Fang Jun's Fear of Loss

“Hey, if Cai Junhuang gets selected and debuts, then what about you two...”

An Yuexin didn’t finish his sentence, but everyone at the table understood the unspoken half.

Fang Jun was staring blankly at his phone when the question caught him off guard. His hand twitched, and the phone case slipped around his fingers before he managed to grab it firmly.

He didn’t answer right away. His chest felt tight, but he still couldn’t help taking a deep breath.

“We... we don’t even have a starting point. Maybe it’ll just fizzle out without going anywhere.”

He spoke those words against his heart.

Fang Jun was smart—how could he not have thought about this?

As a guy who liked Cai Junhuang, deep down he naturally wanted her to fail.

But at the same time, he wanted her to succeed.

Because this was the dream Cai Junhuang worked toward every single day.

That was exactly why he was so torn.

He was happy, yet confused.

This conflicting emotion was tearing him apart.

He also felt a bit lost.

Fang Jun had actually figured things out in his own head.

His family wasn’t poor—even if he just managed a few rental properties as a landlord in the future, he could live a comfortable life.

But in the face of Cai Junhuang’s dream, those things seemed crass, even embarrassing.

That dream meant spotlights, red carpets, and the cheers of thousands of fans.

Lin Mo leaned back in his chair, watching Fang Jun’s distracted expression, and asked, “If she asks you to wait, would you wait?”

Fang Jun froze, staying silent for a long time before finally shaking his head.

“I don’t know. I’m only eighteen. How would I know if I’m willing to wait for a girl? She might debut, stay popular forever, go on shows, shoot films, become a huge star, meet tons of amazing people... Who would I even be?”

He let out a self-mocking laugh, the light in his eyes dimming a little.

This kind of dislocation in class and social circles was the most torturous thing.

At school, everyone wore the same uniform and ate the same snacks—the gap wasn’t obvious.

But the moment that door called “idol” opened, he’d have to buy a ticket just to see her.

Hearing Fang Jun’s words, Lin Mo understood.

Fang Jun had started feeling inferior.

And that made sense. The girl he liked—actually, the girl who seemed to like him too—was about to take off. Even if Fang Jun was a future landlord, neither his social standing nor his abilities could ever catch up to Cai Junhuang.

An Yuexin listened, scratching his head in frustration.

If he put himself in that position—if Mai Chuwen went off to become an entertainer and blew up—he’d probably question his own existence on the spot.

Lin Mo patted Fang Jun on the shoulder.

He didn’t feed Fang Jun any clichés about true love conquering all, nor did he guarantee that Cai Junhuang would never change.

For a guy facing this kind of hurdle, no one else’s help mattered—he had to grit his teeth and walk through it himself.

“Why think so much about it? She hasn’t even debuted yet.”

Lin Mo tapped the table, his tone matter-of-fact. “When that day actually comes, whether you chase after her or just hide in your rental place watching her movies, that’s your choice. Thinking about it now is completely useless.”

Fang Jun didn’t reply. He pulled out his phone again and opened the pinned conversation.

The last message was from just now—Cai Junhuang had said she was going back to the dance studio.

Fang Jun typed, “So you’re still going to practice?” then deleted it.

Then he typed, “Take a break,” and deleted it again.

In the end, he sent nothing, just flipped the phone face-down on the table. The anxiety of hope and fear was cranked to the max.

Lin Mo glanced out the window. The wave of the idol competition wasn’t over yet, but the wall inside Fang Jun’s heart already seemed ready to crack under the surf.

“Alright, stop looking so dead. We’ve still got more to do after this meal—it’s not every day Brother Mo is back.” An Yuexin tried to liven things up.

Fang Jun waved his hand. “You’re right, I get it. I just still have this... I don’t know how to describe it. Forget it, you guys eat. I’m heading to the restroom.”

Watching Fang Jun’s retreating figure, An Yuexin sighed. “Lin Mo, does this entertainment world really screw people up that badly? Can it change someone so fast?”

Lin Mo shook his head. “It’s not the world that changes people. It’s their perspective. Once you’ve seen Mount Tai, looking back at the little dirt pile in your front yard—it’s never the same.”

An Yuexin scratched his head. “So that little dirt pile, Fang Jun—does he still have a chance?”

“Depends on whether he wants to become another mountain himself.”

Lin Mo felt like he had an answer in his hands, but it seemed unfair not to share it with Fang Jun.

Yet he also felt that his answer had somehow expired.

After all, behind the three judges who’d been paid off were definitely people with even bigger agendas.

With this question nagging at him, Lin Mo hacked into the phones of those three judges.

He started searching for related information and phone numbers.

He had to admit, the abilities from the system were way too overpowered.

In no time, Lin Mo found the target.

Piao Haoming of a Korean YJJ Entertainment agency—the manager.

That guy wasn’t at the venue, but he was still in Yangcheng.

As long as he was in Yangcheng, Lin Mo could lock onto him easily.

From just a glance, Lin Mo pinpointed Piao Haoming.

Right then, Piao Haoming had just woken up, with two women sleeping on either side of him.

But Piao Haoming’s movements were brutal—he kicked them straight to the floor.

"Ah, seba, you're in my way."

This Korean clearly had no habit of showing any tenderness or care for women, and the woman kicked off the bed was also very docile, showing no sign of resistance. Of course, it was also because Piao Haoming was generous with his money.

He casually pulled out a stack of US dollars and placed it on the table.

That alone was enough to shut these people up.

He got up, took a shower, changed into a neat set of clothes, and went out, while the two women had already tidied up everything in the meantime and left.

By the time this guy woke up, it was almost evening, and after getting ready and heading out, it was already around eight or nine o'clock.

After eating a Western dinner alone, he went to a bar.

In the bar, loud music and dancing filled the air, but Piao Haoming was drinking alone in a private booth.

He didn't order any drinking companions, nor was he with a group of people. Instead, he idly watched the people dancing on the floor. He waited until after midnight before his phone finally rang.

"Mr. Piao, everything you asked me to do has been arranged. That girl named Cai Junhuang has successfully advanced to the next round."

"Well done. Just follow the normal procedure for the rest."

"Got it, Mr. Piao!"

After hanging up the phone, Piao Haoming seemed lost in thought, then pulled out another phone to make an international call.

Speaking in his native Korean, he said:

"Alright, what's next?"

"Do nothing. The rest no longer needs you to handle."

Then the call ended.

Piao Haoming just sneered coldly, paid no attention, and continued drinking on his own.

Seeing all this, Lin Mo stroked his chin.

"Why does this way of doing things feel so familiar? One link cut off from another, each person handling their own part."

Thinking about this, Lin Mo was reminded of an old acquaintance from Tianjing.