Chapter Two: I Truly Envy That You Are My Father!
Chapter Two: I Really Envy That You’re My Father!
Gulp—
Bai Su swallowed a mouthful of saliva. She was unbearably thirsty, and that bearded warden hadn’t even poured her a cup of tea earlier.
“I’m not sick,” Bai Su said. She now understood that the young man before her was different from the others.
The young men she’d met before were inexperienced, naive, easily tempted and deceived. As soon as she asked if they wanted to become superstars, they’d nod excitedly, some grinning foolishly and unable to utter a coherent word.
Tang Zhong, however, was more cautious.
“Do you think what I just said was all nonsense? That I’m trying to deceive you?” Bai Su shifted her approach.
“Yes,” Tang Zhong replied frankly. He walked over to his desk, sat down, and said, “But none of that matters. I don’t want to be a celebrity, nor do I want to be idolized.”
Bai Su was momentarily at a loss for words. His rejection was so swift and absolute that she found it hard to accept.
Young people these days—are there really still some who don’t want to be famous? If that were the case, how could “The Voice of China” be so popular?
“Do you know Tang Xin?” Bai Su stared into Tang Zhong’s eyes.
Tang Zhong straightened up, smiling as he looked at her. “You know her?”
For some reason, seeing his smiling face, Bai Su didn’t feel at ease. Instead, she felt a strange tension, as if some monster were lurking behind her, ready to pull a grotesque face the moment she turned around.
“Yes, I know her,” Bai Su said. “In fact, we’re quite close. I’m here today because of Tang Xin.”
“Oh. I’m not close to her,” Tang Zhong replied.
“Tang Zhong,” Bai Su said angrily, “Tang Xin is your sister. Your twin sister. She’s in trouble and needs your help.”
Tang Zhong grinned, revealing two neat rows of white teeth. “I told you, I don’t know her.”
“I know you hate her. You hate her and your mother for abandoning you. You resent that she’s never come to see you—” Bai Su raised her voice.
She rummaged through the bookshelf in the corner, pulled out several CDs and posters, and tossed them onto Tang Zhong’s desk. “You know her. Not only do you know her, you care about her. Otherwise, why would you have her CDs and posters?”
Tang Zhong fell silent.
After a long pause, he asked, his voice deep, “What’s wrong with her?”
“She’s having heart problems,” Bai Su said.
“I’m not a doctor,” Tang Zhong replied.
“She doesn’t need you to save her. The company has already sent her to the UK for surgery,” Bai Su explained.
“So what exactly do you want from me?” Tang Zhong frowned.
“Do you know Tang Xin’s situation?”
Tang Zhong squinted again, his trademark smile returning. “She’s a celebrity, isn’t she?”
“That’s right. Tang Xin is the lead singer of Butterfly.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“You have all her albums, so you should know Butterfly is a girl group that’s risen to fame in the past two years. The momentum is fantastic—we believe it could become the next legendary group. But Tang Xin’s heart condition now threatens Butterfly with disbandment—a crisis neither the company nor your sister wants to see.”
“And?” A vague sense of danger crept over Tang Zhong.
Bai Su’s expression grew solemn as she stared at him and enunciated each word: “You—will—be—her—stand-in.”
—
Tang Zhong’s mouth hung open. Was there anything more insane than this?
“You’re joking, right?” Tang Zhong managed.
“I have neither the time nor inclination to joke about the health of someone I care about,” Bai Su replied.
“You just said… Butterfly is a girl group?”
“Yes.”
“But I’m a man!” Tang Zhong protested.
He spread his legs, saying, “If you don’t believe me, check for yourself.”
Bai Su didn’t take him up on the offer.
“I know you’re a man. Tang Xin’s style is androgynous—we can easily style you the same way. Most importantly, you’re twins. Without any physical contact, no one will discover the truth.”
Bai Su leaned across the table, her full chest almost brushing Tang Zhong, presenting an alluring picture.
