Chapter 31 – Social Circle
This dinner was held at Cou Cou, a hotpot restaurant where, at the mention of its name, people think not of the beef, tripe, or crispy pork, but of the milk tea. Clearly, it was more about the fun atmosphere than the food itself.
When Sang Ye followed Tan Mo into the semi-open private dining area, the dual hotpot on the table was already steaming. Sang Ye had hoped that by entering with Tan Mo, they might sit next to each other. However, the seating had already been arranged, with Xiao Pai sitting awkwardly between them.
Sang Ye’s high spirits from the walk over were immediately dashed.
“They’re here!” Xiao Pai, oblivious to how much he was in the way, eagerly yelled, “Put in the meat, the meat, the meat!”
“Can you drink alcohol? We’re all having some,” Yu Haotian asked Sang Ye from two seats away after he sat down. “Or do you want a milk tea?”
“Milk tea,” Sang Ye replied.
“Milk tea? How boring!” Xiao Pai teased. “You’re eighteen already. What’s wrong with having some alcohol like people your age? Your parents aren’t here to stop you!”
“Yeah,” Ji Feng chimed in, “Tomorrow’s Saturday, you don’t need to get up early. A little won’t hurt!”
Sang Ye wasn’t swayed and insisted, “Milk tea.”
Yu Haotian gave Sang Ye another glance, thinking how well-behaved this kid was. He shushed Xiao Pai and Ji Feng with a disdainful “Shh! Not everyone’s like you two, acting crazy. Does he look like someone who drinks? Don’t corrupt him.”
Yu Haotian misunderstood. Sang Ye could drink, but he had no confidence in his tolerance or behavior after drinking. Two drinks were enough to knock him out, and when he was drunk, he was completely out of control. Last time, he ended up snatching someone else’s sunglasses at a karaoke bar. If he got drunk again, who knows what might happen?
It didn’t matter before since Tan Mo wasn’t around, but now that he had to maintain a good image in front of his idol, he refused decisively.
As Sang Ye was thinking this, he turned his head slightly and met a pair of calm eyes, observing him with subtle curiosity.
His heart skipped a beat.
Tan Mo looked at him for a few seconds, then glanced at the hotpot, signaling that they could start eating before turning his attention away.
This time, there were eight people at the dinner. Two from the first and second teams couldn’t make it—An Liu had other matters, and E Lan had openly stated he would stay at the base to train. Including the team manager, the group was a lively bunch.
At the table, no one mentioned the drama with Jiang Lily from earlier that evening. Instead, they focused on teasing each other and sharing gossip, with Xiao Pai providing the majority of the laughs, thanks to his antics.
As the pile of empty bottles under the table grew larger, everyone became increasingly uninhibited in their conversation.
“You guys are always exposing my secrets!” Xiao Pai waved his hand, his eyes already unfocused. “Now that Bai Mao has officially joined us, isn’t it time we brief him on our club’s boss?”
At this, Hu Fu couldn’t help but reminisce. “I’ve been here almost two years… and I still haven’t seen the big boss behind the scenes. Quite mysterious.”
Xiao Pai grabbed Sang Ye.
Sang Ye coldly and unceremoniously shook him off, continuing to eat his noodles.
Xiao Pai didn’t mind and kept ranting, “Even though our boss never shows up, his capitalist ways are deeply felt! Last year, I barely had any rest; they kept sending me to competitions. Now that you’re so popular, they’ll probably squeeze you harder than they did me.”
Before Sang Ye could respond, Tan Mo dropped a beef ball into Xiao Pai’s bowl.
Despite drinking, Tan Mo’s expression remained as cold as ever. “Don’t say things without proof, alright?”
“What do you mean, no proof?” Xiao Pai popped the beef ball into his mouth, his talkative nature undeterred. “Brother, you were the most popular one. You did more activities than me last year, and did they give you any time off? Wait a minute—there’s something weird about you today. Aren’t we supposed to be the oppressed, united against the bosses? I’ve never seen you side with the boss like this before. Did you make some under-the-table deal with them… Mmph…”
Tan Mo immediately clamped his hand over Xiao Pai’s mouth.
“Haha, got muted, huh?” Yu Haotian clapped his hands and burst into laughter, tipsy and enjoying the sight of Xiao Pai getting what he deserved. “Saying that in front of the boss’s partner… Mmph…”
Sang Ye looked utterly confused by what was happening.
