Chapter Twenty-Six: The Holiday

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The story unfolds from January to February 2005.

Recommended song: "Last Net" by The Beatles.

Disclaimer: This work is purely fictional. Please do not associate it with real people or events. Any resemblance is purely coincidental!

Incheon International Airport.

"Safe travels, Yihan!" Jin Xiaoxi had come to see him off. Han PD from MPick was also present. The production team had discussed it at length, met with Li Tong and the others, and finally decided that MPick would follow Jiang Yihan home. They would minimize filming his family, focusing mainly on the journey and what Jiang Yihan would do at home.

Yin Yun’er was there too, but unlike her usual bold demeanor, she simply handed a bag to Li Ran and stepped back without saying a word. Li Ran stood awkwardly with the bag, uncertain what to do. Jiang Yihan glanced at Li Ran and then at Yin Yun’er, their awkwardness palpable. Unable to bear it any longer, he sighed, “You two, honestly, I give up. Just put it in the bag, alright?” Jiang Yihan took the bag from Li Ran and asked Jiang Ziyi to put it away.

Jiang Zaimin was also there. "Yihan, we've just created your official fan forum. Xiaoxi and I set it up together, and through Li Ran, we got your official fancafe to recognize us as your official fan exchange platform. I'm now your number two fan!" Jiang Zaimin chattered excitedly, "Number one is Xiaoxi, of course! Oh, and here's the first gift from our forum."

“Huh?” Before Jiang Yihan could react, a large bag appeared before him, raised by Jin Xiaoxi. “A gift? I can’t accept this, really. Zaimin, take it back.”

“Don’t worry, Yihan.” Jiang Zaimin clearly anticipated this response. “It’s nothing valuable, just some writings from the first hundred members who registered—articles, diaries, all things we wanted to say to you. You must read them all!” Seeing Jiang Yihan’s astonished expression, Jiang Zaimin explained further, “Though you haven’t been in the industry long, we know you inside out, so some of these are your little secrets—watch out!”

Jiang Zaimin’s proud look made everyone laugh. Jin Xiaoxi stood shyly nearby, saying nothing, just holding the gift aloft. Jiang Yihan scratched his head, finally accepting it. “Thank you, Zaimin and Xiaoxi. Truly, I’m grateful. Please thank everyone for me—I’ll read it carefully.”

“I’ll pass it on, so everyone knows you care,” Jiang Zaimin saluted dramatically, grinning. “They were so jealous I could come see you off. They wanted to come, but feared you’d be angry, so they stayed away. They’ll be thrilled when I tell them.”

Finally, it was Kwon Ji-ryong’s turn. The young man didn’t say much. “Yihan, Li Ran, Ziyi, rest well at home. I’ll work hard here.”

“Hmph, don’t let me hear you’re attending mixers or meeting girls, or you’re dead,” Jiang Ziyi pinched her boyfriend’s cheek, her face glowing with affection.

Just as Jiang Yihan was about to tease his sister, he suddenly blurted, “I’m heading in now!” and dashed away. Han PD followed. Everyone looked bewildered as Jiang Yihan vanished inside, only to see a breathless beauty arrive—Li Yimei. “That rascal Jiang Yihan, running so fast—when he’s back, he’s doomed. Let’s see where he hides.” She greeted everyone, hesitated, then turned and left.

“Your brother’s afraid of her,” Li Ran explained to Jiang Ziyi, who looked puzzled. During this period, Li Yimei had somehow obtained Jiang Yihan’s phone number, texting him daily—even when he didn’t reply, it overwhelmed him, so at the sight of her, he fled.

Everyone watched her stubborn silhouette disappear, helpless. After bidding farewell again, Li Ran and Jiang Ziyi also went through the gates.

...

At last, home. Jiang Yihan’s family lived in a small coastal town in southern China, with just sixty thousand inhabitants—a peaceful place where everyone knew one another, visiting and chatting often.

Welcoming the trio were Jiang Yihan’s grandmother and mother. His mother, Zhou Bing, had returned from abroad two weeks earlier and had been home for a while.

“Yihan, Ziyi, come here, let me see if you’ve lost weight,” Grandma called them over. Seeing the camera, Han PD immediately started filming. Both grandmother and mother were momentarily stunned before greeting them. Li Ran greeted the elders and went home—his house was right next to Jiang Yihan’s.

Grandma was eighty, still in good health, though plagued by minor ailments. Among her many grandchildren, Jiang Yihan was her favorite. Whenever there was something to eat or play with, she always saved a portion for him; whenever he was in trouble, she was his shield. Even before he left for abroad, Yihan would sometimes still sleep with her. The rest of the family often joked that Grandma spoiled him beyond reason.

