She spoke with a subtle blend of resignation, acceptance, and a hint of unsettlingly eerie sweetness.
It was a sentence powerful enough to stir a massive storm in the hearts of the fans and completely change the trajectory of their relationship:
“It’s probably because…”
Under the spotlight, Zhi Ai slightly lowered her gaze.
Her long, curled eyelashes cast faint shadows on her cheeks.
Her voice wasn’t loud, yet it was so perfectly tuned that it reached the ears of every expectant fan in the venue without missing a single syllable.
It also felt like a cold needle piercing Su Yuqing’s eardrums from the side of the stage.
“Actually, that Manager Sister — “
She paused there intentionally, creating a heart-stopping suspense that was almost suffocating.
The breath of everyone in the audience seemed to be seized, their gazes locked onto her face, which possessed a blend of innocence and enchantment.
Then, as the collective gaze reached its peak, she looked up again.
Her eyes seemed to sweep aimlessly across the audience before finally fixing with substance on the shadows at the side of the stage.
Toward that invisible figure, she let out an incredibly beautiful yet disturbingly complex smile.
In that smile, there was the declaration of a victor, the pleasure of revenge, and perhaps, a sliver of twisted dependence that even she hadn’t noticed.
“Actually, she still… deeply ‘loves’ Benmiao…!”
The word ‘love’ was spoken with a cat-like, coquettish tail, but it hit like a giant boulder thrown into a calm lake, instantly stirring up unimaginable ripples.
In an instant, the entire venue fell into an eerie silence.
It was as if all sound had been sucked away by an invisible hand, and even the air stopped flowing.
This silence lasted for less than two seconds before it was shattered by a wave of even more frenzied and chaotic noise!
However, for Su Yuqing standing in the shadows, that brief silence was stretched out indefinitely.
She felt as if the background noise of the entire world had been muted.
All that remained in her ears was the roar of her own heart thundering wildly in her chest, nearly ready to explode, and that phrase looping automatically in her mind, full of countless dangerous interpretations —
‘Loves Benmiao.’
Every word was like a red-hot iron, searing her nerves.
‘This stupid cat! What the hell is she trying to do?!’
Su Yuqing’s inner self was screaming; her blood felt half frozen and half boiling.
‘Does she think my situation isn’t bad enough, that I’m not already walking on thin ice?! Does she have to blow a hole in the abyss beneath my feet before she’s satisfied?!’
‘Ah… It’s over, it’s over, it’s over!’
Su Yuqing’s mind uncontrollably began to play out various horrific scenes.
Some faceless, fanatical fan, eyes burning with the flames of jealousy ignited by that “declaration of monopoly,” would suddenly lunge out from a dark alley on some night after she finished working overtime one day.
They would be holding a cold club… a sharp pain would bloom at the back of her head… and then the world would fade to black…
The next day, in a corner of the social news, a brief message would appear:
“An Idol Manager was attacked by an unknown person…”
Thinking of this, Su Yuqing felt her legs go weak.
She even felt like dying.
This was more terrifying than being pointed at with a knife by Zhi Ai; it was a public execution under the scorching heat of countless invisible gazes.
The roar from the audience finally broke through the barrier of silence, sweeping in like a tsunami.
“Ahhh! This is just too much…!!!”
One voice screamed shrilly, filled with the anger of betrayal.
“That bastard Manager! Does she think she can hog Xiao Ai all to herself?! Who does she think she is?! She deserves to die!”
The echoes of agreement rose one after another.
“Hey, hey, hey… Could it be… that Manager is actually one of the members of the Xiao Ai Global Fan Club? And she’s the most extreme, crazy kind of Dream Girl Sasaeng Fan?!”
A suspicion closer to the “truth” began to spread, causing panic and hostility to grow exponentially.
Seeing that the crowd’s emotions were about to spiral out of control, Zhi Ai, standing on stage, looked like a child who had just finished a prank.
A satisfied expression appeared on her face.
She lightly clapped her hands, pulling everyone’s attention back to herself.
Her voice returned to its usual energy and sweetness, as if the person who had just dropped a bombshell wasn’t her at all.
“Alright, alright~ my dear Ai-fans!”
