At 10:30 PM, after finishing his shower, Tang Che returned to his room only to hear a knock on the door. When he opened it, he found Tan Junwen standing there with a cheerful smile.
Tang Che raised an eyebrow. “What is it?”
Tan Junwen handed him an unopened red gift box. “This is for you.”
Tang Che examined it closely. “Headphones?”
Tan Junwen smiled sheepishly. “Yeah. I’m sorry about yesterday—I broke your headphones. I heard this model has great sound quality, so I ordered it last night as compensation. Please take it—I hope you’re not mad anymore.”
Tang Che recognized the brand logo on the packaging—it was an internationally renowned audio equipment manufacturer.
The headphones came with a charging case that featured an intelligent display screen capable of showing dynamic backgrounds and adjusting sound quality modes. Made entirely of metal, they were priced at several thousand yuan—ten times more expensive than his old pair.
Tang Che pushed the box back toward him. “There’s no need for something this expensive.”
Tan Junwen insisted, “It’s fine—I broke your headphones; replacing them is only fair.”
Tang Che replied firmly, “I don’t want them. You should keep them for yourself.”
Tan Junwen sighed in frustration. “Why are you so stubborn?”
Tang Che frowned. “You’re the one being stubborn—I already said I don’t want them.”
Fu Fei peeked out from another room, eavesdropping on their conversation. Sensing that tensions were rising again, he quickly pushed open Fang Yinnian’s bedroom door and exclaimed, “Guys! You’d better come take a look—Tan Junwen and Tang Che seem like they’re about to argue again!”
Fang Yinnian: “…?”
Mo Xun rubbed his forehead in exasperation. “Are their arguments going to become our dormitory’s nightly tradition?”
The two exchanged a glance and quickly got up to head out.
At the bedroom door, Tan Junwen and Tang Che were locked in a standoff over the headphones—one insisting on giving them, the other adamantly refusing to accept.
After listening for a moment, Fang Yinnian quickly understood the issue: the headphones were too expensive, and Tang Che didn’t want to take them.
Fang Yinnian stepped forward and said gently, “Tang Che, just accept them. Junwen must feel really guilty about breaking your headphones. Besides, it’s only fair to compensate for something you’ve damaged. Since he’s gone out of his way to buy you something expensive as an apology, why not give him a way to make amends?”
His voice was soft yet logical, making it hard to refuse.
Tang Che thought for a moment before taking the headphones from Tan Junwen’s hands. “Alright then, I’ll accept them.”
Behind him, Tan Junwen gave Fang Yinnian a thumbs-up.
Mo Xun couldn’t help but smile slightly. He noticed that while Tang Che often acted cold and aloof, he seemed to listen to Fang Yinnian.
Leaning closer to Fang Yinnian, Mo Xun whispered, “Why don’t you have Tang Che and Junwen tutor each other? It might help ease their relationship.”
Fang Yinnian glanced at him and nodded. Turning around, he said aloud, “Junwen is good at rapping but lacks solid vocal fundamentals and has pitch issues. Tang Che can help tutor you when he has time. And since Tang Che struggles with dancing, Junwen can teach him some moves in return. How does that sound?”
Tang Che and Tan Junwen: “…”
Fang Yinnian then looked at Fu Fei. “Xiao Fei is an all-rounder trainee and lives closest to the company. If any teammate needs help, Xiao Fei can lend a hand when he’s free. How about it?”
Fu Fei immediately nodded enthusiastically. “No problem!”
Mo Xun smiled and added, “Everyone, remember—a barrel can only hold as much water as its shortest plank allows. We’re about to debut soon, and time is limited. The teachers can’t supervise us 24/7, so helping each other out is the fastest way to improve. Any objections?”
Tan Junwen scratched his head reluctantly. “Fine. I’ll go back to the company when I don’t have classes.”
Tang Che said coolly, “I’ve never tutored anyone before… but I’ll try.”
Mo Xun concluded decisively: “Great! From now on, FTM is officially a mutual support team.”
Fu Fei clapped enthusiastically in agreement.
Fang Yinnian shifted the topic and asked, “By the way, are you all planning to eat breakfast at home tomorrow?”
Fu Fei asked eagerly, “I’d like to eat at home—Brother Nian, will you make pancakes? Do you have enough time?”
Fang Yinnian replied, “I’ll prepare breakfast tonight and leave it in the fridge. Tomorrow morning, whoever wants some can heat it up in the microwave. I have an early class at seven, so I’ll need to leave by then.”
