'Tears are falling instantly. Liuli's only dream is for her dad to find her.'
'Tendo is so gentle this time, not shattering her innocence, but instead giving her hope.'
'So she wanted to be a superstar not for fame, but so her dad could see her. I'm utterly broken.'
'I hope Liuli can continue with this dream, and even if she learns the truth later, she can remember this warmth.'
'It's clearly a very happy scene, yet I'm crying my eyes out. Liuli must be happy.'
By now, the dimensional viewers on Site 13 had largely figured out Tendo's personality.
Despite his arrogant and domineering style, Tendo was actually much gentler than most of the characters.
His so-called dominance was merely his refusal to listen to 'fools' advice, choosing only to follow his own will.
If someone's opinion clashed with his, the other person would always be wrong, never him.
Aside from this point, Tendo was genuinely close to being a 'warm guy' in other aspects.
He never minded helping others appropriately, nor did he mind occasionally acting as a life mentor.
Chen Kong, Chen Xing, Jing Liuli, Caroline—
Essentially, almost every character with a bit of fame and backstory in the Stars seemed to have some connection with Tendo.
Thinking about this, some dimensional viewers seemed to realize something.
'Speaking of which, Tendo Lord's current persona, doesn't it feel like that trope in classic hot-blooded shonen where a strong character helps everyone in the early stages, only to suddenly blacken and become the main villain later?'
'Holy moly, Tendo Lord as the villain, are you serious?'
'Seriously, guys, if Tendo Lord becomes the villain, can this Stars story really continue?'
'Assuming Tendo Lord turns into a villain later, then Caroline, Chen Xing, and Jing Liuli would definitely side with him. Do you really think Chen Kong has even a one-in-ten-thousand chance?'
'To be honest, I feel like the other 35 characters in the Stars combined wouldn't be enough for Tendo Lord to fight alone.'
Just as the bullet comments heatedly debated this idea, the scene in the theatrical release changed again.
This time, what appeared before the dimensional viewers was the scene of Jing Liuli's New Year's Eve Concert in the City of Crimson.
[23:50 PM]
[Aurora Aria, Sea Music Hall]
The lights of the Sea Music Hall slowly dimmed, leaving only a spotlight on Jing Liuli at the center of the stage.
She held the microphone, her light purple hair shimmering with fine luminescence under the spotlight. Her eyes, though lacking their usual playfulness, held a seriousness rarely seen on normal days.
"...So, my dream is actually quite simple."
"I hope everyone can be happy every day, and that in ten years, twenty years, fifty years, we can still gather here like this."
There were no grand pronouncements of 'becoming a global superstar,' nor any lofty ambition to 'change the music industry.'
Jing Liuli's dream was this ordinary, almost simple thing.
But looking at her serious expression on the large screen, the sea of glow sticks in the audience suddenly fell silent.
At this moment, the dimensional viewers on Site 13 also felt a warmth in their hearts, as if they were gently wrapped by something soft. They didn't find Liuli's dream small at all.
Because these were truly words that only someone like Liuli could say.
Her happiness had always been this simple.
After stating her dream, Jing Liuli looked up, her gaze cutting through the crowd and landing on the VIP section.
Simultaneously, the camera followed Jing Liuli's line of sight, focusing on Tendo and Caroline, who were seated in the VIP section.
In the frame, Tendo leaned back in his chair, fiddling with a silver coin in his hand, a nonchalant smile playing on his lips.
Caroline sat beside him, her green cat ears twitching slightly, focused on the tablet in her hand.
Looking at them, Jing Liuli smiled, then stood up from the edge of the stage.
Walking toward the center of the stage, she said with a smile, "Everyone, the next song I will be singing is one I have never performed before, because this song was given to me by a friend who wishes to remain anonymous."
"It sounds a little funny, but when I first got this song, I didn't want to sing it at all."
"Because that friend is not only incredibly arrogant, but he has never written a song before."
"When he suddenly handed the song to me, my first reaction was definitely, 'This guy is playing a trick on me again.' But the result is..."
A burst of laughter erupted from the audience upon hearing Jing Liuli's words.
But gradually, the smile on Jing Liuli's face turned complex.
"...This guy really has the capital to be arrogant."
Jing Liuli paused, then said with a mixture of helplessness and envy, "Sometimes you have to admit, some people are just like that. It's not that they can't do certain things, it's just a matter of whether they want to."
"Compared to people like him, my ability to reach where I am today is entirely dependent on luck."
Having said this, Jing Liuli no longer kept them guessing and announced the title of the new song she was about to sing.
It was named You Exist in My Song.
After hearing Jing Liuli's speech on stage, Caroline turned to look at Tendo, her green eyes filled with curiosity.
"Tendo, since when can you write songs?"
In response, Tendo said with a serious expression, "Caroline, I didn't write this song. I just helped someone else pass it on to Liuli."
Heaven and earth bore witness, Tendo was speaking the absolute truth this time.
The song he gave Jing Liuli was a classic from his previous life that he had exchanged from the Popularity System.
He truly was not the creator, merely an ordinary 'cultural porter.'
However, Caroline remained skeptical of Tendo's claim.
Because she had quietly investigated all of Tendo's experiences since his appearance.
She had also conducted a serious data analysis of everyone Tendo had encountered during this time.
Therefore, she was certain that among the people Tendo currently knew, there was absolutely no one capable of independently composing a song.
Yet, Tendo was not the type of person to be 'indirect.'
If he had truly written the song, he would have openly admitted it and would never conceal the fact.
Excluding all impossibilities, no matter how absurd the remaining answer is, it is the one and only correct 'truth.'
Perhaps this song was truly not written by Tendo, but instead, he had 'ported' it through some means from a place unknown to her.
Although she had a general idea in her mind, Caroline did not voice this thought.
Everyone had their own secrets, whether it was Tendo, herself, or anyone else.
Silence was sometimes a form of politeness and mutual understanding.
Tendo was the same in this regard.
Just as he knew Caroline's 'secret' but had never spoken of it.
In the silent understanding between the two, a soothing and melodic song... slowly began to sound from the stage.
-----------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------
I handpick only the finest and most captivating novels for you. Don't forget to check out my other novels!
p@treon HongMengZi