Chapter 80 Happy Birthday

Girls generally don't have an advantage when dancing to boy group dances, since boy group dances usually require more stamina and strength, and are also more difficult. Although Lyra's dance isn't just about simple waving around; it includes many large, sweeping movements, Jiang Wenxi still subconsciously asked:

"How about I dance to yours?"

They didn't consider covering other songs, since it would take time to adapt them. Time is money, and it's better for one person to teach the other than for both to start from scratch.

But when she heard Jiang Wenxi ask that question, Yu Shuling's expression visibly stiffened.

"Dance our group's song? Maybe we should forget about it." She glanced at Jiang Wenxi, her expression somewhat hesitant, and after a long pause, she managed to squeeze out a few words, "I don't think we're a good match."

Why did I sense a strong sense of disdain in Sister Ling's tone?

You are not alone.

Many viewers are now calling her "Sister Ling" instead of "Shuling Sister" in the comments. Yu Shuling has such a strong presence; even at such a young age, she doesn't give off that "sister" vibe. Jiang Wenxi is almost used to being shut up by her now and has no temper at all. Aside from Jiang Wenxi's fans, the audience is thoroughly enjoying watching her.

However, speaking of the stage performance alone, the collaboration between these two is quite pleasing to the eye. After all, the woman is beautiful and the man is handsome, and their professional skills are also quite good. They made some slight modifications to the choreography, and there was interaction, but there were no ambiguous movements. It was more like a dance battle than a collaboration, so there was no question of pairing them up.

At the end of the performance, Yu Shuling made a shooting motion towards Jiang Wenxi, and the boy fell straight down, the lights dimming as well. The next moment, the focus shifted to the cool and stylish Yu Shuling, whose charm remained undiminished, her eyes and brows radiating a carefree smile as she glanced at the camera.

The comments section immediately filled with people talking about "wife".

The other groups also performed quite well. Lyra's promotional period had already ended, but it was extended again. Following that, their long-awaited group variety show finally aired. It was a travel-themed show they filmed in their spare time recently, with no competitive tasks; it felt more like a private vacation. The five girls had a great time, and the fans were overjoyed.

But then something even more exciting for the fans was announced.

Yu Shuling, the original owner of this body, has her birthday in two months. The company discussed it with them and found that there was a commercial performance stage that month. The venue was suitable and available, so they decided to rent that not-too-big venue to hold a birthday fan meeting for Yu Shuling.

Birthday parties are different from concerts. They are mainly for celebrating the birthdays of idols. Naturally, they often include some performances and interactive activities. They have become popular in the last two years. Both actors and idols can attend them. They are basically fan meetings. Ticket prices are generally not high, and they are like free shows.

It's truly remarkable that Lyra's fans have remained steadfast through all the ups and downs. Yu Shuling initially wanted to discuss with the company about waiving tickets, but the process was complicated, as the lottery system could easily allow non-fans to sneak in. Ultimately, ticket prices were set at 188, 288, and 388 yuan. Because the venue is small, the viewing experience is sure to be good.

The birthday party lasted a full two hours, with one hour dedicated to singing and dancing performances and the remaining hour for audience interaction, making it well worth the ticket price.

After the release date was set, Yu Shuling even searched on a certain app and finally decided on baking, planning to make cookies as gifts for her fans. She tried it for a whole month and found that it was much more difficult than practicing singing and dancing. To make cookies that are beautiful in appearance and taste just right is completely different from cooking with an open kitchen and high heat; it requires a very precise ratio.

Yu Shuling tried several times but was not satisfied. In the end, she was about to give up and order directly from the cake shop. However, Zhong Xinfan couldn't bear to watch and studied with her. As a result, the two cakes she made with the molds were very successful.

When Zhong Xinfan was working with Yu Shuling, she saw that Yu Shuling wasn't very skilled at using it, and she couldn't help but laugh and say:

"Are you from ancient times? How come you're so clumsy using an oven?"

Yu Shuling smiled at her, without explaining, and excitedly tried two pieces. She thought it was a great success and immediately posted on Weibo to spoil the surprise for her fans, not forgetting to mention Zhong Xinfan's contribution.

Lyra's solo fans get along fairly well. They used to fight like fans of many talent show groups, but now they're much calmer. Yu Shuling posted about Zhong Xinfan, and the comments were quite harmonious. She read them for a while and found some of the comments rather amusing, each one more humorous than the last.

A short while later, a message pop-up appeared showing that someone had sent her a message. Yu Shuling was doing stretching exercises and then insisted on doing a five-minute plank before getting up to check.

You Jingzhou asked her:

"You celebrated your birthday recently?"

