The afternoon sun gently illuminated the earth, and the autumn leaves surrounded the uniquely shaped opera house, reflecting a dazzling golden hue.
The dimly lit and enormous concert hall was packed, with the only light shining on the stage in the center.
The strings that were taut just a second ago silenced the sound in the concert hall, and the brightly dressed teenagers gracefully exited the stage with their instruments in hand.
The next orchestra to take the stage was Lu Shizhen's school's symphony orchestra.
As is customary, Xu Shiyue, as the principal, would take the stage alone only after all the band members were seated.
From backstage to the head seat, it doesn't seem like a long journey to the audience.
But in reality, from one side of the stage, it looks like a long road.
Hundreds of eyes were fixed on the stage, while Lu Shizhen secretly watched the audience from backstage on one side of the stage.
This was the first time she had experienced something like this. She didn't know whether she was excited or nervous, but her heart had been pounding ever since she arrived here with the rest of the group.
Watching her children enter in an orderly fashion, Teacher Chen, who was in charge, walked over to Xu Shiyue, who was waiting on the side, and asked again, "Can you do it by yourself? You don't need me to go in with you?"
“I can do it myself, teacher.” Xu Shiyue nodded, glancing out of the corner of her eye at the girl who was still wearing her own coat.
She stood there with her hands in her pockets, looking towards the stage, her lips slightly pursed, rarely speaking.
Suddenly, Xu Shiyue felt that the surroundings were somewhat quiet.
Lu Shizhen listened to Xu Shiyue's conversation with Teacher Chen and felt that this person never seemed nervous, and his voice was as calm as ever.
She watched as the band members gradually took their seats on the stage, and that calm voice rang in her ears: "I remember someone told me that I didn't need to walk over, I could just sit down."
Lu Shizhen was momentarily stunned.
She did remember her own words, and she also remembered how confident she was back then, but she didn't know why Xu Shiyue would suddenly bring it up.
Is she blaming herself for breaking her promise?
Lu Shizhen listened to the quiet standby sound of the points system amidst the rustling noise, and looked uncertainly at Xu Shiyue beside her.
Their eyes met, and Xu Shiyue's eyes shone with pure black light in the dim backstage lighting.
Lu Shizhen couldn't figure out what she was thinking, but somehow, she sensed a hint of deliberate teasing in her eyes at that moment.
Lu Shizhen just felt that Xu Shiyue shouldn't be such a boring person.
Why is she teasing herself?
Just then, Teacher Chen's voice interrupted their eye contact: "Alright, Shiyue, just walk over slowly."
"Okay." Xu Shiyue nodded and then looked away.
She held the cello and bow lightly in her hands, her soft white skirt brushing past Lu Shizhen's feet as she walked toward the stage.
Before the light could catch up with her, it fell on the stray hairs hanging down her side, and no one noticed the smile playing on her lips beneath it.
Mischievous, yet somewhat satiated.
Like a cunning and unpredictable cat, my mood suddenly improved.
The stage fell silent, leaving only the sound of the girl's footsteps as her skirt brushed against the shimmering floor.
Lu Shizhen watched Xu Shiyue walk towards her seat, her eyes now showing a hint of composure. As if interrupted by Xu Shiyue's question, her arrhythmic heartbeat inexplicably calmed down.
The judges not only consider the overall expression of the music, but also her performance as the orchestra's principal.
Xu Shiyue holds not only a cello in her hands, but also her future.
Stand still and bow.
Her long, black hair fell onto the girl's chest as she leaned forward slightly, but her slender neck and shoulders remained perfectly straight.
Like a swan, her unhurried movements are full of elegance.
The audience's applause surged toward Xu Shiyue like a tidal wave, and the judges sitting in the center of the first row exchanged glances and nodded to each other.
Teacher Chen breathed a sigh of relief and said to Lu Shizhen, "It's settled." Then, after Xu Shiyue took her seat, she walked up to the command platform.
The golden baton drew a striking line in the light as Xu Shiyue raised her arm and began to play the strings.
The pure and clean music drifted down to the audience, deep and full.
This wasn't the first time Lu Shizhen had heard the orchestra play this piece, yet she was still amazed by Xu Shiyue's cello playing.
The sound of the orchestra echoed on the well-received stage, creating an even greater resonance, and tiny bumps almost covered Lu Shizhen's arms.
She gently stroked it through her sleeve, as if she could still smell the scent that should have mostly evaporated, the scent that belonged to Xu Shiyue.
A faint fragrance wafted through the air, and the lamplight swallowed the view in the girl's eyes, leaving only Xu Shiyue in her sight.
Her long, seaweed-like hair cascaded down her sides, swaying slightly with the movements of her shoulders, neck, and arms.
Her raven-feather-like eyelashes drooped slightly, and her eyes, which couldn't see the world clearly, didn't hinder her from conveying her music; on the contrary, they made her expression even purer.
Unlike other schools where the top students are too outstanding to integrate into the group, Xu Shiyue is more deserving of the leadership position.
Like a flock of white geese soaring between heaven and earth, they are guided by the wind, and Xu Shiyue is the leader of the flock.
Soft light fell on her skirt and arms, casting cold, white shadows as the bowstring moved.
The whole world belongs to her.
"The top student at this school is so beautiful."
"What's her name? What's her name?"
"It seems to be called... Xu Shiyue."
"What a lovely name."
...
As an unaffiliated member of the orchestra, Lu Shizhen was standing backstage watching up close. The students of the next orchestra slowly gathered behind her, along with their hushed discussions.
Perhaps because Xu Shiyue was involved, Lu Shizhen perked up her ears.
"Is this the girls' high school in S City? The drummers in the back are all girls."
"It's true that tall girls are often more beautiful."
"But even among all these pretty girls, I don't think any of them can compare to her."
