APCF – Chapter 88 Yours

The day before the debut celebration night, Qi Xingchen went to check on Han Qing. In the previous round, after the mentor’s assistance, Han Qing ranked seventh overall—just one spot away from making the debut lineup.

One step forward, and he’d be in paradise; one step back, and it’d be hell. Qi Xingchen was worried Han Qing might not be in the right mindset, so he planned to give him some pre-competition coaching.

But when he saw Han Qing, his condition was surprisingly good. Qi Xingchen felt relieved. “Aren’t you nervous?”

“No, I’ve already achieved more than I ever expected,” Han Qing said with a smile. “If I make it, that’s great luck. If I don’t, I’ll just go back and keep training.”

Qi Xingchen was surprised. “You’re just one rank away. Don’t you feel regret?”

“Not at all. If you hadn’t given me this opportunity to grow, I might have… already given up.”

Han Qing was around the same age as the original owner of Qi Xingchen’s body—just turned twenty-one this year. At this age, if his family wasn’t well-off, they likely wouldn’t support him in continuing to chase his dreams.

Reality would weigh him down, forcing him to put away his athletic gear and replace it with dress shoes and a suit. He’d attend job fairs, submit resumes on countless websites, and follow the traditional path: working, buying a house, getting married, having children.

Would such a life be unhappy? Perhaps not. After all, that’s how most people spend their lives.

But… would he regret it?

Only he could truly know. Those youthful dreams might fade in the warmth of family life, gradually worn down by daily responsibilities.

Yet maybe, years later, when he was retired and holding his granddaughter in his arms, he’d pull out an old photo of himself and gaze into the distance, saying, “When Grandpa was young, he loved to sing and dance—so much that once I started, I couldn’t stop.”

He might no longer be young, but he would always remember that passion.

Hearing these words, Qi Xingchen felt a lump in his throat. But he didn’t want to affect Han Qing’s competition mindset, so he took a deep breath and encouraged him, “I checked the votes. The gap between you and the sixth-place contestant is really, really small. Your fans must be saving their votes for the final push. There’s a great chance you’ll debut. Do your best tomorrow—I’m waiting to sign Dongcheng’s profit-sharing contract with you.”

In online-voting survival shows, fans often hoard votes for a last-minute sprint. No one knew exactly how many votes Han Qing’s fans had saved, nor how many the sixth-place contestant’s fans had, but since their gap was so small, a reversal was highly possible.

“I got it. I’ll give it my all like you did. The rest is up to fate.” Han Qing flashed a grin, revealing his little tiger teeth. “Now go back before someone sees you.”

Qi Xingchen nodded. “Good luck.”

That night, no one slept well. The trainees were anxious about their futures, and Qi Xingchen was anxious for Han Qing’s future.

At 11:30 PM, Qi Xingchen hid under his blanket and hesitantly texted Bo Ye: [Are you asleep?]

Five minutes later, Bo Ye replied: [Open the door.]

Qi Xingchen shot up in bed, quickly scrambling to his feet. He opened the door, peeked outside, and, seeing the hallway was empty, let Bo Ye in.

Bo Ye chuckled, half amused, half exasperated. “We’re both men. Even if someone sees me entering your room, they won’t misinterpret it. You don’t have to be so nervous.”

The more you like someone, the more cautious you become. Qi Xingchen wasn’t about to give Bo Ye unnecessary trouble just because they were both men. He grinned sheepishly and didn’t say anything.

He was wearing a black-and-white striped zebra-print pajama set that night. Bo Ye pinched the little black ears on the hood and said with interest, “I’ve never seen you wear this before.”

Lately, Qi Xingchen had just been grabbing whatever T-shirt was nearby to sleep in. But after visiting the trainees’ dorms, he noticed that the young guys wore all kinds of cute and playful pajamas—it made the atmosphere lively and cheerful.

Thinking that Bo Ye might like something like that too, he had specifically asked An Ran to buy him a set.

Qi Xingchen felt a little embarrassed. “Does it look good?”

Bo Ye: “Did you deliberately wear it for me to see?”

Qi Xingchen: …

How does he always know everything?

Seeing his little fan remain silent, Bo Ye knew he had guessed right. He sincerely praised, “It looks good.”

Qi Xingchen: “Hehe.”

After basking in happiness for a moment, Qi Xingchen suddenly realized that Bo Ye was still standing by the door. Quickly, he tidied up the sofa. “Sit.”

Bo Ye sat down. “Can’t sleep?”

“Worried about Han Qing?”

“Yes.” Qi Xingchen sat close to Bo Ye, hugging a cushion. “I’ve trained with Xiao Qing for so long. I know for sure that he has the ability to debut. If he doesn’t make it, it would be such a pity.”

Bo Ye suddenly found that cushion very annoying.

He reached out and firmly pulled it away.

