The backstage of the evening event was incredibly quiet, so quiet that one could hear the cheers from the stage and the audience very clearly.
It was unclear whether everyone disliked the original host or if they were all too busy, but Ruan Qing found himself alone in the quiet rest area.
After a quick glance around, Ruan Qing quietly listened to the sounds of the performances outside and then found the program order for the evening.
The current performance was the second-to-last, and it was already past halfway, with only one more act to go.
The final performance was a dance, scheduled for four minutes.
Even with the current performance, there would be at most a little over ten minutes left.
A little over ten minutes.
The best solution now for Ruan Qing was to give up his performance slot to Ning Mufeng.
Wang Qing had just designed a scheme to make Ning Mufeng accidentally break his water glass, and then he insisted that Ning Mufeng buy a new one right away, forcing him to leave.
The original host’s plan wasn’t particularly clever; most people could probably see through his intentions. It was only Ning Mufeng’s patience that allowed him to endure the original host’s shoddy plan.
Ruan Qing calculated the distance based on the original host’s memory.
The school wasn’t too far away, and a round trip of a little over ten minutes would certainly be doable.
Ning Mufeng had already been gone for a while, and he might have bought a new water glass and be on his way back now. However, Ning Mufeng was a kind and considerate person, so he might delay his return for the sake of giving Wang Qing the opportunity.
Although Ruan Qing wanted to find Ning Mufeng immediately, he knew he couldn’t go in person.
First, there might not be enough time for a round trip. Second, it would ruin his persona.
The system had made it clear that he had to repay all the points he owed within three playthroughs, and this was the third one.
Ruan Qing had to clear his debts after this playthrough, so he couldn’t act out of character too much.
His current character was someone envious of Ning Mufeng, so if he wanted to give up his performance slot, he needed a legitimate and ethical reason.
Footsteps outside interrupted Ruan Qing’s deep thoughts. He quickly grabbed the baseball cap belonging to the original host and pulled it down, concealing most of his face and expression.
Then he lowered his gaze slightly, looked at his own feet, and unhesitatingly rubbed his ankles hard.
Due to the lack of exercise over the years, Ruan Qing’s skin had a sickly pallor, giving a surreal feeling of icy beauty.
Rubbing it this way actually brought a blush to his skin.
Although it’s pale in comparison to the dancers, it didn’t seem like a serious injury.
Wang Qing had prepared a dance performance, and dancing was what he had learned from his ‘job,’ so that’s all he knew.
If he didn’t want to go on stage, he should either act like he’s seriously injured or hurt his leg.
But that would also mean he would be less mobile.
If he encountered a real threat, he probably wouldn’t even have a chance to escape.
Although Ruan Qing wasn’t a fast runner, he didn’t want to give up the chance to escape.
The people outside the dressing room had already entered, including the person in charge of planning the event, Lin Anyan.
Lin Anyan probably knew the original host’s tricks well, and his attitude toward the original host was not good at all.
He looked down at the person on the couch with a hint of mockery in his eyes and said coldly, “Get ready; it’s your turn soon.”
After hearing these words, Ruan Qing’s body trembled slightly, and he lowered his head, speaking softly, “I might not be able to perform. I accidentally injured my leg just now.”
Ruan Qing’s voice was filled with sadness and loneliness, and even a hint of unwillingness, giving off a pitiful vibe.
As if he was sad that he couldn’t go on stage.
Ruan Qing continued to speak softly. “You should call Ning Mufeng back. I don’t need him to compensate for my water bottle anymore”
Ruan Qing’s meaning was clear; he wanted to give the performance opportunity back to Ning Mufeng.
Lin Anyan paused for a moment after hearing this and looked at the slender figure on the couch. The mockery in his eyes became even more apparent. “When it’s come to this point, why pretend? Isn’t this what you wanted?”
Ruan Qing pursed his lips gently and remained silent.
Lin Anyan had initially planned to continue with his sarcasm, but when he saw the person curled up on the couch, a figure that seemed fragile and pitiable, as if he could burst into tears at any moment, he stopped.
With a tone of suspicion, he asked coldly, “Did you really injure yourself?”