"And did you notice? She plays the violin very well too."
"Yes, yes, that's great."
...
Of course, she is Xu Shiyue, the protagonist of this world.
Lu Shizhen thought to herself, her eyes and brows brimming with pride.
"Like a music box doll in a shop window, I really want to have one..."
"Me too."
"Me too."
Me too.
Lu Shizhen stood far in front of the girls and secretly echoed their sentiments in her heart once again.
The lights shone on the entire stage, and Xu Shiyue, draped in white gauze, shone brightly in everyone's eyes.
Lu Shizhen thought that at this moment, everyone was the original owner of this body, and everyone wanted to take this person back and keep him to themselves.
But after a pause, Lu Shizhen thought again.
She is the only one who was originally the owner of this body.
There is only one Xu Shiyue.
As the orchestra's performance drew to a close, another orchestra behind Lu Shizhen began to prepare.
Knowing that this was the spot where she would go on stage, and that she would not only be unable to catch Xu Shiyue, but would also become an obstacle, she reluctantly walked to the other side of the stage early on.
The backstage area was bustling with staff. Lu Shizhen walked quickly through them, and as she circled around to the right side of the stage, she spotted three people whose style seemed out of place yet were strangely familiar.
Cheng Meiyan actually brought Lu Shize and Lu Shien with her!
Lu Shi'en was the first to find Lu Shizhen, waving and jumping up and down as he shouted, "Sister!"
Lu Shizhen was worried that her voice would be heard on stage, so she quickly covered her mouth and asked in surprise, "Shi En? Mom, brother... what brings you here?"
“Because we have a pass to get in.” Lu Shi’en picked up the tag hanging around his neck, which was almost identical to the one Lu Shi’en was wearing, and said with a tone full of pride, “I got it, even my brother and mother couldn’t get one!”
“We dealt with yesterday’s matter last night. Mom and Shi En originally wanted to come watch this band’s competition, so I drove her here,” Lu Shize added, his eyes full of concern. “Zhenzhen, are you hurt?”
"Of course I don't." Lu Shizhen jumped in front of Lu Shize, showing off her healthy body. "Look, I can run and jump."
"Alright, alright." Lu Shize, seeing her concern, stopped her. "No matter what, you can't go out so impulsively. What if that person has a weapon? What if the security guards don't arrive quickly enough? What if..."
Lu Shizhen knew that Lu Shize was about to give her a lecture. She truly understood how terrifying a sister-complex could be, making even a refined scoundrel panic. She quickly said, "I know, brother. I'm just so angry. What he said was so awful."
Then, she thought of Xu Shiyue and worried that Lu Shize would blame Xu Shiyue for her adventure. She explained and tried to clear her name: "I think anyone would have done the same. How could anyone bully someone like that?"
“That’s true.” Cheng Meiyan acknowledged Lu Shizhen’s sense of justice, but she also shared Lu Shize’s concern. “Zhenzhen, next time you go out, you need to remember to bring two bodyguards. How can one bodyguard protect you and Shiyue at the same time?”
"I understand, Mom," Lu Shizhen nodded and assured her.
The dim backstage lighting illuminated her vision, perfectly capturing the three people standing in front of her.
She chatted and laughed with them; the busy backstage area was cool with the autumn air, but she felt a warmth she couldn't quite describe.
This is what family is like.
As the group was chatting, the music on stage suddenly stopped.
After Lu Shizhen's school orchestra finished their performance, Xu Shiyue, as the principal, was the first to leave the stage.
Cheng Meiyan had better eyesight than Lu Shizhen. She noticed Xu Shiyue coming off the stage from afar, quickly walked over, and said, "Shiyue!"
Xu Shiyue was somewhat surprised: "Auntie."
"We've come to watch your performance." Cheng Meiyan's face was full of smiles. "You did a really good job. Auntie was completely engrossed."
Xu Shiyue said modestly, "Thank you, Auntie."
"Auntie sees you're in great spirits today, so it seems yesterday's events didn't affect you," Cheng Meiyan said.
"Hmm." Xu Shiyue nodded, her gaze falling on Lu Shizhen beside her. "Lu Shizhen's appearance was very timely."
Hearing this, Cheng Meiyan couldn't help but glance at Lu Shizhen with a sense of relief.
She reached out and gently tidied Xu Shiyue's long hair by the side of her face, then remarked meaningfully, "That's nice."
However, Lu Shi'en didn't really like these tender moments between her mother and Xu Shiyue. She raised her camera and tripod and said to Lu Shizhen, who was looking at Xu Shiyue, "Sister, sister, let's take a group photo!"
Lu Shizhen was somewhat surprised. She had never had such an experience before, and taking photos in such a place was a very unfamiliar thing to her.
However, she still stood in the middle position under Cheng Meiyan's arrangement. Then, after Cheng Meiyan adjusted the camera countdown, Xu Shiyue was also arranged to stand next to her.
Their bare wrists unexpectedly touched, then abruptly separated.
A brief yet distinct warmth.
"5, 4, 3..."
The camera's countdown light flashed in Lu Shizhen's sight, surrounded by noise.
She smelled the scent wafting in the wind, exactly the same as the coat she was wearing; felt the warmth of Lu Shi'en's arm around hers; and heard the shadow cast by Lu Shize standing behind her. Suddenly, she felt an unprecedented sense of belonging.
In this unfamiliar world, which she only considered a temporary stopover.
"2, 1..."
The countdown flashing stopped abruptly, and a white light flashed in Lu Shizhen's eyes with a crack.
The hum of electricity cut through the brief, rapid incandescence and formed the main system's notification sound in her ears.
[The system has detected that the host has damaged the protagonist's bond, and no remedial action has been taken within twelve hours. The main system will punish the host before November 30th.]
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