Chapter 35
In the dimly lit space, the neon lights, like shattered rainbows, swept wildly with the heavy bass beats, the deafening drumbeats penetrating the veins and making the air feel hot.
As soon as Jiang Wanwan stepped into the livehouse, she was enveloped by the enthusiastic atmosphere. Her tense nerves relaxed involuntarily, and she swayed her body gently to the music, even tapping her fingertips to the beat.
Suddenly, the stage lights dimmed, leaving only a spotlight piercing the darkness.
Kuang Ye, dressed in a black leather jacket and sunglasses perched on his nose, stood tall in the light, his neat movements carrying a hint of arrogance, igniting the entire audience as soon as he appeared.
"Kuang Ye!" "Ahhh, Kuang Ye, I'm here!" The crowd erupted instantly, the screams of the fans almost lifting the roof off, many holding up light sticks, their eyes shining with fervor.
Kuang Ye held the microphone in one hand, a wicked smile playing on his lips, and his voice carried throughout the venue through the speakers: "Thank you everyone, I am Kuang Ye."
After speaking, he raised his left hand high, his slender fingers making a cool gesture, and the cheers from the audience soared to the sky, pushing the atmosphere to a climax.
"The following song is written for my beloved grandmother."
He took off his sunglasses, and the arrogance in his eyes faded, leaving only seriousness and gentleness.
The melody flows gently, unlike the explosive rap of the past. This song carries the tender and gentle feelings of a Jiangnan folk song, and the lyrics are full of love and gratitude for the grandmother.
As Jiang Wanwan gazed at the figure on the stage and listened to the delicate singing, tears welled up in her eyes.
But the next second, the rhythm suddenly sped up, the gentle melody instantly switched to fast-paced rap, the drumbeats were so dense they sounded like heartbeats, and the audience below the stage instantly went wild, raising their arms and swaying wildly to the music.
"Thump—thump—" The drumbeats struck her heart, and Jiang Wanwan's heart began to beat faster.
In this unfamiliar revelry, she felt an unprecedented sense of ease, as if all her stress and worries had been washed away by the deafening music.
After the song ended, Kuang Ye began to interact with the audience. He held a playing card in his mouth, his eyes alluring, which elicited screams from the female fans in the audience.
His gaze had long been fixed on Jiang Wanwan in the crowd. He tilted his head and raised an eyebrow in her direction, then stepped off the stage and slowly bent down in front of her, his eyes crinkling with a hint of cunning.
When Jiang Wanwan met his seemingly silky eyes, her heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively clenched the hem of her clothes.
All eyes were on her.
Everyone knows that Kuang Ye never engages in such close interactions, so his actions today are undoubtedly an exception.
Kuang Ye's meaning was quite clear: he wanted her to catch the playing cards with her mouth.
His heart was pounding wildly. In the past, his teammates had advised him to build popularity through interaction, but he had always been dismissive. However, when he saw Jiang Wanwan tonight, he just wanted to get closer and break down the faint barrier between them.
Jiang Wanwan's face instantly turned bright red, even her ears turned pink, and she stood stiffly in place.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, she couldn't bring herself to do anything so intimate, so she could only reach out and try to quietly take the cards.
Before his fingertips could even touch the edge of the card, his wrist was suddenly gripped by a warm hand.
"What...what are you doing?" Jiang Wanwan's breath hitched, her eyes filled with panic, and her cheeks were burning hot.
Looking at her innocent appearance, Kuang Ye couldn't help but chuckle softly, taking her hand and gently pressing it against his cheek.
"Sister, you're so good." As soon as the words were spoken, the playing card gently fell to the ground, but no one paid any attention at the moment.
All eyes were fixed on the two people's hands touching.
The warm touch from her palm made Jiang Wanwan feel as if she had been burned. She tried to pull her hand back, but Kuang Ye held it firmly.
The next second, he took her hand, lowered his head and gently placed a kiss on the back of her hand, tender yet with a touch of domineering.
"Holy crap! Kuang Ye is so good at this!" "I'm so jealous! I want to be that girl!" "They're such a perfect match! I'm shipping them now!"
The screams of the fans rose and fell, and Jiang Wanwan felt dizzy, as if she had been drinking. She was in a slightly tipsy state and did not fully recover until the end of the performance.
As soon as the performance ended, Kuang Ye pulled Jiang Wanwan backstage and went straight into the preparation room.
"Sister, I'm so happy you could come." He grinned, revealing his white teeth, his eyes sparkling like they held stars.
Jiang Wanwan finally snapped out of her reverie, steadied herself, and praised with a smile, "Your performance was so exciting, amazing!"
"So, do you like it?" Kuang Ye asked casually, but his eyes were fixed on her, not missing a single expression on her face.
Jiang Wanwan nodded earnestly: "I like it. Listening to your songs makes all my worries disappear."
Upon hearing this, Kuang Ye burst into laughter, his eyebrows relaxed, and the light in his eyes shone even brighter than the stage lights.
Looking at his smile, Jiang Wanwan's lips unconsciously turned up as well, and she felt a warm feeling in her heart.
Just then, the door to the preparation room was pushed open, and three young people walked in. There were two boys and one girl, and they all looked to be in their early twenties.
