Dark Fire chapter 62
Extra 6 – The Concert
In mid-November, Ling Zhuo’s first solo digital album went online, and its sales soared, breaking several records in a short time. The dates and locations for his first solo concert were officially announced as well: three consecutive performances at the end of December and early January, in three different first-tier cities. The final concert was scheduled for New Year’s Day, which also happened to be Lu Chixie’s 26th birthday.
For the past two months, Ling Zhuo had been spending every day either at the recording studio or the dance studio, dedicating all his time and energy to preparing for this solo concert, to the point of neglecting sleep and food.
By the time Lu Chixie arrived at the dance studio to pick him up, it was already past nine o’clock. Ling Zhuo was still sweating it out in the dance practice room. Lu Chixie came in, leaned against the wall, and watched quietly for a while without interrupting. Only when Ling Zhuo mentioned needing to practice another round did he raise his hand to knock on the wall. Hearing the sound, Ling Zhuo turned around, slightly surprised to see him, and walked over.
“What are you doing here?”
Lu Chixie replied, “Even if you don’t want to rest, others need to. It’s already late; let’s call it a day.”
Ling Zhuo glanced at the time and realized it was almost 9:30. With only three days left before the concert, he had been living in the dance studio for almost a week, and he needed to go to the city where the first concert would be held for rehearsal the next day. Feeling nervous, he kept repeating his practice.
Realizing how tired everyone else was, Ling Zhuo felt a bit embarrassed. He quickly apologized to the exhausted backup dancers and dismissed them.
As he followed Lu Chixie out, he felt the temperature drop outside. Ling Zhuo tightened his down jacket and asked, “How come you’re free today?”
Lu Chixie, who had joined a new film crew at the beginning of October and would be shooting until before the Spring Festival next year, hadn’t had much time to see Ling Zhuo. This time, they hadn’t met for almost ten days.
“I’m flying out tomorrow, so I came to spend the night with you.” Lu Chixie started the car, turned on the heater, and the temperature inside the car began to rise.
Ling Zhuo watched Lu Chixie’s strong profile and suddenly leaned over to kiss him on the cheek. Lu Chixie looked at him with a smile in his eyes and asked, “What was that for?”
Ling Zhuo, trying to stay calm, averted his gaze and said, “Nothing, just wanted to kiss you.”
Lu Chixie pulled up the handbrake, unfastened his seatbelt, leaned over, grabbed one of Ling Zhuo’s wrists, and pressed him into the seat, covering his lips with a deep kiss. Ling Zhuo was momentarily surprised but quickly responded, opening his lips and meeting Lu Chixie’s passionate kiss.
Their lips and tongues intertwined, savoring each other’s breath, their breathing growing uneven. After the kiss ended, Lu Chixie rubbed Ling Zhuo’s waist, wiped away the moisture from the corner of his mouth with his thumb, and slowly withdrew, returning to the driver’s seat and stepping on the gas.
Ling Zhuo licked his lips, which had probably been bitten, and thought it was a bit excessive to be so intimate in a public parking garage.
“What are you thinking about?” Lu Chixie asked as he drove.
Ling Zhuo replied, “Nothing. By the way, did you receive the invitation I sent you?”
He had sent out a dozen invitations for his concert, including to former teammates, industry friends, and Lu Chixie. The card and content of the invitation were all personally designed and handwritten by him. The one for Lu Chixie was even more special; he had sent Yang Ming to deliver it to the suburban film set this morning.
Lu Chixie smiled, “Yes, it’s in the glove compartment.”
Ling Zhuo pulled out the sky-blue invitation from the glove compartment. The back of the card featured his elegant penmanship, inviting Lu Chixie to the final concert of his New Year’s Eve performance in this city, signed with his signature and the words “Love you.”
He asked, “Will you come?”
Lu Chixie replied, “If I have time, I will. It’s not certain.”
Ling Zhuo pressed, “Try to come if you can.”
Lu Chixie looked at him, and Ling Zhuo coughed lightly, “It’s my first solo concert; you should come and support me.”
Lu Chixie said, “I’m just kidding. Of course, I’ll be there. Even if you hadn’t sent me an invitation, I would still be there.”
Ling Zhuo felt relieved, “Then remember to come on time.”
Lu Chixie raised his eyebrows.
Without asking further, he turned on the car’s stereo, which was playing songs from Ling Zhuo’s new album.
Ling Zhuo had almost single-handedly produced this album, pouring a lot of effort and energy into it, trying various styles. Every song was written by him, with a few even completed years ago but included in this album after reworking them. The album received high praise from many experienced musicians, and although fans initially bought it in large numbers, more people later came for the music itself, leading to steady sales growth. The hard work was finally paying off.
“Do you always play this in your car?” Ling Zhuo asked.
Lu Chixie replied, “I listen to it even when I’m resting on set.”
Ling Zhuo said, “Isn’t that a bit much?”
Lu Chixie responded, “Your songs are good. What’s wrong with that? By the way, I heard from Yang Ming that you’re still recording new tracks. Didn’t you just release the album?”
Ling Zhuo hesitated and said, “I plan to release a single in the spring. I deliberately didn’t include it in the album.”
He didn’t elaborate, and although Lu Chixie found it a bit odd, he didn’t press further. “Do you want to grab a late-night snack?”
Ling Zhuo replied, “No, let’s head home. I have an early flight tomorrow, and I want to get some rest.”
