Chapter 360

On the 8th.

Ying Chanxi lived an incredibly fulfilling day.

After sharing a Bluetooth earbud for a nap at noon, they continued attending classes together in the afternoon.

Midway through the second self-study session, Li Luo felt his arm poked a few times; he turned to look at Ying Chanxi and saw her blinking at him.

Then Li Luo watched her stand up and walk out of the classroom; as she passed through the back door, she turned back to glance at him once more.

Li Luo of course knew what she meant, so shortly after, he too rose and left the classroom, finding Ying Chanxi's figure in the night-lit playground.

"Aren't night runs supposed to start fifteen minutes after class ends?" Li Luo laughed as he walked up to her. "You're way too early—class just started a few minutes ago?"

"I just want to take a walk to catch my breath after running," Ying Chanxi retorted. "Stop talking and let's run."

"Fine."

"Wait." Ying Chanxi grabbed him again, pulled out her Bluetooth earbud from her pant pocket, and slipped one into his ear. "There."

She opened her music and began running alongside Li Luo.

Enjoying the rhythm of soft music beside her ears and gazing up at the crescent moon above, Ying Chanxi felt utterly content.

In fact, ever since sharing earbuds daily with Yan Zhusheng, she had wanted to listen to music with Li Luo—but never found the right chance.

With Yan Zhusheng away these past two days, she'd finally fulfilled that wish, and her heart had been glowing all day.

Thinking there was still one more day tomorrow, Ying Chanxi bubbled with joy, her running stride growing even lighter.

After running four or five laps, both were slightly sweaty and warm, so they stopped running and began walking around the track.

With about twenty minutes left until class ended, Ying Chanxi strolled beside Li Luo, hands clasped behind her back, fingers intertwined, lips pressed together as she stole glances at him.

When Li Luo noticed, she quickly turned her head away, feigning serious focus on the plastic track beneath her feet.

"What are you thinking about?" Li Luo reached out and brushed his fingers through Ying Chanxi's hair.

"I'm not thinking about anything," Ying Chanxi replied, her foot precisely stepping on the white line between track lanes, as if walking a tightrope. "Why are you touching my hair?"

"I wanted to see what you look like with pigtails."

"Sure." At this, Ying Chanxi grabbed her hair tie herself, gently pulled it out, and her long, smooth hair immediately cascaded down.

She removed another hair tie from her wrist, handed both to Li Luo, then stopped walking, turned her back to him, and said, "Tie them for me."

"Alright." Li Luo took the hair ties and skillfully began braiding her into pigtails.

As for why Ying Chanxi had an extra hair tie on her wrist—it was deliberately prepared.

Ever since Li Luo started tying her pigtails, she'd always carried two hair ties with her.

One for daily ponytails, the other as backup, ready to hand to Li Luo whenever he wanted to tie her pigtails.

And now, it had finally come in handy.

"There." Li Luo admired her pigtails and nodded in satisfaction. "Looks great."

"Is it the hair that looks good, or me?" Ying Chanxi touched her braid, blushing as she looked down.

"The pigtails are just the icing on the cake—of course it's you who looks good."

"Hmph."

Ying Chanxi kept walking along the track with a stiff face, but her smile threatened to burst free.

Li Luo matched her pace, slightly behind by half a step, occasionally glancing at the pigtails he'd tied.

Especially when Ying Chanxi's steps grew light and quick, the pigtails bounced up and down—adorably.

Paired with her delicate, lovely profile, it was truly a sight to behold, a feast for the eyes.

"By the way… did all the songs on Aunt Yuan's new album get music videos?" Ying Chanxi turned to ask.

"Yeah, definitely shot."

"So you won't need to shoot new ones, then?"

"Not that I can't shoot more," Li Luo smiled. "After all, those are Aunt Yuan's versions. Later, I might release my own cover version—and then I could make a music video for it."

"Really?" Ying Chanxi blinked, her anticipation rising. "Then… then…"

"That'll be up to my official music video director—Ying Chanxi, director Ying."

"Hmph." Ying Chanxi's lips curled upward happily. "I haven't even said I'd help you shoot yet."

"You won't refuse."

