Chapter 189 Handshake
"...Eight lanterns, like the Eight Immortals crossing the sea. Nine lanterns, like the Ten Dragons coiling around the Pillars. Perfect and complete!"
On the stage, as the last line of "Couple Watching Lanterns" rang out, Ren Limeng, who had been solemnly waiting in the dark, finally relaxed a little. Suddenly, she felt a steady and warm force gently pulling her right hand.
Ren Limeng was suddenly startled, and she subconsciously turned her head slightly - next to her was Shen Xingzhi standing tall.
Ren Limeng suddenly realized that Shen Xingzhi had just gently grasped her right hand, and his large palm, which had been silent all the time, silently grasped her entire hand in his palm, like a small heart that was tightly wrapped in an instant.
The festive and cheerful last tune of "Couple Watching Lanterns" rang in her ears. The audience's focus was on the Huangmei Opera in the brightest part of the stage, but Ren Limeng could not help but turn her attention to her stage partner.
Suddenly, Ren Limeng remembered that after she and Shen Xingzhi finished the planned plot, they didn't let go of each other!
After the Huangmei Opera "Couple Watching Lanterns" is over, Ren Limeng will walk towards Chen Xi, and Chen Xingzhi will turn to Guan He. They will both face their past selves, sticking to the performance theme of "Life in Time" and completing the final chorus.
Even though Ren Limeng and Shen Xingzhi play a couple in the current plot, there is no need for them to continue holding hands at this moment. Their partner performance in the previous stage ended when the camera focused on the stage.
All they have to do now is face their past selves.
Sure enough, she was still too nervous on the live stage.
Ren Limeng lowered her eyes slightly, looking at the hands quietly clasping each other in the dimness, and sighed softly in her heart, but for some reason she did not let go immediately.
Feeling the warm power coming from the warm palm, silent and steady, as if it could drive away all the tension brought by the live broadcast and the unknown, Ren Limeng slowly raised her head and met Shen Xingzhi's deep eyes that seemed to melt ice and snow. His soft eyebrows and eyes seemed to be particularly bright and gentle in the darkness just as when the camera focused, with a sense of security that made people sink into it.
This kind of reassuring power is very familiar, but she has long been accustomed to giving it to herself when holding the microphone over the years.
Ren Limeng suddenly recalled the first time she and Shen Xingzhi co-hosted the show.
That was the freshman party of the Communication University. It was the first time that I, a sophomore, hosted a large-scale school party. It was also the freshman party, the party where I fell in love with Shen Xingzhi at first sight. On the night of the official hosting, every time I looked at Shen Xingzhi on the stage, Ren Limeng couldn't help but feel her heart beating faster.
She could only tightly grip the microphone in her hand, using the hard and cold touch to remind herself of the occasion.
During the performance, she and Shen Xingzhi stood on the side of the stage. Shen Xingzhi also looked at her with such deep eyes and comforted her softly, "Junior sister, don't be nervous, I'm here, don't worry, I'll handle any problems, you just need to perform normally."
Senior Xingzhi was gentle at that time, but that gentleness was wrapped in the cold temperament that kept emanating from his body. The gentleness he showed was just to comfort his unfamiliar partner and successfully complete the hosting of the evening party. At this moment, Ren Limeng suddenly realized that all the clouds and mists in this familiar pair of deep eyes had quietly changed.
At this moment, even though Chen Xingzhi didn't say a word on the stage, in the dim light, Ren Limeng could already feel the pervasive "I am here" just by looking at his slightly tilted head.
She was relieved.
The smile on Ren Limeng's lips unconsciously deepened. She suddenly held Shen Xingzhi's hand quietly, and used her slender index finger to gently draw a long stroke on Shen Xingzhi's soft palm as if in a playful manner.
Under the camera, it was as if the hands she and Shen Xingzhi secretly clasped together were just a continuation of the stage performance. No one would be able to see all the secrets buried in their palms, with the tenderness of the passing of time.
Shen Xingzhi's palm trembled very quickly, and the hand he was holding around Ren Limeng tightened unconsciously.
Chen Xingzhi's eyes grew darker, and he tilted his head slightly. Just as he was about to question Ren Limeng's actions with his eyes, Ren Limeng had already let go of her hand with a smile, and walked slowly towards Chen Xi step by step to the rhythm of the song "Time and Life". Her steps were so steady and peaceful that she seemed to be unaffected by anything, as if the warm touch just now was all Chen Xingzhi's own imagination.
Until everything went smoothly and the stage finally ended, as Wu Yue's hosting voice welcoming Team Shen Xing sounded, Ren Limeng looked at her teammates and finally revealed the most sincere smile of joy.
Chen Xi did not make any mistakes in this performance. He finally overcame his vocal problems and demonstrated his professional level as a singer.
This performance was a close call.
Ren Limeng noticed the amusement that flashed across Chen Xi's face when they looked at each other. Besides being happy, there was also a sense of pride that "you can't use me as a springboard". She smiled lightly, without any disappointment or regret.
Compared to having to save the teammate's mistake, Ren Limeng prefers the second public performance stage at this moment.
