Chapter 5 Concert Invitation.

Sheng Yi turned around and forgot about the matter.

With Lao Qian's introduction, she took on several new photo shoot jobs. Combined with her existing work, by the time she was almost done with her work, it was already early April.

When I told Yu Ying that I had plans for the holiday, it was just a casual remark, but I never expected it to come true. I was incredibly busy during the Qingming Festival holiday.

The morning shoot lasted until 2 p.m. Sheng Yi was in the studio with a boxed lunch. She opened her phone and saw a bunch of travel check-in posts from everyone on WeChat Moments. Even Fu Xiaodan took the opportunity to go on a short trip with her boyfriend.

The breath of spring was in the air. She looked at herself reflected on the screen, and before she could even feel the joy, the staff urged her to rush to the next venue.

Are you free this Saturday evening?

Sheng Yi was squatting on the sofa revising her resume when she heard Fu Xiaodan ask her a question.

This elusive roommate finally ended his habit of treating the house like a hotel and, unusually, went home at a normal time after get off work.

"I don't know yet. I just sent the information to the casting director a couple of days ago," Sheng Yi said without turning her head.

Whether it will work out or not remains to be seen.

Since quitting her job at the bookstore cafe, she's basically had no regular work. When she's busy, she's working all day long; when she's free, she can stay home for two or three days straight. She's sending out resumes to directors while keeping an eye out for someone similar to replace her.

"I have two concert tickets. If you're free, let's go see them together on Saturday?"

Fu Xiaodan's company has good benefits, and she often receives complimentary tickets. Whenever she has free time, Sheng Yi is happy to go with her to attend some events.

"Of course I'd like to, but it's really hard to say right now." Sheng Yi looked at the document on the computer that was half-edited and hesitated, "If I can't go, can I transfer it?"

"It's alright, keep it for now, we'll talk about it if you can't go." Fu Xiaodan saw that she was busy and didn't say much more. The tickets were just too sought after this time. As far as she knew, some colleagues were privately reselling them, and the prices had already been inflated several times higher than the original price.

On Saturday morning, Sheng Yi got up early and saw Fu Xiaodan waiting at her door with several outfits in hand. "Help me choose which one to wear tonight?" she asked, her face beaming with joy.

Unexpectedly, even someone as decisive as Sheng Yi could be indecisive. Sheng Yi's eyes swept over the similar-looking clothes, and she reached out to make a choice for her.

"Okay!" Fu Xiaodan smiled broadly.

Compared to her happiness, Sheng Yi couldn't quite manage a smile.

I only got the news last night that a job that had been postponed was suddenly scheduled for shooting on Saturday afternoon. During the initial communication, the client did everything they could to persuade me, but after the fees were finalized, I found out that the client's requirements were several levels higher than originally agreed, and the payment period had also been extended to six months later.

What could she do? Every little bit helps, so Sheng Yi gritted her teeth and took on the job, otherwise people would say she was being picky. But just as she was mentally preparing herself, problems arose within the project. And so it was put on hold for a month or so with no news.

When Sheng Yi received the message last night, she couldn't help but frown. This impulsive, unpredictable approach felt incredibly amateurish. True to her work ethic of finishing as soon as possible, she didn't say much.

The filming was scheduled to start at 2:30 PM. Sheng Yi was a little late leaving home, so she gritted her teeth and hailed a taxi to the location. Fortunately, she was lucky today; the usually congested roads weren't too congested, and she arrived at the location more than 30 minutes earlier than scheduled.

There was no activity in the work group, so Sheng Yi figured no one had arrived yet. She simply found a shady spot across the street and sat down to enjoy the breeze.

The sidewalk was lined with cars. She looked at the logos of the cars listlessly, scanning them one by one. Most of them were logos she didn't recognize. The few she could recognize were completely out of her reach.

By the time she realized something was wrong, her gaze had been lingering on one of the cars for quite some time. Or perhaps more accurately, her gaze, through the lowered window, landed on the two people inside.

In broad daylight, is it really necessary to be so unrestrained?

With her brain restarting after a malfunction, Sheng Yi quickly stood up, turned her back, and quietly left the vibrant scene.

Perhaps the contrast was too stark, and she tried hard to clear the image from her mind. The thin arms and bald head, like junk messages left on a phone, stubbornly occupied her brain's memory.

It's absolutely an eyesore.

It was Saturday, yet several elevators were still packed with people queuing up. If she waited any longer, she might be late. Sheng Yi hesitated for a couple of seconds, then pushed open the fire escape door and ran upstairs. Thankfully, the address provided wasn't on a high floor.

I had just climbed to the third floor and turned the corner when my phone rang. I checked the number; it was the person in charge of this event.

"Hey, where are you?" The other person's voice sounded urgent.

"I'll be there soon," Sheng Yi replied immediately, taking two steps at a time, afraid of arriving early and still being late.

"I'm sorry, our event might be..." The other person's voice trailed off, and Sheng Yi only heard the last sentence, "You don't need to come today."

Sheng Yi looked at the "5" sign posted in the stairwell, as if she had heard a not-so-funny joke. She forced herself to calm down. "I'll be there soon. Let's talk in person."

Suddenly, the phone rang noisily. You could vaguely hear someone whispering on the other end. After a while, the volume increased, and the previously hesitant voice became incredibly firm.

"Really, there's no need to come. Our plans have changed a bit."

Changes, changes. Since getting involved in this project, there have been countless changes. Sheng Yi is truly tired of this catch-all excuse.

