Chapter 9

Yang Yunran didn’t keep him on the phone for long, about six minutes, because he had to go sing on air.

“Are you tired? I’m going to study for a bit,” Yang Yunran said.

“I have some literature to read. You go ahead and study,” Jiang Yi replied.

Maybe because Jiang Yi sounded slightly gentler than usual, Yang Yunran’s dopamine surged, and he cheerfully said, “After I finish studying, I’ll come to find you. Bye.”

“Yeah,” Jiang Yi said. If Yang Yunran’s cells were used for cell culture experiments and gene expression analysis, they would definitely be very healthy and active cells.

Yang Yunran didn’t tell him about the live singing broadcast, as it sounded like he was running out of money, and he couldn’t let Jiang Yi know that. Otherwise, Jiang Yi might think Yang Yunran was just using him.

Ignoring the time bomb planted in the original text, Yang Yunran felt Jiang Yi was very nice and planned to continue loving him like this, at least until the end of the semester or until graduation, otherwise, he would have trouble even eating for the next six months.

Over 20,000 people flooded into the live broadcast room, with new listeners every day. Yang Yunran sang only six songs regularly, then told the audience, “I’m Haliyeh. There are more videos and originals on my homepage. Remember to tag me if you repost, see you at the same time tomorrow.”

Lin Liangbei: “Haven’t heard enough! The host is going offline now?? Do you think I’m poor?!”

\[Lin Liangbei gave Ha Liye Ye ten carnivals\]

Lin Liangbei: “Are ten carnivals enough? If not, I’ll add twenty more! Sing another one of your ‘World,’ I have plenty of money.”

90,000 yuan?

It’s not that Yang Yunran had never seen the world, but he hadn’t broadcast for long. It was the first time he had seen so many wealthy people donate. Before that, everyone listened to his songs and restrained themselves, donating five yuan at a time.

Yang Yunran is a principled person. Calmly, he sang for a minute and said, “Thank you very much for Mr. Lin’s carnival. Today’s broadcast is over. Goodbye.”

The barrage drifted by, and Lin Liangbei said: “Ye Ye host! I’m a girl!”

Yang Yunran awkwardly said, “Sorry, Miss Lin, I got it wrong. See you tomorrow,” and then turned off the camera and microphone.

Across the ocean, in Beijing’s Chaoyang district, in the office of Wanyan Entertainment. Lin Liangbei—or rather, Ms. Lin Ye, repeatedly watched the singing video uploaded by Yang Yunran on B Station, repeatedly appreciating it. The more she watched, the brighter her eyes became, and then she called her subordinate agent: “Zhou Kai! Come and listen to his video! Go to Whale Live and find this Haliyeh. I want to know who he is by the end of today and get him signed to me!”

Zhou Kai looked down at the video, evaluated it, and said, “Ms. Lin, he sings well, but we’re not a record company, we’re an entertainment company. If he wears a mask, he must be very ugly and have no packaging value.”

Lin Ye: “Look at his hands, they’re very nice. His style is simple but good-looking, his figure is not bad, his eyes are attractive. He looks no more than twenty-five years old and has a good foundation. If his features are truly ugly, we can send him to Korea for some enhancement. Moreover, he has extremely strong creative skills. In just half a month of live streaming, he has released seven original songs! Each one is a masterpiece!”

Zhou Kai: “Ms. Lin, what you’re saying makes sense…”

Lin Ye: “Fu Qingyou recently had some financial risks, so our theater films can’t use his songs. The originals from this Ha Liye Ye are amazing. I haven’t seen such excellent and intensive original music in a long time, and it’s perfect for our immediate needs. Instead of a costly buyout, it’s better to sign him directly and tap into his continuous value!”

After Yang Yunran finished his broadcast, he messaged Jiang Yi again to ask what he was doing.

Jiang Yi replied: “Reading literature.”

Yang Yunran then went out to eat: “Okay, you read your literature, I’m heading out. Remember to tell me before you sleep.”

Jiang Yi: “Okay, are you done studying?”

Yang Yunran: “Temporarily done, I’ll continue this afternoon.”

Yang Yunran: “It’s so cold outside, even Boston feels colder without you.”

Jiang Yi: “It’s not because I left.”

Yang Yunran typed as he walked: “Huh?”

Jiang Yi: “Focus on walking, stop typing.”

Yang Yunran agreed and randomly ate Vietnamese noodles nearby. By the time he returned, it was already early in the morning where Jiang Yi was. He informed Yang Yunran that he was about to sleep.