"Hey, Ye-ge, hiding here on a date with a pretty girl?" the curly-haired guy said first, his tone full of teasing.
The boy carrying the guitar joked, "No wonder he interacted with the audience tonight for the first time; it turns out he had a sweetheart there."
Kuang Ye picked up a tissue box from the table and threw it at them, pretending to be angry: "Don't talk nonsense, what if you scare them!"
Tao Tao, the only girl in the band, instantly darkened her expression. She was the band's drummer, and as she fiddled with the drumsticks, her eyes scrutinized Jiang Wanwan.
She knew Kuang Ye too well; the way he protected this girl meant she held a very special place in his heart.
Jiang Wanwan had long heard that Kuang Ye had a band, and he supported almost all of the band's expenses. He had worked hard to perform and earn money to support the band.
Upon seeing his teammates, she greeted them with a smile: "Hello, I'm Kuang Ye's sister..."
She was two years older than Kuang Ye, and Kuang Ye always called her "sister." She subconsciously wanted to introduce her that way, but Kuang Ye interrupted her as soon as she said "sister."
"She's my friend," Kuang Ye explained with a smile, but his eyes subtly gave his teammates a warning look, signaling them not to say anything inappropriate.
The curly-haired boy instantly understood, winking, "Oh~ so you're good friends, I get it, I get it."
"Nice to meet you," the boy carrying the guitar replied politely, his attitude gentle.
Tao Tao simply nodded indifferently, turned around and walked out. The door slammed shut with a loud bang, startling Jiang Wanwan.
"What...what happened to her?" Jiang Wanwan asked, somewhat bewildered.
Kuang Ye remained calm and said casually, "Never mind her, that's just her personality."
Jiang Wanwan glanced at the time; it was already late. Not knowing the relationship between them, she decided to say goodbye: "It's getting late, you should all get some rest. I'll head back now."
But Kuang Ye suddenly picked up his coat and put it on, saying to his two remaining teammates, "I'm leaving this to you guys, I'm leaving now."
His teammates immediately handed him his phone; they always collect all their phones before going on the field.
"Don't worry, you and the girl have a good time." Curly-haired guy teased with a wink.
Kuang Ye took the phone, waved his hand, and pulled Jiang Wanwan outside.
"No need to see me off, I can go back by myself, it's not far from the hotel." Jiang Wanwan quickly waved her hand, not wanting to trouble him.
Kuang Ye didn't say anything, but just pulled her along and continued walking forward.
The night wind was chilly, and Jiang Wanwan couldn't help but shiver. Seeing this, Kuang Ye immediately took off his coat and draped it over her shoulders, warming her with his own body heat.
"No need, I'll be there soon." Jiang Wanwan wanted to return his coat to him.
Kuang Ye raised an eyebrow, a roguish glint in his eyes: "Who said I was going to take you home?"
Jiang Wanwan was stunned, her eyes widening as she asked, "Then where are you going?"
“It’s not me, it’s us.” Kuang Ye turned to look at her, his eyes sparkling with excitement, like a child hiding a secret.
"What, are you afraid I'll sell you off, sister?" He stopped and deliberately raised an eyebrow at her, his tone slightly provocative.
Jiang Wanwan saw through his thoughts and smiled helplessly: "What are you afraid of? Let's go, where to?"
Kuang Ye immediately beamed and grabbed her hand: "Come with me, I'll show you something amazing, I guarantee you've never seen anything like it before!"
Jiang Wanwan followed him with some skepticism until they reached a small grove of trees, where she stopped and hesitantly asked, "You're not going to... stay here..."
Before he could finish speaking, Kuang Ye interrupted him.
He sighed and rubbed his forehead, brushing the stray hairs away from his forehead: "What are you thinking about? I brought you to see fireflies. You can't see them in the city at all, only here."
Nowadays, with city lights shining brightly, fireflies have long become a rarity, and can only be seen occasionally in the remote suburbs.
Jiang Wanwan felt a little embarrassed and was about to apologize when she saw Kuang Ye make a "shh" gesture at her.
“Look, over there.” He lowered his voice and pointed to the bushes not far away.
Jiang Wanwan looked in the direction he pointed and saw tiny yellow lights dancing among the grass. It wasn't just one or two, but swarms of fireflies, gathered together like a galaxy fallen to earth, breathtakingly beautiful.
"So beautiful..." Jiang Wanwan sighed softly. In the quiet night, looking at the fireflies filling the sky, she felt much lighter.
She gazed intently at the dancing fireflies, unaware that Kuang Ye's gaze remained fixed on her face. After a long while, he murmured softly, "Indeed, very beautiful."
He had seen fireflies countless times before, and the initial amazement was long gone. But looking at the woman beside him now, he felt that she was more dazzling than a sky full of fireflies.
The surroundings were quiet, with the occasional chirping of insects, and he could almost hear his own heart pounding.
The moonlight shone on the forest path, casting long shadows of the two people.
Back at the hotel, Jiang Wanwan lay on the bed, her mind replaying everything from the night before: the electrifying music in the livehouse, Kuang Ye's gentle smile, the fireflies filling the forest, and the undisguised light in his eyes…
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