Chapter 81: Han Geng

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Entertainment Surrounds Us Without Interruption

Story timeline: March 2006
Recommended song: Super Junior – “U”
Disclaimer: This story is purely fictional. Any resemblance to real persons is purely coincidental!

The hectic schedule still hadn’t come to an end, but Jiang Yihan was gradually getting used to it. Today was finally a bit more relaxed: there was only one engagement in these few days, which was to attend the MTV Asia Music Awards held in Thailand on March 9th. Thanks to “Castle” and “Can I Love You?”, Jiang Yihan had been nominated for several awards.

“What time is the filming for Love Letter today?” Jiang Yihan was currently in Thailand, sitting in a black van, heading toward the hotel.

“Next week,” Li Ran replied without looking up, chewing on his pen as he scribbled and planned Jiang Yihan’s schedule for the next half month.

“Who are the other guests?” Jiang Yihan wiped his sweat and asked, “I heard Love Letter has been revamped. What’s it like now?”

“Now there are multiple male and female guests, with some tweaks to the segments, but it’s pretty much the same,” Li Ran replied, still busy with his notes. “As for the guests, I’m not sure. The producers came to us themselves and asked us to take part in this episode.”

“They approached us? Why?” Jiang Yihan found it hard to believe.

Li Ran finally looked up, chuckling at Jiang Yihan. “Because you’re popular, of course. They said they wanted to create a ‘star-studded’ episode to boost ratings, since fewer top celebrities have appeared on Love Letter recently. They have to improve the show’s quality.”

“Is that so? But why me? I don’t know that many people in the industry,” Jiang Yihan pressed, full of questions.

“You don’t know many people, but many people know you, silly,” Li Ran laughed. “A star-studded lineup means the guests have to be of top quality. When the producers arrange the schedule, lots of female stars ask if you’ll be on the show. If you are, it’s easier to arrange the others. That’s why they came to me.”

Jiang Yihan simply rolled his eyes in disbelief.

“Don’t doubt it. Your popularity in the industry is already pretty high, and you know quite a few senior figures. Honestly, your network is impressive, and you look good too. It’s normal that people want to know you,” Li Ran teased for once.

“Stop talking nonsense,” Jiang Yihan replied with a laugh. “So do you know who the guests actually are?”

“No idea,” Li Ran spread his hands helplessly. “The producers said since it’s a high-profile episode, they’ll try to invite top stars and the best possible guests. They’ve locked in your schedule with me, but the rest they’ll arrange themselves.”

“Wow, so after all that, you don’t know either,” Jiang Yihan stuck out his tongue and made a face.

Li Ran chuckled softly as well.

Looking out the window, Jiang Yihan smiled and waved at the castle that his fans were following in their car. Arriving in Thailand, he was once again astonished—nearly five hundred fans at the airport, five trailing cars behind his van, and, of course, the spectacle in the hotel lobby. The fans’ resourcefulness never ceased to amaze him; by the time he arrived at the hotel, the lobby was packed with people—he couldn’t even guess how many.

Seeing the hotel staff sweating to maintain order made Jiang Yihan feel a pang of guilt. For safety’s sake, he didn’t show up in the lobby but went straight upstairs from the underground parking lot.

He had just walked into his room when his phone rang. After a moment’s hesitation, he picked up. “Hello? My phone’s on international roaming, so please get to the point.”

A familiar voice came through: “What, your mother can’t call you without you worrying about phone bills?”

“Ah, mom! What’s up? I’m in Thailand now,” Jiang Yihan said, rubbing his head sheepishly.

“Nothing, just wanted to see if you’re busy lately,” Zhou Bing’s tone was hesitant.

“Mom, you sound off. What’s wrong?” Jiang Yihan immediately picked up on the difference in his mother’s tone.

There was a sudden silence on the other end, and a wave of fear washed over him.

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“It’s about your grandmother,” Zhou Bing finally said after a pause. “She hasn’t been well lately, as I told you during the New Year. Now she asked me to check when you’ll have time to come home. She misses you very much.”

Jiang Yihan touched his forehead, guilt welling up inside. “Mom, I miss grandma too. I’m really sorry.” Halfway through, his voice choked with emotion; his longing for home surged up, and the regret that he hadn’t gone back while his grandmother was ill overwhelmed him. “Mom, I’ll be back soon, okay? As soon as I finish up here, I promise.”

