Chapter 176: Under the Spotlight

"A fateful encounter?"

"Her and me?"

The taciturn girl's abrupt remark was like a stone striking a thousand ripples, causing Lin Xiaolu and the blonde girl to exclaim in shock, followed immediately by an inexplicable stare-down.

Looking at the somewhat familiar blonde girl before her, Lin Xiaolu first instinctively shook her head, rejecting this absurd notion in her heart; just as she was about to speak, a sudden burst of vigorous applause and cheers erupted from the venue beside her.

The clamor interrupted the girls' exchange and drew their attention, causing them to shift their gaze together toward the intersection of the aisle not far away, where the venue's main doors stood wide open.

Walking to the entrance and looking into the venue with some curiosity, Lin Xiaolu first glanced at the sea of people, then at the stage under the spotlight; to her surprise, standing on the stage was a figure that felt somewhat familiar to her:

—It was Senior Cuique.

……

……

Senior Cuique had been called onto the stage under the guise of "inviting a lucky audience member to speak" after receiving the hair ornament.

If possible, she did not want to receive this somewhat abrupt gift in front of everyone, nor did she want to be thrust under the spotlight for such a strange reason. Unfortunately, by the time she realized this might be a premeditated act by Asano Enka, it was already too late.

The moment she received the hair ornament, she became the focal point of the surrounding audience's gaze; everyone wanted to confirm the true face of this "lucky one."

And upon discovering that the recipient of the hair ornament seemed to be a young child, some immediately took it into their heads to trick her; some asked Senior Cuique if she could show it to them, while others asked if she would trade the hair ornament for a bag of candy... The fan crowd, made wildly frenzied by the concert atmosphere, swarmed forward, even frightening Bai Jingxuan standing nearby.

Just as the situation seemed on the verge of spiraling out of control, on the stage, Asano Enka, having finished the previous song, neither continued singing nor withdrew to prepare for the next performance. Instead, she shifted her gaze toward Senior Cuique's position and, with a brilliant smile, spoke:

"Thank you all for coming to see my performance live today. This is my first concert in Fang Ting City, Donghua Province. I didn't expect Fang Ting to be such a passionate city; to be honest, I feel somewhat overwhelmed by the honor!"

"Coincidentally, I see that little fan down there who received the hair ornament seems very excited, as if she has something to say. So let's welcome her up on stage!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the fans below erupted into cheers fitting the occasion; even those audience members who had previously tried to trick and snatch the hair ornament had to drop the idea upon hearing the description "little fan," and could only clap somewhat helplessly.

Only the center of the topic, the "little fan" herself who had received the hair ornament, opened and closed her lips in disbelief.

"Excited"? When exactly had she displayed such an emotion?

She had no idea what Asano Enka was planning right now, but having been teammates with her for many years, she knew all too well how unprofessional this "Queen of Song," who looked so dazzling on stage, could be.

If Senior Cuique were to assign a personality label to each of her former Fang Ting City team members, the label for Asano Enka would certainly be "confident," or rather, "self-centered."

If something could make her feel happy or was sufficiently beneficial to her, even if it might cause trouble for others, Asano Enka would unhesitatingly choose to amuse herself first.

Unlike Su Shengzi, another member of the same team who also appeared to act according to her own will, if Su Shengzi was completely immersed in her own world to the point of disregarding outside opinions, then Asano Enka was simply acting stubbornly after weighing the pros and cons.

Precisely because of this, Senior Cuique now couldn't be sure what scheme the other was hatching in her gourd.

But with the arrow already on the string, called out in such a setting, she had no room to escape. Ultimately, under the slightly worried gazes of Bai Jingxuan and Xia Liang, she walked onto the stage, dragging her eyelids as she approached Asano Enka.

Standing under the slightly glaring spotlight, Senior Cuique raised her hand slightly to block the light from above and looked at the woman before her: after more than ten years, she finally saw her old friend clearly at close range once again.

However, at this moment, Margaret was not looking at Senior Cuique; she was still holding the microphone, smiling, and interacting with the audience below the stage.

