Chapter 123: A Wonderful Accident

When Ying Chanxi and Xu Youyu returned to the bleachers, Li Luo and the other four were already on the stage that had been set up.

Niu Qingling's drum kit and Xie Shuchen's keyboard stood at opposite corners behind the stage.

In the center stood a triangle formed by Li Luo, Yan Zhusheng, and Shao Youpeng.

Yan Zhusheng occupied the center position.

Leaning her hands on the railing at the edge of the bleachers, Ying Chanxi gazed at Li Luo on stage, chatting idly with Xu Youyu: "Do you play any instrument?"

"I'm a music idiot," Xu Youyu chuckled. "My mom took me for lessons when I was little, but no matter whether it was piano, violin, xiao, or dizi, I couldn't learn any of them. What about you, Xixi?"

"Me? … I took piano lessons for a while in elementary school," Ying Chanxi pressed her lips together. "But later, I quit to focus on my studies."

"That's a bit of a shame," Xu Youyu sighed. "Otherwise, you might've been on stage with Li Luo and the others."

"It's fine," Ying Chanxi smiled and shook her head. "I think watching them perform from here is nice enough."

"Enough talk," Xu Youyu pointed down at the stage. "It's about to start."

…

In the audience seats, Lin Xiuhong, seeing Li Luo's figure appear on stage, finally confirmed the truth of Li Guohong's words.

"When did this kid secretly learn guitar?" Lin Xiuhong whispered to Li Guohong. "He writes online novels at home and still has to study—how does he have this much energy?"

"Isn't that a good thing?" Li Guohong thought seriously. "He's just shifted the time he used to spend playing games to these things."

"Didn't he used to be good at basketball and gaming too? And still find energy to cause trouble at school?"

"He's just redirected his energy to where it truly belongs."

Hearing this, Lin Xiuhong nodded: "You've got a point."

But remembering Yuan Wanqing sitting beside him, Li Guohong still added: "Our Li Luo probably hasn't touched a guitar for long—if he plays badly somewhere, please be understanding."

"No need to be so polite," Yuan Wanqing laughed. "At school, I'm just Yan Zhusheng's mother. For a kid's performance, I'm not that strict."

…

"Why do you have a microphone too?" Shao Youpeng glanced at Li Luo's mic and asked curiously.

"I asked him to help with backing vocals," Yan Zhusheng, adjusting his own mic, turned and explained.

Niu Qingling paused, then asked curiously: "Did you two practice together privately?"

"Mm." Yan Zhusheng nodded. "Don't worry."

"Then let's go," Niu Qingling smiled. "After all, this is just a rehearsal for the sports meet—let's treat it like a dress rehearsal. No need to be too nervous."

"Good thing the parents of second-year students aren't here," Shao Youpeng chuckled. "If my parents were in the bleachers, I'd probably be shaking."

"Hey, think about me for a second," Xie Shuchen complained. "My mom's right there in the bleachers."

"Which one?" Niu Qingling peered toward the audience.

Before Xie Shuchen could point, a woman in the bleachers stood up and shouted toward the stage: "Shuchen! Go get 'em! Mom's here!"

"Damn!" Xie Shuchen waved awkwardly at his mom; the others nearby snickered. "What are you laughing at? Don't you two have parents here? Li Luo and Yan Zhusheng—where are your folks?"

"They're here," Yan Zhusheng pointed toward Yuan Wanqing, then asked Li Luo: "Is that lady beside your dad your mom?"

"Mm," Li Luo nodded, barely holding back a laugh. "Both my parents came."

Whether spurred by Xie Shuchen's mother's encouragement—or her embarrassment—Lin Xiuhong couldn't help standing up and shouting toward the stage: "Li Luo, go for it! Your dad and I are watching!"

Li Luo: "..."

"Hahaha!" Xie Shuchen laughed without restraint. "Serves you right! You were laughing at me!"

After this round of teasing, everyone's tension eased considerably.

Xie Shuchen and Shao Youpeng soon spotted Ying Chanxi and Xu Youyu in the bleachers.

Noticing the two girls' gazes, they straightened up, focused, and prepared seriously for the upcoming performance.

After the student handling backstage sound confirmed with Niu Qingling, Xu Youyu received the message from the student council and nodded, signaling they were ready to begin.