As she spoke, she had already arrived at the entrance of the photography studio.

The door was open, and standing in the aisle, you could hear laughter coming from inside; it sounded like there were quite a few people there.

She walked around the half-wall directly opposite the gate, and groped her way in a few steps. There she saw the guy she had just spoken to on the phone, who was bending over and leading two people forward. "Mr. Wang, please come in."

"Yes, everything is arranged, don't worry."

As he spoke respectfully, Sheng Yi's gaze followed, landing on a pair of slender arms linked with the man referred to as "General Manager Wang," and above that, a gleaming head.

The two people I saw in the car just now.

Makeup artists swarmed around, surrounding the delicate girl. The photographer was already in position, and the lights were turned on one by one.

Until the girl stood in front of the backdrop, and the shutter clicked repeatedly, Sheng Yi suddenly lost the energy to investigate.

It's just another ordinary role reshuffle.

The elevator going down was empty. Perhaps she had overexerted herself by climbing the stairs too quickly, Sheng Yi felt her legs were light. She found a corner to lean against and tried to prop herself up again.

"Ding." The elevator stopped on the first floor.

The vibrant boys and girls surged forward with anticipation.

Passing by a convenience store, Sheng Yi bought herself an ice cream. After a few bites, her mood warmed up. She returned to the shade of a tree across the street, watching the passing traffic and letting her mind wander.

Where are you?

"I'm really sorry, how about I reimburse you for the travel expenses this time?"

Sheng Yi's phone kept vibrating in his pocket. He took it out and glanced at it. It was the contact person he had just spoken to.

After settling things with his superiors, he finally had some free time to ask her to fix the patches.

During normal working hours, commuting usually requires paying for it yourself.

That's a huge favor.

Sheng Yi replied, "Thank you, but no need."

Consider it a lesson learned.

From initial shock and anger to current calm acceptance, she can't tell whether these past few years have been a period of personal growth or a gradual loss of youthful vigor.

Time slipped by quietly in the afternoon, the blazing sun slowly withdrew its heat, and the car windows not far away were already closed.

As expected of Saturday, the subway was unusually crowded today. As soon as the subway doors opened, people scrambled to get on. Sheng Yi was pushed and shoved into the carriage, and couldn't even find a place to put her feet.

"Wait, my bag is stuck!" someone shouted in panic.

After passing several stops, the space on the train became a little more spacious. Sheng Yi moved to the connecting area between the two carriages, leaned against the train, and drifted off into a daze.

"Is there some kind of event today? There aren't usually this many people here." She was lost in thought when she heard the girl next to her whisper.

"No way, you forgot? You asked me to help you grab tickets last time."

"Oh, it's today already? I've been so confused about the days I've been working lately." The girl sighed softly, then shook her friend's hand and pretended to cry, "Waaah, I'm so envious. Can someone buy me a ticket?"

Upon hearing this, Sheng Yi looked around in confusion. Indeed, the girls nearby all had exquisite makeup on, and even in the crowded subway, they couldn't suppress the joy in their eyes and brows.

So they were all going to the concert.

I wonder if the ticket Fu Xiaodan gave me can still be transferred now.

Sheng Yi took out her phone to send a message to confirm with her, and as if by telepathy, Fu Xiaodan also asked about her progress at the same time.

She sent Sheng Yi a picture of the stadium entrance and then coaxed, "Have you finished filming? Want to come over and hang out?"

The concert starts at 7:00, and it's 4:30 now. To get to the stadium, I need to transfer, which will take about 40 minutes in total.

"No, that's too much trouble," she wanted to say.

But what would I do back home? Cook, shower, send out resumes—a mundane existence, like countless hazy memories of the past.

The girls around her were in groups of three or five, their eyes full of longing. The breath of spring seemed to have skipped over her.

"Okay, wait for me." That was Sheng Yi's last words.

"Okay, quick!!" Fu Xiaodan replied excitedly.

After getting off the subway, the crowds all surged in the same direction. Every day, every second, countless people are rushing to meet unknown people because of their passions.

Fu Xiaodan was waiting for her at a nearby platform. "It's almost time to go in. Do you want to go in or play around outside?"

Sheng Yi touched the colorful stickers on her face. "Where did you get these?"

Fu Xiaodan covered her face and jumped three feet away, saying, "Don't touch me, it was just put on." Then she grabbed Sheng Yi's hand and walked straight to the center of the square.

Looking at the dazzling array of support booths along the way, Sheng Yi belatedly realized, "Wen Shili's concert?"

“Yeah, didn’t I tell you?” Fu Xiaodan pulled her along and nimbly squeezed into the end of a line. “You should put one on too.”

"I don't need it anymore," Sheng Yi said quietly, her brows furrowed, covering her mouth. "They're all just there to make money off their fans."

"Since we're already here, how can you bear to abandon me?" Fu Xiaodan said enthusiastically. "Besides, I've checked it out, and this is the most affordable place. You can even get a discount if two people comb their hair together."

Okay. Sheng Yi gave up the struggle.

Around the square, there were many materials related to Wen Shili. A man in a performance costume stood in the center of the stage. The enlarged poster made him look both gentle and powerful.

Fans with their hair styled beautifully lined up in long queues in front of various stalls, their stickers and the sparkle in their eyes complementing each other.

As Sheng Yi listened to the same melody echoing around her, Wen Shili seemed like the key that unlocked the barriers, bringing together a group of strangers because of the same person. Even the most inconspicuous figure in the crowd shone brightly at this moment.

Today, here, everything is for Wen Shili.