After Backstabbing The Villain, The System Allowed Me To Enter The Book Again - Chapter 20
Shen Chumo heard a heavy sigh from the other side of the curtain and asked,
“What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know how the performance went… Normally, I’m the one pushing them to rehearse. I guess now that they didn’t need to go on stage, they must be relieved,” Shen Huaixin muttered to herself. “It must have been canceled at the last minute.”
“Huaixin, I think…” Shen Chumo hesitated. “You should go.”
“This is what you’ve always wanted to do, right? Why get stage fright now?”
Shen Huaixin froze, her back stiff, as if even her breath had stopped. After a moment, she asked quietly,
“Why do you think that? You don’t really know me.”
Shen Chumo didn’t answer.
He didn’t fully know her, but he wanted to see through the layers of pretense to her transparent soul and soft heart. He wanted to pursue her true thoughts, which made him impulsive and blunt. When he touched forbidden ground, he felt stage fright too and avoided the topic,
“I’m sorry.”
“….” Suddenly, Shen Huaixin asked, “Do you think it’s still possible if I go now?”
In the cultural center, applause thundered, long and unceasing, almost shaking the roof.
“Yes!”
“Another song!”
After the song ended, the echo lingered, the passionate melody still resonating in everyone’s ears. The audience was immersed in the scenes the girls had painted on stage, reluctant to forget it.
The hosts exchanged glances and shook their heads. With such brilliance already presented, the next act looked grim. Yet, one must go on stage when it’s their turn.
“Thank you to the three of you for that wonderful performance. I’m curious—did you plan to raise the key from the start?”
“No, it was on a whim! Surprised? Excited? Yeah!” Xiong Chentao waved her arms enthusiastically.
The audience cheered in unison: “Excited! Yeah!”
Seeing the crowd about to get hyped again, the host quickly handed the microphone to the more composed, baby-faced girl: “I saw from the program that you were all supposed to be backup singers. Didn’t expect such an amazing performance at the spur of the moment.”
Tianyu smiled, eyes sparkling, hands clasped. Remembering Fang Xiao Zheng’s words, she felt proud of her own courage. “Yes, we’re all lead singers.”
“….”
This back-and-forth threw the host off, and she turned to the last one for help:
“Xiao Zheng, congratulations on winning everyone’s hearts. Is there anyone you’d like to thank?”
Fang Xiao Zheng opened her mouth, but no words came out. The microphone remained silent.
The host thought the mic was broken and quickly swapped it for another.
Fang Xiao Zheng nodded slightly, looking toward her mother in the audience, eyes brimming with tears. The sea of spectators seemed to fade away; the stage lights fell on her face. She saw the wrinkles and graying hair of her mother—not as glamorous as others, but…
“My mother,” she said, reaching out her hand toward her. “I want to thank my mother.”
Tears fell from her mother’s eyes as she smiled and applauded. The audience erupted in applause, their initial doubts transformed into wholehearted praise for the girls’ performance.
The host nodded and continued: “Everyone worked hard! Thank you all for the wonderful performances. Let’s welcome the next act…”
The three girls held hands, bouncing off the stage. A classmate teased,
“Can we get your autographs, you three big stars?”
Fang Xiao Zheng smiled, still flattering authority even now: “Haven’t you heard? Huaixin is the real star. That pitch—she’s like a singing goddess descended.”
“I think she’s more like a ‘dove goddess,’” a classmate snorted.
Just then, the cultural center doors opened, and a girl ran in, out of breath, sweating profusely. She glanced at the stage and felt a sinking sensation—it was the next act after Chasing Dreams.
“…I’m late?”
The girls silently watched her, expressions tinged with regret.
A classmate crossed arms disdainfully: “Clearly chickened out at the last minute. She pretends to rush here after Fang Xiao Zheng and the others finish? Such a good act.”
Shen Huaixin’s heart sank. Ignoring their cold mockery, she took Fang Xiao Zheng’s hand: “Did you go on stage? How did it go?”
Fang Xiao Zheng nodded: “It went okay.”
“Very good,” Xiong Chentao added.
Shen Huaixin smiled, feeling both relief and regret—relief that they were willing to perform and did well, regret that she herself missed it, standing still while her friends grew.
Tianyu asked with concern: “Huaixin, something must have come up, right? Otherwise, you wouldn’t leave us alone. Is it resolved now?”
“No, it’s my fault.”
[System: Character OOC warning! Minor electric shock…]
[Shen Huaixin: Law King, just a heads-up—I’ll save the shocks for tonight. You follow the rules and give as long as you’re supposed to. I had to say this.]
[System: …]
[Shen Huaixin: If I scream from the shock, isn’t that OOC too?]
[System: Approved.]
