The concert venue was cloaked in silence.

The teen’s a cappella voice echoed through the vast stadium, reaching the ears of 30,000 fans. Clear and tender, it flowed like a serene lake, infusing the autumn night with a touch of deep emotion.

Front-row fans gazed at the gauze-draped teen; those in the back fixated on the big screens.

The pure white gauze, like a delicate layer of snow, softly veiled the teen’s face. Under the lights, faint glimpses of refined features emerged as he sang Lost Wings’ lyrics.

“Seeing you and my record.”

“There’s a song called longing.”

“It says a butterfly without wings, no matter how high it flies, can’t reach forever…”

As this verse ended, many in the audience covered their mouths, tears streaming with excitement. The first shout of “Rong Xu” rang out, jarring in the quiet, but soon hundreds, then thousands, joined in unison!

They shouted hoarsely, frenzied: “Rong Xu!!!”

Backstage, Luo Zhentao and Luo Xi clenched their hands, nervously watching the stage, fearing a misstep. Before computer screens, countless Rong fans teared up, rushing to forums, Tieba, and Weibo to spread the news—

[Rongrong’s a special guest at Lin Xuan’s concert, live now, singing Lost Wings!!!]

The news swept the internet in a minute. Stunned netizens gaped, while Rong fans instantly opened the livestream.

By then, the instrumental had begun. No longer a cappella, the teen’s voice soared with the lilting music, clear as a rainbow. His trailing notes struck the softest, most tingling chords in listeners’ hearts, leaving them trembling, nodding, speechless.

Off-site viewers were floored; on-site fans were electrified.

Many weren’t Rong Xu fans but didn’t dislike him. Over the past six months, his online banter with Lin Xuan showed their friendship. As their idol’s friend, fans embraced him, realizing Lin Xuan had invited Rong Xu as a guest!

For fans of both, emotions overflowed.

Jiang Xiaowan waved her glow stick wildly, shouting “Rong Xu” with all her might. Though drowned in the concert’s music, the collective cries of thousands of Rong fans ensured he’d hear.

The song continued.

Lost Wings’ verses flowed gently, the accompaniment like a babbling brook, the voice like a nightingale. Rong fans waved glow sticks fervently, and even Lin Xuan’s fans, swept up in the tender vocals, began singing along!

Many weren’t Rong fans but knew Black Clouds and Lost Wings. A nationwide hit, it was familiar, sparking a massive sing-along.

The collective singing was stunning. Even Lin Xuan, backstage, pondering a rescue if Rong Xu faltered, froze. After a moment, he stared at Rong Xu’s back, muttering, “Hmph, our duet later will definitely be my moment!”

Halfway through, excited fans calmed slightly, noticing a panda standing in the aisle, waving an LED sign.

Seeing the confession on it, they didn’t think much, turning back to Rong Xu. They missed the intense, focused gaze from deep, dark eyes within the panda costume, locked on the stage’s teen.

It was a breathtaking scene.

The giant stage screens flashed with fluttering butterflies, their glossy blue wings dancing. Their delicate, translucent wings showed elegant patterns as white feathers fell softly from above.

On stage, feathers drifted down, landing near the teen.

Rong Xu, still veiled, sang a heartbreak song with warmth. Then, the chorus climax hit!

A gust blasted from below, whipping the gauze away!

“AAAAAH RONGROOONG!!!”

Like a bride’s veil lifted, symbolizing love and purity, the white gauze glided past the teen’s stunning face. In that instant, a powerful, breathtaking beauty bloomed before every live and livestream viewer.

The camera zoomed in. The gentle, handsome teen raised his eyes, clear pupils reflecting falling feathers. Smiling, he sang the chorus’s final line.

Screams erupted!

“AAAAH RONG XU! RONG XU! RONG XU!!!”

Fans shouted his name relentlessly. Even after Lost Wings ended, they kept screaming hoarsely.

Most had never seen Rong Xu live.

Not a singer, he might appear on variety shows or film promotions but never in a concert for tens of thousands. Lin Xuan’s fans could buy tickets to one of his eight annual concerts. But since debuting, Rong Xu had met fewer than 10,000 fans.

