Chapter 118: Rainbow

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Story Timeline: January 2007
Recommended Song: Big Bang — "Red Sunset"
Disclaimer: This story is entirely fictional. Please do not project it onto real-life figures. Any similarities are purely coincidental!

"I was less than 50 centimeters away from the Young Master, close enough to see every detail of his face so clearly. Even though he wasn't wearing makeup, his skin was flawless—long eyelashes, dark, deep eyes. When he smiled, his teeth were straight, and the light stubble on his chin made him look incredibly sexy. When he signed autographs, he lowered his head, his bangs casting a shadow across half his face. The serious expression on his face, his slender fingers, and the faint scent of body wash and peppermint lingering on him made me feel a bit dizzy. After signing, he flashed us a brilliant smile. In that moment, I truly felt that the best life had to offer was nothing more than this."

This was the post-concert report from a fan following Jiang Yihan's visit to Beijing, which ignited intense discussions online. Speculation about Jiang Yihan's appearance grew increasingly heated. Of course, that would come later; at this moment, Jiang Yihan was in Beijing, preparing for his official comeback stage the following day, striving, working hard, and persisting—persevering again and again.

On the streets of Beijing’s Chaoyang District, a large stage 12 meters long and 10 meters wide had already been set up. All the audio equipment was in place, and a circle of railings had been erected to prevent the fans from surging forward and disrupting the performance. By now, a massive crowd of over ten thousand people had gathered in front of the stage, and even more were rushing toward the venue.

Behind the stage, Jiang Yihan stretched his body to warm up. Jiang Ziyi was helping him adjust his clothes, while Seohyun was nervously fixing his hair. Jiang Yihan had cut his hair shorter, but it was still medium-length, requiring wax to give it some texture and volume.

"Lazy cat, don't be nervous. It’s no different from the stages you’ve done before," Li Ran said, knowing Jiang Yihan was tense. After all, this was his first performance in nearly a year and his first stage in his homeland; it was impossible not to feel nervous.

"Haha, why do I feel as nervous as I did during my debut?" Jiang Yihan tried to relax. "But that's okay. I’ll just act like a rookie and give it my all, treating this as a fresh start."

Jiang Yihan's mindset was excellent, though if anyone heard him and looked at the sea of people outside, they couldn't help but ask, "Which rookie could possibly have this level of popularity?"

Returning to the scene, when Jiang Yihan adjusted his breathing and stepped onto the stage, the explosive screams from the crowd completely drowned out the sound system.

Today, Jiang Yihan wore jeans, a white graffiti T-shirt, and a military-green jacket. He had several chains hanging from his waist, a triangular bandana, three rings on his fingers, and a leather bracelet. His look was full of hip-hop flair, yet he remained incredibly charming—a different kind of appeal than before, one filled with explosive energy, dynamism, and a mature allure.

"Rainbow" was the first song he performed. The tight rhythm, the well-paced stage presence, and his imposing, authoritative gaze were all different from the Jiang Yihan of the past. The six backup dancers behind him only served to highlight his own brilliance.

Although the album had only been released for a day, many in the audience were already singing along. After the song, Jiang Yihan caught his breath, bowed to the crowd, and said, "Hello everyone, I am Jiang Yihan." The sound of his breathing through the microphone was incredibly sexy. The audience responded with thunderous cheers.

"Ah, it’s been so long since I’ve spoken our own language. It feels so intimate, haha," Jiang Yihan said, wiping his sweat with a smile. "How was it? Do you like the new song?"

Jiang Yihan waited for the answer with some trepidation, but he didn't have to wait long. As soon as he finished, a unified shout rang out from under the stage: "Yes!" The voice of over ten thousand people sounded as one, and one could even feel the power of the crowd through the ground.