Tan Mo, now holding the mouths of both chatterboxes, glanced at the menu and simply said, “See if there’s anything else you want to add. Dinner’s on me.”
Hufu let out an exaggerated “Wow!” and unashamedly grabbed the menu. “You’re throwing a roadblock on my path to weight loss, but thanks, Boss Tan!”
The rant about the boss was effectively cut short, and the meal continued for another hour before wrapping up.
Among the flushed faces at the table, Sang Ye, who had stuck to milk tea the whole time, remained the most clear-headed. After putting down his chopsticks, he glanced across the table at Tan Mo.
At that moment, Tan Mo stood up and grabbed his coat. “Going to the bathroom. You guys head out first.”
Yu Haotian, resting his head on his hand, reminded him, “Be careful not to run into drunks again like last time, or you’ll lose your sunglasses again.”
Sang Ye didn’t immediately react to this, but then, suddenly, it hit him like a bolt of lightning.
“…”
Sitting stiffly in his chair, Sang Ye’s hand tightened around his pants, his toes nervously twisting. As Tan Mo passed by casually, putting on his coat, Sang Ye’s face flushed red. Inside, he was filled with both regret and dismay.
Turns out, his image had already crumbled.
When Tan Mo came out of the restroom, he saw the white-haired boy leaning against the hallway wall, head down, as if waiting for someone.
There was something inexplicably obedient about his quiet demeanor.
Tan Mo rubbed the back of his neck with one hand, the other tucked into his pocket, and walked over.
Sang Ye sensed someone standing in front of him, so he looked up and saw the person he had been waiting for. A few strands of hair near Tan Mo’s forehead were damp, and because of the alcohol, a faint flush colored his cheekbones and the corners of his eyes, giving his usually pale complexion a touch of warmth. His features were strikingly handsome, almost dazzling.
Sang Ye didn’t dare look anymore and quickly lowered his head, mumbling, “I was drunk then… I didn’t mean to…”
Tan Mo asked, “What?”
Sang Ye bit his lip, hesitating for a moment before lightly kicking the floor tile. “That time at the KTV… We’d actually met before, but I forgot when I sobered up…”
Tan Mo seemed to recall and said, “I forgot too, until you mentioned it.”
Sang Ye wanted to explain but didn’t know where to start. His thoughts churned inside him, and suddenly he felt deflated. Instead of speaking, he slid down the wall, crouching with his hands over his face.
“I don’t usually drink, that was the only time, and you happened to catch me. I wouldn’t do something like stealing when I’m sober. Just because I dyed my hair doesn’t mean I’m a delinquent…”
Tan Mo glanced down at the boy’s soft white head. After a moment, he crouched down beside him and said, “So you insisted on having milk tea tonight because you didn’t want me to think you’re a delinquent?”
Sang Ye’s shoulders shrank a bit, feeling embarrassed that his thoughts were so easily seen through. Thankfully, with his face covered, no one could see how red it was. He denied it stubbornly, “N-no…”
Tan Mo asked, “Are you trying to act obedient in front of me?”
“……”
Ugh…
Why was Talk being so direct?
Sang Ye’s face felt like it was on fire.
Tan Mo tugged on his wrist. Sang Ye resisted, but Tan Mo tugged again, and eventually, Sang Ye gave in and let go.
Tan Mo gently lifted the boy’s delicate chin, the playful touch almost teasing. “You don’t need to worry about what others think, including me. Just be yourself—that’s enough.”
Sang Ye blinked, a bit dazed. “Huh…?”
Tan Mo gave a slight smile. “It’s more than enough to make people like you.”
Sang Ye felt his legs turning to jelly, nearly collapsing to the ground. Instinctively, he wanted to cover his face again, but Tan Mo held onto his hand. He quickly bit his lip, his heart racing like crazy, making him too nervous to even breathe.
Tan Mo lowered his gaze, his expression softening a bit. “I really didn’t take what happened that night to heart. I’ve almost forgotten it. You don’t need to feel burdened.”
After a long pause, Sang Ye managed to let out a quiet “mm,” and his racing heartbeat finally began to calm down.
Suddenly, Tan Mo said, “But I do remember you dancing pretty well.”
“……”
Sang Ye froze. When he looked up, he saw the man suppressing a smile.
He vaguely sensed that this wasn’t the first time something like this had happened.
