When the music ended, the audience stood up and applauded.
Applause surged from the front of the stage back, layer upon layer, all the way to the very back of the studio.
Some people were shouting "Bravo!", some were whistling, and some were clapping their hands above their heads.
The audience members in the front row stood the straightest, their palms turning red from clapping.
But the most excited people weren't them, they were Ning Qing's fans.
Ning Qing for so many years, and her fan base is mostly female.
They came to support Ning Qing tonight, holding up light sticks and sitting in the fan area from the moment they entered, waiting for their singer to come on stage.
When Ning Qing came out, they called out for a while, and then when they saw Cheng Che standing next to Ning Qing, they were stunned.
A female fan who likes female celebrities is very likely to like Cheng Che as well.
The logic is simple: if you like a female celebrity, it means you have good taste. A girl with good taste would be attracted to Cheng Che's face and his suit.
But before they could even get excited, Cheng Che spoke up.
When the first line of " Because of Love " came through the monitor, several girls in the fan area were stunned at the same time.
They had heard " Chasing the Wind " and knew that Cheng Che sang well, but that was a studio version.
People in the entertainment industry know that recording studios and live performances are two completely different things. Anyone can sing in a studio after some tweaking, but live performances often reveal their true colors the moment they open their mouths.
Then Cheng Che sang.
The sound emanated from the speakers, clean, with a slight huskiness, as steady as playing a CD.
Moreover, his singing has a gentle, unhurried quality, as if he's telling you a story.
The fan section was quiet for a moment, then exploded.
"He sings so well!"
"I originally came to see Ning Qing, but now I'm a bit stuck."
"What kind of voice is that? It sounds even better live than in the recording studio!"
"Damn, I'm thinking of switching sides."
Backstage, the technical director of the Mango TV stared at the real-time data, tapping his fingers twice on the keyboard to make sure he wasn't mistaken.
The number of online users jumped after Cheng Che spoke, reaching the highest number he had ever seen since he joined the company.
He gripped the mouse, excitedly turning to his colleague beside him and saying, "Record broken! Our station's highest record for variety show live streaming has been broken by a single song!"
A colleague leaned over for a glance, paused for a moment, and then remarked with a sigh:
" Cheng Che is practically a walking internet sensation."
After the guest performance segment ended, Cheng Che didn't leave.
As Ning Qing stepped down from the stage, she glanced at him and whispered, "If you have something to do, you can leave now." Cheng Che shook his head.
"You've come all this way, let's finish watching."
He sat in the lounge and watched the rest of the performances.
He watched the solo competitions that followed very attentively, occasionally exchanging a few words with Ning Qing, and occasionally glancing down at his phone.
Ning Qing sat beside her, saying little, but not moving away either.
When the competition results were announced, the title of "King of Singers" was awarded to a female singer who was not young.
Ning Qing ranked third, not making it into the top two.
She smiled slightly when she heard the result, her expression calm, as if she had known all along.
Cheng Che glanced at her. "Not disappointed?"
"What's there to be disappointed about?" Ning Qing took off her in-ear monitor, her tone indifferent. "The rankings for this kind of show are already decided."
Cheng Che smiled but didn't reply.
It was almost midnight when the match ended.
The winning female singer was backstage organizing a late-night snack for everyone. As she passed Ning Qing, she patted her on the shoulder and said, " Xiao Ning, want to come along?"
"I'm not going, sis." Ning Qing waved her hand. "I'm a little tired and want to go back and rest."
The female singer glanced at her, then at Cheng Che standing next to her, her expression becoming somewhat ambiguous. "Oh, okay then. You get some rest."
As she left, she patted Ning Qing on the back and added in a low voice, "Not bad, young man."
Ning Qing blushed slightly but didn't reply.
Upon exiting the Mango TV station, both individuals were fully armed, their hats pulled low and masks pulled up to their noses, leaving only their eyes visible.
The streets were quiet in the early morning, and the streetlights cast long shadows of the two people.
"There's a lot of promotional work planned for ' The Realm and Old Friends '," Ning Qing said as they walked. "The release date announcement, trailer shooting, character poster shoots, variety show appearances, and online live streams before the premiere. This whole process will keep us busy for at least a month."
Cheng Che nodded.
He barely participated in the promotion of " The Youth Here," it was all done by the production crew.
But " The Realm and Old Friends " is different; he's the male lead and also an investor, so he couldn't turn it down.
"It's alright," he said with a smile. "I haven't experienced much of this before, so it's a good opportunity to learn."
Ning Qing glanced at him sideways. "You really find it interesting?"
"I really think so," Cheng Che kicked a soda can by the roadside, "Before, I was too busy playing basketball and writing papers to get involved in the entertainment industry. Now that I'm making up for it, I can finally be a complete star."
Ning Qing smiled and said nothing more.
The two walked to the hotel, entered the elevator, and Ning Qing pressed her floor button.
As the elevator went up, she lowered her head and rubbed her fingers together on her bag strap.
When she reached her floor, she stepped out of the elevator, turned around, and looked at Cheng Che.
"Thank you for today," she said earnestly, "For the guest performance, and... for staying to watch the whole show."
Cheng Che leaned against the elevator door frame, looking at her. "No need to thank me, I already promised."
Ning Qing pursed her lips, as if she wanted to say something, but then swallowed it back.
She stood frozen in the corridor, unsure whether to move forward or backward.
Cheng Che looked at her for two seconds, then took a step forward, reached out, and gently hugged her.
It wasn't heavy, and it didn't last long; he patted her back briefly and then let go.
"Good night."
He said that, then turned and walked away at a leisurely pace, raising his hand to wave at her.
Ning Qing stood there, watching his figure disappear around the corner of the corridor.
Then she lowered her head, buried her face in her hands, and her shoulders hunched slightly.
He chuckled twice.