TIMO - Chapter 32
Chapter 32
Fu Zhao didn’t understand what Shi Nan meant by that.
So, naturally, aside from being flustered, she had no other reaction.
Not until Shi Nan released her wrist, blinked, and curled her lips into a relaxed smile. “I’m kidding.”
“…That’s good, then.” Fu Zhao’s wrist was suddenly free, and her arm fell naturally to her side. For some reason, those were the words that came out.
The atmosphere turned a little strange. Both of them fell silent, just looking at each other. Neither broke eye contact, as if waiting for the other to speak.
“Let’s make a bet.”
As the last word fell, brilliant fireworks shot into the sky, blooming and illuminating the surroundings, making already beautiful features even more dazzling.
Shi Nan looked over, her gaze scorching, reflecting the fragmented light of the fireworks. It was as if a flame danced within her eyes.
Fu Zhao’s hand, hanging by her leg, stiffened. She met Shi Nan’s gaze, swallowed subconsciously, and took a few seconds to speak. Her voice was much quieter amidst the sound of the exploding fireworks. “What bet?”
Shi Nan still heard her words with perfect clarity. She smiled, a few strands of hair at her temple lifted by the wind and brushing against her cheek. The atmosphere was enchanting and hazy. “Let’s bet on whose song is more popular later. Whoever wins can ask the loser to grant them one wish.”
It was noisy all around. Shi Nan was beautiful. Fu Zhao was a little flustered.
She managed to calm herself down. “It seems you already have a wish you want granted. What is it?”
To be honest, as long as it was something she could do, she would help Shi Nan fulfill her wish even without a bet. But Shi Nan insisted on a bet… which meant the wish was something she would likely refuse upon hearing it.
“Mhmm~~”
“I do, but I can’t tell you right now.” Shi Nan stared at her, her gaze direct.
Fu Zhao maintained her composure. “Then how will we judge it?”
“We’ll use a decibel meter. We’ll place it in the same spot and see whose song receives a higher decibel level of cheers.” Shi Nan patiently explained the rules, then stepped forward again. She lifted her chin and smiled. “Logically speaking, your song is more energetic and will do more to liven up the atmosphere. You have a better chance of winning.”
“Are you sure, then? Using such a ‘not-so-fair’ method to judge.”
Shi Nan crossed her arms, her eyes confident. “I’m sure.”
“As for you, you wouldn’t back out now, would you?” she added, a clear attempt to goad her.
Fu Zhao wasn’t usually susceptible to being goaded. She had a non-confrontational personality. Back in the orphanage, if an older child snatched the chicken leg from her bowl, she wouldn’t say a word and would just quietly eat the rest of her food.
She wasn’t someone with a short fuse.
But at this moment, she was exceptionally curious about Shi Nan’s wish. And she really wanted to know if she could grant it.
“Okay.”
She nodded, the light in her eyes flickering slightly, indicating her agreement.
She was just curious. Curious about what kind of wish would require Shi Nan to make this bet with her.
Soon, the closing ceremony began, and it was quickly time for their special performance.
Fu Zhao’s 《Lovely Her》 was last, while Shi Nan’s 《Loving You》 was second to last.
The Island Master’s special performance had always been the most anticipated part of the closing ceremony for the residents of Nanke Island. This year was special. Kong Weiyan had announced it would be a band performance, which drew even more attention from the islanders.
The moment they walked out from backstage and stepped onto the stage, they were met with thunderous cheers from the audience.
The night wind was boisterous, and it felt a little warm against their faces.
Fu Zhao sat on the drum throne, her foot on the hi-hat pedal. She subconsciously held her breath, exchanged a glance with the others who were in position, and looked at Shi Nan’s slender figure in front of her. She lowered her lashes and let out a soft breath.
“Boom-”
She twirled a drumstick and struck the first beat. Instantly, cold fireworks erupted on stage, igniting the atmosphere of the entire venue.
Then, the keyboard slowly joined in.
Followed by the guitar and bass, forming a complete melody.
And then came Shi Nan’s clear, sweet voice, as gentle as the night wind, yet carrying a fiery passion and sweetness that set the crowd’s cheers ablaze.
Fu Zhao kept the rhythm with her foot, drumming steadily.
Tonight was much noisier than she had imagined, but once she truly got into the rhythm of the song, the world felt quiet again.
Involuntarily, her gaze focused entirely on Shi Nan.
Shi Nan was beautiful. She had realized this fact more than once.
But at this very moment, this fact that she had acknowledged countless times was being etched into her mind with unparalleled depth, sinking into the deepest part of her heart.
Her angle was perfect.
When the stage lights hit Shi Nan, she could see a halo of light enveloping her.
When Shi Nan interacted with Jiang Wenqing and Ye Er, she could clearly see the fine, fragmented light in her smiling, curved eyes. Her eyes were bright, her teeth pearly, and her smile was as radiant as a flower.
When Shi Nan turned back to smile at her, she could meet her gaze without restraint and return an equally brilliant smile.
But in the next second, her heart began to race in turmoil, beating in time with the rhythm of her drumming.
Because Shi Nan had turned around completely. She was staring straight at her, walking over with light steps.
The stage was loud, and the cheers from the crowd below grew more intense with Shi Nan’s movements, as if they were about to overturn the heavens.
She shouldn’t have been able to hear Shi Nan’s footsteps as she approached.
And yet…
It was as if she could, and it was the only sound left in her ears.
“Thump-thump-thump.”
One step after another, as if treading on the rhythm of her heartbeat.
