Chapter 87

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Chapter 87: The Show Begins, Charlotte Shines

The next day.

On a sunny day, the sound of cicadas filled the air from the banyan tree on the side of the street. The subway station nearby was bustling with a huge crowd, creating a lively atmosphere in the hot temperature.

Adjacent to the Daxia Art Palace and the World Expo Axis, outside the venue of Sea City’s "Dazzling Stage" first performance, many media, paparazzi, fans, and enthusiasts gathered around, crowding the area. Security teams had to maintain order, leaving a narrow path for vehicles to pass through.

It was 7 o’clock in the morning. According to the official website, the performance of the theme song would officially start at 10 o’clock in the morning.

Only two thousand lucky fans were chosen to attend the performance, but for many fans, just catching a glimpse of their idols was worth the trip.

These girls couldn’t predict the exact schedule of "Dazzling Stage." Early in the morning, they held up their idol light boards, taking turns to observe every vehicle that passed by, hoping to spot the player’s special car.

Fans are sometimes easily satisfied yet foolish, indulging in the idol’s carefully crafted image and eagerly seeking a love that seems cheap but unattainable. They participate in rankings, voting, airport pick-ups, attend fan events, and buy all related endorsed products.

In the web of lies and self-delusion, they gradually create an empty dream. Only when the idol’s image shatters, they may wake up abruptly, either quietly stepping back from idol chasing or continuing the cycle, feeling disappointed for a while before seeking the next sweet lie.

Idols are products.

Most fans in the industry understand this very clearly, except for those who are overly naive.

In an era where peace can be somewhat boring and distance between people gradually grows, leaning towards an entertainment-centric society, many prefer to invest their emotions in idols who may collapse at any moment and are far away, rather than entrusting them to a real individual in reality.

Under these circumstances, the wave of rectification set off by the live broadcast of "Dazzling Stage" on its first day in the entertainment circle can indeed be considered a good thing for the country and the people.

The key point here is that as a talent show with a national background, all contestants who pass the audition must undergo a background check, which is like an early screening and certification of their purity, making it more reassuring to support them.

This leads to a very high rate of fan involvement, with the first performance of the contestants attracting a huge number of people, causing even the nearby subway entrance to become overcrowded over time.

If a drone were to fly over at this time, one would see a sea of people gathered together, like the grand scene of a black tide.

In the distance, there are three specially modified vehicles passing by, all dark in color with a metallic sheen, covered in cute Dream Weaver Rabbit designs and the logo of "Dazzling Stage", slowly coming forward as if pushing a wave.

The vehicles are moving slowly for two reasons: first, there are too many fans around, so the risk of accidents is high; and second, it is to show some consideration for the fans waiting in the scorching sun, creating a pilgrimage-like scene.

In the noisy crowd, fans shouted loudly and held up their glowing signs, which stood out in the sky.

Meanwhile, inside the car.

Chu Yuanqing rested her head on the window and was dozing off.

The girl’s soft black hair draped down her delicate earlobes, cascading onto her smooth neck. Her sleepy face pressed against the glass looked adorable, with her eyelashes tinged with a golden hue. The scene was beautiful and serene.

Even though the glass was bulletproof, the privacy mode was not activated.

As a result, this precious moment was coincidentally captured by numerous fans, who ingeniously used high-powered cameras to capture and preserve it.

Some people passionately praised the gift from the talented artist, Godly Qing.

Others hesitated to show their excitement as it was an offline event, but their hearts were already ecstatic.

True fans, who were waving their signs, keenly spotted the dozing Chu Yuanqing and excitedly shouted.

"Yay, I finally see Honey Qing alive!"

"Honey Qing, look over here, Mom misses you so much!"

"Qing Qing! Even though I can’t see you perform on stage and cheer for you in real-time, I want to say that even if you don’t do your best, it’s okay, don’t put too much pressure on yourself!"

"Honey Qing, don’t work too hard, Mom will feel sad seeing you exhausted!"

Maybe due to the offline setting, fans’ cheers were more restrained, without the chaos and wild literary dancing that often happens online.

However, there were still instances of loud shouting and jumping in place:

Despite the jokes and playful elements, when transferred offline, these shouts still felt very explosive.

The security personnel looked serious, their gaze fixed on the crowd, as if they were watching for potentially dangerous individuals, their hands on their batons, extra vigilant.

