Huayu: Traffic is king

Chapter 120 Confrontation
As it approached 7 p.m., all 12,000 spectators in the stadium turned on their light sticks.

At the same time, the lights inside the venue gradually dimmed, leaving only countless glow sticks swaying like starlight in the darkness. They stretched out like points of light, undulating and converging into a beautiful ocean.

Although Nine Percent's official support colors are the color of the sky and the color of the sea, there are also light sticks and support items for the group.

However, the audience members were all wearing their favorite idols' support colors, with Gu Jingyi's black and gold being the most numerous and eye-catching, occupying about 65% of the venue. Next was Cai Xukun's sea of ​​gold. Only after the "Yuehua Trio" divided up the remaining spots did the remaining five lower-ranked trainees have their turn to claim their share.

"Jingyi, what are you looking at?"

Jistin watched Gu Jingyi standing backstage, peering through the thick curtains towards the audience. His expression shifted, and he seemed lost in thought, staring in a particular direction.

Justin, belatedly realizing that Gu Jingyi was nervous, said, "Jingyi, why have you been looking at me like this? Is your wife here too? You can take the opportunity to interact with her during the parade. Seriously, how can someone be so clever?"

He made a witty remark, which eased the somewhat anxious atmosphere backstage.

Of the members of Nine Percent who have debuted before, only Gu Jingyi, Cai Xukun, and Wang Linkai have experience in debuting. The remaining members, Justin and Zhu Zhengting, have experience in overseas talent shows.

The remaining members were simply selected from the shortest trainees; they were already nervous about going on stage normally, let alone a concert with tens of thousands of people.

From backstage, the scattered light sticks intertwined to form a sea of ​​love. The sheer number of people made some members with weaker mental fortitude consider backing down.

However, Gu Jingyi was not among them. In his previous life, when he debuted as a member of "Forgot to Take the Bowl," he had performed hundreds of concerts, including the most demanding venues like mountaintop shows and open-air concerts. When the group disbanded, they even held a concert at the Taipei Arena.

For him, a scene with tens of thousands of people is nothing more than a small matter.

What truly unsettled Gu Jingyi was seeing an unexpected person in the front row.

The girl had extremely long eyelashes at the corners of her eyes, like the wet tail feathers of a dove. When she looked at people, she had an innate, tender, and innocent charm.

Isn't she still filming a movie? Why is she suddenly attending a concert?

After Justin showed such concern, Gu Jingyi had no choice but to look away and not linger.

There are many people and a lot of eyes and ears backstage, with people constantly coming and going. Even a little bit of gossip can be spread everywhere without you noticing.

"Nine Percent? What are you all doing standing here? Come over here, let's double-check."

Just then, the concert director noticed Nine Percent's commotion and called out from a short distance away. Several staff members surrounding him were also talking, and Nine Percent's executive manager was also there.

"Okay, here it comes!"

Gu Jingyi, as the team leader, nodded and led the members quickly over. They then formed a circle and listened attentively to the instructions from the director and other production staff. It took about ten minutes of discussion to finalize the arrangements, which mainly involved positioning and game elements interspersed throughout the event.

"Okay, that's about it. From the audition to the formation of the group, we've been preparing for today's concert. Everyone, don't be nervous, just do what we rehearsed. If you really forget some of the moves, don't stop. Even copying Gu Jingyi's homework is better than standing there like a wooden stake."

As the executive agent spoke, his gaze swept over Chen Linong and You Changjing.

The two looked at each other, then nodded hesitantly to indicate that they had received the message.

After explaining a few more details, Milkball's executive manager smiled and encouraged the members: "Alright, everyone, don't feel too pressured. Go backstage first, your families are already here. If you need to, talk to them to ease your nerves, then go touch up your makeup. The audience will be entering soon."

"understood."

Upon hearing that their families had also arrived, several Nine Percent members wore surprised and delighted smiles.

After returning backstage, I immediately saw the members' families gathered at the entrance of their dressing room.

The Shanghai concert was not only the first show of Nine Percent's first tour, but also their first concert ever. It held great significance for the members, and in a show of humane management, the company invited family members to join them in the family ticket section during Nine Percent's break to catch up.

