Chapter 163: The Performance Begins
By the time Yan Guanglei arrived at Mingde, the sky was already completely dark.
In winter, the sun sets early to begin with, and he had arrived later than usual. When he reached the school gate, most of the invited guests seemed to have already entered the venue—he barely saw any others outside.
There were, however, two guests who had just gotten out of their car, chatting as they were led toward the venue.
Yan Guanglei glanced at them from afar and had originally intended to go over and greet them, but after recognizing them as representatives of two companies he didn’t get along with, he gave up the idea.
Those two also noticed him. Perhaps it was just his imagination, but it seemed like they were pointing at him and whispering.
Yan Guanglei felt a bit annoyed. He even considered whether he should stir up some scandals the next time their artists released new updates, when a young person approached him.
“Are you Mr. Yan Guanglei?” the person asked.
“I am.” Yan Guanglei guessed this was part of the reception staff. He gave her a quick look—her appearance was decent enough, but her eyebrows were too sharp. What kind of woman had sword-like brows? It made her look rather fierce.
“Your seat is inside. The lighting in the venue has already been switched to performance mode, so it might be inconvenient for you to find your seat. I’ll take you there,” Bao Rujian said politely.
Yan Guanglei immediately felt that Mingde was quite considerate. He nodded slightly. “Then lead the way.”
Just as Bao Rujian had said, the lights inside the venue were already dimmed, with only the stage brightly illuminated.
Although Yan Guanglei was long past the age of feeling embarrassed about being “late,” the thought that almost everyone else had already arrived still made him feel a bit awkward.
“By the way, do you know where Mr. Jiang Youwei is seated?” Yan Guanglei asked casually.
Walking ahead, Bao Rujian replied without turning back, “Mr. Jiang’s seat is on the right side of the front row. I’m not sure of the exact seat number. You may check during intermission or after the performance.”
Yan Guanglei was a little dissatisfied, but since she was just a minor usher, he didn’t pursue it further.
After taking his seat and watching Bao Rujian leave, he looked around, using the stage lights to observe the surrounding guests. He realized he didn’t recognize many of them.
That made him even more uncomfortable. Mingde’s seating arrangement was really unreasonable.
But with everyone already seated and no empty spots in the front row, he could only stay put.
Backstage, Gu Qinghuan crouched beside the speakers, sneakily watching Yan Guanglei take his seat.
Bao Qingsong was squatting next to her, excited. “My sister was the one who escorted him over! Hahaha!”
“Isn’t your sister in economic investigation? Shouldn’t this kind of situation usually be handled by criminal police?” Gu Qinghuan asked curiously.
“I don’t know either,” Bao Qingsong scratched his head. “She said she just had a feeling she needed to send him over, so she applied for it. Since it was just escorting him to his seat, it didn’t have much impact, so they approved it.”
Gu Qinghuan let out an “oh,” then said eagerly, “When everyone starts moving later, if Yan Guanglei realizes he’s surrounded by police, do you think he’ll faint from shock?”
“Not necessarily,” Bao Qingsong said. “In TV dramas, when villains get caught, don’t they always say things like ‘What does this mean?’ or ‘Where’s your evidence?’ Or ‘I’ll remain silent until my lawyer arrives’?”
“We have solid evidence—we don’t need his testimony,” Gu Qinghuan waved her hand. “Just arrest him!”
At that moment, the host was delivering the introduction. The next performance was originally Ye Weiyu’s group—but now, it had become Ning Fu’s.
As the introduction ended, the lights dimmed, and the second performance officially began.
Through the shadows, two staff members carried a folding screen onto the stage and placed it at the center back.
Jiang Chuchu was the first to step onstage, holding an inkstone in one hand and a brush in the other, standing before the screen.
As the music’s prelude began, four backup dancers entered from both sides, their steps light and graceful. Amid the drifting fog created by dry ice, Ning Fu stepped onto the stage.
In contrast to Jiang Chuchu and the others in traditional costumes, Ning Fu’s outfit incorporated some traditional elements but was still modern in design. At first glance, it seemed out of place with the stage atmosphere—but the moment she began to sing, the audience’s impression completely changed.
If the livestream comments had sound, the room would have been deafening.
[Oh my god, I thought Ning Fu didn’t have time to prepare a costume and had no choice but to dress like this—but this effect?!]
[This song is meant to reflect on the past from a modern perspective. Dressing like this actually makes sense.]
[Wait, you’re expressing the weight of history so effortlessly?!]
[So powerful—it feels like walking through a museum, listening to a guide explain the history of artifacts. That collision between old and new is incredible!]
[Watching Jiang Chuchu wield the brush is so satisfying too—there’s such a scholarly, spirited vibe!]
[Her hand is so steady—even holding the inkstone like that. Did she practice calligraphy with sandbags tied to her arms as a kid?]
Jiang Youwei was grinning from ear to ear. If he weren’t worried about making too much noise, he would’ve already grabbed the people beside him to say, “That’s my daughter.”
When the operatic segment hit midway through the song, the entire audience felt a jolt.
Onstage, Mu Tianxiang clenched her teeth quietly, while Fang Shao pressed her lips together and forced her eyes wide open. Yet neither of their movements faltered.
They had already been amazed during rehearsals—but Ning Fu’s performance on stage was even better.
Having rehearsed with Ye Weiyu for days, they could clearly feel the gap in ability between him and Ning Fu.
Though their emotions were tangled and hard to describe, they focused on their performance.
Ning Fu had delivered a high-quality vocal performance in such a short time. Meanwhile, Su Lin was still in the lounge rehearsing the recitation with Lou Zheng. Everyone wanted the show to end as perfectly as possible—they didn’t want to be the flaw in it.
When the song ended, the singing, dancing, and calligraphy all came together in perfect harmony. Thunderous applause erupted.
As soon as Jiang Chuchu stepped off stage, Yu Xin hurried over to take the inkstone from her hands. “Was it heavy holding that the whole time?”
“It’s fine, just a few minutes,” Jiang Chuchu replied, setting the brush aside and flexing her fingers.
Gu Qinghuan slipped over from behind the speakers. “Great job, Chuchu!”
Jiang Chuchu looked at her. “Why are you still wandering around? The third performance is already starting. Your group’s skit is next, right? Hurry and get ready!”
Gu Qinghuan sheepishly went to find Yue Yi, muttering, “I was just curious about Yan Guanglei’s situation…”
“Qinghuan, good luck with the skit too!” Yu Xin made a cheering gesture.
“No problem!” Gu Qinghuan smiled brightly. “Our performance will be amazing too!”
Meanwhile, sitting in the audience, Yan Guanglei was already thinking about recruiting talent.
He hadn’t paid much attention to the content of “Walking with Light.” Jinding had too many matters to handle—how could he spend so much time watching it daily? Let alone today’s livestream.
Compared to a variety show cooperating with the authorities and offering little profit, his earlier conversation with Xia He was far more valuable.
But he hadn’t expected to discover such a promising singer in the program.
Even without recognizing the people around him, he couldn’t help but remark, “That girl just now sang really well, don’t you think?”
The person beside him smiled faintly. “Indeed. But surely, Mr. Yan isn’t thinking of signing her?”
“What do you mean ‘surely’?” The wording irritated Yan Guanglei. With a forced smile, he replied, “What, are you interested too?”
The other person’s smile deepened. “I wouldn’t dare. If you have the confidence, Mr. Yan, feel free to give it a try.”
The word “dare” carried a deeper meaning. Thinking of the backgrounds of Mingde’s students, Yan Guanglei fell silent.
That girl might have quite the powerful background. He’d better investigate first before making any moves.
