Chapter 23

The backstage lounge was filled with pressure, as this competition had no restrictions, and it was all about popularity.

At first, Qiao Yingxue thought that with Yan Wan’s popularity, she would surely be at the top, but when they saw a well-known band and several established artists in the backstage, they couldn’t help but be shocked. The competition was likely to be more intense than they had expected.

“Are you nervous?” Lu Fengfeng noticed that Yan Ning kept rubbing her hands, and he guessed it wasn’t because of the cold.

“A little. Aren’t you nervous?” Yan Ning blew into her hands.

Qiao Yingxue and Lu Fengfeng shook their heads.

Qiao Yingxue gave her a hug. “It’s a small stage, don’t panic.”

Yan Ning nodded, but it didn’t seem to help.

Perhaps it was the environment’s influence, or maybe it was because it was her first time participating in this kind of competition. The lack of confidence suddenly overwhelmed her.

She began to question if she had been pursuing the wrong direction all along.

The voice of the host faintly came through from the front, somewhat distorted. The contestants in the lounge were all meticulously dressed, with perfect makeup.

Their faces were full of confidence, and their confidence was undeniable.

They were all completely ready to open up, radiate their charm, and captivate the audience.

Had her program deviated from the right track from the very beginning? What is the correct aesthetic? What kind of beauty do people want to see?

Could the kind of beauty she believed in truly be accepted by people on Earth? Would they find it boring?

The more she thought about it, the more shaken she became. Just as the pressure was about to crush her heart, a long, warm hand reached out and clasped her cold hand in its palm.

Yan Ning looked up and met a pair of warm, jade-like eyes that were deeply focused on her. Beneath those eyes, which were even more dazzling than star stones, were symmetrical beauty marks, alluring and captivating.

Once she was sure that his gaze and attention were completely on her, Lu Fengfeng’s eyes curved as he fixed his gaze on those cat-like, enchanting eyes. Slowly, he held her hand and gently kissed the back of her fair, smooth hand. “Lucky Kiss!”

The gentle kiss, the captivating voice, and the wink that was full of charm and boldness.

Qiao Yingxue, sitting beside them, was suddenly fed a mouthful of sugar and looked stunned, her feelings were very complicated.

Lu Fengfeng was so slick—he found an opening to take advantage of. Even Yan Ning might not be able to resist.

Girls easily become dependent on those who reach out to them in moments of vulnerability, not to mention that Lu Fengfeng had a good-looking face that was hard to rival.

While worrying, Qiao Yingxue also wanted to see Yan Ning’s reaction. Her emotions swayed between being a good friend of Yan Ning and indulging in the sweetness of the moment. Then, she just completely shut down.

Yan Ning lowered her gaze and stared at Lu Fengfeng. Her long, curled lashes fluttered twice, like butterflies preparing to take flight. It seemed to take her two seconds to react to his gesture. Then, she curved her lips into a smile, turned her hand, and gently cupped the hand Lu Fengfeng had just held. She lowered her head and placed a kiss.

This kiss didn’t land on Lu Fengfeng’s hand, but instead, it missed and landed on her own hand.

Just the thought that Yan Ning had kissed the spot just before the joint of her index finger, so close to where he had kissed her hand, made Lu Fengfeng lose his composure.

It felt as if a drum had been placed in his chest, with someone swinging a large hammer, relentlessly pounding it. The sound was deafening, like thunder. His breath became labored, his ears burned, and his whole body felt light-headed and unbalanced.

“Contestant No. 9, Lu Fengfeng, please get ready,” Meng Qing, who was once again serving as the assistant, happened to be standing at the entrance of the lounge and called out loudly.

Yan Ning raised her head again, and there seemed to be a halo around her light gray pupils. In the center of the halo, she locked eyes with Lu Fengfeng, whose soul appeared lost. She stared at him, her lips parted slightly, and her voice soft and calm as she said, “Lucky Kiss!”

“Whoosh——”

A counterattack!

Qiao Yingxue, clutching her chest, watched as Lu Fengfeng floated to the stage, unable to help but feel sympathy. “Ningning is probably your ^[1]“Achilles’ heel” is a metaphorical phrase that refers to a person’s weakness or vulnerability, especially in an area where they are otherwise strong. The term originates from … Continue readingAchilles’ heel, that was ruthless!”

“Ningning, why are you so skilled?” Qiao Yingxue couldn’t help but ask.

No matter how she guessed, she never expected that under these circumstances, Yan Ning would manage a counterattack, and do it so smoothly, like a stroke of genius.

“Ah, I’m used to it,” Yan Ning replied nonchalantly.

