Chapter 75

“Ms. Chen, hello,” interjected Secretary Gao casually. “I’m Mr. Xu’s second secretary, surnamed Gao. I’ve been in contact with Director Yang before.”

Chen Fangru was still looking at the airplane. “Hello.”

She withdrew her gaze, somewhat surprised. In her impression, Yang Wanyu’s mother, Mrs. Yang Wanyu, was just a female entrepreneur in the youthful cosmetics industry, capable of maintaining Yang Yunran’s original lifestyle without major issues. However, this airplane that was about to land cost nearly 500 million RMB—something even top-tier billionaires rarely purchase due to the high maintenance costs and hassles.

Secretary Gao smiled politely. “Are you both traveling? I see you have luggage; you can take our young master’s private jet and transfer together later.”

“Secretary Gao,” Yang Yunran interrupted, signaling him to stop talking.

Chen Fangru shook her head. “Thank you for the offer, but we just returned and are not going anywhere.” She turned to Yang Yunran. “Yang Yunran, when will you come home for a visit?”

Zhao Youmo remained silent beside them.

“I don’t know when work will finish,” Yang Yunran replied. “Maybe a few months, but there might be other assignments. I’ll come home when I’m free to see you and Dad.”

Initially, Yang Yunran had maintained this polite, obedient child persona to avoid any slip-ups. He had grown accustomed to being addressed this way, and there was no awkwardness in continuing, even though Chen Fangru could sense a subtle estrangement.

It seemed like her child was gradually drifting away from her.

Finally, Secretary Gao glanced at his watch and reminded him, “Young Master, it’s 4:45; we can board soon.”

Yang Yunran bid farewell to Chen Fangru and the others. Zhao Youmo waved and said, “Bye, Roy, see you when you get home.”

“Yeah, bye,” Yang Yunran replied, feeling embarrassed in front of them. He glanced at Jiang Yi, showing reluctance. Secretary Gao then interjected, “Professor Jiang can board now; you can come down two minutes before the cargo doors close.”

Yang Yunran escorted Jiang Yi onto the plane and embraced him in the empty bedroom for a few minutes.

Jiang Yi didn’t inquire much about his family’s situation, maintaining her composure whether she knew he was not wealthy, was wealthy again, or somewhere in between.

Knowing he was not wealthy, she felt more tolerant and empathetic. Knowing he was wealthy again, she took comfort in his continued concern and care, understanding that Yang Yunran was a child loved by his parents, not abandoned.

However, Jiang Yi was still concerned about Yang Yunran’s father’s attitude.

“Your dad might not like me,” Jiang Yi commented on Mr. Xu, whom she had never met, forming her own opinions based on his style. “He might want to introduce you to someone more suitable, either a guy or a girl.”

Yang Yunran immediately reassured her, “Don’t worry, I could never turn straight or deceive you!”

Jiang Yi looked into his eyes and said softly, “Whatever happens, whatever he does, talk to me about it instead of hiding it. Let’s solve any problems together, okay?”

“Okay, okay, I understand,” Yang Yunran nodded lightly, admiring her focused expression, feeling mature and handsome, blushing for some reason.

Jiang Yi asked, “Hot?”

Yang Yunran hugged him, tilting his chin against Jiang Yi’s chest, eyes wide open. “I don’t want to leave.”

Jiang Yi looked at him for a few seconds and said softly, “I don’t want you to leave either.”

But both had work to do, and they knew it was impossible. These few minutes of embrace were the most they could afford.

Secretary Gao knocked on the door, and the sound of sprinklers cooling the wings came from the plane.

“Young Master, the cargo doors are closing soon,” Secretary Gao said. “Professor Jiang, you need to come down now, or we’ll take off together.”

“I have experiments in the afternoon,” Jiang Yi checked the time and said, not because she didn’t want to be affectionate or stay with him, but because her own experiments and research were equally important.

Every time Jiang Yi saw Yang Yunran, she noticed his right eye was a prosthetic. No matter how sophisticated and lifelike it appeared, with over ninety percent resemblance to a real eye, it was Yang Yunran’s greatest worry.

Jiang Yi would help him overcome it.