Following her gaze downward, Senior Cuique looked at the dark, pressing crowd; the sound waves, like a mountain's roar or a tidal wave, constantly battered the stage. The crowd in the venue at night seemed to have become a black tide, washing over the stage like an isolated island. Merely standing there would likely be enough to make some timid people's legs go weak.

And at the spot closest to the stage, those fans whose faces Senior Cuique could make out were currently looking at her with deep earnestness, their gazes filled with both envy and expectation.

Was she being treated as a representative of the fans?

Senior Cuique couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

Clearly, these fans were all expecting her to express their welcome, love, and other fervent emotions on behalf of "the fans of Fang Ting City."

But unfortunately, although Senior Cuique was standing here, she actually didn't count as a fan or supporter at all; if one were to quantify a fan's level of worship for "Mary," Senior Cuique would probably have to stand in the very last row.

Feeling the earnest emotions of those below, Senior Cuique pressed her lips and looked at Asano Enka, only to see that the other had already turned her head to look at her. Waving to the audience on stage to signal "listen quietly," and then, like a kind big sister, handing the microphone into Senior Cuique's hands, her every action was incredibly smooth and seamless; yet, a "pop star's" performative smile still hung on her face, as if a mask were fitted over it, completely concealing her true countenance.

It seemed Asano Enka had no intention of revealing any extra information on stage, and even tried to pretend they were strangers, which somewhat reassured Senior Cuique. So she composed herself, improvised a set of remarks from the standpoint of a "fan," ran through what she was about to say in her mind, and, suppressing her discomfort, spoke:

"Ma... Mary, welcome to Fang Ting City. Everyone... likes you very much. We hope you can like Fang Ting City too."

This statement caused Asano Enka to take two exaggerated steps backward, covering her mouth as if very happy: "Really? You like me very much?"

Senior Cuique nodded blankly, making an "Mm" sound.

Asano Enka turned the microphone toward the audience again and, like a lively young girl, cupped her hand behind her ear: "Is what she said true?"

"True!"

The fans shouted in unison.

"Thank you! I'm so happy!"

Flashing a brilliant smile at the audience below, Asano Enka cast a flirtatious glance with refreshing skill: "Thank you all! I like you guys the most too! So I'll dedicate this song to you as a gift, your favorite, 'Sophia's Love Letter'!"

As her words fell, the band on stage immediately began playing the song's intro; the previously glaring spotlight also changed color, shifting from blinding white to soft pink.

Then, in the gap while the intro was still playing, Asano Enka took Senior Cuique's hand and led her to the side of the stage, smiling with an incredibly fake performative smile and saying: "Of course, I like you too."

"Ha..."

Senior Cuique, who had no idea what was going on, bared her teeth in a dry chuckle, treating it as a response to the other's words.

However, before she could make any further move, she felt Asano Enka's face suddenly come much closer, and then a somewhat soft sensation touched her forehead.

This sensation lasted only an instant, but Senior Cuique still understood what it was, causing her entire body to tense up in that very moment.

It was a kiss.

A kiss on the forehead, appearing like an intimate gesture between a big sister and a little sister, so much so that the audience below didn't think much of it when they saw it.

Of course, this did not stop envious and jealous audience members from shouting wildly, nor did it prevent fans who felt they had seen the idol's gentle side from screaming in frenzy. With just this one motion, the cheers below nearly overturned the entire venue.

This screaming also reached outside the venue, bringing Lin Xiaolu, who was still chatting with the mysterious trio, back to her senses.

And then, it evolved into the scene Lin Xiaolu saw.

……

……

Concerts must eventually end; after several hours of revelry and three encores, pop star Asano Enka's tour concert in Fang Ting City finally concluded.

Even after the performance ended, many fans below the stage remained immersed in that fervent emotion, still chatting with each other in extreme excitement.

Of course, this was also because this was the final show of Asano Enka's current tour. Fang Ting City was the last stop on her tour route; after this station, the concert would come to an end, and for a long time to come, the fans present would probably not get to experience such a hearty performance again.

