Hidden Assassin 163

“Move that table outside, take the props for the next performance… Hurry, is that still not ready? Come on…”

Four people entered the backstage area. They saw Ya Han busily directing preparations for the next performance. Her long hair was in loose waves, and under her large, old-fashioned spectacles, her gaze was steady and authoritative. Her nimble fingers shaped a bouquet of artificial flowers. After arranging them on a table, she turned, her expression softening slightly as she gave the four a friendly nod.

A few more people came running towards her with their scripts, blocking their view.

Dongfang Wan led the three to the side of the stage. A song and dance routine was being performed outside. From here, the hall seemed dark, with thousands of people immersed in the gloom. The sight was a bit daunting, and Ling Jing took a deep breath, gripping Sha Sha’s hand. Jia Ming looked around and smiled, “It’s just a small crowd. Nothing to worry about.”

“Good. The changing room is over there, follow me.” Leading the three to the back, Dongfang Wan muttered, “Ling Jing’s performance is in the fifteenth slot. The performances after yours have all been pushed back. I knew you weren’t planning to perform in the concept style, so I should have put Ling Jing’s name on the program booklet. That would have saved you from all the questioning from Tan Su Yan and the others. But that Tan Su Yan… ugh…”

“I’m sorry, we decided this at the last minute…” Ling Jing smiled apologetically. Dongfang Wan shook her head, “I was talking about the one who always comes up with crazy ideas… Ling Jing, you’re great. I wasn’t talking about you…” Her eyes darted towards Jia Ming, but she didn’t dare press him too hard. She knew he had a strange temperament and was worried he would leave with Ling Jing after throwing down six hundred yuan.

Jia Ming rolled his eyes and rubbed his nose.

Just then, Ya Han had settled the other matters and came over to the group. Dongfang Wan and Ling Jing greeted her in unison, “Teacher Zhang.” Ya Han’s face softened slightly. “Have you all prepared?”

“Yes, Ling Jing will go change now, and I’ll take the tape to the sound engineer.” Dongfang Wan nodded. Ling Jing reached into the large plastic bag and took out a cassette tape. “Yes, this is the backing track… huh?” Her eyes widened as she stared at the surface of the tape.

“What’s wrong?”

“This… seems to be the wrong one.” Ling Jing hesitated slightly. “Sha Sha, where did you get this?”

“From the desk, of course. Last night, you listened to the music, then sang along for a while before going to sleep. Wasn’t the tape left on the desk?” Sha Sha said. “Or maybe… it wasn’t?”

Ling Jing furrowed her brow in distress. “No, it’s not. Both tapes are new. This one is the backing track for a different song. While it looks the same on the surface, this tape has a scratch. See, right here… My tape is still in the tape recorder.”

“Ah…” Everyone was stunned by this. Sha Sha glanced at the watch on her wrist and was about to rush out. “I’ll go get it, my bike is outside.” Jia Ming quickly stopped her. “No, we’re short on time, I’ll go.” Sacred Heart Academy was vast. It would take a long time to get out of the school, go home, and then come back. Jia Ming was thinking about using Ya Han’s car to go back, but with Dongfang Wan present, he couldn’t say it directly. He simply gestured subtly towards Ya Han with his eyes.

“Well, I… I’ll go. I have a car anyway, and I’ve been to your place. Just give me the key.” Ya Han nodded and walked over to Jia Ming, then said softly, “Ling Jing was already a little nervous yesterday, and now there’s been a little mishap. It’s best if you and Sha Sha stay with her.” Jia Ming wasn’t sure if she understood his meaning, he pursed his lips and handed her the key.

“It’s in the tape recorder on the desk. It’s the same tape as this one.”

“Ok, don’t worry.” Ya Han smiled faintly, shaking the key in her hand, and disappeared into the crowd of students getting ready to perform.

…

…

After Ya Han left, Ling Jing changed her clothes.

A black and white long dress with a hem that reached her knees. A black short-sleeved dress with white trim was worn over a white long-sleeved shirt. The neckline was slightly open, and a pair of large-framed black sunglasses were hanging around her neck, adding a touch of color to the otherwise monochrome outfit. Beneath the skirt were calves like lotus roots, and she wore white socks with sneakers. This was the look Jia Ming had designed for her. In this era, it was not only refreshing and stylish, but it was also a trendsetting look among students. Coupled with Ling Jing’s naturally fresh appearance mixed with a mature and independent aura, as soon as she came out of the changing room, she almost caught the eye of everyone present.

Noticing everyone’s gaze, Ling Jing felt a little uneasy. She took a deep breath and sat down at an empty makeup station. Jia Ming tied up Ling Jing’s hair in a loose ponytail again and did some simple trimming. Then he applied a light layer of makeup. During this time, Dongfang Wan and the several stylists who were doing makeup for other performers nearby watched in astonishment. Jia Ming seemed more skilled than they were.

