When it was about time, she heard her name. She reached for the microphone and walked toward the stage.
A deafening shout came from below the stage. “Shi Jin! Shi Jin! Shi Jin!”
Shi Jin curled her lips. When the spotlight landed on her, the audience erupted. She stepped up and started singing.
A loud and bright voice cut through the air.
The pleasant voice entered everyone’s ears, making them feel numb, like they had been electrocuted. The fans’ enthusiasm was aroused, and they waved their hands and sang along.
It was more like shouting than singing.
Shi Jin looked at the pairs of hands waving in the light below the stage. Her gaze became more determined and calm.
There were tens of thousands of people below the stage, but she suddenly sensed a familiar gaze on her.
Shi Jin instinctively looked in that direction. Amidst the chaotic lights and shadows, she could not see who was standing there, but she felt something in her heart, as if she knew who was standing there.
Her gaze did not stop there.
The strong rhythmic music stopped, and then slowed to become a gentle love song.
Shi Jin picked up the microphone. Her voice carried an indistinct tone, as if it was trying to seduce people.
“You ask me how much I love you,
How much do I love you…”
The clamor below the stage calmed down as everyone sang along with her.
The light was gentle and warm, like the afternoon sun in spring.
Shi Jin finally saw Fu Xiuyuan standing quietly in the front row. The light shone on his well-defined face, casting a shadow over it.
He stood tall and straight, making him stand out among the crowd. However, regardless of whether everyone was clamoring or singing, no one could affect him.
His expression was calm, but his eyes were filled with fervor as he stared unblinkingly at the person on the stage. When he finally met Shi Jin’s eyes, his lips could not help but curl up.
Shi Jin smiled as well. Her dark red lips had always been static, but at that moment, her red lips were curved and the long eyeliner at the corner of her eyes seemed to be curved as well.
The big screen captured this scene at the right time, showing her smiling face to everyone.
There was a series of screams from the fans below the stage. Some people started to scream crazily, “Shi Jin, Shi Jin…”
Fu Xiuyuan’s ears were filled with these voices, but he could only see Shi Jin in his eyes and hear her moving voice.
Occasionally, there would be people jostling around him, but he didn’t care at all. His gaze was only fixed on one person.
After Shi Jin’s song ended, she quickly returned backstage, put down her microphone and earpiece, and turned to leave.
She was swarmed by a large group of reporters, most of whom had rushed over from the competition venue. “Shi Jin, how did you feel during the competition today? Will you be able to win an award?”
“Were the questions difficult today? Can you share with us your study method?”
“When you were singing ‘The Moon Represents My Heart’ on stage earlier, why did you smile? Is there someone you like?”
A cold look flashed across Shi Jin’s eyes. She felt a tinge of impatience towards these reporters who had suddenly surrounded her.
She looked up and saw Fu Xiuyuan striding over from afar. She raised her eyebrows slightly and said, “Yes, I have someone I like. That song was sung for him.”
“Who is he? Can you tell us?”
“Shi Jin, are you in a relationship?”
“Shi Jin, can you share more about him with us?”
Fu Xiuyuan and Yao Jiahong walked past the reporters and took a step forward. Yao Jiahong blocked all the reporters while Fu Xiuyuan quickly led her out of the crowd.
By the time the reporters regained their senses, Fu Xiuyuan had already disappeared with Shi Jin.
Yao Jiahong said to everyone with a good attitude, “If everyone wants to interview Shi Jin, we can arrange another time.”
All the reporters were extremely frustrated. Why hadn’t they taken a photo of that man just now? But everyone consoled themselves. Maybe it was just a bodyguard?
When Shi Jin got into Fu Xiuyuan’s car, her breathing was a little hurried. It was really not easy to escape from the reporters.
The car drove very quickly, racing forward.
The summer air still held a hint of heat. Passing the other cars at high speed, it whipped against her face, but it left a little coolness too.
Fu Xiuyuan’s slender fingers pressed against the steering wheel, his profile becoming more and more three-dimensional, like a painstakingly drawn illustration.
Shi Jin looked at his face and suddenly felt that the song she sang tonight had not been enough. As she thought about this, music kept streaming through her mind.
“You want me to sing to you
Take the time to be young
Let the flowers bloom as they please
Give me a little of your time
Who could replace you? ”
Upon hearing Shi Jin’s voice, Fu Xiuyuan’s hand paused on the steering wheel for a few seconds before he let out a deep and clear laugh which mixed into her lyrics.
Shi Jin changed her tune.
“You know even if the downpour turns this city upside down
I will embrace you
I can’t stand seeing your back
My every second is as unbearable as enduring a full year.
The more she sang, the more indescribable emotions surged in her heart.
It was as if they had all accumulated together, as if the shackles in her heart had been released and everything was being reborn.
Her hair fluttered in the wind, just like her mood. She hooked her fingers through her hair and remembered another song. She sang it out:
“If I had to live my life without you near me
The days would all be empty
The nights would seem so long
You I see forever, oh so clearly
I might have been in love before
But I’ve never felt this strong”
The car stopped at an empty spot. Her singing had not stopped.
Fu Xiuyuan placed his left hand on the steering wheel and reached out his right hand to pinch her chin. He shifted her face over and met her eyes.
Shi Jin could not help but laugh, and her singing stopped.
“Why aren’t you singing anymore?”
“It’s more important to look at the person in front of me.”
Fu Xiuyuan raised an eyebrow and leaned closer to her. “Does he look good?”
“Very.”
“You can see more.” His lips were close, right in front of her.
The hot air that came out of his mouth had a cold, pine-like smell. It was complicated but pleasant.
Shi Jin took the initiative to kiss him. And he kissed her back passionately.
***
At night.
Chu Jia was meeting a friend to celebrate her college entrance examination results.
With the help of Shi Xuexin’s teacher, she was transferred to another high school. This time, her college entrance examination score was slightly above 500 points.
This result was not worth mentioning in Second High School. However, in the high school that she was currently in, which was not very good to begin with, it was worth a good deal.
