Ch69 - Gift

“Netherworld 101?” Lu Xu didn’t have the energy to monitor the events in the underworld recently; this was the first time he had heard of an idol survival show in the underworld.

He Xinghua nodded. “Yes yes, we also only found out after looking at the post someone made in our ghost friend circles. To be honest, our only reason for remaining here is because we want to be seen by others. Within ‘Birth of an Idol’, only you and Nian ge are members who can see us. Wouldn’t it be better to go back to the place we should be? No matter whether we can debut in the shadow realm or not, we’ll be very happy if others can see our performance.”

“This is not a bad decision.” Stranded ghosts like He Xinghua and his group members didn’t actually have much of a presence here. It was better for them to directly live out their ghosts lives in the underworld.

Lu Xu thought like this and also nodded his head in agreement. “So when are you four of you planning on setting out?”

“Not four.” Tao Yingbo’s smile was a little forced, but he didn’t want to affect the moods of his didis, so he only said to Lu Xu, “Their dreams are to debut. My wish is to take back my credit…”

From the beginning, Tao Yingbo had only joined the F4 group because everyone wanted to keep each other company, but his experiences were different and the goals he sought out were different.

To be honest, the other three were very conflicted over this. They felt like they were a group and didn’t want to leave their dage behind.

It was Tao Yingbo who encouraged them. “We’re going to the same destination, so we’ll meet up again sooner or later. It’s just that you guys are going first to help pave the way for me. When I finish with my affairs on this side I’lll come over to find you guys.”

This was completely correct.

Not all friends could walk together to the end, but as long as they had once been companions, it would be enough.

“Dage…” Thinking of Tao Yingbo’s support for them, He Xinghua and the others wanted to cry again.

Everyone had been with each other for so long; their feelings were naturally deep.

The four of them embraced each other. They originally wanted to just wish each other well and a prosperous future, but once they thought of the fact that they were immediately about to separate, they couldn’t endure crying out loud.

“It’s okay, anyways we’ll meet each other again sooner or later. It’s just an issue of sooner or later.” As Lu Xu spoke, he gave the three of them their information files, opening up the path to the underworld directly after confirming that there were no errors and obtaining their signatures.

“This sudden?” He Xinghua and the others couldn’t help but feel a little doubtful. On one hand, they couldn’t bear looking at Tao Yingbo, but on the other hand, they said to Lu Xu, “Master Lu Xu, we haven’t even gotten the time to properly say goodbye to Nian ge yet, it isn’t good to leave so suddenly like this, right?”

Lu Xu didn’t have any complaints about this, but he merely said relaxedly, “No matter if you’re human or a ghost, the world is full of sudden events. Just like before you guys died, you didn’t think you would suddenly die, right? Say your proper goodbyes when you have the time to properly say goodbye. If you can’t, then take it as a better meeting this time.”

When he thought of the fact that Ji Xiunian’s time was limited, Lu Xu couldn’t help but add, “Go wait first, maybe you will meet an old acquaintance at that time.”

In his calculations, Ji Xiunian probably wouldn’t live for much longer. Ji Xiunian might even arrive right after they left.

Along with the fact that Ji Xiunian had acting and mentoring experiences, he would definitely be popular with the people of the underworld.

Lu Xu didn’t speak very clearly, so the F4 completely did not understand the deeper meaning behind his words. Thinking of the logic of his explanation, they stopped hesitating and pleaded with Lu Xu before they left, “Nian ge is really too good. We’ve bothered him a lot in this span of time. Now that we’re leaving so suddenly, we’d hope Master Lu Xu will take more care of him.”

“Don’t worry, I will.” He would send him off personally when the time came; this could be considered a special kind of care from grim reapers.

Very quickly, the F3 disappeared into the passage, leaving only Tao Yingbo looking somewhat forlorn at the side.

This was the scene Ji Xiunian saw when he came out—the pretty, slightly mischievous boy stood calmly and coolly in the corridor, but a somewhat hurt-looking ghost stood next to him.

“Where are Xinghua and the others?” It had to be known that the F4 had always been together; it was also because they had always been in a group that there was a feeling of being stuck together.