“I understand. Take care of yourself too, and don’t make me and your grandmother worry, alright?” Zhou Bing said gently. They chatted a little longer before hanging up.

Lying in bed, Jiang Yihan felt a little down when his phone rang again. “Hello?”

“Yihan, it’s me, Hangeng,” came a cheerful voice.

“Ah, Hangeng! How come you have time to call me?” Jiang Yihan tried to sound upbeat. “You’re doing great these days—you're everywhere!”

“Hmph, you’re the one to talk! I’m just starting out, you’re the one with all the popularity. Pot calling the kettle black,” Hangeng retorted with a laugh. “Actually, I called because I have something to tell you.”

“Oh, so you only call when you need something? Alright, I’ll listen,” Jiang Yihan joked, relaxing a bit.

“Hey, I’m older than you! Show some respect,” Hangeng laughed, mock-complaining. “Okay, so my visa issue finally got sorted. I’ve been able to perform on music shows lately. Now the company says I can start appearing on variety shows, and they’ve arranged for me to record Love Letter next week. I heard you’re one of the guests, so I thought I’d call and let you know.”

“You’re doing Love Letter too? What a coincidence! I was just wondering who the other guests would be,” Jiang Yihan said, surprised. “Guess we’ll get to have some fun together at the recording. Not bad at all.”

“Exactly what I thought,” Hangeng replied, clearly pleased. “By the way, are you abroad? I’m abroad too, here for an event. Where are you?”

“I’m in Thailand. And you?” Jiang Yihan looked out at the city’s bustling splendor from his hotel window.

“I’m in Thailand too! Are you here for the MTV Asia Music Awards?” Hangeng exclaimed in surprise—what a coincidence.

“Yeah, I just arrived. You must be staying at the hotel arranged by the organizers too, right? I’m on the 14th floor, and you?”

“I’m on the 10th. I’ve been here for two days already—so many events, I’m exhausted,” Hangeng said, stretching.

“How about we sneak out and have some fun?” Jiang Yihan suddenly felt an urge to escape for a while, to experience the charm of the country and shake off his gloom.

“What? No way, my manager is strict. If I sneak out, I’ll get scolded, and the award ceremony is tonight. No way,” Hangeng protested.

“Come on, don’t be afraid. It’s not like we’ll go far—we don’t know Thai, after all. We’ll just go for a bit,” Jiang Yihan urged. “Don’t overthink it, I’m coming down now.”

Before Hangeng could object, Jiang Yihan had already decided.

“I’m going out for a bit, I’ll be back soon!” he called to Li Ran, who was working in the room.

“Take your phone and call me if you need anything,” Li Ran said wisely, not objecting. After all, Jiang Yihan had been exhausted by both work and private life lately. In a foreign place, not many people would recognize him; escaping for a bit of relaxation seemed like a good idea. Watching Jiang Yihan dash out, Li Ran briefly considered going along, but then decided it would be better to let Jiang Yihan get some fresh air—and with Hangeng along, it should be fine.

Jiang Yihan hurried down to the 10th floor, running into a few sneaky fans on the way. Not giving them a chance, he pulled his cap down and rushed past, escaping unnoticed.

He knocked on Hangeng’s door, and to his surprise, it was Kim Heechul, whom he already knew, who answered. “Hey, Jiang Yihan, here to see Hangeng?”

“Yeah, we’re sneaking out to have some fun. Want to come?” Jiang Yihan’s face was full of excitement.

“I’m not feeling well today, so I’ll pass. Otherwise, it would’ve been great,” Heechul said, looking truly exhausted.

“No worries,” Jiang Yihan replied sympathetically. Seeing Hangeng coming down the hall, he grinned, “You rest up, we’ll be back soon.”

The two reckless souls headed downstairs, standing at the entrance to the underground parking lot, glancing left and right like secret agents.

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“Any fans around?”

“Doesn’t look like it.”

“Let’s just walk out normally—crouching would make us stand out even more.”

“Good idea.”

So, the two of them strode out at a brisk pace—so brisk it was almost a run. As they hurried along, they broke into laughter, running and shouting as they went.

Not knowing the area, they didn’t go far, just to the beach across from the hotel.