Live fans wept with joy, while livestream viewers bit their lips, envious, muttering, “They’re so lucky, those at the venue QAQ!”

These fans were beyond lucky—catching both Lin Xuan and Rong Xu’s first, perhaps only, concert performance.

No one knew if Rong Xu would ever perform again, making this live Lost Wings a rare treasure.

As Rong Xu finished, Lin Xuan bounded on stage. Before appearing, he teased, “You’re all shouting Rongrong’s name. I’m jealous!”

Fans below roared, “Lin Xuan! Lin Xuan! Lin Xuan!”

The baby-faced pop prince nodded, satisfied, joining Rong Xu. He slung an arm around Rong Xu’s shoulder, aiming for a buddy pose, but, comically, being shorter made it look playful.

Rong Xu raised a brow, deadpan. “Were you backstage, waiting for me to slip up?”

Concerts include interactive segments, especially with guests. There’s a loose script, but the stars improvise.

Rong Xu’s quip stunned fans, unsure what was happening.

Lin Xuan grinned. “You knew? Then why perform so perfectly, not giving me a chance to save you?” Turning to the crowd, he said, “I’m telling you, I can’t stand this guy. He’s great at acting, now singing too. I’m so jealous. Should I cut ties with him?”

Fans caught on—they were flirting playfully!

They shouted, “Cut ties! Cut ties! Cut ties!!!”

Lin Xuan nodded, ready to say, “See, they want us to split, so we’re done.” But as he turned, Rong Xu was already walking backstage.

The pop prince grabbed him. “Where you going? We’ve got a duet!”

The elegant teen turned, smiling at the baffled star. On the big screen, sweat glistened on his smooth forehead. Rong Xu looked at Lin Xuan calmly, lips curving, voice steady. “Didn’t you say we’re cutting ties?”

Lin Xuan: “…”

The crowd erupted in boos and laughter.

Rong Xu owned the concert’s vibe, 30,000 fans riveted by the stars’ banter.

Jiang Xiaowan watched gleefully, thinking, Rongrong and Lin Xuan are so close! After laughing, she rubbed her arms, murmuring, “Why’s it suddenly cold?”

Nearby, a panda in the aisle silently stared at the stage.

On stage, Rong Xu hadn’t yet noticed the panda. After bantering with Lin Xuan, they reached the final segment. A brief audience interaction would wrap up the segment, followed by their duet of Silent’s theme song, and then Rong Xu could exit, concluding his promotional appearance.

Interacting with the audience was second nature for Lin Xuan and effortless for Rong Xu.

Each picked a fan to ask a question. Coincidentally, both were Rong Xu fans. Overwhelmed just seeing him, they sobbed, choking out their questions after a while.

First question: “Rongrong, will you switch to being a singer?”

Rong Xu smiled. “Fully switching? Unlikely. But the future… I can’t say for sure.”

Lin Xuan’s eyes widened. “You’re stealing my job?!”

The concert’s energy surged.

Second question: “Rongrong, we love Lost Wings. It’s about heartbreak. Have you ever been in love? What type of girl do you like?”

The question landed, and excited Rong fans shouted his name. Lin Xuan glanced at him, surprised a fan would ask such a tricky question.

Such questions were inevitable for stars. Who hadn’t been quizzed about their love life or ideal partner? But Rong Xu, early in his career, hadn’t faced these in interviews yet.

Under bright lights, the handsome teen smiled calmly at the female fan. He seemed composed, but only he knew his palms were sweaty, fingers gripping the mic tightly.

Rong Xu hated lying.

Few stars avoided lies, but he genuinely disliked it. His lies were rare, each leaving him guilty. It was a personal principle—only white lies were permissible.

Now…

A thousand thoughts raced through his mind. Unnoticed by the crowd, the panda coldly turned to “stare down” the fan.

Though his mind churned, only seconds passed. Rong Xu sighed softly, smiling. “I’ve never been in love before.” True—he hadn’t before, though he was now.