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Jiang Yihan set down his bag and crouched before his grandmother, letting her touch his face and look at the grandson she hadn’t seen in ages. Her hands were rough and calloused, with visible chilblains. Jiang Yihan gently stroked her hand, distressed. “Grandma, why don’t you take better care of yourself? Look at your hands—they’re so badly frostbitten. From now on, don’t do any housework, okay?” Grandma said nothing, only gazed lovingly at her grandson.

“Grandma’s still so biased,” Jiang Ziyi joked, crouching beside her. “You never listen—always telling you not to touch cold water or wash things in winter. Now your hands hurt again.”

Their concern warmed Grandma’s heart, and she smiled, saying nothing.

Mother Zhou Bing spoke up, “You’re back—aren’t you going to be affectionate with your mom? Let me see you two as well.” Apparently, she was jealous of Grandma’s attention, making everyone laugh.

Days at home were leisurely—waking up naturally, sitting in the courtyard, listening to music, composing, watching TV. Life was pleasant. Occasionally, Jiang Yihan kept in touch with Kim Jaejoong and Lee Hyori in Korea via text, and continued updating his CY, which now featured photos of him with Grandma and his mother. CY had become a way for Jin Xiaoxi and friends to keep up with him.

He also visited Jiang Zaimin’s official fan forum. The membership wasn’t large, just passing a thousand, but it felt warm. What unsettled him, though, was seeing photos of himself everywhere. He only posted once, thanking members for their gift, then left.

That fan gift was truly thoughtful—a book, each page handwritten by a fan, bound together. The first page was by Jin Xiaoxi, the second by Jiang Zaimin. Each page represented a fan’s support, deeply touching Jiang Yihan.

At home, Jiang Yihan pondered for a long time before deciding to talk with his mother. “Mom, don’t go abroad again this year. You’ve worked overseas just so Ziyi and I could have a better life. Now, even though I’m still in school, my signing bonus is enough for us; my first album’s out, and I get royalties, plus if I start appearing on shows, my income will be good. You can stop working so hard, alright?”

“Yihan, do you really have that much money? Is it enough?” Zhou Bing’s disbelief was evident.

“Mom, just my signing bonus is five hundred million won—converted, that’s about four million yuan. Is that enough for us?” Jiang Yihan gave an example.

“What? Four million? Wow, don’t scare me—is it really that much?” Zhou Bing’s astonished face made Jiang Yihan laugh.

“Yes, Mom. From now on, just rest at home, do what you love, spend time with Grandma. Isn’t that better? You’ve worked so hard all your life—now you should rest.” He took her hand and patted it gently.

Zhou Bing was silent for a while, looking at her grown son and wiping tears from her eyes. “Alright, after the New Year I’ll go back and wrap things up, and return in the summer. Then, I’ll rely on you to support me.”

“By the way, Yihan, you’re quite busy now?” After getting his nod, she continued, “What about your sister? Who’s taking care of her? She’s so young, living abroad alone—I worry. Before, you could look after her, but now you’re busy, so what about her? Her Korean isn’t fluent yet, and I wonder how she’s getting along with classmates.”

“Mom, Ziyi is very independent—don’t worry about her. She’s living well at school.” Jiang Yihan smiled, comforting his worried mother.

“Sigh, you and Li Ran are both so busy, with little time. She’s living in the dorm alone—I just hope she learns to grow up quickly.” As a mother, Zhou Bing couldn’t help but worry.

“Mom, Ziyi’s grown up, we’re all nearby—just not together often, but we still look after her.” As he spoke, Jiang Yihan realized he hadn’t seen his sister much in the past six months. He didn’t even know about her relationship with Kwon Ji-ryong until late; perhaps he truly hadn’t cared enough for her. Glancing at his worried mother, an idea struck him. “Mom, how about letting Ziyi work with me as my assistant? That way, someone trustworthy is close, and I can look after her. Only, she won’t be able to attend school—she’s only halfway through her first year of high school. What do you think?”

“Work with you? What do you mean?” Zhou Bing didn’t quite understand.

“I mean, let her be my assistant—having someone reliable nearby gives peace of mind, plus I can look after her. But she’d have to stop school. She’s only halfway through her first year. What do you think?”

“Maybe it’s a solution,” Zhou Bing thought aloud, “but Ziyi’s only in her first year—can she really drop out?”

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“Mom, why don’t we ask her and let her decide?” Jiang Yihan smiled, offering a solution.

Zhou Bing hesitated, looked at Jiang Yihan, then finally nodded.

With his mother’s affairs settled and Ziyi’s situation clarified, Jiang Yihan felt a weight lifted. But before he could tackle the next issue, another arose.

“Lazy Cat Liu Yan is back.” Li Ran’s words stirred up the previously tranquil life.

