"Zhan-ge!" Yibo pounced off his seat the moment the classroom door opened.
"Yibo. When did you come back," Xiao Zhan asked as Yibo pulled him away from Chuyue's side.
"Not long ago," Yibo replied while glaring at Chuyue, clearly accusing him of kidnapping his doctor.
Chuyue simply smiled at Wang-er gongzi's childishness. "We went to rehearse," he tried to defend himself.
"Hmph." If this was the ancient time and Yibo was wearing a long-sleeve, he would have flicked his arm in annoyance. But this wasn't. So, Yibo simply flicked his vision away from Chuyue instead.
Xiao Zhan gave an apologetic glance to Chuyue who shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly.
Yibo was planning to stay in the room and guard Xiao Zhan, but their reunion was cut short when a backstage crew student ran towards them. "Chuyue," the student tried to catch her breath.
"What's up?"
"Aish," the student held back a curse. "They were supposed to keep you backstage for hair and makeup," she turned to Xiao Zhan, "and tried on the stage outfit. You're about the same build so hopefully, the outfit fits."
"She's talking about my friend, the one you're replacing," Chuyue clarified.
Xiao Zhan nodded his head in acknowledgment. "Let's go back then."
"Sorry for the confusion, and thank you for helping out," she apologized to Xiao Zhan.
Xiao Zhan turned to Yibo. "I'll see you backstage then," he asked to both confirm and seek reassurance that Yibo will be present to ease his nerves later on.
Yibo understood the later implication and smiled softly at Xiao Zhan. "Mn," he promised.
Xiao Zhan then walked away with the two students, having more courage than before.
The female student, however, wanted to take one more look at Wang-er gonzi considering how she just witnessed a heavenly expression that has never appeared on TV before. Unfortunately, what she captured was the normal icy indifference face with a touch of menace towards the people who just lured his treasure away. Again!
~~~~~
Another hour went by and the stage was set. The normally enclosed concert hall lowered its walls and turned the venue into an outdoor stadium. As the sun rays dawned over the land, the campus lights of Gusu flickered on with a domino effect towards the stadium. Being the brightest spot within a five-mile radius, it became the guiding light for the lost souls.
As the audience excitements were escalating to the point of boiling over, the crowd still ventured in with organized lines and a moderate pace. This was Gusu and order was always in place until it was appropriate to do otherwise. "When is it appropriate," some new students asked and the answer was, "When the performance takes your breath away."
This phenomenon was put into position right from the opening performance for the change in itinerary resulted in Wang Yibo being the first performer.
The moment the clock tower chimed for nine p.m., the stadium lights shutdown, silencing the audience in preparation for the show.
A single drum beat thundered in the soundless night.
The audience took a breath, waiting for the next signal.
Another beat sounded.
Then another followed.
And the last one played as lightning flashed through the land.
The audience screamed in hysteria, even when their eyesight has not adjusted to the brightness. But they knew, even without seeing, that the person on stage was none other than Wang Yibo. Standing on a lifted pedestal in the center of the stage, the man started to move his body to Bruno Mars - "Drippin in Finesse".
He traded his grey yukata for a pair of black pants, a black shirt, a black sports jacket, and a black hat. If it wasn't for the stage light, Yibo would have blended into the night sky.
Xiao Zhan was backstage with his eyes glued to the TV screen as he tried to digest the presence of this man that he was currently dating. It doesn't matter if he knew that Yibo was a celebrity or that he has seen Yibo's prior performances before; to see it live like this, knowing the gorgeous dancer was bending his body in such a way right now, just on the other side of this wall... Xiao Zhan was hypnotized and wished that he was seeing it first hand instead of through a screen.
Scattered in the audience were the other two doctors, one of whom forgot that she was an "ex-love rival" of the one dancing on the stage.
Zoey was screaming like all the fangirls and boys around while Zhuo Cheng was slightly very annoyed. What's so great about it. Sure his moves seemed to match with the tempo and I'm slightly impressed with how flexible Yibo was, but it wasn't that godly... Of course, Zhuo Cheng wouldn't dare to voice his opinions so all he could do was roll his eyes at these ridiculous nonsensical screeching around him.
