Chapter 49: Your Dad Is Here
Pu Tong actually found his own fan super-topic.
Hundreds of thousands of “Tong Students.”
Although it wasn’t as big as celebrity fan communities, for a non-celebrity, it wasn’t a small number.
Honestly speaking, being liked by so many people should have been something to be happy about. Everyone in life seeks recognition, and he was no exception.
“Let me see what these fans are even talking about,” Pu Tong muttered, casually scrolling through a few posts.
Most of them were edited photos from his variety show, all styled quite well.
The captions were things like “this damn youthful vibe.”
There were also video edits of his scenes from the show, showing decent editing skills.
Each post had around a hundred comments—clearly quite an active fanbase.
Soon, he found the post He Suyi had mentioned: a “dragging comparison” post, and the instigator turned out to be a fan of Xie Mu…
So your “idol” is already my little brother, huh?
Fans were like that—sometimes the idols themselves got along well, but the fans fought like enemies.
His own fans were fighting back hard in the comments too; it was basically a battlefield.
If it were someone else’s fan war, he’d just watch it for entertainment. But since it involved him, it felt uncomfortable.
He didn’t care whether he had fans or not—but if he already did, he didn’t want them supporting him in the wrong way.
He didn’t need marketing or to squeeze money from fans. He just hoped those who liked him could become better people.
After hesitating for a long time, Pu Tong decided to post something to guide his fans’ values.
……
He Suyi was a little happy today.
Being seriously acknowledged by her idol was a very happy thing.
Unlike other fans who never got a response, she already felt like she had won.
She had always known Pu Tong before he became famous. Now it just felt like her neighborly older brother had suddenly become a superstar.
For a teenage girl, that kind of dreamlike feeling was extremely attractive.
She used to call him “brother,” but after he became famous, she suddenly didn’t have the courage anymore.
But today, he was still the same Pu Tong—no arrogance, no celebrity airs.
While others called idols “brother” as a title, for her, he was really her brother.
She opened her phone and checked his fan super-topic again.
“Huh?”
A new post had appeared from an ordinary user.
That username… wasn’t that Pu Tong himself?
She quickly opened it.
Ordinary user:
“In my opinion, when you chase stars, you are actually chasing yourself. You are designing an ideal version of your own life, your goals, the kind of person you want to become.
In the end, what you’re chasing is your own shadow. We all live in the real world, and reality is not perfect. You can’t always get what you want.
But you can at least build a virtual space where you project an ideal self.
You look at that person, that goal, and think: that is the kind of person I want to be. But in the end, what is projected back onto yourself is the hope that you will become as excellent and successful as they are.
I hope idols can become goals that encourage you. And in this world, the person you should love most—besides your parents—is yourself.”
Pu Tong didn’t want to lecture from a high position, nor did he want to teach people how to live. Everyone had the right to like what they liked.
He just wanted to help his fans form a healthier mindset.
Even if only one or two people listened, that would already be good enough.
He Suyi stared at the long post, then recalled what he had just said to her, deep in thought.
Yes—wasn’t “admiration” originally meant to emphasize the power of role models?
If chasing idols doesn’t help you improve yourself, but instead brings negativity into your life, then what’s the point?
Pu Tong looked at the comments, many of which were self-reflective, and felt a mix of emotions.
He had once thought about rallying his fans to study together—but that sounded a bit unrealistic.
If the whole fan community started discussing studying… that would be amazing.
Imagine if all fans could use the same energy they put into chasing idols into studying. How much progress would that be?
Studying is not only about learning knowledge, but also about maintaining deep thinking—constantly correcting one’s understanding of the world and oneself, and growing through it.
Good thing he loved studying…
If everyone could be like him, that would be… pretty cool.
As the “idol,” he had said what needed to be said. Whether fans listened or not was no longer up to him.
Just as he was about to start studying, he heard the sound of a key turning at the door.
“Son, come out! Your dad is here!”
The voice definitely belonged to his father—but why did it sound so strange?
It felt like something straight out of a university dorm chat…
Pu Tong walked into the living room, and before he could react, he was pulled into a tight hug by a pair of strong arms.
Behind him stood a burly man—his father, Pu Luo.
“Son, miss me?”
His father’s body was so strong that Pu Tong could barely breathe under the hug.
“Missed you… so much…”
He had only spoken to his father a few times over the past month since transmigrating, and this was their first real meeting.
It felt… a bit intimidating.
“Haven’t seen you for a while, and you’ve really grown up!” Pu Luo patted his head, confused. “But I remember you didn’t know how to play guitar before?”
“I secretly learned it!” Pu Tong quickly replied.
His parents were often away, so it wasn’t strange for him to pick up a new skill.
“Really?” His father looked unconvinced.
“Of course. Maybe I just have some talent…”
“Cough, Dad, why are you back suddenly? Is your crew done filming?”
“Almost. We’re going to shoot a variety show this weekend, but most of the main filming is finished…”
“A variety show?”
That clicked everything into place. So that’s what he had forgotten.
His father’s crew was filming a historical drama—it should be Jade Journey, which was also the filming location for Episode 4 of the show When You Are Young.
“But I still have to warn you a bit,” his father said seriously. “I support you starting a business or becoming an entertainer, but I don’t recommend early dating.”
“I’m not dating anyone!”
“I’m just speaking as someone experienced,” his father said wisely. “Boys out there need to protect themselves. Back then, I was actually the one who got chased by your mom…”
“Huh?”
So even his dad was the type to be pursued?
"Wait... why did I say 'too'?"
(End of Chapter)
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