Moments later, when Niu Qingling struck the first note, every parent's eyes snapped to the stage.

"It's starting, it's starting," Lin Xiuhong sat upright, fists clenched tightly on her knees, her expression tense. "See how your son's doing."

"You're even more nervous than that kid."

"Don't talk," Lin Xiuhong glared at him. "Listen to the song."

While the couple bickered, Li Luo began playing his guitar.

Yuan Wanqing squinted slightly, listening carefully to the intro.

To be honest, in Yuan Wanqing's eyes, their coordination was fairly average.

Especially since the school's sound system wasn't any better—the audio quality was mediocre.

But for a group of high school students, it was already quite decent.

Especially Li Luo… Yuan Wanqing carefully distinguished the timbre of the guitar in the intro and raised an eyebrow.

Surprisingly, it was quite good.

His sense of rhythm was slightly better than the others'.

But ordinary parents wouldn't notice—mainly, they were just here for novelty.

At that moment, Yan Zhusheng, standing at the center of the stage, gently rested her hands on the mic stand and slowly closed her eyes.

When she opened them again, the audience seats had vanished from her vision; passion began gathering energy in her chest.

"I'm not a stone~"

"Nor a tear~"

"I'm just a little bird~"

"Searching for the way home~"

As Yan Zhusheng opened her mouth, her clear, cool tone instantly brightened the parents' expressions—it was a different style from the original.

But equally captivating.

No wonder she's Yuan Wanqing's daughter—this musical talent is truly unmatched… Li Guohong thought to himself, completely ignoring his own son's performance.

But just as "Brave Heart" entered its chorus—

"This is the feeling of flight!"

"This is the feeling of freedom!"

As Yan Zhusheng's high note soared, Li Luo sang out in unison beside her.

Over the originally clear and crisp tone like a mountain stream, a deep, mountain-heavy voice layered beneath, instantly elevating the song's texture.

It became richer.

Yuan Wanqing's eyes lit up: "This arrangement is quite good."

A professional had said so.

But the two ordinary parents beside her didn't think so deeply—they simply enjoyed it purely.

Seeing their son shine on stage, they felt a warm current flowing through their hearts.

A few months ago, Lin Xiuhong and Li Guohong would never have dared imagine this scene unfolding before their eyes.

And now, the stirring music seemed to carry them into a dream.

"Brave Heart" quickly reached its end.

The five on stage had fully entered their flow, lost in the moment, and under Niu Qingling's rhythm, they swiftly transitioned into the next song.

"The Power of Life," Li Guohong recognized at the intro, "I love this one."

"How many times have I fallen on the road~"

"How many times have my wings been broken~"

Yan Zhusheng handled it effortlessly, her whole demeanor growing more relaxed, her movements no longer confined to standing still.

At the chorus's climax, she yanked the microphone free and sang out with striking flair:

"I want a life that bursts forth!"

"Like soaring across boundless skies!"

With Li Luo's backing vocals, the entire song achieved a high level of completion.

But perhaps because she was carried away by the energy, Yan Zhusheng gripped the mic too tightly and accidentally stepped on its cable.

The next second… she went silent.

Or rather—the microphone went silent.

Yan Zhusheng instinctively froze, turning to look at Li Luo.

The interlude had just begun.

But the interlude in "The Power of Life" was very short; before Yan Zhusheng could explain, the song moved into the next section.

"Is something wrong?" Xu Youyu frowned. "Is the mic broken?"

A murmur of confusion rose from the audience; many parents noticed the issue.

Worry immediately spread to Xie Shuchen and the others on stage.

But soon, Li Luo's steady voice rang out.

"How many times have I lost my way~"

"How many times have my dreams shattered~"

Unlike Yan Zhusheng's style, Li Luo casually took over, calmly carrying the subsequent lyrics.

At the same time, Li Luo winked at Yan Zhusheng, signaling her to come take the mic.

But for reasons unknown, after plugging her own mic back in, she walked straight to Li Luo's side, leaned close to his mic, and sang with him:

"I want a life that bursts forth!"

"Like standing atop the rainbow's peak!"

The two shared one microphone, their bodies pressed tightly together.

Li Luo's fingers strumming the guitar stiffened for a moment before rejoining the rhythm.

In the audience, Ying Chanxi watched this scene, gently biting her lip, her hands gripping the railing tighter.