Time passed gradually, and groups of performers took to the stage, then returned. After getting their makeup done, Jia Ming, the three of them found a place to rest by the side of the stage and chatted about random things. Although Ling Jing was nervous, she wasn’t completely green. She wouldn’t really have a stage fright or anything. During this time, she occasionally heard some people whispering and pointing. Tan Su Yan and others were talking.

“Is it because the lead dancer was pulled out, and she’s here to cause trouble…”

“She’s even dressed up nicely…”

“It’s because she’s got a close relationship with Dongfang Wan…”

“I’ve never taken them seriously…”

“You dare have an opinion about Dongfang Wan of Dongfang Lu, you also have an opinion of the Dongfang family…”

“So what if I do…”

After the twelfth performance ended, Ya Han walked back in from outside. For some reason, her expression and speech both seemed low, and her gaze swept across the three, complex. She handed them the tape, “Go to the sound control and try it out, see if it’s the right tape… The one I got from the tape recorder…”

As she finished speaking, Dongfang Wan had already grabbed a small tape recorder from the side. After listening to the beginning, she confirmed it was the song to be sung. Jia Ming secretly noticed that Ya Han seemed to be in a low mood. He stood there, his white fingers clenched into fists, then loosened, clenched again, and then loosened. He seemed to want to say something, but finally, he walked slowly to the side. At that moment, as people whispered amongst themselves, Fang Yusi entered the backstage area, accompanied by her manager and several school teachers.

The scene naturally became a little chaotic. Even though the school had strictly prohibited anyone from harassing Fang Yusi, asking her questions, or requesting autographs, even if they didn’t touch her, the performers were crowded together. She came over and greeted Ya Han, exchanged pleasantries with Ling Jing, then expressed her thanks to Jia Ming with her eyes and gestures before going into a small room on the side. During this time, Xu Mo squeezed out of the crowd, walked over to Ya Han, and his expression became serious. Jia Ming could vaguely hear their conversation.

“When I was coming here, I saw your car seemed to be… injured?”

“It’s nothing.” Ya Han smiled.

“What happened? You’re usually very careful when driving.”

“It’s nothing, just a minor accident…”

“You seem to be in a bad mood…”

“I told you it’s nothing… Thank you, Teacher Xu…”

Xu Mo had been pursuing Ya Han for a long time, and he still hadn’t given up. But it seemed that he wasn’t the one who caused Ya Han’s low spirits. Jia Ming wondered about the reason. Shortly after, the performers for the fourteenth slot went onstage. Dong Danwen, one of the hosts, came down from the stage and chatted with Jia Ming’s group. Of course, she wanted to thank Jia Ming for writing the song for her. On the other hand, Tan Su Yan and the performers of the fifteenth dance number walked over to the group. This was a large-scale song and dance performance, and Tan Su Yan was close friends with the lead dancer.

“Move aside, move aside. This is where the next performance is being prepared. Don’t block the way…”

“But, I am…”

“If you want to watch the performance, go watch it downstairs…”

Ling Jing sighed, stunned for a moment. She, Jia Ming, Sha Sha, and Dong Danwen took a few steps back. As the announcer, Dongfang Wan had already told her about the performance changes, but she didn’t expose it. Tan Su Yan was her rival in school, and they were used to fighting tooth and nail. Now, she was happy to watch the show unfold.

A few minutes later, the fourteenth performance ended. Dongfang Wan ran over with a microphone and handed it to Ling Jing. She saw Tan Su Yan and the others still waiting there, and said, “Well… your performance has been pushed back one slot. There’s going to be a special performance… uh, actually, there was supposed to be a special performance…”

“What are you talking about…” Before Tan Su Yan could lose her temper, Dong Danwen’s sweet and generous voice came from the stage.

“Ok, next up, we have a special performance prepared for you. Originally, we invited a concept band that’s very popular in Jiang Hai City to appear, but due to a last-minute issue with the band, they nominated a singer to perform in their place, Ye Ling Jing from Class One, Grade One… You may not be familiar with this band, as they only started performing at the beginning of this year. They don’t release albums, they just write songs for others. According to some senior musicians, every song they write has the potential to make a singer a big star. Of course, what’s said is one thing, whether it sounds good or not is up to you to judge… Ok, up next, Ye Ling Jing…”

“…Spinning Wood!”

Applause erupted. The three of them put their hands together, shouted “Go for it!” and Ling Jing took a deep breath, raised her head, and walked towards the stage.

The clear music began to play softly, and Ya Han walked behind Jia Ming, patted him on the shoulder, her left hand still clenched into a fist.

Xu Mo watched from afar, his expression deep.

“Jia Ming, I… I have something I want to tell you. Can I?”

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