Shi Kai: “…”
On the side, Li Yuan, who had been background noise all along: “…”
Shi Kai suddenly realized—the kid was… in love…
Li Yuan felt like a whirlwind was raging through his heart. He quickly started to think about any females Chi Feiran had interacted with recently, but couldn’t come up with any leads.
Under his watchful eye, the little prince hadn’t interacted with any girls his age recently! Nor had he mentioned any female celebrities! Or was it something that only happened during holidays?
While the manager was brainstorming, Shi Kai glanced at the cloying lyrics and then at Chi Feiran in front of him.
The earnest look in the kid’s eyes made Shi Kai feel awkward. How should he respond?
He immediately turned to glance at Li Yuan, but Li Yuan was lost in thought and didn’t notice him. He cleared his throat, hoping for some hint from him, but Li Yuan still didn’t react.
Shi Kai: “…”
If it were someone else, a teenager dating at eighteen or nineteen wouldn’t be a big deal in the entertainment industry. Who hadn’t gone through that stage? A youthful crush was just a passing phase for everyone.
But now, it was Chi Feiran in front of him. As one of the few people who knew about it, Shi Kai didn’t dare to say that Chi Feiran’s situation wasn’t early love. He was afraid Chi Feiran’s dad would punish him.
Shi Kai didn’t know what Chi Feiran was thinking, but he knew what typical Chinese parents thought.
Shi Kai coughed and tried to change the subject, “Look at the lyrics you’ve written! It’s all plain language! There’s no artistic conception!”
Chi Feiran: “…”
He comforted himself inwardly—well, at least it rhymed, showing some improvement.
Chi Feiran sighed, saying, “Chinese is really difficult.”
Shi Kai thought he had managed to sidestep the issue. But just as he was about to relax, he heard Chi Feiran ask again, “So, Teacher, is this considered early love?”
He was caught off guard again. Chi Feiran thought that asking a native Chinese would be more reliable for such questions.
Shi Kai: “…”
Why was this kid so serious? Could he still focus on creating good work? And why was he only asking him? Wasn’t the manager right there? He shouldn’t be the only one asked!
Shi Kai put on a pained expression and said, “Look at you, your mind isn’t even on this! How can you create good work without focus? Creativity requires concentration!”
Chi Feiran was a bit confused, “…Doesn’t this affect it? I think my creative state is pretty good right now! I’ve written quite a few songs these days.”
Many classics were born out of love and inspiration. But why did it seem like as soon as he talked about love to Teacher Shi, he couldn’t focus on creating anymore?
Shi Kai pinched his Achilles’ heel, “Look at these lyrics of yours!”
Chi Feiran looked down at the lyrics he wrote. They were indeed quite plain, lacking in artistic conception. But… they were sweet…
With his heart full of budding love, Chi Feiran said softly, “Teacher, don’t you find them sweet?”
Shi Kai choked a bit. Indeed, they were sweet. Just looking at these lyrics, you could tell that this young man in front of him was in a state of confusion. He seemed to have fallen into it, but Shi Kai didn’t know if his parents would approve of it.
Thinking about it, Shi Kai adjusted his tone and took on a more instructive approach, “Xiao Chi, you can’t just pursue this. Why are there fewer and fewer classic works nowadays? One of the main reasons is that the entire entertainment industry has become more and more fast-paced. Everyone has become disposable goods. You rarely have such ideal conditions for creating without external influence. You must cherish it, understand?”
Shi Kai actually felt quite helpless. Many people nowadays say that so-and-so is past their prime and not as good as before, but they fail to consider the difference in circumstances between then and now. Could things really be the same?
He had high hopes for Chi Feiran. He had talent, creativity, and money to back him up. He could focus on polishing his work, but the only regret was that he hadn’t grown up in China. These lyrics were all plain and lacked artistic conception. It really pained Shi Kai.
It wasn’t that he couldn’t find someone good at writing lyrics. But Shi Kai still had his ideals. He had experienced the heyday of the music industry and had seen too many remarkable figures. The dream of reviving the music scene still lingered in his heart. If he could really bring Chi Feiran out and make up for this shortcoming, wouldn’t that be the best!
Thinking about it, Shi Kai became a bit emotional. His voice lowered, revealing a trace of the vicissitudes of life, “This profession will depend on you young people in the future. Xiao Chi, don’t waste your talent.”
Moved by Shi Kai’s sudden elevation, Chi Feiran couldn’t help but become serious too. He felt that he should demand more from himself, not just indulge in his own sweetness. He also thought about Teacher Shi’s expectations of him, and… he wrote songs for the person he liked, so of course, he should strive for perfection!
With dual motivation, Chi Feiran nodded earnestly, “Yes, I will work even harder in the future.”
In the end, he still couldn’t figure out whether his current situation counted as early love…
After leaving Shi Kai’s music studio, Li Yuan took the initiative to ask, “Can you tell me about… the relationship thing?”
Chi Feiran didn’t intend to hide it from Li Yuan. After all, he might need his help in the future. So, he said candidly, “I’ve developed feelings for someone in the industry. But for now, it’s just my one-sided affection.”
Although he said it was his one-sided affection, a smile couldn’t help but appear on his face.
