I really don't want to date a girl addicted to the internet!

"Don't be afraid, Miss Nagasaki, I'm here to support you." Miriam encouraged the girl and received a thank you in return.

This time, since they were performing in the lobby on the first floor, they didn't need to go to the basement; they entered the backstage area through another passage.

"There are three bands tonight, including you. You're in the middle, is that alright?" Song Yufei, the store manager, came to the group with a form in hand.

"Master Ye, are you nervous?" Cheng Fei turned his head.

Ye Shuang turned her head away nonchalantly, ignoring him.

"Teacher Shen, are you nervous?" The boy looked to the other side.

"You can just say you're nervous," Shen Xi said coldly.

"What do I have to be nervous about? It's just that you have to perform for forty minutes straight this time, and I'm worried you might not have the stamina." Cheng Fei looked her up and down.

"I'm not that fragile." Shen Xi glared at him, hugging the guitar to her chest to shield herself. If Ye Shuang hadn't been there, the girl probably would have cursed him out.

Not long after they started waiting, Yan Nan appeared backstage, nodded to Cheng Fei, and then called Nagasaki Asuna away.

Cheng Fei shaded his eyes with his hand and looked at the two people who were talking about something. "Teacher Shen, did you see that? This time, the band we're sharing the show with is the one that was all girls after us last time."

In fact, a fickle lesbian has already gone to ask for his contact information.

"Shut up, I don't want to hear any more nonsense about dyeing your hair." The aloof girl said coldly.

“I agree with that. Can you please be quiet?” Ye Shuang smiled.

"You guys are really something. Speaking of which, their band is actually called Thorn Band. To be honest, I initially thought the name Real Band was terrible, but now I realize that it's surprisingly normal, Mr. Shen," Cheng Fei exclaimed. "You agree, right, Master Ye?"

Neither of them paid any attention to him.

Feeling bored, the boy had no choice but to shut up.

The CiCi band was the first to go on stage, while a few people secretly watched from backstage.

"What song are they singing? I've never heard it before," Cheng Fei said.

"Original? It has a bit of a rock and roll feel to it." Nagasaki Asuna is back; finally, someone is willing to talk to him.

"The lead singer is still like a kid, yet he stood on the speakers and sang. How arrogant." Cheng Fei clicked his tongue.

"Does Cheng Fei like this style?" Nagasaki Asuna asked, turning her head to look at him with her hands behind her back.

"No, not at all." The boy shook his head and looked to the other side. "Teacher Shen, our band doesn't have any original songs at all. Why don't you use your extraordinary talent to write one?"

"Then they'll say I don't understand popular aesthetics again," the aloof girl sneered.

"As for original works, I've actually been planning to write one recently?" Nagasaki Asuna said casually.

"Really? Then I look forward to your work, Nana." The boy nodded.

After the CiCi band performed six original songs in a row, the Real band took the stage.

The performance hall had no seats at all; all the audience members stood below the stage, creating a dense, seemingly endless crowd.

Amidst the curious and expectant gazes of the audience, Asuna Nagasaki stood at the very front, facing pairs of eyes filled with various emotions. The girl pursed her lips, took a deep breath, and said, "Hello everyone, we are the Real Band, who currently only knows how to cover songs."

Laughter erupted from the audience.

Cheng Fei stood behind the synthesizer and noticed some familiar faces crowding the front row. It wasn't just the small group from Class 6 of the first year of high school, but also many classmates of Nagasaki Asuna and Ye Shuang, as well as students from other classes who liked music.

The petite Zhou Han was waving at him, and the boy smiled and responded.

"So handsome..."

"Oh my God……"

Some girls nearby seemed to have been accidentally injured, clutching their chests and gasping softly.

Su Wenwen, who was holding a selfie stick next to her, pushed up her glasses and started shooting footage for her vlog again.

"The first song is..." Nagasaki Asuna had just finished her brief opening remarks.

Suddenly, a male voice shouted from somewhere in the back row, "Asuna is so cute!"

It seems that the girl's real fans have come.

The audience didn't pay much attention to it, just thinking it was a rather unusual fan, and burst into laughter.

When her speech was suddenly interrupted, Nagasaki Asuna immediately covered her mouth and turned her head away as if she were stage fright.

Just like back at the Sakura Gymnasium, the girl's reaction instead sparked excitement among the audience.

On stage, Nagasaki Asuna's gaze shifted between several of her companions before finally settling on the face of the boy behind the synthesizer. Seeing the boy silently watching her, she shook her head vigorously and turned back to face the audience.

"The first song is... Sword Art Online's 'Crossing Field'."

As the girl finished speaking, Cheng Fei's exquisite and magnificent piano accompaniment took the lead, followed closely by Ye Shuang's drumbeats and Shen Xi's electric guitar, weaving together a smooth and perfect melody.

Asuna Nagasaki took a deep breath, squinted her eyes, and leaned close to the microphone with a determined expression as she played the bass and began to sing.

"I had already accepted my past weakness..."

"A nameless fear always lingered in my heart..."

"I, who was once so weak, finally understand that as long as you are here..."

"So that you can bravely face the dark world..."

The familiar lyrics and the girl's perfect singing immediately won enthusiastic cheers from the audience, who were all fans of anime and manga, and the lively atmosphere instantly swept through the entire performance hall.

Yan Nan stood backstage, arms crossed in front of her chest, calmly watching the lead singer's back under the spotlight.

……

The performance ended smoothly, and the group left through the backstage passage.

Some fans had been waiting nearby and pointed their phones at the group.

