After Being Reborn, He Became An Ace In A Boy Band Chapter 14

Chapter 14: How About a Duo Livestream? “Jiang Yilan! What the hell are you…”

Right after the promotional period ended, Wei Qiyao urged Li Xun to come home.

Jiang Yilan’s father, Jiang Hongli, had also returned to the country. He had only just heard that his son had suffered amnesia. Previously, Wei Qiyao hadn’t wanted him to worry while he was abroad, so she hadn’t told him. After seeing his son, he still couldn’t believe it, thinking the mother and son were playing a joke on him.

Jiang Hongli was still tall and straight despite his age, and he had maintained his figure well without gaining weight. Jiang Yilan inherited his excellent proportions from him. Li Xun stood before him, still unable to utter the word “Dad.”

Jiang Hongli could tell that the son standing before him had a completely different aura than before. The previous Jiang Yilan exuded arrogance and conceit from the inside out, but now that was gone. His expression was calm and gentle; it was no exaggeration to say he truly seemed like a different person.

Seeing her husband remain silent, Wei Qiyao comforted him, “Lilan has changed so much now. He’s become so motivated. It might even be a blessing in disguise, don’t you think? As long as he’s safe and healthy, that’s what matters.”

Jiang Hongli would check the internet for news about his son even when he was abroad, so he knew his son had been working hard this time, and his online reputation had improved significantly.

They were parents, so of course they couldn’t bear to see Jiang Yilan being scolded online before, though they wouldn’t mention it to Jiang Yilan himself. If they got too annoyed, they would simply stop looking at online comments. When Wei Qiyao contacted him this time, although she didn’t mention the amnesia, she told him that Lilan was getting better and many fans were praising him. Only then did Jiang Hongli search for his news online again.

“Yes, as long as he’s safe and sound,” Jiang Hongli sighed.

After only a few days at home, Jiang Yilan had to return to the Company Dormitory. His reason was that there were still many old songs and dances he didn’t know, and he needed to practice quickly, or he wouldn’t catch up.

His parents couldn’t stop him. Before he left, they cooked a table full of his favorite dishes again.

Now, Li Xun was the only one in the dormitory, which felt cold and deserted. He cleaned the entire dormitory. Aside from the other members’ rooms, which he couldn’t enter, the common areas were spotless.

In the past, he would go out with his sister when he was free—eating, shopping, and watching movies—but he couldn’t do that now. He might be recognized even with a mask on, and he couldn’t go to Li Mo’s school either.

[Want to come over to Gege’s place? They’re all out] Li Xun messaged her. [I’ll cook for you]

[I want to eat [Crying emoji] It’s been so long, I dream about eating it [Crying emoji]]

Li Xun asked Xiao Cheng to help him pick her up downstairs and bring her in. Xiao Cheng hesitated, then couldn’t hold back, whispering conspiratorially, “Lan Ge, be careful not to get caught.”

“Don’t overthink it. This is my sister.”

“Ah?… What kind of sister?”

“Biological sister.”

“…”

Xiao Cheng didn’t dare ask any more, afraid he might accidentally uncover a shareholder’s illegitimate daughter scandal.

The next day was Sunday. Li Xun asked her if she wanted to stay over. She could sleep in his room, and he would sleep on the living room sofa.

The sofa in their dormitory was large and soft, perfectly fine for sleeping. Li Mo truly didn’t want to leave. The last time she had sat down and chatted properly with her brother was right after the accident, when he came to find her. She hadn’t even been given time to process things; it was as if she and Li Xun had been pulled onto another timeline. The pace pushed Li Xun forward, and as his sister, she couldn’t help him at all. Almost every time she contacted him, Li Xun was busy with various things, having to carve out time just to reply. All she could do was pray before bed every night that her brother would still be alive and safe in this world the next day, and that none of this was a hallucination caused by her excessive grief.

