Do newcomers dare to be this arrogant these days?
Zheng Nan was furious. I thought she’d just obey and go upstairs for a shower, but who knew she’d be so unyielding?
In that case... I, the great star, won’t be polite anymore!
The slap was incredibly forceful. Blood trickled from the corner of Lu Feiyan’s mouth, and five bright red finger marks appeared on her cheek.
HISS!
It was painful.
However, Lu Feiyan did not submit. She stared at Zheng Nan in silence. Her gaze was cold, devoid of a single shred of emotion, yet filled with anger and frustration.
When she first met with the representatives from Jinhai Records, they had promised her all sorts of special treatment and privileges, making her believe the company was completely sincere. The contract had seemed fine, too.
How could a problem like this crop up the moment she signed it? Was Zheng Nan actually threatening her with her debut, telling her she couldn’t go on stage unless she slept with him?
"Aren’t you going to get in that room and clean yourself up?" Zheng Nan urged her.
This slap should teach her how to behave and how to make the right choice, he thought.
"You’re delusional!" Lu Feiyan gritted her teeth, each word ringing with force. "Even if I don’t perform today, I will never let you get what you want!"
"Oh?" Zheng Nan said, unfazed.
"You must realize that defying the company’s arrangements and deliberately forfeiting your debut ceremony..." Zheng Nan began, his voice smooth and unhurried. "You’ll be facing a lawsuit!"
"This company isn’t your personal property! You can’t just do whatever you want!"
"If you miss today’s debut ceremony, you’ll receive a letter from a lawyer tomorrow. You need to understand, the breach of contract penalty is enough to ensure you’ll never get back on your feet!"
Lu Feiyan’s brow furrowed deeply. After a pause, she argued, "You’re the one preventing me from performing normally!"
"Who knows that? Who’s your witness?" Zheng Nan shrugged.
Lu Feiyan was speechless.
"This is outright bullying!"
"That’s right." Zheng Nan nodded, making no effort to hide it. "I am bullying you. So what? You dare to resist? A single claim for breach of contract will ensure you never get back on your feet!"
"If that day ever comes..." Lu Feiyan hung her head, murmuring to herself, "then I would rather die. Die with my dignity intact. After all, death cancels all debts."
A faint, resolute smile touched Lu Feiyan’s lips. Then she gathered her guitar and personal belongings, preparing to leave.
Now, both Bai Tao and Zheng Nan were stunned. They had never expected to encounter someone so difficult—someone who couldn’t be swayed by threats or temptations.
Zheng Nan sputtered, "You!" For a moment, he didn’t know how to handle her.
"Let me pass," Lu Feiyan said coldly.
"Feiyan, Feiyan, don’t be impulsive. This is a rare opportunity. Are you really willing to give it up?" Bai Tao jumped in, playing the peacemaker and trying his best to talk her down.
Lu Feiyan sneered. "And you think you’re some kind of saint? Stop pretending to be the good guy. Put away that ugly facade; you’re even more disgusting than he is!"
BANG!
Lu Feiyan kicked open the door to the dressing room and strode out confidently, leaving them in her wake.
Zheng Nan and Bai Tao were left speechless.
"DAMN IT!" Zheng Nan seethed with humiliation. He couldn’t believe Lu Feiyan was so damn stubborn, willing to face a massive penalty rather than submit.
"What do we do now?" Bai Tao asked impatiently. The debut event was missing its newcomer... This was a disaster.
"What’s there to panic about? As long as I’m here to hold down the fort, nothing will go wrong!"
Outside the commercial building, a wave of fresh air greeted her. Lu Feiyan took a deep breath, her mood gradually lightening. Since her teens, she had made a promise to herself: in this life, only one person was ever allowed to touch her. Even if he had left, disappeared, and abandoned her. No one but him could ever hope to touch her.
She sat alone on the steps, zoning out for an hour. After using a powder puff to cover the mark on her face, she decided to go for a walk.
Just as she got to her feet, clutching her guitar in one hand, Lu Feiyan’s eyes went wide. She stared in surprised delight at a familiar face and figure not far away.
"Why are you out here?" Shen Fanyun asked, puzzled.
Lu Feiyan ignored him. Still clutching her guitar, she walked in the direction opposite the venue.
Shen Fanyun sighed helplessly and followed behind her. The young woman clearly had something on her mind, a simmering resentment perhaps. She kicked pebbles along the path with a resounding clatter. Luckily, the road was empty; it would have been trouble if she had hit someone.
"I’m not performing anymore, and I don’t plan on debuting," Lu Feiyan muttered to herself as she walked. "It’s pointless. It’s no fun." She kept a steady distance from Shen Fanyun, but remained just close enough for him to hear her clearly.
Shen Fanyun nodded. "If you don’t want to debut, then don’t."
"But I really want to do something meaningful... I want to use my singing to give ordinary people strength and something to lean on!"
Lu Feiyan turned, her gaze fixed on Shen Fanyun. "Did you come to see my debut performance tonight?"
Shen Fanyun hummed in affirmation.
"Sorry to disappoint you."
Her tone was finally not so cold toward him.
Shen Fanyun smiled. "It’s fine. There will be other opportunities."
They walked to the city moat and stopped beside an arched bridge. A comfortable breeze blew, and they were completely alone.
"How about I sing a song just for you?" Lu Feiyan suggested.
Shen Fanyun found a step and sat down. "Sure."
After a long pause, Lu Feiyan cleared her throat. She sat on the high steps, her eyes reflecting the water of the moat below. Her face, a shifting canvas of light and shadow, was hard to read.
"White moonlight, somewhere in my heart. So bright, yet so desolate."
"White moonlight, you shine to the ends of the earth."
"I can’t wipe away the tears in your eyes back then. The road is too long; I can no longer chase down forgiveness."
Her voice was clear and cold, as if it carried a sorrowful, unforgettable past. The tale that unfolded in her song stirred an unexpected and growing sadness in the listener.
Shen Fanyun’s heart quivered violently and clenched, seeming to skip a beat.
"I want to forget, but I can’t help looking back. Like an exile, stumbling all the way... hmmm..."
As Lu Feiyan strummed the guitar strings, tears were already streaming down her face, though she hadn’t noticed when they started.
The song was so much like their past. He was, without a doubt, her white moonlight. But in their youth, hadn’t she been his as well?
The tear streaks washed away the powder on her cheek, revealing five bright red finger marks.
Shen Fanyun shot to his feet and wrapped his arms around the seated Lu Feiyan. "Your face... What happened?"
"I’m fine." Lu Feiyan tried to push him away. After all, she still hadn’t forgiven him for suddenly leaving all those years ago, for vanishing from the face of the earth. But his embrace... it’s so, so warm.
"Did someone bully you?" Shen Fanyun pressed.
Lu Feiyan was silent. After a long while, she mumbled, "It doesn’t hurt anymore."
"Really, it’s nothing."
Ultimately, this affair had huge implications. If I make a big deal out of it, will I draw the ire of Jinhai Records and, in turn, affect Shen Fanyun? Besides, it’s over now. As for what to do next... I haven’t figured it out yet. In any case, I can’t drag Shen Fanyun into this.