A sea of stars blanketed the night sky, shimmering like a celestial audience over the city dome as it casting a soft glow on the stage below. The ethereal backdrop framed the scene, perfect for the performance that was taking place under the open sky. At the heart of it stood a single youth, Li Tian, his voice cutting through the night with a melody that held the crowd in rapt attention.
"Always there... for you..." His smooth, deep voice echoed across the stadium, wrapping up his final song for the night. The rich, chocolate brown hair that framed his flawless face glistened under the stage lights as he closed his eyes, soaking in the moment. His number one hit—an emotional ballad that had lovers swooning—was the perfect encore to end the evening.
But in the back of his mind, Li Tian was pretty sure they weren't thinking about their partners. No, they were likely all fantasizing about him.
He smirked—a cocky, knowing grin that was quickly magnified on the giant screen behind him. The crowd, already in a frenzy, erupted into an even higher pitch of fanatic screaming. He wouldn't have accepted anything less.
From the sea of fans came a cacophony of proclamations: "Li Tian, I love you!", "My daughter is beautiful and single!", "Marry me!"—and one particularly bold cry—"Have my babies!"
Only seventeen, and already South Huaxia's most popular singer. Although, to Li Tian, most popular celebrity was a more fitting title. He stood at the top of his game, basking in the limelight that, to him, seemed to have been tailor-made. Born with godlike good looks, a voice that melted hearts, and a family so powerful it could move mountains, his attitude was as arrogant as it could get— and he could get away with it.
Yet, for all his bluster and bravado, there was one thing that managed to keep his ego in check. Not that he'd ever admit it out loud.
The nation of Huaxia was vast, split into two dominant regions: the North and the South. While Li Tian's fame reigned supreme in the South, he hadn't managed to capture the same level of adoration in the North. There was a reason for that, and her name was Yingxue.
Yingxue, the Siren of the North.
With a voice said to be otherworldly and an alluring charisma that drew crowds like moths to a flame, she was the North's number one singer—and his direct competition. She was the only one he couldn't outshine. They were both around 17, standing at the same peak, yet for Li Tian, her shadow always loomed over his Huaxia domination ambitions.
He wondered if her fans screamed as wildly as his. He clicked his tongue in irritation, his mood souring at the thought.
Without so much as a farewell to his fans, he gave a casual wave and walked off stage. Not a single word of goodbye, yet the crowd still loved him too much to care. They didn't know any better. As far as they were concerned, their god had blessed them with his presence, and that was more than enough.
After all, they were Pyros, his most diehard fans. As their god and leader, Li Tian knew that nothing he did could ever be wrong in their eyes.
"Hey, Tian!" A pair of young men and women, dripping in gold jewelry and dressed in skintight outfits that screamed excess, hurried over to him backstage.
"You were great out there, Tian!" One of the guys, Yijun, grinned, flashing the four rings on each of his fingers as he slung an arm over Li Tian's shoulder. "We should go out and celebrate!"
Li Tian raised an eyebrow, and his lip curled in distaste. "All the places you bring me are shit."
Yijun chuckled, brushing off the insult like it was nothing.
"Then maybe you should bring us somewhere nice for a change." Cass, one of the girls, leaned in close, tracing a finger seductively along his chest. Her voice was dripping with honey, but her eyes were cold and calculating. "Not all of us are The Li Tian, after all."
"Yeah, Tian," the other girl, Lila, chimed in, fussing with his collar flirtatiously. "Treat us in celebration. It's only fair."
The last guy, Zexi, clapped his hands together with a smirk. "Yeah, man. Take us to one of those famous Li Tian party spots."
Li Tian smirked, amused by their enthusiasm. They were like children begging for scraps. It was almost beneath him to humor them, but sometimes, it was good to remind people of their place. He flicked his gaze over the girls who had draped themselves over him, then pushed their hands away with a barely disguised look of disgust. Their cheap perfume clung to the air, and he had no interest in letting it stick to him.
"Fine. We'll head out now," he said, rolling his shoulders.
"Alright!!" Yijun whooped, slapping Li Tian on the back, which made him bristle in annoyance. The rest cheered, eager to be part of whatever exclusive world Li Tian could pull them into.
