Master Wu was a prominent figure in the classical music world. He had led his orchestra to perform on international stages many times, showcasing exquisite traditional Chinese instruments and spreading Chinese artistic culture. Qi Feng’s joining also allowed more people to learn about the “Essence of Chinese Tradition”.
In the backstage of the 10,000-seat theater, Qi Feng was preparing his instrument and music score. Fang Cheng quietly asked, “Xiao Feng, is that ‘Phoenix Seeking Phoenix’ piece really the one you’ll be playing for Mr. Cheng? I heard that song seems to have other connotations, and I just asked the program team – it seems Mr. Cheng wants to confess to you after you finish playing ‘Phoenix Seeking Phoenix’.
“Xiao Feng, today is being broadcast live. Not only are there over 10,000 people sitting in the theater but there are also hundreds of thousands watching online! You won’t really accept Mr. Cheng’s confession, will you?”
Qi Feng flipped through the music score and said, “As you said, with so many people watching, how could I embarrass Mr. Cheng by rejecting his face.”
Fang Cheng could hardly believe it, anxiously asking, “Then what about Pei Yan? Are you two really…really breaking up like this?”
“Fang Cheng,” Qi Feng looked at him solemnly, “Since you side so much with Pei Yan, why don’t you just go to him? I won’t keep you.”
As expected, they were master and servant in their previous lives. Even without the memories, Fang Cheng still sided with Pei Yan and spoke for him. It really annoyed Qi Feng.
“I–” Fang Cheng was so anxious his face turned red, “Look at you saying things like this again. I’m doing it for Pei Yan, I’m doing it for you! I just don’t understand how you could have fallen for Mr. Cheng. Just because Pei Yan isn’t the president of Donghai Investments anymore? You aren’t that kind of person!”
Qi Feng glanced at the open dressing room door and said, “It has nothing to do with Pei Yan. I admire Mr. Cheng. He is gentle, talented, and capable. Most importantly, he respects me. When has Pei Yan ever respected my wishes?”
Fang Cheng: …Indeed, Pei Yan did seem to always be fierce before. He would get scared every time he saw Pei Yan.
“But Pei Yan will definitely come to the theater to find you today. If he sees Mr. Cheng confess to you, he might flip the entire theater over.”
Qi Feng sneered coldly, “If he causes trouble, the police will take him away. But if he really comes, I’ll accept Mr. Cheng right in front of him and make him give up completely.”
Outside, Cheng Yu had just arrived and overheard Qi Feng and Fang Cheng’s conversation through the partition wall.
He paused in his steps, standing quietly outside listening for a while before knocking on the door with a smile, “Qi Feng, am I disturbing you two?”
“Mr. Cheng,” Qi Feng turned around in surprise when he saw him, seeming a little shy and tongue-tied. “Mr. Cheng, about what I just said…”
“I heard it all. I’m very happy,” Cheng Yu smiled, his eyes bright like stars. “Actually, I’m also quite nervous now.”
Qi Feng clasped his hands together awkwardly, his face flushing red, “Me too…”
Was a confession even necessary now? Weren’t they already professing their feelings to each other!
Fang Cheng stared wide-eyed at the two fidgeting people, feeling extremely irritated.
He kept feeling something was off. How could things have changed so quickly? Pei Yan was just out like this, Xiao Feng really liked Mr. Cheng now?!
As it got closer to performance time, orchestra members came to find Qi Feng for final rehearsals.
Cheng Yu coughed lightly, feigning calm, “Qi Feng, focus on preparing for your performance. I’ll go greet the program team.”
Qi Feng: “Alright, Mr. Cheng, go ahead.”
After leaving the backstage, Cheng Yu walked to an empty hallway and asked his assistant in a low voice, his smiling eyes suddenly cold and gloomy, “Has Pei Yan arrived?”
The assistant’s expression was grave as he quietly replied, “He’s on his way here. But he won’t be able to buy tickets to get in, so he’ll definitely find someone from the program team to let him in. The seats are completely full now, so the program team will only arrange a spot in that area for him.”
The assistant pointed to a corner seat in the highest section of the theater seats, “I heard after the show starts, the access to that seating area will automatically close. Anyone inside won’t be able to get out. With 10,000 people in the audience, no one will pay him any attention if it gets chaotic.”
Cheng Yu: “Make sure there are absolutely no mistakes.”
The assistant nodded. “Understood.”
—-
The orchestra performance began.
