A band, or a battleground?

"I thought about it for two days and I realized that I should definitely support you."

For a moment, Jiang Yi found Qian Yu's smile to be exceptionally adorable.

She patted Qianyu on the shoulder and laughed, "Girl."

Ning Qianyu: "Girl."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Hello, big brothers and sisters!

As evening fell, Qi Yuan returned home.

In that remote, dilapidated old neighborhood, nothing has changed. Whether two months or two years have passed, the paving stones are still cracked everywhere.

Most of the people he encountered were elderly, and those who weren't well-off. These people certainly wouldn't pay attention to a band talent show, nor would they care about the ups and downs of the entertainment industry. Therefore, Qi Yuan didn't need sunglasses or masks to conceal his identity, and no one recognized him.

When he arrived at his doorstep, Qi Yuan took out his key and inserted it into the lock.

You have to push it in forcefully while rotating it to the left for the door to open.

As soon as you open the door, you can smell a dusty odor.

Qi Yuan put down his suitcase and started mopping the floor.

One advantage of having a small house is that there is less area to clean, making it easier to mop.

Just as Qi Yuan had finished most of the work, there was a knock on the door.

Upon opening the door, I saw someone I had met once before.

Qi Yuan recalled, "You were from that community..."

"Yes, yes, I am Zhao Shanfu, a community assistant!"

"Um, is there something you need from me?"

Zhao Shanfu smiled and said, "I mainly wanted to confirm that you are the lead singer of the Spring Shadow Band, right?"

Qi Yuan nodded: "Yes, it's me."

"Will you continue living here?" Zhao Shanfu asked, then quickly explained, "Because the entertainment reporters don't know you live here yet, but once they do, they'll definitely be staking out this place all the time. I think it's necessary to do this in advance..."

Qi Yuan shook his head: "I won't be staying here often. I'm just back tonight to find a place to stay. I'll move somewhere else tomorrow."

Now, Liu Weiting has become the manager specifically for the Spring Shadow Band, and she's based here. Tomorrow, when the four band members go to school to register, she'll rent a place near the school for Qi Yuan to stay in.

Given Chunri Ying's current fame, there's a high probability that paparazzi will be staking out the area near that high school. Therefore, security must be a priority for the new residence; it can't be one of those upscale neighborhoods where anyone can just walk in. Furthermore, besides living conditions, the location of the recording studio also needs to be considered, to facilitate Qi Yuan and his teammates' album recording.

Zhao Shanfu rubbed his hands together: "I knew you wouldn't stay in a place like this for long. Oh, and I still have to say sorry."

Qi Yuan was taken aback: "What is there to apologize for?"

Zhao Shanfu: "It's about what I told you before, that you need to contact your mother or other relatives, otherwise your livelihood will be insecure..."

Qi Yuan smiled: "There's nothing to apologize for. You're very responsible in your work. And the fact that you didn't cause me any trouble afterwards shows that you respect my wishes, which is a good thing. However, I have a small question."

"What's the problem?"

"How did you know I was back? Your timing was so perfect."

Zhao Shanfu smiled and said, "Ah, I told a few of the elderly people living here that you should let me know if you go home. And actually, I have another small matter to ask you, could you please sign your name for me?"

"Oh, of course, no problem."

Qi Yuan took the pen and paper from Zhao Shanfu and readily signed his name.

"Thank you, then I won't bother you any longer, goodbye!"

After saying that, Zhao Shanfu left with satisfaction.

Qi Yuan closed the door, took out his phone, and saw that his teammates were discussing a problem in the group chat.

YiYiYi: [What clothes are you planning to wear to school tomorrow?]

Higgs boson: [It's not like I'm performing on stage, I can wear anything.]

Yi Yi Yi: [Won't reporters take pictures of us secretly?]

Fishing Alone on a Snowy River: [Those who take candid photos aren't reporters, they're paparazzi.]

Qi Yuan smiled, sat down, and sent a message as well.

Q: [I think we should remain the same as before. We're already famous enough; adding outlandish costumes would only create more problems for the teachers.]

Fishing Alone on a Snowy River: [You're still so mature.]

Higgs boson: [What do you mean? Does this mean Yi Yi and I are immature?]

Fishing Alone on a Snowy River: [Yi Yi is alright, but you... hehe.]

Qi Yuan smiled as he watched the girls joking in the group chat, and didn't say anything more.

Meanwhile, a few kilometers away at Ning Qianyu's home, she was lying on her bed, busy sending messages to Jiang Yi.

"Look, Yi Yi, this is why I support you. Meng Xue is so awful, she's a heartless friend!"

Jiang Yi quickly replied with a smiling kitten emoji.

Just then, the bedroom door was suddenly pushed open. Ning Xiaoyu didn't knock and asked, "Sis, my classmate asked me if I could help her get an autograph."

Ning Qianyu turned around and sat up, a reserved smile on her face: "It should be possible."

Ning Xiaoyu's eyes darted around, and she added, "The key is Qi Yuan's signature."

Ning Qianyu: "...So you mean I don't care?"

Ning Xiaoyu bluntly said, "What's more important than the lead singer than the drummer? Sister Mengxue's autograph is worth more than yours... Hey, wait, what are you trying to do, sis?"

Ning Qianyu stood up, took a few steps to her sister, and grabbed her arm. Then, she tickled her sister just like Jiang Yi had tickled her.

"Waaaaah, have mercy, dear sister!"

After scratching her for a while, Ning Qianyu put her sister down and watched the little one run away clutching her waist.

