Amidst the chorus of "one more" from the audience, Jiang Lingxi calmly took her bow and returned backstage at a leisurely pace.
As Zhao Hengsheng hurriedly walked onto the stage with the microphone, he couldn't help but glance at her with a look of disappointment. Since the elderly and children in the audience enjoyed watching her, why not stay a little longer? Such a good opportunity shouldn't be missed!
Jiang Lingxi understood that staying on stage for a bit longer would mean more screen time. However, there was a harsh reality: her physical stamina was nearing its limit.
Even her previous performance, which managed to endure, relied heavily on various techniques. Otherwise, with her own physical strength alone, she wouldn't have lasted even a minute.
"Amazing!"
Shi Man looked at Jiang Lingxi returning and didn't hesitate to praise her. Even when Jiang Kaiyuan and Lin Xuefei returned from their performance earlier, despite the lukewarm response from the audience, she still praised them. It wouldn't be fair otherwise.
However, this time her praise was more sincere than before. She genuinely felt that Jiang Lingxi's performance was impressive and daring.
Lin Xuefei noticed this and gritted her teeth while maintaining a smile.
Jiang Kaiyuan, being more straightforward, didn't notice any difference in the two praises. After giving Jiang Lingxi a thumbs-up, he casually took the flower spear from her, twirling it a couple of times.
Since Jiang Lingxi seemed tired and waved him away, he took the opportunity to show off a bit.
Lin Xuefei watched Jiang Kaiyuan happily twirling the flower spear, feeling a pang of jealousy. With Jiang Lingxi's performance just now, who would remember their previous dance performance?
It turned out only she cared!
Xu Yin, preparing to go on stage, noticed that Jiang Lingxi didn't look too well. When she approached, she instinctively reached out to support her, "Are you feeling unwell?"
"Just a bit exhausted. Thanks for your concern, Teacher Xu."
"In that case, sit down and rest for a while. I'll go on stage."
Jiang Kaiyuan, who was about to ask how to twirl the spear nicely, halted his steps upon hearing Xu Yin's voice.
Lin Xuefei pretended to glance over casually, thinking to herself: Serves you right for showing off!
Lu Zhen Zhen watched with concern and anxiety from behind the camera. While she was thrilled and excited about her artist's performance on stage, she was equally worried.
However, she hesitated to approach with a water bottle, fearing it might disrupt the recording and upset other guests.
She noticed Lin Xuefei's disdain for Jiang Lingxi, despite her previous excitement. She seemed to be in a whirlwind of anxiety and frustration.
"Give it to me."
Locking eyes with Shi Man, Lu Zhen Zhen gratefully handed her the water bottle, "Thank you, Shi Man, thank you."
"You're welcome."
Shi Man smiled and nodded, happy to help Jiang Lingxi, who had noticed that she was portraying Meng Junran. It was an opportunity to show her attentiveness on camera.
After drinking some honey-sweetened warm water, Jiang Lingxi sighed lightly and gestured 'OK' to Lu Zhen Zhen, indicating she was fine to rest while listening to the song from the stage.
Although she couldn't understand the lyrics, she couldn't deny that it sounded quite pleasant.
When applause erupted, Xu Yin returned backstage. After receiving praise from everyone, she smiled and waved, "I haven't sung that old song in ages. Luckily, I didn't forget the lyrics just now."
Lin Xuefei hurriedly joined in with compliments, "Teacher Xu, your singing is classic. I was mesmerized just now." Afterward, she casually glanced at Jiang Lingxi, who was resting with her eyes closed.
There was another one who seemed to have fallen asleep.
The contrast was evident.
Unfortunately, Xu Yin seemed oblivious to Lin Xuefei's implied message. She just waved her hand, "If you compliment me any more, I'll float away." Then, she glanced at Jiang Lingxi, who had opened her eyes, "Xiao Xi, how are you feeling now? Better?"
Although Jiang Lingxi closed her eyes to rest, she couldn't actually fall asleep in such an environment.
Lin Xuefei's intentions were clear to her, but she couldn't muster the interest to respond.
"Much better. Listening to Teacher Xu's song just now made me feel a lot less tired."
"Haha, it seems my song has its uses."
"Beautiful music has always had the power to heal body and soul. It's even rarer to hear Teacher Xu's live performance."
For the first time, Xu Yin felt uplifted by Jiang Lingxi's words, finding herself laughing several times within a short period.
Seeing Lin Xuefei at a loss for words, she thought to herself: ...
She couldn't help but wonder when Jiang Lingxi had become so talkative. For a moment, she couldn't even muster a polite response.
Although Shi Man was the most respected among the guests, Xu Yin was the most difficult to approach.
Her profession lived up to her name, excelling in singing. Despite her declining fame in recent years due to fewer works, she remained a respected figure in the singing industry.
Even Lin Xuefei, who had tried to please her for so long, hadn't seen Xu Yin smile so warmly at her.
However, as she looked, she suddenly had a thought: Could Jiang Lingxi have a dual personality? Did she switch to another personality after the accident?