It was quite a while before Chu Feiliang realized that when she finally let go of the railing she was gripping, her hand felt stiff.
The muscles in her palm, from gripping too tightly, made her entire hand feel rigid.
She flexed her fingers, finding it somewhat amusing that even now, she still couldn’t remain calm whenever it came to Rong Guang. But as she lowered her gaze to Rong Guang on the stage, she felt… she was probably a lost cause.
It was something she simply couldn’t control.
Nor did she want to be saved.
Rong Guang was someone who deserved to be at the center of everyone’s attention.
She shouldn’t be possessed by any one person, and she certainly shouldn’t be buried in obscurity.
Chu Feiliang never thought she was just being biased, thinking her own treasure was the best.
It was simply a fact, indisputable.
Back then, Rong Guang had debuted in a league of her own. Several of her dances had gone viral, and one that incorporated martial arts moves was even included in a professional-level dance textbook. Her power, her movements, her range, even her landings… were all the best.
Rong Guang was simply the best.
The entire concert lasted three hours. Rong Guang’s aerial cartwheel in the opening act, along with her flamboyant and unrestrained smile at the end, immediately kicked off the show with the highest level of excitement.
The fans’ anticipation had reached its peak right from the start. In that moment, all their previous resentment over Rong Guang’s six-month absence from the stage vanished completely.
At this moment, all anyone wanted to do was pour out their feelings of reluctance to let go with all their might.
Most groups might still have some heat in their first year due to the talent show they came from. But for a group to survive into its second or third year, it must have real strength.
These four girls were second to none. When their company failed to support them, they relied on themselves to get through three years.
Chu Feiliang slowly exhaled and sat back down.
Chu Siyue leaned forward and said with a smile, “She just winked at you, and you’re already losing your composure?”
Chu Feiliang glanced at her and said with a cold smile, “You’re one to talk. Be careful, what goes around comes around.”
Chu Siyue shrugged, completely unfazed by the word ‘karma’.
She leaned back relaxedly, just in time to see Chacha pull a few marshmallows out of the pouch on the front of her overalls.
It was just a glance, but she didn’t expect the little girl to notice her gaze.
Chacha’s eyes flickered. Her fair, tender little face was full of sincerity as she asked, “Sister, want some?”
With that, Chacha opened her hand and held it out in front of Chu Siyue.
Chu Siyue raised an eyebrow. She looked at the beautifully wrapped marshmallow and Chacha’s tender palm, then thought for a moment and said, “Thank you, little one.”
Candy was something she hadn’t eaten in many years.
There were no children at home, and Chu Feiliang always had to diet, so sugary things that could easily cause weight gain were practically nonexistent in their house. As a result, she never saw them, and thus never thought to eat them.
She had almost forgotten that she herself was once someone who ate so much candy that the mere mention of a dentist made her legs go weak.
Chacha’s eyes crinkled into slits. Her little cheeks puffed out, moving up and down as she chewed, and she gave Chu Siyue a brilliant smile.
It made Chu Siyue really want to pinch her little cheeks.
The show went on.
NO.1 had many songs with highly rhythmic beats, the kind that made you involuntarily bob your head along with the crowd when you heard them live.
Seeing Chu Feiliang getting into the spirit, Chu Siyue glanced at the time and asked, “It’s almost over, right?”
It was already midnight. She had originally planned to send the two elders home, but when she turned to look, they were both more energetic than the other. They had even gotten some light sticks from somewhere and rushed to the front of the stage, dancing along with the girls’ movements.
Not only were their movements precise and on point, but they were also incredibly clean and sharp.
Chu Siyue watched in astonishment.
When Chu Feiliang turned around, she happened to see it too. She couldn’t help but smile and say, “Come on, let’s get a preview of our future retirement life.”
Chu Siyue was silent for a moment.
She wasn’t like Chu Feiliang. Chu Feiliang had a wide range of interests, and after entering the entertainment industry herself, she had played all sorts of roles and often received training in posture and martial arts, so her limbs were very agile.
She, on the other hand, was not.
When it came to physical movements, she had always been rather slow.
Forget keeping up with the rhythm down there; she had never even learned the calisthenics routines from the radio. She was truly uncoordinated.
“I’ll pass,” Chu Siyue said, glancing at her. “My ideal retirement life is drinking tea, fishing, and reading books.”
Chu Feiliang scoffed, “No ambition.”
Chu Siyue returned a cold smile, “Pointless exertion.”
Chacha’s gaze darted back and forth between the two of them. Finally, she blinked, closed her little mouth, and looked up at the sky. She hadn’t seen a thing.
Chu Feiliang pressed her lips together and lowered her brows. “Is the news ready to be released next?” “Mhm,” Chu Siyue replied faintly, resting her chin on her hand as she listened to the music below.
It was now time for a very lyrical song.
