Singer

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Translator: Lynn

During the drive, Jian Bin had a heavy foot on the gas pedal, his anger still simmering from his earlier exchange with Long Zichen. However, catching sight of his younger brother’s woeful countenance through the rearview mirror melted his heart, making him reluctant to chastise Jian Jie any further. What was wrong with his brother? With a change of heart, Jian Bin swallowed the rest of his scathing words.

Jian Jie, hidden beneath a hat and sunglasses, sat in the backseat, head bowed and eyes red from sorrow and despair. He remained silent, and the two brothers shared an uneasy silence until they reached Jian Bin’s home.

Jiang Xinya was at home playing with little Jiayue when Jian Bin returned, his face still clouded with anger, followed by a dispirited Jian Jie.

“What’s got you so upset? What happened to Xiaojie?” Jiang Xinya rushed over to greet them. “Weren’t you fine when you left?”

“Don’t ask. Jiejie will be staying here for a while. Please tidy up his room,” Jian Bin retorted, his mood evidently still sour.

Observing Jian Bin’s foul mood, Jiang Xinya wisely refrained from probing further. With a smile, she said, “Alright, Jiejie, sit down with your brother. I’ll go and prepare the room.”

Seething, Jian Bin took a seat on the sofa, arms crossed tightly, his silence speaking volumes. Meanwhile, Jian Jie stood immobilized, head down, and words caught in his throat. The room was thick with tension, save for the unaffected presence of little Jiayue. She was elated to see her father and uncle return and bounded over joyfully, exclaiming, “Daddy’s back! Xiao Uncle is here too!”

Jian Jiayue beamed at Jian Jie, wrapping her tiny arms around his leg. Jian Jie mustered a smile and inquired, “Are you happy that Uncle’s here, Jiayue?”

“I’m super happy that Uncle’s here!” Jian Jiayue’s innocent enthusiasm was endearing. Peering at Jian Jie, she asked curiously, “Uncle, were you crying? Your eyes are all red! Whoever made you sad, tell Dad, and he’ll teach them a lesson!”

“No one made your uncle sad. Jiayue’s dad is really strong. Who would dare make your uncle unhappy?” As Jian Jie responded, he cast a cautious glance at his elder brother. But Jian Bin remained stern, his demeanor aloof. Jian Jie maintained his downward gaze, struggling to understand why his brother seemed like an entirely different person in this situation – so unreasonable and unyielding. He didn’t want to aggravate his elder brother, and he still desired to follow his lead as he always had. However, the thought of Long Zichen made it impossible for him to make that decision any longer.

Soon, Jiang Xinya finished tidying the room. Since Jian Jie only stayed over during Chinese New Year, a minor sprucing up was enough. Emerging from the room, she noticed Jian Jie standing hesitantly in the living room and urged, “Jiejie, why are you standing there? Come sit on the sofa. I’ll get you a drink.”

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“Don’t trouble yourself, Sister Xinya. Is the room prepared? I’d like to go and spend some time there,” Jian Jie requested, feeling uneasy and yearning for solitude. His immediate plan was to secretly contact Long Zichen later.

Unexpectedly, Jian Bin’s expression darkened as he sternly uttered, “Leave your phone here.”

“Brother!” Jian Jie’s eyes welled up with tears, “You can’t do this!”

“Why? So you can keep in touch?” Jian Bin’s anger was palpable. “Cut it off immediately! Hand over your phone, or I’ll go buy a signal jammer right now!”

“Brother, you’re being unreasonable!” Heartbroken, Jian Jie fled to his room and locked the door behind him.

Little Jiayue, frightened by the exchange, repeatedly asked Jiang Xinya, “Mom, why are Dad and Uncle so mad?”

As she comforted the child, Jiang Xinya couldn’t help but address Jian Bin, “Is there any need to act this way? You’ve always cherished Jiejie the most. Why lose your temper like this today? See, you’ve scared Jiayue.”

Jian Bin had been seething for a while before he angrily retorted, “Look at the mess he’s gotten himself into, falling in love with a man! If you don’t intervene, he’ll bring that person back here to live with him! If we tolerate this, will he really spend his entire life with a man?”

