The familiar konghou prelude began, and in an instant, everyone present seemed to be transported back to that ancient capital permeated with the scent of rouge.
Anyone who had heard Zhou Shu sing was invariably stunned. Even his management agency had suggested more than once that he transition into a singer to become a versatile, all-around entertainer.
But Zhou Shu had refused every time.
He believed that everyone should stick to their own role; the light one receives in a lifetime is limited, so one shouldn't be greedy. He had no desire to fight for fame and fortune or to build a more impressive public persona. Being able to sing the theme songs for the movies he starred in was enough to satisfy him.
As the song ended, the lingering notes of the stone chimes hung in the air.
The entire venue remained silent for a long time, basking in the afterglow. Finally, a thousand pairs of eyes followed Zhou Shu’s gaze to the corner of the first row.
This time, everyone saw Jin Yan hidden in the crowd. Whispers rippled outward, and in the blink of an eye, the entire hall knew: this was the Omega Zhou Shu had officially announced his marriage to.
To their surprise, Zhou Shu made no move to look away amidst the discussion. Instead, his eyes softened, resembling waves in a summer evening breeze—always retaining a unique, lingering warmth.
"You’ve probably guessed who I’m looking at."
In the silence, Zhou Shu’s celestial voice drifted through the hall. A few seconds later, the echo was instantly buried by the screams of a thousand people.
They never expected that in their lifetime, they would not only see such a gentle side of the Movie King but also witness a "sugar drop" from the man himself in person.
Moreover, the legendary "Omega" who supposedly had Alpha energy through the roof was far more striking in person than in photos.
The "delicate bird" clinging to his brother’s sleeve from the snippets on paper and screens was nowhere to be found. At this moment, the slight curl of his lips carried a steady, intoxicating charm. If this man was an Omega, he was surely one at the very top of the food chain.
Seeing the real person from Zhou Shu’s announcement, the clamor and teasing from the audience became uncontrollable. After someone shouted, "The top of the food chain must be the Omega younger brother!" Zhou Shu finally let out a laugh.
*Omega younger brother...*
The concept was so amusing it could make one laugh out loud. For a fleeting moment, Zhou Shu experienced an illusion on stage.
What if his "younger brother" had actually manifested as an Omega at eighteen? Then, encouraged by the boy, he had become an actor. Just like now, they would announce their relationship, he would retire, and then they would go to register their marriage.
Though the order was the reverse of what he had once imagined, and the genders didn't quite match up.
Sitting below the stage, the "Omega younger brother" also smiled—partly with indulgence, partly with helplessness, but mostly with the pride of having his little scheme succeed.
As long as everyone knew he and his brother were a pair, it was enough. His goal was to lead Zhou Shu’s fans to ship the right couple and establish a true "CP" camp.
As for the genders of this couple, Jin Yan didn't care in the slightest.
To maintain his brother’s persona as a cold, pure Alpha, what did it matter if he played the Omega in front of ten thousand people? He would just treat it as fulfilling his wish from before he was eighteen.
They allowed the crowd to cheer and tease for a good while before Zhou Shu spoke again.
"Let me clarify one thing: we aren't related by blood. Jin Yan is the neighbor I grew up with. We are childhood sweethearts."
Zhou Shu’s sudden statement caused the hall to fall silent for a few seconds, but after the silence came the inevitable explosion.
"Oh my god! Help! Mom, what did I just hear?!"
"Holy crap! I’m going crazy! I’m shipping this so hard!"
"The Movie King actually reads CP topics! He even saw the 'brother' trope everyone was shipping most! And he’s clarifying it now! I can’t... I can die happy now!"
"Waaa... a real-life CP is so sweet! This is the right way to ship a couple!"
"The Movie King is so brave! Zhou Shu, do you have any biological siblings left? If I can’t have you, marrying into your family is fine too!"
Hearing that last shout, Zhou Shu let out a soft chuckle against the microphone.
"Aaaaaah!"
"Movie King, your laugh is too heart-melting!"
"Don't stop me! I want to soul-transmigrate into that microphone!"
"Sisters! Calm down! The official spouse is still sitting right there!"
That shout from a fan made the whole room erupt in laughter. At that moment, they seemed to forget they were strangers, laughing and joking together as one.
The man standing in the center of the stage finished laughing and raised an eyebrow at his "Omega" below. In a doting tone, he asked, "Why don't you come up on stage?"
"!!!"
"Go up! Go up now!"
"Oh my god... how much more sugar are they going to feed us today!"
"Sister, let me correct you—it's dog food!"
