The air backstage was a mix of hairspray and a tension known as anticipation.
Dazzling lights filtered through the gaps in the curtains from the stage, accompanied by the rising and falling cheers of fans that sounded like the crashing of ocean waves.
Su Yuqing adjusted the pleats of Zhiai’s skirt one last time.
She lowered her voice to give a final set of instructions before the performance, her tone carrying an undeniable sense of urgency.
“Listen, Zhiai. When you go out there, there might be a fan interaction. If anyone asks why you suddenly vanished during the City Stadium performance on Sunday night…”
Su Yuqing spoke rapidly, her gaze locked onto Zhiai’s glassy-colored eyes, which always seemed to look at the world with indifference.
“You use the official script we just checked and rehearsed three times in the dressing room! Say it was a sudden, severe case of a gastroenteritis cold accompanied by a high fever. Say the doctor forced you to rest, and you didn’t announce it immediately because you didn’t want to worry everyone… Do you have that? Zhiai? You must say it exactly like that!”
Zhiai allowed the other woman to fuss over her outfit, but a mocking smirk played on her lips.
She tilted her chin up slightly and responded slowly, her voice only loud enough for the two of them to hear.
“Tch, in the end…”
“You humans are still so fond of—and so talented at—weaving all sorts of lies to deceive your own kind. It’s a truly pathetic yet interesting habit, meow.”
Hearing this, Su Yuqing’s brows immediately knitted into a tight knot.
A surge of nameless anger mixed with anxiety welled up in her chest.
“How many times do I have to tell you! This isn’t deception; it’s a white lie! It’s a necessary measure to maintain your image and reassure the fans!”
She could barely keep her volume under control.
“If we don’t use this airtight explanation, how else are you going to explain your absence that day? Huh…?! Are you going to walk onto that stage and tell thousands of fans the ‘truth’? Are you going to tell them you just wanted to get back at me, so you intentionally went missing and treated all their expectations like a joke?!”
Su Yuqing’s questions fired off like a barrage of cannonballs, carrying the frantic desperation of someone backed into a corner.
Seeing her manager like this, the mockery on Zhiai’s face deepened.
She waved a hand dismissively.
“Fine, fine, fine—this kitty remembers. She remembers. A white lie, right? What a pain…”
Just then, the host’s voice, amplified by the microphone, boomed from the front stage.
“To all the Ai-fans in the building—!!! Let’s hear your loudest screams and applause as we welcome the cutest girl in the whole world—Xiao Ai!! She’s about to take the stage!”
“Come on! Let Xiao Ai feel the heat of your hearts, beating wildly and passionately just for her…!!!”
The wall of sound almost lifted the roof off the building.
Su Yuqing took a deep breath, forcing down her unease.
she gave Zhiai’s hand a firm squeeze as if to transfer strength—or perhaps as a final warning.
“It’s time. You’re up! Remember what I said! Good luck!”
Zhiai pulled her hand back, and in an instant, her face switched to the professional, high-energy expression of an idol.
She gave Su Yuqing a perfunctory nod.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. This kitty will do her best, she’ll do her best~”
Then, like a truly graceful cat, she turned and stepped toward the mountain of cheers.
Her pace was light as she ascended the stairs to the stage, instantly melting into the domain created just for her.
Su Yuqing hurried to the shadows at the side of the stage.
Her heart was still pounding against her ribs; an ominous premonition coiled around her like a vine.
On stage, Zhiai was a perfect radiant entity.
Every smile, every wave, and every greeting punctuated with her cat-like verbal tic triggered even more violent cheers from the crowd.
“Mew~ It’s been a long time, meow~ Everyone here, was thinking about this kitty the first thing you did when you woke up today?”
“Yes! It seems like those of you who were willing to buy tickets to see Zhiai today are indeed the fans who love me the most deeply~ This atmosphere, this passion… it feels just as intense as that night at the big stadium~”
At this point, the heart hanging in Su Yuqing’s throat finally began to settle.
Everything seemed to be going according to the perfect script.
That was until the interaction segment began.
The expected, yet most terrifying question was finally shouted out by an excited male fan in the front row.
