Following the pipa solo "Ambush on All Sides," the fifth program, the dance "Long Live Youth," and the eighth skit "Back to the Ming Dynasty to Be a King," Leon Chen was effortlessly suave on stage, free from any pretense or nervousness.
After the thirteenth program, it was Yvonne Shi's turn to announce the next performance, which was the much-anticipated duet of Leon Chen and Lily Lin, performing "Childhood." The audience's excitement peaked as Yvonne mentioned the performance by the most famous couple.
Backstage, Lily Lin's heart pounded wildly, her mind going blank at the deafening cheers.
Leon noticed Lily's nervousness and tried to calm her.
"Leon, I don't think I can do this," Lily said, on the verge of tears. "I get scared just seeing one person, let alone so many."
"Don't think about it too much. Treat the audience like air and perform as we rehearsed," Leon said, reaching out, but seeing Lily instinctively step back, he pulled his hand back with a wry smile. "I'll be right there with you."
"Thank you, Leon," Lily said, biting her lip.
"And now, from Class 8 of the Computer Science Department, the guitar and vocal performance of 'Childhood'!"
Yvonne's voice carried in, and the lively atmosphere swept over them.
Lily closed her eyes tightly, looking as if she were about to face execution.
"Lily, look at my eyes."
Leon said softly.
Lily opened her eyes and stared at Leon, her face flushing red, her heart beating even faster. Leon looked incredibly handsome in his suit.
"Focus on completing the performance," Leon advised earnestly.
Lily nodded, suddenly feeling a sense of peace. The fear and anxiety of performing vanished mysteriously.
"Leon, I don't feel scared anymore. How strange," Lily remarked in surprise.
Leon smiled slightly. Through their eye contact, he had transferred his No.78 ability Iron Will to Lily. She would now discard any negative emotions and deliver a flawless performance.
Indeed, this turned out to be one of the most memorable moments of the evening. Leon played the guitar while standing a meter away from Lily, who sang solo. The shyness and innocence of the girl made Lo Ta-yu's song "Childhood" incredibly endearing, touching everyone present.
It felt as if they were transported back to their own innocent times.
The entire hall fell silent, each student listening attentively, a faint smile on their lips. Some even had tears welling up in their eyes.
Leon watched Lily immerse herself in the song, and it seemed as though he were seeing the childhood version of her. He couldn't help but think back to his own childhood and a certain unforgettable figure.
As Lily sang with pure clarity and freedom, Leon couldn't resist joining in.
"No one knows why the sun always sets behind the mountains, no one can tell if there's a god living inside the mountains. So many days are spent in a daze, just being curious, just dreaming, just lonely in childhood..."
Their duet had been suggested many times during rehearsals, but Lily was too shy. Singing together always made her nervous, ending the attempts prematurely. This time, their harmony was perfect, creating an image akin to "The boy rode his bamboo horse, playing with the green plums around the bed."
Their synchronized, affectionate gaze at the end became a classic moment, making Celia Qing, who had been worried sick, internally shout, "Perfect, perfect! This couple is truly 'birds of a feather.'"
After the song, the two stepped forward, and Lily even held Leon's hand as they bowed, surprising even Leon.
The performance of "Childhood" received overwhelming applause. The entire audience stood, clapping, whistling, and cheering, with the applause continuing endlessly. Of course, some faces, like William Jiang's, were filled with discomfort.
...
"Leon and Lily Lin really are a match made in heaven," Yvonne said enviously backstage.
At that moment, someone tapped her on the shoulder.
"Bob chao, what's up?" Yvonne turned to see the Entertainment Minister, Bob, and put away her irritation.
"Every year, H university has many high-profile couples. Haven't you gotten used to it?"Bob laughed.
Yvonne shrugged, looking at the lively scene in the auditorium, and said, "None of the couples before were like Leon and Lily. It's like they're getting married."
"Lily Lin is a cute and pure junior. Leon is really lucky," Bob smiled faintly.
"I think Lily is the lucky one," Yvonne said with a woman's perspective.
Bob shook his head, not wanting to continue this topic. He handed Yvonne a script. "There was an issue with the Chemistry Department's program, so it's been canceled. Here's the new script. Memorize it quickly; you'll be on stage soon."
"Is this a duet announcement with Leon?" Yvonne glanced at the script. Memorizing it in a few minutes wasn't a problem for her, given her major in hosting.
But she was worried if Leon could handle it.
"Are you still so concerned about him, even though he has a girlfriend?" Li Chao teased. "Don't worry, I've already sent someone to inform him."
"Alright. I understand." Yvonne focused on the script.
Bob nodded and made a call to Jason He.
Jason, understanding the situation, smirked. He knew that sudden program changes typically involved the old "After watching XX's wonderful performance, let's enjoy YY's..." routine. It was challenging for hosts to come up with spontaneous and appropriate transition lines.
But Bob was more ruthless this time. Not only did he change the program suddenly, but he also designed the script as a dialogue between the two hosts to introduce the next act. To ensure Leon made a fool of himself, the announcement lines were given to Leon, and no one had informed him of the program change.
Even if questioned later, Bob had a plan: claim that the person sent to inform Leon had simply forgotten.
Hmph, Leon, I can't wait to see how you handle this and maintain your composed demeanor.
When Jason relayed this to the angry William, he perked up, watching as Leon and Yvonne took the stage for the announcement.
"Tomorrow is the birthday of our great motherland. On the bronze vessels covered in oracle bone script, I see the spirit of the motherland's childhood; on the Great Wall shrouded in beacon fires, I see the exuberance of the motherland's youth..."
Yvonne spoke passionately, then looked expectantly at Leon.
Leon was stunned, shocked internally.
These lines were completely different from what was rehearsed.
Seeing Yvonne's expectant gaze, Leon suddenly felt things were going very wrong.