She hooked a finger under his chin, appraising his delicate, almost feminine features with a rogue’s seriousness, and exclaimed, “You look exactly alike! The resemblance was clear in photos, but seeing you in person, it’s uncanny—Tang Zhong, you’re perfect for this.”
No matter the reason, Tang Zhong, a man over six feet tall, had no desire to mix with a group of women and stand under the spotlight before thousands.
“I can’t sing.”
“You don’t need to.”
“My voice is low.”
“You won’t have to speak—the other members will cover for you.”
“I have an Adam’s apple.”
“We can conceal it with accessories.”
A sudden thought struck Tang Zhong. He pointed to his flat chest. “I don’t have breasts.”
“Neither does your sister,” Bai Su replied.
—
Tang Zhong wasn’t afraid of being a “fake”—he was afraid of being “effeminate.”
A man disguising himself as a woman—that was a travesty, an affront to any red-blooded man.
“I’d really like to help, but I can’t do this,” Tang Zhong said. “You’d better find another way. If this deception gets exposed, it will do even more damage to Butterfly’s reputation.”
“How do you know you can’t do it if you’ve never tried?” Bai Su persisted, refusing to give up. “Besides, it’s only temporary. Once Tang Xin’s surgery is over, your part is done. She’ll be herself again, you’ll be yourself, and there will be no further connection.”
—
Tang Zhong didn’t respond.
“Tang Xin is Butterfly’s captain. Taking the group to a bigger stage, aiming even for a Grammy—that’s her dream, her wish. We could announce her illness to the media and find a newcomer to replace her. But when she returns, would Butterfly still be the group it once was?”
Tang Zhong shook his head. “I’m a student. I’ve already been accepted to South University, and term starts in half a month. I have to study—I won’t have time to help you.”
“Tang Xin also attended South University,” Bai Su sighed softly.
Then, looking at Tang Zhong, she said gently, “Don’t worry. It won’t affect your studies. University courses are relaxed, and we’ll only need you when there are events. As soon as Tang Xin returns, your role ends. It won’t be for long.”
“What if she doesn’t come back?” Tang Zhong asked.
Bai Su looked at him and said, “Is that what you want?”
—
Tang Zhong gave a bitter smile.
If that were what he wanted, why would he have worked so hard to get into South University?
“I still can’t agree,” he said. “I have my own life. I don’t want to take anyone’s place.”
“Tang Zhong…” Bai Su drew out his name, hoping he’d reconsider.
“I’ve already given you my answer,” Tang Zhong said. He picked up a calligraphy brush. “Sorry. I need to practice my writing.”
The door opened, and the head of the household entered, his face as dark as ever—though with so much beard, his expression was always obscured.
He looked at Bai Su and said, “Come pick him up by car tomorrow.”
“What?” Bai Su was stunned. Hadn’t Tang Zhong refused?
“He’ll agree,” the bearded man said.
“All right, all right,” Bai Su replied quickly. “I’ll come for him tomorrow. You two have a good talk—I’ll take my leave.”
With that, she left, her face radiant with joy.
The bearded man pulled up a chair and sat opposite Tang Zhong. “Go,” he said.
“Why?”
“She’s your sister.”
“We’ve never even met.”
“She’s still your sister.”
“They left years ago and never once came to see us—”
“She is still your sister,” the bearded man insisted.
He looked at the CDs and posters on the desk. “I know you care about her. You bought all her albums, collected her posters, knew she was at South University, and got in yourself. She’s in trouble now—help her.”
No wonder Bai Su had been able to find his hidden stash; clearly, the head of the household had tipped her off.
Tang Zhong looked at his father, displeased. “Didn’t you say you’d let us talk on our own, that you wouldn’t get involved?”
“I don’t get involved in the discussion,” his father replied. “I only care about the result.”
—
“I really envy that you’re my father,” Tang Zhong said. If it were anyone else, he would have punched him by now.
The bearded man broke into a broad grin. Though his thick beard covered half his face, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes betrayed his true feelings.
“That’s the thing I’m most proud of in this life,” his father said, looking at Tang Zhong, his face and heart full of pride.
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