The heavy black curtains slowly drew open, revealing the brightly lit stage to the ten thousand pairs of eyes sitting in the magnificent theater.
Rows of musicians sat on the spacious stage. The male musicians wore long Chinese robes in moonlight white, with black clasps and bamboo leaf patterns embroidered on the collars. The female musicians wore red cheongsam dresses with blooming peony flowers embroidered on the collars.
Some hugged pipas and erhus, some sat in front of guqins and guzhengs, some held bamboo flutes and dizis, sheng and hulusi, a row of ancient bronze bianzhongs stood neatly to the left back, and robust drums were placed to the right back. The whole stage was filled with an antique charm and ambiance.
At the very front and center was the lead musician, Qi Feng. The bright stage lights shone on the handsome and elegant face of the boy. The moonlight white knee-length robe outlined his slender figure like a young bamboo. The folded black cuffs were embroidered with an orchid. His long, slender, fair hands hung from the wide sleeves.
After the announcer’s introduction, Master Wu stood facing the audience on the conductor’s podium. The elderly artist slowly waved his arms, and the stage was filled with the low, drawn-out notes of flutes and reeds, gradually pulling the audience into the musical landscape.
As the melodious, languid flute music played on, Qi Feng gradually raised his hands and elegantly placed his slender jade-like fingers on the strings of the guzheng. Head lowered, he began to play, his fingertips gentle yet firm. Amidst the expansive musical atmosphere, the crisp and powerful notes of the zheng startled every member of the audience.
The antique charm of the stage was so beautiful, and the young man playing the zheng in the center seemed to blend into the stage, adding an air of elegance and grace.
Everyone watched the stage mesmerized, listened to the profound melody, and gazed at the lead musician immersed in his performance – Qi Feng. At this moment, as many looked at him, it was difficult to relate him to some idol who became popular by looks and fame. Rather, he was like a noble young master who stepped out of a Chinese painting, a talented musician, an artist of extraordinary skill.
After the first piece ended, the host appeared at the side of the stage and announced the next piece without any fancy rhetoric. Qi Feng switched from the zheng to a moon-shaped yueqin and later to a pipa.
Every performance stirred the audience’s sight and sound, shocking everyone’s heart and changing their perspective of him. It turned out Qi Feng could play so many instruments and excelled at each one.
Below the stage, Cheng Yu’s eyes grew moist. This was the man he had been obsessed with and desperately pursuing. Even if it meant staining his hands with sin, he wanted to possess him.
After the final ensemble ended, the deafening applause continued even as the curtain lowered. After the orchestra performance ended, the program team had specially arranged for Qi Feng to perform a final solo guqin piece – Phoenix Seeking Phoenix.
Hearing the thunderous applause, Cheng Yu tensed his body. The next piece was Qi Feng’s Phoenix Seeking Phoenix he had waited two lifetimes for. When Qi Feng finished playing, it would be time for his confession, and Qi Feng would accept with Pei Yan watching. Of course, it would also be the last time Pei Yan could see Qi Feng.
Cheng Yu clenched his fists and glanced slightly to the upper back of the theater. It was too far to see clearly. But he knew Pei Yan was there.
Behind the curtain, the musicians and staff quickly moved instruments and tidied up the stage. Some brought over a heavy redwood table and stool, setting it at center stage C – Qi Feng’s solo performance position.
Taking advantage of this brief respite, Fang Cheng ran over to massage Qi Feng’s hands, exclaiming excitedly, “Xiao Feng, your performance just now was amazing. It gave me goosebumps. I know you can play many instruments, but I didn’t expect you to perform so wonderfully in front of ten thousand people. How did you do it?”
“I saw the comments in the livestream chatroom. Everyone was screaming, saying how incredible you were. I believe after today, your fans will see you in a new light. Your artist career will also head towards a higher-level musician.”
Qi Feng moved his somewhat tired and sore fingers and calmly asked, “Did Pei Yan come as well?”
“How did you guess he came? He…” Fang Cheng paused and clicked his tongue, “Ah, he didn’t have a ticket, but the program team let him in to a seat because he sponsored them before. That spot was originally used by the lighting crew to switch stage lights during musicals. I guess he just had to see it in person rather than watch it online, probably for your sake.
From his words, one could sense Fang Cheng’s admiration for Pei Yan’s persistence.
“The lighting crew’s spot?” Qi Feng frowned, “It’s at the very top of the audience seats?”