Under the compounding effect of multiple factors, the fans, even after enduring three encores, were still reluctant to leave, remaining gathered within the venue to feel the lingering warmth.

Senior Cuique was naturally not included in that.

In fact, she now wished she could rush backstage immediately, drag Asano Madoka out, and ask this person exactly what they were up to. Or rather, what was going on in their head.

A simple kiss on the forehead was naturally a trivial matter... probably a trivial matter, but doing such a thing under the gaze of everyone was a completely different matter in nature. What was the point of this? Purely malicious mischief?

Holding Bai Jingxuan and Xia Liang, she walked with a solemn expression outside the venue. Senior Cuique quickly found Lin Xiaolu's trace within the crowd. After Lin Xiaolu parted with Jiang Yuan, she quickly pulled Lin Xiaolu along and strode with great momentum toward the depths of the arena.

Xia Liang, having watched the entire sequence of events from the start, had already guessed the general situation, so she merely followed behind Senior Cuique with keen interest. However, Lin Xiaolu clearly still did not understand the situation. Seeing Senior Cuique's abnormal behavior, she finally could not help but ask:

"Where are we going?"

"To find someone." Senior Cuique replied without turning her head.

"Who?" Lin Xiaolu blinked in confusion.

"The one who was singing on stage just now." Senior Cuique's voice was flat.

"That pop star? Why?"

Lin Xiaolu followed closely behind Senior Cuique. Hearing this answer, she could not help but quicken her pace and ran to her side: "Did you discover something wrong on the stage?"

"... Sigh."

Senior Cuique sighed, and it was unclear what she was sighing about: "It is not that something is wrong, but that I know her. Rather, I came to the concert today specifically to confirm her identity."

"Eh? Ah! So that's how it is?" Lin Xiaolu exclaimed with surprise, realizing it only after the fact.

"That is to say, the protagonist of today's concert, that pop star named Asano Madoka, is actually our senior."

Having received Senior Cuique's confirmation, Xia Liang on the side was finally able to speak and explained to Lin Xiaolu: "She was also a City magic girl of Fang Ting City; she was a junior's teammate."

"So Senior Cuique's teammate... no, how do you know?" Lin Xiaolu looked at her with some confusion.

"One could guess it, let alone your father showed us photos of the old Fang Ting City squad."

Asked about the core of the question, Xia Liang was not panicked at all and explained casually: "Didn't you notice that pop star looks very much like one of the people in the photo?"

"You even remember such things?"

"Heh heh, one must have eyes good at discovering things around them."

The two chatted about unimportant topics and followed Senior Cuique all the way to the inner circle of the arena, the backstage of the concert, which was also where the staff were resting at this moment.

A long, narrow corridor extended straight toward the back of the stage. Several rest rooms in the corridor with nameplates on their doors were tightly closed. At the same time, several staff members wearing security uniforms could be seen standing solemnly in the corridor, guarding this area.

"Hello, I want to find someone."

Walking forward, Senior Cuique spoke words that startled everyone.

Seeing several girls who looked quite young run into the inner field, and hearing them immediately say things like "go in and find someone," which sounded like the words of a fanatic fan, one of the security guards first showed a look of confusion, and then wanted to drive them away. However, before he could speak to stop them, another security guard nearby seemed to realize something, pulled him aside, and whispered something to him.

After the words were spoken, although this security guard's look of confusion did not diminish at all, he said nothing more. After hesitating for a while, he merely nodded at Senior Cuique and let her in.

With Senior Cuique's hearing, she could naturally hear the content of the whisper, which was: "Miss Mary's instruction: if there are little girls in strange costumes coming to find her, just let them in directly."

Without arguing further with the security personnel, Senior Cuique continued to lead the three girls straight in. Soon, she found the rest room marked with the name "Asano Madoka."

And more conspicuous than this name were the other three girls standing against the wall in the corridor outside the door.

The three girls appeared to be about the same age as Lin Xiaolu and the others. More importantly, Senior Cuique could recognize all of their faces—these were all City magic girls of Bai'an City.

