Singer

Chapter 44 - Before Dawn

Translator: Lynn

As soon as Jian Jie sent the message, Long Zichen immediately called.

“Xiaojie, it’s late there. Haven’t you rested yet?” Long Zichen’s voice on the other end of the phone was filled with excitement. “I watched the live broadcast, and your performance was amazing. You looked handsome and outstanding.”

“You’re being too generous with your praise,” Jian Jie chuckled.

Hearing Jian Jie’s infectious laughter, Long Zichen felt almost intoxicated and asked sweetly, “Have you decided when you’ll come back?”

“I’ll take the plane tomorrow night,” Jian Jie replied. “I have two more interviews tomorrow morning, and once they’re done, I’ll head back.”

“That’s a shame. I won’t be able to pick you up,” Long Zichen expressed regret. “I’ve been lying in the hospital, practically rotting my bones!”

Jian Jie was taken aback, “Brother Chen, you’re in the hospital now? Why didn’t anyone inform me?”

“It’s just a small accident. I fell at home and broke a bone. Nothing serious. I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you to worry,” Long Zichen brushed it off, avoiding any mention of falling from upstairs and being misunderstood as an attempted suicide by jumping off the building. He didn’t want to embarrass himself further.

Jian Jie assumed that Long Zichen had a minor injury in the past few days and said helplessly, “Brother Chen, can’t you be more careful at home? It’s cold outside. Please take better care of yourself. I’ll visit you at the hospital when I arrive in Anping the day after tomorrow.”

“No, don’t come to the hospital. I don’t want the media to create stories like ‘Idol Visits Hospital’. I need to consider your career as well,” Long Zichen replied. He really wanted to see Jian Jie, but he didn’t want to put his career at risk. Being an idol star means being cautious about public appearances in certain places.

Surprisingly, Jian Jie, who is usually talkative, insisted, “It’s okay. If I can’t visit my friends and family in the hospital, then what’s the point of being a celebrity? Brother Chen, I will visit you the day after tomorrow. Is there anything special you need here?”

Long Zichen was deeply moved and almost speechless. His Xiaojie was so caring and considerate! Moreover, he hasn’t seen Jian Jie in many days, and the thought of him visiting was too tempting for Long Zichen to resist. After a moment of thought, he said, “Then please be careful when you come here. Also, take some photos for me in that white dress and bring them back. That’s all I want.” He also playfully suggested that Jian Jie could post some high-definition pictures of himself in the beautiful dress on the forum, making other fans envious and jealous.

Surprisingly, all Long Zichen wanted was the photos of Jian Jie in the white dress, causing Jian Jie to blush slightly. “Well, I haven’t returned the dress yet, I’ll take pictures tomorrow,” he responded.

“Okay. It’s getting late, you should go to bed and rest. You have work tomorrow, so make sure you don’t have dark circles,” Long Zichen said, feeling satisfied to have spoken to Jian Jie and knowing that he promised to visit.

“Yeah,” Jian Jie hung up the phone and the dissatisfaction he felt before vanished. He planned to take some photos the next day, and he already bought many souvenirs for his colleagues, but he wanted to find a special gift for Long Zichen, something unique.

On the other side, Long Zichen held his phone, grinning at himself, which puzzled Ms. Guan Fen who was nearby. “Why are you laughing like that? What did you tell Xiaojie?” she asked.

“It’s nothing. He said he’ll be back in China in two days, and he’s coming to see me!” Long Zichen replied, feeling triumphant.

“Oh, do you like him a lot?” Ms. Guan Fen asked directly.

Long Zichen panicked, “Mom, don’t talk nonsense. No, I’ll treat him like my favorite student!”

“I didn’t specify what kind of ‘like’ I meant. Why are you so anxious?” Ms. Guan Fen glanced at Long Zichen. Long Zichen pouted, regretting that he had spoken too quickly. Ms. Guan Fen continued to muse on her thoughts, sighing inwardly.

The next day came quickly, and Jian Jie woke up early in the morning to do his makeup and styling. He had two interviews to attend and it was already noon by the time he finished. After lunch, he asked Zhou Jia to dress up and went to an art photography salon to take some photos. When Zhou Jia learned that the request came from their Director Long, she almost burst out laughing. It was evident that it was true love!