"Over there, over there, isn't that her wearing a mask...?"

"It's Asuna, there's no mistake..."

"You have such a great figure..."

These people didn't even notice Shen Xi and Ye Shuang's existence.

Hearing the murmurs, Nagasaki Asuna shrank back.

Cheng Fei walked casually beside the girl with his hands in his pockets, using the heavy synthesizer storage bag on his back to cover her.

After leaving the performance hall, the group and the Sakura students who had come to support them went to a nearby barbecue restaurant to celebrate. The boys and girls were in high spirits as their final exams had just ended and they were relaxing.

"Order whatever you like, it's on me," Cheng Fei said generously as always, winning cheers from everyone.

“It’s on me today,” Yan Nan suddenly walked up to him. “Consider it as a way of thanking everyone for their help on behalf of Nagasaki Asuna.”

"Sister Yan, it's been a long time," Cheng Fei greeted her.

"Long time no see, young man." Yan Nan smiled slightly.

While eating, the two sat alone on one side, watching Nagasaki Asuna being surrounded by people as if she were the main character.

……

171. The semester ends, and winter break begins.

"Although the band is a whole, I have to say that the lead singer is always more popular," Cheng Fei remarked while sipping his Want Want milk (which he had ordered for Shen Xi).

"Young men, if you're willing to sign with me, I'll definitely turn you into the hottest idol group in East Asia," Yan Nan said, holding a glass of beer.

"Sister Yan, do we guys look like we're interested in that kind of thing?" Cheng Fei shook his head with a smile.

"So it's really a pity." Yan Nan tilted her head back to drink, then put down her glass. "Anyway, thank you for your help during this time. You've been a great help."

"Are they going to let her debut as a live-action artist?"

"The proposal has been submitted to the headquarters in the island nation," Yan Nan nodded and said. "She'll probably be busy after the New Year, and she might not have as much time to play in the band with you guys then."

"Sister Yan, may I ask you a question?"

"You said."

What country are you from again?

"I was born in China, but I went to study abroad after high school. I also played in a band there back then."

"so."

"Is there anything you'd like to say?"

"Nothing, just asking out of curiosity."

"Don't worry, I will ensure this child has a bright future." Yan Nan looked at Nagasaki Asuna.

"I hope so. By the way, I'm a child too, so what you're saying sounds a bit strange."

"Excuse me." Yan Nan snapped out of her daze.

"Speaking of which, what if she can't persevere halfway and wants to give up?" Cheng Fei asked nonchalantly.

"If it's a mental health issue, don't worry, once the project starts, the company will arrange the best psychologist for her."

"What if that still doesn't work?"

"It's not surprising. The company trains new artists every year, but it's not always smooth sailing. Although it's a bit of a pity that she had to give up halfway due to mental problems, as long as she fulfills her contract, she can go back to being an ordinary person."

"Ok."

As the two were chatting, Chen Hao suddenly leaned over with a skewer of grilled meat in his hand, grabbed the boy's shoulder, and said, "Cheng Fei! You little rascal, if you play a song for everyone now, I'll reluctantly forgive your sins."

"Huh?" The boy looked completely bewildered.

"Cheng Fei, Cheng Fei, there's a piano over there, can we play it for a bit?" Zhou Han looked at the boy expectantly.

There was indeed a piano in one corner of the barbecue restaurant, placed on the stage used for live music performances, but there was no one on stage at the moment.

Only in a culturally vibrant academy city would you find a barbecue restaurant with a piano; the keyboard must smell delicious.

"Junior, play a tune!" Miriam cheered, holding up a skewer of meat.

"Play one!"

"Play one!"

"Play one!"

Even though hardly anyone was drinking, the teenagers, especially the girls, started clapping and cheering in unison, and they were inexplicably excited.

Shen Xi sat silently in the corner, expressionless and focused on peeling shrimp, as if everything outside was irrelevant to her.

"Sigh." Cheng Fei stood up helplessly, shook his head, and sighed, "I really can't do anything with you guys."

His expression made everyone laugh.

The noise attracted the attention of the surrounding diners. Amidst all sorts of curious gazes, Cheng Fei went to the stage in a corner of the barbecue restaurant, opened the piano key cover, and casually pressed a few chords.

After thinking for a moment, the boy decided to play "Dance of the Flowers," a piece he had recently been practicing.

When the boy's ten fingers danced across the piano keys, all the audience members widened their eyes in unison.

This upbeat and melodious piece features complex melodic variations, with continuous notes swirling and dancing. While it may not seem difficult from a professional perspective, for laypeople, the pleasing tune, coupled with the dazzling fingerwork of the young man's hands, is already quite stunning.

The music filled the space, and the diners couldn't help but pause their conversations, immersing themselves in the young man's performance.

Su Wenwen, who always has a selfie stick with her wherever she goes, suddenly started taking pictures on the side.

Even the idle shop assistants wearing headscarves and aprons pointed their phone cameras at the boy, recording his performance.

After the improvised piece ended, Cheng Fei returned to his seat and immediately received enthusiastic praise and cheers from the boys and girls.

If people unconsciously idolize the most outstanding individuals in their hearts, then Cheng Fei is undoubtedly their idol at this moment.

The boys and girls chatted and enjoyed the food in such a pleasant atmosphere, their laughter echoing in the winter night and lingering for a long time.

……

The next day.

January 20th, Monday, the first day of winter vacation.

Cheng Fei still wakes up at 6:30 in the morning, eats breakfast, and reads books.