Rong Guang had changed into a classical long dress. Tang Shi, as the lead vocalist, began to sing. The crowd below surged, and the fans spontaneously joined in, singing along in a mesmerized harmony.
Watching the agile lead dancer on stage, Chu Feiliang couldn’t help but smile again.
She said, somewhat casually, “Don’t hold back. If we don’t release something harsh, that filth Chen Changping probably won’t be locked up for long.”
“I know.” Chu Siyue suddenly remembered something and smiled, her eyes curving. “You used to hate getting involved in these dirty matters the most. This time, you’ve really flown into a rage because of Rong Guang.”
“They deserve it,” Chu Feiliang said faintly. “For the past six months, I’ve been holding onto this information, keeping it under wraps. It wasn’t so she would have to bear a bad reputation after leaving Star Cluster and the group disbanded.”
She shouldn’t be forced to carry a burden that isn’t hers.
A brief period of forbearance was only for a better counterattack.
Chu Siyue looked at Chu Feiliang. Vaguely, she seemed to see again the lawless, brilliantly and freely smiling teenage girl from years ago.
But then, the shadow of the person who later came to a standstill, trapping herself alone in the darkness, silently scrolling through malicious comments and violent images, reappeared on the other side.
The two silhouettes intertwined. As Chu Siyue recalled the past, she felt a painful lump form in her throat.
Her eyes started to burn.
She took a deep breath, sniffled, and said, “Don’t worry, leave it to me. Consider it… a welcoming gift for my future sister-in-law.”
After speaking, she glanced at Chu Feiliang again, cleared her throat, and said with a complicated expression, “It’ll also save you from feeling like you’re not good enough for her all day, belittling yourself for no reason. Tsk tsk, look at you. Look at her age and look at yours. She’s such a sunny, wonderful young girl. Can’t you have a bit of vitality too…”
Chu Feiliang: “…”
“Just shut up,” Chu Feiliang said, rolling her eyes expressionlessly.
Chu Siyue chuckled softly and truly said no more, as if that fleeting moment of sentimentality had just been an illusion.
But the girl in the center of the stage was confident and graceful, her every move drawing countless gazes.
No wonder her sister was so fond of someone like her.
Finally, it was time for the last song.
Whether it was the members on stage or the audience below, everyone was a bit tired by the end. But though they were weary, their spirits were still incredibly high.
After this song, the group NO.1 would be completely and truly gone from their lives.
Rong Guang caught her breath and, holding hands with Duan Nong, Tang Shi, and Yi Chun, stood in a line before everyone and took a deep bow.
The four of them took turns, each holding the microphone and speaking with a smile:
Tang Shi: “Next, please join us in singing ‘Radiance.'”
Yi Chun: “Through three years of ups and downs, ‘Radiance,’ as our debut group song, also represents our group’s spirit and the message we’ve always wanted to convey to everyone.”
Duan Nong: “The radiance remains, we remain, no one has left.”
Rong Guang: “You will see that we, who have gone through so many trials and tribulations, supporting each other all the way to this point, will also shine with the most splendid glory in the not-so-distant future.”
Rong Guang took the microphone last. Her eyes were glistening with tears, but she smiled as she said, “‘Radiance’ will, along with NO.1, accompany the fans who have been with us for so many years, as we climb the most dazzling peak together and gaze upon the most brilliant river of stars.”
She could never forget the hard work of these fans who voted for her day and night.
She could never forget how they personally formed a fan club to help her secure resources when she was at her most helpless.
She could never forget the patience of the fans who paid their own way to support her when she was at her lowest.
She could never forget every single word, every gentle yet firm and powerful sentence, under her Weibo posts during that time.
And she could never forget the words “Keep going, the radiance remains,” which had trended several times, formed word by word from a collage of fans’ profile pictures.
Amid a sea of tears and cries, Tang Shi’s most ethereal, long-held note and Rong Guang’s final spin in her white dress brought the performance to a close.
The stage lights dimmed.
Just as the fans were becoming completely immersed in their tears, a disco ball suddenly lit up in the center of the stage.
It was a bright, clear moon.
On the moon were the silhouettes of the four girls.
The entire venue erupted. Shouts rose from all directions as the instrumental of ‘Radiance’ played, slowly bringing the curtain down.
There were only tears, only reluctance to part.
And there was also hope and longing for the brightest future.
The moon slowly rose to its highest point, then finally disappeared.
Listening to the cries welling up from all around, Chu Feiliang pressed the back of her index finger against the bridge of her nose, forcibly suppressing the wave of bitterness that surged up.
She too had watched NO.1 weather the storms.
Three years. Not too long, not too short.
And yet, the time she had spent with them felt like so much more than just three years.
Suddenly, the surroundings grew brighter.
A light suddenly rose from the large screen on the stage. The light gradually grew larger and brighter, forming four distinct characters.
“Radiance walks with you.”
“We won’t say goodbye.”
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