They only stopped when they reached the sand. Before the vast ocean, a surge of exhilaration welled up inside them. Facing the sea, Jiang Yihan shouted at the top of his lungs, “Ah—!” The more he yelled, the better he felt; in that moment, he realized how simple life could be: if you’re happy, life is happy; if you’re troubled, life is troubled. Each day brought so many challenges, but the only thing that truly affected your mood was yourself.

Hangeng couldn’t resist shouting too, until his voice went hoarse. As he yelled, a sense of release washed over him, and he collapsed onto the sand.

Watching the waves roll in and out, Jiang Yihan felt his own heart quiet, and he sat down in silence.

“Yihan, I really miss my mom,” Hangeng suddenly said, his words plain but heartfelt. “I’ve been away from home for years, always worrying my parents. Last year I finally debuted, but because of visa issues, I couldn’t show my real face on stage. My parents have worried so much. When I left home, they were anxious—about how I’d survive abroad alone, about the language barrier, about handling relationships, whether I’d eat or dress well enough. These years, all I’ve wanted is to make something of myself so my parents can feel at ease.”

“It’s good now, isn’t it?” Jiang Yihan replied quietly.

Indeed, Super Junior’s popularity was rising fast, and as a Chinese member—the second to debut in Korea—Hangeng had drawn a lot of attention.

“It’s just the beginning. But at least now my parents know I can stand on stage, be myself, and be an artist with dignity,” Hangeng said with emotion. The journey from trainee to debut, from masked dancer to Hangeng, had been full of hardship. “Before, I worried I’d never debut; now that I have, I worry about not becoming popular, and about people’s doubts. It’s so exhausting.”

Doubts about Hangeng never ceased in Korea, and the pressure on him was immense. If he hadn’t been naturally optimistic, who knows how things would have turned out.

“The hardships we endure now are to make our future happiness even sweeter,” Jiang Yihan said, his words so grandiose that Hangeng burst out laughing.

“Haha, you and your fancy words—not your style at all,” Hangeng teased. “I might get a chance to go home soon. I really want to—wonder what it’s like at home now.”

“I want to go home too. I usually get a holiday every year, but this year my schedule’s been so packed I didn’t even get time off for New Year. Maybe in ten days or so I’ll get a break. Who knows, I might even make it home before you,” Jiang Yihan laughed.

They kept talking—about childhood tales, the hardships of training, the gossip in the industry. Time slipped by, and the sun gradually set. In those rare hours of leisure, there was no endless training, no adoring fans, no grueling schedule, no bothersome news, no dazzling stage—just an ocean, a beach, a sunset, letting them lose themselves in the moment.

Watching the sun sink and the sea turn to gold, Jiang Yihan couldn’t help but smile, and so did Hangeng. Nature truly was magical.

That evening at the MTV Asia Music Awards, Super Junior appeared on stage as guest performers.

Watching Hangeng dance and sing his heart out, hearing the audience chant his name, Jiang Yihan suddenly relished the moment, as if he too was standing on stage, with a world all his own to shine in. In that instant, it felt as if the entire world belonged to him. And right now, Hangeng truly had the whole world.

For a newly debuted group like Super Junior, receiving applause from over a thousand fans was no small feat. The smile on Hangeng’s face was the brightest and most genuine.

As for Jiang Yihan, in addition to the cheers of more than three thousand people, he also took home two awards: Most Popular Song and Best Newcomer. When the whole arena sang “Can I Love You?” together, Jiang Yihan truly felt as if he owned the world.

After returning from Thailand, the long journey left him physically and mentally exhausted—but there was still no rest for Jiang Yihan because Li Ran already had new plans.

“The male lead in ‘The Man of the Vineyard’—the female lead is Yoon Eun-hye, who became a top actress thanks to ‘Princess Hours’ earlier this year; in ‘Which Star Are You From?’ the female lead is Jung Ryeo-won, who was the second female lead in last year’s drama ‘My Name is Kim Sam-soon,’ which had over 50% ratings and is now very popular; ‘Spring Waltz’ is Yoon Seok-ho’s final installment of his Four Seasons series—the previous three, ‘Autumn in My Heart,’ ‘Winter Sonata,’ and ‘Summer Scent,’ were all hugely successful,” Li Ran said, handing Jiang Yihan three thick scripts. “Let’s discuss which one would be most suitable for you.”

“What?” Jiang Yihan stared in shock at the stack of scripts in front of him.