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Join the ServerChu Yuyao’s heart pounded. It took a long while before she finally calmed down.
Time flew. Their game tokens ran out, and sweat beaded on their foreheads.
Hua Mu’ai bought two glasses of lemon tea at the drink bar and sat down next to Chu Yuyao.
“Whew… I’m exhausted.” Hua Mu’ai took a big gulp and relaxed.
“Mu’ai.” Chu Yuyao spoke suddenly.
“Hmm? Are you hungry? Let’s go eat after we finish.” Hua Mu’ai turned her head, her big purple eyes blinking as she looked at Chu Yuyao.
Chu Yuyao quickly lowered her eyes. “I had a really great time today. Thank you.”
“What’s there to thank? We rarely get to go out and play, so we should have as much fun as possible.” Hua Mu’ai waved her hand.
Chu Yuyao shook her head. “No, that’s not it. Actually, I’ve never been to a place like this before.”
Hua Mu’ai paused mid-motion, noticing the girl’s eyelashes trembling.
“I was born into a very poor family in the countryside.” Chu Yuyao’s voice was bitter. “Back then, life was hard. Every day, besides farm work, I listened to my parents quarrel over money. In my world, the sky was always gray. Days repeated themselves, and I could see the end at a glance.”
Hua Mu’ai said nothing, listening quietly.
Chu Yuyao’s gaze grew distant, as if lost in memory.
“Girls around my age in the village, many didn’t even finish middle school before their parents made them drop out. They packed their bags and went to work on assembly lines in factories far away. When they reached marriageable age, they were forcibly called back home, set up on blind dates, married off to some random man, and then had children. Then their children would repeat their parents’ lives.”
The girl’s eyes reddened.
“I once despaired, thinking that life was just that. No light, just rotting away in mediocrity. Then dying like dust.”
Hua Mu’ai’s heart tightened.
It was hard to imagine such a kind girl enduring such terrible loneliness day and night.
“Until one day.” A light shone in Chu Yuyao’s dull eyes. “I saw that TV at the entrance of a video store in town.”
Chu Yuyao turned and looked into Hua Mu’ai’s eyes.
“The TV was playing Tian Lanxing’s album MV.”
Hua Mu’ai’s cheeks began to burn.
“She stood on rubble, surrounded by monsters. But she wasn’t afraid at all. Her singing was so powerful, her figure so dazzling.” A smile tugged at Chu Yuyao’s lips. “In that moment, I felt my soul struck. My originally gray life suddenly gained color.”
Hua Mu’ai felt uncomfortable under the gaze and turned away, muttering quietly.
“It’s not that amazing, you’re exaggerating. MVs always glamorize things…”
But Chu Yuyao’s tone grew more resolute.
“From that day on, I made up my mind. I had a goal I had to achieve. I want to sing. I want to stand on stage. I want… I want to try to shine, just to get a little closer to her.”
Chu Yuyao gave a bitter smile. “I hid in deserted places and studied like crazy. Every day, I practiced my voice against the fields. Everyone in the village mocked me, asking if I had gone mad. Even my own parents didn’t understand me, scolding me for dreaming impossible dreams.”
“But I didn’t care at all! As long as I could picture her in my mind every day, as long as I could hear her song once, I felt like I had endless strength. Later, I got the best results and was admitted to Saint Cherry Academy as an art specialty student. I carried my guitar alone and came to Linhai City.”
As she said this, Chu Yuyao grasped Hua Mu’ai’s wrist.
Hua Mu’ai stiffened, instinctively wanting to pull away. But seeing the tears in the other’s eyes, she gave up.
“If I hadn’t met Tian Lanxing, the Chu Yuyao of today wouldn’t exist. You saved me.”
“You are the irreplaceable light in my life.”
Hearing this straightforward confession, Hua Mu’ai felt her face burning.
Does this girl even know she’s saying such sappy love words?
“Alright, alright! I get it.” Hua Mu’ai pulled her hand away.
To hide her embarrassment, she picked up the lemon tea and took a big gulp.
“You girl, why say all this all of a sudden? So cringey.”
“Okay, I won’t say anymore.” Amusement hid in Chu Yuyao’s eyes.
Who would have thought that the all-powerful idol could be so shy when praised in private? It was almost unfairly adorable.
After barely recovering, Hua Mu’ai straightened her back.
“Chu Yuyao, listen to me. Since you’ve won the championship and proven yourself, you better keep walking with your head held high. Your musical path is still long ahead. Don’t think that just because you got first place, you can get cocky.”
Then, she deliberately put on a stern face.
“If I ever find out that you hesitate on stage or get knocked down by rumors again, I’ll be the first to not let you off. Got it?”
Looking at the person in front of her, who was petite yet trying to sound tough to protect her.
She stopped being timid. Looking straight into Hua Mu’ai’s eyes, she nodded firmly.
This was not just a promise, but a vow for her future life.
“Mm-hmm, I definitely will. I won’t back down even half a step!”
Hua Mu’ai, feeling another wave of embarrassment under the intense gaze, stood up to leave the arcade.
“Let’s go, let’s go. Enough nonsense. Today I’m going to reach Diamond for once. You play support and help me climb as repayment!” the pink-haired girl shouted without looking back.
Chu Yuyao picked up the rabbit plushie and quickly followed.
She finally realized that her light had never been far away.
No matter how dark the road ahead, the light that dispelled all despair had always been there.
And it was right within her reach.
****
At the Sports Center, the final performance of the “Sing with Tian Lanxing” event.
“Next is the last song of the night. Also the long-awaited ‘Starlight Never Fades’!” the host said excitedly.
The entire audience of fifty thousand erupted.
To the side of the stage, a piano was slowly raised from below by a lift.
On the piano bench sat a young girl. She wore a black floor-length gown, her face covered by a thin veil, only her indifferent eyes visible.
Then came a piano solo, with precision so strict it was almost cruel, her fingers moving so fast that their landing points were nearly invisible.
Bullet comments flooded the broadcast channel.
“The intro is amazing!”
“Who’s the pianist? Wearing a veil for mystery?”
“That hand speed, that touch, definitely a national-level master!”
“Within a minute, I want all info on the veiled lady!”
The adventure continues! If you loved this chapter, Dressing as a Woman While Raising a Child—Junior Brother, Stop Disrupting My Cultivation! is a must-read. Click here to start!
Read : Dressing as a Woman While Raising a Child—Junior Brother, Stop Disrupting My Cultivation!
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