Zhou Mei’er and Ming Li led their fellow Black Stars to raise all of their banners to welcome their Boss Iris. Jin Chonglin’s army of fans also did the same.
Almost the entire audience was filled with banners of all sizes showing Iris Long and Jin Chonglin’s names and images with messages of support from their adoring fans. It was an impressive sight. The cameras recorded everything, even though the show was still on commercial break. Director He planned on showing these shots once the show resumed.
Finally, the commercial break ended. The two hosts on the side of the stage flashed their best smiles to the camera.
Male host: “Welcome back to ‘MusicFest Tonight’!”
Female host: “Wow! Listen to the audience! They’re so loud that I can barely hear myself talking! I know that everyone can’t wait for the final performers!”
Male host: “How are you feeling, everyone? Are you excited?”
Audience: “YES!!! Iris!!! Lin Lin!!! LinRis!!! LINRIS!!! LINRIS!!!”
Female host: “I think we should hurry up and introduce the grand finale act or the audience might drag us off the stage in their impatience.”
Everyone laughed at her joke, temporarily interrupting the audience’s loud chants. However, this only lasted for a few seconds before everyone resumed calling for the long-awaited finale performers of the night.
Male host: “Please be quiet so that we can make the introductions…”
Even backstage, none of the artists who finished performing earlier left yet. They all stayed in order to watch the finale performance.
Female host: “The moment that you’ve all been waiting for has finally arrived!”
Male host: “The next performers are award-winning musicians who are considered to be two of the most talented young artists our country has to offer in the field of pop music. Their first collaboration single is the theme song of the highly-anticipated TV drama ‘Our Love, Our Destiny’which is currently airing this season.”
Female: “Yes. Their new single debuted at #1 in the music charts, demonstrating not only their musical prowess but also the magnitude of their combined popularity across the country.”
Male host: “Performing their new hit single together for the first time on live television, please welcome the beautiful Iris Long and the handsome Jin Chonglin singing—”
Both: “Shining Eyes!”
The audience cheered loudly once again. Everyone was on their feet. They waved the banners of their Boss Iris and Prince Lin Lin while screaming in excitement. However, they stopped when the lights suddenly turned off.
A dim light gradually illuminated the chamber orchestra at the back of the stage. There were fewer musicians this time compared to Iris Long’s usual full symphony orchestra. There was also a four-piece pop band consisting of an acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass guitar and drums. The acoustic guitarist sat prominently on a high stool in front of the other musicians. The grand pianist (not Iris Long this time) also took up the other prominent position. To the side, there were three back-up singers. Two females and one male.
The acoustic guitarist opened the music by fingerpicking his guitar strings to produce a brief but silky five-chord melody. The Spanish-flavoured guitar chords suggested passion, tugging directly at the audience’s romantic sensibilities. The audience’s anticipation and excitement for the song only increased.
The opening melody was like a delicate drizzle subtly enhancing a beautiful, hot sunny day of passion. The overall melody was light and airy, almost feeling like a gentle breeze to the audience.
Next, the pianist began playing the full melody. It sounded sentimental and emotional, definitely heavier than the light and airy opening melody.
The acoustic guitar and the piano worked together to provide the passion, while the other instruments delicately playing in the background added a gentle sweetness to the music.
All of a sudden, the centre of the stage lit up. The combined spotlights were so bright that the two people standing centre stage looked like they were divine beings glowing from the inside out.
The audience immediately started cheering upon seeing the pair.
Jin Chonglin looked dashing in his ivory semi-formal tuxedo suit. He wore no neckties or bowties, opting instead to show a little bit of skin by opening a couple of extra buttons on his dress shirt beneath his tuxedo jacket. His fans squealed upon seeing a hint of his hard, muscled chest.
As for the beautiful lady standing beside him, Iris Long wore a magenta, off the shoulders, wrap midi dress. The dress showed a lot of neck, shoulders and a hint of cleavage, but didn’t look too risqué with its long, flowing sleeves. The waist tie accentuated her tiny waist and hourglass figure. Like Jin Chonglin, Iris’ outfit wasn’t too formal. The hem of her dress fell to her mid-calf. Not too long but not too short either. It was sexy yet elegant at the same time.
The rest of her lower legs were accentuated by a pair of sheer nude high-heeled shoes embellished with small crystals. From far away, it looked like she wasn’t wearing any shoes at all but just standing on her sparkling tippy-toes.
Her hair was in a simple straight blow-dried style, and her makeup smoky and soft, emphasizing her natural feminine aura.
Jin Chonglin lifted his mic and began singing. His voice was deep and masculine, yet also flowed like sweet caramel. He was looking at Iris beside him with a deep look in his eyes.
“Walking down the town of life
I caught a glimpse of you
Your beautiful self
Making even the flowers smile back”
He lowered his mic, continuing to look at Iris. All of his attention was on her.
Iris smiled at him and raised her own mic to sing next. Her voice sounded light yet was still exquisite, harmonizing perfectly with the music.
“Smitten I followed you around
Not expecting anything in return
So your shining eyes saw me”
At this moment, the rest of the orchestra joined in playing the melody, making the music sound fuller. The other guitars and the drums added a modern vibe to the song at the same time.
Jin Chonglin gestured towards Iris and sang as if she was the only person he could see at that moment. His expression was so passionate that a few LinRis shippers in the audience already started fainting from overexcitement. He sang more to her than to the audience.
“Time stopped in that moment
The sun paled in your presence”
Iris placed a hand on her chest and also sang with much passion.
“Birdsong filled the air
As you chose me”
The pop band of electric guitar, bass guitar, and drums took the lead with a heart-tugging melody and slow tempo. The classical instruments balanced this with the light and soaring background melody.
Iris and Jin Chonglin started singing together. Their voices sounded very different, yet they harmonized so perfectly that the audience felt goosebumps listening to them. There was a bit of a growl to Jin Chonglin’s voice, while Iris’ was just soaring smoothly to the heavens.
“Smitten I had followed you around
Not expecting anything in return
But you always knew
So your shining eyes saw me”
They walked together to the front of the stage, exciting their fans sitting at the front seats of the audience. More fainted.
Iris looked and interacted with the audience more than Jin Chonglin. He couldn’t seem to tear his eyes away from her during the performance. So even when she wasn’t looking at him, he continued to gaze at her with deep eyes burning with passion.
The LinRis shippers took this as proof that their Prince Lin Lin was completely in love with their Boss Iris. After all, he couldn’t stop looking at her! Wasn’t it so obvious? They squealed with giddy delight, already feeling certain that the two were really in a romantic relationship.
Iris finally returned her eyes to Jin Chonglin and looked at him. She also looked like she was professing her love to him with her eyes and her singing. The LinRis shippers squealed even harder.
“As I’m singing I look into your eyes
And know you see me like I do you
Even as we grow old I never forget
The man who saw me that day”
The audience were squealing so hard from watching the romantic pair on the stage that they felt like they might vomit out their throats. To these fans, especially the LinRis shippers, the love song was more than a simple sentimental ballad. It was a love letter of their Boss Iris and Prince Lin Lin to each other.