For the second part: “I don’t have a specific type. If I love someone, it’s because they’re them.”

Fans cheered wildly. Rong Xu’s palms were clammy; he pursed his lips, discreetly wiping the sweat. Turning, he suddenly saw a dazzling LED sign flashing in the central aisle.

His clear eyes widened, pupils trembling. He stared, incredulous, at the words.

I love you…

^_^

Before going on stage, Rong Xu had received another text from a certain man. Smiling helplessly, he’d replied: [OK, talk after the concert. It’s starting soon.]

Qin Cheng had repeated: [Xiao Xu, I love you ^_^.]

[Yeah, yeah, I know you love me.]

Qin Cheng persisted: [I love you ^_^]

Rong Xu, amused, replied earnestly: [Qin Cheng, I love you too.]

Only then did the man stop his relentless confessions. Rong Xu had thought it was just longing, not expecting that, an hour later, before 30,000 live fans and millions online, he’d see those words.

‘I love you ^_^’

His mic-holding hand trembled, eyes heating. The teen slowly looked at the sign’s holder—a round panda with comical black circles and a cute face.

Yet, in that moment, Rong Xu seemed to see through the bulky costume to the person inside.

What should he say?

What should he do?

What… now?

The stage fell silent. Rong Xu stared in one direction for over ten seconds. It felt long but was less than half a minute. As fans noticed, he quickly looked away, smiling to hide his tears.

Speaking again, his voice was steady, masking any hoarseness: “One last lucky fan. Er Mu, it’s your concert. As host, pick one?”

Lin Xuan laughed. “My turn. You got all the questions, I’m not happy. They only love Rongrong, not me—I’m hurt.” Scanning the crowd, he said, “I’ll find a true fan. No more stealing my spotlight.”

Laughter erupted. Rong Xu smiled faintly.

Ten seconds later, Lin Xuan shouted, “Haha! Someone’s confessing to me! My fan, right? Cute outfit! Got a question? Staff, give them a mic, ask anything.”

Staff hurried to the audience. Lin Xuan added, “Yeah, the panda… it’s a panda, right? Hard to see from up here. So cute! Why wear a panda suit to see me?”

On stage, Rong Xu froze.

Below, fans noticed the giant panda.

Holding the sign, the panda drew attention. A male staff member held a mic for it. Only then did fans realize the staff, barely reaching the panda’s shoulder, was dwarfed!

Lin Xuan paused, thinking: Xiao Liu’s not tall, but over 1.7 meters. This panda… so tall? At least 1.8 meters in that suit!

He laughed. “Cute costume. Did you buy it?”

No response.

Lin Xuan, unfazed, said, “I love pandas, but I never told anyone. Got a question? Hurry!”

Three seconds passed, no reply. As fans and Lin Xuan grew puzzled, a high-pitched, odd voice emerged from the panda: “This is my costume… it’s a panda suit.”

Rong Xu: “…”

Lin Xuan: “…”

Live and online fans: “…”

[Hahaha, this panda girl’s voice is hilarious~ Sounds like a guy, but so fun. Like she’s pinching her voice. Cute! 233333 Thumbs up for our national treasure~]

Lin Xuan had many female fans, but male fans too—no surprise.

Lin Xuan steadied himself, smiling. “So, what’s your question?”

The panda nodded.

The adorable panda appeared on the big screen, cracking up fans and netizens. Then, it slowly turned, struggling to move its head, facing the smiling Rong Xu. “Rong… Rongrong, I wanna ask you.”

Lin Xuan: “…”

Stifling laughter, Rong Xu nodded seriously at the quirky voice. “Go ahead.”

“Rongrong… do you like me? Like… pandas, chu mi.”

As the words landed, the panda set down the sign, raised its round paws to its cheeks, tilted its head, and struck a cutesy pose. The deadpan “chu mi” sent fans into hysterics, charmed by the blatantly adorable panda.

Netizens spammed the livestream:

[This panda’s shamelessly flirting! TA’s tricking Rong into saying they like TA~ Rong loves pandas, not YOU~ So cute!]

