Forced into a romantic relationship

As the drumbeats subsided, the lights gently dimmed, gathering into a beam of bright moonlight that quietly fell upon the rising circular platform.

Xu Xiangyang, dressed in a simple white outfit, held a microphone in his hand, with no unnecessary decorations around him. Amidst the roaring cheers, he smiled and waved to the audience while raising the microphone to his lips.

The prelude flows out like a clear spring, and it is his most famous lyrical ballad - "Homecoming".

"Having walked through the vast sea of ​​people, and witnessed the dazzling lights..."

As the lyrics unfolded, Xu Xiangyang closed his eyes slightly, immersed in the music. On the large screen on the stage, close-ups of him appeared, sometimes gentle, sometimes profound.

There were no flashy dance moves, no elaborate stage directions; he simply stood there, focused on singing. His voice carried a gentle sense of wandering and a subtle homesickness, ultimately transforming into a tender comfort that gradually quieted the previously restless fans in the audience.

The waves of glow sticks had somehow transformed into slowly waving stars, gently undulating with the melody.

"Sister, this song is so beautiful."

Little Zhongling clung to Zhong Yin's arm, her chubby little face appearing and disappearing in the shimmering light, her eyes sparkling.

"It sounds very nice."

Zhong Yin smiled indulgently. She also thought the song was good, mainly because the atmosphere at the concert added a lot to it. It has to be said that there is a big difference between listening to it at a concert and listening to it through a screen.

It wasn't just the melody; it was the rhythm formed by thousands of heartbeats, the rising and falling breaths in a sea of ​​light. At that moment, she felt as if she had become part of this resonance, and even without knowing the lyrics, she would subconsciously hum along.

"I wish that guy were here too."

Upon hearing those words, Zhong Yin thought she had accidentally let slip her true feelings, but the childish voice quickly made her realize that it was Xiao Yixia sitting next to her speaking.

She turned her head and saw the girl resting her chin on her hand, leaning lazily against the chair, and saying disparagingly, "If that guy were sitting here singing along, we'd probably hear monkeys calling."

"Pfft."

Zhong Yin couldn't help but chuckle. She had heard Han Zhou sing outside the bathroom before, and his singing was indeed nothing to write home about.

She turned her face away, barely managing to stop laughing, before turning her head back and asking in a low voice, "Yixia, do you and Sun... do you and Han Zhou have a bad relationship?"

She knew that Han Zhou liked this child very much, but the child always seemed cold and distant. But if he really disliked him, why would he be willing to go out with Han Zhou early in the morning and stay in the cold wind for almost a whole day just to see tonight's concert?

She could tell that the child wasn't actually very interested in the concert itself.

Upon hearing this question, Xiao Yixia actually thought about it seriously for a moment and said calmly, "It's neither good nor bad."

Zhong Yin was stunned. If their relationship wasn't bad, why did this child always say bad things about Han Zhou?

"Do you hate him?" she asked tentatively.

"Ugh," Xiao Yixia said without hesitation.

"Why? Aren't you two on good terms?" Zhong Yin was a little confused.

Xiao Yixia gave her a strange look, then said in a matter-of-fact tone, "If you don't dislike it, then you like it, right?"

Zhong Yin was speechless for a moment, and after a few seconds she smiled bitterly and said, "Then can't you like him?"

"No."

Xiao Yixia shook her head and said seriously, "The age difference between us is too big."

Zhong Yin was not referring to this "like" at all. She wanted to explain, but the words caught in her throat.

The words "the age difference is too great" fell lightly, yet they pierced her heart like a fine needle.

After a moment of silence, she couldn't help but advise, "Actually, many times... age isn't a problem."

Xiao Yixia glanced at her but didn't say anything.

She said this seemingly casually as the singing on stage was about to end.

"If I like something, I want it all. I want to get my hands on it completely before anyone else can take it from me."

Zhong Yin was taken aback, never expecting to be lectured by a child one day. She couldn't help but smile and ask, "So, what do you like now?"

"No."

Xiao Yixia shook her head slightly, her gaze falling on the swaying stage lights.

"It's enough to hate it for now."

Xiao Lengqiu ignored their conversation, holding Zhong Yin's phone and glancing at the time every now and then, silently waiting for 7:20 to arrive.

Amidst enthusiastic cheers, the first song on stage came to an end. As the song concluded, Xu Xiangyang put down the microphone, looked at the fans below the stage, a hearty smile appearing on his face, and greeted them loudly once again.

He was met with an overwhelming and enthusiastic response.

