novelraw Chapter 56
Chapter 56
Chapter 56
A long corridor packed with staff; Yan Huan felt the thumb-drive Bai Yi had given him hop once in his palm.
The pocket that had bulged with his Bluetooth earbuds now lay flat—he had no idea where the buds had gone.
A booming voice rolled in from the stage:
"Give it up for the famous dancer, Kristina!!"
Yan Huan glanced at the corridor poster: Bai Yi's name sat right under "Kristina."
He needed to move.
"Meow-chan."
He strode toward backstage, expression unreadable, calling silently in his mind.
"Meow~"
On his shoulder the darkness seemed to open a pair of emerald eyes.
Look closer and you saw a fluffy black cat in a yellow scarf.
The soft mew meant "Done."
Yan Huan never turned; he simply flicked the USB toward her.
"Meow!"
Meow-chan opened her mouth and caught the drive between her teeth.
Her tail swished back and forth, brushing his shoulder.
Yan Huan stopped beside a door, leaned against the wall, and glanced through the glass at the racks of equipment.
A sign hung there:
"Media Room – Staff Only."
Inside, a man with a walkie-talkie spoke:
"BGM ready. Over."
"Copy that. Next guest doesn't need BGM—take five."
The staffer sipped coffee, skimmed the guest list, saw "Bai Yi," and nodded.
"Copy."
Yan Huan stayed by the door. Meow-chan had vanished.
At the sound of the last exchange he knocked lightly.
Tap-tap.
"Who is it?"
The staffer turned, saw a handsome boy holding a phone.
"Media teacher," Yan Huan called, "I'm the assistant for the next guest, Ichihara Nana. We'd like to swap the entrance music."
"Change the track?"
The man frowned, set his coffee down.
"You didn't say anything at rehearsal. Everything's locked in. No can do. Tell your talent it's impossible."
Yan Huan only smiled and lifted his phone.
"We already spoke with Golden Lion Group's lead. How about I call him? You can confirm with him directly."
The staffer hesitated, scratched his head, and reluctantly stepped outside, leaving half-finished coffee and his keys on the desk.
"Talking to Golden Lion's useless unless he calls the performance director. Without approval, I can't touch anything. I can't take the heat."
"Take the call first."
"Fine. But I'm telling you, same answer."
He stressed the point and walked out.
The instant he crossed the threshold, a ghostly black paw wrapped around the handle, tail coiling down to the lock.
Bang!
The security door slammed shut.
"What the hell?!"
The staffer spun, face white, yanking the handle.
Click-click.
Locked.
"What's going on?!"
He whirled on Yan Huan, words ready to fly, but Yan Huan wore perfect innocence.
"Bro, I never even went inside. Not my fault."
The man froze.
Right—this kid had never stepped into the room, and the door had shut the second he left.
No wind, no draft—how could it lock itself?
There was no time to puzzle it out.
The next cue had to hit on schedule. Fortunately, the upcoming seven-and-a-half-minute guest needed no BGM—he just had to open the door in time for Bai Yi's track, or it would be a full stage disaster.
Cold sweat beaded on his forehead. He shot Yan Huan a venomous glare.
"This is all on you! Cameras in the hall. If anything screws up, you and your talent are finished!"
Yan Huan took the blame without protest.
He just smiled. "All right."
The words nearly choked the staffer. He sucked in several breaths, then sprinted off to find another set of keys.
Yan Huan watched him go, smile still in place, gaze drifting back to the locked door.
Inside, the spectral cat waddled to the computer, USB in mouth, and wrestled it into the port.
Ding-dong~
"Meow?"
Meow-chan tilted her head at the "device connected" prompt, hopped onto the desk, and batted the mouse with a paw.
She dragged one file out of the drive and dropped it into place, then mewed, unplugged the USB with her teeth, and vanished.
The next second she reappeared on Yan Huan's shoulder, USB still clamped between tiny jaws.
"Meow~"
Yan Huan scratched her soft head.
"Being able to pop up anywhere within fifteen meters really saves the day, Meow-chan."
"Meow~"
Purring under the praise, she lifted her chin, as though every past accusation of "utterly useless" had just been erased.
Yan Huan glanced at his phone.
Right now he was probably tracking the lineup more closely than the actual staff.
Kristina's dance was nearly over; Bai Yi would take the stage in minutes.
As he moved toward the wings he opened Plane and texted Bai Yi:
Bai Yi, do you have Bluetooth earbuds connected to your phone? If not, there's a pair on the front table—mine. You can borrow them.