“Mm.” After Ruan Qing nodded, he hesitated for a moment, slightly extended his foot to reveal his ankle, and quickly pulled it back.
Because Ruan Qing withdrew his foot too quickly, Lin Anyan only saw a flash of pink and couldn’t be sure if there was an injury.
But the person in front of him, who had put in so much effort to replace Ning Mufeng in the performance, was definitely not someone who would easily give up.
Lin Anyan snorted and took out his phone, initiating a video call with Ning Mufeng.
The other party quickly answered, and the next second, Ning Mufeng’s handsome and delicate face appeared on the screen.
It seemed a bit noisy on his side. “Anyan, what’s wrong?”
Lin Anyan stared at the screen on the opposite side for a moment and asked in confusion, “Aren’t you at school?”
“The school doesn’t have that kind of cup, so I came outside,” Ning Mufeng’s voice was as smooth as jade, clear and gentle, making people feel very comfortable.
Just like his appearance, handsome but without any aggression, he gave off an air of gentleness.
Anyone who saw him would think that he deserved the title of the school’s heartthrob.
Lin Anyan frowned after hearing this and said in a serious tone, “Where are you now? Can you make it back within an hour?”
“Probably not,” Ning Mufeng shook his head and then looked puzzled. “Has something happened?”
Lin Anyan was getting a bit impatient. “Wang Qing just fell, and he might not be able to dance.”
“Fell?” Ning Mufeng furrowed his brows upon hearing this, and he seemed to understand Lin Anyan’s implication. He hesitated before saying, “I’m quite far from the school right now, and I won’t be able to make it back within an hour.”
Ning Mufeng paused for a moment and continued, “Ask Wang Qing if he knows how to play the piano or something. My piano is still at the school; he can borrow it.”
“You’re still concerned,” Lin Anyan sneered and said coldly, “I don’t care whether he can or can’t. After all, he brought this upon himself. He should figure it out on his own for the performance tonight.”
“I’ve already told him that there’s no free lunch in this world. Since he chose to take your spot, he has to bear the consequences.”
When Lin Anyan said this, he didn’t lower his voice at all, and he didn’t seem to care that Ruan Qing was sitting on the sofa next to him.
Clearly, he said it on purpose for Ruan Qing to hear.
Ruan Qing’s heart sank slightly. It seemed that he had to perform tonight, even if he was genuinely injured. After all, the original host had a strong sense of self-esteem, and upon hearing Lin Anyan’s words, he would definitely go on stage, no matter what.
Could the murderer be Lin Anyan?
Just as Ruan Qing was lost in thought, a fellow student suddenly burst into the lounge. “Brother Lin, we’re trouble! Brither Lin! Something big has happened!”
Lin Anyan turned to look at the classmate and asked in a serious tone, “What happened?”
The classmate urgently explained, “Xiao Qi can’t perform anymore. Just now, Xiao Qi’s family called her and said her mom was taken to the emergency room. Upon hearing this news, she rushed to the hospital.”
The classmate paused for a moment and continued, “Xiao Qi didn’t mean to stand us up, Brother Lin, you know that. Her mom’s health is in critical condition, and she had to go.”
Lin Anyan understood. With Xiao Qi’s mom in the emergency room, even if she stayed, she probably wouldn’t have the heart to perform.
It’s really a night of unexpected events.
Lin Anyan thought for a moment and calmly said, “Have the host explain the situation, and then we’ll proceed with the closing performance.”
Lin Anyan looked at Ruan Qing after saying this, making his intention quite clear.
Ruan Qing: [No response]
Ruan Qing sighed inwardly and stood up, pulling his cap down low, leaving only his fair and smooth chin visible.
He then pretended to have a sprained foot, limping his way to the stage.
His posture looked quite pitiful.
Those who didn’t know what happened might think he was being mistreated.
Lin Anyan frowned, snorted again, his mood sour. When something went wrong, he knew how to play the victim.
Too late!
He’s not Ning Mufeng; he wouldn’t fall for this act.
Lin Anyan watched Ruan Qing’s retreating figure and rubbed his collar irritably.
If you made a mistake, you should be responsible for it.
He wouldn’t regret it!
He wouldn’t be soft-hearted!
