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Chapter 43
As the show returned from the break, Zhao Qi faced the camera with his usual charm, “Welcome back! This program is proudly sponsored by Lati Air Conditioning…”
The audience erupted into applause and cheers, their excitement palpable.
Ji Yang is going to sing! And it’s a love song!
“Although he only had ten minutes, Ji Yang was extremely focused backstage, practicing by himself the entire time,” Dai Wei shared into her microphone.
“Ji Yang is the best!” fans shouted in unison.
“Well, don’t be surprised if he sings off-key,” Zhao Qi quipped, attempting to temper expectations.
“Off-key or not, he’s still the best! Even an off-key Ji Yang is perfection!” Fans’ voices rose louder, drowning out his words.
“Alright, alright,” Zhao Qi relented with mock exasperation. “Let’s see who Ji Yang will choose to serenade.”
As the studio lights dimmed, suspenseful music filled the air, and the camera panned dramatically across the stage and audience.
“I’m not fainting,” Dai Wei declared confidently, flipping her hair and making a move toward Ji Yang. But before she could, Zhao Qi grabbed her arm and pulled her back, making her stumble slightly and eliciting waves of laughter.
As Ji Yang’s gaze swept the room, tension soared. Fans clutched their seats, barely breathing as they awaited his decision.
“I’ll pick Xu…”
“Eh?” Dai Wei interrupted theatrically, her eyes widening in exaggerated disbelief. She playfully threatened through gritted teeth, “Ji Yang, do you want to keep appearing on our show? Think carefully!”
Ji Yang chuckled, “Of course I do.”
“Then I’ll give you one more chance.” Dai Wei feigned seriousness, her antics drawing more laughter from the hosts and audience alike.
Ji Yang had barely spoken the surname “Xu,” but that single syllable sent shockwaves through the crowd.
Xu Wan was ecstatic. Her heart raced as her cheeks flushed, convinced she was his choice.
Not only was Xu Wan convinced, but the livestream chat exploded with speculation:
- “Is it Xu Wan?”
- “OMG, were the rumors true? Does Ji Yang actually like her?”
- “Ugh, I don’t ship this at all. Xu Wan doesn’t deserve our Brother!”
- “Nooooo! Ji Yang, don’t do this! My heart can’t take it!”
Xu Wan lowered her gaze, feigning shyness, as her mind raced. If Ji Yang is serious about this, I might consider giving him a chance. After all, his influence was undeniable.
In her excitement, she conveniently forgot that Xu Ruier also shared the surname Xu—and had an officially acknowledged relationship with Ji Yang.
After a pause, Ji Yang nodded and smiled, “I’ve thought it through. Xu Ruier, the MVP of our team.”
The announcement stunned everyone.
Xu Ruier? Not Xu Wan?
The assumption had been so strong—Ji Yang and Xu Wan were once rumored to have a relationship, but his connection with Xu Ruier had flown under the radar for most people.
“She’s more forgiving,” Ji Yang explained with a straight face, “so even if I sing off-key, she might be able to bear it.”
The crowd couldn’t help but laugh at his deadpan delivery, and the fans quickly took his words at face value.
Our Brother is so upright and serious—of course, it makes sense!
“Poor Xu Ruier,” the fans joked. “But how funny is this situation?”
Xu Ruier, wide-eyed and flustered, hesitantly stepped into the spotlight.
Her clear, bright eyes darted nervously around the audience before landing on Ji Yang. She fidgeted, her hands clutching the hem of her dress as she stood center stage, visibly overwhelmed.
The fans couldn’t get enough:
- “OMG, Xu Ruier is so relatable! She looks like she wants to run!”
- “Ji Yang better not sing off-key and scare her!”
- “This is too cute. I feel secondhand nervousness for her.”
Even fans who didn’t particularly care for Xu Ruier found themselves rooting for her in this moment.
Ji Yang casually crossed the stage to stand in front of her as the lights dimmed again.
While everyone had expected him to sing just the chorus, as the music began, Ji Yang lifted the microphone and started from the very beginning.
