Chapter Seventy-Seven: The Arrival of Nian Nu Jiao

"I’m warning you, if we go in and don’t hear this so-called masterpiece you keep bragging about, just wait till we get home—I’ll teach you a lesson," Yang Feifei said, growing more exasperated the better she got to know Su Tong. No wonder his fans at the runway shows were constantly torn between love and frustration; sometimes he was just infuriating.

Su Tong laughed heartily, secretly thinking how he’d soon give them a scare, but for now, he kept it under wraps.

"Tang Yan, are my outfits ready?" he asked before entering the hall.

Tang Yan nodded. "They're ready. I’ll take your three friends to their seats, then head backstage to find you."

Once inside, there was a backstage corridor. Tang Yan led Yang Feifei and the others to their seats, while Su Tong went directly backstage.

As soon as he entered the corridor, a girl from the school’s Literature and Arts Department approached him, visibly excited.

"Su Tong, you’re here." Yin Xue quickly led him to the sound room. Su Tong had mentioned he would sing another song besides "I Believe," but only he had the accompaniment—he hadn’t given it to the teacher responsible for music yet.

Yin Xue took Su Tong backstage, and instantly, every gaze turned to him, a mix of surprise and fervor.

The audience hadn’t heard the news, but the performers backstage had caught wind: Nian Nu Jiao would be appearing tonight.

Nian Nu Jiao—the original composer and singer of "I Believe," and creator of so many classics.

To these students, it was hard to believe that such a "star" was actually at their school.

"Nian Nu Jiao!"

Suddenly, a female voice shrieked, and backstage erupted into chaos as nearly all the performers crowded around.

So Nian Nu Jiao was actually this handsome! The girls were beside themselves, screaming and swooning.

Yin Xue blushed, feeling as if all eyes were on her; she was the center of attention.

"So handsome!" a girl couldn’t help exclaiming. They’d only seen celebrities on TV, and now, seeing one in the flesh—even the boys were excited.

"Make way, everyone, Su Tong still needs to get to the sound room and prepare for his performance." Yin Xue and Su Tong squeezed through the crowd.

The hosts, having learned Nian Nu Jiao had arrived, hurried from the depths of backstage, visibly thrilled.

Only two acts remained before eight o’clock.

The hosts—a talented young man and a beautiful young woman—were waiting backstage to announce the acts, otherwise they’d have joined the crowd to see Nian Nu Jiao themselves.

The two acts passed quickly, and eight o’clock arrived. The hosts returned to the stage.

From their expressions, Yang Feifei knew what was about to happen. She quickly raised her phone, opened the camera and microphone, and aimed it at the stage.

Their seats were excellent—second row, center aisle.

The network connection was perfect, and the video streamed smoothly.

"Wow, what kind of phone does brother use? The features are incredible, the resolution is so high."

"Is that the school auditorium?"

"Haha, I see them—those two on stage. Is the guy our brother? Why does he look so plain?"

"Are you blind? He looks nothing like him, that’s the host."

"......"

Nian Nu Jiao’s restless fans, having waited so long, exploded into cheers as the stream began.

On stage—

The male host, visibly excited: "Students, I truly envy you all. Do you know why?"

The freshmen looked puzzled. Honestly, this kind of event was boring; after just an hour, many wanted to leave. But as new students, they clearly couldn’t make a fuss.

Perhaps influenced by her partner, the female host was also thrilled. Clearly, they’d rehearsed their lines, so she feigned curiosity: "Li Bin, why is that?"

The male host tried to contain his excitement. "Do you know who we invited to tonight’s event?"

The freshmen rolled their eyes. Before the show started, he’d already gotten excited saying similar things—some leader was coming, another leader was coming.

Who on earth knew who was who? What did it matter?

"Who did we invite? Look how excited you are," the female host teased.

"Want to soar into the sky, shoulder to shoulder with the sun," the male host sang a few lines, blushing. "Who here has heard ‘I Believe’? Who can sing it?"

The female host played along, addressing the audience: "If you can sing it or have heard it, please answer or raise your hand."

"Heard it."

"Heard it."

"Can sing."

"Heard it."

"Can sing."

……

Most students responded or raised their hands—after all, a beauty had asked them.

Yang Feifei saw plenty of hands, and her phone scanned the whole hall.

"Wow, so many people have heard brother’s song or can sing it."

"Haha, brother is amazing, so many fans."

"Let’s recruit them all into our League of Heroes, build our organization, conquer cities, and be invincible."

"……"

Su Tong’s fans watching the stream wished they could be there in person. Unlike these clueless freshmen, they knew their idol was about to appear.

"Dear students," the male host finally unleashed the big news, unable to hide his excitement. "The original composer, lyricist, and singer of ‘I Believe’—Nian Nu Jiao—have you heard of him, have you seen him?"

The freshmen froze, as if suddenly grasping something.

"Now, with immense excitement, I announce to you all—the original singer of ‘I Believe’..." At this point, the male host nearly roared, "Nian Nu Jiao is here tonight! He’s here, he’s really here!"

Wow—

The hall erupted, the audience in an uproar. The female host led the screaming, igniting the entire auditorium.

The accompaniment for "I Believe" began. Su Tong, dressed in blue sneakers, blue jeans, and a white T-shirt, strode lightly from the corner of the stage, keeping to the rhythm, youthful and lively.

He was handsome, stylish, full of vitality—as if he were born to sing this song.

"Ah~~~"

"Nian Nu Jiao, Nian Nu Jiao..."

"Nian Nu Jiao, Nian Nu Jiao..."

The freshmen screamed; the reality of Nian Nu Jiao’s presence seemed surreal, prompting wild shouts.

"Hey~"

"Yeah~"

The stirring, powerful intro rang out. Every step, every gesture, matched the music and his voice, striking the hearts of the silent audience below.

"Want to soar into the sky
Shoulder to shoulder with the sun
The world awaits my change
I never fear to dream
Here, my dreams come true
..."

Su Tong was thoroughly enjoying himself, his heart surging like the crowd below. The performance at the Golden Garden plaza was his first real stage appearance, but there were fewer people then.

Most importantly, here there was stage lighting—this was the real stage.

A recording studio or room could never compare to a live performance; the atmosphere here was the power of the crowd, far surpassing any individual strength.

Nian Nu Jiao’s anthem to youth and dreams shook every freshman’s heart.

This was youth.

"A new beginning, a new life, dreams are here—if you have a dream, sing it out loud with me!" Su Tong waved his arm, pointing skyward, blazing with spirit.

He sang out again, and the freshmen couldn’t hold back. They rose, waving their arms, singing along—careless of pitch or skill, just shouting with him.

"I believe I am myself
I believe in tomorrow
I believe youth knows no horizon
On the sunlit shore
On the bustling street
Everywhere is my beautiful paradise
..."

"Oh, I can’t help it, the live show is so wild!"

"Ahh, brother’s live performance is insane—I want to see his concert!"

"Ugh, I so wish I were there!"

"..."

There weren’t many viewers before tonight’s stream, not even a million, but everyone knew—those fans who missed it would regret it forever.

Brother’s stage presence was incredible; he could ignite the whole hall with ease.