[Haha, I know it’s fake flirting, but this panda’s too adorable! If I were Rongrong, I’d say I like it. Can’t resist that chu mi attack~ Chu mi chu mi, panda chu mi =3=]

[Pandas are the cutest animals ever… gotta love them!]

Fans were distracted by the panda’s antics. Even if Rong Xu said he liked it, they’d assume he meant pandas, not the fan.

On stage, the handsome teen smiled, answering earnestly, “Pandas? I love them, really love them.”

The panda grabbed the sign, pointing to its words.

Instantly, a gentle smile spread across the teen’s stunning face. He read, word by word, “I love you.”

The crowd roared.

No one cared he said it to a panda—they knew it was for all fans. Rong Xu’s “I love you” to this fan was for them all!

“AAAAH I’m exploding, bursting into fireworks, I’m soaring!!!”

The Q&A ended. The panda clutched its LED sign, standing in the aisle, watching Rong Xu and Lin Xuan’s final duet.

Silent, released online two weeks prior, was a fan favorite. A sad, slow song, Lin Xuan’s version had a childlike innocence, but with Rong Xu, it turned deeply melancholic.

Lin Xuan’s was tears for a first love; Rong Xu’s, a soulful lament for love. Each shone, their duet striking, sparking another massive sing-along.

The poignant story and mournful melody left many fans teary.

Rong Xu then left the stage, and Lin Xuan’s solo concert resumed.

After four more songs, the concert ended. Fans buzzed, sharing what they’d seen and heard. Rong Xu’s fans were elated, teary-eyed; Lin Xuan’s fans followed Rong Xu’s Weibo, quickly becoming fans.

As friends, stanning both was easy.

Dispersing 30,000 fans took time. As many chatted about the concert, Jiang Xiaowan glanced back at the panda hurrying away, its short legs (costume effect) pattering off, soon vanishing.

“Xiaowan, what’re you looking at?”

Jiang Xiaowan turned back, smiling. “Nothing, just thought that panda who asked a question was a bit weird.”

“What’s weird? Oh, right, sounded like a male fan, haha.”

“…Can’t put my finger on it, just odd.”

“Forget him, let’s hit Haidilao~ We booked a spot, hurry!”

The group laughed and left the concert, heading to Haidilao for a second gathering.

After their idol’s concerts, many fans met up at Haidilao, playing their star’s songs. Post-concert midnights, Haidilao was packed with fans, the restaurant echoing with music.

During dinner, Jiang Xiaowan remained puzzled, but friends interrupted her thoughts, and she soon forgot.

Years later, when Rong Xu and Qin Cheng’s relationship went public, Jiang Xiaowan had an epiphany: “I knew it! That panda only stood and lit the sign when Rongrong appeared, then sat and turned it off when he left. He knew Rongrong was performing! He was there to confess to Rongrong. So… was it God Qin?!”

For now, post-concert, fans regrouped, while the stars were exhausted.

Backstage, Lin Xuan let the makeup artist remove his makeup, saying to Rong Xu, “How was it? Great show, right? My manager checked—we’re dominating the top four trending topics online. Everyone’s talking about us. Director Xu should be happy now. He owes us dinner!”

The Silent premiere was in two days. Director Xu and Xiao Zitong were in S City, even holding Lin Xuan’s concert tickets. But a last-minute magazine interview kept them away.

Rong Xu, focused on his phone, typing away, didn’t respond.

Lin Xuan frowned after a few more comments. “Who’re you texting, Rongrong? Ignoring me.”

Rong Xu glanced up, smirking. “You wouldn’t want to know.”

Lin Xuan’s eyes widened, huffing. “Someone I wouldn’t care about? Tell me, who is it?”

Rong Xu’s lips curled. “Not telling.”

Under bright lights, the teen’s eyes curved into crescents, brimming with amusement. Lin Xuan froze, blurting, “Are you in love? All starry-eyed suddenly…”

Rong Xu: “…”

His phone buzzed. Lin Xuan lunged to peek: “Let me see who!”

