FIG CHAPTER 62.1

The “QingZhen” CP had burst onto the scene around that time.

After the performance ended, most of the audience had already left under the direction of security staff, but quite a few fans still lingered in nearby public areas or low-floor hotel rooms.

When Zhu Lianzhen brushed the sequins from Tan Qing’s hair, someone naturally captured the moment. Once the video was posted on Weibo, the Acemon fandom practically exploded.

[Uh??? You two are actually???]

[Wow, didn’t even hint at anything before, and now you hit us with this.]

[I nearly died. I thought Tan Qing walked over to kiss him]

[When Zhu Lianzhen lowered his head, I really thought he was going to kiss Tan Qing on the forehead!]

[Ahhhh? Did I stan the wrong couple? Who told me YunLian childhood-friends-to-lovers was endgame?!]

[Anyone calling it YunLian was straight-up lying to you. It’s obviously YunZhen. How could a CP name like that ever get popular?]

[Wait! Did you all see? When Kissy walked over, Lianlian automatically moved his legs apart a little so he could get closer…]

[This looks like a couple goofing around after work. I’m dizzy. This pose belongs in a kitchen, not onstage]

[Everyone calm down. Zhu Lianzhen is still a minor…]

[How can we not call this CP “QingZhen: True Affection”?]

[Yes! It has to be “QingZhen: True Affection”! QingZhen crushes all competition!]

The first to notice the CP’s rising popularity was the company’s PR team. Initially, they had tried promoting the lead vocalist × main dancer pairing, but it didn’t go well. Not only were the two members uncooperative, but even the fans didn’t respond enthusiastically. So the company shifted its focus to other possibilities.

Since fan demand for “QingZhen: True Affection” kept growing stronger, the company went with the flow and arranged for more on-camera interactions between the two. The results were immediate. The CP blew up at an unprecedented rate and quickly topped many fanfiction platform rankings.

Zhu Lianzhen was naturally aware of all this. At first, he didn’t pay much attention, assuming it was just fans having fun with their interests. But one day, he accidentally clicked into the trending topics and saw that several of the top posts were “top-tier compilations.”

He could overlook the over-the-top fanfics—those counted as artistic expression. But there were also posts like “screenshot-heavy sweetest moments” and “long-form analysis,” which dissected every moment between him and Tan Qing frame by frame, twisting their normal interactions into imagined romance. Even simple eye contact between them was interpreted in elaborate detail. It completely distorted the truth and was practically no different from spreading rumors.

Zhu Lianzhen sent it to Tan Qing without a second thought, assuming he would want to rant about it too. But Tan Qing only replied with a “What’s wrong?” which made Zhu Lianzhen feel like he was overreacting.

Soon after, Tan Qing told him, “If it makes you uncomfortable, we can interact less on camera in the future.”

Zhu Lianzhen: “It’s not that serious. I’m just really impressed by the fans’ imagination.”

After that, he didn’t pay much attention to the whole CP thing anymore. Sometimes the company would ask him to post some fanservice couple photos with Tan Qing, and he always cooperated obediently.

The next time he noticed that the “QingZhen” CP fans had gone a bit overboard was after his eighteenth birthday.

What he didn’t know was that the fanfiction written before had already been fairly restrained in terms of content. Now that he was finally of age, everyone completely let loose overnight, flooding the internet with all kinds of creative works. As a result, the sudden surge in traffic even caused one website to crash and remain down for a whole day before it was fixed.

The company understood that too much exposure could backfire, so they temporarily stopped allowing Zhu Lianzhen and Tan Qing to do any more duo promotions. They hoped to cool the CP hype before it spun out of control and brought unintended negative consequences.

But some things weren’t within their control. The solo fans of each side had long disliked the other’s idol. For a considerable period, Acemon’s major fan group communities were filled with nonstop infighting, which even spilled into real life. At live events, even fan support had to be divided clearly, and comparisons were everywhere.

These issues often escalated to the point where the people involved eventually heard about them. Zhu Lianzhen found it all baffling and helplessly frustrating. On one hand, he didn’t want conflicts among fans. After all, everyone had come together from different places because of shared interest; there was no need to ruin the mood over a few public figures. On the other hand, he wasn’t sure whether the company might ask him and Tan Qing to keep their distance as a result.

If the two of them were really forced to grow apart because of this, wouldn’t that just create tension out of nothing? But when it came to matters of personal interest, Zhu Lianzhen didn’t dare make assumptions about what Tan Qing might think.

He knew that, given Tan Qing’s personality, even if he was bothered, he wouldn’t say it outright.

While filming a variety show, they had to draw lots for group assignments, and by coincidence, they ended up paired together again. Zhu Lianzhen kept an eye on the cameras, and whenever they weren’t pointed at him, he’d steal quick glances at Tan Qing. As usual, the other kept a neutral expression, and Zhu Lianzhen couldn’t read anything from it.

Unexpectedly, after the shoot wrapped, Tan Qing took the initiative to ask him, “Xiao Zhu, is something bothering you? You seemed a bit out of it earlier.”