Hearing the continuous chants of "One more song!" from the audience, Xu Xiangyang gave a wry smile, looking utterly exhausted: "The friends in Lincheng are just too enthusiastic. I almost cracked my voice at the concert this morning, and I haven't had a proper rest yet. Could you all let me take a little break?"

"No! Keep singing!"

He was just joking, of course. It was an essential part of the audience interaction at the concert, but the audience naturally disagreed, shouting "No way!" mixed with good-natured laughter.

"Five minutes, can we just rest for five minutes?"

"no!"

"Three minutes?" Xu Xiangyang held up three fingers, his eyes gleaming mischievously.

"no!"

"One minute? No less!"

He clasped his hands together in a pleading gesture, his eyes drooping like a large dog. His fans were amused, but still wouldn't budge.

Seeing that his "pleas" were ineffective, Xu Xiangyang suddenly straightened up, a mischievous smile curling at the corner of his mouth, his gaze sweeping across the audience like a searchlight.

"Oh my—" he deliberately raised his voice, with the surprise of discovering a new continent, "I suddenly realized that there are quite a few couples in the audience tonight!"

It must be said that this tactic was quite effective. Upon hearing this, the noisy venue fell silent, followed by a tacit murmur and soft laughter.

Many people subconsciously glanced around, exchanged smiles with their partners, or secretly observed other spectators who appeared to be couples. A sweet and subtle atmosphere instantly filled the air.

For a moment, no one had the will to continue the "protest".

Zhong Yin looked around curiously and found that the audience seats were indeed full of couples tonight.

What? Is it possible they're just friends?
A man and a woman who can agree to go to a concert together, even if they are just friends, can never be ordinary friends. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that they are a couple in the making.

Thinking of this, Zhong Yin suddenly thought of Han Zhou, her cheeks flushed slightly, and then worry arose in her heart again, wondering why that guy hadn't come yet.

On stage, Xu Xiangyang was quite pleased with the "chaos" he had created. He sighed dramatically, his tone exaggerated: "With so many loving scenes, it seems I can't sing any love songs tonight, otherwise, wouldn't all of us single people in the audience suffer tons of pain?"

He pointed to himself and made a funny "arrow hit" gesture, which drew another round of laughter.

"but--"

He abruptly changed the subject, a bright light flashing in his eyes, as if he had just come up with a brilliant idea, "We can't just stand there during these few minutes of rest, since there's so much sweet atmosphere..."

He paused for a moment, his smile gradually widening, his gaze searching for something in the crowd.

"How about we invite a lucky friend to come up on stage and sing for me for a few minutes?"

"whispering sound--"

The audience burst into laughter and booed, clearly unwilling to accept the response.

Xu Xiangyang smiled mysteriously: "As a reward, this lucky friend will receive a special gift personally delivered by me."

Upon hearing this, the audience's eyes lit up, and some of the bolder or eager-to-show-offs even raised their hands. The atmosphere in the room became lively once again.

There were so many people raising their hands that, as this was a giveaway event, Xu Xiangyang couldn't just pick one randomly to avoid upsetting anyone. So he smiled and said, "Next, I'll close my eyes and count down to ten. I'd like the lighting technician to help me find this lucky audience member."

As soon as he finished speaking, the lighting technician understood and shone a beam of white light onto the audience, moving it back and forth as if selecting the "chosen one" for the night.

Xu Xiangyang didn't waste any time; he immediately closed his eyes and began counting down.

"ten--"

"Nine--"

"Eight--"

"..."

The white lights moved continuously across the audience seats, and many spectators craned their necks in anticipation, while others, like Zhong Yin, were afraid that the lights would fall on them.

"three--"

"two--"

"one!"

As the last number fell, the drifting light immediately stopped moving, and Zhong Yin secretly breathed a sigh of relief—the light had not fallen on her.

However, the next second, her heart started pounding uncontrollably again.

Because the light was only one seat away from her, it fell squarely on Xiao Lengqiu.

At the same time, on the giant screen on the stage, Xiao Lengqiu's adorable little face appeared, making me feel sorry for her.

"It's actually a child."

"What a beautiful girl."

"My God, this is so lucky!"

"..."

Everyone was talking about it.

Seeing the girl under the light, Xu Xiangyang, who had just opened his eyes, was also a little surprised and delighted, saying, "I didn't expect tonight's lucky winner to be a child."

He looked at the girl under the light, a friendly smile appearing on his face, and his tone softened, "Well, little one, would you like to come up and receive a special gift from your brother?"

If the child is too timid or has some concerns, then he will have to choose another lucky audience member.