Mo Xun said, “I’ll leave with you—I also have a class at seven.”
Fang Yinnian nodded. “Alright then—let’s all tidy up and get some rest early.”
—
The next day, Fang Yinnian and Mo Xun woke up at 6:30 AM since their schools were the farthest away—they needed to leave earlier than the others. Their schedule felt less like college life and more like being back in high school.
With their debut approaching, their schedules would only get busier.
Knowing that driving during rush hour would lead to gridlock, Mo Xun decided not to drive and instead took the subway with Fang Yinnian. However, the subway was packed with people during morning rush hour. The two were squeezed into a corner of the train car with barely any space between them.
Standing in front of Mo Xun, Fang Yinnian was jostled by other passengers and ended up half-leaning against Mo Xun’s chest.
Mo Xun was wearing a thin T-shirt today, and Fang Yinnian could clearly feel the firm muscles on his chest.
Unable to resist, Fang Yinnian reached out and poked his chest muscles, curiously asking, “Did you build these muscles from dancing since you were a kid?”
Mo Xun laughed at the poke. “Yeah. Do you want to work on yours too?”
Fang Yinnian nodded. “It’s good for guys to have some muscle. Plus, we’ll be singing and dancing live in the future, right? If our stamina can’t keep up and we’re out of breath halfway through, we can’t exactly sit down on stage to rest.”
The image Fang Yinnian painted made Mo Xun laugh even harder—out of breath and sitting down to rest in the middle of a performance? That would be a disaster and would surely get them roasted on social media.
Fang Yinnian looked well-behaved on the surface, but his words were anything but “obedient.” He was quite amusing.
Mo Xun put away his smile and replied seriously, “Building muscle isn’t hard. A high-protein diet combined with regular exercise will gradually give you results if you stick with it. You’re absolutely right—if you want to sing and dance live, you need to build stamina. Otherwise, it’s easy to run out of breath and mess up your vocals.”
Fang Yinnian made up his mind. “From now on, I’ll work out with you.”
Mo Xun smiled. “No problem.”
Since their conversation revolved around singing, dancing, and preparing for debut, both of them kept their voices low, leaning close to speak softly into each other’s ears.
This mutual support arrangement would likely help the team bond faster.
Fang Yinnian believed that with him and Mo Xun leading by example, the group members would gradually grow closer.
The morning subway ride was crowded and filled with various food smells. However, chatting along the way made time pass quickly for the two of them.
“Next stop: Luohu South Station.”
Finally, they arrived. Fang Yinnian and Mo Xun followed the crowd out of the subway station.
After squeezing through the packed subway car, stepping outside into the fresh air felt like a relief. Both of them instinctively took a deep breath at the same time.
Their synchronized deep breaths made Mo Xun laugh. “We were almost squished into pancakes! This is my first time taking the subway so early in the morning.”
Fang Yinnian agreed. “It’s my first time going out during rush hour too. The morning rush on Line 3 definitely lives up to its reputation.”
When they lived on campus before, they didn’t have to deal with rush hour traffic. Experiencing it today had been an eye-opener for both of them.
They even spotted a few pairs of lost shoes at the subway station.
Waving goodbye, Mo Xun said, “Alright, message me after class and come to our school cafeteria—I’ll treat you to something delicious.”
Fang Yinnian nodded. “Okay, bye!”
Although the Film Academy and Music Academy were next to each other, they were in different directions after leaving the subway station. The two parted ways and headed toward their respective schools.
—
Fang Yinnian had four theory classes in the morning. While many of his classmates dozed off during lectures, he listened attentively and took detailed notes.
He firmly believed that being a singer wasn’t just about having a good voice—it was also about having a deep understanding of music.
At exactly noon, the bell rang to signal the end of class.
Fang Yinnian packed up his books and sent Mo Xun a message: “I’m done with class—should I come find you at your school?”
Mo Xun replied with a location pin: “Come straight here. It’s close if you exit through your east gate.”
Fang Yinnian exited through the east gate of the Music Academy and entered through the west gate of the Film Academy.
The two schools were right next to each other, with a tree-lined path in between. A few couples strolled hand in hand along the shaded road.
Fang Yinnian walked to the location Mo Xun had sent, which turned out to be the “Second Student Cafeteria” of the Film Academy.
It was lunchtime, and many students were heading to the cafeteria in groups. Unfamiliar with the area, Fang Yinnian stood at the entrance, waiting for Mo Xun.
As people passed by, he overheard their murmurs:
“Which class is that student from? He’s so good-looking.”
