Shen Yan had gotten home to find Mingyan holed up in her studio.
He froze at the entrance with one foot inside the room and his hand on the doorknob. The girl had tied her hair up into a bun and she was wearing a baggy peach long sleeve shirt with crumpled style pink shorts.
Seeing her wear shorts again, Shen Yan smiled helplessly. He definitely remembered buying her a drawer full of pants, but unfortunately, Mingyan didn't even glance at them. When he asked why she didn't want to wear them, she said, "I-It's because... If I keep wearing them... Y-You'll keep glancing at me—" Afterwards, she ran away.
Since then, Shen Yan gave up. He also stopped 'glancing' at her whenever she wore shorts—instead, he 'stared' at her for a few minutes before reluctantly looking away.
Naturally, Mingyan was red from head to toe during those few minutes.
At the moment, Mingyan was seriously working on the new album. Even Lily dared not disturb her, even when she noticed that Shen Yan had arrived. Shen Yan also didn't want to interrupt her, so he left and headed to the kitchen. He rolled up his sleeves and started to cook soft scrambled eggs topped over white rice. He also cooked some slices of bacon. It was the least he could do.
Then, he placed them on a tray and went back to the studio. Mingyan still hadn't noticed him. Only when the smell of the scrambled eggs and bacon entered her nose did she look up in surprise at Shen Yan.
Shen Yan gave a heartwarming smile. "Don't leave your stomach empty."
The attack was too strong, Mingyan suddenly felt dizzy.
Lily: 'Oh no! Are you okay?!'
Mingyan: ... *Mingyan.exe not working*
Mingyan could only stare at Shen Yan in a daze. She didn't know what to do. His words had caught her off guard, and her heart almost leaped out of her chest. Thankfully, Lily's question woke her up from almost slipping out of character, and she made herself blush, pushing down her sentimental feelings to the furthest depths of her heart.
She nodded and scooted over to make room for Shen Yan on the edge of the seat. Carefully, she arranged the scattered papers on the table and placed them to the side.
The simple meal was finished quickly by both of them. Then Shen Yan patted her head. "Don't stay up too late," he advised before leaving, carrying the tray with empty dishes and glasses.
Mingyan watched him leave with a complicated expression. Then she turned to look at her first song and looked at it carefully. She decided to revise it.
Meanwhile, Shen Yan walked over to the balcony in his room and dialed a string of numbers. He patiently waited for the call to be picked up.
"Yes, Shen Yan? Did something happen?" On the other side, Aunty Chang held the phone to her ears while her other hand was raised like a stop sign to her husband—whose face looked aggrieved.
"Aunty Chang, could we possibly meet up early tomorrow instead?" Shen Yan's posture straightened, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. He was too preoccupied with his nerves to notice the commotion on Aunty Chang's end as she shielded the phone from her husband's attempts to snatch it away.
"Why? Has something happened to Yan'er?" Uncle Gu's demeanor shifted to serious concern, finally ceasing his efforts to grab the phone from Aunty Chang.
"It's not that," Shen Yan replied, his ears reddening with embarrassment as he carefully chose his words. "Yanyan's going to be on stage for the first time tomorrow... I wanted to be there." He rubbed his neck sheepishly, relieved that it was Aunty Chang who had answered the call. Otherwise, Uncle Gu might have berated him.
Aunty Chang was momentarily stunned, then burst into laughter.
Her laughter only deepened the hue of embarrassment on Shen Yan's ears, prompting him to clear his throat nervously.
Uncle Gu, puzzled by his wife's sudden amusement, wondered if it meant that nothing bad had happened to their princess after all. What could be so amusing about talking to that brat, anyway?
Aunty Chang's laughter subsided into a gentle smile as she talked to Shen Yan with newfound warmth in her eyes. "Alright, let's meet up at noon tomorrow," she said, her tone pleasant and welcoming.
Relieved, Shen Yan let out a sigh, genuinely glad that he could make it tomorrow. The thought of Mingyan's reaction upon seeing him brought a smile to his face. 'I wonder what kind of expression she'll have,' he mused, anticipation coursing through him.
That night, Mingyan still chose to sleep with Shen Yan despite Lily's and Shen Yan's efforts to get her back into her room. The next day, Mingyan was also unable to convince Shen Yan to come to her live performance. Unbeknownst to her, Shen Yan was indeed going. He was just stubbornly keeping it a secret.
Her performance was scheduled at 4:00 p.m., but the rehearsals would start at 2:00 p.m. So Shen Yan left earlier than her, and she was once again picked up by Xiao Xi.
The contest was held in a grand hall that was also used in major theatrical plays. When Mingyan arrived at 1 p.m., there were already contestants waiting in either their waiting room, if they were famous, or in the lobby. Mingyan had her own waiting room. It proved that her popularity was definitely higher than most of the contestants.
But as she headed to her room, she met with Chen Rui. 'Hayst, she really is the protagonist. Why is she still here? She's been in the entertainment world for a year already. She's not a rookie,' Lily said in exasperation.
'The prerequisite was one and a half years. She's qualified,' Mingyan felt a bit depressed. She still hadn't been able to get Shen Yan to come, so her mood was a bit unstable.
Chen Rui's eyes glowed with envy when she saw Mingyan open her room. On the contrary, she had to wait in the lobby. 'My Identity is supposed to be mine! She's stolen my song!' She gritted her teeth in hate, her eyes showing her determination. 'I'll get you this time, Gu Mingyan.'
Mingyan had felt Chen Rui's hate-filled eyes. And because she was in a bad mood, she indulged herself for once and turned to Chen Rui with a cold piercing gaze. She was definitely not acting like Mingyan at that moment.