Before Rong Xu could stop him, Lin Xuan saw the latest message—

[Clemens Holt: Sent the updated script, minor changes. Review and let me know.]

Lin Xuan’s grin faded. Sighing, he slumped. “Just talking new projects with a director? Boring.”

Rong Xu glanced at his phone, noticing Clemens’ message had covered Qin Cheng’s. Relieved, he saw Lin Xuan’s “you’re so dull” look and raised a brow.

Another message from Qin Cheng arrived.

Reading it, Rong Xu’s lips twitched. “I wasn’t texting Clemens earlier. But the person I was texting… you really wouldn’t want to know. You probably wouldn’t dare meet him.”

Lin Xuan perked up. “Someone I’d fear? Name them! Who’s Lin Xuan afraid of? Let them face me! Who’s texting you that I’d—”

“It’s me.”

Heads turned.

Brought backstage by Luo Zhentao, Qin Cheng stood at the makeup room’s door, gazing calmly inside. Makeup artists exchanged excited glances. Rong Xu subtly smiled, fingers tapping the table.

As for Lin Xuan…

“…”

Can this guy leave? Now?! I don’t want to see Qin Fengfeng at my peak moment!!!

Despite Lin Xuan’s dread of facing his Qin Fengfeng group rival, he did. Surprisingly, Qin Cheng only glanced at him, saying, “Congrats, great concert,” before leaving with Rong Xu.

Watching them walk off, Lin Xuan stood, asking, “Wait, where are you two going?”

Rong Xu turned, smiling. “I owe Qin Cheng a meal. Since he’s in S City, I’m treating.” To Luo Zhentao and Luo Xi, he added, “Don’t wait up. Qin Cheng has a car here. I’ll get back to the hotel myself.”

Luo Zhentao knew Rong Xu and Qin Cheng were close—living together over a year without issues proved it.

Luo Xi found it normal too, having seen Qin Cheng visit Rong Xu on set multiple times. They were good friends.

But Lin Xuan sensed something off. Blurting, “You’re eating without me? Take me along!”

Qin Cheng turned, eyeing him coolly. “Shouldn’t you lose weight? Some dance moves showed your flab.”

Lin Xuan’s eyes bulged. “!!!”

Rong Xu chuckled, pulling Qin Cheng away. After they left, Lin Xuan realized, “Wait, how’d you know my dance moves? Too far! Rongrong even told you that? You two are ganging up!”

He opened his phone, ranting in the Qin Fengfeng group, unaware that Qin Cheng and Rong Xu had slipped out the stadium’s back door into a black sports car.

Dark brown window tints, standard for celebrity cars, blocked prying eyes.

Rong Xu got in first, knowing paparazzi lurked near concert venues, requiring caution.

Ten minutes later, Qin Cheng, in a black cap, entered from the other side.

The door clicked shut. As Qin Cheng settled, a soft voice sounded behind him, laced with a teasing lilt, slowly saying…

“Qin Cheng.”

The man froze, turning to see his teen smiling in the dark. Clear eyes reflected streetlights, full lips curved, sparkling with starlight.

Qin Cheng’s lips tightened. He turned, starting the car.

The move was so swift, Rong Xu didn’t react. Ten minutes later, in the hotel’s underground garage, Rong Xu called, “Qin Cheng,” only to be fiercely kissed, silencing him.

Eyes widening, he soon hugged the man tightly, kissing back passionately.

In the quiet garage, no one knew that in a corner car, a top idol and a triple-award-winning actor were locked in a fervent embrace, kissing wildly. The air heated, an intimate ambiance spreading.

Meanwhile, online, the concert’s buzz skyrocketed. Fans who missed the livestream scoured for recordings, while others excitedly discussed the show.

Fresh from a magazine interview, Director Xu, pleased with the hype, nodded to his assistant director. Soon, the Silent team released the film’s final trailer before the premiere.

__

Author’s Note:
Panda Cheng: Rongrong, Rongrong, do you love pandas, chu mi =3=
Rongrong: …Why does this chu mi feel familiar? ^_^