Chapter Thirty-Five: Moving House

Page (1/3)

Entertainment at Your Side, No Pop-ups
Story begins: February 2005
Recommended Song: “Blue—Don’t Treat Me Like a Fool”
Disclaimer: This story is entirely fictional. Please do not make real-life associations. Any resemblance is purely coincidental!

Jiang Yihan and Li Ran had arrived at their new home. Their luggage had already been moved by the company, and Jiang Ziyi and Xu Xian had sorted out most things. Now, their task was to continue helping arrange the new apartment.

Their new home was a small apartment with three bedrooms and a living room, all graced with large floor-to-ceiling windows that let sunlight flood in, casting halos through the glass and making one dizzy with brightness. Outside the main room was a small balcony with a table, three backed chairs, and some potted plants. Jiang Yihan still shared a room with Li Ran; the main color was white, with a large bed, a desk, a piano, and a guitar. One room belonged to Jiang Ziyi and Xu Xian, while the other was dedicated to clothes and gifts. Three walls were lined with wardrobes. Besides Jiang Yihan and Li Ran’s own clothes, stage outfits were starting to fill the space—over a dozen sets, plus sponsor-provided outfits, which nearly filled one wardrobe on their own. Jiang Yihan usually wore these sponsored clothes when going out.

The floor was covered with gifts from fans, still unsorted—snacks, clothes, letters, everything imaginable. Sorting all this would take quite some time.

“Wow, Xiao Jin, so many snacks! Every kind you could think of.” Jiang Yihan was organizing the clothes room; clothes were soon put away, leaving him to tackle the gifts.

“This bear is huge! It’s almost as tall as a person—it’s hard to find a place for it.” In the pile of gifts, Jiang Yihan discovered a giant cream-colored teddy bear, irresistibly cute.

“Haha, someone even sent underwear! I wonder if the size fits.” Jiang Yihan rummaged through the gifts like a child at Christmas, constantly discovering surprises. Han PD was filming nearby, and soon caught the infectious joy, laughing heartily.

Jiang Yihan spent a while categorizing and storing the gifts. Since he was just starting out, his fanbase wasn’t very large yet, so the gifts weren’t overwhelming and were quickly organized. Emerging from the room, he found the living room nearly done. Li Ran was setting up the computer, while Li Yimei, who had come to help, was mopping the floor. Dusk was falling, and their new home was almost ready.

“I’m going to buy groceries—what do you want for dinner?” Jiang Yihan shouted at the door as he put on his shoes.

“Whatever you like, just don’t buy chili. You need to protect your throat—your fan meeting is coming up. Take care of yourself.” Li Ran answered from inside.

Jiang Yihan agreed, then glanced at the busy Li Yimei, hesitating before speaking. “Do you want to come with me?”

Li Yimei was stunned by the question, not reacting at first. Jiang Yihan, seeing her silence, scratched his head. “Okay, I’ll go myself then.”

“No, wait—let’s go together.” Li Yimei finally came to her senses, hurriedly putting on her shoes and joining him.

They walked side by side in silence. The evening wind was strong, tousling Li Yimei’s hair, strands occasionally brushing Jiang Yihan’s cheek. Li Yimei kept her head down, uneasy, while Jiang Yihan didn’t know what to say or how to start a conversation. The silence stretched until Li Yimei broke it.

“I’ve imagined this scene so many times, but when it really happens, it feels unreal.” She lifted her head and smiled at Jiang Yihan. Gone was her usual allure, her boldness and bravado—this Li Yimei radiated a different, quiet charm that left Jiang Yihan momentarily dazed before he regained his composure.

“Has no guy ever walked with you like this before?” Jiang Yihan shoved his hands in his pockets, chatting casually.

“Guys don’t like to stroll with me—they prefer to take me to meet their friends, as if I’m their trophy to show off. Many men approach me with a conquering attitude. Maybe some are sincere, maybe not, but in the end, it always turns out the same way.” Li Yimei spoke calmly, perhaps out of habit or acceptance. “So many men seem to see me as a challenge. Whether their feelings are genuine or not, it always ends up like this.”

“Maybe you just haven’t met the right guy yet, someone worth your true feelings.” Jiang Yihan fumbled for words, awkwardly.