However, Jian Jie was still worried about what gift to buy for Long Zichen. While passing by a shop window, he noticed a set of cute ornaments inside. It featured a rock band composed of cartoon cats. Several kittens were dressed in punk style, playing different instruments, looking like superstars. The lead singer, a little yellow cat, bore a striking resemblance to Long Zichen with its sunglasses. Jian Jie smiled and bought this set of toys, intending to place it at home. He also went to an optical shop to pick up a pair of sunglasses, planning to give them to Long Zichen since he wore sunglasses every day.

The most joyful thing was finally being able to return home. After spending some time abroad, Jian Jie was really craving authentic Chinese food. To avoid any hassles, he and his family decided to take an earlier flight back.

This time, the fans got wind of Jian Jie’s return in advance, and his official fan club organized a group of two to three hundred people to pick him up at the airport, showing their unwavering support. Holding banners and lights, the fans had been waiting at the airport since morning.

As soon as Jian Jie stepped off the plane, he heard about the gathering. To avoid chaos, the airport had sent security guards to escort him. They guided him through a dedicated passage, shielded from the crowd. However, when the fans caught sight of Jian Jie, they couldn’t contain their excitement. They screamed his name in unison and reached out to shake hands with him. Jian Jie, knowing that he couldn’t stay long, waved to them and called out, “It’s cold, everyone, please go back!”

With the fans showing so much love, Jian Jie and his team quickly made their way to the company-provided van, feeling like they were in the middle of a battlefield. It was the first time the two assistants had experienced such a scene, and they were astonished. “Xiaojie is so popular! I’ve never seen so many fans gather like this,” one of the assistants exclaimed.

“It’s heartwarming, but also overwhelming. They waited so long, and we can only have a brief encounter with them. I wish I could talk to all of them,” Jian Jie expressed his mixed feelings. “Next time, I’ll ask everyone not to pick me up like this.”

“Alright, the company can make an announcement on your behalf on the Internet,” Li Xiaoqi suggested.

“I’ll go online myself and talk to them directly. I need to persuade the fans not to send me such expensive gifts anymore, just some small cards will be enough,” Jian Jie said, recalling the diamond bracelet someone had given him. He couldn’t accept such a lavish gift, but he appreciated the good intentions behind it. He often gave the gifts he received to the children at the orphanage since he couldn’t use them all.

Li Xiaoqi agreed with Jian Jie’s idea, believing that guiding the fans to do charity work in his name would enhance his image as a star.

Back at the company, several senior executives, including Chai Xuyang and Tang Xiaohui, came to welcome Jian Jie, emphasizing how important he was to the company. Now, Jian Jie was not only the first brother of Xinghuo Entertainment but also one of the hottest newcomers in the entire country, deserving special attention.

Jian Jie gave small gifts to everyone and participated in a meeting about him. When he suggested visiting Long Zichen in the hospital, Li Xiaoqi opposed it for the same reason as earlier. However, everyone knew about the strong bond between Jian Jie and Long Zichen, making it hard to deter him from going to the hospital.

Jian Jie changed into casual attire and wore a hat, making him look like an ordinary college student. Xiao Wang drove him to the hospital, and on the way, they stopped by a restaurant to pick up a few dishes that Long Zichen liked. Since it was lunchtime, Jian Jie decided to bring an extra meal for Long Zichen.

Xiao Wang chuckled and said, “Brother Chen will be so happy to see you later. He regretted not being able to see you off when you left, and he mentioned it to me several times. He was worried that you might be upset.”

“He was hospitalized the day I left the country?” Jian Jie was taken aback. “He only told me two days ago that he broke a bone. It’s been a week already?”

“Yes, it was the night before you went abroad. Brother Chen didn’t want us to tell you because he thought you might worry while you were away,” Xiao Wang explained with a sigh. “Brother Chen really cares about you, Brother Xiaojie.”

Jian Jie fell silent, feeling both surprised and conflicted. He couldn’t quite determine whether it was guilt or a mix of emotions he was experiencing. Long Zichen’s actions, words, and overall demeanor kept replaying in his mind. Despite Long Zichen’s imperfections, his sincere care and affection for Jian Jie were undeniable, something he couldn’t ignore.

Please let me know if there are typos/mistakes in the chapter.

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