Wendy Aldridge looked around at the glances surrounding her and instantly knew something had gone wrong. She cursed Morgan for not sticking to the script, and hurried to cover up: "It’s fine if you didn’t prepare a gift, there really wasn’t much time."
Renee Morgan’s lost expression gradually steadied, and she showed a sincere smile: "If Mr. Yates doesn’t mind, I’d like to sing a song for you as a birthday present."
Miles Yates nodded, and Renee’s face instantly lit up with a cheerful smile. She waved over three male teammates not far away, and Lynn Miller stood up beside her.
The song Renee chose was an original composed by Chloe Callahan ("Longing"). The theme of the song is waiting and yearning, and it suits a guitar accompaniment well. Earlier, Renee had asked Lynn—she played bass—and the male teammates had someone good at guitar. The group had a sudden idea to perform the song together.
Renee was the lead vocalist, Lynn Miller played bass, and the three male teammates took care of guitar, drums, and keyboard.
The lawn had barbecue, fine wine, and music; every kind of instrument was available.
Once people heard Renee and her group were going to perform, they cleared a space.
A tall barstool was placed in the open center of the lawn, the band behind her. The audience gathered in a half-circle, and all the cameras pointed at the performance, occasionally sweeping over the core people’s expressions—Miles Yates at the center, with Wendy Aldridge and Zara Chapman secondary.
Renee Morgan’s outfit today suited the song perfectly.
White shirt paired with a long white tulle skirt, poetic and beautiful.
When she sat on the high stool, her high-heeled sandals resting on the crossbar, showing off her smooth, elegant feet, she stunned everyone for a moment—many covered their mouths, faces full of amazement.
The photographer’s lens zoomed in instantly, revealing a flawless, 360-degree exquisite face. She gently closed her eyes, long lashes falling, giving an astonishing downward view—her rosy nose even radiating youthful energy.
With eyes closed, Renee held the mic and sang the first line—everyone instantly held their breath...
"The heavy feet of clouds step through sticky winds
Rain can’t let go, the sky doesn’t want to fall
The plains stretch eternally to the edge of memory
Time lifts dust, can’t see where you are
The heavy feet of clouds step through sticky winds
Rain can’t let go, the sky doesn’t want to fall
The plains stretch eternally to the edge of memory
The blurred sun and moon hang, can’t shine on where you are..."
If Chloe Callahan, the famed folk singer, has a deep, smoky voice filled with freedom and wildness—then Renee Morgan is ethereal, lazy, unrestrained. Unlike professional singers who deliberately shape the atmosphere, she simply sings the melody, her moving voice truly evokes the waiting and longing on the journey.
As everyone smiled foolishly, she suddenly stood up from the stool, gently swaying, stepping to the rhythm, dancing lightly, stirring hearts. Lynn Miller was the first to lose control, grabbing the bass and joining her in a dance at center stage.
More and more people stood up, keeping the beat, softly humming along, faces bright with youthful, joyful smiles.
"The train peacefully passes a flower in a flash
Lacking a touch of noise
The world owes me an answer..."
The world owes me an answer...
Renee Morgan held out the microphone to the crowd in the next beat.
Everyone closed their eyes, feeling that freedom within, happily singing:
"Are you waiting at the foot of the clouds
Waiting for the rain to fall
Are you gazing across the plains, longing for the strait
Did you set out on a cloudy day
Drawing pictures on the train window
Did you wave goodbye to the dusk at the end of the train..."
...
All the viewers watching the livestream went silent at this moment.
Maybe Renee wasn’t as professional as a trained singer, but her ethereal, lazy, unrestrained style brought out the song’s mood, making it sound uniquely beautiful.
Beautiful person, beautiful voice—if such was the scene of waiting and longing, they would sink into it, unwilling to leave.
Once the song ended, viewers snapped out of it, pounding their keyboards, bombarding the screen, demanding the production team quickly edit the footage—they wanted to play this song on repeat before bed tonight.
Miles Yates and Zara Chapman, moved by the music, both stood up, surrounded by everyone, humming the song and dancing. In this moment, they and the show’s staff weren’t just colleagues—they felt like old friends, singing loudly, laughing freely, their bond instantly much closer.
Wendy Aldridge was squeezed to the farthest corner, not even in the camera’s edge. Anxious but helpless, her dress was truly not suited for mixing with the crowd.
She stared at Renee Morgan in the camera’s center, her downcast gaze flashing with bitter hatred.
Renee Morgan had absolutely done it on purpose—she knew Wendy was wearing a formal gown and planned this to make her stand out as an outsider.
Just wait, the real show is coming.
Wendy Aldridge thought about tomorrow’s trending topics that would drag Renee through mud and felt her frustrated heart lighten.
As Renee finished singing, buoyed by the lively atmosphere, Miles Yates stepped forward to hug her, as well as Lynn and the three male teammates, thanking them for their heartfelt performance—he loved this gift.
Renee Morgan and Lynn Miller just hugged briefly and let go; after all, between women and men it’s different. But the three male teammates exchanged hugs, flexing muscles, boasting and showing off, clapping shoulders and chests, quickly becoming friends.
That was something Renee hadn’t expected.
But it was a good thing that Miles Yates could get along with the male teammates; she remembered that in her dream, Miles couldn’t lower his guard with them, didn’t perform well on the show, and even quit midway. After missing his comeback chance, he went home to inherit the family business—and years later it was exposed he’d suffered from depression, attempted suicide, and ended up in a coma in the hospital. Apparently, this appearance was his family’s last deadline—if there was no progress, he’d have to return home.
This high society scandal showed everyone that being an heir isn’t as easy as it seems. After returning to his family, Miles was sent abroad for more education—otherwise, who would trust him to handle the family’s massive assets?
Miles Yates had loved artistic performance since he was young, never liked school.
He dropped out as a teenager to become a trainee in the industry, debuting as a singer, then acting in dramas.
When it came to academics, Miles was a complete slacker. Expecting a slacker to quickly take over a family business—it would drive him crazy.
After days of being rescued, Miles ultimately died in a coma.
Renee Morgan didn’t know if Miles’s fate would change this time, but seeing him blend in with the group, she was happy for him.
After chatting with the male teammates, Miles turned to look for Renee, only to find she’d already left.
Lynn Miller looked at the handsome man in front of her and explained cheerfully: "Morgan’s shirt got wet; she went to change clothes."