As long as one of them was in front of his eyes, the other three were definitely nearby. However right now, only Tao Yingbo was there, without the other three. Ji Xiunian only felt that something had happened.

Lu Xu had just sent the customer information to the headquarters when he heard Ji Xiunian’s question.

Professional Lu Xu looked at Ji Xiunian, quirking the corners of his mouth as he said, “They’ve already returned to the place they should have gone.”

Ji Xiunian automatically thought of what the F4 had told him before about their wishes not being fulfilled. After hesitating for a moment, he asked, “Then did they realise their dreams?”

“It’s not considered realising, strictly speaking. It’s just a new thing for them to look forward to.” Lu Xu’s tone was relaxed, his attitude much more mature and rational than his appearance. “No matter human or ghost, life is only possible with hope, isn’t it?”

This was the first time Ji Xiunian had seen Lu Xu reveal such an unhurried expression. Although his face carried a smile, the depths of his eyes held a hint of destructive intent. He was only eighteen years old, but could say this with such rational clarity. Ji Xiunian suddenly was very curious what Lu Xu had experienced before.

Ji Xiunian thought of this, then couldn’t help feeling somewhat confused when he glanced at the Tao Yingbo who had been left here. “They all left, why didn’t you go together?”

Tao Yingbo smiled bitterly. “It’s not that I don’t want to, it’s that I can’t. In order to find justice, I’ve already waited for ten years. I can’t just let it go when told to let it go…”

And it was only now that Ji Xiunian realised he didn’t understand Tao Yingbo very well before.

In his impression, Tao Yingbo was merely a member of the F4. He couldn’t learn dancing but he was very hardworking, and he was very talented in composing music.

Up until today when the F4 had temporarily parted ways did Ji Xiunian realise that Tao Yingbo had his own thoughts and was an independent individual.

Before, Tao Yingbo had only said that he wanted others to hear the sound of his songs. He didn’t think there was an issue of justice within this.

Ji Xiunian really wanted to ask him what had happened, but seeing that Tao Yingbo didn’t seem like he was very likely to open his mouth in his current state, Ji Xiunian thought he would wait for him to get his bearings first before asking.

Seeing that Ji Xiunian had come over as if he had something to say to Lu Xu, Tao Yingbo told them he needed to recover by himself and left them.

“Nian ge, did you come looking for me for something?” Everyone else was busy watching the show. The fact that Ji Xiunian had come out specifically indicated that he had something going on.

Ji Xiunian only then remembered why he had come over and asked Lu Xu, “Did you know that Lan Gaojie passed away?”

Lu Xu pursed his lips and nodded gently—he was a client he had sent away himself so he would naturally know.

However, Ji Xiunian thought of what the F4 had told him, and said without thinking, “If Lan Gaojie really had something happen to him, that means the feeling I had before was correct. I kind of regret it, that we couldn’t contact him that day…”

Long before Lan Gaojie’s passing, Ji Xiunian had seen the black fog surrounding him. At that time, he hadn’t known what it was, and only found out that it had actually been death energy after listening to the F4’s discussion.

Having suddenly predicted someone’s death, Ji Xiunian couldn’t describe the emotions he was experiencing.

He always couldn’t help thinking, if he had reminded Lan Gaojie when he began feeling like something wasn’t quite right, would the results have changed?

Thinking of the fact that a life had ended right under his eyes, Ji Xiunian couldn’t help but place more blame upon himself the more he thought about it.

This kind of pressure made people feel powerless, particularly after recalling the online sentiment after today’s broadcast where no one knew what had happened, making it even more difficult to calm down.

Ji Xiunian couldn’t think it through no matter how much he thought. In the end, he had to discuss it with Lu Xu.

“Your lifespan is something that clearly has a predestined, fixed end point. Not any person can just casually move it back and forth. Didn’t you have the program staff contact him too? It was a decision he made himself, so only he can take on the consequences.”

Lu Xu didn’t say much, but Ji Xiunian inexplicably felt a lot less panicked.

