Chapter 126: Ten Thousand Thoughts in the Night

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After his comeback, Jiang Yihan’s unparalleled popularity stirred envy among everyone. Negotiations between various variety shows and Li Ran never ceased from the start, but in the end, it was Kang Ho-dong who, leveraging his many advantages, secured Jiang Yihan’s appearance on “Night Heart, Ten Thousand.”

Whether by coincidence or design, SBS’s “Night Heart, Ten Thousand” raised suspicions about what deal One Entertainment might have struck with SBS, as Jiang Yihan’s comeback granted SBS the spotlight entirely.

However, these suspicions were unfounded. The truth was that Jiang Yihan’s appearance on “Night Heart, Ten Thousand” was a favor to Kang Ho-dong; it had nothing to do with any specific TV station deal—it was merely coincidence. Regardless, the public saw Jiang Yihan grace SBS’s small screen once again.

“Night Heart, Ten Thousand” sets two themes each episode, then conducts broad surveys—usually involving about ten thousand participants—on those themes. The results are then presented in the show, where guests guess the top five answers. The program combines mass participation, artists’ personal experiences, and the host’s commentary to offer viewers thoughtful life insights. It is a well-regarded show.

This episode featured four guests: Tim, Hwi-seong, Park Hyun-bin, and Jiang Yihan, along with fixed guests Lee Hyuk-jae and Lee Roo-jin, and hosts Kang Ho-dong and Kang Soo-jung.

“Today’s guests are the heartthrobs who have swept all of Korea into frenzy,” Kang Ho-dong began introducing. “Jiang Yihan, everyone’s prince.”

When Jiang Yihan was introduced, he cooperated by singing the chorus of “Rainbow.” The audience kept rhythm enthusiastically, clearly reluctant to let him stop, but Jiang Yihan sang only a short part, causing a collective sigh from everyone, including Kang Ho-dong.

Next, Hwi-seong’s rap-style singing, Tim’s gentle ballads, and Park Hyun-bin’s comedic trot each drew warm applause from the audience.

“The great scholar Tom once said never to trust a man’s tears,” Kang Ho-dong smoothly opened. “So, what secrets lie hidden in a man’s tears? Jiang Yihan?”

Caught off guard by the sudden question, Jiang Yihan blurted, “What?” His stunned expression ignited hearty laughter from the crowd.

Kang Ho-dong smirked proudly, clearly pleased to catch Jiang Yihan off guard. “I bet no one knows today’s question. Hehe. At this moment, men are actually using tears. Haha, what secrets could that be?” Just as Jiang Yihan expected the first question to be about him, Kang Ho-dong glanced at him with a sly smile. “Wait, let’s start with Hwi-seong first.”

Jiang Yihan’s bewildered look triggered another round of laughter. He pouted and forced a smile, of course, all for show.

Hwi-seong began by sharing a story about deliberately crying at concerts to fool fans. The other singers then recounted touching moments from their own concerts. When it came to Jiang Yihan, the topic naturally continued.

“Jiang Yihan, have you ever cried at a concert?” Kang Ho-dong asked.

“I haven’t held a concert yet,” Jiang Yihan replied flatly, putting Kang Ho-dong in an awkward position. He then muttered, “Yes, yes…”

Realizing he had succeeded in teasing Kang Ho-dong, Jiang Yihan laughed before continuing, “Actually, just a few days ago, when I gathered ten thousand fans, I did hold a concert.”

“Oh, that fan gathering? I’ve heard lots of people came,” Kang Ho-dong’s expression turned serious, clearly understanding the significance.

“Yeah, over thirty thousand people came,” Jiang Yihan said casually, ready to elaborate, but was interrupted by the crowd’s astonished exclamations.

“Really? Over thirty thousand?” Lee Hyuk-jae asked on behalf of everyone.

“Yes. Before the deadline, twenty-seven thousand had come, but in total, it was around thirty thousand,” Jiang Yihan answered honestly.

“Wow…” was the universal response. Seeing their amazement, Kang Ho-dong commented, “Actually, the ‘Ten Thousand Gathering’ was once dubbed the most discouraging show because nearly all artists who appeared failed to succeed. When they found out they failed, everyone felt disheartened. It’s not easy to gather ten thousand people in just one hour’s promotion. To think Jiang Yihan not only succeeded but broke thirty thousand—that’s incredible.”

The other senior singers nodded in agreement, making Jiang Yihan a bit embarrassed. “I want to thank everyone for their support.”

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“Then I suppose you must have cried at that concert?” Kang Ho-dong steered the topic back.

“Yes. When I took off the blindfold and saw everyone cheering for me, tears uncontrollably streamed down,” Jiang Yihan recalled shyly. Since debut, he rarely cried on camera.

“Ah, that must be tears of deep emotion,” Kang Ho-dong sighed. “Those tears must have been honest, right?” His playful words made everyone laugh again. “What about in love? How many relationships have you had, Jiang Yihan?”

“Ha, only one. Everyone already knows about last year,” Jiang Yihan’s bitterness had faded from his smile. “In love, I dislike deceit, so I would never use tears to manipulate.”

“Oh... so when you were with her, you never had a breakup fight where you cried and begged her to stay?” Kang Ho-dong’s question was a bit nosy but necessary for the show.

“No, absolutely not,” Jiang Yihan quickly waved his hand. “There are many reasons for breakups. At least from my perspective, if she’s happy, that’s enough.”

“Really?” Kang Ho-dong looked skeptical. Park Hyun-bin chimed in, “Speaking of this, every time I fight with my girlfriend and break up, I cry a lot.”

This unexpected revelation captured everyone’s attention, eager to hear more. Jiang Yihan sighed in relief; though unbothered, further talk might get awkward.