Zhuo Cheng at least hoped that his best friend, brother, and now Wang Yibo's lover was not fanboying like these lunatics. Just the thought sent a shiver down his back, causing him to grab his head and shook the image away violently. The people around him who witnessed it took a step away.
Once Yibo's performance was over and Zhuo Cheng was able to hear his thoughts again, he turned to Zoey and asked, "Where is Xiao Zhan," not expecting her to know the answer. Zhuo Cheng sent Xiao Zhan a message which was ignored since the man was too busy trying to not have a panic attack while Zoey received a reply from Fan Xing that caused her to grab Zhuo Cheng's shoulders and screamed, "HOLY. SHIT!"
~~~~~
"Are you ready," Chuyue whispered to Xiao Zhan as the MC announced their performance.
Xiao Zhan took a controlled inhale and nodded his head. The stage light dimmed, Now or never, he thought.
The two men stepped onto the glass floor, designed in a checker pattern. Chuyue sat down on the stairsteps while Xiao Zhan stood towards the front with his back facing the audience. The floor lights and ceiling rays slowly illuminated, shadowing the outline of the performers.
The melody began as the rays of light twinkled with the beats. Xiao Zhan closed his eyes, raised the microphone to his lips and sang out the first line: Why does my heart waver as the wind blows stronger
Slowly immersing himself to the moment, to the emotions portrayed in the lyrics, Xiao steadily turned around to face the audience.
Like a speck of dust dancing wildly and freely with the wind
I will hold tightly onto the steady yet drifting courage in my hands
I will become a giant, stepping with the strength of my dreams
Clad in a light blue woven sweater and faded blue jeans, Xiao Zhan stood barefoot onstage as if he was born for the limelight. Merely forty seconds had passed and every soul who was watching had already worshiped him as their new God.
Why does my heart waver as the wind blows stronger
Like a grain of sand dancing wildly and gently with the wind
I will bury the tiny courage that I uphold deeply
And continue to walk straight into the gust
Yibo, the first and biggest devotee, had run to find a spot after his performance so that he wouldn't miss this precious moment of his beloved. So. When Xiao Zhan lifted the corner of lips in the middle of a verse, Yibo couldn't help but think, Ah~ I'm completely captured. Instead of fearing for the inexplicable emotion, of the thought of losing his bachelor life, of the responsibility of being domesticated; Yibo instead raised both corners of his lips and gleamed. He has fully, wholeheartedly offered up his every being to this magnificent man on stage.
Blow! Blow! At my pride and indulgence
Blow! Blow! It will not destroy my pure and clean garden
Let the wind blow, let it mess up
You cannot destroy my hope at the end
Chuyue harmonized with Xiao Zhan at the chorus in his falsetto. Cladded in a white knitted sweater, blue jeans, and also barefoot, he stood up and walked towards Xiao Zhan as the background melody intensified.
Blow! Blow! I'm barefooted and unafraid
Blow! Blow! It's alright, disturb me
You can see I'm smiling bravely
You can see I'm waving bravely
As the audience immersed themselves into the song, the friends and family of the two performers watched on with pride. That's my brother, my son, my uncle, my friend, my love. Look how great they sound, how perfect they are for the stage.
Is that you, who will give me the door to the heart
That will let me proceed bravely
Is that you, who will give me the door to the light
That will let me fear nothing
Perhaps it was great luck, perhaps it was their delusion but Xiao Zhan felt like he spotted Yibo at the perimeter of the audience seatings and Yibo felt like Xiao Zhan looked at him. It was more likely a fluke with the contrasting stage light and dimmed seating area, but YiZhan would like to believe that their magnetic affections guided them to each other.
With this silly desire blooming in his mind, Xiao Zhan allowed the happiness to seep through his performance as he hollered out the lyrics with Chuyue, stomping his leg to the beat. Let the wind blow. I am a giant, stepping with my dreams.
Author's note:
This Festival Chapter was greatly inspired by Xiao Zhan's performance. It's by far my favorite one and I wanted to write something relating to it. Then the idea of a school festival performance popped in my head anddddd here we are XD.
The next update will be in 2 weeks. I have to work next weekend so I want to utilize my small free time reading fanfics. Remember, writers are a result of overindulgence as a reader!