The ticket-checking process went smoothly without any further incidents. The makeup Yang Yi had applied to Murphy truly worked wonders, transforming her appearance. Although Murphy's beauty still attracted quite a few glances, no one recognized her.
Weaving through the crowd to reach the VIP seats near the front, Murphy didn't suspect a thing. She had grown up accustomed to a life of quality, so if Yang Yi had "bought" regular standing tickets instead of VIP seats, that might have struck her as odd.
But now, it felt strange too. Sitting below the stage, watching Eason Chan take the stage and hearing the roar of the audience, Murphy couldn't shake off a peculiar feeling.
Was this her first time attending a concert since her debut? The last time would have to be before she turned ten, when she went with her mother to see a Western pop superstar perform live.
But those memories had faded. She only remembered what it felt like to be on stage.
Before Murphy retired, she had held two concerts at the Red People's Hall Music Venue. On stage, she could sing her own songs, feel the cheers and passion of her fans, and revel in the joy of having her music recognized by others.
Now, sitting in the audience with someone else as the star, cheering for another person—it felt so surreal!
"So many people!" Xixi, sitting on the chair between her parents, quickly grew restless. She twisted around, knelt on the seat, and looked back, marveling at the dense crowd.
But by then, the cheers from Eason Chan's fans had already erupted. Yang Yi couldn't even hear what Xixi was muttering. For safety, he pulled the little one down and settled her back in her seat.
The concert had begun. On stage, Eason Chan opened with an old song. After finishing, he took a moment to speak to the audience.
"Thank you, everyone!" Eason's Mandarin accent was still a bit off, but he adapted to the local customs and tried his best. "Thank you for coming to support the second stop of my national tour!"
Before he could finish, the audience erupted in thunderous applause and cheers, with many shouting in unison, "Eason, Eason!"
"Many people are curious why I chose Jiangcheng, this beautiful city, as the second stop instead of metropolises like Shanghai or Guangzhou." Eason occasionally slipped into Cantonese, but he quickly caught himself and switched back to Mandarin, speaking earnestly.
Yang Yi sat in the audience, smiling faintly. He wasn't worried about Eason revealing anything because, after confirming that Murphy would attend the concert with him, he had communicated with Eason, insisting that his identity must not be disclosed.
"That's because I want to thank a lyricist and composer. He helped my new album not only achieve Cantonese platinum status early on but also has a chance to break ten million in sales!" Eason's words sparked another round of cheers. "And his city is Jiangcheng! Please shout his name loudly for me!"
"Mu Zi'ang! Mu Zi'ang!" The audience went wild, shouting chaotically.
Mu Zi'ang is from Jiangcheng?
Murphy's eyes widened in surprise at the name. Like many in the audience, she looked at the stage curiously. Was this person going to appear today?
Eason grinned as if he had pulled off a clever trick. "Of course, Mr. Mu Zi'ang didn't agree to my invitation to come on stage and sing with me today. Sorry to disappoint you."
"It's okay, we're here to see you!" a young fan screamed from the audience, and those nearby laughed.
"Mr. Mu Zi'ang is a very low-key but talented lyricist and composer. He has always asked us not to disclose his information, so I don't know if Mr. Mu Zi'ang is here tonight." Eason was clearly lying through his teeth. He even glanced toward the VIP section, and Yang Yi could feel his gaze sweep over.
That was fine. Yang Yi was grateful for Eason's cooperation. He wasn't ready to let Murphy know the truth about his alternate identity yet.
After all, that alternate identity was almost too incredible—writing so many great songs. Yang Yi, ever cautious to a fault, worried that Murphy might question his true identity.
"But whether he's here or not, I want to say thank you to Mr. Mu Zi'ang!" Eason bowed sincerely, though he didn't deliberately face Yang Yi's direction. "A song, 'Long Time No See,' dedicated to him and to all of you who support me!"
The audience cheered wildly. Most of them were Mandarin speakers, and this Mandarin song was their favorite!
Murphy also sat up straighter with interest. She had already bought Eason's platinum album, and the melancholic "Long Time No See" was one of her favorite tracks!
The gentle piano accompaniment began, and the audience fell silent in unison, leaving only tens of thousands of glow sticks swaying.
Xixi held one too. Yang Yi had bought it for her when he saw she liked it during entry.
"I came to your city..." Eason's distinctive, magnetic voice rang out, as if enchanting all the fans. A tipsy atmosphere filled the music venue.
Murphy, a pure music lover, couldn't help but silently applaud Eason's vocal skills. She closed her beautiful eyes and listened quietly.
Yang Yi, sitting beside her, also enjoyed live performances, but he had to keep an eye on the restless little one, so he didn't close his eyes. Still, he was deeply immersed in the music.
When the song ended, the fans weren't satisfied. They began chanting, "'Better Not to Meet'! 'Better Not to Meet'!"
Yes, after singing "Long Time No See," how could they not sing "Better Not to Meet"?
...
The concert moved into its latter half, and it was already very late. Xixi had been restless all evening, but eventually, sleep overcame her, and she drifted off in her father's arms.
They had been in a rush to get to the concert, forgetting to bring a small blanket or jacket for Xixi. The night air was chilly, and Murphy, worried her daughter might catch a cold, took off her linen cardigan and draped it over Xixi.
"Move over here." Yang Yi glanced at Murphy's bare shoulders and said softly.
Murphy didn't understand why, but with Yang Yi holding Xixi and an empty seat between them, it felt odd. So she shifted over and sat in Xixi's original spot.
But no sooner had she sat down than Yang Yi's free left arm reached around her back, his long arm easily encircling her, and pulled her shoulder close.
Murphy instantly stiffened. She turned her head, dazed, to look at Yang Yi's chiseled profile.
Her initial instinct was to resist such intimate contact, but thinking it was Yang Yi, most of her resistance faded. The warmth of his large hand wrapping around her smooth shoulder, his rough palm pressing against her delicate skin, made it hard for Murphy to muster the will to push him away.
What should she do?
Should she push him away?
It was so embarrassing if someone saw...
But no one would notice, right? Everyone was watching the concert...
She didn't know how long passed, or how many songs Eason had sung. Murphy, her mind blank, gradually leaned into Yang Yi.
It seemed that embrace had become natural.