Li Mo would find it hard to forget the moment she first learned of the accident. Besides the overwhelming breakdown, her only thought was hatred for the world. She couldn’t understand why her brother, such a good person, had to be the one.

“Gege, you’ve worked hard,” Li Mo suddenly said.

Li Xun was standing at the table, wearing an apron, having just placed a steaming dish down. He paused at her words and smiled. “It’s only three dishes, it’s not that hard.”

Li Mo returned his smile without explaining, picked up a piece of pork rib from the lotus root and pork rib stew, and praised it highly: “Delicious!”

Li Mo had brought him a chestnut cake when she arrived. She bought it from the bakery downstairs from her dormitory. Li Xun used to buy one every time he visited her school; it was cheap and tasty. Li Xun scooped a spoonful into his mouth. Thankfully, the taste was still very much to his liking.

The siblings chatted until late before falling asleep. The next day, Li Xun finally got to sleep in, but then someone returned.

Li Xun was still groggy when the sound of the door closing woke him up. He propped himself up, momentarily forgetting where he was.

“Huh? You’re back.” Seeing that the person who returned was Tang Ruining, Li Xun rubbed his eyes, still half-asleep.

Tang Ruining looked at him strangely. “Why are you sleeping on the sofa?”

“Ah, I…” He wanted to say my sister, but felt that was wrong. As he was mentally scrambling for the right words, the bedroom door opened. Li Mo stood at the doorway, also momentarily stunned by the sudden return of someone.

Tang Ruining looked at the unfamiliar girl standing there, then at Jiang Yilan lying down, his face shifting from confusion to anger.

“Jiang Yilan! What the hell are you doing!” he roared.

Li Xun blinked. His recently awakened brain hadn’t quite caught up yet… What did he do?

“You used to… and now you even dare to bring people back here. You’re really something.” Tang Ruining threw the things he was carrying onto the floor, though no one paid attention to what they were.

“I actually thought you had really changed,” he laughed mockingly, almost self-deprecatingly. Then he pressed his lips together, as if restraining something, his chest heaving violently.

Li Xun finally realized that Tang Ruining had misunderstood. It was true; this scene was difficult to explain.

But Li Xun could see that Tang Ruining’s anger was mixed with great disappointment. If this had happened before, Tang Ruining would have been angry then too, but that would have been pure disgust and contempt, not like this, where he was clearly infuriated with himself.

Li Xun threw off the blanket, walked a few steps closer, and smiled helplessly, asking gently, “Can you give me a moment to explain?”

Tang Ruining stared at him without speaking, his hands clenched tightly at his sides, still looking furious.

Li Xun turned and called Li Mo, “Mo Mo, come here.”

Li Mo shuffled over in Jiang Yilan’s oversized slippers, a little afraid of the man suppressing his rage. She certainly recognized Tang Ruining. At this moment, she was thinking that Tang Ruining’s cool, cold-faced persona in public wasn’t an act; he was just like this in private.

“Her name is Li Mo, and she is… Li Xun’s sister.”

Hearing that name, Tang Ruining froze. He widened his eyes and looked at the girl’s face again. She did bear some resemblance to Li Xun.

“I said last time that I would find a way to make amends, even though what happened can’t be undone…” Li Xun paused, looking at Li Mo, and said softly, “I looked into it. Li Xun’s only relative was his sister. So I found her and asked her to treat me as her brother from now on. I will look after her like my own sister for the rest of my life.”

He looked at Li Mo, and Li Mo looked back at him, her large eyes filled with confusion.

But she quickly reacted, nodding affirmatively to Tang Ruining. “Yes… that’s right.”

Tang Ruining looked suspiciously between the two of them for a few rounds. Li Xun chuckled, “If we were really what you thought, why would I be sleeping on the sofa?”

Li Mo also said, “It’s really not what you think. He… Yilan Ge is very good to me. There was no inappropriate behavior at all. He just cooked for me and we chatted. He wants me to treat him like a brother, truly.”

