Chapter 604 : Completely Unfazed
“Of course. I knew this would happen.”
As the spotlight shone on her, Ling Ning felt absolutely nothing—not even a ripple of excitement. If anything, she wanted to unleash a Hadoken. She was beginning to realize that so-called good fortune wasn’t always a blessing.
“Wow! Ling Ning, you actually got picked!”
Su Ya exclaimed, far more excited than Ling Ning herself. It was as if Su Ya was more thrilled about Ling Ning being chosen than she would have been about being picked herself.
Meanwhile, Li Qian and Li Meng were surprised but hardly shocked. They merely gave Ling Ning a look that said “good luck” before turning their attention back to the stage.
Following the staff member to the stage, Ling Ning couldn’t help but feel a little pressured as she faced the massive crowd below. Still, this was her second time on stage, so she handled it much better than the first.
As Ling Ning stepped onto the stage, Bai Yiyue, dressed in a stunning outfit, greeted her with a bright smile. Without speaking, Bai Yiyue mouthed, “It’s purely random, I swear!”
Though Ling Ning wasn’t great at reading lips, she could guess that her obsessive childhood friend was attempting to justify the situation.
The song they were to perform together was one Ling Ning knew well—Bai Yiyue’s debut track. For some reason, Ling Ning couldn’t shake the feeling that there was a hidden message behind this choice.
Before she could dwell on it, the music began.
The song was second nature to Ling Ning by now, and her singing voice was already impressive. Coupled with her striking appearance, which rivaled Bai Yiyue’s, the audience was captivated. Many students in the crowd recognized her and started murmuring.
“Hey, doesn’t that girl singing with Bai Yiyue look familiar?”
“Are you kidding me? That’s Ling Ning!”
“Wait, you mean the famous freshman Ling Ning? No wonder she looked so familiar! But wow, she’s a great singer too.”
As the song ended, Ling Ning gave Bai Yiyue a quick hug before leaving the stage. Pretending to be a diehard fan had been exhausting. She concluded that being a celebrity wasn’t for her.
Returning to her seat, Su Ya eagerly leaned in. “Ling Ning! What was it like singing with Bai Yiyue?”
“Want to know?”
“Of course!”
Ling Ning grinned mischievously and whispered in Su Ya’s ear, “I’ll tell you, but only if you give me a kiss~”
Su Ya’s face turned bright red. Her lips parted as if to retort, but she seemed too flustered to come up with a response.
After a moment, she managed to say in a small voice, “Are you trying to get yourself killed? My roommates are right here.”
“Hey, I’m too young to die~ But if you did kiss me, I might just die of happiness.”
“Shut up and listen to the music.”
Su Ya snapped, trying to sound stern as she focused intently on the stage.
Ling Ning didn’t notice the curious look Li Qian was giving her. Though she hadn’t overheard the whispered exchange, Li Qian had noticed Su Ya’s flustered expression and couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right. Was it just her imagination?
If only it were a misunderstanding. But if it wasn’t…
Sensing Li Qian’s gaze, Ling Ning turned and asked, “Xiao Qian Qian, is something wrong?”
“N-no, nothing!” Li Qian stammered, avoiding her eyes.
“Really? Your face says otherwise,” Ling Ning teased, leaning closer.
Li Qian’s cheeks flushed. Turning away to dodge Ling Ning’s gaze, she said, “I told you, it’s nothing! Now sit down and listen to the music!”
“Alright, alright. But if something’s bothering you, don’t hesitate to tell me, okay?”
With a light chuckle, Ling Ning turned her attention back to the stage. Bai Yiyue’s next song was about to begin.
⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱⊰⋆⋅⭑⋅⋆⊱
“It’s over.”
As the stadium lights came on, Ling Ning sighed. The evening had flown by. Even she felt like she could have listened for a little longer.
“Should we leave now?” Su Ya asked hesitantly.
“Let’s wait a bit. It’s too crowded right now. Once the crowd thins out, we’ll head out.”
After some time, the audience had mostly cleared out. Ling Ning and her group followed the tail end of the departing crowd out of the stadium.
Glancing at her phone, Ling Ning noticed the late hour. With classes the next day, she decided to call it a night. “It’s getting late. Let’s call it a day. You’re all heading back to your dorms, right? I’ll head home.”
“Okay. Be careful on your way back!”
“Don’t worry about me.”
With a wave, Ling Ning turned to leave. But before she could take more than a few steps, her phone vibrated. She pulled it out and saw that Bai Yiyue was calling.
“Xiao Bai? What’s up?”
“It’s me. Are you still at the venue?”
“Yes. Why?”
“Well, I was wondering if you’d like to grab a late-night snack. I’m starving—I didn’t even have dinner!” Bai Yiyue’s voice took on a pitiful tone.
After a brief pause, Ling Ning relented. “Alright, seeing how hard you worked tonight, I’ll treat you to something.”
“I knew you’d come through! Where are you? I’ll come find you.”
“No need. I’ll come to you—it’s still too crowded here.”
“Alright. I’ll wait at…”