“Oh, she’s back? When did she arrive?” Jiang Yihan showed no excitement, no change in expression—though his heart was in turmoil, he appeared calm.

“Lazy Cat, are you sure you want to go on like this? You always hide your feelings for her, so she never knows.” Li Ran looked at his friend with concern.

“I think it’s best to remain friends—at least I can stay by her side.” Jiang Yihan’s expression shifted, then quickly returned to normal. “How is she?”

Memories resurfaced.

Liu Yan also lived in this town. Since the age of six in kindergarten, she and Jiang Yihan had grown up together—the town was small, her house not far away. Liu Yan and Jiang Yihan were the same age, so they attended school together. From childhood playmates to best friends in elementary school, their friendship lasted through middle school. When adolescence arrived, Jiang Yihan found himself attracted to Liu Yan, but the transition from friendship to love was fraught with uncertainty. He hesitated to confess, and that hesitation lasted until the second year of high school. It was undeniable that Liu Yan was an outstanding girl—willowy brows, eyes with a gentle gleam, smiling eyes that curved into lines, dimples at the corners of her mouth, slightly full lips, a faint blush on her cheeks, shoulder-length black hair that captivated, a subtle jasmine fragrance about her, excellent grades, and a good temperament—at least with strangers. In front of Jiang Yihan, the real Liu Yan could be a bit petulant, coquettish, even angry at times. Naturally, Liu Yan got a boyfriend. As Jiang Ziyi once said, “Even if Liu Yan had feelings for you, after two years of hesitation, she’d have lost hope.” Whether Liu Yan cared or not, she eventually found someone to accompany her. Jiang Yihan remained the best male friend—the best. Whatever happened, Liu Yan would tell him first. If she argued with her boyfriend, the first call was to Jiang Yihan; when she felt down, or during her cycle, or even when she broke up, he was always the first to know. Jiang Yihan was like her soul mate, sharing her joys and sorrows. Yet the closer they became, the more he feared that confessing would ruin everything, leaving no way back. He couldn’t bear the risk, nor did he want to. Sometimes, he wondered if he should pursue another love, leaving Liu Yan as an eternal, beautiful first love in his heart.

Liu Yan was back. For her, everything seemed unchanged, but for Jiang Yihan, even if things were the same, he was not.

They met, after all.

“Yihan, long time no see. How’s life in Korea?” Sitting on the grassy center of the town, Liu Yan and Jiang Yihan met—this time, Han PD didn’t follow.

“Not bad, just the usual. How about you?” Jiang Yihan remained the good friend, chatting, sharing only as friends.

“I’m planning to study design in France. Probably leaving in September.” Liu Yan smiled—still as lovely as ever, making Jiang Yihan momentarily dazed.

“September, huh? That’s great. Studying design in France is a good idea, and you’ve always wanted to go. So, looks like we won’t see each other this summer—I can’t come home for vacation. Maybe next year, unless you’re busy during New Year.” Jiang Yihan didn’t finish, feeling a bit lost.

Liu Yan didn’t respond. Both fell silent, quietly enjoying the afternoon sun, neither knowing what the other was thinking, nor what the future held.

The author’s notes:

First, regarding tarot suggestions—haha. As for pairing Zhang Dongjian, currently no plans, maybe later. About fans chatting outside the story—I tried writing it but it didn’t turn out well, so I’ll try again in the future. I always wanted to write more about fans, since they’re closely connected to artists, but haven’t found the right feeling, so I’ll take it slow—haha! Just read some reviews five minutes ago, and someone mentioned Han Geng. Originally, my plan was to have him appear after fifty chapters, post-SJ debut. But seeing his popularity, I’ll adjust the outline, maybe bring him in earlier. If not, then it’ll have to wait till fifty chapters—haha!

Second, I must apologize. I sincerely regret that, though I said I’d try to update twice daily, starting tomorrow I’ll only post once a day—truly sorry. Please let me explain: yesterday, by chance, I found my first book ranked on the newcomer list—not high, but enough to make me happy. After checking the rules, I realized the newcomer list requires novels to be between 5,000–20,000 characters, but each chapter of mine is 4,000–5,000 characters. If I continue updating twice daily, in ten days I’ll exceed 20,000 characters and lose my spot on the newcomer list. Since it’s my first time writing and I lack confidence, this platform has encouraged me, so I hope to stay on the newcomer list a bit longer. That’s why, starting tomorrow, I’ll update once daily, but each day’s chapter will still be over 4,000 characters. I sincerely apologize to my supporters—really sorry, and I hope you’ll continue to support me—haha! Of course, if you have opinions about this decision, please let me know. I sincerely hope for your feedback—thank you all in advance!