If a person’s lifespan really depended on their own decisions, then it really had nothing to do with him. It was just that he didn’t know how tumultuous it would get online after Lan Gaojie’s votes were closed today.

But these things were useless to think of right now. It was better to let nature take its course.

Ji Xiunian thought of this, then suddenly smiled at Lu Xu. “Let’s go, let’s go see your performance in front of the camera this week.”

“Okay.” Lu Xu went with the flow and the two of them smiled at each other. They silently agreed to not continue this topic.

In regards to their own first public performance, no matter which group of contestants it was, they all prepared very seriously.

Although the results were not all equal, but there were some powerful song choices like Song Zhe’s group and some more girly song choices like Xu Haoming’s group.

The discussion over ‘Birth of an Idol’ online was endless; everyone was very happy to see fresh, handsome boys struggle on the stage in order to achieve their dreams.

It was just that they sat there waiting for so long without seeing Lu Xu. Many people couldn’t resist posting on Weibo and asking, wanting to know when Lu Xu would appear.

Just like this, everyone waited as they discussed before finally waiting until it was time for Lu Xu and Lan Gaojie’s groups to battle each other.

It had to be said, Lao Gaojie’s group’s ‘Pink Summer Dream’ was very sweet and fully carried the feeling of youth. It made people automatically think back to their own beautiful memories of first love.

[@Lan Lan Lan’s Lovely Wife: Aaaaaaaa, I feel like I’m dating. All the geges are too sweet, pick my family’s Jie treasure, rush for me!]

[@A Highway to the Heavens: Just a mere passerby but was shocked by Lan Gaojie’s skills. He clearly looks like an average boy off stage, but for some reason once he goes on stage he can be so dazzling, this reversal is too amazing]

[@It’s The ”Moonlight, Ah]: ‘Pink Summer Dream’ really is too sweet, I’m a little worried for Lu Xu’s group. I saw before that he had drawn [Monster], such a depressing song might even be too hard for everyone to finish listening to, don’t even mention voting for him…]

[@Melon-Eating Loli: Speaking of which, don’t you guys think ‘Monster’ is a very strange and ominous song? After all, it’s Zhang Jiamu’s last work, when I think of this I feel rather panicked. Is the program crazy, picking this song for Lu Xu and the other to sing?]

[@E-I-E-I-E-I-O: Zhang Jiamu is so pitiful ah, he was depressed when alive, and dragged out after death for the sake of getting onto the hot searches tsk tsk]

…

Because they had chosen the song ‘Monster’, many people didn’t look favourably upon Lu Xu’s group.

They only felt that this song was too depressing and hugely conflicted with Lu Xu’s sunny disposition. The king’s seat was probably going to flip over after this public performance.

Carrying these kinds of thoughts, no one had many expectations for Lu Xu’s performance. Only Zhang Jiamu’s fans expressed their hope that the netizens wouldn’t perceive ‘Monster’ with prejudice.

[@True Love Jiamu 1314: I have a lot of good feelings for Lu Xu and only hope that everyone’s mouths won’t run unnecessarily. Don’t blow up this out of proportion. Like other works, ‘Monster’ is Jiamu gege’s work, it’s not some sinister song, it’s only the final present Jiamu gege left for us.”

There were naturally many netizens who refuted this—

[@Many Roads Lead To Your Home: It’s not like that, it’s originally a posthumous work so why can’t we say that? Zhan Jiamu’s fans are too sensitive. Additionally, you guys listen for yourself, someone who wrote this kind of song wouldn’t have a healthy mindset. Zhang Jiamu didn’t run from his depression; I’m afraid Lu Xu will fall onto this song during this public performance.]

[@Sunflowers In Full Bloom: This user is someone who had participated in the audience for the live show recording. I suggest everyone to not make up their minds in such a hurry; decide after you finish watching the performance]

[@Many Roads Lead To Your Home: I don’t dare listen, afraid I’ll be depressed hehe]

There were comments about everything online, but it didn’t affect the progress of the show.

After Lan Gaojie’s group’s finished performing, Lu Xu brought his group members and slowly walked up onto the stage.