Meow-chan blinked out, reappearing in the dim corridor on the other side of the wall.
Yan Huan pressed his back to the partition.
On the far side, Bai Yi clutched her chest, breathing hard.
Spotlights lit Yan Huan's face as he typed; on the other side, Bai Yi's phone lit up in the unlit corridor, the only light in the cramped space.
She studied the earbuds, exhausted, and leaned against the wall—back to back with Yan Huan, neither aware.
Only the black cat, slipping between worlds, witnessed it all and mewed a sound Bai Yi couldn't hear.
"Meow~"
Emerald eyes watched Bai Yi tuck the earbuds into her pocket before the cat padded through solid wall and returned to the light on Yan Huan's shoulder.
"And now, please welcome Linmen's most popular new-generation idol!!"
"Miss Bai Yi!"
A voice sliced through the backstage bustle, sharp enough to reach the wings.
"Meow~"
"Miss Bai Yi, you're up next!"
The cat's chirp and the stagehand's shout overlapped.
Under the glare of the lights, Yan Huan snapped his phone shut and smiled.
In the shadows, Bai Yi lifted her head, face bloodless.
The next second they moved—one toward the blazing stage, the other deeper backstage—two parallel lines that would never meet, separated by a wall of light and noise.
Onstage, the gorgeous girl felt as if white-hot blades were pressed to her skin.
Every eye in the audience was a black hole pulling her in.
Backstage, the handsome boy slipped through the dark like a shadow.
His phone lit up; long fingers brushed the screen and settled on the Plane icon.
Bai Yi
Voice call initiated.
"Beep—"
"Beep—"
The glowing screen was a torch, a sun, a white hole in the gloom, sharp as a blade.
When the second ring sounded, it felt like a doorbell on the gate between worlds.
"Ding-ding~"
Onstage, Bai Yi—pale, sweating—froze.
Her trembling fingers rose to cover her ears.
Why is he calling?
I don't know.
But it has to be better than this.
The instant her fingertip found the earbud and accepted the call, the wall between worlds thinned and vanished.
"Yan Huan..."
The mic wasn't live, and Bai Yi's eyes were unfocused; she had no idea why she'd answered onstage.
But despair had cornered her—she felt she might actually die up there.
Anything, even a mistake, even a breach of protocol, was a lifeline.
She had no choice.
"Shh, Bai Yi."
His voice in the headphones was warm, the rest of the world muted.
"Remember, you're onstage right now."
Bai Yi blinked and said nothing. Only then did she seem to realize the host was holding out a microphone.
The host, thinking the crisis was over, exhaled in relief.
She was wrong.
Yan Huan spoke again, soft and smiling.
"Actually, I didn't give you those Bluetooth earbuds just to calm your nerves. I've prepared a surprise."
A surprise?
What surprise?
Backstage, Yan Huan watched staffers pace outside the media room, phones to their ears.
Inside the empty room, a black cat sat like a deity.
It studied the screen, lifted a paw, and clicked the left mouse button.
"Hum!"
The entire hall fell silent except for a sudden crackle from the speakers.
Then—
"Boom-boom-boom-boom!"
A drumbeat erupted.
The host, about to ask a question, froze.
Her eyes widened; Bai Yi's pupils shrank. The host's knees wobbled.
This isn't how rehearsal went, sis.
Below, Jiang Xiong glanced at Mrs. Zuo.
Mrs. Zuo rose, face like frost, but Jiang seized her wrist.
The director barked into his walkie-talkie at the media room.
Yet the room was empty; only frantic voices leaked through the locked security door.
"Yan Huan, you're insane," Bai Yi whispered.
She recognized the intro—her unreleased single.
Synth and drums crashed in like a gale.
Phones lowered, conversations died, and every head in the audience turned to the stage.
The weight of their gaze almost sent Bai Yi running.
She bit her lip, the mic still off, trembling.
Then Yan Huan's laughter drifted in.
"Well, I hate to say it, but it does feel like pushing a duck onto a perch. Still, the choice is yours, Bai Yi.
You can seize the moment and sing your new song for everyone, or let my stunt blow up into a stage disaster."
"You realize I'll be held responsible—"
"I'll take responsibility."
Her pupils widened; his voice was absolute.
"I know exactly what I'm doing. It's sudden, but don't mistake this for recklessness.
It's not fan hysteria trying to trap you.
It's because you want to sing.
Because your new song is genuinely brilliant."
Seconds ticked by; the irresistible pre-chorus neared its peak.
Bai Yi's grip on the microphone tightened.