Zhu Lianzhen froze for a second before replying, “No, I was just worried I didn’t handle something well, and it might’ve led to you getting scolded by my fans.”

Tan Qing looked at him quietly, saying nothing.

Zhu Lianzhen felt a sudden pang of regret. Maybe he shouldn’t have said it so directly. What if Tan Qing agreed with him…

“So you mean, you’re worried about how I feel?” Tan Qing asked.

“Of course I am.”

“If your fans really hated me, and you kept being close with me anyway, wouldn’t that upset them too?” Tan Qing lowered his head slightly, his tone gentle. “If I had to choose, I’d rather you consider the feelings of the majority. I wouldn’t blame you.”

“If they use liking me as a reason to attack you, then I don’t think I need to consider their feelings,” Zhu Lianzhen blurted out, “To me, you’re the more important person.”

He said it as if it were the most natural thing in the world, leaving Tan Qing unsure how to respond.

Since the words were already out, Zhu Lianzhen simply laid his thoughts bare and emphasized to Tan Qing, “We absolutely can’t keep our distance over something like this, okay? Even if Pei-jie asks us to, we can’t.”

Tan Qing stared at him for a few seconds, then suddenly laughed, the tone of it sounding a little teasing to Zhu Lianzhen.

Tan Qing then said, “We’re just two guys, with an open and honest relationship. There’s nothing like what the fans imagine going on between us. No matter what, it shouldn’t come to the point where the company needs to step in and ask us to avoid suspicion.”

His nonchalant attitude made it obvious he didn’t care about public opinion. Zhu Lianzhen finally felt at ease and nodded. “That’s good.”

Seeing the relieved look on Zhu Lianzhen’s face, Tan Qing’s gaze shifted slightly.

This person always wore his heart on his sleeve, never hiding anything in front of him. Zhu Lianzhen’s honesty only made Tan Qing more acutely aware of how different they truly were by nature.

After some time of chaos stirred up by their fans, things finally quieted down as the school year began. Acemom reduced their workload due to preparations for a new album, and since both of them had to report to their respective universities, they naturally saw less of each other.

Pei Qiao had originally planned for Tan Qing to study more before diving into acting, but after noticing his talent and intuition, she figured joining a film crew directly might be even more effective for honing his skills. She recommended him to several producers and soon received contact information from a well-known director.

To avoid pressuring him, Pei Qiao intended to have a talk with him first, but Tan Qing showed no reaction. He simply told her, “Just arrange it however you see fit. Whatever the requirements are, I’ll do my best to meet them.”

His tone was calm and unbothered, like he was used to whatever came his way. While that kind of temperament in an artist was reassuring, Pei Qiao still couldn’t help but occasionally sigh at how prematurely mature Tan Qing seemed for his age.

When Zhu Lianzhen heard that Tan Qing was likely going to film a show, he felt genuinely happy for him. Tan Qing said, “If you wanted to, you’d definitely get the opportunity right away too.”

“I don’t have any sense of conviction when it comes to acting, you know that. I can’t even lie without cracking up.” Zhu Lianzhen flopped onto the couch in Tan Qing’s new place. “What about you? Do you think acting is fun?”

Evening had just fallen, and the sky looked like an oil painting, shadows and light blending together. Tan Qing was a little entranced by the view, but still replied, “I guess so. When you play different roles, it’s easy to forget who you really are.”

“Oh.” Zhu Lianzhen still didn’t quite get the appeal of acting. “Well, as long as you’re happy, I’ve got your back!”

Zhu Lianzhen had come over to hang out with Tan Qing today. He originally planned to leave after dinner, but as the evening went on, he found himself reluctant to move. He still wanted to chat more with Tan Qing. No matter what was bothering him, things always seemed to sort themselves out quickly once he talked to Tan Qing.

Tan Qing wasn’t necessarily the friend who knew him best, but he was definitely the one Zhu Lianzhen trusted the most.

Tan Qing brought out a set of spare toiletries and asked, “The guest room doesn’t have a bed yet, do you want to sleep with me?”

Zhu Lianzhen: “Mm.”

The double bed was just big enough to fit the two young men. Zhu Lianzhen still hadn’t shaken the habit of playing on his phone before bed, so Tan Qing left the lamp on and waited for him to get sleepy.

At this time, online algorithmic recommendations weren’t that sophisticated yet, so video platforms mainly recommended whatever was trending with the general public. Zhu Lianzhen counted the number of Acemon videos on the charts with satisfaction and was about to turn off his phone and sleep.

But just before exiting the app, his eyes caught on a title that suddenly grabbed his attention.

[Zhu Lianzhen Trap]

The title was short and puzzling. Curious, Zhu Lianzhen tapped on it, and after watching for a few seconds, realized it was actually an edit of Tan Qing.

When he heard his own voice come up in the video, Tan Qing turned and asked, “What are you watching?”

“Nothing, just clicked something randomly.” Zhu Lianzhen quickly exited the video.