The backstage of the evening event was incredibly quiet, so quiet that one could hear the cheers from the stage and the audience very clearly.
It was unclear whether everyone disliked the original host or if they were all too busy, but Ruan Qing found himself alone in the quiet rest area.
After a quick glance around, Ruan Qing quietly listened to the sounds of the performances outside and then found the program order for the evening.
The current performance was the second-to-last, and it was already past halfway, with only one more act to go.
The final performance was a dance, scheduled for four minutes.
Even with the current performance, there would be at most a little over ten minutes left.
A little over ten minutes.
The best solution now for Ruan Qing was to give up his performance slot to Ning Mufeng.
Wang Qing had just designed a scheme to make Ning Mufeng accidentally break his water glass, and then he insisted that Ning Mufeng buy a new one right away, forcing him to leave.
The original host’s plan wasn’t particularly clever; most people could probably see through his intentions. It was only Ning Mufeng’s patience that allowed him to endure the original host’s shoddy plan.
Ruan Qing calculated the distance based on the original host’s memory.
The school wasn’t too far away, and a round trip of a little over ten minutes would certainly be doable.
Ning Mufeng had already been gone for a while, and he might have bought a new water glass and be on his way back now. However, Ning Mufeng was a kind and considerate person, so he might delay his return for the sake of giving Wang Qing the opportunity.
Although Ruan Qing wanted to find Ning Mufeng immediately, he knew he couldn’t go in person.
First, there might not be enough time for a round trip. Second, it would ruin his persona.
The system had made it clear that he had to repay all the points he owed within three playthroughs, and this was the third one.
Ruan Qing had to clear his debts after this playthrough, so he couldn’t act out of character too much.
His current character was someone envious of Ning Mufeng, so if he wanted to give up his performance slot, he needed a legitimate and ethical reason.
Footsteps outside interrupted Ruan Qing’s deep thoughts. He quickly grabbed the baseball cap belonging to the original host and pulled it down, concealing most of his face and expression.
Then he lowered his gaze slightly, looked at his own feet, and unhesitatingly rubbed his ankles hard.
Due to the lack of exercise over the years, Ruan Qing’s skin had a sickly pallor, giving a surreal feeling of icy beauty.
Rubbing it this way actually brought a blush to his skin.
Although it’s pale in comparison to the dancers, it didn’t seem like a serious injury.
Wang Qing had prepared a dance performance, and dancing was what he had learned from his ‘job,’ so that’s all he knew.
If he didn’t want to go on stage, he should either act like he’s seriously injured or hurt his leg.
But that would also mean he would be less mobile.
If he encountered a real threat, he probably wouldn’t even have a chance to escape.
Although Ruan Qing wasn’t a fast runner, he didn’t want to give up the chance to escape.
The people outside the dressing room had already entered, including the person in charge of planning the event, Lin Anyan.
Lin Anyan probably knew the original host’s tricks well, and his attitude toward the original host was not good at all.
He looked down at the person on the couch with a hint of mockery in his eyes and said coldly, “Get ready; it’s your turn soon.”
After hearing these words, Ruan Qing’s body trembled slightly, and he lowered his head, speaking softly, “I might not be able to perform. I accidentally injured my leg just now.”
Ruan Qing’s voice was filled with sadness and loneliness, and even a hint of unwillingness, giving off a pitiful vibe.
As if he was sad that he couldn’t go on stage.
Ruan Qing continued to speak softly. “You should call Ning Mufeng back. I don’t need him to compensate for my water bottle anymore”
Ruan Qing’s meaning was clear; he wanted to give the performance opportunity back to Ning Mufeng.
Lin Anyan paused for a moment after hearing this and looked at the slender figure on the couch. The mockery in his eyes became even more apparent. “When it’s come to this point, why pretend? Isn’t this what you wanted?”
Ruan Qing pursed his lips gently and remained silent.
Lin Anyan had initially planned to continue with his sarcasm, but when he saw the person curled up on the couch, a figure that seemed fragile and pitiable, as if he could burst into tears at any moment, he stopped.
With a tone of suspicion, he asked coldly, “Did you really injure yourself?”
