Chapter 2 I am his brother.
The scene only lasted a few minutes. The group stopped fooling around and, after changing their costumes, returned to their positions behind the curtain.
The most nervous person at this moment was none other than the lead vocalist, Zou Yao, whose face was full of anxiety: "God help me so that nothing goes wrong later."
Fang Xingu patted him on the shoulder: "No, we've rehearsed many times already."
Simple words, yet they acted like a stabilizing force, giving Zou Yao a sense of security. Even his gaze toward Fang Xingu was filled with admiration: How could someone remain so calm while running a high fever?
If Fang Xin could share half of that sense of relaxation with him, that would be great.
Zou Yao immediately felt relieved: "That's right, even if the sky falls, you, the lead singer, will hold it up."
At this moment, the interlude stopped, the curtain opened, and Nebula, once again dressed in the uniform of "Star Journey," stepped onto the stage, immediately eliciting a frenzy of screams from the audience.
"Ahhh, it's the school uniform from 'Star Path'!"
"We can't believe we're actually getting school uniforms back!"
Hearing the cheers from the audience growing louder and louder, even Fang Xingu's face showed a smile. This smile was keenly captured by the camera and projected onto the big screen, immediately attracting a new round of screams. Fang Xingu pressed his hand down, and the sound gradually subsided.
As the prelude to "Starry Road" ended, Fang Xin Gu finally sang what was once Nebula's first song, and now Nebula's last song—
I have come here.
Waiting for the lights to come on for me.
Every breath in the darkness
It's all about being obsessed with the future.
Fang Xin's signature voice filled the venue, drawing everyone into the moving song. As if to match the lyrics, the dim stage lights suddenly turned on, illuminating the seven vibrant faces on stage.
I'm standing here,
I look forward to applause.
The value of sweat is incomparable.
Effort is the only true principle.
Applause erupted from the audience, and the familiar melody instantly transported them back four years. The scene before them kept overlapping with the initial stage of "Star Journey." Four years had passed, and it seemed that nothing had changed.
People on and off the stage had tears in their eyes. Ye Wenlian secretly wiped away a tear. She was usually so loud and boisterous, but she was also so sentimental.
Fortunately, the song "Starry Road" has been sung by everyone for four years. Even though some people's voices were not in good condition due to choking, those minor flaws seemed insignificant under the sincere emotions. At least Fang Xin Gu felt that everyone performed well.
When it came to Zou Yao's part in the latter half of the song, he adjusted his tense voice and began to sing: "The dazzling lights on the stage are a dream..."
Gaa—
Suddenly, the accompaniment from the speakers was abruptly cut off, and the entire venue fell silent, with only Zou Yao's monotonous singing voice echoing in the background.
"...Where it all began...???"
Out of habit, Zou Yao didn't realize something was wrong until he finished singing a line of lyrics.
No, where's the background music?
Could it be that he suddenly lost his hearing due to being too nervous?
Zou Yao glanced at his teammates out of the corner of his eye in alarm, only to find that everyone had stopped dancing and were looking at each other in confusion: What's going on?
A guess immediately came to everyone's mind: it was a stage accident, the accompaniment had stopped working!
But why today of all days? This is Nebula's last stage performance!
The sudden event left the group's minds blank, not to mention that tens of thousands of eyes were watching them from below the stage. In their helplessness, their first reaction was surprisingly unified—six pairs of clear yet bewildered eyes turned to Fang Xingu.
Fang Xin Gu: ...
What are you looking at me for? Go ahead and sing!
Fang Xin, who already had a persistent high fever, felt her head hurt even more.
He knew very well why his teammates didn't continue singing. This was a concert for tens of thousands of people, and singing live without accompaniment was too demanding on their singing skills. Especially now that they had sung a lot, their breath control was uneven, and some of them had cried and their voices were dry, so it was normal that they didn't dare to open their mouths.
Fang Xin could lead everyone in singing the rest of the song, but his intuition told him that this was definitely not the best solution.
No one knows whether this was an accident or a deliberate act, nor does anyone know whether someone will use it as an excuse after the performance.
All he knew was that after today, Nebula would be going their separate ways, and each of them had to perform at their best in light of this stage mishap, otherwise it would affect their future development.
They not only had to sing, but they had to sing well, because this was Nebula's last song, and they had only this one chance.
But what should we do?
Under immense pressure, a bead of sweat trickled down Fang Xingu's forehead. The few seconds seemed to stretch out indefinitely. In a fleeting moment, he suddenly recalled a small incident that had occurred during his daily practice.