Chen Rui was scared silly by that gaze. When her blank mind finally cleared, she became confused. What happened? She couldn't remember why her heart was filled with terror for a moment, and she was actually sweating from fear. She had to take deep breaths for a couple of minutes to calm herself down.
Lily: 'Fufufufufu did you see that face? Hahaha that was amazing! Mingyan do it again!'
Mingyan: *sweat* 'You do know I was acting out of character right?'
Lily: 'Who cares! Come on ~ that was too good!'
Mingyan: 'Hahaha! I would love to but that's enough for this lifetime. I can't be too obvious or the world would kick me out.'
Lily: 'Muuu let's just destroy it if it does then!'
Mingyan's already cold gaze dropped to a freezing degree. But as fast as it appeared, it quickly went away.
Mingyan: 'Lily. I don't want to.'
The voice Mingyan used in her head was deeper than she usually used. Lily finally noticed that her master was angry. She didn't know why, but she stopped talking.
The rehearsals went by quickly. Nobody actually did a full performance; they just casually sang as the accompaniment adjusted their play according to each contestant's preference.
Then, the contest started. The grand hall was filled to the brim, and between the stage and the audience, there was a little island where the judges sat.
The audience roared in excitement as the contest officially began with their first contestant. There were 10 contestants in total, and Mingyan was the 6th person to perform. She waited in her room patiently.
It seemed to be the calm before the storm as Xiao Xi barged into the room with a red face, startling Mingyan.
"That Chen Rui sang 'Say Something' before you!" Xiao Xi's frustration was evident as she messed her hair. The worst part was that Chen Rui was the 5th performer to go onstage.
Mingyan's eyes widened in surprise, though she had already suspected as much. However, this kind of childish maneuvering was kind of adorable and really did nothing to her. After a moment of deep thought, she turned to Xiao Xi and appeared determined.
"Sis Xi, can I have a guitar?"
Xiao Xi was stunned. What was her artist trying to do!? But when she remembered the way this girl had handled the matter at the radio station, she was only hesitant for a second. She nodded and immediately went to inform the staffs. She didn't notice that she was starting to see this little artist of hers as a god.
Lily: 'Good Luck ~'
Mingyan: *smiles bitterly* 'It would've been better if he was here.'
There were three soft knocks on the door, and then Mingyan stood up and calmly walked out. Her unchanged demeanor startled the staff member who had called for her. He wondered if perhaps the girl had a backup plan. But as to how effective that might be, it didn't matter. Chen Rui had already managed to entice the judges to favor her.
Mingyan paid no mind to the pitying looks some staff members were giving her. She took the classical guitar from Xiao Xi's hands and stepped onto the stage with a straight back. The blinding spotlight made her squint for a moment.
The audience fell silent as soon as she appeared, and even the judges, who had been conversing enthusiastically, turned serious all at once.
It was incredible. Xiao Xi watched as Mingyan controlled the crowd with just her presence and was endlessly amazed. After all, no matter how skilled an artist might be, if they couldn't captivate their audience, they'd already lost.
Mingyan walked to the chair positioned at the center of the stage, prepared for her in advance. With grace, she crossed her legs and placed the guitar on her lap. Adjusting the mic closer to her lips, she positioned her hands on the strings and began to gently strum.
So what if Chen Rui performed first? So what if she sang "Say Something" as well?
Didn't people understand that it wasn't about who performed first, but about who was more talented? Chen Rui had the full accompaniment to back her up, while Mingyan only had a guitar. The difference in talent should be clear as day, shouldn't it?
Also, this was a good opportunity. She might as well promote her new song right here right now. Besides, she was dying to let herself go and sing the song with her true emotions out in the open.
She began the song with a hum, and it was so ethereal that the people listening suddenly felt like they were floating over the clouds. As if on cue, smoke was released, hovering just a few inches above the floor.
"I've seen years fly by like a speeding train,
So many years of pain, lost in the faraway lane,"
Once again, the audience was transported into her world. They didn't even mind not knowing the song she was singing; they were already entranced by the atmosphere she created, coupled with her sweet voice.
"But now that I'm here,
With you, it's crystal clear,
You bring back what I've missed, my dear~
So can you hear me?
Won't you be with me?
Please listen to me sing—"
Mingyan strummed her guitar louder this time and her voice as she sang the chorus where there was a lot of "I love you"s, grew louder then softer—carrying a reverb.
Mingyan belted out the last part with her voice seemingly stricken with pain, her eyes teary, yet she seemed determined not to let them fall. Her face was etched with a frown.
Her voice faded as if she finally grew tired—like her soul. And then the last notes of the guitar was faded with it.
Silence...
Suddenly, you could hear people sniffing in the crowd, while some just cried out their hearts out.
Mingyan watched the crowd with her glazed eyes. She seemed to have gone into a daze. Then, suddenly, the earphones attached to her ears made a sound. She hadn't paid attention to them earlier, so she didn't know if Xiao Xi had given her instructions through them.
"Yanyan." To her disbelief, it was Shen Yan's voice. "Yanyan, I'm here... I can hear you." There was a sound of crying in the background, proving his words.
Right now, Shen Yan was staring at the girl's wide eyes as she frantically scanned the room. It seemed she was looking for him. "I'm listening. I can hear you sing." He waved at her from the front row seat. "Will you listen to me too?"
Mingyan saw him wave, and her eyes immediately lit up. Her lips formed a thin line as she nodded cutely.
"Yanyan," he sighed with heavy emotion, "I love you."