Still confused, he put his phone on silent and reopened the video. That’s when he saw the tag “QingZhen” in the sidebar.

So it was a CP fan edit—no wonder… But naming it “Zhu Lianzhen Trap” was too much! It actually fooled him!

“Let’s sleep.” Losing interest, Zhu Lianzhen shoved his phone under the pillow and asked Tan Qing to turn off the light.

Zhu Lianzhen had always felt a bit complicated about the existence of this CP. He obviously didn’t like the idea of faking emotional bonds with a teammate for show, but if that teammate was Tan Qing, he didn’t mind the idea.

After lowering his principles, he found himself at a loss when looking back at the fan-made content. By all logic, he should have been open-minded enough to ignore it completely, but in reality, he felt incredibly awkward.

If the other half of the CP had been anyone else in the group, Zhu Lianzhen would’ve definitely dragged them along to complain about it. But when it came to Tan Qing, his first reaction was to hide it and avoid talking about it altogether.

Zhu Lianzhen rolled over, turning to face Tan Qing.

He felt all out of sorts, as if he wasn’t used to having someone next to him in bed. Normally, this wasn’t a problem for him. Tan Qing noticed him shifting quietly beside him and asked, “Can’t sleep?”

“The pillow feels weird.”

“I’ll get you another one.”

“No, no, it’s fine. I just need to lie here a bit.” Zhu Lianzhen reached out and pressed a hand to Tan Qing’s shoulder. “I just realized—don’t you have a walk-in closet? Why do you still need such a huge wardrobe in your bedroom?”

“For storing blankets.”

“Oh.” Zhu Lianzhen changed his position again, lying flat on his back. “Have you ever had insomnia? I never see you take naps, so I guess you must sleep really well at night.”

In the darkness, Tan Qing slowly opened his eyes and looked at the faint outline of the person beside him.

He replied softly, “Sometimes I can’t sleep, too.”

“What keeps you up?”

“Trivial things. Nothing worth mentioning.”

Zhu Lianzhen imagined what Tan Qing would look like when he had insomnia. Would he toss and turn in bed? The mental image amused him. After all, he had never seen Tan Qing in a visibly unsettled state.

“I’ve always wanted to ask you something,” Zhu Lianzhen said. “Have you ever argued with someone? Gotten mad? You seem so good-tempered, I feel like someone would have to really push you to make you lose your temper.”

Before Tan Qing could answer, Zhu Lianzhen made a request of his own, “Can you act like you’re angry for me?”

Tan Qing’s eyebrows lifted unconsciously. “Right now?”

“Mm, or else I’ll forget by tomorrow.”

“You really know how to make unreasonable demands, Xiao Zhu.”

Zhu Lianzhen rolled over to face him again, reaching out to press down on his arm with a look that matched his unreasonable tone. “Hurry up, or I won’t let you sleep.”

Tan Qing stayed silent, giving no response to Zhu Lianzhen’s request. Instead, he grabbed Zhu Lianzhen’s wrist to stop him from moving around. Zhu Lianzhen felt a bit embarrassed for trying and tried to pull his hand back, only to find that Tan Qing was still holding on, his warm palm resting over the back of his hand.

He tried to pull back forcefully, but Tan Qing still didn’t let go. Zhu Lianzhen didn’t understand, so he just let him hold it.

Tan Qing said, “If I was angry, maybe I wouldn’t want to let you move.”

“I thought you’d say something harsh or dramatic.” This wasn’t the kind of angry act Zhu Lianzhen had imagined, so he was slightly disappointed. “Forget it, I won’t force you.”

He waited for a bit, but when Tan Qing didn’t say anything, he prompted him, “Let go. Time to sleep.”

“Why is it always up to you?” Tan Qing murmured. “You ask a question, and I’m supposed to answer. You get a whim, and I have to go along with it. You say ‘time to sleep,’ and I’m just supposed to close my eyes like that?”

Zhu Lianzhen was caught off guard by the pushback, unsure what kind of emotion it carried. It didn’t sound like teasing… was Tan Qing really annoyed? Just as Zhu Lianzhen was about to comfort him, Tan Qing suddenly came even closer, pressing against his pillow. “Is it because I’m the most patient one among your friends that you treat me like this?”

Startled by the quiet voice so close to him, Zhu Lianzhen fumbled his words. “I didn’t mean to make you go along with everything. If you weren’t patient, that’d be fine too. It’s not like that something you have to be.”

He hurried to add, “I just tend to talk more with you. If you ever get tired of it, you can just say so.”

“You only talk more with me?”

Zhu Lianzhen didn’t think twice. “Yeah.”

As for the reason why, perhaps it was because he was curious about how Tan Qing reacted when faced with different situations.

The hand that had been holding him finally let go. When Tan Qing’s breath moved away from the pillow and returned to a normal distance, Zhu Lianzhen realized that his entire body had been unconsciously tense just moments earlier, and only now could he relax.

With his still-immature experience in matters of emotion, he hadn’t yet encountered something like “ambiguity” before, so he had no way of judging what exactly had made him nervous just now.