Fang Cheng: “Yes, that spot has the clearest view of the stage. The program team giving him that spot can be considered special treatment already.”
Qi Feng: “He came alone?”
Fang Cheng: “He’s not President Pei anymore; he doesn’t even have a driver, assistant, or secretary with him. Who could he bring along?”
Qi Feng suddenly felt uneasy. Over the past few days, both Pei Yan and Cheng Yu had been using public opinion surrounding him.
He had thought he saw through Pei Yan and Cheng Yu’s overt and covert struggles, which was why he had gradually gotten closer to Cheng Yu, following the direction of public opinion. He had even agreed to play Phoenix Seeking Phoenix for Cheng Yu today.
He only relied on instinct to feel the public opinion was deliberately guided by Pei Yan, in order to deal with Cheng Yu. His instinct also told him Pei Yan would do something today.
But thinking it over, the current situation could also be Cheng Yu using him step-by-step to lure Pei Yan and force him to do something.
If that were the case, the one in danger today would be Pei Yan.
The stage preparation was complete, and hearing sounds from the other side of the curtain, Fang Cheng quickly whispered, “Xiao Feng, the host is starting the introduction. Focus on your solo performance for the finale, I’ll properly celebrate with you after!”
Qi Feng nodded absently, his heart still uneasy.
A few seconds later. The heavy curtains slowly drew open, and as the dazzling stage was revealed to the audience, the majestic multi-tiered auditorium seats also clearly entered Qi Feng’s vision.
Qi Feng looked up towards the top of the audience seats, where there was a protruding separate cubicle – the lighting platform Fang Cheng mentioned.
It was very far from the stage, Qi Feng could only make out a standing figure inside, vaguely resembling Pei Yan.
The cubicle extended out from the theater wall, suspended in midair. From afar, it looked like a steamed bun that could fall at any time.
Qi Feng’s unease grew heavier. Was today’s situation guided by Pei Yan or meticulously arranged by Cheng Yu?
Could Pei Yan have already fallen into Cheng Yu’s trap?
The host cheerfully announced, “Next… we have the lead musician Qi Feng playing for us our millennium masterpiece Phoenix Seeking Phoenix…”
Qi Feng placed his hands on the strings, took a deep breath, and calmed his mind. For now, he could only believe Pei Yan was more cunning than Cheng Yu, and today’s situation was guided by Pei Yan, not Pei Yan falling into Cheng Yu’s snare.
In the VIP seats, Cheng Yu was so tense his palms were sweating, and his heart was racing.
Qi Feng was about to play Phoenix Seeking Phoenix for him. After it ended, he would go on stage to confess. Then, after that, there would be a sudden fire in the lighting area above the stage, causing chaos.
He was only minutes away from realizing his dream across two lifetimes.
“Qi Feng, hurry and play…” He couldn’t help muttering as if to vent the tension in his heart.
On stage, the elegant boy raised his wrists, fingers pressing the strings. Tens of thousands in the theater waited with bated breath for the tender melody from the young man. The vast auditorium was silent enough to hear a pin drop.
Just as the boy’s fingertips plucked the brown strings, a sudden tremendous ‘bang’ exploded overhead. It shocked everyone into panicked screams.
The guqin fell to the ground.
Qi Feng’s hands jerked violently as he looked towards the explosion in alarm.
That was where Pei Yan was alone in the lighting booth.
The suspended cubicle was engulfed in flames, thick smoke continuously billowing out down towards the audience.
“Pei Yan!” Qi Feng’s breath hitched as his body uncontrollably jolted up to stand. He seemed to want to run over and quickly walked several steps on stage.
But he soon realized he had no way to get there. That area could only be accessed through employee-only passages inside the theater.
Was this Cheng Yu’s plan? To deliberately cause an accident to kill Pei Yan? How could Cheng Yu do this!
Would Pei Yan die?
Qi Feng’s entire body went cold, his mind blank, overwhelmed by intense fear.
Below, the crowd was thrown into chaos, screaming and fleeing in all directions. Among the panicked audience, Cheng Yu alone sat trembling, pupils contracted.
What was going on? Why did the fire start earlier than his scheduled time? Did his people get the timing wrong?
No matter.
Cheng Yu looked up at the billowing smoke, his eyes icy and vicious. Dying a few minutes earlier was fine too.
I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Please consider supporting the author directly.
You can also follow me on Ko-fi to get the latest updates on my translation progress and new projects. I appreciate your love and feedback.