"Omega brother, go find your Alpha!"
"Hurry up and show us how you'll make babies!"
"..."
Zhou Shu was silent for a few seconds before bursting into laughter. "I only realized today that my fans have such dangerous thoughts." He looked at Jin Yan with eyes still full of laughter. After a moment of eye contact, Zhou Shu took a few steps toward the corner and reached out his hand. "Come here, Yan-yan."
"Holy shit! What did I just hear?!"
"God, I’m crying... just kidding, I’m not..."
"Yan-yan! Yan-yan! Being Zhou Shu’s Omega is too lucky! Hearing that beautiful voice in your ear every day!"
"My tears are ungratefully flowing from the corners of my mouth, aaaaaah..."
Jin Yan’s heart also began to race the moment Zhou Shu reached out. It was just like the first time he had seen Zhou Shu five years later—his heart was no longer under his control.
But back then, it was filled with unknown trepidation; now, there was only the sweetness of being wrapped in tenderness.
No matter how much time passed, the one thing that never changed was the heartbeat that had never flickered out since he first gained awareness.
Under the gaze of thousands and amidst the roaring cheers, Jin Yan stood up and walked toward the most dazzling point of light.
As they drew closer, the fans' screams nearly pierced their eardrums.
When they stood together, the people below realized that Zhou Shu’s "Omega younger brother" was actually a bit taller than him...
And, and his shoulders were broader? His hands seemed larger too?
Was... was this really an Omega?
Doubt inevitably crept into everyone's minds, but they were instantly captivated by the scene before them, and all suspicion dissipated with their gasps of awe.
On stage, the two looked at each other for two seconds before simultaneously breaking into smiles.
In Zhou Shu’s eyes, which were always filled with laughter, Jin Yan understood the purpose of being called up. He looked down with a smile, took a step forward, and pulled Zhou Shu into his arms.
"Thank you for singing for me." Jin Yan rested his head behind Zhou Shu’s neck and placed a light kiss where the crowd couldn't see. "Brother, happy birthday."
Even without seeing the kiss, the way the two embraced and communicated as if no one else existed was enough to make the entire venue boil over.
In the middle of this freezing winter, it was as if an eternal bonfire had been lit on stage, crackling through the entire hall, nearly setting the roof ablaze.
The person who had been stealthily kissed felt his breath tighten. He had to admit that this "clandestine" act in plain sight gave him a thrill and a rush.
He was the one who had called the man on stage to show off their affection, yet he was the first to lose his composure.
Zhou Shu coughed twice and patted Jin Yan. "Quit while you're ahead."
Jin Yan chuckled low and obediently let go, but in that moment, Zhou Shu saw the lingering satisfaction in his eyes.
As expected, his little kitten was still quite calculating.
Next, Zhou Shu graciously and formally introduced Jin Yan to everyone. The people on and off stage were like old friends who had known each other for years, chatting intimately.
Later, hearing a sound from backstage, Zhou Shu glanced over and saw Julia signaling him.
Someone spotted the formidable Sister Julia and started shouting.
Zhou Shu had a thought and decided to go all the way. He picked up the microphone and spoke to the audience, "We’re about to cut the cake. Should we let Julia come up too?"
"Yes!!!"
"Sister Julia! I missed you!"
Zhou Shu’s true fans naturally loved Julia as well. After all, she had been with him since his debut, protecting and guiding him.
Though she was an Omega, the way she shielded Zhou Shu in dangerous situations gave her the aura of a cold, charismatic Alpha sister. This was why many people used to ship Zhou Shu and Julia.
Julia walked out amidst the fans' cheers. Seeing the Movie King’s "real and fake CPs" standing together on stage, the crowd howled with excitement, more thrilled than if they were lighting New Year's firecrackers themselves.
Miraculously, with just a few words, Julia actually managed to soothe the fans' emotions.
Taking advantage of the momentum, Julia had the staff wheel out a massive cake. It was so exaggeratedly large that one would need a ladder to reach the top.
"My cake is big enough today. It should be enough to share with a thousand people, right?" Zhou Shu pointed to the row of staff members already prepared below the stage. "The staff have already divided the management zones. They’ll distribute the cake to everyone in a moment."
Cutting cake for a thousand people was a massive undertaking. It would take at least an hour for everyone to get a piece. For this, Zhou Shu’s team had hired professional pastry chefs and created detailed route plans for the staff to ensure this difficult task was optimized.
The fans were pleasantly surprised once again. Just as they were about to scream, Julia preemptively made a "shh" gesture.
