The concert was scheduled for the weekend.
Su Ci started getting ready early. Although her main purpose was to save someone, it was also like a date with Lu Zhe, so she absolutely wouldn't allow herself to be careless and just wear anything out the door.
She changed into a white dress. It was sleeveless with pleated skirts, resembling a sporty dress that fell just to her knees. She wore white sneakers and tied her hair back in a ponytail with a light yellow ribbon.
Though she had an innocent appearance, Su Ci's features were strikingly beautiful. The small beauty mark at the corner of her eye added a touch of allure, making her both pure and seductive.
Just as she came out of her room, she saw Ji Chi also emerging from his room, carrying a black backpack and preparing to go out.
Su Ci instinctively glanced at his wrist, seeing that Ji Chi's life value only had one week remaining.
"It's Sunday, are you still going to work part-time?" Su Ci actively asked Ji Chi.
Ji Chi nodded, "Yes."
Su Ci felt that in some ways, Ji Chi was indeed similar to Lu Zhe - they were both men of few words. "I heard from Mom that you work at a bubble tea shop during the day, what about at night?"
Meeting the girl's clear, bright eyes, Ji Chi instinctively lowered his gaze and answered softly, "A bar."
He worked as a waiter at a bar at night, which wasn't something to be ashamed of.
There was no disdain or judgment in Su Ci's eyes as she said, "Bars can be quite chaotic sometimes. Be careful when you're working, and if you run into any trouble, you can ask Uncle Li for help."
Uncle Li was the Su family's butler and a long-time employee; people outside generally showed him respect.
Ji Chi looked at her with slight surprise and nodded in agreement.
Su's Mother was arranging flowers in the living room when she saw Su Ci and Ji Chi coming downstairs, both dressed to go out. "Ci Ci, are you and Little Chi going out together?"
Although it was already past four in the afternoon, the sun was still strong and the temperature was hot.
Su Ci smiled and told her mother, "I'm meeting a friend to go to a concert tonight."
Ji Chi also spoke up: "Auntie Su, I have the night shift today."
Su's Mother realized she had misunderstood, "Alright, come back early." She worriedly reminded her daughter, "There will be lots of people at the concert, be careful."
"Don't worry, Mom. Brother has sent plenty of bodyguards and staff to the concert venue, there won't be any problems."
Only after Su Ci promised to take care of herself did her mother let her go.
Lu Zhe's car was already waiting outside.
Watching the girl come out of the Su residence with Ji Chi walking beside her - the girl beautiful and bright, the young man tall and handsome - they made an eye-catching pair.
Lu Zhe's eyes darkened slightly.
He thought about the medical report from his hospital check-up today, and slowly withdrew his gaze, his hand hanging at his side feeling slightly numb.
"Have you been waiting long?" Su Ci opened the car door and sat inside, finally escaping the heat.
The August weather was still scorching; just walking outside for a moment made one sweat.
Lu Zhe's skin was cool, and Su Ci sat close to him, pressing against his arm.
Feeling the girl's warmth, Lu Zhe regained sensation in his fingertips. He inserted a straw into a glass of lemon water and handed it to her, "Not long."
Su Ci took a sip, the ice-cold drink making her feel much better.
She looked at the white bandage still wrapped around Lu Zhe's hand, feeling somewhat distressed, "Did you change your bandage today?"
"Yes, I did." Lu Zhe naturally took the drink from the girl's hands and placed it in the armrest holder beside them.
Su Ci placed her hand on Lu Zhe's bandaged hand, gently hooking her fingers with his.
Her brother's arm injury was no longer serious, but Lu Zhe's wound was too deep and would take at least another month to heal completely.
"When your hand is better, I'll go with you to have the bandages removed," Su Ci said with a smile.
Lu Zhe took her restless little hand in his other palm, "Mm."
The concert was scheduled to start at 7:30 PM.
Since they had left early, Su Ci and Lu Zhe had dinner before heading to the venue.
When they arrived at the concert entrance, it was already packed with people. Fans were holding light sticks and support lights while waiting to enter, and some who hadn't managed to get tickets were haggling with scalpers.
Su Ci and Lu Zhe used the VIP entrance, where a manager was already waiting to receive them, having been informed of her arrival.
"Miss Su." The manager had received a call from his superiors about the Su family's princess coming, so he had been waiting early.
