here, at the scene! Really cried, Fubai danced so well! I don’t understand why he kept it hidden before, feeling sorry for Fubai.

Fan C: Hahahaha, open your dogs’ eyes, haters. Who said our Bai Bai was just a pretty face? I ask you, who among your main idols can match that two-minute opening dance? After enduring so many years of injustice, I finally got to breathe a sigh of relief. I’m almost laughing to death, hahahaha…

Fan D: I’m crying and laughing now. Because of studying, I couldn’t go to the scene, and seeing the dance video stunned me. But can someone explain why Bai Bai wants to leave the industry? Is this true?

Heng Wine CP fans were excited.

Heng Wine Fan A: Where are my Heng Wine army? I can hardly believe my eyes. In my lifetime, I can actually see the two of them perform together outside of dramas. There will be plenty of material for video editing in the future.

Heng Wine Fan B: You’re all focused on the dance, but am I the only one who noticed that Bai Bai’s new song was composed by Heng Heng? This song was a joint effort by them, and its name is “Fubai”. Rounding up, this is their love song! I don’t care, sisters, I’m going to indulge in this sugar first.

Heng Wine Fan C: Fubai’s gaze at Heng Heng in the audience was so tender. And Heng Heng’s gaze at Fubai when he came on stage was so loving! They must have spent time preparing this song together, right? Could it be that they were together during the period when they both disappeared from the public eye?

Heng Wine Fan D: The floor above you has spotted a blind spot!

The general public was straightforward.

General Public A: I always thought Shen Fubai was just a pretty face, but after watching that two-minute video, I quietly lit a cigarette on the rooftop… Alright, my face hurts from the slap. I declare that from today, I’m Shen Fubai’s die-hard fan!

General Public B: That video was really, really amazing! Humans can actually fly! Love it, love it.

General Public C: I’m a classical dance major at the Dance Academy. Shen Fubai’s suspension skills would definitely rank first in our major. After so many years without professional dance training, his basic skills haven’t deteriorated. Impressive, he’s a god.

General Public D: The new song “Fubai” is so good! I listened to that opera part repeatedly! I hope it’s released on NetEase Cloud Music soon. I want to download it and put it on repeat!

Of course, there were still discordant voices, still haters jumping around, questioning: I watched that two-minute opening dance, it was impressive, but what kind of dance was that? Pure showboating, no feelings at all.

Soon, someone shot back: Hilarious, are you unaware of what a technical combination is? The first two minutes were meant to showcase technique. If you want to see aesthetics, watch the complete version of “Wine Shop.” Someone will post it on Weibo soon.

…

Online, there were those marveling at the dance skills, praising the new song, happily indulging in the romance, worrying about the departure from the industry, turning from casual to hardcore fans, haters becoming fans, fans upgrading to fervent fans… It was a bustling scene, unlike any other celebrity receiving such attention.

But neither Shen Fubai nor Jiang Heng cared about the online chatter.

In the spacious bedroom, the phone rang; it was from the company, probably asking about Shen Fubai announcing that this was his last concert tonight.

But no one picked up.

Jiang Heng pressed Shen Fubai onto the bed, his voice hoarse, his breath falling on his ear, low and slightly raised. “Business partners, huh?”

Apparently, he was settling accounts after the autumn for Shen Fubai’s attempt to distance their relationship on stage.

Shen Fubai’s cheeks were flushed with a peachy red. “Th-then, bed, bed buddies?”

Jiang Heng’s eyes darkened slightly. “Good friendship?”

Shen Fubai hesitated. “F-fuck buddies?”

Jiang Heng laughed. “Sassy, keep being sassy.”

The sassy Shen Fubai nearly broke his leg in the end, lying on the bed and whining. Jiang Heng kissed the engagement ring on his finger, his features handsome and lazy. “Who am I to you?”

Shen Fubai’s ears tinged pink, and he called out softly. “H-hus, husband…”

Jiang Heng chuckled. “Why are you having trouble speaking tonight?”

Shen Fubai flared up. “Pull out already!” How could he expect him to talk properly while pinning him down?

“Not possible. My business partner.” Jiang Heng said leisurely. “I want our friendship to last forever.”