Chapter 31: Old Friends and Old Stories

The new venue was called Spotlight Theater.

It was a 2,000-person venue, which wasn’t considered large, but the equipment was new, the location was remote, and the rent was cheap.

In the Manager’s words, this was called “strategic market penetration into lower-tier markets.”

Translation: they offered plenty of money, the venue was vacant, and it was perfect to fill the schedule.

But for me, there was another benefit — it wasn’t as exhausting.

At 6:00 PM, I stood in the backstage corridor, looking at the performance schedule hanging on the wall.

[19:00 — Supernova: Jewel Princess Alice Tour]

[21:00 — Gu Lanshan: Song Medley]

[23:00 — Rose Maiden: Vivia Dance Performance]

This time, I wasn’t the final act.

‘I don’t want to be the headliner for now.’

I turned around, preparing to head to the dressing room.

Then, I stopped.

A person was standing at the end of the corridor.

Qiu Ya.

She was still wearing that sharply tailored suit, her hair pinned up meticulously, and the expression on her face was the same as when we first met — a smile that said, “I see through everything, but I won’t say it.”

“It’s been a while.”

She walked over and came to a halt in front of me.

“Not that long,” I said.

“I didn’t expect you would agree to such a proposal.”

“…What proposal?”

“Sharing the stage with Chuxue,” she said.

“Didn’t you used to never perform alongside other Title Holders? Especially with someone like the Snow Girl, whose style is the complete opposite of yours.”

Title Holder — jargon in the Idol industry.

It referred to those idols with official certifications and exclusive titles recognized by both fans and the industry.

For example, Jewel Princess.

For example, Snow Girl.

For example, the long-vanished Witch of Calamity.

And then there were those still active, like the Flame Fairy, Moonlight Poet, or Iron Knight.

Behind every title was a story, a hoard of fans, and an unshakable status.

I looked at her.

“I’m a newcomer,” I said.

“It’s only been three months and twenty-nine performances. Things like that aren’t set in stone, are they?”

She was stunned for a moment.

Then, she laughed.

“Haha… I suppose that’s true.”

She laughed easily, but her eyes didn’t relax.

She was still sizing me up.

The corridor fell silent for a few seconds.

Then she spoke again.

“Although it seems impossible, I heard… you’ve taken in a Little White Face. Is it true?”

‘Chuxue told her.’

I guessed it instantly.

She was smiling brightly. Her face practically screamed, “I’m just asking; feel free to answer or not.”

I was just about to speak —

“Master Alice!”

An assistant poked their head out from around the corner, holding a schedule.

“You’re on in 10 minutes! It’s time to get ready!”

“…Coming.”

I turned and took two steps.

Then I stopped and looked back.

“I’m going on stage. Let’s talk next time.”

Qiu Ya nodded without saying a word.

But after I had walked a few paces, her voice drifted from behind me.

“Perform well. That girl Chuxue has made a lot of progress lately.”

I didn’t turn back. I simply raised my hand and gave a wave.

***

The Agency.

The lights in the training room were on.

Su Nian sat on the floor, hugging her water bottle while staring at the television on the wall.

Xiao Xi squatted next to her, also clutching a water bottle — one Chuxue had bought for her. It was pink, matching the color scheme of her previous dress.

Chuxue leaned against the wall, holding a cup of black tea in her hands.

A live broadcast was playing on the TV.

“— First to take the stage is the Supernova — Jewel Princess Alice!”

The camera cut to the stage.

The lights dimmed.

2,000 lightsticks lit up simultaneously — but the momentum felt wrong.

It was clearly a 2,000-person venue, but the effect they produced felt like there were over 5,000 people.

Su Nian leaned forward.

“Here she comes, here she comes — “

Xiao Xi’s eyes widened.

“So many people…”

“Yeah! That’s exactly how it felt the first time I saw her!”

Su Nian’s voice was filled with excitement.

The TV screen cut to the stage —

That pink figure was standing right in the center of the stage.

She didn’t just “appear”; she was “already standing there.”

It felt as if she had been there since before the show started, and the spotlight had only just caught up to her.

Chuxue could see it.

This was a technique only veterans understood.

True stage control wasn’t about saying “I’m here.”

It was about projecting the feeling that “I was always here.”

Su Nian blinked.

“It’s so strange… even though she’s just standing there…”

Xiao Xi didn’t say anything, but she scooted forward half an inch.

The first song.

The moment the intro began, Alice moved.

It wasn’t dancing; it was walking.