Although he said he wanted to rest early, they hadn’t seen each other for ten days, so before sleeping, they couldn’t resist some intimacy.
Considering Ling Zhuo had to prepare for the concert, they didn’t go all the way. After they calmed down, Lu Chixie held him close and they fell asleep together.
The next morning, Ling Zhuo flew out to another city, and Lu Chixie returned to the film set. Before Ling Zhuo left, Lu Chixie called him back to wrap his scarf around his neck and said, “See you in half a month.”
Ling Zhuo gave him a light kiss on the lips and reminded him, “Remember to come to the concert, and don’t be late.”
Lu Chixie promised, “I will.”
Over the next two weeks, Ling Zhuo traveled between two cities. The two concerts were a great success, with the entire venue ablaze with red lights for him. The once-dreamed-of goal had finally come true. He stood on the grandest stage, under the brightest spotlight, with countless people cheering for him. Even though he was alone, he wasn’t lonely, because he had so many fans who truly loved him, and he still had Lu Chixie.
Two days before New Year’s Eve, he and his concert team returned to Beijing. The final concert was approaching, and it was the largest one, with all 80,000 tickets sold out. The event was heavily covered by the media, and his lover and friends would be there to watch.
Even Zhang Jing, usually calm, was a bit nervous, repeatedly reminding him to perform well. Ling Zhuo, however, was calm and reassured her with a smile, “It’ll be fine, Jing Jie. Just watch.”
Zhang Jing asked, “Did you add a song to this concert? Is it a new song?”
Ling Zhuo replied, “Yes, it’s a new song I plan to release as a single next time. Today is its premiere.”
Zhang Jing glanced at the song title and reminded him, “Be mindful of the content.”
Ling Zhuo smiled brightly, “I know.”
In the venue, the guest seats were already filled. Lu Chixie had taken leave from the film set in the afternoon and arrived but didn’t disturb Ling Zhuo. Instead, he went straight to his seat and waited for the performance to begin.
After greeting other guests, he noticed that Zhong Yiran and the former teammates had arrived. They were seated near him. Qi Liangyu called out to him, “young master, you’re here too?”
Lu Chixie casually replied, “You’re here as well.”
Deng Lanluo whispered, “Today seems to be his birthday.”
Qi Liangyu asked, “Whose?”
Deng Lanluo gestured towards Lu Chixie’s direction and said, “Him.”
Qi Liangyu was surprised, and Zhang Xun commented, “No wonder Ling Zhuo chose to hold his concert in this cold weather. I felt like he might have invited us here to exact revenge…”
Qi Liangyu said, “That’s unlikely. It’s just a concert; Ling Ge wouldn’t do such a thing.”
Deng Lanluo chuckled, “Maybe not.”
Zhong Yiran remained silent, calmly observing the stage, and finally reminded them, “It’s starting. Quiet now.”
The lights in the venue dimmed suddenly, intense drumming sounds came from all directions, followed by exploding fireworks and music. The colorful stage lights quickly changed and overlapped, revealing the figure standing in the center of the stage. He began with a powerful high note, followed by an explosive dance performance that instantly set the venue on fire.
The audience erupted in screams, a sea of cheers that was deafening.
In the guest seats, everyone cheered and clapped along with the fans. Lu Chixie held up a red glow stick that he had picked up when he entered and cheered for the person on stage.
For a full two hours, Ling Zhuo gave his all, singing with sweat pouring down, delivering a near-perfect performance that concluded the concert brilliantly.
When the stage lights went down, the fans were still chanting “Encore” loudly, again and again. Ling Zhuo returned to the stage and sang two more songs. At the end, he spun around, bowing to every corner of the audience, with countless people in tears, calling out his name.
Even after the second “Encore,” some people were still not satisfied, wanting him to return to the stage.
Five minutes later, a spotlight suddenly shone in the center of the dark stage. Ling Zhuo, wearing a simple white turtleneck sweater and jeans, sat at a grand piano.
The screams erupted again as the big screen showed his gentle expression and bright smile. Once the noise subsided, he began to speak slowly, smiling, “I’ve dreamed of having my own concert for a long time. I’ve prepared a lot for today, and there have been many obstacles along the way. Fortunately, with your support and companionship, these three concerts have been completed successfully.”
“I don’t know if you’re satisfied with my performance,” hearing the loud “Satisfied” from the audience, Ling Zhuo smiled again, “As long as you’re satisfied, I’m happy today and hope everyone is happy too.”
“The last song is called ‘The One I Love the Most.’”
He said no more, and his fingers touched the piano keys, producing a gentle piano melody.
At that moment, the entire audience seemed to hold their breath, listening to the tender piano accompaniment and Ling Zhuo’s voice, filled with love that couldn’t be spoken aloud, singing to one person in front of tens of thousands.
To you and me, as the greatest love of a lifetime.
In the guest seats, Lu Chixie, along with many others, listened quietly, with a subtle smile on his lips.
He had sensed that this was Ling Zhuo’s meticulously prepared, unique birthday gift, a declaration of love given in the grandest way.
Although unspoken, the love was overwhelming, the greatest indulgence Ling Zhuo could give him.
He was his greatest love.
His lover had given him the most grand confession in this epic way.
Author’s Note:
I was hesitant about writing this scene because many people criticize the cliché of confessing at concerts in entertainment industry stories, saying they would “kill their idol” if it were their favorite. So I decided to just have the singer sing without too much talking, hoping it would still be acceptable.