A flash of inspiration struck Fang Xingu, and he immediately had an idea. He pulled off his in-ear monitor, raised his right hand and gently grabbed it, then put his five fingertips together and made a "7" gesture.
The other teammates were taken aback, but the tacit understanding they had built up over the years made them quickly understand Fang Xin's intention, and they immediately took off their in-ear monitors together.
The scene fell silent. The fans were already confused, and when they saw Nebula on stage uniformly removing their in-ear monitors, they were even more bewildered.
What's going on? Was this an accident or a special project?
Before they could figure it out, a melodious chanting sounded in the venue.
Has the sound system been restored?
No, that's not it.
Fans quickly realized that it wasn't the background music coming from the speakers, but someone humming the melody of "Starry Road".
Everyone looked up at the stage and saw Fang Xingu holding the microphone, earnestly humming "Star Road".
Fang Xin's vocal pressure was extremely strong. Even when he was just humming, his voice seemed to penetrate the eardrums and strike the heart, making people unconsciously hold their breath and listen intently.
As the melody played, the other teammates gradually relaxed and joined in the singing.
At this moment, the distinct layers of melody, harmony and rhythm gradually merged, and the tune of "Star Journey" once again echoed in the Changhu Central Stadium.
Zou Yao's deep singing voice rang out at just the right moment:
Not every road is a smooth one.
I stand firm in my choice and will not back down.
Keep your eyes fixed on the goal.
Braving the winds and waves, we fearlessly set sail.
Zou Yao's rich voice intertwines with the melody of the vocals, creating a rich and layered sound that makes the performance even more three-dimensional and pleasant to listen to.
Moreover, the vocal accompaniment is extremely flexible. In the subsequent singing, even if someone has a problem with pitch, Fang Xin Gu can predict it in advance with their tacit understanding and adjust the volume of the harmony without making a sound, giving his teammates a boost and smoothly getting through everyone's part.
In fact, vocal accompaniment is not easy. Nebula had not rehearsed deliberately beforehand. During dance practice, everyone got used to humming the melody and keeping the beat. However, because their casual humming was too awful, Fang Xin punished them with a stern face and adjusted their singing style one by one. Finally, they managed to come up with a version of "Star Journey" that was pleasing to the ear.
In the midst of tedious practice, this special "vocal lesson" was treated merely as entertainment, but unexpectedly, it actually came in handy one day.
As the performance reached its climax, everyone was immersed in the pure beauty of the song. The seven performers on stage came together and sang in unison:
"The shining stars are our light."
The vast universe is the direction of the future.
The fans in the audience teared up again. This version of "Starry Road" had a more melodious tune than the original, and they could actually feel the sadness of parting from the song.
It's unclear who started it, but fans spontaneously joined in the singing, the sound so loud it seemed to lift the roof off:
"The road ahead is still long."
With you by my side, my journey to stardom is no longer filled with uncertainty.
Let this light,
Illuminate every face on the path forward.
As the music ended, the lingering notes still echoed, and countless colorful ribbons fell from the venue, adding vibrant colors to the moment.
After a long pause, the fans finally came to their senses: "Nebula! Nebula!"
Amidst the cheers, Fang Xingu felt as if something was about to burst out of his heart, and his emotions remained unsettled for a long time. He tilted his head slightly up to look at the colorful ribbons falling from the sky, his pupils reflecting a colorful luster.
He felt that what he saw was not just colorful ribbons, but countless brilliant dreams and passions.
Nebula is not just Nebula of the seven of them.
Fang Xin's eyes were a little sore, and he felt a pang of reluctance.
But it all had to end eventually; Nebula's story was coming to a close.
"Ahhh, both new and old!"
"Perfect! We did it!"
The other six excitedly pounced on Fang Xingu, knocking him so hard that he almost couldn't catch his breath, as Fang Xingu, who was nearly burned to a crisp by the high fever, was stunned.
Surrounded by them, Fang Xin felt his heart pounding wildly, his whole body steaming with heat. For a moment, he couldn't tell whether his heart was racing because of a high fever or because he was moved by this memorable moment.
He calmly raised his arms to hug his teammates, enjoying this last moment belonging to Nebula amidst cheers.
In the audience, Jing Yitong looked at Nebula, who was all huddled together in a mess on stage, and laughed too.
That's wonderful. Fang Xin should enjoy his life like this.
But all good things must come to an end. As the concert drew to a close, it also meant that Nebula was about to disband.