Even Gu Jingyi was surprised to see so many parents and siblings crowding the backstage corridor. Upon seeing the members return, he immediately became excited, waving and calling out his children's names to draw them over.

A faint gloom settled over Gu Jingyi, even though she already knew her parents were on their honeymoon. Her younger sister was at school, so they couldn't come.

However, when he saw that many members were surrounded by love, some negative emotions uncontrollably spread through his chest.

It seems that no matter when it started, he was always alone. His parents believed he was independent enough, and that's why they were truly at ease.

Gu Jingyi felt a pang of unease hearing every encouraging word from his relatives backstage.

Compared to the warm reunions with family members at this time, Gu Jingyi's situation inevitably appears somewhat desolate.

"Jingyi?" As soon as Pang Bing saw Gu Jingyi, she went up to him warmly and shook hands with him.

"Thank you for always taking such good care of my Chengcheng. He often talks to me about it at home."

In a simple sentence, Fatty Bing spoke in a very ambiguous way. While talking to Gu Jingyi, her eyes never left him.

"You're welcome. Chengcheng and I get along quite well."

Gu Jingyi smiled politely and withdrew his hand.

In a few days, the "800 million" incident involving Fat Bing will be freshly released.

He didn't want to get too involved with her at this point, so Gu Jingyi glanced at Fan Chengcheng and prepared to leave.

Fan Chengcheng, however, acted like he was best buddy with Gu Jingyi, putting his arm around Gu Jingyi's shoulder and smiling very innocently.

"Jingyi, don't be shy. My sister really admires you. You two should chat more."

He lowered his head and whispered to Gu Jingyi, "Don't blame me for being disloyal, my sister is someone many people want to know. She debuted early and has a lot of connections in the industry. Jingyi, it won't do you any harm to talk to her more."

Gu Jingyi's lips twitched. He really wanted to complain: Are you sure your sister's idea of ​​communication is legitimate?

During this period, the relationship between Fat Bing and Big Black Bull wasn't that stable either, was it?

"Gu Jingyi, I'm here!"

A spoiled female voice rang out, and Tian Xiwei, with her hair in a small bun, quickly walked over.

Her five roommates stood behind her, their eyes swirling with unspoken emotions, but Tian Xiwei walked over as if nothing was amiss. With each step she took, the people around her made way for her.

Before long, Tian Xiwei stood in front of Gu Jingyi.

"Jingyi, who is this?" Fatty Bing's expression froze for a moment, but she quickly regained her composure. Maintaining the demeanor of a senior, she took the initiative and asked Gu Jingyi to introduce Tian Xiwei to her.

Tian Xiwei was quick-witted and asked, "Who are you, ma'am?"

"You're calling me 'Big Sister'?" Fat Bing's expression was priceless, as if she had swallowed a fly.

She looked around, finding it hard to believe that anyone would call her "Big Sister".

"Oh, then are there other people?" Tian Xiwei smiled sweetly, but her words only added to the annoyance.

"Hey lady, you're not angry with me, are you? I was born in '97, and you're much older than me. That's a full 16 years, we're practically generations apart."

Fat Bing's nail polish suddenly dug into the crease of Gu Jingyi's cuff, leaving a crescent-shaped indentation in his silver-gray uniform fabric.

The repeated calls of "elder sister" and "auntie" made her temples throb, and the string of reason was about to snap.

Suddenly, Fat Bing smiled. Those chaotic emotions were like a crack in a glacier during a spring flood, but were quickly frozen back by the professionalism he had cultivated over many years in the industry.

“Children born in 97 are indeed prone to impulsiveness,” Fat Bing sneered.

She suddenly took Gu Jingyi's arm, then turned to him and used her thumb to wipe away non-existent dust from his collar.

"Just like when I was filming 'Cellphone' with Director Feng back then."

Before she could finish speaking, Tian Xiwei suddenly grabbed Gu Jingyi.

She tilted her head back and retorted, "Director Feng is currently preparing for a new film. Sister, would you like to chat with my dad about a nostalgia project?"