In a daze, she suddenly remembered a line she had read in her original world: I told you to walk properly, not to walk on my heartbeat.
It seemed rather fitting here.
She was thinking a little too much. By the time she came back to her senses, Shi Nan was already sitting beside her, shoulder to shoulder, as intimate as they were last night.
This intimacy seemed to be what the people below wanted to see.
The term “CP fan” seemed to be universal in all worlds.
The screams from the audience grew louder, mixing with the surging crowd, the flashing lights, and the sweeping camera jib.
Fu Zhao saw the cheers and excitement on many faces, but she didn’t dare look at Shi Nan, who was right beside her. Her soft, sweet voice was right by her ear, her light, fragrant breath brushing against her neck.
She finally understood why Shi Nan had the confidence to make this bet with her.
But even though she was flustered, she didn’t forget the rhythm ingrained in her muscles. She played the song to completion, hitting the final beat.
But she didn’t even have time to breathe a sigh of relief.
The next second, a light, soft touch landed on her cheek. It felt like jelly, or maybe egg custard.
It carried a light fragrance.
Just as she had imagined—sweet, soft, and fragrant.
In that instant, the cheers from the audience broke through the heavens. Jiang Wenqing, who was closest to them, couldn’t help but blurt out, “Oh my god.” Then there was Fu Wanqing, who calmly played the final note before giving them a thumbs-up.
A fleeting look of astonishment crossed Ye Er’s face.
Fu Zhao, however, covered her cheek in shock. Only then did she look at Shi Nan, who had been sitting beside her for a long time. Her mouth opened and closed, but she had no idea what to say.
Her entire body was hot, her heart was burning, and it felt like white smoke was rising from the top of her head.
Why did Shi Nan kiss her?
This was the only thought left in her mind that could keep her brain functioning.
Everything seemed to slow down.
She could see Shi Nan’s long lashes fluttering, the strands of her hair lifted perfectly by the wind, her delicate and fair skin, the perfectly open collar of her white shirt, and the exquisite lines of her neck and shoulders outlined by her clavicle chain.
Shi Nan, right before her eyes, continued to lean against her shoulder. She blinked, the light in her tea-brown eyes wavering slightly. She gave Fu Zhao a beautiful, brilliant smile, turned off her microphone, leaned in very close, and whispered softly,
“This is your punishment for not looking at me just now.”
Fu Zhao felt as if she were nailed to the drum throne. Her hand seemed to be stuck to her cheek, and the expression on her face appeared to be frozen in a state of “shock.”
Not until a soft, warm palm slipped into her own.
She became even more dazed.
In a trance, she was led by Shi Nan to the standing microphone. Jiang Wenqing slung another electric guitar over her, and Ye Er adjusted the height of the mic stand for her.
Then, the soft warmth in her palm suddenly vanished. Shi Nan was walking to the back, sitting down on the drum throne.
It was Fu Wanqing who played the first note.
She finally snapped back to her senses. She slowly placed her hands on the mic stand, adjusted her position, and sang the first line of the lyrics- If only there was a reason not to love her…
Her thoughts slowly returned, and everything around her began to move again.
Below the stage was an emotional crowd, every face beaming with excitement. Her gaze drifted over them, and she couldn’t help but smile. She saw the families of Jiang Wenqing and Ye Er, the security personnel weaving through the crowd, and even the usually unflappable Doctor Liu showing the same excited expression. She saw the people who were connected to her, who had always been by her side.
Looking up, she saw fireworks blooming across the sky, the moon hanging on the horizon, and magnificent, towering trees.
She saw the traces of cold fireworks shooting into the sky before drifting gently back down.
She didn’t need a mirror to know how brilliant the smile on her face was, enhanced by the atmosphere.
Because she could feel it with unparalleled clarity—the joy and excitement welling up from the depths of her heart. This was a wondrous place, as if a god had descended, using incredibly real things and people to tell her:
Hey, you can have emotions too.
You don’t have to be lonely anymore. From now on, there will be many people connected to you, people who are part of your life, by your side.
For a moment, she forgot about the original Fu Zhao. In that instant, she only felt that everything here was connected to her.
And why wouldn’t it be?
She had participated in rehearsing the performance, she had slowly built relationships with Jiang Wenqing and Ye Er, she had invited Doctor Liu, and she had been involved in planning the fireworks festival and the street parade…
And Shi Nan, at the very least, had an intricate connection with this Fu Zhao.
At least in this moment, she too had left her mark on this world. She wasn’t just the original owner’s substitute, nor was she merely a guest on Nanke Island.
In this moment, she had become a lucky one.
She sang line by line, strumming the electric guitar in her hands. The rhythm was hot, the melody was lively, and her emotions slowly swelled. She began to realize that she didn’t want to lose the people on stage, or the people in the audience.
She had formed emotional connections with so many people.
On this night, the Island Master of Nanke Island, the simple and ordinary high school students, the high-earning doctor, the hardworking Security Department personnel, the owner of a popular restaurant…
They all seemed to merge into one.
They could all be called the residents of Nanke Island.
They could also all be called the people by her side.
In this moment, she felt as if she were that Little Island Master who loved Nanke Island and the people around her.
And the most important one, the one who filled her with more and more emotion, who surprised her, who made her heart leap, who made her ache, who made her want to get closer, was her fiancée.
Perhaps the spot on her cheek where she had been kissed was still burning, influencing her thoughts, so she deliberately omitted the words “soon-to-be-ex-”.
Leaving just “her fiancée.”
Followed by the two words, “Shi Nan.”
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