Chapter 25
The backstage at the music awards ceremony was an infinitely compressed, high-speed parallel universe. The makeup artist's final touch of powder, the stylist's frantic effort to smooth out wrinkles in a dress, the hurried commands coming from the intercom, and the distant, indistinct roar of the front desk...everything was twisted into a taut, tense string, hanging over everyone's head.
Feng Ling stood in the deepest shadows of the waiting area, wearing a custom-made silver tasseled dance gown that looked cool yet sexy, the tassels swaying gently with her trembling breaths. She could clearly hear the host's "BOW!" and the shrieks and shouts that swept over like a tsunami, nearly ripping through her eardrums. Her heart raced uncontrollably in her chest, beating hard and fast, and her palms were cold and clammy. She wasn't them; she hadn't experienced this countless times. A surge of panic surged over her like a tide, threatening to drown her.
Just when she felt her fingertips begin to go numb and she was almost out of breath——
A warm, dry, bony hand, in a dark corner where no one could see, accurately found her clenched fist and slightly trembling hand, and then, firmly and unquestionably, completely wrapped her hand.
Feng Ling's whole body stiffened suddenly and he turned his head in shock.
Ankhsu stood beside her, completely immersed in Nyan's state. His makeup accentuated his features, making them appear even more profound and sharp. His eyes, like ice-hardened blades, stared directly at the entrance to the passageway ahead, as if nothing was wrong. Yet, the hand that held hers radiated a steady, scorching warmth, a silent yet powerful strength that was completely different from his stern exterior.
That strength, like a warm current, powerfully dispelled the coldness and stiffness from her body. She instinctively tried to pull away, but as her fingertips moved, he tightened his grip, even giving her a gentle, soothing touch. Amidst the chaos and clamor, this intimate contact became the only sense of reality and stability she felt. She finally gave up resistance and let him hold her, until the staff's final, confirming gesture. Only then did he release her hand, as quickly and naturally as if struck by electricity, as if the brief moment of support had never happened.
But Feng Ling knew that something was different. That power remained in her palm.
"BOW! Go!"
The entrance to the passageway opened, a dazzling white light like the entrance to heaven, accompanied by an even more deafening wave of sound. An Hesu was the first to step out, without a moment's hesitation, his back erect and resolute, like a general heading off to battle. Feng Ling took a deep breath and followed closely behind, stepping into the vortex of light and sound.
stage.
A real, highly anticipated stage.
Countless glow sticks formed a shimmering sea of stars, and the fans' deafening roars were like a physical wall of sound, crashing down upon them. Feng Ling felt momentarily dizzy, but her body instinctively began to dance to the blasting music. She surrendered completely to muscle memory and months of arduous rehearsal.
Their performance began. The group dance was uniform and majestic. When the music transitioned to the duet, the audience's attention instantly focused on the two of them.
The spotlights lit up, like a moonlit path. The choreography had a strong sense of storytelling, a chase and approach filled with contradictions and tension. His fingers brushed the air beside her cheek, carrying a scorching warmth; her spin was firmly caught by him, and the place where his palm touched her waist seemed to be burning. Every time their eyes met, it was like silently telling of long-suppressed, unexpressed emotions. The look he gave her was no longer the coldness he usually had in front of the camera, but was filled with complex, suppressed emotions that almost overflowed - there was protection, longing, and an unmistakable affection.
Ahhhh Nyan!!!
[Who is that female dancer?! I’m jealous!!!]
[They look like a perfect couple! Their eyes are so charming!]
The barrage of comments scrolled wildly, and everyone's attention was firmly attracted by the two figures in the center of the stage.
The music progressed, the emotions building. Finally, it reached its climax—Feng Ling, after a rapid spin, was suddenly pulled back by his powerful arms, held tightly in his embrace. At this point, the music paused briefly, filled with suspense.
He lowered his head and she raised her head.
The tips of their noses almost touched, and their warm breaths blended completely.
The world seemed to have been muted, all the screams from the audience, the lingering echoes of the music, vanished. In their world, only the pounding of each other's hearts remained, and the single reflection in their eyes.
Feng Ling tilted her head slightly as she had rehearsed countless times, ready to face the realistic scene.
However--
At that moment, the last shred of rationality in Ankhsu's eyes was completely overwhelmed by the surging emotions that had accumulated for an entire stage, perhaps even longer. He looked at her so close, her eyelashes trembling with nervousness, her lips slightly parted with panting, a seductive wetness. The scorching stage lights, the frantic cheers from the audience, his agent's instructions, the rules of idol life... everything became blurred and distant in that moment.
An almost instinctive desire, coming from the deepest part of his soul, dominated him.
He held the back of her neck, his fingertips trembling slightly as he fixed her slightly tilted angle. Then, under the focus of all lights and eyes, in front of all rules and boundaries, he kissed her firmly, without hesitation, and gently.
Not misplaced.
They were real, soft lips with his unique scent, fitting tightly.
"boom--!"
Feng Ling's mind went blank, as if countless fireworks were exploding inside her skull. All her senses were momentarily paralyzed, yet were magnified infinitely by the real sensation of touch. She could feel the warmth and softness of his lips, even the slightly salty scent of his sweat. Time seemed to stretch infinitely, and this brief contact felt like it lasted a century.
One touch and they separate.
He quickly raised his head, resuming his perfect ending pose, his jawline set tight, his gaze fixed on the seething sea of stars in the distance, as if the shocking transgression had never occurred. Only the two of them knew what line they had crossed in those stretched seconds, under the gaze of so many.
Feng Ling froze in his embrace, her blood seemingly rushing to her cheeks, burning frighteningly. The lingering, unmistakable touch of his lips burned her nerves like a brand. Through the thin fabric, she could feel the equally uncontrolled, heavy thumping of his heart in her chest.
After a pause, the music suddenly played the final accent!
The lights suddenly turned on and froze!
The audience erupted in devastating screams and shouts, the sound waves almost overturned the entire venue! Everyone was crazy about their "emotionally rich and extremely deductive" performance, and excited about the extremely "realistic" kiss.
No one knew that beneath that moment of silence and the final freeze frame, there was a real, desperate kiss that came from years of deep love.
An Hesu maintained his posture, breathing slightly, the starlight falling into his deep eyes, reflecting a fragmented and blazing light. Only Feng Ling, who was clinging to him, could feel the uncontrollable, subtle but real trembling of his arm around her waist, and his equally disordered breathing.
This grand performance ended with a perfect appearance.
But something solid had been completely shattered and reshaped in that real kiss. The clamor of the backstage once again flooded into his ears, but Feng Ling's world was so quiet that only his deafening heartbeat and the lingering, burning mark on his lips remained.
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