To say she wasn’t nervous would be a lie, but at this moment, she couldn’t afford to back down.
Facing the eager gazes of the crowd, Jiang Ling took several deep breaths and quietly began her performance, singing while playing the piano.
The surroundings instantly fell silent.
Her voice was like that of a clear spring—pure with a touch of sweetness, yet not overly saccharine, bringing immense comfort to the listeners.
Coupled with the calm and serene atmosphere of the song, the audience was quickly immersed in it.
Jiang Ling seemed to be narrating a simple yet heartwarming story, her fingers dancing lightly across the keys.
Each press brought a slight dull pain from the rebound of the keys.
She was performing in front of a crowd.
This realization infused her voice with a sense of fulfillment.
The song came to an end.
Jiang Ling withdrew her hands, stood up somewhat stiffly, and bowed.
“Tch… thank you, everyone.”
As she bowed, she could clearly hear the pounding in her chest, her breathing quickening slightly.
A prolonged silence followed.
Jiang Ling stood up nervously, only to be met with a tidal wave of cheers and applause rushing toward her.
“That was so good!”
“I thought she was just cute, but her singing… it’s so moving!”
“Ugh, I can’t take it, brothers, I’m tearing up, it’s so immersive.”
Amid the clamor, Jiang Ling could only catch snippets of the praise directed at her, but those few fleeting words sent shivers through her body.
What kind of feeling was this?
Before she could dwell on it, Jiang Ling stepped aside with unsteady steps.
Fang Wannan, who was next to take the stage, passed by her and let out a barely audible compliment.
“Not bad…”
This sent Jiang Ling’s emotions soaring even higher.
She stood to the side, intently watching her team members’ performances.
Every one of them was flawless.
When Lin Xiaoyu’s final dance performance elicited an even more thunderous cheer, they all returned to the stage for their last group dance.
It was just as passionate and captivating.
As the final note came to a halt, Jiang Ling was still lost in the lingering resonance of the music, her chest heaving as she let out hot, uneven breaths.
She stood there, slightly dazed, absorbing the unique charm of being an idol.
Bai Xue nudged her arm, snapping Jiang Ling back to reality.
A bit slow to react, she joined the others in bowing.
“Thank you for your support! This is NOVA!”
“Ha… I’m exhausted…”
Backstage, Jiang Ling removed the microphone from her ear and collapsed onto a chair.
She took deep breaths, pulling open her collar to reveal skin flushed faintly red from the heat.
Bai Xue, passing by, touched her arm.
“So hot.”
“Of course I’m hot after dancing… Wait, why are you so casual about it, you creep!”
Jiang Ling stared, dumbfounded, as Bai Xue walked away.
“Seriously.”
Lin Xiaoyu also reached out to touch her, letting out a small exclamation.
“…Why are you joining in the chaos?!”
Unable to take it anymore, Jiang Ling jumped up and pulled her clothes back together.
“Tch.”
Fang Wannan, who had been about to touch her as well, clicked her tongue in disappointment.
“I get it now—you’re all after my body!”
Just as Jiang Ling was about to let out a scream, Mo Ran covered her mouth and dragged her away.
“Alright, alright, let’s talk about it when we get back, be good.”
On the way home, Jiang Ling couldn’t suppress her excitement.
After all, this was her first time performing in front of an audience.
It might not have been perfect, and there were probably some small mistakes, but it was more than enough to fill her with joy.
“You’re really happy, aren’t you, Little Bell?”
Mo Ran was scrolling through her phone, possibly browsing a shopping app, and said with a smile.
“Am I?”
Jiang Ling asked shyly, though she could feel her current state of exhilaration and heightened emotions.
Lin Xiaoyu nodded.
“Like a hyper little cat running around in heat.”
“If you’re bad at metaphors, you don’t have to say anything!”
Laughter filled the car, and soon they arrived back at the dorm.
As soon as they entered, Jiang Ling heard the notification sound of a text message.
[Great performance. As a reward, you get to kiss me.]
[Video]
Ignoring the first line, Jiang Ling opened the video and saw her own inexperienced performance.
Song Meng had recorded almost the entire thing, and it was crystal clear.
Her cheeks flushed with warmth, but she kept her eyes glued to the screen.
Her performance wasn’t bad, and a faint sense of pride welled up in her heart.
After watching for a while, Jiang Ling, feeling satisfied, typed out a quick “thank you” and turned off the screen.
“Pretty successful, huh遵編”