“Study God!” Qiu Shufeng hadn’t arrived yet, but his voice came through the crack in the door.
He pushed the door open energetically, maneuvering around the people in the room to approach Qiao Huaiyao. “Study God, guess which program I drew for us?!”
Qiao Huaiyao looked at his excited expression and felt that this position might not be as bad as it seemed. However, the order of performance for non-competitive programs like theirs didn’t seem to matter much.
They could only randomly guess a relatively important slot. Qiao Huaiyao said, “Closing act?”
Qiu Shufeng was taken aback, “No way, you could guess that?!”
Wang Zhan, who had entered the room half a step ahead, almost got hit by the door as he pushed his glasses up on his nose. “Wow, you’re so excited. If it were me, I would have guessed the closing act too.”
Yu Luofan, who had followed behind, nodded in agreement. “I checked the schedule, and our performance won’t be until later. It’s still early now. Should we grab a meal, or do you want to run through it again during this time?”
Qiu Shufeng lazily stretched, “No need to rehearse again. The closing act should have some surprises. If we rehearse too much, there won’t be any excitement left.”
Wang Zhan took out his phone, “Let’s order takeout. It’s not convenient for the Academic God to hold the guitar. What do you guys want to eat? My treat.”
Many students with performances earlier had already gone outside to wait. Those with later time slots, like them, ordered takeout. Their performance was still a while away, so there was no rush.
Qiao Huaiyao said, “No need to trouble yourselves. Brother…”
Knock, knock, knock.
The sound of knocking interrupted Qiao Huaiyao, and a man outside opened the door slightly. He smiled and asked, “Is Qiao Huaiyao here?”
“I am,” Qiao Huaiyao replied.
The man nodded and handed over the food he was holding. “This is the takeout ordered by Bai Jinyan for you. Here’s the receipt with our restaurant’s contact information. If you have any issues, feel free to contact us.”
“Okay.” Qiao Huaiyao placed the takeout on the nearby table and didn’t touch the guitar on the table in front of him.
With the delivery complete, the man left with a slight nod. Qiao Huaiyao tapped the takeout and said, “You guys can choose what you like. I’m fine with anything.”
The takeout from Bai Jinyan was probably a set meal for two, packed in equal-sized containers and neatly stacked in a thermal bag.
“Wow, this place doesn’t offer delivery, right? They say takeout affects the taste and refuse to do it,” Qiu Shufeng exclaimed in surprise.
Among the many containers, one had a sticky note attached. It detailed specific requests like no onions, no cilantro… no vinegar, less salt, less oil, and even smaller font specified “not a lot.” No need to ask who that was for. Qiu Shufeng took it out and handed it directly to Qiao Huaiyao.
Qiao Huaiyao raised an eyebrow, got up, and placed the food on a small table. The writing on the note seemed printed, as it was hard to fit so many requests on a single piece of paper.
Qiao Huaiyao inserted the note into the book he had nearby.
Then, he messaged Bai Jinyan, [Takeout has arrived. (Cat peeking out.jpg)]
Bai Jinyan: [Got it. Something came up on the set. When should I come to the stage?]
Qiao Huaiyao: [No rush. We’re closing act, so it’ll be after 7 p.m.]
The performances were not rushed, and there wasn’t a strict time limit for this event. Basically, students prepared at their own pace, and the performances followed their schedules.
The takeout had a subtle flavor, leaning towards mild, and the vegetables were stir-fried just right, still vibrant in the container.
As Qiu Shufeng opened the takeout, he suddenly shouted, “Hey hey hey, Wang Zhan, stay away from the Study God! Don’t get his clothes dirty.”
Wang Zhan held the takeout and hesitated to approach Qiao Huaiyao. “Would I dare? This looks like high-end attire. It seems like it can’t be washed. If I stain it, I won’t be able to afford the consequences. I’ll just bring some water. I’ll be really careful.”
Qiao Huaiyao’s performance attire had been prepared by Bai Jinyan, and he didn’t even know the brand.
“You don’t need to be that cautious.” Qiao Huaiyao handed him the water. “It’s just clothes.”
Wang Zhan took the water with a smile, saying, “Thanks, Study God.”
Qiu Shufeng sat down on a nearby chair and changed the topic, “By the way, Wang Zhan, are you not performing?”
Wang Zhan unwrapped his chopsticks and waved his hand, “Not performing, I’ll be recording from below. Don’t worry, I’ve got all the equipment set up. I’ll take care of everything you need in advance. I’m a total pro.”
Wang Zhan added, “Oh, speaking of which, what are your plans for the holiday after military training ends?”
“I’ll be doing a part-time job locally. If you’re interested, you can come take a look,” Yu Luofan said.
Qiu Shufeng shook his head, “The holiday is quite long. I’m going home.”
Wang Zhan’s gaze silently shifted to Qiao Huaiyao not far away, and he said softly, “Study God…”
Qiao Huaiyao’s schedule had been planned out early. “I’ve signed a variety show contract.”
Wang Zhan sighed, “Too bad. He said he’d give me his camera if I could find him a part-time job. Looks like I can only borrow it.”
Unable to keep the camera, Wang Zhan ate a couple more bites of rice with a regretful expression. Joe Huaiyao hadn’t touched his meal yet; he covered the takeout and began sipping on a strawberry smoothie on the side.
The last chat on his phone with Bai Jinyan was from minutes ago, ending with his brother saying he was busy.
As the official performances began, chaos erupted in the front. Even the backstage rest area echoed with various noises. People left one after another, and the room that wasn’t very crowded to begin with became even emptier.
Some performers left after their acts, while others went to sit in the audience to watch the show. The instructors didn’t enforce any strict rules; watching the performances was voluntary.
“Ah, it’s not our turn yet, and I’m already sleepy.” Qiu Shufeng yawned and rubbed his eyes while flipping through the lyrics.
He had memorized them a while ago, but now he was reviewing them repeatedly to reinforce his memory.
Qiao Huaiyao glanced outside,
“Is it time for our program?”
“Number nine,” Yu Luofan said, sounding somewhat tired. “The MC just left the stage.”
Qiao Huaiyao nodded, mentally counting the program list. It felt like their turn was approaching, so he picked up the guitar and tested the sound.
Lately, he often held the guitar, so he didn’t need to tune it again.
Qiao Huaiyao’s mind started to wander, occasionally glancing at his phone on the table, which remained unlit.
“Study God?” Wang Zhan noticed Joe Huaiyao’s distracted state and asked, “Is something wrong, Study God?”
Qiao Huaiyao tightened his lips slightly and absentmindedly tapped on his phone a couple of times. “Nothing.”
He refocused his attention on the guitar, saying, “Let’s move the equipment.”
Their turn was coming up. Qiu Shufeng stood up, “Alright! Wang Zhan, come help.”
The makeshift stage had a curtain hanging, and as it concealed them, Qiu Shufeng and Wang Zhan crouched down and set up the microphone for singing and the one for amplifying the guitar. This was all rehearsed beforehand.
With Yu Luofan and Qiu Shufeng each holding a microphone, and Qiao Huaiyao seated at the table, the curtain in front gradually opened as their turn approached.
A row of spotlights above lit up, directing towards the three of them at the center of the stage.
Unconsciously, Qiao Huaiyao glanced towards the audience area; there were more people than he had anticipated. The sky was a bit dark, making it hard to see clearly in some places, but overall, there were only a few empty seats.