Now seeing Su Ci in person, the manager couldn't help but marvel at the Su family's good looks.
"Miss Su, you can enter now," the manager respectfully led the way.
Su Ci held Lu Zhe's hand as they walked inside. The manager noticed their joined hands but didn't dare to look too long or say anything.
Su Ci and Lu Zhe's seats were arranged in the front-center VIP section, which had the best view and optimal stage effects.
Su Ci had already had people thoroughly check the stage multiple times.
"Is Zheng Hao backstage? I'd like to meet him," Su Ci turned to Lu Zhe and said, "Wait here for me, I'll be back soon."
Now that the stage had been confirmed safe, she needed to check Zheng Hao's life value.
Lu Zhe knew this concert was for the male artist Zheng Hao that Su Ci had mentioned, though he wasn't sure when she had become a fan.
He didn't say anything, just watched as the girl followed the manager backstage.
Backstage was chaos, full of backup dancers and performers busy with makeup and costume changes.
The manager protected Su Ci as they made their way through, preventing others from bumping into her. "Miss Su, Zheng Hao's dressing room is inside. He should be doing his makeup."
At the door, the manager knocked.
When he opened it, they immediately heard arguing voices from inside.
Zheng Hao was leaning back in his chair, raising an eyebrow at his agent, "I don't agree. This is my concert and I'm in charge. I don't need others telling me how to perform."
The agent was getting a headache, "Didn't we agree during yesterday's rehearsal? The effect was good, and the safety wire is for your protection."
Zheng Hao pushed away the makeup artist's hand trying to touch up his makeup, insisting, "I refuse. The wire doesn't achieve the stunning effect I want. Brother Qi, I haven't made any mistakes during all this time rehearsing. You should have more faith in your artist."
"Zheng Hao, this is the company's order," the agent said with difficulty.
He certainly had faith in Zheng Hao and knew he hadn't made any mistakes during rehearsals. However, for Zheng Hao's safety, the company had mandated that he use safety wires for such dangerous performances.
Zheng Hao shrugged, "It doesn't matter. During the concert, I'm in charge. I'll explain to the company afterward."
Zheng Hao knew the company meant well, but he was a perfectionist. He wanted his first concert to amaze and satisfy his fans.
At this moment, the dressing room door opened.
Zheng Hao and others in the room looked over to see the manager standing at the door with a stunningly beautiful girl beside him.
The girl's beautiful fair face wore a somewhat cold expression.
The agent quickly composed himself and said to the manager, "Zheng Hao is doing makeup, photos will have to wait until later."
The agent was used to seeing wealthy young fans with connections, but he hadn't expected the Su family's daughter to come.
Su Ci's gaze fell on Zheng Hao's wrist, seeing that his life value only had one hour left. Clearly, the stage wasn't the problem - something would happen during the performance.
She knew Zheng Hao's concert program and was aware that one of his performances involved doing a backflip on a rising platform. Such a difficult move in such a dangerous place was obviously going to be the cause of the incident.
That's why she had her brother order that Zheng Hao must use safety wires during this performance to ensure his safety.
Su Ci spoke directly to Zheng Hao: "You must use safety wires when performing the backflip."
Zheng Hao had seen Su Ci once on a TV show. Her face was unforgettable after just one look, and the Su family's daughter had been trending frequently these past two days.
Zheng Hao had changed into his performance outfit - a loose black sweater with shimmering gold threads, the neckline plunging low enough to reveal hints of his muscular chest. He wore black leather pants paired with black boots, looking both sexy and handsome.
His bangs were styled back, fully revealing his handsome face. The eyeliner he wore made him look sensual and alluring.
There was a reason why Zheng Hao was so popular.
He raised an eyebrow at Su Ci, with a slightly roguish smile playing on his lips. "Miss Su, are you worried about me?"
Su Ci ignored his flirtatious glance. "You need to follow the company's arrangements."
Zheng Hao's lips twitched. "Everything during the concert is my decision."
Su Ci frowned. If it weren't for needing to collect golden cotton candy for Lu Zhe, she wouldn't even bother with someone as stubborn as Zheng Hao.
"You might be confident in yourself, but the company needs one hundred percent safety. If anything happens to you during the concert, the company will be affected by your willfulness," Su Ci threatened directly. "You're now Creation God's artist, so you must follow the company's arrangements, unless you want to be shelved."