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“I never saw any indications of this in Jiejie before,” Jiang Xinya responded, surprised by the revelation. She continued her persuasion, “We should handle this situation with care. Don’t exert excessive control over the kids. Remember those two male students who committed suicide together in college? Rumor had it that they were in a relationship, and due to family opposition, they took their lives. Let’s not push Xiaojie into a dire situation. It would be too late for regrets.”

Jian Bin also vaguely recalled that incident, which left him feeling unsettled. Although he wished to prevent Jian Jie from taking a misguided path, he was even more afraid of an unforeseen tragedy. Yet, he couldn’t let his guard down and soften his stance with Jian Jie. After contemplating, he conveyed his position to Jiang Xinya, “Regardless, I will staunchly oppose this to the end. You can try to reason with Jiejie but know that my stance won’t change. The sooner he comes to his senses, the better.”

Reluctantly, Jiang Xinya accepted the unwelcome task, even though she felt it might not be the most suitable approach.

Initially, Jian Bin had intended to barge in and reprimand Jian Jie, but he opted for a more measured approach, deciding to let Jian Jie remain here and slowly reason with him.

Jian Jie remained secluded in his room, deflecting any attempts to engage him, claiming fatigue and sleepiness as reasons for not coming out. Concerned about his brother’s well-being, Jian Bin instructed Jiayue to knock on the door every 20 to 30 minutes, finding relief in the responses he received from inside.

Observing this, Jiang Xinya felt quite helpless. She pondered, “Why endure such agony when you’re so distressed? If Jian Jie genuinely leans toward the same sex, trying to force him to change his preferences and like women will only lead to his unhappiness in the future.” Drawing from her knowledge and interactions in this area, Jiang Xinya believed that the best approach was to convince Jian Bin to consider a different perspective.

Unaware that his allies had already revealed his plans, Jian Bin remained in the dark.

Thinking his elder brother had gone out, Jian Jie assumed that Jian Bin must have left to procure a mobile phone signal jammer. This further fueled his discomfort, prompting him to clandestinely call Long Zichen.

The call was answered, and Long Zichen’s voice was tinged with concern, “Xiaojie, are you okay now? How’s your brother?”

“My brother wants to take my phone away. I won’t hand it over. He went to buy a jammer,” Jian Jie lamented, “I won’t be able to reach you when he returns.”

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Long Zichen was momentarily speechless at Jian Bin’s drastic measures. Nevertheless, he sought to console Jian Jie, saying, “Don’t be disheartened. It’s alright if you can’t make calls for now. Just follow your brother’s directives for the moment, and we’ll come up with a solution. He can’t monitor you around the clock; there will be opportunities.”

“True. I’m just upset that my brother is being so stern, constantly furious, and refusing to listen to me at all,” Jian Jie expressed dissatisfaction with his brother for the first time.

Long Zichen sighed empathetically, “Your brother’s reaction is not uncommon. Such matters aren’t easy for anyone to accept.”

“But your mother didn’t object.”

“My mother is a unique individual. She probably wouldn’t bat an eye even if I decided to become a woman,” Long Zichen managed a lighthearted remark.

Jian Jie was amused by his comment. As he thought about his elder brother, a sigh escaped him, “It would be wonderful if my brother were as open-minded as that.”

They lapsed into silence for a moment, but Long Zichen swiftly lifted Jian Jie’s spirits, saying, “It’s alright, parents tend to object when they learn of such matters. Your brother might need some time to come to terms with it. I’ll make an effort to present my best side to him, to show him that I’m kind, charming, loyal, and dependable. After all, entrusting his younger brother to someone like me should ease his concerns. Maybe my charm will work its magic, and he might come around when he’s in a good mood.”

Jian Jie, who was feeling down just moments ago, found himself cheered up by Long Zichen’s jokes and newfound perspective.

After discussing at length, Long Zichen suddenly addressed Jian Jie as “Xiaojie,” but his words trailed off, as if something was holding him back.

Sensing Long Zichen’s unspoken thoughts, Jian Jie softly reassured him, “Brother Chen, don’t worry. Even if my older brother continues to disagree, I won’t leave you.”