Yang Yunran took off his scarf: “I just got home, it’s so cold. Are you going to sleep?”

Jiang Yi: “Yes.”

Yang Yunran: “Can we talk on the phone?”

Jiang Yi didn’t understand why Yang Yunran wanted to talk on the phone.

Jiang Yi typed and asked him: “Is there something you want to say?”

Yang Yunran replied: “No, I just want to hear your voice. Don’t you want to hear mine…”

Jiang Yi lay in bed in an unfamiliar room, and Yang Yunran’s messages made him feel a bit strange.

Yang Yunran often used the word “want,” like a bullet straight to the heart.

After not replying for a while, Yang Yunran asked him again: “Is it not good? Jiang Yi, are you alone in your room?”

“Yes, alone, go ahead, call me.”

With the room darkened and curtains drawn, Jiang Yi spoke on the phone.

There wasn’t much to say, and Jiang Yi explained the meanings of the phrases Yang Yunran had asked about earlier. Yang Yunran put it on speakerphone, changed into pajamas, and prepared to nap.

“I’ve noted it down. Are you going out to play tomorrow? I saw online that your hometown is very beautiful, like Saint Petersburg.”

Jiang Yi heard the rustling sounds of Yang Yunran changing clothes on the other end of the line. With the phone to his ear, lying in bed, he replied softly, “It’s not far.”

Yang Yunran said, “It’s very close to Murmansk, right? You can go see the Northern Lights in the Arctic Circle. It’s so convenient where you live, did you go when you were a child?”

“Once.”

Yang Yunran also lay down on his bed and whispered, “When you were little, how old were you?”

“Seven or eight,” Jiang Yi said.

Yang Yunran’s voice was gentle. “Did I ever see your childhood photos?”

“No.”

Yang Yunran asked, “You didn’t show me any, or you don’t have any photos?”

“I have a photo album.”

Yang Yunran said softly, “I want to see.”

Jiang Yi whispered, “It’s too late, my family is asleep.”

Implying that he couldn’t look for them now, Yang Yunran compromised, saying, “Remember to find them for me tomorrow. I want to see them. Remember, don’t forget.”

It seems like the conversation between Jiang Yi and Yang Yunran was somewhat random and possibly meaningless, yet it left Jiang Yi feeling relaxed, allowing his soul to wander in the warm, heated room. As Yang Yunran closed his eyes and drifted into sleep, Jiang Yi suddenly asked, “Yang Yunran, do you see me as a brother?”

Yang Yunran breathed slowly, his chin and lips partially covered by the bedding. He replied softly, “Yes… you’re like a brother to me. A very good one. Brother.”

“Okay,” Jiang Yi’s lips formed a faint smile. “You go nap now, I’m hanging up.”

Yang Yunran’s voice was nasal as he replied, “Okay… goodnight.”

“Good afternoon,” Jiang Yi responded.

He hung up, and Yang Yunran tossed his phone aside, turned over, and drifted off to sleep, a faint smile lingering on his lips.

Before the Spring Festival, Jiang Yi’s attention, which should have been focused on his younger brother Jiang Wei, mostly shifted to Yang Yunran.

Jiang Wei was disobedient and irresponsible, traits Jiang Yi believed were inherent due to genetics. Jiang Yi bought dolls and chocolates, which his mother took to Jiang Wei’s room, saying, “Your brother bought these from abroad for you to enjoy.”

“I don’t want to eat them!” Jiang Wei threw the chocolate out, shattering the packaging.

Bending to pick up the chocolate, their mother smiled awkwardly at Jiang Yi, “Your brother, I haven’t raised him well. I don’t know how he turned out like this. Whatever he wants, I give him the best…”

“I want to go back to Beijing! I don’t want to spend the New Year in our hometown.” Jiang Wei stormed in, glaring at everyone. Jiang Yi calmly said, “I’ll book your flight now, Jiang Wei. You can go on your own. I’ll arrange a car to pick you up when you land. Stay by yourself and don’t try to morally blackmail our parents or me.”

The whole family was stunned, including Jiang Wei, who angrily exclaimed, “Fine, I’ll go! I don’t want to stay here!”

Jiang Yi continued, “Since you don’t like studying, consider learning a skill before adulthood, even if it’s computer games. Achieve something before adulthood so you can stand on your own two feet. Neither I nor our parents will support you forever.”

After sending Jiang Wei away, their mother, concerned, also bought a plane ticket later.