“Perhaps. Who can say?” Li Yimei smiled sweetly. “But now, I believe my luck must have been bad before, because you make me feel something different.”

“Me?”

“Yes, you.” Li Yimei brushed her wind-blown hair behind her ears. “At first, maybe it was my pride—I couldn’t stand your indifference, your calmness, so I approached you. But you’re like a maze—I entered and never found my way out. You’re like a magnet, radiating endless charm that draws me in like a moth to a flame.”

Page (2/3)

“Haha, am I really that amazing?” Jiang Yihan was embarrassed by the compliment, joking. But seeing the longing in Li Yimei’s eyes, the answer was clear. He could faintly see his own reflection in her clear, deep gaze. Suddenly, Jiang Yihan felt himself slipping into a whirlpool, coughed to steady himself, and fell silent again.

“You have a calming presence,” Li Yimei said with a bitter smile. Jiang Yihan still wouldn’t meet her gaze, showing he couldn’t face her directly or give her a chance. Li Yimei could only smile bitterly, unsure what else to do. “Being near you feels comfortable and safe. Seeing your smile makes me want to stand by your side. Meeting you—maybe that’s my luck.”

The atmosphere returned to its initial quiet, the two advancing in silence. This lasted until they reached the market, where Jiang Yihan and Li Yimei began discussing what to cook for dinner, breaking the awkwardness.

“Let me cook tonight—I'll make some Korean home dishes for you to try!” Li Yimei said, clutching a large cabbage with delight.

“Haha, maybe next time. I need to take care of my throat lately, so no spicy food. Let’s stick to Chinese dishes tonight.” Watching the unguarded smile of the boy beside her, Li Yimei suddenly longed to visit that beautiful country called China, to see where he grew up, learn his hometown cuisine, experience his time and space. Perhaps that feeling was love.

“Jiang Yihan, your songs are really popular lately. All four music shows this week ranked you first again—two weeks in a row now.” Li Yimei decided to switch to a neutral topic to ease the awkwardness.

“Hehe, I’m surprised myself.” Jiang Yihan picked some greens, smiling. “But honestly, I never really feel like I’ve made it—haha.”

“Go walk around the streets, then you’ll feel it for sure.” Li Yimei winked playfully. “Are your songs based on your own stories or others’? They’re so moving. When I listened to ‘Castle,’ I actually cried.”

“Really? That means my songs are pretty good, then. Haha.” Jiang Yihan stopped, making an exaggerated face at Li Yimei, then grinned proudly. “Some songs come from my own stories, some from friends. Each song is a story—or several stories. Every day, we live through all sorts of real emotions. If you express those feelings, the songs truly touch people.”

“Yes, you’re right. Though it’s easy to say, hard to do. By the way, have you visited your official forum and fan café? I’m a member of both!” Li Yimei boasted.

“Ah, I haven’t. When the forum opened, I didn’t have time, so I haven’t checked it yet. How is it?” Jiang Yihan finished picking vegetables and headed to the checkout with Li Yimei.

“Haha, there are lots of cute photos of you—sleepwear, funny faces, all sorts. Most are from your Cyworld posts. And there are novels starring you, with all kinds of different stories; some are really good! Also, your New Year’s gratitude post has the highest replies and clicks—the fans really support you. Next week is your fan meeting, right? Everyone’s excited.”

“Hearing you say that, it sounds pretty interesting. I’ll check it out when I have time.”

Their conversation grew more relaxed, the awkwardness fading into warmth.

At the checkout, while chatting, the cashier prepared to hand Jiang Yihan his change, then suddenly screamed, drawing everyone’s attention.

“What’s wrong? Is there a problem?” Jiang Yihan thought there was an issue with his payment and looked at the cashier with concern.

“Ah, are you Jiang Yihan? Are you really Jiang Yihan?” The cashier, a young person, was clearly overwhelmed and her voice changed with excitement.

“Oh, yes… is something wrong?” Jiang Yihan was startled and stammered.

“I love your songs! Can you sign something for me?” The cashier, also young, was thrilled to see Jiang Yihan.

