Ch.63 – The Star Around The Sun

Xia Xingcheng took a plane to the city where the TV station was located the night before the award ceremony. This time, it was Huang Jixin who came with him. The TV station staff picked them up at the airport and took them to the hotel they had booked. 

The artists invited to the award ceremony would be staying at this hotel, and most of them would be arriving on the same day. It was only because Xia Xingcheng had to perform that they had called him up a day earlier. 

The next morning, Xia Xingcheng and Qin Xueyue went to record the songs together, and in the afternoon, they had a dress rehearsal at the TV station’s largest studio. 

It had been a while since they had seen each other. Qin Xueyue had already forgotten Xia Xingcheng’s previous offense, taking his arm affectionately as soon as she saw him. 

The award ceremony’s organizers had arranged for the two of them to sing a sweet, lively and catchy love song. During the rehearsal, the director wanted them to have some intimate interactions, so at the end, they tilted their heads towards each other, respectively raising their arms to form a heart. The act seemed somewhat silly to Xia Xingcheng, but the director was particularly fond of the result. 

As usual, the award ceremony was hosted by Chen Hailan. 

Chen Hailan gave Xia Xingcheng a warm hug when the latter ran into him in the dressing room backstage. Immediately after, the director called for him to come out. Before the award ceremony officially started, Xia Xingchen also met Ren Jingyuan. 

The games they played by the pool at Chen Hailan’s wedding weren’t pleasant memories for Xia Xingcheng, but Ren Jingyuan had a good impression of him, probably because he thought he was very easy-going, so he invited him and Qin Xueyue to have a late-night dinner together after the ceremony. Xia Xingcheng didn’t refuse nor readily agreed, only saying that he would decide later. 

After Xia Xingcheng was made up, the staff members arranged for him to go sit down first. Their program was in the middle of the award ceremony, so he had to wait for about half an hour after the ceremony started before going backstage to change costumes. 

At this time, more than half of the people in the studio were seated. The seats around Xia Xingcheng were all filled with both familiar and unfamiliar celebrities. Before he had time to sit down, he had to continuously greet those he knew. 

After exchanging pleasantries with those around him, Xia Xingcheng had just sat down when he caught sight of Yang Youming.

Yang Youming entered the studio and walked to the front row seats, accompanied by the TV station’s chief. Among all the artists tonight, in terms of status, it might not be convenient to compare him with one or two senior actors, but he was definitely the most famous in terms of fame. Moreover, this was his first public appearance since the news of his divorce with Yuan Qian broke out.

Xia Xingcheng noticed that many people were looking at the man, especially some of the audience seated in the back rows, who had blatantly taken out their phones to secretly film him. The originally noisy studio slightly quietened down for a split second, yet what followed was even more chaotic whispered discussions. 

But Yang Youming still maintained a relaxed posture like nothing had happened as he walked to the front row seats with the station chief. His slender fingers unbuttoned his suit before sitting down with the station chief. 

Every camera in the room was aimed towards Yang Youming, regardless of whether it belonged to the media invitees or the ones owned by the TV station. There was a large screen on the side of the stage in front of him that would broadcast what the indoor cameras were filming, and at this time, it showed a close up of Yang Youming’s gentle and calm face. 

Xia Xingcheng’s seat behind Yang Youming’s, a little off to the side. He wasn’t sure if Yang Youming had seen him. This scene suddenly reminded him of the time at Chen Hailan’s wedding, when Yang Youming had arrived late in front of everyone’s eyes and picked up Xia Xingcheng’s fallen boutonniere as he passed by. 

Not long after that, the award ceremony officially began.

Xia Xingcheng stared at Yang Youming’s side profile from behind for a while before turning his head. Closing his eyes, he began to recall the positions and choreographed actions of his performance later on. 