Fat Ice could no longer maintain her composure, and a cold snort escaped her throat. Her face was as dark and gloomy as a storm cloud, making her look somewhat terrifying.

Gu Jingyi and Fan Chengcheng exchanged a glance, just about to say something.

Fat Bing quickly and calmly said, "Little sister, who are you? You don't think you can gain the upper hand just by being eloquent, do you? To a successful man, you just seem naive. Right, Gu Jingyi?"

"Huh? You're way too arrogant. When did Gu Jingyi become a successful man? He's only 19. He's 17 years younger than you. At most, he's just a promising young man. He's not mature and steady at all."

Tian Xiwei's lips were as sweet as honey, and she addressed everyone with the respectful "you" in a seemingly polite manner, but it was full of sarcasm towards Fatty Bing's age.

Fat Bing was equally defiant, going head-to-head with Tian Xiwei.

"Gu Jingyi, who do you choose?"

"Gu Jingyi, whose side are you on?"

Two female voices rang out, one after the other, and both women looked at him defiantly.

Gu Jingyi's head throbbed even more, especially when he noticed the other members' gossipy expressions.

And Fan Chengcheng watched as Gu Jingyi's expression changed constantly, turning a deep, liver-colored hue.

It seems that Bingdi also realized that his sister's attitude was unusual.

"Can I stand in the middle?" Gu Jingyi smiled, trying to ease the tension.

The agent also noticed the unusual situation and began clearing the backstage area.

"Excuse me, family members. Our concert is about to begin, could you please refrain from making noise backstage?"

"Of course I have no problem, but a certain young lady born in '97 doesn't seem to think so."

Fat Bing crossed her arms and glanced disdainfully at Tian Xiwei.

"You don't need to say anything, ma'am!"

Tian Xiwei was not to be outdone, and they started bickering.

"Alright, everyone behave yourselves," Gu Jingyi said, trying to break up the fight as Tian Xiwei went all out.

"This is my friend in the industry, Tian Xiwei, who is currently a junior at the Shanghai Theatre Academy."

Gu Jingyi introduced Tian Xiwei to everyone, but omitted the part about the fan site manager.

"This is Sister Fat Bing, she probably doesn't need much introduction."

He then introduced Pang Bing to Tian Xiwei behind him, saying, "Since you two have become friends after all this fighting, let's all go back to our seats."

Gu Jingyi casually described the incident as "no fight, no friendship," and the families of the members present naturally wouldn't refuse to give them face.

"Haha, okay. Since the captain has said so, let's go back to our seats." Justin's mom also came backstage. She had met Gu Jingyi a few times before. As a businesswoman, she naturally valued Gu Jingyi's potential and was trying her best to win her son's favor.

"Alright, then I wish Nine Percent's Asian tour a successful start."

The second person to respond was Zhu Zhengting's father, but Gu Jingyi's lips twitched slightly after hearing this blessing.

In their previous life, Nine Percent's first tour was supposed to be an Asian tour, but several companies were shirking their responsibilities due to contract disputes. In the end, they didn't manage to hold any overseas shows, only a few shows in China.

With Gu Jingyi joining the team, it's even less likely that Huace will allow Milkpao Sen's overseas operations to be performed as a complete entity.

Using the popularity of their own artists to promote a limited-time group, or having all the profits from their participation in activities taken by Century Elite before reaching the company—Huace would naturally not agree to that. Gu Jingyi should focus on filming more movies and TV dramas.

Actors don't earn money from their acting fees, but from the commercial deals that follow the broadcast of their films and TV series. A hit TV series can have so many brands piling up letters of intent to collaborate with Zhao Qinghuan from Huace.

"Gu Jingyi, I need you to see me out."

Tian Xiwei pouted, looking somewhat aggrieved.

"That won't do. The audience is all packed. If I send you out, do you want your identity exposed or to be trending on social media?"

Gu Jingyi decisively refused and directly explained the serious costs to her.

"Oh well…"

Tian Xiwei was a little disappointed, and she and her roommates went outside.

After the family members had all left, Gu Jingyi was immediately surrounded by the members.

"Hey, Jingyi, not bad, that girl is pretty cute."