Li Yuan still wanted to ask, but Chi Feiran shook his head preemptively, “I can’t tell you who it is.”
If he told Li Yuan, his dad would definitely find out next, and it was too early to even start anything.
Thinking about the attitude towards same-sex relationships in China, Chi Feiran couldn’t help but worry. How would he tell his family? Especially his dad?
At dinner, Chi Jun had already learned about his son’s romantic situation and cautiously probed, “What kind of person is it?”
Supposedly, it was still just his son having a crush. If the person wasn’t reliable, he might be able to secretly take care of it…
On one hand, Chi Jun was afraid that his son would be led astray, and on the other hand, he was afraid that his son’s romantic relationships would be unsuccessful and cause him pain. He also worried about being too overbearing, which might alienate his son. But as a father, how could he not worry? Even if it hadn’t developed yet, there would still be many issues to face once it did. People in the industry faced more challenges in love than ordinary people did.
More temptations, long-distance separations for extended periods—these were just everyday occurrences.
After thinking for a moment, Chi Feiran asked back, “Dad, do you have any requirements for my future partner?”
Of course, Chi Jun had requirements. He hoped his son’s future partner would prioritize his son, and ideally, if they settled down, they would leave the industry.
But these words were on the tip of his tongue, but he stopped himself.
Looking at his son’s face, Chi Jun suddenly thought of his own failed marriage. Everything started so beautifully, but it ended so tragically.
He sighed deeply in his heart. What requirements? Children and grandchildren have their own blessings. No matter how many requirements he had, no matter how good his plans were, ultimately, his child’s life was his own.
The person who would accompany him for life should also be someone his child was satisfied with and liked.
All he could do was lend a hand when his child needed it.
In the end, Chi Jun said, “Dad has no requirements. Dad just wants you to be happy.”
Upon hearing his father’s words, Chi Feiran suddenly felt a pang of sadness. He didn’t know how to tell his father that he liked men.
Dad… He would probably be very disappointed…
Chi Feiran bit his lip, held back for a while, and then asked again, “Dad, what if the person I like is very, very different from what you imagine…”
Hearing this, Chi Jun smiled and said, “Silly child, you two will live your own lives. Even if it’s different from what Dad imagines, as long as it’s not something extreme, Dad won’t object.”
Chi Feiran looked at him straight and took a deep breath. Then, he dropped the bombshell, “Dad, I like men.”
Chi Jun was shocked. Did he mishear because of his old age?
When Chi Feiran was with Li Yuan earlier, he had thought of waiting until things were confirmed with Rong Jin before talking to his family. Otherwise, if he blurted it out, it might cause unnecessary complications.
But when it came time to talk about his feelings with his father, he realized that this idea wasn’t good. If he went with his original plan, the person he liked would also have to endure pressure from his family, which would be too much.
So, before anything began, he should make it clear.
He liked men, and he wanted to be with Rong Jin.
Chi Feiran said in a calm voice, “Dad, I know this may be hard to accept, and for now, it’s just my one-sided liking. But I want your blessing.”
Chi Jun almost wanted to roar. How could he possibly give his blessing!
His good son had suddenly become gay! How could he bless that!
Chi Jun’s voice, filled with anger, lowered to a terrifying level, “Who is it?”
Surely someone had led Feiran astray! He wanted to find that person and tear them apart!
Seeing his father’s reaction, Chi Feiran was not surprised, but he still felt a bit sad. He said softly, “Dad, I like him.”
Chi Jun couldn’t suppress his anger anymore. He slammed the table, and the force was so great that the solid wood surface trembled. He roared in fury, “Then he’s the one who led you astray!”
Chi Jun’s reaction was something Chi Feiran had never seen before. Since they reunited, his father had always seemed somewhat silly and doting on him, presenting him with all the good things in the world.
Although he knew that the head of the Chi family must be different from what he saw in front of him.
But seeing Chi Jun’s other side for the first time, Chi Feiran couldn’t help feeling a sense of unfamiliarity and fear.
Almost reflexively, he moved back a bit. He looked straight at Chi Jun, as if carefully distinguishing whether the person in front of him and the silly father were really the same person.
Meeting his son’s fearful gaze, Chi Jun instantly cooled down.
His still painful right hand reminded him of what he had just done. He had actually slammed the table and shouted at his son…
Thinking of this, Chi Jun’s whole heart trembled for a moment. After waiting for so many years, his son had finally returned to him, and they had finally become close again. How could he possibly slam the table and shout at his son?
Chi Feiran hadn’t organized his words yet to persuade his furious father, but unexpectedly, his father softened first.
Chi Jun sat down again, somewhat at a loss, and apologized for his actions just now, “Feiran, I’m sorry. Dad didn’t mean to shout at you just now. Don’t be afraid… Dad was wrong, Dad shouldn’t have…”
He couldn’t bring himself to say that he liked men, and he didn’t have any other words, so he could only force a smile and say, “Dad just needs some time… Give Dad some time, and Dad will figure it out…”
Chi Jun’s voice was tinged with regret. He regretted his son’s sudden revelation of homosexuality. How could he bless that!
He felt like he was about to explode with anger again, but this time, he managed to restrain himself.