Qi Xingchen was left empty-handed, feeling strangely uncomfortable without something to hold.

“Here.” Bo Ye shook his elbow, gesturing to him.

Getting jealous over a cushion? But hugging Bo Ye’s arm was definitely more comforting than hugging a cushion. Qi Xingchen immediately wrapped his hands around Bo Ye’s forearm and snuggled up against him.

Finally satisfied, Bo Ye kissed him lightly on the forehead and reassured him, “You’ve already done everything you can for him. The rest is up to him. Get a good night’s sleep so you’ll have energy to cheer him on tomorrow, okay?”

Maybe it was the courage of the night, or maybe it was the tenderness of the person in front of him, but Qi Xingchen’s little scheming thoughts started to stir. His dark eyes flickered as he said, “I understand the logic, but… I really can’t fall asleep.”

“Then how can you fall asleep?” Bo Ye asked with a teasing smile.

“Another kiss.” Qi Xingchen tilted his snow-white chin and held up a finger, waving it in front of Bo Ye. “If you kiss me one more time, I’ll get sleepy.”

Qi Xingchen’s skin was naturally fair, made even more delicate by a life of pampering.

His fingers were no exception—under the light, even the faint blue capillaries near his joints were visible. The fingertips were round and a healthy shade of pink.

Bo Ye glanced at them, then took Qi Xingchen’s hand and kissed each finger, one by one, starting from the thumb. The last kiss landed on the back of his hand.

“One kiss for five—will that be enough to keep you asleep until morning?”

Qi Xingchen: !!! That’s more than enough!

After sending Bo Ye out, he lay on his bed, face flushed, arms lifted slightly as if still cherishing Bo Ye’s touch.

The next morning, even when washing his face, he couldn’t bear to wash the hand that Bo Ye had kissed.

Two months of grueling training, enduring the dual pressures of competition and farewells, shedding countless drops of sweat and tears—it had all led up to this moment.

The following night at 8 PM, the long-awaited final episode of My Era finally aired live, reaching millions of viewers.

Two thousand live audience members, fifty judges from talent agencies, print media, and new media all gathered. Music, dance, and performance mentors, along with star observers, took their seats. Bo Ye, the show’s host and founding figure, stood at the center.

A brutal battle commenced. Every viewer who cast a vote became a witness and participant in the birth of a new idol era.

Fortunately, after three hours of fierce voting, Han Qing managed to surpass the previous sixth-place contestant by a narrow margin—securing his debut spot.

At the moment the results were announced, his first reaction was to look at Qi Xingchen, his eyes brimming with gratitude. Qi Xingchen’s own eyes turned red as he responded with a heartfelt blessing.

Holding back tears, Han Qing walked up to the interview platform. Bo Ye handed him the microphone as per the procedure. “Xiao Qing, congratulations on debuting as the sixth-ranked contestant! Do you have anything to say to your fans, family, and friends?”

Han Qing took the mic. “I never expected to debut, so I didn’t prepare a speech… No, wait, this isn’t an award speech—it’s a debut speech! I’m too emotional, I’m sorry.”

“First, I want to thank my fans. They worked tirelessly, voting for me one ballot at a time. Without them, I wouldn’t be standing here today.”

He bowed deeply towards the camera. “Thank you for your efforts. From now on, I will work even harder and present a better version of myself to you all. Thank you.”

“Secondly, I want to thank my parents. Thank you for not stopping me when I decided to become a trainee. Thank you for not ridiculing me when I struggled. Thank you for allowing me to pursue my dreams and stand on this stage today.”

“Lastly, I want to thank one person.”

At this point, his voice choked with emotion, and tears began to spill from his eyes.

Bo Ye handed him a tissue. Han Qing sniffled, took a moment to compose himself, and continued, “He gave me this opportunity. He trained with me, encouraged me, and because of him, I was able to stand here.”

“That’s right,” he paused and turned toward the mentor’s seats, “he is my boss, my friend, and my teacher—Qi Xingchen.”

“Before coming to My Era, he put me through a month of hellish training. Just how tough was it? Let me show you.”

Han Qing pulled out his phone and opened an album. The camera zoomed in.

Displayed on the screen was a training schedule.

Qi Xingchen recognized it instantly—he was the one who had created it.

“Every day, we had fourteen hours of intensive training, plus two hours of self-study—sixteen hours in total. Apart from eating and sleeping, all our time was spent in the practice room. And this went on for a whole month.”

“You might think that as trainees, we’re supposed to work hard, and you’d be right. But…” Han Qing took a deep breath. “Qi Xingchen isn’t a trainee—he’s a mentor. He could have chosen not to go through all that, but he did.”

“So, no matter how people question his abilities, in my heart, he will always be my teacher.”

The moment he finished speaking, Han Qing bowed deeply toward the mentor’s seat.