After Jiang Yi disembarked and drove away from the airport, she encountered Yang Yunran’s family car on the road.

She saw Zhao Youmo and Yang Yunran’s stepmother sitting in the back seat.

Chen Fangru was texting, asking about Yang Yunran’s biological father: “Lao Yang, why didn’t I hear about this before? What does Yang Yunran’s biological father do? Is he a prominent figure?”

Jiang Yi rolled up the car window, glanced at them sideways, and drove on.

Zhao Youmo remained silent in the car. He felt that no matter what he asked Chen Fangru, it wouldn’t be quite appropriate.

Chen Fangru spoke up, “Momo, how much do you know about Yang Yunran’s boyfriend? He’s quite handsome and well-groomed, not what I expected.”

Zhao Youmo replied, “I don’t know much. I just know he’s a PhD from MIT and doing research in China.”

“Yang Yunran is gay,” Chen Fangru continued, “Your dad has been worried about this for a long time. It’s a problem that can’t be cured. Fortunately, you’re not.”

Zhao Youmo picked at his pants, hesitating to speak, then said after a while, “Mom, actually, I am too.”

After Yang Yunran’s plane landed, he went with Dou Dou to Lin Wei’s house to pick up the dog, Harry.

Lin Wei had taken excellent care of Harry, who was now reluctant to leave. To show his gratitude, Yang Yunran treated Lin Wei to a lavish meal.

Following this, they started the intensive recording sessions for the show. The program had recently started airing and had already trended multiple times, undoubtedly becoming this year’s highest-rated variety show. One standout contestant, who had made a dazzling entrance, had already been thoroughly investigated regarding their identity.

However, the show’s production team had maintained strict anonymity.

Apart from singing, all contestants’ voices were digitally altered, and similar-sounding singer names were intentionally released online to confuse viewers.

In order to generate maximum attention for Yang Yunran, Director Lin arranged for numerous singing videos to be released and organized an online campaign to establish Yang Yunran as a complete amateur.

“I have insider information; my cousin works at this TV station. He said this ‘Hajimi’ guy was selected from open auditions and isn’t a star at all! Unbelievable, he sings so beautifully.”

“That vocal ability completely outshines everyone else’s! Isn’t he supposed to be a professional singer??”

“Even if he’s not a singer, he must at least be from a music academy!”

Yang Yunran’s vocal style was actually quite distinctive.

However, he deliberately altered his singing style slightly, and with the help of the directors’ audio adjustments, he was performing at about sixty percent of his usual standard. Despite this, sixty percent already showed a clear contrast with the others.

“It’s so obvious, this Hajimi guy is bullying the others here! Especially during the big ensemble performances, the contrast is even more pronounced!! Did you see how much better his physique is compared to everyone else?”

Yes, when Yang Yunran stood with the other contestants, he was noticeably taller. His legs were longer, and his body proportions were much better than average. However, due to the strict coverage, not an inch of skin was exposed, making it impossible to discern his appearance.

But this didn’t hinder Hajimi from gaining a huge fan following on the show, despite his amateur reputation.

Yang Yunran himself watched the show and noticed that most contestants had their vocals adjusted, including himself. However, he felt his adjustments were made to sound worse, and he raised this concern with the directors.

The director said, “Ye Ye, this is unavoidable! If we don’t adjust, it’s very easy for people to recognize your identity. It wouldn’t be interesting if everyone’s identity was revealed right from the start. Rest assured, all contestants have been adjusted, not just you.”

Especially the celebrity contestants who had brutal vocal performances but were backed by capital.

There was even one who didn’t record the show himself but hired a body double with a similar physique to wear a mask and lip-sync.

As the early episodes of the show gained popularity, Yang Yunran intensified his work, sleeping only five or six hours a day, rushing to complete the album recording, music production, and post-production within a month. Yang Yunran was also involved in finalizing the album cover design, and lyric booklet design, and delivered two custom songs from a contract signed six months ago.

The album cover presented a beige, soft sandy texture, with an abstract image resembling a child’s hand reaching upwards, as if trying to grasp a ray of light, upon closer inspection.