"Hey, Jingyi-ge. Is this the girl you went out to see in the middle of the night after the group's formation? Fishing? I bet you went fishing for mermaids."

"Jingyi, you have good taste."

The "Three Moonflowers," who were closest to Gu Jingyi, teased each other.

Gu Jingyi smiled and immediately posed a new question.

"Zhengting, are you and Chengcheng's dance moves perfectly synchronized?"

Zhu Zhengting noticed Gu Jingyi's smile and immediately sensed something was wrong.

Fan Chengcheng was unaware of the danger. "Of course, I have received formal dance training. It's just a duet, no big problem."

"I see," Gu Jingyi sighed and glanced at Justin with a hint of regret.

Justin's alarm bells went off, and he reached out to cover his mouth.

The honest Fan Chengcheng was still asking, "Jingyi, why are you sighing?"

Silly boy, that's exactly what I've been waiting to hear.

Gu Jingyi smiled and said, "I feel sorry for the Wang Quan Fugui CP fans. Today's duet dance queen, Chengcheng and Zhengting's CP is going to sweep the Weibo super topic chart again. Will they break Wang Quan Fugui's record and become another male-male CP topping the super topic chart? I'll wait and see..."

"Ahhh," the younger Justin couldn't take it anymore.

"Jingyi, we were wrong. We won't tease you anymore, we won't tease you anymore."

Justin, who is a 5G surfer, was of course aware of the existence of the CP super topic, and he even clicked on it to take a look.

Fan Chengcheng couldn't hold back any longer, "Jingyi, I'm straight. I'm straighter than a telephone pole, how could that be? You saw me hugging and kissing the guy hiding in the forest, and we still greeted each other that day, didn't we?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the whole place was silent.

One gaze after another fell on Fan Chengcheng, and everyone began to tease her with great interest.

"Wow, Chengcheng has grown up too."

"Still a month shy of 18, right? My heart is fluttering with youthful longing."

Gu Jingyi left the backstage area with a satisfied expression, allowing Fan Chengcheng to experience that feeling firsthand.

He saw Lin Ze as soon as he stepped outside. "Jingyi, what brings you out?"

"There are still about twenty minutes before the concert starts, I'm going to interact with the audience."

Gu Jingyi nodded and spoke casually.

"Are you crazy? There are only 20 minutes left before the concert starts. You still want to go down and check? 65% of the audience are your fans. If you go, you'll be surrounded, and it will take a lot of staff and security to clear a path for you to get backstage."

Lin Ze rolled his eyes and started complaining.

"Who said I was going to continue like this?" Gu Jingyi pointed directly to the prop room.

"I'll just go down in the mascot costume and give some snacks to the fans. I'll take off the mascot hat when I go on stage."

Lin Ze's eyes lit up instantly when he heard what Gu Jingyi said.

"Jingyi, you're really something! I've only ever seen this kind of thing done in K-pop groups, it's unique in the Chinese entertainment industry! Great, go ahead and do it. The company will spoil your fans and buy your way onto the trending topics."

"But when do you plan to let the fans recognize you? Isn't it a bit old-fashioned to take off the headgear on stage?"

"I think you could start the show with Nine Percent in this mascot costume. Then, out of the eight boys, there'll be a brown bear in the center position. It'll definitely spark a discussion among the fans. While they're talking about the stage mishap, you can take off the headgear, and the audience will erupt in cheers. How about that? Isn't that creative?"

Gu Jingyi let Lin Ze ramble on and on while he put on the fluffy brown bear costume. Then, relying on his sense of touch, he adjusted the headgear to align it with his body.

The heavy hood made his vision a little blurry, but he gripped the strawberry lollipop in his palm with extra force.

There were many lollipops in the bear's pocket, but only the one clutched in Gu Jingyi's hand had a note rolled inside the hollow lollipop stick, which he had written in advance and slipped in.

After he had finished preparing, he lowered his voice and said to Lin Ze, "Don't let the staff get too close, or we'll be recognized too easily. I'll go by myself and be back soon."

Lin Ze raised an eyebrow: "Are you sure? What if we get recognized offstage..."