“Xiao Qing, you…” Qi Xingchen was at a loss for words. He quickly stood up, trying to stop him.

But Han Qing said, “Don’t stop me. We know each other too well, and I never get the chance to say this in private. Only here can I finally say it—thank you. Because of you, I am standing here today.”

“This stage belongs to me, but it also belongs to you.”

As a trainee survival show, the post-debut press interviews did not involve the mentors.

All the eliminated trainees returned today. The atmosphere was more sorrowful than joyful. To prevent things from getting out of hand, Dong Cheng decided not to hold a celebration banquet. After finishing group interviews and discussing the rules with the trainees, he generously allowed them to stay for one more night. Tomorrow, they would return to their respective companies, and after signing the distribution contracts, they would plan future activities.

The hotel also reserved an extra day for the mentors. With his separation from Bo Ye imminent, how could Qi Xingchen bear to sleep? He even ignored Han Qing, turned off his phone, and curled up with Bo Ye on the sofa, chatting the whole night.

When it was finally time to leave, Bo Ye walked him to the nanny van. Qi Xingchen, trying to act composed, asked, “Does our previous agreement still count?”

Bo Ye knew he was referring to their promise to video call every day, so he naturally agreed. “Of course.”

“Good,” Qi Xingchen nodded. “I’ll go now. Message me when you get to the airport, and stay safe.”

After saying that, afraid that Bo Ye might hesitate—or that he himself might—he steeled his heart, shut the car door, and left directly.

An Ran, confused by their cryptic exchange, waited about ten minutes before cautiously asking, “Xingxing, what agreement did you make with Ye ge?”

“Nothing.” Qi Xingchen pulled a small blanket over himself, turned to face the window, and spoke in a muffled voice. “Sister An Ran, wake me up when we get home.”

Qi Xingchen was always good at managing his emotions, so by the time An Ran called him, he had mostly recovered. Aside from the slight redness in his eyes, he looked completely normal.

Since he had left in a hurry and there wasn’t much to buy in S City, he hadn’t prepared any gifts for his family. He decided to visit the mall back home and pick out some seasonal clothes for his parents, siblings, and younger brother—to make them happy.

He hadn’t told his family the exact time of his return. When he dragged his suitcase in and unlocked the door with his fingerprint, the only person in the second-floor study was Qi Yujie, who was sketching designs.

“Jie, I’m home!”

“…Xingxing is back?!”

Hearing his voice, Qi Yujie immediately dropped her stylus. She didn’t even have time to put on her slippers properly before running out with a “pat-pat” sound. “Xingxing, you’re back so early! I thought you’d arrive in the evening!”

Even at home, she always kept herself presentable. She wore a loose beige knit sweater with a brown chiffon skirt, her hair casually pinned up at the back, a pair of black-rimmed blue light glasses resting on her nose. Even without makeup, she looked effortlessly elegant.

Seeing his sister, Qi Xingchen’s mood lifted significantly, and he joked, “So in your heart, I’m not someone who loves home?”

“You’re not.” Qi Yujie almost nodded but quickly held back.

This little guy had ditched them more than once to rush back to his program and accompany his boyfriend—they knew his ways all too well.

He was like a little cabbage growing in their garden but always leaning outward. Hmph! 😑

Still, as long as her younger brother was home, she was happy. Qi Yujie quickly put on her shoes and went downstairs to welcome her precious little Xingxing. Then, she hit him with the ultimate question: “What kind of soup do you want for dinner? I’ll ask Aunt Zhang to prepare the ingredients.”

Gulp— Qi Xingchen swallowed hard and hesitated. “No need, Jie. I’ll just eat whatever’s available.”

“That won’t do! You’ve been away for over half a month, and I’ve learned a few new soup recipes. You have to try them!”

“…” He really didn’t want to try them.

But he couldn’t bear to disappoint his sister, so he braced himself and said, “Then… just make something light. The food at the program was too greasy.”

“Got it!” Qi Yujie happily agreed.

Every time her little brother came home, she was the busiest. She observed him carefully —checking if he had gained or lost weight, if he had been bullied by his boyfriend, and so on—all while mumbling about the dishes she planned to cook that night.

Listening to her long list, Qi Xingchen couldn’t help but interrupt. “Jie, I can’t eat that much. I’ll be joining a film crew in ten days, so I need to start dieting.”

Qi Yujie frowned. “There’s no rush to diet. Eat normally tonight, and I’ll help you start tomorrow. Besides, it’s not just you eating—Xiao Jing is coming over too.”

“Liang Jing?”

“Yeah, I invited him.” Qi Yujie blinked, her excitement shifting to slight concern. “I heard from the Liang family’s butler that he’s been getting close to a girl recently. Since Uncle and Aunt Liang are overseas, I have to take responsibility as an older sister and ask about it.”