"Haha, I’m glad you like it." Jiang Yihan smiled happily. "It’s been a long time since I appeared in front of you all, and I was nervous, wondering what you thought of me and if you still supported me. When I came up just now, I felt just as nervous as I did when I first debuted. But seeing all of you so enthusiastic puts my mind at ease. Thank you, everyone."

Hearing his words, the crowd showed their support with the most enthusiastic applause.

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"There are so many people here today! Can everyone hear me?" Jiang Yihan looked at the dense crowd behind him, and those in the back immediately responded with excitement. "Haha, the weather is a bit cold today, so please make sure to keep warm."

His thoughtful words delighted the crowd. "I see people of all different ages in the crowd—is my support base really this broad? Haha, why don't we do a survey?" Seeing people in their forties and fifties in the crowd was quite a surprise to him. "Raise your hands if you're under twenty." A sea of hands went up, likely accounting for about thirty percent; they were indeed the primary demographic.

"What about those between twenty and thirty?" As soon as he finished, nearly half the crowd raised their hands. "Wow, so this is the biggest age group! What about thirty to forty?" Unexpectedly, nearly a thousand people raised their hands, accounting for over ten percent. It seemed that those in their thirties and below remained his core fan base.

For most singers, such a wide demographic was rare. The fact that people in their thirties and forties were appearing at such an open-air concert was a remarkable phenomenon. Most people in this age group in China have stable jobs and families; they are generally more rational and don't typically chase after idols. If they do, it’s usually to attend formal concerts. For this to happen for a young singer in his early twenties like Jiang Yihan was truly a spectacle.

Jiang Yihan realized this and felt moved. "Are there any over forty?" To his surprise, hundreds of hands were raised. "Wow, I am truly touched. So many people came." Indeed, the age distribution of Jiang Yihan's fans was extremely broad, and their support was genuine. This was inseparable from his talent and his experiences over the past two years.

Generally, people over thirty aren't easily swayed by trends or impulsive fandom. But Jiang Yihan was different. First, he was a good kid with immense talent—his singing and acting were admirable. Despite his young age, he had achieved top Asian sales and become a film award winner, yet he remained humble, approachable, and devoid of any celebrity airs. Secondly, after the setbacks he endured in 2006, his composure—uncommon for his age—and his ability to overcome adversity and return successfully with a perfect performance resonated with them. To these people, Jiang Yihan himself was a positive influence, and having experienced similar pressures, they found a sense of resonance in him, leading them to support him through action.

"Who are the oldest and youngest fans here? Can we have representatives come up? I’ll sing the second song with you all." Jiang Yihan stirred up the crowd’s excitement. "Is there anyone under ten? Too young? No one? Hahaha." Jiang Yihan found his own question funny, but to his surprise, someone actually raised their hand and pointed to a small child right next to them, which startled him.

In the end, a ten-year-old girl came up, while the oldest fan was a seventy-year-old grandmother who had to be helped onto the stage by her family. Jiang Yihan quickly brought a chair for her. He selected two representatives from every other age group as well, and they all made their way onto the stage.

"Wow, this makes me feel like we’re a family. Haha, look, we have everyone from a grandmother to a niece. Haha." Jiang Yihan’s comment drew a roar of laughter from the crowd.

"Grandma, why did you come all the way here today? It’s very cold, you need to take care of your health," Jiang Yihan said, specifically interviewing the oldest fan to show his respect.

"Yihan, I just wanted to come see you. Seeing you makes me feel like I'm looking at my own grandson—you're so dear," the grandmother said, still quite talkative. "I just wanted to see you and see if you’re still as handsome."

The grandmother's last sentence made everyone laugh again, and Jiang Yihan bashfully scratched his head.

The youngest girl's answer made everyone below envious: "I want Brother Yihan to be my boyfriend."

"Hahaha, little one, do you know what a boyfriend is?" Jiang Yihan laughed heartily. The child's answer plunged the venue into a sea of laughter—or perhaps a sea of jealousy?

"A boyfriend is a handsome big brother who gives me kisses." The child had a knack for shocking everyone.

