Chapter Thirty-Seven: Fan Meeting (Part One)

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Entertainment at Your Side, No Pop-ups
Story set in March 2005
Recommended song: Stefanie Sun – “The First Day”
Statement: This work is entirely fictional. Please do not associate real people or events; any resemblance is purely coincidental!

“What if no one comes today?” Jiang Yihan kept muttering, his mood a tangled mix of nervousness, annoyance, worry, excitement, and anticipation. At that moment, Jiang Yihan was sitting in the nanny van, on his way to the venue where the fan meeting would be held. Jiang Ziyi and the others had already arrived earlier, busy with scheduling and organizing at the site.

The venue chosen was the conference hall at Central University, with a capacity for three thousand people. When Jiang Yihan learned how large the venue was, he was completely startled, wondering why such a big place had been selected. But it turned out that neither the company nor Li Ran had found the venue; it was arranged by Jiang Yihan’s fans themselves. This fan meeting was entirely anticipated—whether on the official fan café, the fan forum, or Jiang Yihan’s personal site, everyone was buzzing with excitement. It was the first time since his debut that fans could meet him up close, the first official meeting, his first exclusive stage. Everyone was eager to participate. The number of sign-ups alone showed Jiang Yihan’s overwhelming popularity, but the enthusiasm on the official fan forum further reflected the strength of his fan base. Fans took it upon themselves to contact the venue, arrange the schedule, organize registrations—tasks normally handled by the company, now managed entirely by the forum, with Jiang Ziyi acting as the liaison. Today, the fan meeting was about to begin.

“Relax, stop worrying. There are over ten thousand registrations—you have nothing to fear. Today is just the beginning; stop repeating yourself,” Li Ran said with a smile, for Jiang Yihan’s nervousness was rarely seen.

Watching the familiar scenery outside the window, Jiang Yihan knew they had entered Central University, and the hall was not far away. His heart pounded fiercely, his breath stilled for a moment. From outside the hall, he could see crowds of fans organizing themselves for entry, the doorway orderly with fans maintaining the peace. He could glimpse the busy figures of Jiang Zaimin, Yin Yun’er, and Li Yimei rushing about, though he had no idea where Jiang Ziyi had gone. All around the small playground outside the hall were large photos of Jiang Yihan, name banners, streamers, and countless balloons. Judging by the crowd, there must have been four or five thousand people on site, though he couldn’t tell what it was like inside. Seeing all this, his worry about a lack of attendees was laid to rest, only for a new anxiety to arise about his own performance, making his breathing uneven once more.

At 3:30 in the afternoon, the fan meeting officially began.

“Lazy cat, don’t be nervous, relax. You’re the best,” Li Ran patted Jiang Yihan’s shoulder. Jiang Ziyi also came up, giving her brother a hug; she had been busy all day, and now the meeting was about to start. On stage, today’s host Jin Xiaoxi was opening the event. The fans’ screams ebbed and flowed, stirring the blood. Jiang Yihan kept drinking water, and Li Ran helped tidy his collar. “There’s a surprise for you later.”

Before Jiang Yihan could ask what surprise, Li Ran pulled him behind the stage curtain. He heard Jin Xiaoxi’s voice—she had been chosen as the guest host for the day. “Without further ado, let’s welcome our prince, Jiang Yihan!”

The stage lights instantly went out, soft music began to play. The first song was not the familiar trio, but another from the album, written by Jiang Yihan himself—“The Last Kiss.” This sweet, upbeat love song was currently ranked fifteenth on the online charts, quite popular.

The curtain rose, and a spotlight illuminated Jiang Yihan at the center of the stage. He wore a pale green T-shirt and white casual pants, a fresh spring outfit, appearing before everyone. The crowd erupted in screams, almost threatening to lift the roof. Moving with the music, Jiang Yihan gently danced; all his earlier nerves vanished, and he entered his musical world. The lively hip-hop rhythm brought joy, and soon, with Jiang Yihan’s clear voice, the first song ended.

