Chapter 71: Prologue

The performance was set to begin at six o’clock, and when Su Yao arrived, it was already nearly time.

After a little more waiting, it should be the opening ceremony by now, right?

Su Yao was just about to glance at her phone to confirm when Luo Yu, standing beside her, gently tapped her arm, her tone urgent.

“Look over there.”

Following Luo Yu’s finger, Su Yao looked in the indicated direction.

The stage for the performance had been raised over two meters, with a dedicated staircase at the back.

At this moment, two girls draped in long cotton robes were standing in front of the stairs.

They hadn’t stepped up yet but were standing close together, seemingly chatting, their expressions quite happy.

Those must be the Hosts, right?

“Su Yao, Su Yao, that’s the Yan Senior I told you about last time.

She’s from the Broadcasting Department and really professional!”

Su Yao turned to glance at the excited Luo Yu, uncertain how to react.

After a moment’s thought, she gave a smile that wasn’t too perfunctory, pretending she remembered the conversation they had before.

Outside the backstage, the music from the speakers gradually lowered in volume, signaling the approaching end of the introduction.

At this point, two tall young men in suits arrived beside the stairs and briefly spoke with the two seniors.

Afterward, the staff holding some sort of baton took the cotton robes from the seniors, and the group ascended the stairs together.

Beneath the cotton robes were exquisite and elegant evening dresses, even strapless styles—one in a lively Pink Dress, the other in a dignified Silver Dress, each beautiful in its own way.

Su Yao was momentarily stunned, until Luo Yu tugged on her sleeve, urging her to take a photo quickly.

Snapping back to reality, Su Yao lifted her camera and captured the moment of their ascent.

The girl in the Pink Dress was lively and charming, confidently leading the way, while the Silver Dress senior moved gracefully in high heels, her pace steady and calm.

She even warned the girl ahead to be careful on the stairs, only for the girl in the Pink Dress to turn back and link her arm with her, giggling as they exchanged a few words.

Su Yao preserved this touching scene with her camera.

After lowering it, Luo Yu leaned over, her eyes shining brightly when she saw the photo.

“Amazing! Su Yao, your photography skills are getting better and better!”

“Just okay~ hehe~ just okay~”

Su Yao felt a little light-headed.

Her efforts were being acknowledged, showing that she hadn’t wasted her time or betrayed Mu Nanqiu’s small expectations of her. Gazing at the photo of the two seniors sharing a close moment, she shyly smiled to herself, tucking away her thoughts and returning her gaze to the staircase.

The two seniors had already disappeared behind the curtain.

When the signal came from the Director Room below, the massive red curtain slowly drew open, and the speakers transmitted the opening speeches delivered clearly and fluently by several seniors.

Su Yao caught some product placements among the speeches—some famous brands she recognized, others lesser-known, all sponsors brought in for the event.

A quick glance backstage showed equipment that looked expensive just by sight.

“It’s starting. Let’s go out and take a look.”

“Mm.”

The spot Luo Yu pointed to was the entrance leading to the Audience Seating, a place Su Yao had already noticed before.

At this moment, several men carrying cameras were coming and going, the atmosphere around there lively and warm.

The two of them stepped out from their small corner and headed over.

Su Yao had initially planned to go out early, but thinking she might need to adjust and prepare herself psychologically, she didn’t object and quietly followed Luo Yu at a modest distance—not too close, not too far.

Luo Yu intended to enjoy the prime Audience Seating area, a perfect spot to appreciate the beauty and charm of the two seniors just now.

But halfway there, they were stopped.

“Hello, do you have your Work Permit?”

Two students responsible for maintaining order approached and blocked Luo Yu’s path.

They had noticed Luo Yu wasn’t wearing a badge and thus stopped her—not suspecting Su Yao, who, startled, hid behind Luo Yu, forgetting the small privilege badge Mu Nanqiu had given her, trembling nervously.

“Ah, um……”

Luo Yu felt a flush rising on her face.

Being questioned wasn’t an honor, and she wasn’t the type to be shameless, so she naturally became flustered, her mind racing to find an explanation.

Then, she glanced at the Work Permits hanging on the two staffers’ chests and recalled seeing one on Su Yao earlier.

She quickly looked around but didn’t see Su Yao at first, sweat breaking out on her forehead.

Thankfully, when she turned back, she spotted Su Yao hiding behind her and hurriedly grabbed the badge on Su Yao’s chest.

“Uh, I forgot my badge. This is my friend—she can vouch for me!”

