Through the car window, Luo Ding looked outside and saw a group of young girls holding banners with Duan Xiubo’s photo printed on them. The fans gathered in small groups, pointing towards the airport’s exit, likely discussing how to organize the fan meetup.
There were more people than Luo Ding had expected.
“Put on a hat.” Seeing Wu Fangyuan getting ready to get out of the car, Luo Ding grabbed him, took off his own hat, and placed it on Wu Fangyuan’s head. “You should really dye your hair back to black. With that bright blonde hair, everyone will immediately know you’re my assistant.”
Wu Fangyuan covered his head, protesting, “No way! Blonde looks great!”
“Looks great my foot,” Luo Ding laughed and playfully kicked him. “Hurry, time’s almost up. Go quickly.”
Yesterday, Duan Xiubo had mentioned in a phone call that they would soon be heading to the U.S. for filming preparations. Luo Ding and Clovis had both been very busy, and with the time zone differences, they hadn’t been in much contact recently. Luo Ding only knew that there would be over a month of intensive training before the movie began filming. The rest, he would need Duan Xiubo to explain.
As the most junior of the actors cast in this movie, Clovis was worried that Luo Ding wouldn’t be able to adapt to the pace of a Hollywood production. But only Luo Ding knew how unnecessary those concerns were. He had participated in similar training sessions more than once in his previous life.
When audiences watched a film on the big screen, they only critiqued the actors’ performances or the plot. They often didn’t realize that the seemingly ordinary details on screen were what determined whether a movie was truly finely crafted.
“Blade Warrior” was set in an alternate dimension, where the main storyline revolved around the conflicts between several nations across different continents. The national feuds were distilled into the lives of warriors defending their homelands, showcasing both the helplessness and passion of these battles.
The combination of a medieval and magical backdrop added vibrant visual elements rarely seen in war films. These elements were the focus of the intensive training sessions established before filming began.
The training focused on developing a sense for the film’s rhythm, building chemistry between actors, and refining body language that would be magnified on screen. All of this would be emphasized repeatedly during the training.
As Luo Ding began recalling the grueling training sessions from his past, a surge of screams suddenly erupted from outside.
He’s here.
With fans chasing and surrounding him, Duan Xiubo, flanked by four casually dressed bodyguards, walked leisurely forward. Mi Rui led the way, while Wu Fangyuan hurried behind, carrying Duan’s bags.
“Duan Xiubo!!” The fans’ screams were so loud that Luo Ding could hear them clearly from inside the car. Thinking back to how well-behaved his own fans had been when they met him at the airport, Luo Ding couldn’t help but feel a bit proud.
After stepping out of the airport doors, Duan Xiubo glanced around. Almost immediately, he spotted Luo Ding, who was secretly lowering the car window to wave at him. Duan’s smile grew wider, and his gaze softened noticeably.
The fans, who had been taking photos while chasing after him, screamed even louder when they saw Duan’s broad smile. Duan Xiubo stopped, bowed to his fans, and then quickly walked towards the car.
Luo Ding opened the door for him, which naturally revealed him to the fans outside.
There was a moment of silence.
Luo Ding leaned out, smiling as he waved to everyone, then quickly slid over to the other side of the seat to make room for Duan Xiubo and Mi Rui. The door closed, cutting off the sudden wave of excited voices.
“Ahhh!!! It’s Luo Ding!!!”
“Let’s go! Let’s go!” Wu Fangyuan, now sitting in the front seat, yanked off his hat, sweating profusely. “Hurry! Before they block the car!”
The driver quickly started the engine, and as the car began moving, Duan Xiubo rolled down the window and waved goodbye to the fans still running after them.
Luo Ding handed him a tissue.
“Hahahahaha…”
Duan Xiubo wiped his sweat and asked, “What are you laughing about?”
“I’m laughing at your fans’ reaction when they saw me. Was it so strange for me to come pick you up?”
Duan Xiubo playfully patted him on the head, squinting his eyes with a smile. “Of course not. It’s just that…”
Luo Ding asked, “Just what?”
Duan Xiubo thought about the group of fans on Weibo who were eager to pair him and Luo Ding together as a couple. Did Luo Ding not know about these CP (couple pairing) fans? His attitude was so nonchalant.