"That's not certain—it depends on how sincere certain people are."

"What kind of sincerity does Director Ying want?"

"I'll have to think about it," Ying Chanxi murmured, stroking her chin, her peripheral vision stealing a glance at Li Luo.

But Li Luo asked: "Of the nine songs, which one do you like the most?"

"I haven't listened to the last two yet."

"Then among these seven, which one do you like the most?"

"If I have to say…," Ying Chanxi lightly bit her lip, her gaze drifting, then whispered, "'Chasing the Light.'"

"That one?" Li Luo raised an eyebrow. "Then… how do you think the music video for it should be shot?"

"Of course on the beach—at night, with fireworks exploding," Ying Chanxi clearly remembered the lyrics well, then added softly, "And of course, there must be a male and female lead—after all, this song is about unspoken love."

"Then let's pretend this place is the beach," Li Luo pointed at the dark grassland, then at the track beneath their feet. "We're on the sand now. Director Ying, any instructions?"

"Hmm… in that case…," Ying Chanxi blinked, her heartbeat quickening. "You walk ahead, and I'll follow behind you like the one chasing the light."

"And… and… the camera angle should place the moon directly above your head, making it the physical embodiment of that light."

"For close-ups, focus on my hand—yes, just like this."

Ying Chanxi walked behind Li Luo, slowly extending her hand, chasing the silhouette of his back bathed in moonlight, as if chasing that single beam of light.

But just as Ying Chanxi was pondering how to shoot the next scene, the next second, she felt her outstretched hand taken in his.

"You…" Ying Chanxi stared at Li Luo, at her hand held in his, frozen in place.

"What's wrong?" Li Luo turned back to look at her. "I think the ending of the song—where the follower finally finds their own light—should be just like this, right?"

"Mmm… yeah… I… I think so too…" Ying Chanxi's face flushed crimson. Feeling Li Luo's warm palm, she imagined herself holding his hand on campus, and even her earlobes burned hot.

But she reminded herself firmly in her mind: this is filming a music video, filming a music video, filming a music video… and so she could continue holding Li Luo's hand without letting go, guilt-free.

"Some love is like a torrential downpour~ yet still~ believing in the rainbow~"

Li Luo turned around, softly humming the tune, then stepped before Ying Chanxi and pulled her into his arms. He whispered in her ear: "If we could end with a scene of us embracing in the rain, and a rainbow appearing in the sky afterward, wouldn't that be perfect?"

Ying Chanxi was stunned by Li Luo's sudden embrace. Instantly, her whole body grew hot and stiff.

Only after a brief moment did she gradually come back to herself. Her body, pressed against his chest, softened. She reached behind and wrapped her arms around his back, clinging to him, unwilling to let go.

Yet she still said: "Are you the director or am I the director? Now you're telling me how to film the MV?"

"I'm just improvising," Li Luo laughed. "What do you think, Director Ying?"

"This…" Ying Chanxi stammered. They'd already been holding each other for so long—how could she say no now? "I… I guess it's okay."

"Then there's still room for improvement," Li Luo mused, then suddenly freed one hand, raising it between them to gently pinch her chin and lift her face. He smiled softly: "Shouldn't we add a kiss in the rain to make it truly perfect?"

Forced to tilt her face upward, Ying Chanxi blinked, avoiding Li Luo's gaze with guilty eyes. Her cheeks were already flushed crimson.

"Y-You're going too far…"

"Lots of MVs have kissing scenes," Li Luo said seriously. "Even my character Shen Dongdong had a kiss during the TV drama shoot. It's contributing to art."

"…Really?"

"Of course."

"Then…" After hearing Li Luo say all that, Ying Chanxi actually began to look forward to it—though still deeply embarrassed, she dared only to sneak glances at him, darting her eyes away the moment they met. "Are we… now…?"

"We're not actually filming right now, so I won't just randomly kiss you," Li Luo laughed, releasing her delicate chin. "I was just suggesting it. Exactly how to shoot it still depends on your direction, Director Ying."

"Mmm… right…" Ying Chanxi bit her lip, suddenly feeling a pang of disappointment—but then a small hope rose within her, making her heartbeat accelerate inexplicably.