Shen Huaixin relaxed, smiling as she hugged Fang Xiao Zheng and Tianyu. Xiong Chentao, slightly taller, wrapped around them from behind. She felt Shen Huaixin’s gentle, warm voice like the winter sun shining on her—a warmth and encouragement she had never experienced before.
“You’re amazing. You did very well. I’m proud of you.”
[System: Character OOC warning, second time.]
“You’re all excellent girls. In the future, don’t get me into trouble again—I’m not worth it.”
[System: Character OOC warning, third time.]
Fang Xiao Zheng was stunned. “Huaixin… what do you mean?”
“Literally what I said,” Shen Huaixin winked.
“You’re not thinking of disbanding, are you?”
Shen Huaixin shook her head: “Did you forget our slogan?”
“XinXin Girls, forever united!”
Shen Huaixin smiled, nodding. Despite enduring three electric shocks, she was still happy.
They sat together in the audience, watching the performances. Shen Huaixin listened as the girls recounted their stage experience, holding her breath for them, until the show ended. Nothing after Chasing Dreams ever matched that level of impact.
By then, it was nearly dismissal time, and Fang’s mother came to take her home.
Xiong Chentao suddenly remembered something, scratching her head: “Oh right, Xiao Zheng, I forgot to ask—you didn’t say Auntie…”
Tianyu nudged her quickly. Xiong Chentao hummed and pushed back, and the two began playfully tussling.
“Huaixin, this is my mother,” Fang Xiao Zheng introduced.
…Something must have happened? Whatever it was, it seemed good.
Shen Huaixin smiled politely: “Hello, Auntie.”
[System: Character OOC warning, fourth time.]
[Shen Huaixin: Haven’t been shocked in a while. You finally found the chance, huh?]
After saying goodbye, Shen Huaixin returned to her seat, looking at the stage. The lights were off; the stage was empty, quiet yet somehow speaking.
It asked: Why the stage fright? Why not sing your “Run Forward” out loud?
Shen Huaixin remained silent. In her mind, she saw the girl singing atop a deserted mountain, leaves rustling in accompaniment; then the scene shifted to the girl on stage, singing freely with Fang Xiao Zheng and the others harmonizing, the crowd applauding. In a blink, all was quiet again.
After a long while, she slowly rose, glanced at the stage, and left the audience seat. At the door, staff hurried over from backstage, stopping her:
“Student, wait!”
Shen Huaixin paused. “What do you need?”
“One of your classmates just asked if you could make up for missing the performance. Of course, it’s fine while the equipment is still warm. Was it you?” the staff smiled.
Shen Huaixin looked toward the backstage door and saw a familiar figure step out, smiling and waving at her. She could see bandages on his hand.
“…Busybody,” she murmured, her eyes red, lips pursed.
The staff went to adjust the computer at the side. Shen Huaixin stepped onto the stage. The ordinary wooden floor felt light and strangely warm, making her want to tiptoe and reach for the neon lights above.
Like touching the sun.
Shen Chumo turned on the spotlight; a beam fell on her, blurring her face.
She gripped the microphone, hearing her own breathing amplified throughout the hall, unsteady, a little nervous. Shen Chumo sat in the audience, clapping vigorously, warming up the stage for her.
Seeing his goofy expression, Shen Huaixin smiled softly.
The music intro hit like a 260 km/h tennis ball rushing straight at her, the roaring wind asking if she could handle it.
Qi Yi pushed open the last row door of the cultural performance hall, standing where no one noticed. He took out his phone, started recording at the stage center, and closed his eyes.
(Where in the world is a place full of flowers?)
The first line of lyrics trembled, not as strong as during rehearsal. Even with Shen Chumo as the audience, would he be nervous too? Fortunately, by the second line, she steadied herself, gradually hitting her stride.
He thought of growing up under his parents’ intense expectations, their love and discipline perfectly balanced—pushing him to grow without crushing him. He didn’t know if every parent was like that.
He had secretly raised birds without his parents knowing, only to later eat them at the dinner table; after placing second in the whole school, he was forbidden from dinner, and of course, he couldn’t sit at the table without an invitation.
(Regarding ideals, I never chose to give up, even in the roughest days.)
Qi Yi shook his head and smiled. For him, following the path laid by his parents—including their choice of marriage—was almost a given. But he didn’t want that; at least here, he wanted to choose the girl he truly cared for.
(Maybe I’m not talented, but I have the innocence of dreams. I will prove it with my whole life.)
What was she trying to prove?
Qi Yi held his breath. The girl’s singing seemed to tell her inner thoughts in detail. He felt the same emotions as during rehearsal, perhaps even stronger.
(Fate won’t let us beg on our knees, even if our bl00d stains our embrace.)
(I want to sail on the bluest sea, no matter if I can return.)
He slowly clenched his fists.
Was this her answer to facing fate?