"I just spoke with the venue management. They’ve made an exception to let us stay, but you can't sing or scream. Otherwise, Brother Shu will go bankrupt paying the fines."
Zhou Shu was stunned for a moment and asked seriously, "Is it okay to chat quietly?"
Julia was also taken aback, then smiled helplessly. "That’s fine, that’s fine."
"Sister Julia is the best!" a fan roared in the loudest stage-whisper possible, making the whole room chuckle behind their hands. Zhou Shu and Jin Yan looked at each other and laughed along.
In this moment, Julia saw the most tender side of Zhou Shu’s heart and thought of the "old Zhou Shu" Jin Yan had once mentioned.
He wasn't hidden beneath an iceberg; he was sincere and gentle to everyone.
As expected, it took an hour and a half for dozens of people to distribute the cake. Fortunately, the fans were extremely cooperative and orderly.
When everyone had their cake, someone raised their hand to request to speak. The cute gesture made many people laugh.
"That student over there, please speak," Zhou Shu pointed to them.
"Brother Shu, I suddenly thought of something!" That "student" clapped their hands and said anxiously, "We haven't sung the birthday song for you yet!"
"Holy crap, you're right! We were so busy eating, Brother Shu hasn't made a wish yet!"
Zhou Shu also suddenly remembered this. He instinctively turned his head to find Jin Yan’s gaze, only to find that the man who had been standing silently behind him was nowhere to be found.
"Where’s Yan-yan?" Zhou Shu lowered his microphone and whispered to Julia.
To his surprise, Julia raised an eyebrow and pointed her chin toward the other side of the stage.
Zhou Shu’s gaze followed. The thousands of lights in the hall suddenly dimmed, leaving only the faint, warm glow on the stage and a flickering candlelight slowly moving toward him.
Under Julia’s prompting and guidance, the crowd began to softly sing the birthday song for Zhou Shu.
Everyone used raspy stage-whispers, and the scene was momentarily filled with muffled laughter.
The person carrying the cake also sang softly, his eyes fixed on the man in the center of the stage like trembling starlight.
As the final note of the birthday song ended, Jin Yan stood before Zhou Shu and said softly, "Brother, make a wish."
Zhou Shu stared into those eyes for a long time before finally closing his own. He pressed his palms together and made a wish that would last a long time.
After a moment, Zhou Shu opened his eyes and blew out the candles. The only light between him and Jin Yan went out, and gentle applause broke out from the audience.
As if afraid to disturb them, the sound was as quiet as background noise in their own story.
Seeing that Zhou Shu didn't speak, Jin Yan handed the cake to the side. Julia took it and placed it on the table in front of them.
Now, there was finally nothing blocking them. Jin Yan took a step forward, but this time, he was the one to pull Zhou Shu into his arms.
And so, he said for the third time that day, "Brother, happy birthday."
"Mm," Zhou Shu responded softly from his throat.
The embrace lasted only a few seconds, but it was enough for the fans to grab the hands of the sisters next to them and scream silently.
Just as Julia was about to remind Zhou Shu to quit while he was ahead, Zhou Shu did something that no one—including Jin Yan—expected.
He pulled back from Jin Yan’s embrace and looked up at him.
The moment their gazes met, Jin Yan was already suppressing his hundredth urge to kiss him.
But as he endured for the hundred-and-first time, Zhou Shu suddenly reached out and cupped his face.
"Yan-yan, thank you." His curved eyes were filled with contentment as he coaxed Jin Yan softly, "In the sixth year, you finally came back."
Hearing this, Jin Yan’s heart tightened, a brief pang of pain shooting through him.
But then, in the next second, the face before him drew closer and closer.
And so, under the gaze of thousands and amidst countless screams, Zhou Shu tilted his head up and kissed him.
"Yan-yan, we finally kissed in the crowd."
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 箜篌 | Konghou | An ancient Chinese plucked string instrument (harp-like). |
| 胭脂醉 | Rouge Drunk | The title of the song Zhou Shu sings. |
| 编磬 | Bianqing | Ancient Chinese stone chimes. |
| 骨科 | Guke | Slang for "incest" (literally "orthopedics"). Used here to clarify they aren't siblings. |
| 魂穿 | Hunchuan | Soul-transmigration; used here as slang for wanting to be an object. |
| 正宫 | Zhenggong | Official spouse/partner (literally "Main Palace"). |
| 狗粮 | Dog food | Slang for public displays of affection (PDA). |
| 生猴子 | Make babies | Slang (literally "give birth to monkeys"). |