After a friendly discussion on the playground regarding the MV shoot, the two finally returned to the classroom one minute before class ended.

When the dismissal bell rang, they packed their bags, met Xu Youyu on Houde Road, and headed toward Bihai Lanting.

On the way home, Li Luo pulled out his phone, checked the news, and froze—nearly forgetting to walk.

Xu Youyu noticed his odd silence and asked: "What are you looking at? So absorbed?"

"Hmm…" Li Luo paused, then said: "The official announcement has revealed the guest singers for the finals' duet segment."

In the finals' duet segment, each finalist can invite another singer to perform with them.

Usually, people invite well-known artists within the industry to leverage their fame and boost their own votes.

But for Yuan Wanqing to invite someone no one has ever heard of is unusually odd.

—Yan Zhusheng.

Who is that?

When the duet guest was unveiled on Weibo, everyone paused in shock.

The first three guest singers were relatively famous—even if someone didn't recognize them, a Baidu search would turn up results.

But the fourth guest, Yan Zhusheng—no one could find even a single Baidu entry for this person, let alone recognize them!

The announcement of the duet guest happened at 2 p. m. today.

Soon after, rumors spread that Yan Zhusheng was actually Yuan Wanqing's daughter.

This shocked the online spectators immensely.

After all, since Yuan Wanqing's comeback, no one had ever heard she had a daughter.

Or rather—since Yuan Wanqing debuted, no one had ever heard she was married!

Where did this daughter—apparently already over ten years old—come from?

【Fake news? How could she be a daughter? Don't you see how young Yuan Wanqing is? If this girl is her daughter, she must've given birth before turning twenty!】

【But if she's not her daughter, why invite someone outside the industry? It makes no sense.】

【Could she be some celebrity's second generation, using this chance to debut? After all, Yuan Wanqing's new album blew up, but her comeback foundation is still shaky. To trade this stage slot for resources isn't impossible.】

【Actually, even if she is her daughter, so what? Yuan Wanqing has always been a singer, still a powerhouse—she doesn't rely on her looks.】

【But even if it's fine, why bring your own daughter when everyone else brings famous singers? What are you thinking? Afraid you won't win the championship?】

【Maybe she's paving the way for her daughter? Honestly, those character photos are stunning—no less beautiful than Yuan Wanqing's youth.】

【Beautiful? What good is that? This is a singing stage, not an idol stage. Can she even sing?】

On Weibo, the debate raged fiercely.

Everyone was discussing whether Yan Zhusheng was Yuan Wanqing's daughter.

But the discussion didn't last long. At 8 p. m., Yuan Wanqing herself posted on Weibo.

【Yuan Wanqing】: Yes, the duet guest Yan Zhusheng is my daughter. The duet song is written by Chongran, a mother-daughter duet. I believe no one is more suitable than my daughter to be my guest. I hope tomorrow night will bring you another stunning stage performance.

With that, the matter was settled.

The online topic instantly shifted to: Who is Yuan Wanqing's husband?

Soon, many new speculations surfaced online.

Li Luo walked home, processing all this news. When he returned to Room 1502, he couldn't help but call Yan Zhusheng.

"Hello?"

"Where are you?"

"I'm at rehearsal with Mom," Yan Zhusheng said. "Right now, I'm in the dressing room."

"Have you seen what's going on online?"

"No, Mom said not to look."

"Then don't look," Li Luo said. "Just focus on the competition."

"Mm." Yan Zhusheng nodded. "Uncle Ying said he'll handle it. He told us not to worry."

"Is it Uncle Ying? What else did he say?"

"He said he already gave a heads-up," Yan Zhusheng recalled. "I'm only performing on stage once, and no one will be looking for me afterward, so I don't need to worry about my high school studies being disturbed."

"Alright, just follow Uncle Ying's advice." Seeing that Ying Zhicheng had already made arrangements, Li Luo felt slightly reassured.

"Are you worried about me?" Yan Zhusheng asked.

"What else?"

"I'm just asking," Yan Zhusheng said, pursing her lips. "If you care about me, I'll be very happy."

"... Go prepare for the rehearsal, don't keep people waiting."