The girl muttered to herself, "This trick really works. No wonder Yi Yi likes to use it so much."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The following morning, when Qi Yuan arrived near the school gate, he did not find the so-called paparazzi, but he did notice people quietly talking about him.

Especially when entering the school gate, the security guard at the gate would give me an extra look.

As he entered the school and walked toward Class 7 of the second year of high school, he could still faintly hear the chatter of other students.

"Is that Qi Yuan?"

"Wow……"

"They actually came to school..."

Does he still need to attend classes?

Qi Yuan didn't look in the direction of the commotion and walked into the classroom on his own.

More than half of the students had already arrived, but the teacher hadn't, and it was a noisy time. But as soon as he entered, the classroom fell silent within ten seconds.

First, the silence started in the seats near the door, then it quickly spread until the whole class shut their mouths and all looked at the boy at the door.

A boy in the back row of the classroom called out, "Hello, Brother Yuan!"

Then a lot of boys, and even a few lively girls, started shouting, "Hello, Brother Yuan!"

Qi Yuan was both amused and exasperated: "Don't make such a fuss. People might think our class has a new leader."

Xie Jinpeng, sitting in the back row, shouted, "You've always been the boss, Brother Yuan!"

Qi Yuan pressed his hands down, saying, "Keep it down, keep it down."

Under the watchful eyes of his classmates, he walked towards his seat, but before he could even sit down, he saw Jiang Yi walk into the classroom.

The students' eyes turned to Jiang Yi again.

The girl, who had only ever been the music class representative, was momentarily stunned. Fortunately, having honed her skills on stage, she was no longer so easily intimidated.

Then the students shouted in unison, "Hello, Sister Yi!"

Jiang Yi: "...Are you talking about me?"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

167 will definitely go smoothly.

Before stepping onto the podium, Teacher Zhao had thought many times about how he would react when he saw Qi Yuan again. However, when he actually stood on the podium, he found himself to be calmer than he had imagined.

It's like that boy sitting in the last row by the window is still a disobedient student in his class, not a celebrity who's become famous all summer.

However, after explaining the precautions for the start of school and completing the procedures that a homeroom teacher should follow, he added, "That's all for now, but our class has a special procedure."

Special procedures?

Upon hearing this, the students exchanged curious glances.

Teacher Zhao smiled and said, "Qi Yuan, have you signed autographs for everyone?"

The classroom was immediately filled with cheerful laughter, interspersed with shouts of "No, not yet!"

Teacher Zhao clapped her hands: "Qi Yuan, just stay in your seat, you don't need to move. Class, get a piece of paper ready, and take turns getting Qi Yuan's autograph. I believe you all voted for him during the finals a few days ago."

One of the boys shouted, "The semi-finals will be all about voting!"

Another girl shouted, "Teacher, what about Jiang Yi?!"

Teacher Zhao slapped his forehead: "Right, and Jiang Yi too, are you ready to sign autographs for everyone?"

Jiang Yi, sitting in the front row, smiled and nodded.

So the students all sprang into action, either tearing paper from their notebooks or borrowing paper from other students, and then getting Qi Yuan and Jiang Yi to sign their names.

With the homeroom teacher watching over them, everyone lined up in a very orderly manner.

After the whole class had received the autographs from the two people and sat down, Teacher Zhao spoke again:

"Look at Qi Yuan and Jiang Yi, they've become famous and are making a lot of money, yet they're still going back to school. What excuse do you have not to study hard!"

As the homeroom teacher, how could I not take advantage of such a good opportunity to give a lecture?

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

When the morning registration ended, it wasn't yet lunchtime.

Qi Yuan and his three teammates had already gotten into the car Liu Weiting had rented and headed straight for the newly rented house.

This time, Qiu Mengxue didn't use discussing the arrangement as an excuse to occupy the seat next to Qi Yuan. Qi Yuan sat in the passenger seat, not with any of the three of them.

He's now noticed that if he sits with Qiu Mengxue, Jiang Yi will stare at him from time to time. But if he sits with Jiang Yi, he'll have to endure Qiu Mengxue's intense gaze.

The two girls seemed to have started to compete with each other.

As for sitting with Ning Qianyu... it would probably mean being stared at twice as much, right?

As Liu Weiting drove, she said, "Actually, you didn't need to come together. Mengxue, Qianyu, and Yiyi, aren't you all supposed to stay at home with your families?"

Qiu Mengxue smiled and said, "We're also very curious about what Qi Yuan's new place is like."

Ning Qianyu: "We want to see what kind of treatment the company offers him."

Liu Weiting laughed and said, "You guys are now Tianhua's number one band, how could we possibly mistreat Qi Yuan?"

Jiang Yi asked, "Is his new place a villa?"

Liu Weiting's smile froze for a moment: "There aren't any villas near your school, are there? It wouldn't be convenient to rent a place too far away."

Qi Yuan said calmly, "Yes, there's no need for such trouble. As long as we're comfortable, that's fine."

Liu Weiting: "It will definitely be very comfortable. And the recording studio I'm interested in is just across the street. Qi Yuan, you're the lead singer, so you might need to record the vocal parts repeatedly, so..."

Having experienced the big stage, Qi Yuan was quite confident: "It's just singing, why do I need to record it repeatedly?"

Liu Weiting said meaningfully, "Really? But as far as I know, it's normal for a song to take a week to record, and if things don't go smoothly, it's quite normal for a song to take a month to finish recording."

Before Qi Yuan could speak, Jiang Yi said for him, "Sister Liu, that's because Tianhua used to sign idols, right? Qi Yuan is different; he's a talented actor, so he'll definitely have a smooth journey!"

Liu Weiting smiled without saying a word.