Jun-ge?
He really liked it!
After all, this meant that in over a decade of being childhood friends, in their battles of wits and courage, he had achieved a complete victory!
If it were any other time, Su Niansheng would definitely not have gone along with it, but she was currently overwhelmed with emotion. Forget calling him “ge,” she’d do anything.
“How about… I just acknowledge you as my brother? You’re even better than my own brother!”
She looked at him with sincere eyes, but to her surprise, the boy’s face instantly darkened, and he rejected her almost decisively and ruthlessly, “No!”
“Why not?” Su Niansheng pouted, joking, “Are you afraid I’ll become a member of the Shen family and covet your assets?”
Shen Junxi snorted lightly, “Do you want to covet them?”
“Yes, I want to strip you clean!”
“Then there’s no need to acknowledge me as your brother. There’s a more convenient, faster, and legal method.”
“What method?”
Su Niansheng looked at him in confusion, but he didn’t say, just kept smiling, unable to suppress it.
What good thing was he thinking about?
“Fine, don’t tell me then. I’m leaving.”
“Don’t even think about escaping. You haven’t called me yet.”
Shen Junxi grabbed her, and due to inertia, the girl almost crashed into his arms.
The blazing sun hung in the sky, cherry blossoms glowing brightly. The boy’s distinct black eyelashes lowered, concealing the almost drowning light in his eyes.
“If you don’t want to call me Jun-ge, you can also call me Jun-gege.”
But Su Niansheng shuddered all over, goosebumps nearly falling off.
Jun-gege…
Jun-gege~
It sounded like calling a lover.
“Ew, so gross!”
She accidentally blurted out her inner thoughts.
“Gross?” Shen Junxi narrowed his long eyes, looking at her with the gaze of someone seeing an ungrateful person. “Wasn’t it you begging me to stay yesterday?”
“Hehe, that was then, this is now!”
“Fine, forget it if you don’t want to call me. Then the reward is withheld. You owe me one.”
“Sigh~” Su Niansheng sighed softly, shaking her head, pretending to be heartbroken. “Shen Xiaoxi, you’ve changed. You’re no longer the innocent, simple, cute person you were as a child. You actually set conditions for helping now!”
Shen Junxi chuckled lowly, a deep, magnetic, pleasant breath rolling from the depths of his throat, as he reached out to remove a cherry blossom petal from her hair.
If I don’t use some tactics, you’ll be tricked away by someone.
Jing University Exhibition Hall.
The annual ‘Best Singer Finals’ venue.
Leaders from multiple universities, student union representatives, contestants’ fans, as well as hosts from popular music apps and media were all present. The place was packed, with every seat filled.
Lin Yixuan wore a white dress, standing in the contestants’ waiting area, peeking through the curtain at the audience below: This year’s event was actually this grand!
Not only was the principal present, but several important department heads were also there, and many small-time hosts were conducting live broadcasts on-site.
Yubai naturally wouldn’t miss it.
As the student union president, he sat in the excellent second-row seats.
As she watched, her heartbeat suddenly accelerated with pleasant surprise.
Shen Shao actually came too?!
When his figure appeared in the venue, it caused quite a stir. Even the principal personally stood up to greet him, guiding him to the reserved seat.
Perfect.
And it was the front row!
He could clearly see her outfit and clearly hear her singing.
She was confident that no one would remain unmoved.
This white dress, bought with two months’ worth of living expenses, was definitely not wasted!
She lowered her head to adjust her skirt slightly, then took out a mirror to carefully check if there was any flaw in her makeup before sending a message to Su Niansheng: Today, I must give it my all and dazzle everyone!
Su Niansheng received the message and typed a reply: Don’t worry, I guarantee it’ll be stunning.
“Miss Su.”
The salesperson continued introducing the two evening gowns in the workshop to her.
“This GANNI pre-season evening gown comes in two colors: white and black. Which one do you prefer?”
Su Niansheng glanced up and took a look. “The black one.”
“Alright.”
“Junxi, when did you become interested in singing competitions?”
Duan Chengyu took his seat, looking puzzled at the boy beside him.
“A few days ago.”
Shen Junxi picked up the event schedule card on his seat, his gaze fixed on the final performer, ‘Lin Yixuan,’ scheduled for 6:10 PM.
“So suddenly?”
Duan Chengyu didn’t understand and wasn’t interested.
He didn’t even enjoy the performances by famous singers his family hired for his birthdays, let alone amateur a cappella singing by college students.
How boring.
He adjusted his posture, ready to take a nap, until…
“Next, let’s welcome the final contestant, contestant number 010 from Kyoto University, Lin Yixuan, to perform for us—If This Is Love.”
“You made a choice, right or wrong…”
A pure, clear voice, both ethereal and magnetic, flowed melodiously from the microphone, sending shivers down the spines of everyone present, their scalps tingling with excitement.
Was this really that good?
It was absolutely mesmerizing from the very first note!
Was this really a cappella?
The lower register was gentle and soft, like a breeze brushing past the ears, filled with a relaxed sense of storytelling. The higher register was bright but not piercing, blending with an unyielding resilience, as if equipped with its own sound system, each note cleansing the soul and captivating the audience.
Even Duan Chengyu, who had no interest in music whatsoever, felt as if he had tasted something exquisite. He woke up leisurely and turned his gaze to the stage.
“I never expected this girl, who looks so plain, to have such a magnificent voice.”
He smiled and tilted his head, only to realize that Shen Junxi had already closed his eyes. His sharp and deep facial features exuded a lazy, soothing pleasure under the lights, as if he were completely immersed in the music.
Does he like it that much?
He looked back at the girl on stage.
She happened to be wearing a white dress—Junxi’s favorite style!
“Wow—”
In the second row, Cheng Hao couldn’t help but exclaim, nudging the boy beside him repeatedly.
“Yubai, I never would’ve guessed! Your neighbor’s sister actually has such an incredible voice—it’s like the sound of heaven! After the competition, could you introduce us?”
Shi Yubai, hearing the song, shifted his attention away from the event proposal and looked up.
He hadn’t listened to the songs she performed online during the earlier rounds, so he hadn’t expected her singing voice to be like this—completely different from when she spoke.
Radiant and captivating, the center of attention.
Below the stage were enthusiastic applause, admiring expressions, and endless praise.
Lin Yixuan reveled in this feeling. To better showcase her dress and performance, she even twirled around, her brows furrowed, looking deeply emotional.
However, just as the song reached its climax, the singing abruptly stopped.
“What’s going on?”
“Why is there no sound?”
“Strange, I can see Lin Yixuan’s mouth still moving. Is there a problem with the microphone?”
Instantly, a wave of commotion erupted in the audience.
Several seconds later, Lin Yixuan finally reacted, flusteredly stopping her words.
Wh-what happened?
Did something go wrong with Su Niansheng?