The setting sun sank below the horizon, and the sky took on a clear, pale blue-grey hue.
A crescent moon peeked in and out of sight.
As the stage lights came on, the students who had been waiting on the field for some time erupted into raucous cheers.
Many students had bought whistles and glow sticks.
The host had barely uttered the first syllable when the glow sticks were waved and the cheering squad blew their whistles.
Backstage, Qi Shaobai had already changed into his costume.
Hearing the host's voice coming from the field, he took a deep breath.
"Little one, feeling nervous?"
Grandma drew the tai chi sword from its sheath, asking as she waved it around a few times.
Her relaxed, untroubled expression contrasted sharply with Qi Shaobai's tense look.
Qi Shaobai: "Not nervous."
Grandma smiled silently and rapped his back with the sword sheath:
"Back straight."
At her words, Qi Shaobai straightened his lazy spine and rolled his shoulders.
He then peered out from behind the stage curtain as if nothing had happened.
Searching for his dad and stepmom amongst the vast crowd.
Even with so many parents here today to see the arts festival, Qi Shaobai spotted them right away.
Sheng Mumu held a bag of snacks in her hand, spearing a dumpling with a skewer and popping it into her mouth, her cheeks instantly bulging out.
It looked to be fried crab apple dumplings from the street behind the school.
Qi Shaobai glanced away.
He saw his dad leisurely removing the wrapper from a disposable straw.
He also held a milk tea in his hand, naturally passing it to the right after inserting the straw.
Sheng Mumu took the milk tea, smiling at her father-in-law as she took a big sip.
"Did you see your dad and Mumu?"
Grandma's voice sounded from behind.
Qi Shaobai turned his head and answered truthfully, "I saw them."
Grandma grasped Qi Shaobai's shoulder, standing on her toes and squinting into the crowd, "Aren't they looking expectantly at the stage trying to find us?"
Grandma squinted, straining to make out their faces.
But her eyes weren't what they used to be, and she gave up.
"Um..." Qi Shaobai scratched the back of his head, unsure how to respond.
He didn't know how to tell Grandma that his dad and stepmom showed no signs of anxious anticipation.
Instead, they were chatting happily while eating and drinking.
Just then, the curtain separating the backstage was lifted.
The teacher in charge of coordinating poked her head out and called loudly,
"Students from Class 2 and Class 5 of 12th grade, get ready for your performance. Class 1 is going on stage now."
There was a flurry of activity backstage as everyone prepared their costumes, checked props, and got ready to perform.
Qi Shaobai cleverly changed the subject:
"Grandma, shall we go over the moves again?"
Grandma frowned in pretend anger.
"You little one, you're this close to writing 'nervous' on your face. What are you afraid of? It's just a performance. Even if you mess up the moves, Grandma's here in front to lead you."
In the stands.
The host had just announced "Class 1 of 12th Grade" when Sheng Mumu couldn't wait to pass her unfinished milk tea to Qi Mo.
"Hold this for me."
She then took out a small DV camcorder from her bag.
Qi Mo glanced over and reminded her:
"It's not Class 4 yet."
"I know," Sheng Mumu said as she adjusted the DV.
"I'll record a short clip to test it out, get some practice in. I have to get the best shots of little Qi and Grandma later."
"Mm," Qi Mo smiled, a soft spot in his heart suddenly warming up.
He nodded slowly, then asked,
"Do you need my help?"
Sheng Mumu looked up, meeting his gaze, and reflexively handed over the DV camera.
Without an ounce of pretense, she smiled, eyes curving.
"Yes."
To get the best shots, she had purposely not brought an SLR or mirrorless camera today.
The vintage quality of DV footage went perfectly with a high school campus.
But she still wasn't very familiar with all the function keys.
Since someone had volunteered, she had no reason not to give him this chance to impress.
Qi Mo took the DV camera from her hand and after just a quick look and a few presses, figured out how to adjust the aperture and focus.
After a while, he tilted his head to the side.
The distance between them suddenly shrank.
His low, magnetic voice drifted gently to her ear, carried on the night breeze.
Patiently and meticulously, he told her which buttons to press.
To see the keys clearly, Sheng Mumu also scooted a little closer to him.
Earnestly focused, she kept nodding as she listened.
After a moment...
"Was I clear enough, or do you need me to explain again?"
Qi Mo suddenly lowered the DV camera and turned to ask.
At his words, Sheng Mumu instinctively looked over.
Her breath caught.
Qi Mo's handsome, sharp features were right before her eyes, the pitch dark pupils shimmering.
The air seemed frozen for a couple seconds.
Their noses were barely an inch apart.
She blinked blankly, long curled lashes fluttering, her body unconsciously tensing up.
The next second, Sheng Mumu jerked her neck back, widening the distance between them.
She took the DV camera from Qi Mo's hand and lowered her head to fiddle with it.
Her tone carried a hint of fluster as she spoke faster than usual:
"You were clear, I'll try it myself."
Qi Mo let out a belated "Mm".
His hand was still extended, the DV camera no longer there.
Lingering on his palm was the ephemeral sensation from earlier, when her soft fingertips had brushed past as she hastily grabbed the camera.
He leaned back into his chair.
His posture seemed casual and lazy.
But only he knew.
His heart was pounding heavily against his chest.
Like a drum.
His gaze moved, then halted abruptly.
At the end of his line of sight were Sheng Mumu's faintly flushed earlobes.
Qi Mo's eyes darkened, lips quirking up ever so slightly.
His broad palm gradually tightened, then flipped over to rest lightly on his thigh.
Long lashes lowered, concealing the swirling emotions in his eyes.
Wanting to keep this moment private...
At that time, behind Beijing No. 1 High School.
Two girls followed the crowd walking in.
One girl with a bun grasped her companion's arm, as if afraid she would run away, and said:
"Xia, you have to come with me, I don't dare to go alone."
Chi Xia's fair, unadorned face showed some hesitation.
"I'll go with you, but we should at least think about what to say if the security guards catch us."
The girl with the bun was Xia's best friend. A few days ago, upon hearing Beijing No. 1 High School was holding an arts festival, she immediately started planning how to sneak in with the crowds.
Not for anything else — she just wanted to catch a glimpse of a boy she was quite interested in, whom she had met at an extracurricular class outside of school.
Last week, she found out he went to Beijing No. 1 High School after overhearing him mention to others that he would be performing the guitar at the arts festival.
Xia was dragged along purely because her bestie didn't want to go alone and needed moral support.
Just then, the speakers sounded with guitar strumming.
"Let's not think about that now," the impatient bestie hurriedly wrapped her arm around Xia's and pulled her along, "That might be him playing. Let's hurry up and run."
Before Xia could even respond, she was already being dragged by her bestie into the Beijing No. 1 High campus.