“I haven’t seen him before—he must be from the acting department. Otherwise, it’d be such a waste of that face.”
“I’m so jealous of people who can make a living off their looks.”
“When I was born, my face must’ve hit the ground first.”
“Yinnian.” A familiar voice called from behind.
Fang Yinnian turned around and saw Mo Xun walking briskly through the crowd toward him. The redness around Mo Xun’s eyes was striking—it looked like he had just been crying.
Fang Yinnian froze for a moment. “What happened to your eyes?”
“Practicing crying scenes,” Mo Xun replied cheerfully, his voice sounding anything but sad.
“You practice crying in acting class?” Fang Yinnian asked curiously. “Does the teacher tell you to cry on command? That sounds so hard!”
“A skilled actor can cry on cue in just a few seconds if the director asks for it. I’m not at that level yet,” Mo Xun said with a laugh as he rubbed his eyes. “I managed to squeeze out two tears by sheer force. Sigh, I’ll get better with practice—I’m still not great at building up emotions.”
The two chatted as they walked toward the cafeteria.
“Do you plan on becoming an actor in the future?” Fang Yinnian asked seriously.
“The best transition for idols is either becoming a singer or an actor. My vocal range is limited, so when I returned to China, I applied to the Film Academy—it gives me more options for the future,” Mo Xun explained.
“That’s smart—you’re thinking ahead,” Fang Yinnian said, finally understanding why Mo Xun had returned to China.
It was clear that Mo Xun had a well-thought-out plan for his future. Since he was talented in dance, debuting as part of a boy band made sense as a starting point. However, boy bands thrived on youth appeal—it wasn’t something one could do forever. When it came time to transition later in life, his background at the Film Academy would allow him to pivot toward acting.
Fang Yinnian had never considered becoming a boy band idol—his goal had always been to become a singer. Being unexpectedly recruited by Xu Baichuan and forming this group felt like fate.
Whatever the future held, it was best to focus on doing well in the present.
The two ate lunch together at the cafeteria and then took the subway back to the company, heading straight for the practice room.
As they reached the fifth floor of Tower B, they suddenly heard an angry shout from around the corner at the end of the hallway:
“I’m so sick of being rushed! What am I—a machine?!”
“These kids just formed a group—they have zero chemistry! Sending them to perform at a concert now is like forcing ducks onto a perch!”
“We’re supposed to be a vocal-focused group! What do you mean ‘just sing any random song’? Vocal groups need harmonies—do you even understand what team harmonies are?!”
“…Can we push it back to Christmas at least?”
“Not even Mid-Autumn Festival? Seriously?!”
“Fine, fine—I’ll figure something out! Unbelievable!”
It was Xu Baichuan’s voice.
It was their first time hearing him sound so furious.
Mo Xun and Fang Yinnian exchanged glances—Who is Old Xu yelling at? Should we pretend we didn’t hear anything?
It was too late for them to slip away unnoticed.
Xu Baichuan ended his call and stormed out from down the hallway with a dark expression.
When he saw them, he paused for a moment before his expression softened slightly. He walked over and asked, “Why are you two here at this hour?”
Mo Xun explained, “Director Xu, neither of us has classes this afternoon. Yinnian asked me to give him some extra dance practice.”
Fang Yinnian nodded and added, “Yes, Mo Xun is going to teach me some basic moves. We thought we’d spend some extra time practicing in the studio this afternoon.”
Xu Baichuan was silent for a moment before finally cracking a small smile. “Good—helping each other will help you improve faster.”
He paused and asked, “You heard me on the phone just now, didn’t you?”
The two of them: “…”
You were shouting so loudly—do you really think we didn’t hear?
Xu Baichuan sighed and explained, “Here’s the situation. The company is hosting an anniversary concert in August, and the big boss has decided that the five of you will perform as part of it. Consider it your debut performance.”
“Ah?” The two exchanged bewildered glances.
August? But it’s already July!
Weren’t they supposed to have three months of training first? Being pushed onto the stage this quickly—they couldn’t sing or dance well enough yet. This felt like a classic case of rushing an unprepared team onto the stage.
Xu Baichuan frowned. “Decisions from the higher-ups must be followed. But don’t worry—there’s always a way to adapt to their policies. I’ll figure out a way to make your debut go smoothly. After tonight’s dance class, come to this small meeting room. I’ll explain everything in detail.”
![After losing all his wealth, the ancestor rose from his coffin [BL]](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Your-paragraph-text-1.png "After losing all his wealth, the ancestor rose from his coffin [BL]")