“Xiao Ai! Why didn’t you show up for the City Stadium performance on Sunday night? I waited so long! I even saw people online saying you flew back to your home country overnight to inherit a billion-dollar family estate!”
This question was like a stone thrown into a still pond, immediately drawing more shouts of agreement and concern.
“Yeah, Xiao Ai! There was no official news at all. We Ai-fans were worried sick!”
“Did it have something to do with the agency? Did the company bully you? It’s okay, Xiao Ai! If you’re unhappy at Little Paw, just find a new environment! The Xiao Ai Global Fan Club will follow you forever and ever!”
“That’s right! We’ll always support you!”
The crowd below was stirred into a frenzy, their voices full of protective rage.
In the wings, Su Yuqing held her breath.
Her hands instinctively balled into fists, her nails digging deep into her palms as she screamed internally.
‘Say it was the gastroenteritis cold! Say you had a high fever! Just stick to the script!’
Under the spotlights, the perfect smile on Zhiai’s face seemed to dim for a moment.
She lowered her head just enough, pursing her lips.
When she looked up again, her glassy eyes seemed to be covered in a thin veil of mist, making her look aggrieved, fragile, and heart-wrenching.
She held the microphone, her voice trembling with a hint of a sob and hesitation as she spoke haltingly.
“Ah… about that question… actually, it was because—it was because—”
She intentionally dragged out her words, keeping everyone in suspense.
“Because of what…?!”
The fans’ hearts were in their throats.
Zhiai looked as though she had made a monumental decision.
Her gaze “accidentally” drifted toward the side of the stage where Su Yuqing was standing.
Then, in a tearful voice, she said:
“Actually, it was because of my manager… Something happened between us just before the performance that day… we had a little conflict… and that’s why, that’s why—”
She paused perfectly, leaving a massive void for their imaginations to fill, before saying with what seemed like all her strength:
“I missed that very important performance that everyone had been looking forward to for so long… I’m truly, truly sorry to everyone…!”
She bowed deeply.
“What…!?”
Standing in the wings, Su Yuqing felt as if she had been struck by an invisible bolt of lightning.
Her mind went completely blank, and she nearly bit her tongue in shock.
‘Wait, what?!’
‘This is completely different from the script we agreed on!’
She roared internally.
‘Can’t you just stick to the lines I gave you?! Why?! Why throw this massive blame onto me so casually yet accurately?! You’re setting me up against every fan here, letting their fury burn me to ashes!’
Sure enough, after a second of deathly silence, the crowd erupted!
“Aaaaah! This is outrageous!!” a female fan shrieked.
“To be able to stay by Xiao Ai’s side every day is the luckiest thing in the world! That damn manager still wasn’t satisfied?! She dared to start a conflict with Xiao Ai?! She ruined the performance because of that?!”
“Exactly! Don’t be afraid, Xiao Ai! Just fire that pathetic manager!”
Another male fan roared.
“Then pick a new manager from the Xiao Ai Global Fan Club! All of us here can guarantee we’d be 10,000 times more dedicated than that person! we’d make sure you’re happy every single day, Xiao Ai!”
“Fire her!”
“Get a new manager!”
“Support Xiao Ai!”
The waves of anger grew higher and higher, all aimed precisely at Su Yuqing, who stood backstage with a face as pale as a ghost.
However, facing the “passionate” advocacy and “solutions” from the fans, Zhiai, standing in the center of the stage, slowly straightened up.
She gently shook her head, and the aggrieved expression on her face gradually faded, replaced by a complex look—one that carried a certain tenderness and resolve.
She raised the microphone to her lips again.
Her voice echoed through the entire venue through the speakers, hitting Su Yuqing’s heart like a heavy hammer.
“This kitty appreciates everyone’s kindness~”
Her voice regained its calm, but with an added touch of warmth.
“But… regarding the matter of replacing my manager… I can’t do that right now.”
“Why!?”
The crowd questioned in unison, filled with confusion.
Under the spotlights, Zhiai tilted her head slightly, as if thinking of how to express an extremely complex emotion.
Her gaze drifted toward the side of the stage again.
This time, it wasn’t an “accidental” glance, but a clear, piercing stare that cut through the darkness, locking firmly onto Su Yuqing.