Hearing this assurance from Xiaojie, Long Zichen felt a surge of excitement, as if a glimmer of light had pierced through the darkness. He had dreaded the possibility that Xiaojie might break up with him under the pressure of his brother’s opposition. He knew he couldn’t demand Xiaojie’s unwavering commitment, so hearing that Xiaojie was determined to stay with him was like a soothing balm. Long Zichen responded with genuine warmth, “Xiaojie, I’m so happy. As long as you’re willing to be with me, I’ll face any challenge head-on.”

While Jian Jie and Long Zichen conversed, Jian Bin was outside, having opted against buying a signal jammer. Instead, he had contacted Li Xiaoqi to discuss Jian Jie.

They arranged to meet at a local coffee shop’s private room. On the phone, Jian Bin had only mentioned that he wanted to talk, without divulging details, so Li Xiaoqi arrived somewhat puzzled.

“Binzi, why the urgency to see me?” Li Xiaoqi inquired with curiosity.

Jian Bin contained his frustration and posed a question, “Xiao Qi, do Jiejie and the music director from his company have a close relationship?”

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“They’re quite friendly. Director Long has been showing special attention to Xiaojie. What’s going on?”

Jian Bin clenched his teeth and responded, “Today, Xiaojie told me that they’re in a relationship.”

“Ah!” Li Xiaoqi exclaimed in surprise, “Really? You couldn’t tell from their usual interactions!” Li Xiaoqi was also troubled by this revelation. Reflecting on the situation, he realized that Long Zichen had been overly attentive to Xiaojie. He blamed himself, feeling that he hadn’t been perceptive enough about Xiaojie. He expressed his guilt to Jian Bin, saying, “I’m at fault here, I never even considered that possibility. I thought it was a positive thing that the company’s music director valued Xiaojie.”

“Don’t blame yourself, no one could have anticipated this,” Jian Bin replied. In terms of assigning blame, he believed he should shoulder the largest portion. It was the man named Long who had initially encouraged Jian Jie to become a singer, and Jian Bin should never have agreed. This man must have had ulterior motives from the beginning! Jian Bin fumed, “I came to discuss this matter with you today. I want Jiejie to stop singing. You can visit his company and explain that Xiaojie’s health isn’t in the best condition recently. He should focus on his studies for now, and we’ll see about the future.”

Li Xiaoqi felt somewhat embarrassed, “Well, Xiaojie is currently preparing for his second album. He has already recorded several songs, and the company has invested a lot of effort. Asking him to stop singing abruptly would incur significant losses.”

Jian Bin wasn’t heartless. Hearing that Jian Jie’s withdrawal would lead to substantial losses for the company, he reconsidered, “Let’s not rush things. Forget about that guy for now. After all, the company has invested so much. I can understand their effort in nurturing Jiejie. Doesn’t his contract include the release of two albums? Let him complete this album’s recording, and then you can announce his departure from the entertainment industry. I don’t want him to have any further involvement with anyone surnamed Long.”

“Leaving the entertainment industry? Will Xiaojie agree to that?” Li Xiaoqi still had reservations. He didn’t want such a talented musician like Jian Jie to leave the scene due to this situation. Tentatively, he suggested, “Alternatively, he could change companies. Xiaojie is so gifted in music; it would be a shame to quit altogether.”

“We’ll discuss that later. For now, I want him to distance himself from this matter completely,” Jian Bin stated firmly.

Seeing that Jian Bin’s stance wouldn’t be swayed easily, Li Xiaoqi had no choice but to agree, “Alright, I’ll return and discuss this with the company.”

Meanwhile, Jian Jie’s mood was beginning to lift, unaware that his brother had already made such a significant decision on his behalf.

Given the age gap between Jian Bin and his younger brother, he was accustomed to being the elder, guiding his younger sibling’s decisions. He didn’t perceive anything amiss in his actions; he believed he was acting in his younger brother’s best interests. Despite the immediate sadness his brother was experiencing, Jian Bin assumed his sibling would appreciate his intentions as he grew older and gained more experience. However, he never considered that sometimes obstacles and challenges could make the flower of love bloom even more delicately. Particularly, first love tends to be the most unforgettable. The more they tried to keep them apart, the stronger their bond could become in the end.

Please let me know if there are typos/mistakes in the chapter.

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