“Mm.” After Ruan Qing nodded, he hesitated for a moment, slightly extended his foot to reveal his ankle, and quickly pulled it back.
Because Ruan Qing withdrew his foot too quickly, Lin Anyan only saw a flash of pink and couldn’t be sure if there was an injury.
But the person in front of him, who had put in so much effort to replace Ning Mufeng in the performance, was definitely not someone who would easily give up.
Lin Anyan snorted and took out his phone, initiating a video call with Ning Mufeng.
The other party quickly answered, and the next second, Ning Mufeng’s handsome and delicate face appeared on the screen.
It seemed a bit noisy on his side. “Anyan, what’s wrong?”
Lin Anyan stared at the screen on the opposite side for a moment and asked in confusion, “Aren’t you at school?”
“The school doesn’t have that kind of cup, so I came outside,” Ning Mufeng’s voice was as smooth as jade, clear and gentle, making people feel very comfortable.
Just like his appearance, handsome but without any aggression, he gave off an air of gentleness.
Anyone who saw him would think that he deserved the title of the school’s heartthrob.
Lin Anyan frowned after hearing this and said in a serious tone, “Where are you now? Can you make it back within an hour?”
“Probably not,” Ning Mufeng shook his head and then looked puzzled. “Has something happened?”
Lin Anyan was getting a bit impatient. “Wang Qing just fell, and he might not be able to dance.”
“Fell?” Ning Mufeng furrowed his brows upon hearing this, and he seemed to understand Lin Anyan’s implication. He hesitated before saying, “I’m quite far from the school right now, and I won’t be able to make it back within an hour.”
Ning Mufeng paused for a moment and continued, “Ask Wang Qing if he knows how to play the piano or something. My piano is still at the school; he can borrow it.”
“You’re still concerned,” Lin Anyan sneered and said coldly, “I don’t care whether he can or can’t. After all, he brought this upon himself. He should figure it out on his own for the performance tonight.”
“I’ve already told him that there’s no free lunch in this world. Since he chose to take your spot, he has to bear the consequences.”
When Lin Anyan said this, he didn’t lower his voice at all, and he didn’t seem to care that Ruan Qing was sitting on the sofa next to him.
Clearly, he said it on purpose for Ruan Qing to hear.
Ruan Qing’s heart sank slightly. It seemed that he had to perform tonight, even if he was genuinely injured. After all, the original host had a strong sense of self-esteem, and upon hearing Lin Anyan’s words, he would definitely go on stage, no matter what.
Could the murderer be Lin Anyan?
Just as Ruan Qing was lost in thought, a fellow student suddenly burst into the lounge. “Brother Lin, we’re trouble! Brither Lin! Something big has happened!”
Lin Anyan turned to look at the classmate and asked in a serious tone, “What happened?”
The classmate urgently explained, “Xiao Qi can’t perform anymore. Just now, Xiao Qi’s family called her and said her mom was taken to the emergency room. Upon hearing this news, she rushed to the hospital.”
The classmate paused for a moment and continued, “Xiao Qi didn’t mean to stand us up, Brother Lin, you know that. Her mom’s health is in critical condition, and she had to go.”
Lin Anyan understood. With Xiao Qi’s mom in the emergency room, even if she stayed, she probably wouldn’t have the heart to perform.
It’s really a night of unexpected events.
Lin Anyan thought for a moment and calmly said, “Have the host explain the situation, and then we’ll proceed with the closing performance.”
Lin Anyan looked at Ruan Qing after saying this, making his intention quite clear.
Ruan Qing: [No response]
Ruan Qing sighed inwardly and stood up, pulling his cap down low, leaving only his fair and smooth chin visible.
He then pretended to have a sprained foot, limping his way to the stage.
His posture looked quite pitiful.
Those who didn’t know what happened might think he was being mistreated.
Lin Anyan frowned, snorted again, his mood sour. When something went wrong, he knew how to play the victim.
Too late!
He’s not Ning Mufeng; he wouldn’t fall for this act.
Lin Anyan watched Ruan Qing’s retreating figure and rubbed his collar irritably.
If you made a mistake, you should be responsible for it.
He wouldn’t regret it!
He wouldn’t be soft-hearted!