“Hello everyone, I’m Jiang Yihan. Welcome to the castle belonging to Jiang Yihan. I hope we can enjoy a wonderful afternoon together.” Jiang Yihan smiled, bowed, and greeted the audience. Three thousand seats were packed, and at the back of the hall, many standing fans could be seen, each holding a glow stick, creating a spectacular scene. At the end of the hall, a long banner read “Prince Jiang Yihan,” alongside many photos—some that Jiang Yihan had never seen before. Among the fans were various name signs and artistic displays, dazzling the eye. Seeing this scene, Jiang Yihan’s smile bloomed from the depths of his heart.

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Jiang Yihan’s smile triggered a burst of flashes from the first row—the reporters. The continuous flashes were overwhelming, making Jiang Yihan’s vision a haze of white, plunging into darkness for a second before light returned. He had experienced such scenes once in January; this was the second time, and he believed he would gradually grow used to it.

“Our young master Yihan’s stage is still as handsome as ever, isn’t it?” Jin Xiaoxi reappeared center stage, and her simple question sparked another wave of screams from the audience.

“Xiaoxi, why do you call me young master? Haha, it feels so strange,” Jiang Yihan naturally greeted Jin Xiaoxi, feeling odd about this unfamiliar title.

Jin Xiaoxi didn’t answer directly, but instead asked the fans, “Tell us why we call him young master—because in our hearts he is…?”

“Young master!” the fans shouted in unison.

“That’s right, exactly,” Jin Xiaoxi explained, “In our hearts, Jiang Yihan is not only our prince, but also our young master. You are the young master of the castle in each of our hearts, irreplaceable.”

“Ah, what am I supposed to do with you all? It feels so strange, so shy!” Jiang Yihan touched his face, feeling it flush—it was indeed an unfamiliar shift in identity, and the suddenness moved him deeply. “Honestly, I’m just someone who sings. I hope you all like my songs. If I can sing what you love, I’m happy. You’ve put me in such a high position—I’m truly overwhelmed. I sincerely thank you for your care.” He bowed, and the audience screamed again. After all, hearing their idol’s personal acknowledgment was every fan’s wish.

“Alright, the first task for today’s fan meeting is to establish an official name for our fans. Here are some options. Let’s have our young master choose.” At some point, staff had pushed out a large board covered by a cloth. Jin Xiaoxi pulled off the cloth, revealing several options, each with an accompanying image. She continued, “First is ‘Castle’—taken from the name of young master’s album, representing fans as eternal guardians; second is ‘Lollipop’—because young master first appeared in the AA Lollipop commercial, and his third lead single ‘Sweetness of Parting’ was also much loved, so fans hope to be the sweetest presence in his heart; third is ‘Ace’—because young master is the strongest figure to us, and both AA Lollipop and ABC Company share the ‘A’, so using ‘ace’ from tennis, meaning a direct score, symbolizes his powerful presence in the music industry. Which does young master prefer?”

“You’re all amazing—so many ideas!” Jiang Yihan listened to the explanations, looking at the images. “Which do you hope I’ll choose?” He held the microphone toward the audience for input, but the crowd was lively and divided, making it hard to reach a consensus. Smiling, Jiang Yihan turned to the board again, gazing at the exquisite castle image—a golden castle on a black background, with small stars twinkling nearby. The more he looked, the more he liked it, and finally made up his mind, bringing the microphone to his lips. “Alright, from now on, my fans will be called ‘Castle’. I hope my Castle will always support and guard me, okay?”

The fans cheered at their new title, and even those outside who couldn’t enter heard through the microphones and joined the celebration. From now on, all Jiang Yihan’s fans would be unified as “Castle”—having their own exclusive name felt like having a home. They could proudly say, “I am Castle,” which made everyone happy.

Having worked hard for so long, Jiang Ziyi, Kwon Jilong, and Li Yimei sat together in the family section. Jiang Ziyi and Kwon Jilong, two young friends, were infected by the joyful atmosphere, laughing and shouting, while Li Yimei gazed dreamily at the smiling Jiang Yihan, unable to take her eyes off the radiant aura he exuded. On the side of the stage, Yin Yun’er, Jiang Zaimin, and Li Ran were caught up in the mood, growing excited. Yin Yun’er and Jiang Zaimin had worked tirelessly for this fan meeting, so today they stayed backstage as staff rather than sitting among the fans.