After about half an hour, the staff came to ask Xia Xingcheng to go backstage to wait his turn performing. He stood up and followed the staff backstage from the first row of seats. Stopping at the entrance, he turned to look towards Yang Youming and saw that the man in question was concentrating his gaze on the stage and not at him, so he turned back and continued to walk forward. 

When the performance started, Xia Xingcheng couldn’t afford to care about Yang Youming. Although he had recorded the song in advance, he was not a professional singer. This kind of situation inevitably made him feel nervous.

The stage lights shone brightly on his eyes, and he focused on finding every position that he had previously rehearsed, earnestly interacting with Qin Xueyue. As for the people in the audience below–he couldn’t seem to see anything clearly under the lights.

For the final ending pose, he was all smiles as he formed a heart shape with Qin Xueyue. The audience below erupted with warm applause. Qin Xueyue was so excited that she turned her head and kissed Xia Xingcheng on the cheek. At that moment, the applause intensified, and Xia Xingcheng could also hear people’s cheers and someone whistling. 

He led Qin Xueyue’s hand to smile and bow in greeting, and then the two stepped off the stage together. As they were about to leave the stage, Qin Xueyue leaned close to his ear and said something, but Xia Xingcheng didn’t hear it clearly, only catching the last word “right?”. He pretended to have heard, and smiled as he replied, “Yeah.”

After they went backstage, Xia Xingcheng changed out of his performance clothes and had a makeup artist touch up his makeup that had slightly faded due to perspiration before going back to the studio to sit down. 

Yang Youming presented the best drama of the year award, which was the grand finale of the entire awards ceremony. Shortly after that, the ceremony ended, and he left with the staff before the press had a chance to surround him.

Xia Xingcheng didn’t get a chance to speak to him, not even exchanging a glance, but it didn’t matter–Xia Xingcheng already knew the number of his hotel room.  

Qin Xueyue’s seat was very close to Xia Xingcheng’s, and she stopped him just as he was about to leave, saying that Ren Jingyuan was already waiting for them. 

Xia Xingcheng raised his hand and pressed his forehead, saying, “I’m not feeling well, I want to go back to the hotel to rest.”

“What’s wrong?” Qin Xueyue looked a little worried.

Xia Xingcheng said, “I haven’t rested well since yesterday, I’ve been too tense, and I’m afraid I’ll throw up if I drink later.”

Just then, Huang Jixin walked over, and when he heard Xia Xingcheng say that he wasn’t feeling well, he said, “Is everything alright? Hurry back to the hotel and rest.”

Qin Xueyue no longer stalled him, instructing Xia Xingcheng to go back and get a good night’s sleep and go to the hospital if he still felt unwell. 

Xia Xingcheng thanked her and left with Huang Jixin.

Huang Jixin genuinely thought that he wasn’t feeling well, and after returning to the hotel, he even accompanied Xia Xingcheng into his room and asked, “Do you need me to go buy some medicine for you?”

Xia Xingcheng sat down on the edge of the bed, pulled off his bowtie, and unfastened the buttons on his suit jacket and collar. He said, “It’s fine, go rest up.”

Huang Jixin leaned against the wall and looked at him, “You’re really fine?”

Xia Xingcheng took off his shoes and socks together and sat cross-legged on the bed, tilting his head up to look at Huang Jixin, “Would you like to help me bathe?”

Huang Jixin straightened and waved his hand towards the door, “Call me if you feel sick.”

Xia Xingcheng merely sat quietly. Hearing Huang Jixin’s footsteps leaving and the sound of the door slamming shut, he remained motionless and waited for nearly ten minutes before standing up, slipping his bare feet directly into his shoes. He raised a hand and ruffled his hair as he walked out. 

It was quiet in the hallway, and no one was there. 

Xia Xingcheng took the elevator up two floors. Exiting the elevator, his leather shoes tread soft carpet as he walks along the corridor, finally stopping in front of Yang Youming’s room. He raised his hand and knocked on the door.

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t/n – it’s coming!!

⟵ Chapter 62 | TOC | Chapter 64 ⟶