She flashed a bright, reassuring smile and made a large heart shape with her hands in front of her chest.
“Now, those slightly unpleasant ‘interludes’ are over! Don’t be angry or worried about Zhi Ai’s business anymore~”
Her tone shifted, filled with the confidence and charm of a stage queen.
“Next~ please put away your troubles, adjust your breathing, and enjoy… the brand-new performance Benmiao has carefully prepared for you…!!!”
The music’s intro roared to life at the perfect moment, and the brilliant lights focused on her once more.
She instantly transformed into the absolute master of the stage, beginning another perfect performance.
It was as if that brief chaos and the dangerous confession were just part of the show, a small segment designed to stir up emotions.
***
The performance concluded amidst deafening calls for an encore.
Returning backstage, the atmosphere was a stark contrast to the heat on stage.
Su Yuqing crossed her arms and leaned against the makeup mirror.
Her face was still a bit pale, but her eyes burned with a suppressed rage.
She watched Zhi Ai walk down, surrounded by staff like a triumphant queen, and tried her best to keep her voice calm.
“The performance was good. Very exciting.”
That was the truth; Zhi Ai’s charm on stage was peerless.
Zhi Ai took the water bottle Su Yuqing handed over and took a small sip.
Her cat-like eyes glanced sideways at Su Yuqing, her tone light.
“Thanks for the praise, meow~”
Su Yuqing took a deep breath, finally unable to maintain her surface composure.
She took a step forward and lowered her voice, but every word sounded as if it were squeezed through her teeth.
“Just — could you please give me a good, detailed explanation of what exactly you meant by those words you said to the fans during the interaction…!?”
Zhi Ai put down the water bottle, picked up a makeup removal pad, and began to slowly wipe away her eyeliner.
She looked through the mirror at the fuming figure behind her, her tone carrying an air of detachment.
“What else could it mean? I was just following your request to explain why Benmiao suddenly ‘disappeared’ from Sunday night’s performance, meow~”
“But…! You didn’t have to drag me into it like that!”
Su Yuqing’s voice couldn’t help but rise, causing the staff nearby who were organizing costumes to look over.
She was forced to lower her voice again, sounding utterly wronged and indignant.
“Have you ever thought that because of what you did, I can’t even dream of showing my face in public anymore?! I might be doxxed, cyberbullied, or even treated like a sewer rat by your fans! Who am I doing all this for?!”
“Never show your face in public again?”
Zhi Ai finally turned around to face Su Yuqing directly.
A pure yet cruel smile appeared on her face.
“Isn’t that… quite good, meow?”
“What?!”
Su Yuqing could hardly believe her ears.
“Look.”
Zhi Ai took a step forward.
Her powerful aura made Su Yuqing reflexively take half a step back.
“An Exclusive Manager is ‘exclusive.’ In your world, you should only need to consider how to serve and take care of your Idol. Showing your face, building a network… all those messy things aren’t necessary at all.”
Her voice carried a seductive, persuasive quality, yet it was filled with an unquestionable desire for control.
“And for us Idols, there are many, many things we need to consider~”
Su Yuqing looked at her warily, her heart starting to race again.
“Oh? Like… what?”
Zhi Ai’s smile deepened as she took another step forward, nearly pinning Su Yuqing into the corner.
She tilted her head slightly, staring into Su Yuqing’s panicked eyes with a gaze that saw through everything.
She spoke slowly, emphasizing every word:
“For example — “
“Making a certain… not-so-bright Little Pet, who always forgets her identity…”
Her voice dropped extremely low, carrying a cold chill and a hint of mockery.
“Properly understand… exactly what kind of posture and method she should use to interact with her Master~”
With that, as Su Yuqing’s pupils suddenly constricted, Zhi Ai unhurriedly pulled an object from the delicate small backpack she carried with her — an object Su Yuqing was incredibly familiar with and equally terrified of.
It was that Deep Red Cat Collar, the symbol of restraint and the past.
The old leather gleamed with an ominous luster under the cold backstage lights.
The air froze completely at that moment.
The clamor of the stage had become a distant background noise, while the silent war between the two of them had just entered a brand-new round…