She held the hem of her skirt and walked from the left side of the stage to the right, singing as she went.

Her pace was slow, so slow it looked like she was taking a stroll.

But every footfall landed perfectly on the beat of the drums.

When she reached the right side of the stage, she waved to the audience on the right.

It wasn’t a forceful or exaggerated wave; it was a casual gesture that conveyed, “I know you’re there, so here’s a quick wave.”

The audience on the right screamed.

She smiled and continued walking.

When she reached the left side of the stage, she waved to the left as well.

The left side screamed too.

She nodded, as if saying, “Yes, I hear you.”

Then she walked back to the center of the stage and stood still.

The first chorus began right at that moment.

From beginning to end, she had only taken a few steps and waved twice.

But the atmosphere of the entire venue was already gripped firmly in her palm.

Su Nian’s mouth fell open.

“She… she’s not even trying…”

Xiao Xi didn’t understand.

“What do you mean?”

Su Nian didn’t answer.

But she knew exactly what she was saying.

The second song.

Alice stood in the center of the stage, talking to the crowd.

Her voice was soft and sweet, with a slightly spoiled lilt at the end of her sentences.

“Everyone here today is a true fan, right?”

The crowd shouted, “Yes!”

“Then… in a 2,000-person venue, is it uncomfortably crowded?”

The audience laughed.

Someone shouted, “Not at all!”

“Liar,” she tilted her head.

“I can see you’re all sweating.”

The crowd laughed again.

She continued.

“But it’s okay.”

She raised her hand and made a tiny gesture.

“Since there aren’t many people today — “

She paused for a moment.

“I can look at every single one of you, one by one.”

Then she really started to look.

From left to right, from front to back.

Everywhere her gaze swept, waves of screams exploded.

It wasn’t a “I’m staring at you” kind of look, but a casual “I know you’re there, so I’m glancing at you.”

But every person “seen” by her felt as though they had been remembered.

In a 2,000-person venue, it only took her 10 seconds to turn the event into a “one-on-one meeting.”

Su Nian’s mouth hung open even wider.

“…How does she do that…”

Chuxue didn’t speak.

But the black tea in her hand stopped halfway to her lips.

The third song.

Alice walked to the edge of the stage and crouched down.

She crouched very low, almost at eye level with the first row of the audience.

She held the microphone out.

“You guys sing the next line!”

The audience was stunned for a second.

Then — boom — everyone started shouting.

It was a disorganized mess, completely out of tune.

She listened, tilted her head, and blinked.

Then she burst out laughing.

“Pfft — that sounds terrible!”

The audience laughed again.

She stood up and patted her skirt.

“Fine, fine. I’ll do it myself.”

Then she really started to sing.

She sang more earnestly than before.

But that earnestness wasn’t the “I’m trying my hardest” kind.

It was the helpless “you guys are too silly, let me show you how it’s done” kind.

Watching her, Su Nian suddenly smiled.

“She… she’s so happy.”

Xiao Xi looked at her.

“Happy?”

“Yeah,” Su Nian nodded.

“Look at her — she’s not performing at all. She’s playing.”

Xiao Xi turned back to the screen.

The pink figure was hopping and skipping on the stage like a rabbit that had been let loose.

It really did seem like… she was just playing.

The last 30 minutes.

The performance ended.

Alice stood in the center of the stage and gave a bow.

It wasn’t a forceful, deep bow.

It was a casual nod that said, “That’s all for today.”

Then she turned and skipped off-stage.

Her ponytail bounced behind her.

Even as she disappeared, the screams from the audience continued.

The screen cut back to the host.

Su Nian leaned back and let out a long breath.

“Incredible…”

Xiao Xi was still dazed.

“That… that person… is the Jewel Princess?”

“Yeah! Super amazing, right?”

“Yeah…”

Xiao Xi nodded, her eyes still glued to the screen.

“She… she seems…”

“Seems like what?”

Xiao Xi thought for a moment.

“It seems like… no matter how many people there are, she can devour them all by herself.”

Su Nian was stunned for a moment.

Then she laughed.

“Yes, yes, yes! That’s exactly the feeling!”

Chuxue set down her teacup and stood up.

She walked to the window.

Outside was the city’s night view, with distant neon lights flashing.

She stared out the window.

After a long time, she spoke softly.

Her voice was so quiet it was as if she were talking to herself.

“This performance by the Jewel Princess…”

“Mr. Lin wasn’t there either.”

The Fifth Day.