After speaking, Su Ci left without looking at him again.
The manager patted the agent's shoulder and followed her out.
Zheng Hao stood up and kicked the chair violently.
The agent looked at his rebellious demeanor. "You heard what Miss Su said. She's the Su family's treasure, even the CEO listens to her. You can't act recklessly."
Zheng Hao irritably ran his fingers through his hair, causing some bangs to fall forward, making his handsome face look even more dashingly unruly. "I'm not even worried about accidents happening to me, but this Su Ci is using the company to pressure me. So annoying."
Hearing Zheng Hao's words, the agent deeply felt that this young master needed another, more formidable young master to keep him in check.
Su Ci walked out angrily.
She wasn't sure if Zheng Hao had taken her words seriously or if he would be swayed by her threats.
"Have medical personnel been arranged to be on site?" Su Ci asked the manager.
The manager quickly responded, "Please rest assured, Miss Su. The medical personnel are already on site, ready at any moment."
The manager felt that the company was taking Zheng Hao's concert very seriously. Not only had they assigned many staff members to handle the concert, but they had also repeatedly checked the stage multiple times to ensure its safety.
They had even specially invited a medical team to be present on-site, so if any accidents occurred during the concert, immediate treatment would be available.
Su Ci let out a breath of relief.
She had done everything she could. If Zheng Hao insisted on being stubborn and any accidents occurred, hopefully, the medical personnel could save him immediately.
Su Ci walked towards the VIP seats.
The other audience members hadn't entered yet, and the stage was still testing the lighting. The surrounding lights weren't on, and she saw Lu Zhe sitting in his original position, his figure seeming to merge with the darkness, carrying an indescribable loneliness.
Su Ci pressed her lips together and quickened her pace towards him.
She sat down next to Lu Zhe, leaned close, and directly kissed his cold lips.
"Darling." Lu Zhe glanced around at the many staff members near the stage.
Su Ci felt the coldness leave the young man's body, and she became happy.
Blinking her eyes, Su Ci's eye corners curved up as she deliberately asked in surprise, "What's wrong? Don't you like me kissing you?"
Lu Zhe: ......
He reached out to pinch the girl's cheek, his dark eyes filled with both helplessness and indulgence. In the dim light, he said softly, "I like it."
Su Ci laughed joyfully, her beautiful eyes full of smugness.
She knew it - being such a beautiful and cute little enchantress with sweet lips, how could Lu Zhe not like her kisses?
At seven o'clock, the audience members started entering gradually.
The regular seats were separated from the front VIP seats by some distance, ensuring comfort in the VIP area.
Soon, the audience seats were filled with fans.
When the concert began, the fans' deafening cheers erupted.
"Zheng Hao, Zheng Hao, Zheng Hao......"
The calls grew even more excited when Zheng Hao appeared, and Su Ci even heard someone's voice crack from behind.
Su Ci had always been someone else's idol before; this was her first time experiencing fan culture as an observer.
"Do you have any favorite idols?" Su Ci asked Lu Zhe beside her.
Lu Zhe: "No."
Su Ci had already guessed the answer. She would have been surprised if Lu Zhe had said yes.
Zheng Hao was excellent at both singing and dancing, and the atmosphere quickly became energetic.
Amidst the fans' excited screams, Su Ci was counting the time - Zheng Hao's life value had only half an hour left.
From her front position and the close-ups on the big screen, Su Ci barely managed to see the life value on Zheng Hao's wrist when he raised his hand - it was still a thin red line.
She felt somewhat nervous.
Even though she didn't care about Zheng Hao personally, this was still a human life, and she didn't want to witness its loss.
Twenty minutes left.
Zheng Hao was giving it his all on stage, and the fans' screams grew more excited.
Su Ci's attention was completely focused on Zheng Hao's wrist.
At this moment, she accidentally noticed across the stage that a group of people were escorting someone in, and the person in the middle was too eye-catching to ignore.
"Brother?" Su Ci gasped softly.
Lu Zhe followed her gaze.
It was indeed Su ZhiYuan.
"Why did big brother come?" Su Ci shrank against Lu Zhe's side, trying to hide herself as much as possible, thankful for the dim lighting around the stage.
She had told her brother she was coming with friends, but now that she was sitting with Lu Zhe, it was obviously impossible to hide.
Su Ci suddenly felt the embarrassment of two schoolchildren caught by their parents while playing hooky.