Jiang Yihan laughed even harder. Truly, children speak the truth. "So, do you want to give me a kiss?"

"Ah... ah... ah..." The venue erupted into chaos. "No... no..." Even though she was just a child, the audience below didn't want this "kiss" to happen.

But when Jiang Yihan leaned his face in, the little girl happily planted her first kiss on his cheek, sending the crowd into a frenzy once again.

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"For the next song, let’s have the representatives on stage and the entire audience sing along together, shall we? My debut work, 'Castle'," Jiang Yihan said.

Although the song was quite difficult, the massive sing-along went smoothly. Led by Jiang Yihan, everyone sang the song that had introduced them to him. When the song ended, the fans on stage hugged Jiang Yihan before being guided off the stage by the staff.

Jiang Yihan didn't stop, continuing with the third song, which sent the crowd into a frenzy: "Can I Love You?" Jiang Yihan looked deeply at the audience, confessing his feelings, leaving many intoxicated. How many wished they were the object of his confession?

After three songs, Jiang Yihan played a few games with the audience, letting them taste "jealousy" once again—jealousy of those lucky enough to get on stage.

"Actually, after everything I’ve been through, I didn't dare to hope for much today," Jiang Yihan said, his topic shifting to a more somber, unavoidable subject. "I was worried that if I came back, people wouldn't accept me or support me. But coming here today and seeing so many people—beyond excitement, I only feel gratitude. I am truly, deeply grateful for your support. I have always known that my achievements would have been impossible without you. So, after everything that happened last year, for you to still support me like this—I am truly thankful. Thank you all!" Jiang Yihan bowed deeply, and many fans in the crowd were moved to tears, applauding through their weeping. No flowers, no tears, no long-winded speeches—only gratitude, the most sincere gratitude. This was Jiang Yihan’s direct emotion toward his "Castles."

"We’ve spent a wonderful time together today, but I have to say, we are reaching the end," Jiang Yihan said, as a sigh of regret rippled through the crowd. "However, I will be staying in Beijing for a few more days and have some other activities. For instance, in seven days, I will be holding a small fan meeting. Starting today, everyone who purchases an album within these next seven days will have a chance to attend via a lottery. So please, keep an eye out for my new album!"

The final activity was the last song, but this time, Jiang Yihan hadn't pre-selected the track, letting the audience choose instead. He had expected a song from his third Korean album, but the most popular request turned out to be "Don't Want to Separate" from his second Korean album. Jiang Yihan understood what they meant immediately. His nose stung, and an inexplicable sense of being moved welled up. He looked up at the sky; it was an impossibly deep blue, as if one could see right through it. He remembered a line from a manga: "When you want to cry, look up so the tears won't fall." Jiang Yihan did just that, struggling to keep the tears in his eyes from spilling over, holding them back for a long, long time...

"Then, I will leave you with this: 'Don't Want to Separate'."

"I love you, no words are needed. At this moment, even the sky is crying. I really don't want to separate."

The lyrics remained the same, but in this context, they felt exceptionally poignant. Many "Castles" couldn't hold back, weeping as they sang along to the classic love song.

Jiang Yihan stood on his stage once more, feeling the support of everyone. His voice trembled; "Don't Want to Separate." Indeed, what had happened before made Jiang Yihan—and many others—realize that they truly did not want to separate. Perhaps Jiang Yihan was just a child who sang and acted with his heart, an ordinary person in a different profession, but the charm and spirit he exuded made people deeply fascinated by him.

In the past, he couldn't understand why the profession of an artist was so special, why so many people would go crazy for one person or one group. It was because in them, we find what we hope for and what we aspire to. They are a group of people, but they are also a symbol. That is why this special profession holds infinite charm.

If you want to be a superstar, don't just make people love you; make them aspire to be like you.

Jiang Yihan is now that aspiration for others.

After the storm, the rainbow appears!