Jiang Yi couldn’t control this situation, so he decided to let it be. He walked out of the house, listened to people singing in nearby bars, drank alcohol, and talked on the phone with Yang Yunran.

Yang Yunran had just finished broadcasting and asked, “Are you outside listening to music?”

“Yes.” Jiang Yi sat alone in a secluded corner of the bar, the blue light reflecting on his profound features.

Yang Yunran politely commented, “Are you drinking? What kind of alcohol? Are you unhappy?”

“Not really,” Jiang Yi didn’t want to explain. “Just passing by, stopping to listen to folk music.”

Yang Yunran complimented, “Not very good. You like folk music, I can sing for you.”

Jiang Yi held his glass and said, “Sure, what can you sing?”

“I can sing anything you like,” Yang Yunran replied.

“I don’t know…” Jiang Yi closed his eyes. “What are you doing, Yang Yunran?”

“Huh? I’m chatting with you.”

Jiang Yi smiled lightly, “Then sing.”

Yang Yunran earnestly said, “I can sing. Can you leave the bar? Stop drinking.”

“You’re telling me what to do?” It was obvious Jiang Yi had been drinking for a while; his speech and demeanor were not his usual.

Yang Yunran raised his voice, “If you drink too much, what if someone picks you up and sleeps with you?”

“It won’t happen,” Jiang Yi said. Someone had indeed approached and lingered, but he waved them off indifferently, just as he always ignored any advances.

Yang Yunran persisted, “How do you know what you’ll do or won’t do when you’re drunk? Can you resist temptation?”

“I won’t,” Jiang Yi’s voice was very determined.

Yang Yunran pressed on, “I’m worried. I don’t believe you, unless you’re impotent. Hurry home, can you be obedient?”

Jiang Yi blushed, explaining, “I can… I won’t.”

Yang Yunran was taken aback, “…Really can’t get it up?”

“Not that, I mean, I won’t. Forget it,” Jiang Yi rubbed his temples. “It doesn’t concern you. Just sing.”

“It concerns me a lot,” Yang Yunran insisted. “Go home, and after you do, I’ll sing. I need to prepare.”

“Okay,” Jiang Yi got up to pay the bill, showing him the receipt. Yang Yunran noticed he had drunk two cocktails and a beer. After a moment of silence, he murmured, “…You’ve had quite a lot to drink.”

Yang Yunran had a history of alcohol abuse worse than Jiang Yi’s. Jiang Yi clearly had something on his mind, but he wouldn’t tell Yang Yunran.

Was it because of a lack of money?

Yang Yunran asked him, “Jiang Yi, are you having some difficulties?”

“No.” Jiang Yi came out and hailed a taxi, resting his forehead against the window, his sharp profile reflected softly, his voice faint as he closed his eyes and said, “Sing for me.”

Yang Yunran simply sang a short version of “Two Tigers.”

“Is this what you meant by knowing everything?” In Jiang Yi’s drunken world, Yang Yunran’s voice sounded distant.

Yang Yunran defended, “Isn’t it good? Others would pay a lot to hear me sing. Just the other day, someone paid a hundred thousand. I’m singing for you for free.”

“Is that so?” Jiang Yi vaguely remembered he might be some kind of celebrity, but he never looked him up online, and then said, “Anything else?”

Yang Yunran thought about it. “How about ‘Little Bunny Foo Foo’?”

“Okay.”

Yang Yunran was also quite skilled at singing children’s songs, and Jiang Yi went home by taxi while Yang Yunran continued to sing several more rounds.

Jiang Yi also stepped into the shower room to take a shower. He wanted to hang up the phone, but when Yang Yunran heard this, he quickly stopped him and whispered eagerly, “Can you turn on the camera so I can see?”

“No, you can’t. It’s not good, little brother,” Jiang Yi’s voice was hoarse, with a hint of unclear sobriety. He propped himself up with one arm against the glass tiles; his forearm was slender and strong, with well-defined muscles and slight bulges, indicating a well-toned physique. Steam had already risen in the shower room, misting up the glass.

As the hot water poured down, no sound could be heard. Jiang Yi didn’t even know the call hadn’t been disconnected. Yang Yunran heard the rushing water streaming live and buried his face in the pillow. The pattern of the water spread with his heartbeat, and his face was hot and confused. Damn it, Yang Yunran felt like he was really falling for Jiang Yi, which was dangerous; he hadn’t planned it that way at all.