Suppressing his amusement, Duan Xiubo shook his head. “Nothing.”
“Your bodyguards didn’t get in the car. Will they be okay?”
“They’ll be fine. It’s safe here in China. They’ll take a taxi back to the company later.” Duan brushed off the topic and quickly changed the subject. “Have you been busy lately? Even when I was abroad, I kept hearing about your album. The MV we shot together is everywhere, and your songs are being played all over the place.”
Mi Rui, who had finally finished organizing the luggage in the backseat, couldn’t help but roll his eyes at Duan Xiubo’s casual tone. Acting all indifferent when he had been the one who bought the largest batch of albums online. When he found out the album wasn’t available for sale in the U.S., he immediately called Mi Rui to have someone in Japan buy a bunch. That “someone” had been a bit overzealous and ended up buying more than ten copies, sending them all the way to the U.S. After finishing his promotional work, Duan Xiubo had been playing the album on repeat in his study, driving Mi Rui crazy with how familiar he’d become with the melodies.
What an act.
Luo Ding, unaware of this, was pleasantly surprised by the news. Since his influence was mostly in Asia, Gu Yaxing and the team were cautious about spreading the album too thin on their first release, choosing to focus on markets in Japan, Korea, and a few Southeast Asian countries. Luo Ding had heard some feedback later on, with Chinese fans in Europe, the U.S., and Australia expressing frustration about being in different time zones and hoping the company would expand their sales network for future releases. At the time, Luo Ding thought his overseas fanbase was mostly limited to Chinese communities in those regions.
Now feeling a touch of the old vanity he once enjoyed when he was recognized everywhere in his past life, Luo Ding was in a good mood. All the exhaustion from work over the past few weeks seemed to melt away.
Duan Xiubo handed Luo Ding the itinerary Clovis had sent him and leaned back to check his Weibo.
The fans who had been at the airport were quick to act. In just a few minutes, photos from the meetup had already been posted online.
Among the usual praise of “so handsome” and “my idol” that flooded the comments, one particular set of photos unexpectedly stood out.
Duan Xiubo had been using a small Weibo account lately, one that mostly followed fans who shipped him and Luo Ding as a CP (couple). Thanks to this, he had recently gained a large following after posting about buying hundreds of Luo Ding’s albums, with his fan count jumping into the thousands. Now, his feed was filled with people tagging him in these new posts.
The most shared image was a gif of Luo Ding opening the car door, leaning out to wave at the fans, and then naturally retreating into the car. Only his arm remained in the frame as he reached out to help Duan Xiubo into the vehicle.
“Once in a lifetime!”
“Official CP confirmation!”
“A match made in heaven!”
“Such a caring boyfriend!”
Duan Xiubo chuckled and, feeling playful, added his own comment to the thread.
**Alessandro:** “Pure joy!”
Seeing the lines of comments underneath his reply, he couldn’t help but grin.
Luo Ding was busy studying the training schedule. He had already predicted he would be busy in the coming weeks, so he had asked Gu Yaxing not to book him any work for October. Aside from a few interviews, he had nothing else to worry about domestically. The itinerary from Clovis was clear: the training camp should ideally start before mid-October, meaning Luo Ding would have to leave China and temporarily live in the U.S. for the group training by then.
As an actor, he had no choice but to follow the schedule. With his small role in the movie, Luo Ding had no authority to change anything.
Duan Xiubo’s laughter snapped him out of his thoughts.
Seeing the reflection of the phone screen in the car window, Luo Ding casually asked, “Are you on Weibo?”
It was just an offhand comment.
With a loud *thud*, Duan Xiubo’s phone fell to the floor.
Luo Ding glanced at him, surprised.
Like a monkey scrambling for the moon, Duan Xiubo quickly picked up the phone and, without missing a beat, placed it face down on the seat. Smiling, he said, “Just thanking the fans who came to the airport.”
Luo Ding hesitated for a moment and then softly complimented him, “You’re… really thoughtful.”
Duan Xiubo swiftly locked his phone and put it in his pocket, pulling down an eye mask from the seat. “After flying for so long, I’m tired. I’m going to take a nap.”