Chu Yuanqing felt the intimidating power of the spontaneous behavior in the venue, triggering a sense of crisis, she opened her eyes in confusion, seeing large cards with her name and the names of other contestants, she fell silent.

So scary!!!

The girl, with sleepy eyes, felt her pupils shaking, and her face became stiff with confusion. It was the first time she realized so vividly that she had a large number of fans in the outside world, and maybe even had gained some popularity and attention domestically.

This increasing widespread social death penalty had a serious impact on her inner self.

More than this, she was more concerned that the more attention she received now, the harder it would be to escape to deal with Chu Yuanying’s death and carry out the insurance fraud plan. It was like unexpectedly falling into a trap, being firmly trapped.

Moreover, her death was inevitable. If she allowed the number of fans to continue growing, on the day of her passing, how much trouble would she cause everyone? How many people would feel sad and heartbroken?

This was far different from quietly passing away as planned, like a fallen leaf returning to the trees, without causing any ripples.

Most importantly, on her grave, there would be an epitaph saying "Genius Idol, passed away young, remembered by countless fans." If she had more true fans, perhaps there would be people coming to lay flowers and mourn on Qingming Festival and memorial days, or even holding ridiculous memorial events regularly.

Darn it, considering the truth, it just seemed so abstract and she would absolutely not rest peacefully, right!?

I fear no breaking of my body, to keep my innocence in this world.

Suddenly, a sad poem popped into Chu Yuanqing’s mind, making her feel heartbroken. She felt like she had lost her innocence, and even if she left this world in a flash, fans would still remember her for strange things.

Despite feeling so sad that she wanted to cry, the girl had to politely restrain her emotions. She smiled at the fans who worked hard just to catch a glimpse of her and give their blessings. She waved in all directions to show she was listening carefully.

This behavior greatly excited the fans.

Various psychological activities were playing out in the minds of the fans, making the festive atmosphere even warmer.

Luckily, most of the fans were supportive, and there were fewer outrageous and chaotic comments. With so many fans in the audience, the situation became complicated. Not all 168 contestants had fans, but dozens of supporters could still be found, creating a cacophony of voices.

If it weren’t for Chu Yuanqing’s large fan base and her keen senses, she wouldn’t have been able to distinguish the supportive cheers from the chaos, let alone smile back at each one.

From this perspective, she could be seen as mastering idol business skills on her own, effectively applying them without even realizing it. Her genuine emotions led to exceptionally outstanding results.

On the other side, the pretty girls in the train carriage were blinking their eyes, looking for their fans among the crowd. When they spotted a banner with their name written on it, they happily embraced each other, looking adorable and silly.

Truth be told, the contestants in this train were at the forefront of "Dazzling Stage," most of them already having some presence before the competition. They were not complete newcomers without fans, and their reactions seemed to be playing a role in front of the public.

But they were so happy that their laughter was contagious, their eyes sparkling as if they had rediscovered their innermost feelings through yesterday’s baptism.

Tang Liuli watched as Chu Yuanqing effortlessly transformed even the most self-centered individuals into dreamers filled with sunshine, proving herself to be truly inspiring.

The atmosphere on the main stage was overwhelmingly positive, with a mix of nervous tension and eager anticipation.

With a solemn expression, Tang Liuli clasped her hands together and prayed silently in her heart:

Chu Wang Shu tilted her head slightly, observing her childhood idol whose behavior seemed puzzling, then turned energetically to look out the window, blinking her eyes as she searched for her fan.

Unaware that the other person was secretly stealing her motherly affection.

Xie Qingxuan abandoned her usual aloof demeanor and politely acknowledged the fan waving outside the window.

Well, that’s not really surprising.

While she could be a bit extreme in some ways, she was always polite and easygoing as long as it didn’t involve the stage or Xie Qing Yu. Due to her natural disposition, she could appear vulnerable and easy to be taken advantage of.

Unfortunately, in the current show, apart from Chu Yuanqing, who sees people without prejudice, and the observant Liang Xiaoxiao, no other contestants have discovered this extremely contrasting truth.

On the other hand,

Ji Shuzhu rested with her eyes closed, conserving her strength. She never saw herself as an idol, so she didn’t care if she had fans outside the window. Her heart was consumed with complex emotions, making it hard to break free.