His cheeks burning and his chest heaving, Sang Ye finally couldn’t take it anymore. Overwhelmed with embarrassment and frustration, he charged into Tan Mo’s chest like a little calf, yelling in a voice that, despite his effort, came out adorably childish:
“You’re so annoying! I’m done playing with you!!!”
…
Meanwhile, in a corner of the restaurant, a girl was trembling as she typed on her phone, occasionally taking deep breaths.
— To prevent herself from passing out from cuteness overload.
[Tonight I ran into Sang Fugui at dinner, and OMG, he was sooooo ADORABLE!!! Watching Fugui act all cute with hubby, I’m swooning!!!]
[Photo] +4
[Tan Shen squatting there to comfort someone—this is totally what a boyfriend would do, right?]
[Song’s face all red like he’s about to cry, he’s way too soft! But he’s supposed to be the cool, tough guy!]
[OMG, in the last pic, Tan Shen is holding Song’s head, smiling so happily. The former “untouchable flower” is gone for good, but now I suddenly get the couple vibes from them.]
Sang Ye didn’t check Weibo after he got home, unaware that the hashtag for “Rap Super Topic” had once again shot to the top in popularity.
He took a shower, opened his nightstand drawer, and pulled out a contract whose corners were already curled up. He flipped to one of the pages.
It was clear that the contract from Jiang Lily earlier today had an extra page, which had been sneakily inserted.
On the way back, Talk had told him that official contracts usually have page numbers and seal stamps across the edges to prevent missing or extra pages. Unions sometimes use tricks like this to exploit loopholes.
Sang Ye tossed the contract back in the drawer.
Regardless, he would get a lawyer to handle this. There was no way he’d let the union twist the facts and smear him.
Rolling onto his bed, Sang Ye reflected on the day’s events. Surprises had come one after another, making it feel like a dream.
—He had actually made it into the first team.
Suddenly feeling the urge to express himself, he thought about posting on his social media. He flipped over, grabbed his phone, and began looking through his photos. There were a few shots taken by Jiang Bobai during his lunar birthday celebration at the KTV.
Sang Ye picked out two photos and imported them into a third-party app to find the perfect filter.
Lying on his stomach, occasionally kicking his fair feet in the air, he tested filters from cinematic to atmospheric, then to vintage, swiping through options from macaron to California I, and finally settling on a “Little Forest” aesthetic—after trying over a hundred styles.
S.: [[Image]]
S.: [[Image]]
S.: [Can you help me decide which of these two photos looks better?]
Benbo Erba: [? What are you doing?]
Benbo Erba: [The first one.]
S.: [Why?]
Benbo Erba: […]
Benbo Erba: [I just want to ask, what’s the difference between these two photos? Aren’t they the same picture?]
Sang Ye frowned a bit, feeling a little unhappy.
S.: [In the second photo, the third candle in the middle of the cake is leaning, affecting the light on my face. So, which one looks better?]
Benbo Erba: [[Crying] Ancestor, stop torturing me! You look good in either one!]
In the end, Sang Ye still chose the second photo and paired it with the caption:
[Wishing you all your dreams come true.]
He hit [post].
Then he waited.
He had many friends and family on WeChat, and the little red dot notifications jumped quickly. Every time one appeared, Sang Ye’s heart raced as he eagerly clicked to check, only to feel a little disappointed each time.
He kept waiting until he was nearly asleep, having liked everything he needed to, and no new notifications popped up in “Discover.”
Suddenly…
Another red dot appeared.
Sang Ye picked up his phone and opened it.
T.
[❤️]
Sang Ye rubbed his sleepy eyes, a satisfied smile creeping onto his lips as he pulled the covers up and snuggled in.
Downstairs in the room.
Tan Mo wiped his hair while looking at the photos on his phone.
The boy had his hands clasped under his chin, eyes gently closed, exuding a calm and serene demeanor. His beautiful face was bathed in soft, dappled light and shadow, with eighteen shimmering candles casting a warm glow, tinting the edges of his white hair with a golden hue.
Tan Mo quietly watched for a while before pressing save, adding it to a newly created album and entering the album title.
— [Sun]
Author’s Note:
I heard that Tan Mo created an album called “Sun” for him, and Sang Ye felt a bit wronged: “So you’ve always thought of me as your son.”
Tan Mo replied, “…‘Sun’ is the sun, ‘son’ is son.” (Surrounded by laughter)