“Oh, is that all? No problem, of course.” Jiang Yihan took the pen and paper and quickly signed. As he did, a dozen people gathered around. Fortunately, it wasn’t a busy time—otherwise, he would have been surrounded.

“I never had a chance to see you before—it’s really hard to find you, so I was a bit excited. Sorry.” The cashier apologized, but seeing Jiang Yihan in person was rare, and being a fan, her excitement was understandable. Jiang Yihan nodded with a big smile. “No problem, I should thank you for your support.”

Page (3/3)

Jiang Yihan proceeded to sign for the surrounding fans. Some brought paper, others brought his albums, which made him happy. Li Yimei watched from the side as Jiang Yihan smiled endlessly, signing for everyone while shielding her from the crowd—a small happiness blooming in her heart.

Soon, Jiang Yihan finished signing and thanked everyone repeatedly, then left the market.

“Ah, that was exhausting, but now I finally feel like a real celebrity.” Jiang Yihan wiped the sweat from his forehead and laughed.

They walked home leisurely, chatting along the way. The atmosphere was much more comfortable than before. As they returned to their apartment complex and prepared to go upstairs, a voice called out to them.

“Brother? What are you doing here?” They followed the sound and saw Kim Jaejoong.

“Ah, Jaejoong, what are you doing here? I just moved in today—seventh floor.” Jiang Yihan was surprised.

“Haha, what a coincidence! I live on the sixth floor.” Kim Jaejoong laughed. “Now it’ll be much easier to visit you.”

“Haha, really a coincidence. Come over more often, then. Why are you back now? No schedule?”

“We have a half-hour break. I came back to grab something, then I need to hurry back. We’ll catch up next time.” With more work to do, Kim Jaejoong didn’t linger and quickly left.

Jiang Yihan was still marveling at the incredible coincidence as they finally reached home. Opening the door, they saw Kwon Jiyong cleaning—Li Yimei had started the cleaning before going out, and now most of it was done. Seeing Jiang Yihan return, Kwon Jiyong ran up. “Yihan, you’re back! How did I do? I was good, right? Came over right after class.”

“You little rascal, no practice today?” Jiang Yihan ruffled his younger brother’s hair and laughed. “Wow, looks great—very clean. You should help me clean more often! How did you get here? You don’t know the way.”

“Li Ran gave me the address, so I came straight here. You left just as I arrived.” Kwon Jiyong went back to finishing up.

Jiang Yihan looked at the diligent young man—his sister’s boyfriend—and smiled. Li Yimei took the groceries from Jiang Yihan and went to wash them in the kitchen.

Truth be told, Kwon Jiyong was a fine young man—thoughtful, caring, good-tempered. Jiang Yihan was happy and satisfied to have him around. Thinking this, Jiang Yihan shook his head and laughed at himself—he suddenly realized how old he’d gotten, judging someone five years younger as if he were a child, and worrying about his sister’s relationship. He must really be getting old.

Hearing Jiang Yihan’s laughter, Kwon Jiyong looked up in confusion, asking silently, “Why are you laughing?” Jiang Yihan only laughed harder, waved it off, and headed to the kitchen to prepare dinner.

As night fell, joyful voices drifted from the small apartment, carrying the simple happiness that others might envy.

Author’s rambling: About double updates—so many supportive readers have given me confidence. Thank you all! My book has passed 160,000 words, and in another week should surpass 200,000, so I’ll resume double updates then. Thank you for your understanding. Honestly, another reason is I’ve been busy lately—only one chapter a day, can’t manage two—apologies! Once I pass 200,000 words, I’ll work hard to keep up. Trust me!

On the main female character: Most reviewers seem to prefer Li Ran, which I hadn’t expected. There is a set female lead, since I don’t write fanfiction. Ambiguity is fine, but even if you don’t like the lead, please bear with it. There are a few girls around Jiang Yihan, but their roles aren’t big. Guess who the female lead is!

Finally, thank you for all the votes and clicks. On August first, I joked with a friend about no one reading my story and asked her to help boost clicks. Now, I’m truly grateful for where we are. Today, votes surpassed a thousand, and favorites nearly three hundred. I’m a bit excited, so today you get two chapters—back to one tomorrow.

As always, share your opinions. I read every review!