The girl’s eyelashes trembled as she opened her eyes. She placed her hand on her chest, feeling a dull pain in her heart. She muttered to herself:

"Little Ning, this is your first time being the Carry Center, stepping onto a real stage."

"If you can’t even enter the Heart Flow in such a scenario, it means… our fate has truly come to an end."

Will Little Ning disappoint herself again?

Or is she secretly hoping for Little Ning to fail once more?

The radiance emanating from Chu Yuanqing was too dazzling. The happiness derived from her almost overturned the meaning of life, causing a long-neglected soul to sway.

Ji Shuzhu understood that even if she surpassed herself and reached the realm of "Heart Flow", she would never be able to compare to Chu Yuanqing’s brilliance.

In simpler terms, this was a fundamental difference stemming from the soul, personality, and experiences.

That kind of passionate and gentle brilliance, perhaps not even world-class idols could possess it, right?

Therefore, she both hoped for Chen Yining to fail, so she wouldn’t have to think too much about it and could continue following Chu Yuanqing to fulfill the happiness she had longed for in her past life.

On the other hand, she also wanted the other to succeed, so she could try to overcome her desires and join hands with the other to fulfill the promise they made to each other in their childhood, not wanting to make that proud and arrogant young lady sad and upset.

It’s the collision of reason and emotion, the struggle between desire and memories, the twisted and chaotic entanglement, a contradiction spiral that can only be resolved when standing on the stage.

As time passed, the bus soon left the lively and noisy streets, entering the outskirts where fans couldn’t reach, heading straight to the destination of the group.

The contestants got off the bus one by one, walking into the venue in an orderly manner, and soon arrived at their respective dressing rooms according to their groups.

"Dazzling Stage" didn’t hire additional makeup artists. Instead, they used the people who originally worked in the underground base, where they were responsible for filming behind-the-scenes footage, conducting interviews, creating some Easter eggs, and also acting as personal assistants. When they came up here, they transformed into professional makeup artists.

Oh, Chen Xiaoxiao felt the same way.

The assistant sister who had interviewed Chu Yuanqing before, easily suppressed the spirit of DD, slyly swapped places with her colleague, and squatted in the area responsible for the makeup of the main stage performers.

Chen Xiaoxiao blinked non-stop, staring at the door. As soon as she saw Chu Yuanqing, she suppressed her excitement, calmly called out to her, naturally guided the naive girl to the makeup mirror, seated her gently, took out her kit with a casual demeanor.

In reality, the assistant sister’s mind had already flashed through numerous epileptic literary works.

But soon, she calmed down, encouraged herself in secret, felt she must not disappoint Honey Qing’s extraordinary beauty, must bring out her true charm, and let her shine on stage later.

Chen Xiaoxiao learned makeup in high school, made it a side job in college, obtained a certificate as a senior makeup artist at graduation, accumulated a lot of work experience after postgraduate studies, and with her graduate degree from a prestigious university, she smoothly passed the screening and was hired by "Dazzling Stage."

And now, it was time for this skill to shine brightly!

Chu Yuanqing sat in her seat, obediently looking at the mirror without moving. She did recognize this makeup artist, the former assistant sister who had interviewed her. But the awkward feeling of being made up made her too distracted to greet her.

Chen Xiaoxiao washed her hands clean and started applying primer.

During that time, she couldn’t help but admire the other person’s natural beauty.

The girl’s skin was smooth, soft, and velvety to the touch, with a beautiful light rose color. Coupled with excellent bone structure and facial features, she had a naturally harmonious perfection.

Chen Xiaoxiao looked at the little idol’s face and couldn’t help but praise:

"Your skin is really good, no wonder you look so good without makeup on."

"…You are beautiful too."

Chu Yuanqing’s eyelashes trembled, feeling somewhat uncomfortable with such compliments. After hesitating for a while, she could only come up with this awkward response.

Chen Xiaoxiao looked at the slightly "shy" Honey Qing in the mirror, feeling as if countless fireworks were blooming in her heart.

Oh, so adorable, my dear!

The assistant sister almost melted from cuteness overload. She decided to show her appreciation, immediately casting aside all distractions, and continued applying makeup diligently. It was as if she entered a super-efficient state of "Heart Flow," smoothly completing all the steps.

Chu Yuanqing let the other person paint on her face, almost falling asleep from the makeup.