Three and a half years is long enough for a limited-time group, but it's far from enough for fans who love Nebula.
The members said goodbye to the fans one by one, until finally, Fang Xin Gu stood in the center of the stage holding the microphone.
He took one last deep look at the fans below the stage. Tomorrow was still uncertain, and perhaps this was the last time he would stand on the stage.
Fang Xingu took a breath and slowly said, "We are happy to meet amidst mountains and rivers, but we must part ways eventually. The story of Nebula ends here, but our story continues."
"Thank you for every encounter, and I look forward to our next meeting."
Goodbye, friends.
The seven waved goodbye: "Goodbye!"
The stage curtain slowly fell, obscuring Nebula's figure and marking the end of a generation of Chinese boy band legends.
The fans' reluctant calls were blocked by the heavy curtain. As the sounds gradually weakened in his ears, Fang Xingu's breath, which had been held by adrenaline, completely dissipated. The discomfort brought by the high fever suddenly returned, and he went limp and fell to the ground, completely losing consciousness.
"New or old!"
.
"High fever, low blood sugar, plus overwork, the doctor said there was nothing seriously wrong, just that I needed to rest for a while."
Agent Qi Qiu, referring to the medical record, briefly described Fang Xin Gu's condition to Ms. Ying Zhen, Fang Xin Gu's mother, on the other end of the phone.
"So many questions," Ying Zhen said suspiciously, "You haven't been exploiting my son, have you?"
"...Haha, how could that be?" Qi Qiu laughed awkwardly, glaring fiercely at Ye Wenlian beside him. "We still have a lot of humanistic concern."
Ye Wenlian felt a pang of guilt. Although the company hadn't exploited Fang Xin, he still had six troublesome teammates.
During this period, Fang Xin Gu has been revising the concert repertoire. Even when he had a fever, he never missed a single rehearsal and even helped them correct the shortcomings in their singing.
Ye Wenlian touched her nose, and the more she thought about it, the more she felt that they were no good.
Fortunately, Ying Zhen did not hold a grudge. She was currently abroad and could not return in time. She only said that she had asked an acquaintance to take care of Fang Xin Gu.
Qi Qiu and Ye Wenlian nodded obsequiously as they walked toward Fang Xin Gu's private room. But as soon as they turned the corner, they saw a strange man sneakily trying to open Fang Xin Gu's room door. The man was wearing a mask and hat, which covered his face completely, and his behavior looked quite suspicious.
Ye Wenlian's eyelids twitched; her first thought was that he had illegitimate children.
As idol artists, they'd seen this kind of thing many times before. Seeing that this person had already opened the ward door and was about to go in, Ye Wen quickly called out to stop him: "Hey, who are you!"
Upon hearing the voice, the man visibly paused, but showed no sign of panic at being caught. Instead, he turned to look at Qi Qiu and Ye Wenlian, who were running towards him, and even nodded to them.
Ye Wenlian was stunned. What an arrogant illegitimate child.
As Ye Wenlian was thinking, she saw the man take off his mask, revealing a handsome face. He greeted her, "Brother Qi, Wenlian, long time no see."
Qi Qiu and Ye Wenlian slammed on the brakes, instantly recognizing the man as Jing Yitong!
A silence fell over the corridor as the three stared at each other. Finally, Qi Qiu spoke first: "...Teacher Jing? What a coincidence, what's this?"
Can anyone tell him why Jing Yitong, this great figure, would be here trying to pry open the door to Fang Xin's old ward?
Jing Yitong shook his head: "It's not a coincidence. I came here specifically to see Xin Gu. How is he now?"
"ah?"
Qi Qiu was stunned. He wouldn't dare say that he knew the other party's new and old affairs 100%, but he was well aware of the other party's new and old affairs in the industry.
Jing Yitong is one of the most sought-after young actors in the Chinese film and television industry. He has won the Best Actor award at a young age and is a household name. However, Fang Xin has never shared the stage with Jing Yitong since his debut, and the two have never even exchanged a single word.
Logically speaking, these two people should have no connection at all, but now Jing Yitong is speaking in a familiar tone, saying that he came specifically to see Fang Xingu. Is this reasonable?
Ye Wenlian was also stunned: "You two know each other?"
"Didn't Xin Gu mention it?" Jing Yitong glanced at the ward strangely. "I'm his brother."
A note from the author:
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Qi Qiu and Ye Wenlian now: Huh? What kind of older brother?
Future Qi Qiu and Ye Wenlian: Oh, this kind of older brother :)
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