Su Yao suddenly met the doubtful gaze of the two staff members, startled.

Her eyes snapped to Luo Yu, thinking, What is this girl doing? Weren’t we supposed to be comrades? How did she just turn me in?

One of the girls approached, picked up Su Yao’s badge, and examined it carefully before looking back at Su Yao with a questioning tone.

“Is this your badge?”

Su Yao shot a glare at the girl—so fierce! Just one look was enough to unsettle her.

She quickly averted her eyes and nodded silently.

Seeing the badge calmed her down.

Su Yao just decided to stay quiet; she knew the senior had arranged everything, so there was no need for her to intervene.

What Su Yao hadn’t expected was the fierce girl asking her another question.

“Are you called Mu Nanqiu?”

“Ah?”

The tone was accusatory.

The girl clearly knew the badge didn’t belong to the person wearing it, and Su Yao, confused, glanced down at the badge bearing Mu Nanqiu’s photo and name, at a loss for words.

Luo Yu thought the situation was about to spiral out of control, but a senior standing silently nearby stepped forward, pulling away the fierce girl who wanted to keep questioning, then spoke to Su Yao.

“Don’t go anywhere in the backstage except the Director Room.”

Then, he escorted Luo Yu away.

Even as she was taken off, Luo Yu loudly reminded Su Yao to take more photos of the seniors because they really needed them.

Su Yao, shrinking her neck, pretended she wasn’t familiar with Luo Yu, not part of the same group, and slunk off to the edge of the stage.

She glanced over but it was no use—Su Yao was too short.

Standing too close meant she couldn’t see what was happening on the stage.

She didn’t dare climb the stairs to peek either, so she could only listen carefully.

Since it wasn’t Mu Nanqiu’s turn yet, Su Yao decided to wait right there.

There were stairs on both sides—one going up, the other down—and Su Yao’s side was the way up, so she figured she could see Mu Nanqiu if she stayed put.

She crouched near the edge of the stage and soon saw several people in special costumes approaching, probably the next performers.

They noticed a girl crouching near the stairs and couldn’t help but glance at her a few times.

These looks made Su Yao very uncomfortable, so she quickly stood up and moved further away.

Then, she heard some voices discussing filming matters.

Curious, Su Yao turned around and realized she was almost at the entrance.

There, a curtain was half-drawn.

The bright light outside contrasted sharply with the dim interior, creating a strange interplay of shadows and mist that shifted subtly.

Su Yao took some photos of this.

At that moment, shouts came from outside, and a wave of pressure washed over her.

Summoning her courage, she stepped forward, but as her hand touched the curtain, a flicker of hesitation froze her in place.

……

Inwardly, Su Yao scolded herself but decided to ignore her doubts.

Just as she was about to close her eyes and pull back the curtain, it was suddenly pushed open from inside.

A boy with his legs crossed hurried out without noticing Su Yao and rushed straight to the restroom.

Fortunately, she was ignored.

She felt a small relief and much calmer than before.

This time, she didn’t panic like earlier and lifted the curtain.

Mu Nanqiu sat inside the Makeup Room, looking at her reflection and feeling fairly satisfied with her current appearance.

She wondered how her dear Yao Yao’s photos would turn out tonight.

Thinking about the two of them quietly flipping through the camera’s photos later, Mu Nanqiu’s heart rippled gently, and her shifting emotions brought a subtle change to her aura.

Her friend sitting beside her caught that glance and smiled knowingly.

“Ah Qiu, you weren’t like this before.”

……Really?

Mu Nanqiu glanced at this friend, who had been her classmate for three years and fellow club member, though unfortunately not a roommate—otherwise, they might have been closer.

She nodded slightly, silently admitting the change within herself.

Her mind drifted to shy Su Yao, who looked at her with hopeful eyes, yearning for her touch.

Mu Nanqiu realized she could no longer be as indifferent to people and things as before.

Influences are often mutual.

“Ah Qiu, it’s time to go.”

“Mm.”

She twirled a lock of slightly curled hair—her own doing—thinking she’d ask Su Yao later whether she preferred it straight or styled.

With almost everyone gone from the makeup room, Mu Nanqiu slipped on her Feather Down Jacket and stepped out.

At the backstage stairs, she handed her coat to a familiar friend, then strode directly onto the stage to the steel piano brought up by the staff on a lift.

Mu Nanqiu sat down slowly, calming her mind, and gently plucked the keys.

As the melody rose, the curtain went up—