And when she opened her eyes again, she blinked in confusion.

– Is this really me?

Chen Xiaoxiao’s makeup was not too heavy, following a simple principle: matching hair and eyebrow colors, matching the main eye shadow color with the darkest lip color, and matching the blush with the outer lip color.

This way, the overall look would have a watercolor-like blend, natural and sophisticated with a soft haze.

This set of skills was learned from a makeup artist in the kingdom.

At this moment, the person in the mirror had transformed completely, she had shed all simplicity and looked almost exquisite to the point of her hair strands. The overall vibe became upscale and unique, with distinct features remaining unchanged, but shining so brightly, like an idol should on stage.

The assistant sister watched attentively, very satisfied. She felt that the child she was supporting was incredibly good-looking. However, driven by perfectionism, she softly complained with a critical eye:

"It’s a pity that the theme for this stage requires a simpler look, and the outfit doesn’t suit heavy makeup. Otherwise, if I dye your hair next time and style it differently, you will definitely look even better."

Chen Xiaoxiao thought for a moment and casually asked:

"I think you would look good with white hair, don’t you think?"

Chu Yuanqing fell silent at the words, greatly shocked.

Should she dye her hair white? Would she also need a pair of golden contact lenses?

Luckily, the makeup artist was busy, so Chen Xiaoxiao didn’t have time to ask more questions and was grabbed by a senior artist to do makeup for the other contestants.

…

…

Time passed quickly, nearing 9:50.

The seats on the circular stairs were already filled with 2000 lucky audience members.

Xu Ling held the CP fan’s light stick, quietly blending in with the thousands of viewers in the live stream room. She eagerly looked at the large stage in the center rising slowly, her heart beating fast, thinking to herself:

"Honey Qing, don’t be nervous, please don’t be nervous. Mom will be very satisfied as long as you finish your performance smoothly!"

Even though Chu Yuanqing had once ignored a virtual reality test before, who knows if that happened because she had completely forgotten everything around her after a burst of inspiration?

Therefore, many fans in the Yuanxiao Group were still worried that she might fail this time.

As they say, the higher you climb, the harder you fall.

Chu Yuanqing could crown Godly Qing on stage, but she could also fall from grace on the same stage.

These are all uncertain things.

As a fan, Xu Ling could only silently wish well, whether for failure or victory, she would keep supporting the other person.

The long three seconds passed by,

The person above the main carry position finally caught everyone’s eye.

The lights on the stage were spinning like an upside-down tower of magic, about to shine on the three Carry Centers next.

At this moment,

Chu Yuanqing took a deep breath and whispered a spell in her heart.

Charlotte, help me once more.

In the pure white light of the lamp pendant, a touch of eternal and magnificent blue was mixed in.

Suddenly, the view changed, and the soul boiled.

In the same second, the spotlight fell like a tribute.

Chu Yuanqing’s self-transcendence, she forgot herself, forgot the past, forgot the pressure, only at this moment transformed into the one and irreplaceable world’s top idol in her heart.

The girl’s beautiful face was captured clearly by the camera. She looked down with a slight smile on her lips.

At that moment, time stood still.

Chu Yuanqing seemed to look down on all living beings, showing compassion for everything. There was a golden light shimmering in her eyes, and her joyful smile was so pure, like love spreading like tides in the sunset, reaching into everyone’s hearts through her smile.

Unbelievable.

With just a quick glance, she charmed everyone both on camera and in person.

Xu Ling was immersed in an endless sea of light, waving her support stick uncontrollably. She screamed, joyed, and cheered, forgetting all worries in her heart, completely absorbed in the stage just as the background music started playing.

In an instant, the atmosphere in the whole venue intensified.

Although it was just a sweet song celebrating youth, the audience seemed to be listening to an explosive anthem, far exceeding the expectations of the contestants on stage.

Ji Shuzhu’s eyes were misty, different from Chu Yuanqing, closer to Charlotte’s sparkle, filling her emptiness with such happiness that it overflowed. It made her smile, making even her dance steps more emotional.

Xie Qingxuan entered the Heart Flow, feeling as though their realms were colliding. Without prying into Chu Yuanqing, she still saw purity and loneliness, love and holiness, like a sunset in the sea.

So grand.

So far away.

So radiant.

Is this really Chu Yuanqing?