Chapter 51: Secret Crush
The trainees only had one day for promotion before returning to the Hey Brother, Let's Debut! training camp to continue their closed-door practice.
After this song evaluation, the trainees would be reclassified based on their songs' popularity. The two lowest-ranked teams would have all members demoted by one level, while the top two teams would have all members promoted by two levels. A-class members would remain unchanged. The third-ranked team would be promoted by one level, while the fourth and fifth-ranked teams would stay in their current classes.
After this reclassification, all members remaining in E and D classes would be eliminated.
Since this round would eliminate a large number of trainees, the competition was extremely fierce. Everyone gave their all—whether in composing, writing lyrics, or promoting their songs—striving for perfection.
After returning home, Yin Chengjue immediately took a cold shower.
It lasted over an hour.
Sigh… I must be going crazy.
Yin Chengjue draped a towel over his face and leaned back on the sofa, lost in thought.
His hand accidentally hit the remote, turning on the TV—which happened to be airing the latest episode of Hey Brother, Let's Debut! on Watermelon TV.
It was a compilation of the remaining four teams composing their songs.
By sheer coincidence, it was Rong Yu’s team.
They had just finished grouping up and, after learning the program’s requirements, were discussing what kind of song to create.
Tao Li, the honest boy with endless wild ideas, suggested writing lyrics about their experiences and feelings while participating in Hey Brother, Let's Debut!—a way to give back to their fans.
The others agreed, but as they started brainstorming, they struggled to find the right angle.
Then, as if to ease the tension, Rong Yu—the team leader—began talking about why he joined the show.
On screen, Rong Yu, wearing the standard black-and-gold uniform, leaned against the wall with one hand resting on his bent knee, supporting his chin. He smiled and said, "I came here so the person I like could see me. If I stand high enough, if I shine bright enough, even if they don’t watch the show or follow celebrities, one day, while walking down the street or passing by someone, they might catch a glimpse of me on a store’s TV or hear my name in passing."
His words instantly drew his teammates’ attention. They set down their pens, looking at him with surprise and curiosity.
"Brother Rong, aren’t you afraid of losing fans? You keep mentioning having a crush," Bi Sheng teased.
Watching this, Yin Chengjue felt an inexplicable discomfort.
So… Rong Yu already likes someone? And it’s a secret crush? Why hasn’t he confessed? With his looks, who would reject him?
On the show, Rong Yu’s smile softened as if thinking of that person. "I’m just warning my fans in advance. My heart’s already taken—and I’m determined to win that person over. So, tread carefully if you’re falling for me!"
The editors added a bold caption over his face: "Dead Set on Victory."
Yin Chengjue had the sudden urge to erase those words.
Rong Yu continued, "I’ve liked that person for a long time. I still remember the moment I first fell for that person—it was like a beam of light falling from the sky. You know Cupid’s arrow? I used to think it was just a myth, but at that moment, I really felt like my heart had been pierced."
"Wow, who knew you were like this, Brother Rong!" Tao Li patted his shoulder.
"Hey! Why don’t we write a song about that feeling? Xiao Li wanted to give back to the fans, right? ‘Heartbeat,’ ‘gratitude’—we could express how thankful we are for their support. Every performance feels like a gift from them."
"That’s a great idea!"
The six quickly agreed, and inspiration flowed effortlessly.
Yin Chengjue had already heard their final song online, but watching the behind-the-scenes process made the melody play automatically in his mind.
This was exactly the effect Hey Brother, Let's Debut! aimed for—fans would listen to the song repeatedly, then rewatch the creation process, reinforcing the memory. Some might even play the song while watching the clip.
Fang Mengda, the crybaby who had been heavily criticized for ugly crying during the first performance, became a target for haters. Yet, in this episode, he played a spontaneous melody on the keyboard while listening to his teammates’ lyrics.
Skilled pianists often had long, elegant fingers, and Fang Mengda was no exception. The camera zoomed in, instantly attracting hand-obsessed fans.
