The next day, Everbloom flew to the final stop of their world tour before the grand finale in H. City.
Fatigue lingered in the air, softened by a quiet undercurrent of anticipation. By the window, Mengyao gazed at the drifting clouds, her mother's harsh words still echoing in her mind.
Across the aisle, Song Meiqi leaned back with music in her ears, while Lina and Siyu angled their phones for selfies to post on weibo. Beside them, Xiuying, as always, was already fast asleep.
After long hours of flight, the girls stepped off the plane into the warm bustle of Country N and into the hotel.
The next day, though still running on little rest, the girls headed straight to the studio to rehearse their songs, now slightly rearranged to include the live band.
As usual, the girls danced and sang as if the rhythm were etched into their very souls, every movement sharp and every note unwavering. Yet beneath the flawless harmony lay the weight of exhaustion—lungs burning, muscles aching, and smiles held in place by sheer will.
After hours of practice, they finally called for a break.
Mengyao sank onto one of the benches, sweat trailing down her face as she took a long drink from her water bottle. Moments later, Meiqi joined her, settling down at her side.
"What's wrong?" Meiqi asked suddenly, catching Mengyao off guard.
Mengyao flinched before glancing at her. "What?"
"Well… others might not notice, but I can," Meiqi said in her light, gentle voice. "Something's bothering you."
A flicker of guilt crossed Mengyao's eyes, vanishing as quickly as it came. She masked it with a smile and shook her head. "It's nothing. I can handle it," she said, her gaze lingering on Meiqi's bright, round eyes, a quiet warmth spreading in her chest.
She's always like this… always the first to ask me what's wrong, Mengyao thought, a gentle smile tugging at her lips before the words slipped out. "Thank you."
Meiqi chuckled softly. "No problem," she replied, the easy exchange a quiet testament to how close they were.
A burst of laughter suddenly echoed through the room, cutting through the quiet and drawing Meiqi and Mengyao's attention forward.
Ahead of them, Lina was mercilessly tickling Siyu, who was already doubled over on the floor, gasping between fits of laughter.
Song Meiqi chuckled and stood to help Siyu, who was still laughing on the floor, while Xiuying let out a long-suffering sigh.
"We're already in our twenties, yet they still act like this," she murmured under her breath.
Mengyao smiled faintly at the scene, her heart warming—until her mother's harsh words crept back into her mind like a blade twisting in her chest.
If they knew I lied to them… would they still accept me as their friend? Her gaze lingered on them, fingers tightening around the bottle in her hand.
Meanwhile, miles away from the cozy scenes of the rehearsal room, Wang Zi Rui sat buried under a growing stack of paperwork, his focus sharp despite the mounting pressure.
All these years, he had stayed away from his family's business, living independently in Country E. Without relying on power or wealth, he built his own architectural firm — and now, he had returned to start anew, walking the path that had been laid out for him.
He adjusted his glasses and sipped the coffee on his desk before turning back to the documents in his hand.
Outside, beyond the clear panes of his office walls, employees cast curious glances at their new vice president.
"Whoa… geniuses really do have a different aura," murmured a man in corporate attire.
The two women sharing his cubicle turned to him, their gazes filled with curiosity.
The man looked genuinely surprised. "You don't know?" he asked.
Both women shook their heads.
Catching the curiosity in their eyes, he straightened, his tone taking on a storyteller's weight.
"Twenty-six years ago, the whole nation buzzed over the marriage between GL Holdings' newly appointed president, Wang Jing Feng, and the 'Piano Goddess,' Teacher Su. Two years later, they had their first son — yes, our new vice president.
But this child wasn't like any other. People say he spoke before he could even stand, and by the age of three, he was already playing the piano. Just like his mother, he was a prodigy… a genius." He paused, and his expression darkened.
"But as his fame spread internationally, tragedy struck. Fourteen years ago, during a major competition, he made a mistake he couldn't recover from — couldn't even finish his piece. He didn't win… and from that day on, he vanished from the public eye."
Both gasped, as if stumbling upon the juiciest secret of the night, their eyes drifting back to the story's main star.
Wang Zi Rui set the documents down on the table and leaned back in his chair for a break.
He looked drained, his face stripped of all emotion as his gaze fixed on the ceiling.
Far from the cold, stifling air of Wang Zi Rui's office, Everbloom stepped onto the stage to a deafening roar.
Fans screamed at the top of their lungs, their voices blending into a single wave of adoration.
Song Meiqi gripped her mic, moving fluidly through the choreography, her smile dazzling under the stage lights—unaware that danger was quietly drawing closer.