Yu Shuling was puzzled:

"What else?"

In fact, many celebrities in the entertainment industry give fake birthdays for various reasons, perhaps due to industry taboos, or perhaps simply because they don't want to treat their birthdays as days for work and prefer peace and quiet. Yu Shuling was unaware of this rule; her own birthday, when converted, was similar to the original owner's.

After asking the question, You Jingzhou didn't respond, but on the night before her birthday, Yu Shuling received a gift. It was a custom-made figurine modeled after her as a cartoon character. The figurine was incredibly lifelike, based on one of her most iconic looks from her concert stage. She wore a beret, and the cropped top revealed a glimpse of her slender waist. The figurine even featured her abs, and her face was adorned with pink heart-shaped rhinestones, making her look both beautiful and cool.

Yu Shuling has already received the gifts from the other members. As for other friends in the industry, although she has a good relationship with some of them, it's troublesome to exchange gifts back and forth. Moreover, artists are always flying around, and you never know exactly where they are. She hasn't received any other gifts yet, but judging from the style, you can immediately guess that it's from You Jingzhou.

After all, You Jingzhou is actually quite a homebody in private. Apart from going out to find inspiration, he even does his necessary workouts at home. Unlike other celebrities who have a rich leisure time, You Jingzhou likes to write songs, play games, and watch dramas.

When Yu Shuling chatted with him before, she curiously asked You Jingzhou about his taste. As a result, the guy recommended some romantic movies to her that sounded very artsy. You Jingzhou wrote songs, but his lyrics were rarely filled with love and romance like pop songs, which made Yu Shuling extremely curious. In the end, she chose a foreign film with a male and female lead that she found very pleasing to the eye, and she fell asleep very soundly while watching it.

I never expected this guy to have such boring taste in movies, but he's actually quite good at creating little surprises.

Yu Shuling thanked him on Green Bubble, and You Jingzhou replied instantly:

See that button under your feet? Press it and see if you like it.

"The button, under your feet?"

Yu Shuling thought the little figure could move, but after picking it up and operating it according to You Jingzhou's instructions, she found that the base was playing music, like the babbling of a summer stream, lingering in her heart. The tone was not exciting, but rather soothing and healing, giving people the feeling of being in a resort, enjoying the air conditioning and the scenery, and her mood naturally calmed down.

Yu Shuling had never heard this song before, and the style sounded very similar to You Jingzhou's. You Jingzhou's style has always been very distinctive, and he is best at ballads. Even though it is a version without vocals, it is still very catchy.

Before she knew it, she had quietly listened to the entire song while lying on the table, without replying to You Jingzhou's next message. After the song ended, it switched to the next one. This time, Yu Shuling recognized it as You Jingzhou's song and stopped in surprise before sending him a message.

You Jingzhou asked:

Is it convenient to receive video calls?

Yu Shuling is already at a hotel in another city, preparing for her birthday performance tomorrow. She lives alone, so it's convenient for her to pick her up. It took a full minute for You Jingzhou to call her, right at midnight. The sunlight was dazzling and as sweet as honey.

She was dazzled by the golden light before she could make out the young man walking from inside to the balcony. He was carrying a plate of cake and walking quickly. His delicate, sharp features remained perfectly straight under the camera lens, without any distortion. You Jingzhou, unusually outgoing, practically pressed himself against the camera, loudly wishing her a happy new year:

"Shuling, happy birthday!"

The boy, bathed in sunlight, looked like a golden retriever rushing towards the camera. His gentle smile was infectious, and his laughter was so hearty. The moment Yu Shuling saw what You Jingzhou was holding, she felt her heart skip a beat, a ticklish, tingling sensation spreading through her heart like the touch of warm sunlight.

Perhaps she had felt it before, but never as intensely as now, making her clearly and distinctly aware of that feeling. Yu Shuling stood on the balcony, still holding the gift You Jingzhou had given her, playing with it in her hand. At this moment, a bittersweet feeling was gradually spreading through her chest.

I don't know why I suddenly had the melancholy and sentimental thoughts of a young girl.

After a brief silence, Yu Shuling quietly took a deep breath to calm herself, hiding any panic she might have felt, and smiled as usual:

"You went abroad? The time difference is so big!"

One day, one night—the time difference was obvious. You Jingzhou nodded, indicating that he had come to Europe and would probably be away for some time. He hesitated, wanting to say something but then hesitated, and after a moment, he composed himself before speaking:

"It's your birthday today, why are you talking about me? What do you think of this cake? I heard the bakers here are really good at making cakes, so I learned from them when I had nothing else to do."