"Oh."

After hanging up the phone, Li Luo checked the situation on Weibo again.

All kinds of rumors about Yuan Wanqing were flying around; he had no idea what Ying Zhicheng's plan was.

So in the end, he couldn't help but call Ying Zhicheng again.

"You calling me? That's rare," Ying Zhicheng said on the other end of the line.

"Uh… Uncle Ying, I just wanted to ask about today's online…"

"It's not a big deal," Ying Zhicheng said. "After all, the fact that Wanqing has a daughter will eventually come out—it's better to expose it early. That's why I didn't stop Zhusheng from joining the duet show."

"As for the media, you don't need to worry too much—Zhusheng is still a minor."

"Most celebrity second-generation news is only published when both sides tacitly agree."

"In reality, if someone truly doesn't want to be known, you'll find almost no information about most second-generation celebrities."

"What gets published is always deliberately spread."

"What they actually care about isn't who Wanqing's daughter is, but who she married and had a child with back when she was young."

Hearing this, Li Luo could no longer hold back: "So… may I ask bluntly, Uncle Ying, do you know who Wanqing's husband was?"

"Her husband died when Zhusheng was just born," Ying Zhicheng said, then fell silent. "Xi Xi's mother is Zhusheng's father's sister."

Li Luo: "...?"

For a moment, so many names tumbled out of Ying Zhicheng's mouth that Li Luo froze, unable to process it.

"Wait…" Li Luo rubbed his temples, thinking carefully, then asked to confirm, "According to what you're saying… Xi Xi and Zhusheng are…"

"Yeah… they're cousins," Ying Zhicheng said with a wry smile. "But Xi Xi's mother ran away from home to elope with me long ago, cutting ties with that side of the family."

"When Wanqing showed up, her husband had already died in a car accident. That side of the family was superstitious and considered her a bad omen."

"So she came with her child to seek refuge with Xi Xi's mother."

"That doesn't make sense," Li Luo asked again. "Then why don't I remember? When we were kids, Xi Xi and I both lived in the countryside—I never saw Zhusheng or Aunt Wanqing."

"Before her brother died, he left Wanqing an apartment in the city. She only came to us for help because she had almost no money except for that apartment."

Ying Zhicheng continued, "At that time, I had just left the TV station and joined the newly founded Huayue with my teacher, and I needed somewhere to live in the city."

"So we hit it off immediately—we both moved into Yuan Wanqing's place, close to our workplace, and Xi Xi's mother could easily take care of them both."

"You probably don't remember—back then, you were all still young; Xi Xi lived in the countryside for a while, and your mom helped look after her."

"Later, once my job stabilized, Wanqing joined Huayue through my introduction, and they happened to discover her singing talent. After signing with the company, she earned money and her life improved."

"Only then did Xi Xi's mother return to Yinjiang to accompany Xi Xi to kindergarten and elementary school."

"Unfortunately, Wanqing only became famous for the first two or three years after her debut."

"Before either of you could remember anything, she was diagnosed with heart disease and had to go abroad for treatment—it's normal you two didn't know Zhusheng as kids."

After listening to Ying Zhicheng's explanation, Li Luo fell silent for a long time, finally processing all the information.

"So… Uncle Ying, you and Aunt Wanqing…"

"This matter…" Ying Zhicheng sighed wryly. "Xi Xi's mother's name is Yan Ruqing—do you still remember? She changed it herself when she entered university. Before she passed away, she had become very close to Wanqing."

"Before she closed her eyes, she asked me to take care of Wanqing. Uh… really, it was… but at the time, I didn't agree—I only promised to take good care of Wanqing and Zhusheng."

"After going through many things, I eventually ended up with Wanqing, but I won't go into those details."

Li Luo opened his mouth, surprised by how complicated the story was.

He just wondered whether, in his past life, Ying Chanxi and Yan Zhusheng ever found out.

But the thought that they were cousins…

"Don't tell Xi Xi about any of this," Ying Zhicheng said after a pause, finally warning him.

"I understand," Li Luo nodded helplessly. "Then Uncle Ying, go ahead and get back to your work—I won't disturb you anymore."