“I once had a crush on a girl,” Jiang Yihan sidestepped the sensitive topic, recalling a distant memory of Liu Yan. “I remember when she called to tell me she had a boyfriend, I bit my lip and cried silently. I was afraid she’d hear me, but I cried so hard I bit my lip until it bled.”

“Why didn’t you tell her you liked her? With your qualities, many girls must like you,” Kang Soo-jung asked.

“I’m shy and passive in love. So I never dared to pursue anyone actively. I waited passively, hoping for my own happiness. The same with her—I just wanted to see her happy and smile. I was afraid confessing would ruin everything. Still, I hoped, and when I learned she had a boyfriend, that’s when I cried the hardest.” Jiang Yihan spoke as if recounting someone else’s story, as if it were just a “story.” This strange detachment made him feel faint.

The audience responded with a wave of regret.

“In my view, tears shouldn’t be shown lightly to others, so I rarely admit to fake tears,” Jiang Yihan concluded lightly, avoiding deeper discussion.

“So when do you think men use tears manipulatively?” Kang Ho-dong finally returned to the show’s main question—guessing the top five answers.

“Well, most said tears are used to prevent breakups,” Jiang Yihan hesitated.

“Let’s confirm the answer!” Kang Ho-dong announced loudly. A correct answer brings beautiful music; a wrong one triggers a dry ice blast at the guest’s table. After a moment, beautiful music played—correct! This was the number one answer in the survey.

“Ha, now let’s give everyone a chance to guess,” Kang Ho-dong continued.

“I think this is the right answer,” Jiang Yihan said again after guessing the top answer. “If you fail an exam, and before your parents scold you at home, you cry first, so they comfort you, saying it’s okay, try again next time, or something like that.”

“Ah, tears work best then, haha,” Kang Ho-dong praised playfully. This was the fifth-ranked correct answer.

“Hwi-seong, have you ever cried like this to survive in the music world?” Kang Ho-dong asked.

“Of course. When I sang difficult ballads and just couldn’t get into the mood or do well in recording,” Hwi-seong recalled, amused. “The composer and sound engineer were about to lose it, so before they blew up, I covered my face and cried, ‘I’m such an idiot, I can’t do anything right,’ then banged my head against the wall. That way, they couldn’t scold me.”

Laughter erupted.

“Jiang Yihan, what about you? Ever cried like that?” Kang Ho-dong exposed the recording studio secrets.

“Ah, definitely. Songs like ‘Castle’ from my first album and this time’s ‘Inter Sleep’ are really hard. I’d make mistakes, go off-key during recording. The instructors would get mad, so before they did, I’d apologize quickly with a smile, begging for forgiveness. Usually, they wouldn’t make things harder since I was trying. But then I’d turn and hit my head, wondering why I wrote such difficult songs and caused trouble for myself.”

The laughter grew louder. Indeed, Jiang Yihan made life hard for himself with those challenging songs.

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“Now, let’s talk about something unrelated to today’s theme,” Kang Ho-dong suddenly recalled. “Today’s guests are outstanding singers. When you meet someone you like, do you sing to confess? Jiang Yihan?”

First again, Jiang Yihan shyly smiled. “Ah, actually, I don’t like that and I’m not good at it. Sigh… what to do!”

Jiang Yihan’s shyness made the audience scream with delight—so adorable.

“If I had to confess, I’d sing ‘Can I Love You?’” Jiang Yihan said reluctantly.

“Ah, that classic love song is now Korea’s number one confession song. Would you all like to see Jiang Yihan’s original confession?” Kang Ho-dong’s call met enthusiastic applause.

“Ah, no, I’ll be shy,” Jiang Yihan covered his face, smiling awkwardly.

Despite protests, the audience insisted, and Jiang Yihan reluctantly agreed. Looking at co-host Kang Soo-jung, he cleared his throat and sang.

What is this feeling, why is it so familiar? You have already taken my heart. After many goodbyes and many tears, perhaps because I endured so much, I found you, my long-lost love. Now, sitting in front of me—you, may I love you? With all my heart, I will give you the best. May I love you?

“Ah... ah...” The crowd, including Kang Soo-jung, erupted into ecstatic screams once more.

“Jiang Yihan’s gaze is so charming. Looking at him, he seems so shy, and his voice is so beautiful. I’m completely captivated,” Kang Soo-jung shyly commented. “If you confessed like this, I bet every girl would say yes.”

“Ah...” screams filled the room again.

As time passed, the second half belonged to Kang Soo-jung, whose theme was “The Most Exciting Minute in Love.”

“To me, the most exciting moment in love is holding hands,” Jiang Yihan’s answer surprised everyone.

“Why holding hands and not a kiss?” Kang Soo-jung questioned the common doubt.

“Holding hands happens in a special setting. Around 5 p.m., walking through a park’s tree-lined path with my girlfriend, both shy and hesitant. After much hesitation, I gently touched her hand, then gathered courage to softly hold and squeeze it. At that moment, you feel her warmth, her skin, and she slowly grasps your hand tighter. Your heart almost leaps out from nervousness. That’s why I think it’s a beautiful memory.” Jiang Yihan’s simple description painted a romantic and tender love scene in everyone’s mind.

“Who was this girl?” Kang Soo-jung asked teasingly. “A girlfriend or someone you once had a crush on?”

“Ah...” Jiang Yihan inadvertently revealed, covering his face in embarrassment. “It was the girl I once had a crush on. I had feelings for her then but didn’t seize the chance.”

The audience sighed again for Jiang Yihan’s missed opportunity.

Today, Jiang Yihan spoke much about love, giving many a first glimpse into his pure and simple heart.

The recording of “Night Heart, Ten Thousand” lasted over five hours before finally concluding.