Gu Jingyi chuckled and patted the mascot costume's round belly with his bear paw: "Recognize them? How could they? They don't have X-ray vision, how would they know it was me?"

"What if?"

"That's the surprise bonus," Gu Jingyi said before walking out in the staff's sight, still dressed in the mascot costume.

He awkwardly made his way through the audience aisle, where in the darkness only a black and gold undulation resembled ocean waves.

A brown bear in a mascot costume suddenly came down from the stage to interact with the audience, but the "Jingfei" fans didn't pay much attention to it.

They thought it was a pre-arranged part of the concert, where staff members dressed in brown bear costumes to liven up the atmosphere.

The "Consort Jing"s were too busy to pay attention to anything else; everyone was busy adjusting their cameras.

Gu Jingyi walked to the side as if by accident, and deliberately poked Liu Haojian, who was holding a "Gu Jingyi" light sign in the front row, with his bear paw.

The other person was looking down and carefully checking the camera lens when he was startled.

"Huh? You're a staff member?"

After Liu Haojian steadied the camera, he looked up and saw the brown bear doll suddenly kneel down on one knee, take out a lollipop from behind its back and hand it to him—"It's the same kind that she gave Gu Jingyi when she went backstage to ask for an autograph on her Polaroid camera during the debut night."

Mini2 is a popular lollipop brand from Northern Europe, and each lollipop costs a little over 3 yuan. It's very niche in China, and can only be bought through personal shoppers.

Upon noticing the brand, Liu Haojian was somewhat stunned.

A somewhat absurd guess arose in my mind, yet I found it somewhat unbelievable.

Gu Jingyi should be rehearsing backstage right now; how could he possibly have time to come down and interact with others?

But the Mini2's somewhat bright packaging and the same strawberry flavor made Liu Haojian unable to resist harboring fantasies.

She took the lollipop from the bear's paw and was just about to open it.

When the packaging was opened, the paper strip that had been stuffed inside the candy stick fell onto her long, slender legs.

Liu Haojian bit her lip and picked it up from her lap. As she moved, more and more traces of the rolled-up note were revealed: "At least you have some conscience; you kept your promise this time."

The handwriting is like that of a vigorous, ancient pine tree; it is handwriting unique to Gu Jingyi.

Liu Haojian suddenly looked up, and in the pitch black, the teddy bear was already tilting its head and approaching.

The teddy bear's fluffy ears brushed against her hair, and Liu Haojian's heart suddenly raced. Even through the teddy bear costume, she could hear Gu Jingyi's deafening heartbeat.

No, Gu Jingyi wasn't hugging her, so how could he hear her?

Liu Haojian then realized that she was the only one whose breathing had become disordered. Gu Jingyi was wearing a heavy mascot costume, and Liu Haojian could only hear Gu Jingyi's heartbeat by pressing her head against it.

"What are you thinking about? Why is your face turning red so quickly?"

Gu Jingyi deliberately dropped a lollipop on the ground, using the act of picking it up as cover to whisper something in Liu Haojian's ear.

Liu Haojian's ear tips instantly turned as bright as a sunset, and his hand holding the candy stick trembled slightly.

"How did you recognize me...?"

She kept her head down, her voice barely audible.

"Is this difficult?" Gu Jingyi continued in a breathy voice.

"I spotted you right away backstage."

A surge of joy he had never felt before welled up in Liu Haojian's heart, but he still retorted in a low voice, "You're lying. My seat isn't one of the first few rows. How could you possibly see me at a glance?"

"It's true!" The teddy bear turned its head. Those classic black glass beads, like jewels, looked adorable and incredibly cute.

But the person hidden inside the mascot costume was anything but honest. "Two points determine a straight line, can't two little moles determine a single point?"

The bear got too close; its furry nose brushed against Liu Haojian's cheek.

Perhaps out of shyness, Liu Haojian felt that a small, light brown mole on his cheek was being pressed against the nose of the teddy bear.

"Don't move," she heard Gu Jingyi say in a very low voice, "Dear Miss Buffett, your lens cap isn't open. Doesn't this count as taking photos on behalf of someone else? No, it should be called a disqualification for being a fan site admin."

(End of this chapter)