They all tried their best to perform to the best of their ability and successfully introduced a great opera - Huangmei Opera - to all the audience watching the show.
The performances of the five guest teams have all ended, and the host Wu Yue returned to the waiting hall after completing the voting process.
"First of all, congratulations to everyone on successfully completing the second public performance! Everyone's performance was great, thank you for your hard work!"
As soon as Wu Yue entered the room and stood on the small stage in the waiting hall, she immediately expressed her congratulations and respect to all the guests. As the crowd applauded unanimously and enthusiastically, Ren Limeng couldn't help but look quietly to both sides. The first public performance had ended the live broadcast at this stage, but at this moment the number of camera lenses on the scene had not decreased at all.
"Today's second public broadcast isn't over yet. Dear guests and friends, let's say hello to our audience again! Thanks to the overwhelming enthusiasm in the livestream, today's livestream has already reached its highest point of the year on the Orange platform. Just now, the production team improvised a discussion thread on Weibo about the show "Twenty Changes of Mountains and Seas." While we await the results, the production team has entrusted me to raise a few of the most pressing questions on the trending searches."
Noticing the guests' simultaneous glances, Wu Yue directly answered everyone's doubts. After explaining with a smile, he raised his left hand and pointed to the camera facing the guest seats, quietly reminding all the guests to overcome the fatigue of performing and long-term recording, and stand their last shift at this moment.
This hotly searched question segment was indeed added temporarily to the live broadcast, at least she had no idea about it.
Ren Limeng's originally straight body sat up straighter in an instant. She didn't know if it was her illusion or some tacit understanding between the hosts, but she always felt that Wu Yue looked at her more when he looked at her, as if it was some kind of deliberate hint.
"Brother Xingzhi, let me ask, as the captain who won first place in the collaborative show, everyone is curious, what do you think of your team's performance tonight? Can you take first place among the five teams again?"
Wu Yue first walked to Chen He and asked him about his feelings about working with Hong Qingli, then he suddenly smiled and walked towards Shen Xingzhi.
"I'm very satisfied with our team's performance. We incorporated a segment from the Huangmei Opera 'Couple Watching Lanterns' this time. I hope everyone enjoys it. As for our ranking..."
Shen Xingzhi smiled lightly, and curled the corners of his mouth slightly. As Shen Xingzhi paused in his words, Wu Yue, who was holding the phone, immediately noticed that the live broadcast room had become extremely lively at this moment, and the barrage of comments on the screen completely overwhelmed him.
Wu Yue couldn’t help but look up at Shen Xingzhi, hoping that he would say a few more words.
"Everyone can wait and see."
Shen Xingzhi looked at Wu Yue seriously, as if he didn't realize that he had said something completely useless. Wu Yue's smile did not change, and he continued without giving up, "Brother Xingzhi, do you have a predicted ranking result in your mind now? Can you tell us so that everyone can hear it? Look at the enthusiasm in the live broadcast room now, the audience friends are all paying attention to your thoughts!"
Wu Yue raised his phone to face Chen Xingzhi, clearly showing Chen Xingzhi, and his smiling eyes also looked at Chen Xingzhi secretly with some expectation.
"Our team's ranking depends on whether the audience really pays attention to our team."
Shen Xingzhi's smile deepened as he looked back at Wu Yue. It was clearly another Tai Chi answer, but from his cold and indifferent expression, it was said with some sincerity and humor. The popularity of the live broadcast room reached its hourly peak.
Wu Yue really wanted to continue questioning Shen Xingzhi and ask him to say a few more words, but the host's keen observation allowed him to see the warning behind Shen Xingzhi's smile. In the end, he did not insist on attacking Shen Xingzhi anymore, but turned to look at Team Yan Baiwei next to Shen Xingzhi.
"Then it seems we'll have to wait and see. Bai Wei, how about your team?"
"Brother Yue, you can't get an answer from Brother Xingzhi. You're not trying to embarrass a little girl like me, are you? Do you want me to offend everyone? Otherwise, don't ask us anymore. Who do you predict will come first among our five teams?"
Yan Baiwei blinked with a smile, complained in a somewhat coquettish manner, and then quickly and readily pushed the problem to Wu Yue, as if she was just speaking her mind in front of the camera.
"Bai Wei...you, really...it's all because the audience is too curious, and you're forcing me to be the 'bad guy'! Okay, okay, I'll change the question..."
Wu Yue smiled helplessly, as if his rhythm had been momentarily disrupted by Yan Baiwei's straightforwardness, but he quickly recovered and asked, "What do you think is the most heatedly discussed issue right now?"
"Of course they're CP-shipping! 'Hai Yan He Qing', 'Ren Wo Xing' and our own 'Lost' CP, each one is better than the other!"
Yan Baiwei suddenly changed the subject and smiled as she put her arm around Li Qingzi beside her. "Of course, Qingzi and I's 'pure and innocent' is also very good! Everyone is welcome to invest, it's worth it!"
"Bai Wei...you're just bragging! You've made even my beauty embarrassed!"
Wu Yue finished his joke with a smile, then suddenly continued, "But, Bai Wei, you guessed right. The number one trending search right now... is actually related to one of those couples you mentioned!"
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