The stage lights went out again, and instantly, the playground erupted with deafening applause, cheers, and also the excited sharing of students overwhelmed by the stunning performance.
"They’re so beautiful, like they’ve traveled here from ancient times!"
"Does anyone know the tallest girl’s QQ? I’d trade it for a bucket of old crock sour cabbage beef noodles!"
"What was the name of that song just now? It’s quite nice."
"I don’t know, I’ve never heard it before."
"Didn’t the host just say it was their original song? It seemed to be called something like ’window’..."
Xu Qingfan was the first to return backstage, and as they descended the red fabric stairs bathed in light, he lifted his camera and madly captured the moment.
The flash of the camera was somewhat dazzling on their faces, Lin Wanning instinctively raised her arm to block the light, while her other hand held up her skirt, rushing towards him eagerly.
The jeweled hairpins in her hair clinked crisply as she ran, the girl excitedly grabbed the pockets of his winter school uniform, tilting her head back slightly to look up at him, Lin Wanning didn’t speak, just grinned incessantly at him.
This scene was like Zhao Ling’er in "Immortal Sword Heroes," innocently sharing her joy with her carefree Brother on Xianling Island.
Xu Qingfan wanted to pat her head, but the numerous hair ornaments made it difficult to do so. Thus, he put down the camera hanging around his neck and instead stretched out his hands to pinch the girl’s rosy cheeks.
Four other girls followed swiftly, quickly surrounding him.
The students backstage, about to perform, regardless of gender, all swallowed enviously at the sight before them, imagining themselves surrounded by beauties as well.
Xu Qingfan withdrew his hands from pinching the girl’s cheeks and picked up his camera again, turning it to video mode and closely panning to each of the girls’ faces, "Smile!" After he spoke, he spun in place, capturing every frame of every face.
"Alright, let’s head back!"
"Okay!" Zhang Yiyi and Lin Wanning each grabbed one of Xu Qingfan’s sleeves, followed by Xia Xiaoxiao, Xiao Ruawen, and Wu Lingyu who clutched the hem of his school uniform, all stars crowning him as they followed him back.
Having just performed on a stage for over two thousand people, despite it being winter, beads of sweat still glistened on the necks of the five girls, their natural youthful fragrance enveloping them, surpassing any perfume in the world.
Wherever they went, they became the center of attention, teachers and students alike lost interest in the ongoing performances on stage, their eyes tracked them as if equipped with trackers; from that moment on, these girls became even more of goddesses in many people’s hearts, and Xu Qingfan gained a new nickname at school and on online forums: Fan Dog!
"Knife in hand, follow me, rob the goddess, kill Fan Dog," became a popular jingle in the school for a time.
When they returned to the area for parents, the adults were generous with their praise, other parents who came to watch the performance also lavished them with flattery.
"Your kids are really amazing, my daughter is fourteen or fifteen, and she says she can’t dance!"
"Exactly, my Hua Gulong just stays home and plays games online the moment vacation starts!"
Fortunately, their children weren’t by their sides; otherwise, seeds of inferiority would be planted in their hearts again. Xu Qingfan laughed and said, "It’s okay, Uncle and Auntie, they’re just in junior high. It’s not too late to learn now. We all learned in interest classes during the holidays, training costs thirty-eight thousand, and instruments were twelve thousand. If you’re interested, leave your phone number, and I’ll discuss it with you in detail when I get back!"
Joking, if they were willing to spend tens of thousands on training fees, their kids wouldn’t be holed up at home playing games during the holidays, as everyone knows such entertainment is the cheapest.
"Ha ha, you’re such a joker, we can’t afford that kind of money," said a parent who was just proudly criticizing their child, their smile freezing on their face.
Xu Qingfan’s comment effectively shut up the busybody parents, some wanted to sarcastically comment why not eat mince, but seeing his lighthearted demeanor, the frustrated parents couldn’t tell if he was being intentional or careless.
Only Zhang Chunxue and the five girls knew Xu Qingfan did it on purpose, giggling behind their hands.
After the annoying parents left, the mothers hugged their daughters and started a round of lavish praise, naturally including Wu Lingyu, hugged by Yao Jiping.
It was nearly nine-thirty when they finished their performance, and after lingering in the audience area for a while, the New Year’s Eve party was also nearing its end.
Worried about the crowd and congestion if they left at the end, they gathered their belongings and trash, and quietly left.
"Little Fan, come here!"
"Xiao Fan, over here!"
"You little rascal, come take a picture for mom."
The mothers were also dressed up for the evening, knowing Xu Qingfan’s dependable photography skills, they took turns directing him to take photos.
The night, under the ambiance of the streetlights, was perfect for photography. A journey that usually took five minutes, took them nearly twenty this time.
Back home, after a quick clean-up, two minivans called by Zhang Chunxue swiftly stopped at the doorstep.
"Let’s go~ Time for a big meal!"
They secured the house’s doors, windows, and electricity, put their little brother in a cat carrier on their backs, leashed Little White at the door, and a large group of them boarded the cars.
Xu Qingfan rolled down the window of the Volvo, the evening breeze hitting his face felt very refreshing.
Normally at this time, he and the five girls would have been ready for bed, but at this moment, they were all lively and didn’t feel a bit tired.