Don't call me a singing god, I just want to go back to doing scientific research.

When Gu Yang woke up the next day, the bed beside him was already cold.

He sat up, his head throbbing so badly that his vision blurred.

There was no movement in the living room, but a slight sound came from the kitchen.

Gu Yang slipped on his slippers and went outside, where he saw Ling Luo setting breakfast on the table.

Unlike his cold appearance in his dream last night, Ling Luo was wearing clean home clothes.

On the table were fried eggs, toast, and a cup of warm honey water.

When Ling Luo saw him, she simply raised her chin to indicate the things on the table.

"I drank it; it'll soothe my throat."

His tone was as indifferent as if he were talking to a roommate.

Gu Yang sat down, picked up the honey water and took a sip. The sweetness spread from the tip of his tongue, but it couldn't suppress the bitterness in his heart.

He secretly went to look at Ling Luo, who had already finished his portion and was looking at documents on his phone. The light from the screen reflected on his face, making it impossible to discern his emotions.

Breakfast ended in silence.

My flight is early tomorrow morning.

"Um."

"Then... do you want to come with me?"

  

Gu Yang bit his cup and then saw Ling Luo put down her phone, get up and put her tableware into the kitchen.

As Gu Yang watched his retreating figure, he felt that the wall had grown even thicker.

......

After getting ready, I headed out. Today was the fifth round of the "New Voice Creative Camp" competition, the top five to four contestants.

As usual, whenever Ling Luo was around, Li Mingjun would always be the driver. But today's atmosphere was completely different from before, causing Li Mingjun to glance at the rearview mirror from time to time.

Gu Yang was in the back seat, holding his phone in his hand. The screen lit up and dimmed repeatedly, his eyes unfocused, and it was unclear what he was looking at.

Ling Luo sat next to him, her laptop on her lap, occasionally sliding the mouse on the laptop. Her profile was cold and hard, giving off an unapproachable vibe.

He respects Gu Yang's desire not to make it official, but that doesn't mean he won't be disappointed.

The thought that Gu Yang is only twenty years old and has a long life ahead of him, and that he might not want to make it official because he is worried about affecting his career, makes her feel very uncomfortable.

The car was driving too smoothly, and he turned his head to look out the window. The street scene rushed past, and he couldn't grasp anything.

When Gu Yang arrived at the studio and saw Yi Yi standing at the door waiting, his face stiffened.

In the past, as long as Ling Luo was around, Yi Yi didn't need to follow him at all.

But he still saw Yiyi today. He could hardly think of any other possibility except that it was Ling Luo's order.

"Teacher Ling, Brother Yang." She opened the car door.

Ling Luo nodded, said nothing, and got out of the car.

Gu Yang followed behind, like a child who had done something wrong.

The backstage corridor was bustling with people.

"Ling Luo! Over here!" Nan Ye'an waved when she saw them.

Seeing this, Ling Luo walked over.

Nan Ye'an's gaze swept between Ling Luo and Gu Yang, and she raised an eyebrow.

Oh dear, something's not right.

But he didn't ask any further questions, only patted Ling Luo on the shoulder: "It's five against four today, are you ready?"

"It's alright," Ling Luo replied succinctly.

Gu Yang stood a few steps away, watching Ling Luo chat and laugh with others. Although the smile didn't reach her eyes, it was still much better than the coldness she showed him.

It felt like something was blocking his chest, making it hard for him to breathe.

Qin Hanwen also came over. He looked at Gu Yang's reddened eyes, then at Ling Luo's expressionless face, and frowned.

Were you influenced by trending topics online?

The group exchanged glances, chatted for a few more minutes, and then went about their business. There was a rehearsal in a little while, and the event would officially begin that evening.

The recording of the program began soon.

The studio was brightly lit, and the audience seats were packed.

"Welcome back to the stage of 'New Voice Creative Camp'! Tonight, we will be facing a brutal five-to-four elimination round!" Host Yu Hongchang said as he took the stage.

The sound reached Gu Yang's ears, who was lost in thought.

He quickly composed himself and looked up at the stage.

After reading a long list of sponsors, You Hongchang continued hosting.

"Based on the rankings from the previous episode, our performance order has been determined. So first, let's welcome our first songwriter—Mr. Shan Feiyu—to perform a song for the theme 'A Letter That Was Never Sent'!"

The singer from Shan Feiyu chose a folk song, strumming the guitar and singing in a gentle, story-telling style, like reading a yellowed old letter, full of emotion.

The audience response was positive, with comments on the live stream saying "It sounds great" and "It has character."

Gu Yang sat behind Ling Luo, with less than half a meter between them. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Ling Luo's back, and noticed that his body was tense.

"That's interesting," Qin Hanwen's voice came from behind. "Feiyu has made great progress in telling stories in the simplest way."

Nan Ye'an pushed up her glasses, her gaze shifting between Ling Luo and Gu Yang before finally settling on Gu Yang's listless eyes. She remained silent.

Next came his topic: "The First Cry of a Newborn AI".

The unique electronic music was refreshing and captivating. The atmosphere at the event was electric.

Gu Yang remained quiet throughout the entire performance, watching the stage and occasionally clapping along with the audience, acting like a dutiful background figure.

This was the first time Suo Binbin had seen Gu Yang so quiet, and she asked softly, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

Gu Yang was taken aback, then shook his head: "No, I probably didn't sleep well."

Seeing this, Suo Binbin nodded thoughtfully, "Then go backstage and get a drink of water. It'll be your turn to go on stage soon."

Yi Yi sat in the staff area, watching the occasional shots of Gu Yang on the big screen, and was extremely anxious.

Given Yang's condition, will he still be able to sing today?

Finally, Zhou Yuan's "Dialogue with Hisself Ten Years Ago" and Qin Hanwen's "A City That Sinks to the Sea" appeared one after another.

Every creator brought out their best skills, and no one wanted to falter at this crucial juncture of the top five to top four.

After all, after the top five to four, the next round is the top four to three, from which three teams will compete in a knockout match.

Being able to compete with the veterans in the sniping competition is a great opportunity. It's like the protagonist in a fantasy novel falling off a cliff and being taught by an old man. Who would dare to be careless?

The performance ended, and the entire audience erupted in cheers.

"Thank you so much, Teacher Ba Meng, for your amazing performance!" You Hongchang said excitedly as he walked onto the stage. "Next, only one group is left! Let's give a warm round of applause to Gu Yang! He will be performing Teacher Ling Luo's piece, titled 'A Wedding Without Blessings'!"

"Aww!!!"

"Go Yangyang!"

"Teacher Luomu is the best!"

This theme has been generating a lot of buzz since it was announced in the last issue.

The applause and screams from the audience carried into the aisle behind the stage.

Gu Yang took a deep breath. Ling Luo stood beside Gu Yang, holding a microphone in his hand, and said softly, "Let's go."

After saying that, Ling Luo lifted her foot to move forward, but Gu Yang pulled her wrist.

"Ling Luo, this song... back then, did you... did you intend to use this song to officially announce your relationship?"

Ling Luo turned around and looked into Gu Yang's eyes. His eyes were bright, but they seemed to hide worry.

Ling Luo pursed her lips and gave a self-deprecating smile. How could the eyes possibly hide anything?

"It doesn't matter anymore."

After saying that, Ling Luo gently removed Gu Yang's hand: "Let's go, it's time to go on stage."