*******
Gu Yaxing had no objections to the work report. In his eyes, Luo Ding getting to shoot a Hollywood movie was already a gift from the heavens. Having been an artist himself, he understood the hardship involved, but with a successful project behind him, a person’s endurance often exceeded their expectations.
He opened the statistics page and showed it to Luo Ding.
It was the voting page from three music streaming platforms, and Luo Ding’s four EP tracks were dominating the top three spots, pushing the other songs down. Gu Yaxing said, “The website administrators have contacted me. They’ll remove the voting option for your other three songs and consolidate all the votes under ‘Concerns’ to avoid splitting your popularity. You’re guaranteed to win. You’re way ahead of the current fourth place.”
Luo Ding understood. The annual music award ceremony, hosted by online media, was a must-attend for the top-voted artist.
Don’t underestimate the influence of online media. With the rise of the internet, the presence of physical record markets had slowly diminished, while the convenience and broad reach of online platforms had become increasingly dominant. This seemingly insignificant music awards show had, year by year, attracted more and more important guests. Looking at the guest lists from previous years, it was clear how the event had evolved. What once featured only newly debuted singers now hosted top idols from Japan and Korea. Last year, even some of the biggest stars in the industry attended. Who knows what this year would bring?
Winning an award would be a great affirmation for Luo Ding at this stage of his career. Even if he was busy, he would make time to attend.
****
Ever since news broke that Luo Ding had been cast in “Blade Warrior III,” his every move had become a hot topic for the media to uncover.
Many predicted that this was an overexposure tactic, while others believed that Luo Ding’s rise to fame was due to this constant exposure.
Now, as he was about to leave for the U.S. to begin filming, his increasing fame, coupled with Duan Xiubo’s popularity, ensured that this news quickly spread across the country. Soon, everyone knew about it.
Not long after, official announcements from various music streaming platforms confirmed that Luo Ding would be attending this year’s award ceremony. With the overwhelming popularity of “Concerns” after the voting for his other three songs was consolidated, it was obvious to everyone that he was going to win the popularity award this year. Add in the heavyweight producers who had contributed to the album, and it was likely that he would also sweep awards for Best Production and Best Newcomer. Pan Yiming, whose single had made waves internationally, was also nominated and confirmed to attend the ceremony. Luo Ding’s involvement in Pan’s MV might just earn him a piece of that pie as well. After winning at the online music awards, next would be the December annual Chinese music awards, the biggest event in the Chinese music industry. Gu Yaxing had pushed to release the EP before October to ensure that it could be submitted for nomination at the last minute.
An EP with only four tracks had set a new domestic sales record, with major producers on board, an award-winning actor guest-starring in the MV, and a hotter response overseas than in China.
Would there really be no place for such an album at the year’s biggest music event? What a joke.
Some in the industry were quick to sourly remark that the album’s success was solely due to the involvement of these big names in post-production. However, anyone with a discerning eye could see that it was Luo Ding’s talent and popularity that were the real driving forces behind the album’s triumph.
But perhaps due to his recent meteoric rise, more and more anonymous figures began to surface online, attempting to dig up dirt on Luo Ding. All of his past collaborations with Su Shengbai were unearthed, and when compared to his current polished persona, Luo Ding, who had once been overshadowed by Su Shengbai, seemed almost unrecognizable.
Many of the overlooked details from before Luo Ding became famous, such as his quiet presence on various variety shows and the melancholic demeanor that was so different from his current sunny and approachable image, were now brought up for discussion. People began speculating about the one-to-two-month gap between his last public appearance and his sudden rise to fame. What had happened during that time became a hot topic.
Wild theories began circulating—fake singing, split personalities, and even the existence of a twin brother. Some fans even jokingly speculated about rebirth, but those ideas were never taken seriously.
However, as more people delved into his past, the story of Su Shengbai’s departure from the group naturally resurfaced. Many assumed that Su Shengbai’s exit had been the catalyst for Luo Ding’s transformation.
Back then, the group had not been very popular, and Su Shengbai’s old fans were few. Most people only became familiar with him after he appeared in TV dramas. On screen, thanks to careful grooming by Cao Dingkun, Su Shengbai maintained a clean and polite image—grateful, gentle, and as refreshing as a breeze. His history of leaving the group for a solo career shocked many of his old fans.
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