When she previously went to Bai'an City to search for clues regarding the disappearance of the investigation squad, she had briefly cooperated with these City magic girls there.

Senior Cuique saw these people, and naturally, these people saw Senior Cuique as well. Especially the blonde girl among them, who, upon seeing Senior Cuique, instinctively covered her forehead, as if recalling some very bad memories.

Of course, it was not only Senior Cuique who recognized these people; Lin Xiaolu also reacted. Because she immediately realized that these were the three she had met earlier in the hallway, the trio who looked somewhat familiar.

"What are you doing here?" The question popped out of her mouth.

"We? We are the staff here! What are you doing here?"

The blonde girl standing in the middle immediately retorted, but after seeing Senior Cuique nearby, her momentum immediately weakened a bit, and the tone of her question became less confident: "No, why are you following..."

Her words got stuck here; it was unclear whether she had forgotten Senior Cuique's name or simply dared not say more.

Seeing her fall silent halfway through her sentence, another girl nearby wearing glasses could only sigh helplessly, stepped out from the side, patted her shoulder, and faced Senior Cuique, saying:

"Hello, my lord Inspector, long time no see. I am Bai Ji of Bai'an City. May I ask if you are here today to find the Mentor?"

"Who is your Mentor?" Senior Cuique asked.

"The Mentor's codename is 'Margaret'." Bai Ji paused: "She said you should be quite familiar with this codename, so she had already instructed us beforehand that if we see you, please tell you to wait outside the door."

"Is she also a City magic girl of Bai'an City?" Senior Cuique asked another question.

"The Mentor... well, actually, not entirely."

Bai Ji said with dignity: "However, this is not something we students can discuss at will. Please ask her directly."

"What is there to hide... isn't it just simply hanging a name in Bai'an?" The blonde girl finally found the time to hold back a sentence, but as soon as she finished speaking, she was glared at by Bai Ji and immediately shut her mouth sullenly.

This headless and tailless, even abrupt conversation left Lin Xiaolu on the side completely confused, because she had no idea how Senior Cuique suddenly became so familiar with several "strangers" in her memory, and from their conversation, it seemed she knew a lot about City magic girls.

She first looked at the trio in front of her, then looked at Xia Liang as if seeking help. Finding that Xia Liang was also somewhat confused, she could only look at Senior Cuique again and reached out to pull Senior Cuique's sleeve.

Senior Cuique looked at her with a somewhat helpless expression.

"Then let's put other topics aside for now. Anyway, let's introduce ourselves first."

Understanding what Lin Xiaolu wanted to express, Senior Cuique could only turn sideways, spread her hands, and gesture toward Lin Xiaolu and the others: "These are the current members of the City magic girl squad of our Fang Ting City."

Then she faced Lin Xiaolu and the others, extending her hand toward the City magic girls of Bai'an City: "These three are the City magic girl squad of Bai'an City, a city near Fang Ting. I got to know them when I went on a business trip to Bai'an previously."

With this introduction, the girls who were still in the dark finally understood the current situation. Not only Lin Xiaolu, but even Bai Jingxuan and the taciturn girl from Bai'an City all looked as if they had suddenly realized the truth.

— "Ah, so that's how it is. Hello."

"Hello!"

After understanding the situation, small talk was inevitable. Led by Xia Liang and Bai Ji, the City magic girls greeted each other awkwardly but somewhat politely.

Bai Ji was rigorous, the blonde girl was casual, the taciturn girl spoke in a low voice, Xia Liang was friendly, and Bai Jingxuan was serious.

The greeting methods of the several people were all different, but among them, there was one who was the most special.

That was Lin Xiaolu.

After learning that these somewhat mysterious girls in front of her were actually City magic girls from the neighboring city, combined with the previous inexplicable sense of familiarity, she finally understood why she felt that blonde girl was somewhat familiar.

Having figured out the other's identity and recognized exactly who she was, she could not help but raise her hand, point at the golden-haired girl, and without even saying hello, instinctively shout:

— "Ah, you are the one who bathes in the mucus of crippled beasts!"

(End of this chapter)