“Jiang Yilan also doesn’t have any siblings. It just so happens that we agreed to treat each other like family from now on,” Li Mo quickly fabricated, inwardly admiring her own quick thinking.

The anger on Tang Ruining’s face had subsided. He looked at Li Mo again, as if seeing the person who used to smile at him on her face.

After a moment, Tang Ruining said in a low voice, “I’m very sorry about your brother’s accident.”

Li Mo lowered her eyes and shook her head.

Li Xun picked up the things Tang Ruining had thrown on the floor. Inside were two containers of takeout desserts.

“Is this the place I ordered from last time?” Li Xun opened the bag. The lid of one container had been knocked off, and the taro balls and milk had spilled all over the bag.

Tang Ruining turned his head, unwilling to answer right now.

Li Xun looked up and smiled at him. “It’s okay, one box is fine. I’ll just order delivery again. Mo Mo, this dessert place is really good. I’ll order two more portions to be delivered. What do you want?”

Li Xun had told them in the group chat when he returned to the dormitory, so Tang Ruining knew he was here.

“What do you two want for lunch?” Li Xun asked as he cleaned up the bag. “There are still a lot of leftover ribs from yesterday. I’ll stir-fry two fresh dishes.”

Li Mo had bought a lot of groceries when she came. Through their time together, Li Xun had noticed that Tang Ruining was actually quite picky about food. Although he never raised objections at the dinner table, there were quite a few dishes he wouldn’t touch.

Li Mo went to the kitchen to help, whispering to him, “Ge, you’re such a good actor. I almost couldn’t keep up with your performance.”

“Necessity, necessity,” Li Xun sighed, then added, “I think you handled it very well.”

When the dishes were ready and placed on the table, Tang Ruining noticed that the two new dishes were exactly the ones he liked: braised eggplant and moo shu pork. Tang Ruining glanced at Jiang Yilan, unsure if it was a coincidence.

Li Xun also made an egg drop soup and served two bowls, placing them in front of Tang Ruining and Li Mo.

Li Mo clapped enthusiastically. “It smells so good.”

During the meal, Li Mo was careful not to talk too much, afraid of accidentally letting something slip. Tang Ruining did ask her a few questions, such as whether she was still in school and where she lived.

“I’ll start my internship next year,” Li Mo said. Tang Ruining listened to her school name and nodded. “That’s a good university. Your grades must be excellent.”

“They’re okay,” Li Mo replied. Li Xun couldn’t help but interject, “They’re very good, don’t be modest.”

Tang Ruining saw a hint of pride on Jiang Yilan’s face. Li Mo smiled at him, and they truly looked like biological siblings.

When Li Mo was about to leave, Tang Ruining spoke to her privately.

“If you ever need help in the future, besides Jiang Yilan, you can also come to me, as long as I can assist. Your brother and I… we weren’t close, but we were supposed to be teammates once.”

Li Mo nodded, warmth swelling in her heart. “Thank you.”

Tang Ruining paused, lowering his voice. “Jiang Yilan… he really is very different now. He’s changed a lot. He’s trying hard to make up for the mistakes he made, even though it’s nothing compared to what you lost.”

“Yes, I know. I can tell he’s sincere.” Li Mo smiled at him. “People have to move forward, I understand.”

Li Xun asked Xiao Cheng to send Li Mo off again. Once they were the only two left in the dormitory, Li Xun finally remembered to ask, “Ruining, why did you suddenly come back?”

“I had a fight with my family,” Tang Ruining said quickly, as if he had already prepared his answer.

“Ah…” Li Xun didn’t want to pry into someone else’s family matters, and he didn’t have any experience with that either.

“Yesterday, Rong Xiao Ge mentioned the livestream during the break again in the group,” Li Xun suddenly recalled. This was a perfect opportunity to tackle the headache-inducing livestream task, so he suggested, “How about we do a duo livestream?”