Chapter 187 : The One with True Intentions
"How did this even happen?!"
As the spotlight shone on her, Ling Ning felt helpless. She had specifically switched seats with her daughter after Bai Yiyue’s assistant left, fearing that Bai Yiyue might pull strings to drag her on stage for a duet. Yet somehow, they’d still managed to find her. She couldn’t believe her luck was good enough to be randomly chosen out of such a huge crowd—this had to be rigged!
But even if it was, there was no fighting it now.
Ling Ye looked at her mom with admiration. “You’ve got this, Mom! I’m cheering for you!”
“Ling Ning, what are you standing around for? Get up there already!” Xu Qing urged, so excited you’d think she was the one heading on stage.
With a resigned sigh, Ling Ning stood and began making her way up. There was no getting out of this.
When Bai Yiyue saw that Ling Ning was the one chosen to sing with her, she was just as surprised. After all, she hadn’t rigged the selection. But thinking back, it made sense—Ling Ning had always had amazing luck. As a kid, she’d always won at rock-paper-scissors, and she could win a free soda ten times in a row.
Guided by a staff member, Ling Ning made her way onto the stage, feeling the pressure of so many eyes on her. Even her thick skin, honed by her days handing out flyers, felt the strain.
The song for the duet was Bai Yiyue’s debut single, “Ling,” her most famous track. Fortunately, Ling Ning was well-acquainted with it; she’d even sung it multiple times at karaoke yesterday. She should be fine… or so she thought, until she glanced at the sea of faces in the crowd, and the pressure immediately mounted again.
Sensing Ling Ning’s nerves, Bai Yiyue walked over and took her hand. The instant Bai Yiyue’s hand held hers, Ling Ning felt an inexplicable calm wash over her, a familiar, comforting sense of security. It was as if she had felt this way before…
Wait, when was “before”?
Before she could think further, the familiar melody began, and despite the lack of rehearsal, the two harmonized as if they’d sung together countless times.
“Wow, Mom’s singing sounds amazing!” Ling Ye whispered with excitement.
Xu Qing nodded in agreement. “Yeah, she sounds even better than yesterday! If Ling Ning became a singer, I’m sure she’d have a huge following.”
Watching from the audience, Bai Yiyue’s manager, Wu Zi, felt something was different about her star. Though Bai Yiyue’s performance was flawless, something felt off. Her gaze shifted to Ling Ning, the young woman holding Bai Yiyue’s hand.
According to Wang Jiaqi, this was Bai Yiyue’s old friend, Ling Ning. Wu Zi frowned, trying to recall if her boss had ever mentioned anyone by that name. There was something strangely familiar about Ling Ning, but Wu Zi couldn’t place it.
When the song ended, Bai Yiyue gave Ling Ning a quick hug before she stepped off stage. Ling Ning used the moment to whisper in her ear, “My friends would love some autographs…”
“No problem! I’ll send my assistant over after the concert,” Bai Yiyue replied with a smile.
The concert soon reached its finale. As Bai Yiyue finished her last song, the event officially ended. Ling Ning’s group, already aware of the plan, remained seated while the other audience members filed out.
A short while later, Bai Yiyue’s assistant, Wang Jiaqi, returned to escort them backstage. Although Ling Ning had originally intended to include Chen Ruo and her daughter, they had already left with Lin Yue.
In Bai Yiyue’s private dressing room, Ling Ning was barely through the door before she was enveloped in a hug from Bai Yiyue. Her friend’s delighted voice followed.
“Ling Ning! Ling Ning! Did you like my singing?”
Ling Ning sighed, amused. “Yes, yes, Yiyue’s singing is the best.”
Ling Ning’s companions, except for Ling Ye, stared in shock. This cheerful, affectionate girl was the same Bai Yiyue they knew from the stage?
Noticing the shift in atmosphere, Bai Yiyue reluctantly let go of Ling Ning and turned to greet the others with a smile. “Hello, everyone! I’m Bai Yiyue, Ling Ning’s childhood friend. We only recently reconnected. Feel free to call me Yiyue.”
The mention of “Xiao Bai” made Xu Qing’s eyes light up. No wonder that “Miss Xiao Bai” from earlier had seemed so familiar!
“By the way, Miss Bai, didn’t you mention that you already had someone you liked? Could you give us a little hint?” Xu Qing asked, eyes gleaming with curiosity.
“Oh, that...” Bai Yiyue hesitated, smiling. “It’s not really a secret. I’ve already found the person I love. The only problem is, they haven’t responded to my feelings yet.”
“Really?!” Xu Qing was taken aback, unable to believe anyone would turn down Bai Yiyue. Surely, that person must be oblivious or insane.
Ling Ning, who had been quietly scrolling on her phone, chuckled awkwardly and moved to sit on a nearby couch, feeling uncertain. She had already decided to take the same path as Chu Mengyao, keeping her life free of romantic entanglements. But a sudden confession from a girl was still unexpected.
After all, she hadn’t exactly had experience with romance in her past life!
“Ling Ning, right?”
A voice brought her out of her thoughts. She looked up to see a mature, professionally dressed woman standing beside her.
“Yes, that’s me. And you are…?”
“I’m Wu Zi, Bai Yiyue’s manager,” the woman said. “I wanted to ask if you’ve ever considered joining the entertainment industry. With your looks and presence, a bit of promotion would make you a star in no time.”
Ling Ning tilted her head. “Thanks, but I’m not really interested in show business.”
It was the truth. When she’d first arrived in this world, she’d briefly considered joining the entertainment industry, but quickly dismissed the idea. A pretty girl without connections entering such a cutthroat world would likely be chewed up and spit out.
Hearing Ling Ning’s refusal, Wu Zi raised an eyebrow. So this girl wasn’t trying to use Bai Yiyue for fame after all. Perhaps she’d misjudged her intentions.
In reality, Wu Zi had it all wrong. The one with “ulterior motives” was Bai Yiyue herself.
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Author’s Note:
This is the fourth chapter of the day.