Xiao Lengqiu clearly hadn't expected to be that lucky audience member. She turned to Zhong Yin, trying to ask for his opinion.

At that moment, Zhong Yin also appeared on the big screen. Being watched by so many people, she felt a little nervous and said softly, "Don't force yourself. If you're scared, you don't have to go on stage."

Xiao Lengqiu glanced down at her phone. There were still a dozen minutes until seven o'clock. After thinking for a moment, she asked, "Will it take a long time?"

Zhong Yin paused for a moment, realizing that the child seemed to be planning to go on stage. She secretly marveled at where Han Zhou had found so many special children, and said seriously, "It shouldn't be too long."

This is, after all, a concert; audience interaction is just a supplement and won't take up too much time.

Xiao Lengqiu nodded, put her phone in her pocket, and then got up and walked towards the stage.

Xu Xiangyang smiled with satisfaction: "Very good, it seems this little girl is very courageous. Let's all give her a round of applause to encourage her!"

The audience, naturally, couldn't be stingy with their kindness towards a child, and immediately erupted in thunderous applause.

A deafening chorus of applause crashed down, the spotlights scalding her skin. Xiao Lengqiu lowered her eyes, her vision filled with countless swaying, blurry shadows—the audience sitting in the darkness.

Before, when I looked back from my seat, all I saw was a vast expanse of darkness. But now, it felt heavy and tangible, like a breathing wall pressing down from all sides.

Even with her calm nature, her heart felt as if it were being gently clenched, a strange, tense tension silently spreading through her.

Even so, she walked step by step to the center of the stage, came to Xu Xiangyang, then raised her head and opened her palms without saying a word.

She was asking for that special gift.

This adorable scene immediately amused countless audience members. Xu Xiangyang couldn't help but laugh as well, holding the microphone and laughing so hard he almost fell over.

Xiao Lengqiu tilted her head, seemingly not understanding why everyone was laughing.

Xu Xiangyang squatted down and said gently, "Little friend, do you remember? Before you receive your gift, you need to sing a song for your brother."

He put the microphone into Xiao Lengqiu's mouth.

"I can't sing." Xiao Lengqiu shook her head, her voice clear and earnest.

The innocent voices of children, transmitted through the microphone, reached every corner of the venue.

Xu Xiangyang chuckled and feigned curiosity, asking, "You dare to come up on stage if you can't sing?"

"Because I can get a gift," Xiao Lengqiu said honestly.

She paused, then spread her hands out again and asked, "Can I still get a gift if I can't sing?"

"Hahaha."

Xu Xiangyang was amused and burst into laughter, which was followed by a good-natured chuckle from the audience.

"What an interesting child! It seems he's here solely for the gift."

Xu Xiangyang's laughter rang out through the microphone. He naturally wouldn't make things difficult for such a cute little girl, but if he just gave her the gift away like that, he wouldn't be able to "make up the time." So he pretended to think for a moment and suggested with a smile, "It's okay if you don't sing, but you need to perform another talent for everyone, is that alright?"

Xiao Lengqiu tilted her head slightly, lost in thought.

The audience suddenly fell silent, everyone curious about what kind of talent this cute little girl would perform.

Just as this anticipation was spreading, a series of exclamations suddenly erupted from the audience.

On the big screen, a suspicious man wearing a mask and baseball cap, holding four cups of milk tea, appeared in the corner behind the stage.

He looked around, seemingly wanting to leave quickly, but couldn't find the door at all. His eyes were filled with confusion, wondering, "Who am I? Where am I? Where should I go?"

Zhong Yin, sitting in the audience, immediately sat up straight, her red lips slightly parted, looking incredulous.

Isn't that Han Zhou? When did he get on the stage?

"Look behind me? What behind you?"

Xu Xiangyang quickly noticed the shouts from below the stage. He turned around casually, but the next second his face went blank, and he almost lost control of his expression.

Wait, who is this guy?

A staff member? But he wasn't wearing a uniform...

Most importantly... how did he get there? Was there an entrance or exit to that place?

In an instant, chaos erupted both on and off the stage. By the time Han Zhou finally realized his predicament, he was already being watched by several cameras and had to accept the cruel reality that he could no longer escape.

After a few seconds of silence, he pulled down his hat brim, then steeled himself and walked to the center of the stage. Before the security guards could rush onto the stage, he took the microphone from the dumbfounded Xu Xiangyang and awkwardly explained.

"Hello everyone, this is this child's talent."

"A miraculous transformation." (End of Chapter)