Chapter 15: The Taofeng Plaza Performance and an Unexpected Stir

Xiao Yang, a devoted fan of Qin Yu, had caught wind of exciting news within her core fan group today. The variety show Qin Yu was participating in would hold a performance right in Jiang City, at Taofeng Plaza.

Though the official schedule indicated a 6 PM start, Xiao Yang had specifically requested early leave from her boss. By half-past four, she was already at Taofeng Plaza, eager to catch a glimpse of her idol with her own eyes.

“It seems the group’s intelligence was spot on.” Xiao Yang lifted her phone, snapping a picture of the already erected stage. She promptly shared it with the out-of-town fans in her core group, a mischievous glint in her eye as she deliberately stirred their envy.

‘Let them usually post spoiler pictures and make *me* jealous,’ Xiao Yang thought, a smug smile playing on her lips.

Her photo instantly caused an uproar among the group members, many of whom were still slacking off at work.

“???”

“Ahhh, how are you there already? I haven’t even finished work!”

“Any live photos of Qin Yu? Please, I beg you!”

Dressed in shorts, Xiao Yang sipped milk tea at a nearby shop, scrolling through her phone. Watching her ‘silly’ group friends’ expressions of envy, jealousy, and pure frustration filled her with an indescribable sense of satisfaction.

She had adored Qin Yu since before her debut. Initially, it was her captivating looks that drew Xiao Yang in; as a fellow woman, Qin Yu possessed an innate charm that effortlessly commanded attention.

However, as Xiao Yang’s understanding deepened and Qin Yu’s original debut song emerged, she grew to recognize and respect Qin Yu’s talent, cementing her status as a core fan.

‘Truly, it began with beauty and evolved into loyalty for her talent!’

Just then, a few new messages in the fan group caught Xiao Yang’s attention.

“I’m actually on the same bus as Qin Yu!!!”

“I even took a photo with her! She’s even more stunning in person than on screen!”

The sender of that message was also in Jiang City, another devoted fan of Qin Yu. Since Qin Yu had chosen public transport, there was still a chance to see her if Xiao Yang rushed to the bus stop now.

What Xiao Yang didn’t see, however, were the messages that followed.

“She also has a girl with her who’s just as beautiful.”

Immediately after, a photo of Lin Ziyao appeared in the fan group. Her fair complexion, long hair cascading over her shoulders, and sparkling, watery eyes stirred an instinctive desire to protect her.

“I want all this girl’s information in one minute!” The long-dormant administrator suddenly emerged.

“Dog admin!”

“Traitor, eat a knife!”

XXX Admin has been muted by the group owner.

“Good, the light of justice prevails!”

Though merely an unexpected interlude, Lin Ziyao’s image quickly began to circulate among Qin Yu’s fanbase.

Meanwhile, Xiao Yang had finally gotten her wish to see her idol. Despite the production team receiving prior notification to pick up the guests at the bus stop, they couldn’t account for the six famous personalities on board. The Taofeng Plaza bus stop was already swarming with fans.

Lin Ziyao, utterly unaccustomed to such a spectacle, was startled the moment she stepped off the bus. The sheer intensity of the fans was overwhelming.

Onlookers held high banners and posters of Yang Tian and Tang Wenjie, occasionally attempting to breach the security cordon formed by guards.

Lin Ziyao quickened her pace, moving closer to Yang Tian and Tang Wenjie. Watching the two ‘suffering brothers’ with their twitching mouths, she asked curiously, “Are your fans always this… enthusiastic?”

“It’s best not to speak to me right now,” Yang Tian quickly advised, immediately widening the distance between them.

Tang Wenjie, his face a mask of stoicism, simply added, “Me too!”

Lin Ziyao, who had been completely bewildered moments before, suddenly felt a chilling aura creep up her spine. She glanced back to see numerous fans, posters of the two men held high, scrutinizing her with intense gazes.

She swiftly retreated to the safest spot: beside Qin Yu. Ducking her head, she used Qin Yu’s body as a shield against the probing stares. “Your fans are so much more civilized!”

Her action of hiding behind Qin Yu, however, did not escape the notice of Qin Yu’s fans. While both were women and a little closeness was harmless, Qin Yu’s fans knew that their idol had never had any close industry friends since her debut.

Moreover, Lin Ziyao had first approached the two male guests before moving to Qin Yu’s side.

At this point, Lin Ziyao’s image was circulating across all three fan groups. Even in the super topic for Director Chen’s variety show, “Star Week,” people were posting the newly captured photos of Lin Ziyao and asking questions.

They all posed essentially the same question: Who was this girl?

Lin Ziyao’s appearance always gave off the impression of an innocent, yet subtly manipulative ‘tea art master’. Fans of Yang Tian and Tang Wenjie had already begun to concoct elaborate scenarios of her playing both sides between the two male guests.

If Lin Ziyao knew of these conjectures, she could only protest her innocent implication, having merely uttered a single sentence.

Yet, the inherent nature of many people was to be ‘appearance-obsessed’. They viewed Lin Ziyao, pictured hiding behind Qin Yu, as nothing more than a shy, endearing younger sister.

In essence, Lin Ziyao had genuinely ignited a storm of discussion for Director Chen, significantly boosting the show’s buzz and even sparking audience curiosity before the program had even aired.

Director Chen, the mastermind behind all this planning, remained oblivious. He was currently grappling with a critical problem.

“What? Our stage was only approved for one hour?” Director Chen gripped the phone so tightly his knuckles whitened. With only an hour, six groups of guests would barely get ten minutes each, not even accounting for prop setup and transitions.

This event was not just the guests’ second task; it was also his primary means of promoting his variety show. The original schedule had been meticulously planned for two hours, but now it had been brutally slashed in half.

‘If I find out who applied for this venue, I’m going to strip them of every last penny of their bonus.’

Despite his internal fury, Director Chen maintained a calm demeanor as he directed the on-site staff. “The audience votes haven’t been distributed yet. Hold off on that!”

“Cut all unnecessary procedures now. We’ll focus solely on the guests’ performances.” Panicking would achieve nothing. He slammed his hands onto the table, his voice firm.

Director Chen lit a cigarette, his mind racing with anxious thoughts. To achieve the desired effect within this shortened hour, the event needed a truly dazzling performance to quickly seize the audience’s attention. A slow, warm-up approach simply wouldn’t work.

For high-impact, explosive performances, only Yang Tian’s rap and Tang Wenjie’s street dance truly fit the bill. However, placing them at the very beginning would be a misstep. Taofeng Plaza was situated near a residential area, primarily populated by middle-aged and elderly residents. While their acts had immense power, they weren’t compatible with the initial audience demographic.

“If worst comes to worst, we’ll have Teacher Xu go first,” Director Chen murmured. As a seasoned host, Xu Li often emceed galas and held a significant reputation among the older demographic, making him capable of attracting substantial attention from the residents.

“Director Chen, it looks like you’ve run into a problem?” Feng Qiqi’s voice broke through his thoughts. The guests had arrived at the Taofeng Plaza green room, settling in before the performance was set to begin.

Director Chen briefly outlined the predicament, then looked at Xu Li with a hopeful gaze. “Teacher Xu, would you be able to open the show?”

“If I perform clapper talk, the stage might feel a bit sparse,” he replied, offering his usual genial smile. “However, I have no objections.” He nodded, signaling his willingness to accept Director Chen’s urgent request.

Lin Ziyao glanced at Qin Yu, who gave a subtle nod, indicating that the decision was entirely hers. Lin Ziyao then spoke up, “I have an idea.”

All the guests present turned their attention to her. She composed herself, stepped forward, and declared, “This idea will require all of your cooperation.”