The gesture of kissing the hand also existed in the interstellar world. Unlike on Earth, however, it was a gender-neutral custom, typically used as a sign of loyalty when a lower-ranking person swears allegiance to someone higher.

Yan Ning had done it many times. When Lu Fengfeng did it, she was indeed surprised. In her mind, they were on equal footing, and when he suddenly made a pledge of loyalty, it felt inappropriate. After thinking it over, she returned the gesture in the interstellar manner.

When kissing the hand, it wasn’t truly a kiss on the other person’s hand, but rather on one’s own hand as a sign of respect.

Now that she thought about it, Lu Fengfeng didn’t know interstellar etiquette, so his actions were unnecessary.

But thanks to this small incident, it reminded her that she had spent five years living alone on M20. From having nothing, she had slowly built a place for herself.

Compared to those times, this small stage was nothing.

Qiao Yingxue, unaware of the hidden context, felt that Yan Ning’s words carried a lot of weight.

“Used to what? What is she used to?”

It felt like she had just learned something significant. What was really going on?

She had originally thought that Lu Fengfeng was a troublemaker, worried he would harm Yan Ning. But could it be that… this was actually a battle between two sea kings?

“Let’s go, let’s go see him perform,” Yan Ning said, standing up and pulling Qiao Yingxue with her, ready to go watch Lu Fengfeng’s performance.

Until just before stepping onto the stage, Lu Fengfeng had not mentioned what he would perform.

The grand hall, which had been empty during the interview, was now filled with people, with students from each class seated according to their respective groups.

In the front row of the stage sat the three judges from the first round of interviews: the popular film emperor Xun Li, two staff members from the game Holy Wings, Zhao Xiaojue and the Amelian Sese, who was still wearing his black penguin mascot costume today.

In addition, many teachers were seated in the front row, including the principal.

Every audience member, including the three judges, had a voting device, with three votes each for the contestants. Once a performance began, voting could start, and votes could still be cast within one minute after the performance ended. The audience could choose to cast one, two, or three votes, or abstain from voting entirely.

The votes would be announced on the spot, and after the results were tallied, the top ten contestants based on votes would directly advance to the third round.

Although there were three teachers on the panel in this round, their votes carried no more weight than those of the audience, and they had no special privileges.

For the contestants, the goal was to impress every member of the audience as much as possible, to earn as many votes as possible, and thus rank higher.

The seemingly simple rules of the competition were, in fact, quite demanding.

Earlier, some contestants had invited a popular band to perform with them, using the band’s popularity to hype up the atmosphere, making the auditorium feel like a star concert.

Yan Ning and Qiao Yingxue made their way to the front of the stage, hiding behind the crowd. Onstage, there was a black grand piano, and Lu Fengfeng walked up to the stage with slow steps.

His attire was still simple, just like the day of the interview. The only difference was that today, his white shirt had a round collar with puffed sleeves, and he wore simple black trousers—a truly clear and pure youth.

As soon as he stepped onto the stage, the audience immediately erupted in exclamations of surprise.

After bowing, Lu Fengfeng walked over to the piano and sat down.

“He’s playing the piano? The school beauty plays the piano too. I wonder who is better?” Qiao Yingxue whispered in Yan Ning’s ear.

“Hm, Yan Wan hasn’t gone on stage yet. As long as he performs well in his own round, it doesn’t matter who wins or loses.” Yan Ning felt that in this round, as long as she made it to the top ten, it didn’t matter so much whether she was first.

The audience’s attention was fully on the stage, and no one noticed that the back door of the auditorium had been pushed open. A young man ran in, glanced at the stage, and excitedly told the people behind him, “Boss, it’s about to start.”

Dozens of men in black suits stood on either side of the corridor, bowing respectfully, and Hei Jing walked through the middle, waving his hand. “All of you get out. Don’t disturb me while I watch my brother’s performance.”

After the men in black suits bowed and silently withdrew, only the younger brother who had called “Boss” earlier and Hei Jing remained.

Hei Jing crossed his arms, leaning against the doorframe, a playful smile curving his lips.

Lu Fengfeng sat in the chair, exhaled lightly, and his long, jade-like fingers hovered gently over the piano keys.

Yan Wan stood behind the curtain, feeling very upset. She was contestant number 10, and by coincidence, the contestant ahead of her also played the piano.

It was already awkward to have a competing program, but having performances back-to-back was even more awkward.

“Master, don’t worry, he can’t compete with you,” the system comforted her. “As the saying goes, ‘throw a brick to attract jade.’ He’s just that brick, overestimating himself. Even if he performs before you, it’s just to highlight your precious jade.”

The system’s flattering words had their effect, and Yan Wan felt much more at ease.

The next moment, a light and flowing melody played, and Yan Wan’s expression changed.