"Don't worry about forgetting the lyrics. Don't worry about nerves. I'll stay on the line and read them to you.
So decide, Bai Yi."
She swallowed.
Her fingers quivered—then flipped the mic switch.
Resolve flashed across her face; the host beside her looked ready to faint.
"Everyone!"
Bai Yi clenched her teeth and shut her eyes.
Just before the first verse, she spoke into the mic to the entire hall.
"I'm Bai Yi, here today as a guest of the Linmen Game Expo! I've written a brand-new song just for you—I hope you like it!"
The audience didn't grasp the deeper meaning; many were meeting Bai Yi for the first time.
But music is a universal tongue. Once rhythm and melody rose, they felt they already knew the girl onstage.
"Whoooo!"
Backstage, Yan Huan smiled and lifted his phone.
"Also, when you said you didn't want me to idolize you—I disagree.
Anyone who can write a song this good, apologize sincerely for her darkness, and now stand up and sing...
Isn't that someone worth admiring?"
Tears threatened to spill from Bai Yi's eyes.
Below, raised hands and shining faces seemed to melt into warmth.
The cold scrutiny of her mother's gaze softened into genuine curiosity and care.
The combined force of those gazes and Yan Huan's voice in her ears flooded her with strength.
Yes, her mother was still watching.
But now, so was everyone else—really watching.
But right now, he had to be watching her.
No matter what, she would finish this song.
"All right, Bai Yi—here we go! One, two, three!"
The punchy, irresistible intro seized the entire hall the same way it had once grabbed Yan Huan's attention.
The verse was about to start. Bai Yi drew a deep breath and sang with the voice in her headphones.
["Are there some words that always make you cry?"]
["You think you're stupid, you think you'll never say them right?"]
["I want to be my own idol, I don't want chains."]
She hadn't warmed up, hadn't done any vocal prep, so the first lines came out a little stiff.
But she clutched the mic as if it were a mast in a storm, letting the wind and rain howl around her.
"This is insane. Absolutely insane."
Mrs. Zuo's face had gone pale; her knuckles were white on the edge of the table.
Jiang Xiong only watched Bai Yi—watched the wooden puppet of a girl spark to life, energy crackling through every limb.
Backstage, two supervisors with walkie-talkies hurried over, faces grim.
"Mrs. Zuo, Mr. Jiang—we just spoke with Miss Bai's agent. She says she knew nothing about this change and asked us to check with you."
The moment Mrs. Zuo spotted the Golden Lion Group logo on their badges, her color drained. She forced an awkward smile.
"It's, um, not—"
Jiang Xiong lifted a hand, resting it on her shoulder and gently pressing her back into her seat.
Then he removed his glasses with his left hand and looked at the supervisors.
"My apologies for the disruption. We approved Miss Bai's last-minute change. Any contractual penalties—our account."
Mrs. Zuo frowned, about to protest, but the weight of Jiang Xiong's hand kept her silent.
The supervisors hesitated; the hall was filling by the second, cheers rising with the beat. They exchanged glances, unsure what to say.
The track was upbeat, catchy—perfect for the young crowd that swarmed the expo.
Gleaming synths, a hook that latched onto your ears, and a girl onstage pouring her soul into every note.
Coser groups posing for photos abandoned their spots; attendees from other halls streamed in.
Phones and glow sticks rose like a galaxy behind the rail.
The supervisors finally sighed.
"We'll talk after the set. For now—let it run."
"Understood. Thank you." Jiang Xiong slipped his glasses back on and waved them off.
"What are you doing? 'We'll pay'—pay for what? That girl's acting on her own!"
"It's already done. Dwelling on it now won't help."
Jiang Xiong exhaled, eyes on the stage.
"If the song were awful—if she were bombing—I'd be furious, same as you.
But look around. Look at her.
Everyone loves it. I've never seen her this alive, this focused, at any event.
Mrs. Zuo, be honest—does this look like the girl you said never takes anything seriously?"
Mrs. Zuo blinked, frown still in place.
"Even so, she should have told me first!"
"Did she ever try? Didn't she say she wanted to sing?"
Mrs. Zuo opened her mouth—then closed it.
Jiang Xiong gave a helpless chuckle and turned back to the stage.
"The execution may have been sloppy, but the result isn't bad, is it?
Discipline later; for now we stand with her—understood, Jiang Qin?"
Mrs. Zuo's expression stayed sour, yet she couldn't argue. She folded her arms and stared at the stage.
Under the spotlight, the girl seemed to glow.