As they began to leave, Yijun kept his arm around Li Tian's shoulder. However, Li Tian's patience was razor-thin. "Get your dirty arm off me," he snapped.
Yijun blinked, startled, before quickly pulling his arm back. "Sorry, man."
"Don't let it happen again," Li Tian shot back icily and brushed off his clothes as if it had been contaminated. He then speed up to walk ahead, making it clear that he was the head of this small entourage.
Behind him, Yijun glared at his hand as if it had betrayed him. Zexi sidled up to him and whispered, "We can get him tonight if you want. Do we even need him anymore?"
Yijun's eyes narrowed as they fixed on the arrogant figure striding ahead of them. Normally, he would have kept his emotions in check, but for some reason, his fuse felt short tonight. After what felt like an eternity, he nodded slowly. "He's too full of himself. It's time we show him how good friends we are."
A wicked grin twisted on Zexi's lips. They shared a silent understanding before hurrying to catch up with the group. As they did, Zexi tapped Cass and Lila on the shoulders, mouthing the word, "Tonight."
The girls nodded in unison, their expressions sly.
As Li Tian stepped out the door toward his limo, a woman in a black suit hurried over from the further behind. However, she was abruptly halted by the two male 'friends' waiting in the back.
At the exit, Li Tian barely glanced at the woman running towards them from behind, her voice sharp with frustration.
"Tian! Where the hell do you think you're going?" Meilin shouted, her voice sharp as she rushed after him.
"We're just going out to celebrate, Meilin. No big deal," Tian replied, barely glancing back, his tone as careless as ever. He stepped into the limo without a second thought.
"Celebrate?" Meilin echoed, eyes narrowing as she sized up the two young men holding her back. They couldn't have been more than eighteen or nineteen, and the sneers on their faces set her on edge. "Tian, you still have work to finish!"
"Relax, Ms. Manager," one of the guys smirked at her, his expression twisting into something that made her stomach churn.
"Yeah, we'll have him back early," the other added with mock politeness, though his words reeked of insincerity.
Every instinct in Meilin screamed for her to stop them. "Where are you guys headed?" she asked, trying to keep her voice casual, hoping to ease her way into their plans. Maybe if she played it cool, they'd slip up and reveal something.
The two exchanged a look, snickering. She wasn't fooling anyone. "You'll have to ask Tian about that," one of them said, shrugging.
"Yeah, we don't know a thing," the other chimed in, both of them laughing as they climbed into the limo.
Meilin stood frozen, fists clenched at her sides as the limo sped off. Li Meilin, the ever-dutiful member of the Li Family and guardian of Li Tian, seethed with anger, powerless to stop what she knew would come next.
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"Your manager's pretty uptight, huh?" Zexi joked, glancing over at Li Tian.
To his left and right, the two girls were practically draped over him, each trying to worm her way into his favor. But Li Tian wasn't interested. Too cheap for his taste. Not that it mattered to them—one night with him would give them endless bragging rights. And he was a Li, after all. They had no problem scheming, ready to poke holes in any plastic barrier if it came down to it.
"She controls most of my schedule," Li Tian replied, nonchalant.
"Maybe you should get rid of her," Cass suggested with a hiss, but the glare he shot her made her stiffen instantly.
"Anyway," Yijun cut in with a forced cough, trying to steer the conversation. "Where are we headed? We should definitely hit up somewhere we can drink and party."
"Yeah, let's get wasted!" the others cheered in unison.
Li Tian, however, furrowed his brow in disgust. "I don't drink."
That comment made the group pause. What did he mean he didn't drink? Sure, he was underage, the youngest of them all, but he was a celebrity. Did it even matter how old they were? The thought of explaining himself didn't even cross his mind. He just let the statement hang in the air.
"Well," Zexi chimed in, trying to keep the mood alive. "We can still party. We'll drink, even if you don't."
"Yeah, didn't you promise to treat us?" Lila teased, batting her eyelashes.
"Come on, Li Tian," Yijun added, egging him on. "Finding the perfect spot should be easy for you."
With their constant praise stroking his ego, it was no wonder someone as prideful as Li Tian would cave. "Driver, take us to the Red Palace."
"Affirmative, Master Tian," the driver responded smoothly.
"Woohoo!" "That's Li Tian for you!" "Party time, baby!" the group cheered as the limo sped toward their destination..
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