Seeing everyone’s happiness, Jin Xiaoxi was genuinely delighted. “Next, we announce our official support merchandise! (Support merchandise: in Korea, every star has an exclusive color—like TVXQ’s crimson, SS501’s mint green, NRG’s pink, Shinhwa’s orange—and support items are related products in that color, such as T-shirts, balloons, etc. There are exceptions, like BigBang’s black-and-white triangle scarf, FTIsland’s yellow flags. The official company sells these items, which is a major income source, and fans can bring them to support their idols at concerts. The colorful blocks are a vivid display of popularity.)”

Following Jin Xiaoxi’s words, staff—Yin Yun’er and Jiang Zaimin—pushed out a table displaying hats, T-shirts, and balloons, three of each. Jiang Yihan picked them up to look—the difference was in the designs: castle, lollipop, and tennis ball. Clearly, these were samples prepared in advance, since the chosen fan name was unknown. Without hesitation, Jiang Yihan cooperated, pulling on the black Castle T-shirt, donning the black cap, and holding the Castle balloon. Seeing him dressed this way, the Castles in the audience screamed again.

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The T-shirt was jet black with a round collar, and near the heart on the right side was a palm-sized golden castle, shining brightly. The cap was a black baseball cap, with a small castle motif on the right of the brim. Dressed in this gear, Jiang Yihan exuded a mysterious aristocratic aura—noble and elegant, leaving everyone amazed. From now on, Jiang Yihan’s Castles would wear this outfit to show their support.

“See that? Our young master Yihan is showing us the support merchandise that our Castles will have from now on. Next time at the fan meeting, we’ll see a spectacular scene expressing our support for the young master, right?” Jin Xiaoxi encouraged the crowd, sparking another wave of cheers. “Now, let’s ask the young master to sing ‘Sweetness of Parting’ for us.”

Jiang Yihan waved his hand gently to the music; the Castles in the audience waved their glow sticks in unison, creating a beautiful scene. “Sweetness of Parting” was loved by many Castles—the breakup depicted in the lyrics was something nearly everyone had experienced, and the song’s sweetness soothed the wounds in their hearts. As Jiang Yihan sang, many in the audience joined in, and the hall witnessed its first rare mass sing-along. Together, everyone laughed, cried, and enjoyed the sweetness that follows heartbreak, savoring the gentleness of Jiang Yihan’s unique love songs.

Halfway through, as the second verse began, Jiang Yihan suddenly noticed someone harmonizing with him. This was not the collective harmony of the Castles, but someone else singing along with a microphone. Before he could react, the audience screamed—Jiang Yihan turned to see Lee Hyori, dressed casually, holding a microphone and singing “Sweetness of Parting” with him. Seeing Lee Hyori appear to support him, Jiang Yihan laughed joyfully, quickly stepping forward to embrace her. Then, hand in hand, they walked to the center of the stage to continue the duet. Their frequent eye contact and smiles made hearts flutter, creating an even sweeter atmosphere.

After the song ended, they hugged again. Jiang Yihan, a bit overwhelmed, said, “Castles, isn’t Hyori sister beautiful?”

“Yes!” the Castles replied loudly.

Lee Hyori’s affection and support for Jiang Yihan was well known among the Castles, and everyone knew their young master cherished Hyori as a sister. So when Lee Hyori appeared, the Castles responded with enthusiastic applause.

Break time for the nagging cat: These past two days, because of the BL issue, the review area has been lively. The nagging cat has said before this book won’t be BL, because I can’t write it, haha. The female lead will appear in about twenty chapters, so please accept it. The outline was written long ago, and the plot will follow the outline.

Second: The Ziyi fashion isn’t conjured out of thin air, but I didn’t expect someone to notice this detail so quickly. I’m impressed! As for whether your guess is right, you’ll have to wait a long time, as this foreshadowing won’t be written for a while, haha.

Third: Someone mentioned that the nagging cat should promote their book. Actually, I’ve wanted to do that, but I’m shy and ended up not doing it—so embarrassing! If any loving reader would help promote it, thank you in advance!

PS: Many readers are tough critics—please keep recommending! Thank you all for your support, haha.

Again, PS: Speeding is bad—stay safe, haha!