With his deep, smooth voice, he sang:
“In the kingdom of love and happiness, you are my only one. The only one I love is you, the one I truly love is you…”
The heartfelt lyrics resonated throughout the studio, and the audience fell silent, mesmerized by the unexpected tenderness in his voice.
The venue was electrified.
Fans couldn’t contain their excitement, rising from their seats and waving light sticks fervently as the atmosphere reached its peak.
“You only realize how precious something is when you lose it, but I cherish you now.”
Ji Yang sang as he walked slowly toward Xu Ruier, their eyes meeting briefly. His lips parted to continue,
“I hold you tightly in my arms, cradle you in my hands, because the one I truly love is you. In the pure world of love, you are my only one, never, ever doubt it…”
Xu Ruier stood rooted to the spot, her gaze fixed solely on him, her eyes reflecting his figure like he was her entire world.
“I take you as my air, so inseparable from me…” Ji Yang stopped just a meter away from her, his deep voice filling the room.
“Brother!”
“Brother, look over here!”
“Ahhhh!”
Fans sang along, waving their hands like they were at a full-fledged concert. It felt like a whole new side of Ji Yang had been unveiled—one that made him seem even more perfect.
Xu Wan, on the other hand, looked as though she’d been struck by lightning. Just moments ago, she was full of hope, only to have it dashed by cold reality.
Xu Ruier. Again. It’s always Xu Ruier.
Could it really be true? Did Ji Yang truly like Xu Ruier?
Xu Wan refused to believe it. From childhood to adulthood, there wasn’t a single thing she had lost to Xu Ruier. This time, she had to win.
As Ji Yang finished the song, the lights brightened.
Dai Wei walked over with a teasing smile, pointing at Xu Ruier’s flushed face. “Uh oh, Ruier’s blushing!”
If no one had said anything, Xu Ruier might have been able to play it off, but now she wished the ground would swallow her whole.
“Ruier is a huge fan of Ji Yang,” Xu Wan interjected smoothly. “I heard she’s liked him for a long time, so she’s probably just extra excited.”
The insinuation subtly painted Xu Ruier as just another ordinary fan, prone to competition and envy.
Xu Ruier, however, remained composed. She nodded with a smile. “I’ve watched all of Ji Yang’s dramas, so I’d definitely count as a fan—quite a loyal one, actually.”
Her openness defused any potential misunderstanding.
“Meeting him as a fan, what was it like? How did you feel just now?” Zhao Qi stepped in, steering the conversation.
“Well… my mind went completely blank,” Xu Ruier admitted bashfully. “When I first met him, I was definitely excited, and, um, I couldn’t really talk properly.”
Dai Wei seized the moment to poke fun, imitating her, “I’m… I’m Ruier Xu, Ji Yang hi you!”
The audience erupted in laughter as Xu Ruier ducked her head, her cheeks flaming.
Ji Yang, watching quietly, raised his hand to his lips, hiding an uncharacteristic smile. Dai Wei, ever observant, pointed her microphone at him.
“She didn’t say that,” Ji Yang corrected with a light cough, still smiling. “Her first words to me were, ‘I… I… Ji Yang… do you want some water?’ Then she handed me a bubble tea she’d just bought.”
The way he mimicked her tone and hesitation had everyone laughing, picturing the flustered yet adorable scene.
“Did you drink it?” Zhao Qi asked, ever the gossip.
“I don’t drink bubble tea,” Ji Yang replied with a slight shake of his head. “But I smiled because, at the time, it just felt so…”
“Adorably silly?” Dai Wei prompted.
Ji Yang chuckled softly but gave no definitive answer.
Xu Ruier, still hiding her face, was dying of embarrassment. She couldn’t believe he remembered their first meeting so vividly.
“Meeting one’s idol is an indescribable feeling,” Zhao Qi concluded. “When it’s someone you’ve admired for so long, seeing them in person fills you with an overwhelming sense of excitement…”
As the show wrapped up, many viewers were left wishing for more.
Xu Wan, on the other hand, felt like her world had crumbled. She had planned to sow seeds of discord between Xu Ruier and Ji Yang’s fans, but instead, the entire evening had spotlighted Xu Ruier in the most favorable light imaginable.
By the end, Xu Wan wasn’t just upset—she was utterly furious.