On November 29th, Yang Yunran’s debut album “Warm Shell” was officially released worldwide, both in physical and digital formats. On its launch day, it garnered millions of streams, surpassing tens of millions within a week. The album sales exceeded two million copies in the first week, with the single selling five million copies. The songs accumulated over two hundred thousand comments in a short period of time.

This achievement surprised everyone in the company.

“I didn’t expect a singer who never shows his face to generate such a frenzy of popularity.”

“Although this heat is not yet comparable to those top-tier stars with massive fan bases, in today’s music industry environment, it’s already top-notch.”

“Director Lin, according to monitoring data, there are now thousands of self-media imitating Ye Ye online. Some mimic his singing style, while others imitate his masked live broadcast format, but none have achieved outstanding results.”

After reviewing the meeting for a long time, Director Lin finally said, “Looking at these imitations online, do any of them have half of his vocal ability? Those wearing masks, can you see eyes as beautiful as his? Is their temperament as good as his? It’s clear that without genuine talent and hard power, imitating him is a dead end. Becoming a big hit depends on fate.”

This was the wisdom accumulated over many years in the entertainment industry.

Zhou Kai used to have a vague impression of Yang Yunran; although he was handsome, he didn’t have many fans. He initially opposed Director Lin’s insistence on signing Yang Yunran, thinking he didn’t have the potential. Now that the artist was doing well, with impressive album sales and continuous invitations for collaborations, his bonuses and commissions had doubled. Zhou Kai’s attitude towards Yang Yunran had also improved: “Mr. Yang, shall I have Doudou book your flight back? What kinds of activities are you interested in recently? I’ve sent the details to your email.”

“I’ll look into it later,” Yang Yunran replied, as he was already heading to the airport.

Doudou helped him with the dog, entering the terminal quietly, and then boarding their private plane.

Inside the cabin, there was a large kennel prepared for the Samoyed, almost as big as a child’s bed.

Seeing Harry happily settle into the kennel, Yang Yunran casually took out his phone to capture the moment before fastening his seatbelt and waiting for takeoff.

The sky-blue plane slowly ascended, gliding over the airport area. People waiting in the terminal couldn’t help but exclaim, “A sky-blue plane, I’ve never seen one before.”

“And there’s a Samoyed…!”

“That’s Yang Yunran’s plane!” someone recognized.

Since the last time many people photographed this private plane simultaneously, any negative public opinion surrounding Yang Yunran has completely dissipated. There was no need for special explanations or buying trends to clean his image; no one would maliciously spread rumors. Initially feeling embarrassed about being treated like a tourist attraction, Yang Yunran later realized it was his father’s thoughtful gift.

This trip back to Beijing marked the completion of a phase of his work and coincided with Jiang Yi’s upcoming birthday. His mother had also recovered and was returning home.

Yang Yunran is torn about how to tell her about his sexual orientation.

He knows that most parents might find it difficult to accept their children coming out. He never had this process in his previous life; his mother was terminally ill.

Thinking of this, he told his father in advance on the plane, “After Mom comes back, I want to introduce my boyfriend to her, but I’m afraid she won’t accept it. Dad, since you already know, could you help me test her?”

Xu Xing was silent for several seconds before saying, “Yunran, actually, Dad also finds it hard to accept, but knowing that you like him, I won’t make things difficult for you. Your boyfriend, he’s already twenty-eight years old…”

“He’s not even 28 yet, he’ll turn 28 in a couple of days! His birthday is on December 7th!” Yang Yunran corrected, “He’s very young, and he’s good at everything. You’ll see once you get to know him.”

In these two months, Xu Xing often sent him various PDF documents.

The method was exactly the same as before with Jiang Yiyi.

To introduce him to a good man.

Yang Yunran resisted several times, and recently, Xu Xing finally eased up a bit.

Because Yang Yunran said, “Dad, you know he’s a biologist, do you know what research he’s doing?”

Xu Xing said he didn’t know.

Yang Yunran continued without pause, “Non-biological transplants and stem cell regeneration. He is the youngest biologist in this field in the world today. He has published many high-level papers, won numerous international biology awards, and led many international cooperation projects…”

Xu Xing said, “Is that so?”