Rong Yu, whether intentionally or not, complimented Fang Mengda’s hands and encouraged him to play something.
Fang Mengda launched into "Turkish March," his fingers flying across the keys in a dazzling blur.
The others applauded enthusiastically, and the usually tough guy blushed at the praise.
The team’s chemistry was noticeably better than the other groups.
Click! The front door opened, and Second Young Master Qin’s loud voice echoed inside. "Juezi! I’m back!"
"Today was terrifying! Guess what? I went to take photos and accidentally captured my brother in the frame. His sixth sense is insane—he spotted me immediately and sent people chasing me for blocks! Thank goodness I’m fast, or I’d be dead meat!" Qin Ke stumbled in, his clothes torn, his face smeared with dirt—a complete mess.
Yin Chengjue scoffed. "Is your brother some kind of forbidden entity? Why do you always run?"
Qin Ke: "He doesn’t have to say anything—just seeing him means I’ll get dragged back home for ‘reflection.’ He wields an invisible blade that cuts off my wings of freedom!"
Yin Chengjue: "Did he actually say he was going to catch you?"
Qin Ke: "He sent people after me! What else could it mean?"
Yin Chengjue: "If you hadn’t run, would they have chased you?"
Qin Ke: "If I didn’t run, I’d just stand there and wait for them?"
Yin Chengjue: "Are you sure he wasn’t just worried you’d trip?"
Qin Ke waved it off. "Forget it. Enough about that. Guess who I saw with my brother?"
Yin Chengjue refused to play along.
Luckily, Qin Ke always answered his own questions. "Murong He! The eldest son of the Murong family!"
Yin Chengjue raised an eyebrow. "Did your brother come out too?"
Realizing how that sounded, Qin Ke quickly corrected, "No! They were probably discussing business. They were sitting by the window on the second floor of Lingxian Tower. I accidentally captured them while photographing the scenery."
Yin Chengjue fell silent.
Qin Ke, thinking he didn’t believe him, pulled up the photo. "My brother’s really something! To be negotiating with the Murongs—Dad’s gonna be thrilled. You know how hard it is to land a deal with them."
Yin Chengjue: "Hmm… Isn’t the second floor of Lingxian Tower reserved for couples?"
Just then, Qin Ke found the photo—and right there, between them, was a vase of red roses.
Yin Chengjue waved a hand in front of Qin Ke’s dazed face.
Qin Ke: "...Give me a moment."
Yin Chengjue coughed. "Maybe it’s a misunderstanding? Your brother might not know it’s a couples’ section."
Qin Ke paled. "But what if Murong He does? His younger brother is… you know…"
Yin Chengjue narrowed his eyes. "Are you being discriminatory?"
Qin Ke: "No, no! Of course not!" He tried to sit but was blocked. "Wash off that mud first!"
Qin Ke whined, "Juezi! You’re rejecting me?"
Yin Chengjue: "Should I be happy about it? Did you hit your head when you fell?"
Grumbling, Qin Ke headed to the bathroom but paused. "Oh, I heard Murong He won the bid for that land—the one Feng Chengda almost secured. Did you… interfere?"
Yin Chengjue frowned. "No."
He had threatened Feng Chengda to sign the divorce papers or risk losing the deal. Feng Chengda complied, so Yin Chengjue kept his word.
Yet, Feng Chengda still lost the bid.
Qin Ke: "I didn’t think so. Murong He wasn’t even serious about that land initially, so Feng Chengda almost got it. But suddenly, Murong He outbid him at a crazy price. Back when Feng Chengda was still with the Yin Group, he might’ve stood a chance, but now? People think Feng Chengda must’ve pissed Murong He off somehow."
Feng Chengda’s not stupid. Why would he provoke the Murongs?
Qin Ke: "The only person Feng Chengda’s been messing with lately is you."
He shrugged. "So, naturally, I wondered if it was your doing."
Hmm
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