Several seats in the middle of the VIP section were occupied, and Su ZhiYuan sat down several seats away from Su Ci.
Su Ci let out half a breath of relief, unsure whether her brother had seen her and Lu Zhe.
She buried her head in Lu Zhe's chest. "My brother didn't see me, right?"
The girl's cowardly behavior made Lu Zhe laugh. "Probably not. Your brother seems to have come with friends."
Su Ci secretly peeked out, looking in that direction. Indeed, there was a woman sitting next to her brother, seemingly talking to him about something.
Su Ci finally relaxed. With a friend present, her brother probably wouldn't have time to pay attention to her.
Su Ci planned to quietly leave with Lu Zhe after watching the changes in Zheng Hao's life value for these twenty minutes.
Next, Su Ci tried to keep herself hidden behind Lu Zhe while anxiously waiting for Zheng Hao's backflip performance.
Doing a backflip on flat ground was already impressive, but Zheng Hao was attempting to perform a backflip on a three-meter-high lifting platform. The fans were excitedly chanting his name continuously.
In the audience stands, Zheng Hao's support colors filled the space, like stars scattered across the night sky.
Su Ci checked the time on her phone.
Five minutes left.
At this moment, Zheng Hao came out in his performance outfit - this time wearing a deep purple silk shirt with a loose hem hanging out, and several strands of his hair sprayed with deep purple hair dye, making him look like a purple demon.
"Nervous?" Lu Zhe felt the girl's hand tightly gripping his palm.
Unlike other fans' excited state during the concert, Lu Zhe noticed that Su Ci showed no excitement or joy, but rather seemed nervous.
Why was she nervous?
Su Ci's eyes were focused intently on the stage, where Zheng Hao stood on the lifting platform. Dry ice created a fog effect as the platform slowly rose.
Seeing the steel wire behind him, Su Ci's red lips curved up, her delicate features finally relaxing. She smiled and told Lu Zhe, "After the concert, I'll have something nice for you."
Lu Zhe turned his head to look at her, seeing the girl's eyes sparkling brightly, as if something had suddenly made her happy.
On stage, the lifting platform stopped at its designated height. As Zheng Hao's song neared its end, he began his backflip for the finale.
Just as Zheng Hao flipped backward, at the moment of landing, his foot slipped, with one foot landing outside the lifting platform, and his entire body began to fall.
The fans stared in horror, screaming, "Zheng Hao, be careful......"
In the next instant, just as Zheng Hao's body was about to hit the ground, he was caught by the steel wire attached to him, leaving him suspended half a meter above the ground before slowly being lowered.
As he touched down, dry ice vapor rose from the stage while purple petals scattered through the air.
This beautiful scene caused fans to gasp in surprise before erupting in joy.
Zheng Hao lay on the stage, his chest heaving violently, his heart feeling as if it would burst from his chest from fright.
He closed his eyes briefly, then stood up amid the fans' cheers and took a deep bow toward the audience.
Only he knew how close he had come to death.
His manager had been watching Zheng Hao's performance from offstage. When Zheng Hao had slipped, the manager nearly jumped up in terror - a fall from a three-meter-high lifting platform could have been unthinkable.
The manager patted his chest in lingering fear, his pale face taking a while to regain its color.
He realized that if Su Ci hadn't appeared in the dressing room earlier and insisted on using the steel wire, Zheng Hao would likely be lying on the stage now, being rushed to emergency care.
This Su Ci was truly remarkable - they were incredibly fortunate that she had helped Zheng Hao avoid disaster.
The venue was filled with fans' cheers.
While Zheng Hao, his manager, and the fans all breathed sighs of relief, only Su Ci stared at Zheng Hao on stage in disbelief.
Her gaze fell on Zheng Hao's wrist, where on the large screen, his life value remained a thin red line.
Su Ci quickly pulled out her phone and checked the time on the screen - she hadn't gotten the timing wrong, Zheng Hao's danger should have passed.
Everything that had just happened had indeed prevented Zheng Hao's death.
Su Ci's brows furrowed deeply.
Why was Zheng Hao's life value still showing as a thin red line?
In the past, whenever she saved someone, their life value would change immediately. This was the first time Su Ci had encountered such a situation - where someone she had saved still showed a red line for their life value.
Su Ci watched Zheng Hao, wondering if he was destined to die after all.