From stiff, hesitant syllables she slipped into the groove, every word carved from sleepless nights.
Composition, arrangement, lyrics—hers alone. How could she stumble over something she had lived inside for months?
A tilt of her head and her voice soared.
A twitch of her lips and a perfect run spilled out.
By the second chorus the main hall was packed, arms pumping in time with the beat.
The guitar solo rose like a volcano on the verge of eruption, lifting the energy that had dipped after the last refrain.
Breathless, Bai Yi realized she could no longer hear the ticking of the pocket watch, no longer Yan Huan's voice.
She touched her earbud—only silence. He had hung up somewhere along the way.
A soft laugh escaped her.
The safety she had felt beside him vanished, and she longed to draw close again.
Gasping, she scanned the crowd for the boy with the handsome profile—impossible in that sea of faces.
But his voice still echoed in her head; his face floated before her eyes.
Looking down at the shining eyes fixed on her, feeling the weight lift from her chest, she pressed a hand over her heart.
In the lightning flash of the guitar break, head bowed, she spoke.
"This song is for a fan I've known for... forever."
"Ooooooh?!" The crowd exploded—everyone loves gossip.
The game expo now felt like a full-blown concert.
"I used to be so jealous—of how brilliant he was, how effortlessly cool.
I never imagined the guy I resented would become the compass that pointed me forward."
She brushed a strand of hair behind one ear; the gesture drew another wave of cheers.
"He says he's my fan, but honestly, I'm his fan too.
So—to thank him, to apologize, whatever it takes—this song is his gift.
Thank you. Thank you for everything!!
Here comes the final chorus—Fan A, I hope you're listening!!!"
The last refrain surged, key lifted the instant the guitars cut out.
Bai Yi circled the stage, waving, while the trembling MC watched in awe.
Every listener felt the song speak to them personally.
[Fan A, are your feelings overflowing, afraid they'll come to nothing?]
Sakuramiya Hitomi blinked, lost in thought.
Beside her, Yua Lina shrieked herself hoarse, grabbing random strangers.
"She goes to our school!! Waaaaah, she's incredible!!"
Ashley tried to pretend she didn't know the girl, but Yua Lina used her sleeve as a tissue; Ashley wanted to die.
[Fan A, do dreams endure, only to fade to emptiness at the end?]
At the edge of the hall, Hashimoto crouched, glasses fogged with tears.
He lifted his head toward the stage, but the lights blurred into streaks—he could only see the cruel smile of Ms. Shijo Ai in his mind.
He bowed his head and cried harder.
[Fan A, are you stumbling in the dark, terrified the future will melt into mist?]
Spencer lay dazed on a stretcher inside the venue, arms locked around a black duffel bag.
Around her, Golden Lion Group security in neon vests and medics in white coats prepared to wheel her out.
Out in the corridor, An Le—still worried sick—heard a gorgeous voice behind her and couldn't help glancing back.
She bit her lip, cheeks flushing as she stared at the chat log with Xiao Huan on her phone, unable to speak.
[Fan A, because you can't live up to everyone else's hopes, you can only be yourself.]
Back on stage, Bai Yi returned to center stage just as the melody crested, igniting the entire convention.
The accompaniment exploded into a final chord like fireworks that bloom only to vanish.
A hush fell; every soul in the hall was stunned by the raw, vibrant life in Bai Yi's voice.
In the breathless silence, the beautiful girl swept her star-bright gaze over the crowd and locked on one point.
She spun the mic once at her side with her left hand, then shaped her right hand like a pistol and fired.
As the last note died, under the eyes of thousands, she shouted,
"Thank you, Fan A!!"
The bullet of pure feeling shot along the line of her finger-gun.
It zipped past applauding VIPs in the front rows,
soared above the forest of waving glow sticks and raised hands,
pierced the roar of voices and the searing heat of the moment—
until it reflected off the emerald-green eyes of a poised black cat sitting in the sunlit doorway.
The cat tilted its head and mewed,
"Meow~"
"Meow-chan."
A heartbeat later, a laughing call came from the bright entrance. The phantom cat turned.
It gave a light bound, leapt onto the shoulder of the boy whose back was all anyone could see,
rubbed its cheek against his, and delivered the girl's heart to him.
The boy half turned, revealing a striking profile, and murmured as if to himself,
"Fan A, huh."
Then he vanished into the sunlight flooding the doorway.
"Ohhhhhhhhhh!!"
"Bai Yi!! Bai Yi!!"
Only the deafening cheers of the encore remained to echo through the hall.
(End of Chapter)