Yang Yunran said, “If you don’t like me being with him, in the future you’ll have to buy his technology for my non-biological transplant eyeball project. It’ll cost at least several billion.”

Xu Xing wanted to say it’s not that expensive. The matter of the child’s eyes was a thorn in his heart, as was the reason he didn’t like Professor Chen.

“Are you with him for his technology?” Xu Xing asked, “Yunran, don’t force yourself. I can afford several billion. You’ll get the best treatment.”

“It’s not forcing myself, Dad, I’m not after any technology,” Yang Yunran said firmly, “I just like him. He’s good to me, he’s serious. There’s no one else like him in the world that I like.”

“Alright, Dad understands. I’ll help you explain to your mom,” Xu Xing said.

After hanging up the phone, he called up the information about Jiang Yi on his phone and had to admit he was outstanding.

Returning to his room, Xu Xing cut off the new album songs from Yang Yunran’s speakers with his fingers, saying to Yang Wanyu, who was packing to return to China, “There’s something I’ve been hiding from you. When Yunran was young, he had a car accident and underwent eye removal surgery. He’s been using prosthetic eyes all these years.”

Yang Wanyu looked up, startled by this sudden news, and the jewelry box she was packing fell to the ground. “How could… something like this happen…”

Since Yang Yunran’s recognition, almost every day he would take the initiative to call or video chat.

They would talk about various things, such as his work, music, and trivial matters. But he never mentioned anything about his eyes.

He appeared optimistic, confident, and upbeat, a perfect child.

His first album, he sent a message saying it was for his mom.

Yang Wanyu had been listening to it on repeat for several days, sometimes crying, imagining details of a Yunran she had never known, a well-behaved, dependent, somewhat introverted child.

She mobilized the entire company to buy his album, and she herself bought thousands of copies. Suddenly hearing this news, she was speechless, deeply grieved.

“Because of this surgery, it has also caused some irreversible psychological effects on him,” Xu Xing summarized the past events of Yang Yunran in the documents as psychological issues, “It’s only in the last year or so, with the companionship and care of someone, that he’s become much more cheerful.”

Yang Wanyu asked, “Who is it?” “I should thank him properly, he saved my child.”

Xu Xing was silent for a few seconds and said, “It’s Yunran’s partner, his boyfriend. Honey, Yunran is gay.”

–

When Yang Yunran’s plane landed, Jiang Yi still didn’t know he was at the lab near the school.

Yang Yunran had Dou Dou take the dog back to his house and take a taxi to the lab. He wore a duckbill cap and sat under the ginkgo trees in late autumn, waiting for Jiang Yi to come out.

There weren’t many people coming and going here, mostly graduate students, and Yang Yunran sat quietly alone, inconspicuously.

He waited for over ten minutes, knowing Jiang Yi still had some time before getting off work. Yang Yunran didn’t send him a message and just waited.

Jiang Yi was in the third-floor lab, and through the glass window, he saw a male student sitting downstairs, tall and thin, wearing a black duckbill cap, a light blue long-sleeved shirt, and a gray hoodie, listening to music on a bench among the fallen leaves.

His face couldn’t be seen clearly, but the cap revealed a sharp chin, and he even looked up.

Because of the experimental nature, their glass windows were one-way, so nothing could be seen from the outside.

Jiang Yi leaned against the window and observed for a few seconds, finished the single-cell RNA sequencing experiment on his hands, and let a doctoral student come over and let him: “Observe the experimental results to determine the gene expression differences at the gene level of each cell.”

Then Jiang Yi went downstairs quickly.

When the glass door opened, Yang Yunran just turned around and saw Jiang Yi in a white coat, just like the first time he saw him. He immediately smiled and waved happily.

The difference was that the last time Jiang Yi watched him expressionlessly for a minute before coming over, this time he walked briskly and reached him in two or three steps.

But Yang Yunran saw that there seemed to be other people downstairs behind Jiang Yi, calling him Professor Jiang. Yang Yunran immediately retracted his hand, but Jiang Yi did not avoid it, holding his arm and going to the corner, lowering his head, and saying, “Baby, when did you come back? Didn’t you tell me in advance?”