It felt like a long time had passed.
Su Yu found it hard to catch his breath before the two finally separated.
Lin Yanyu's face was flushed crimson as she buried her head in Su Yu's chest, too shy to look up.
Su Yu, with a smile, pinched her cheek, then raised his head to scan the stage.
Not far away, Gong Ju-ren watched them, a wide, amused grin on his face.
Zhang Tingting slumped to the ground, her face ashen.
She never imagined that Lin Yanyu would confess her feelings after winning the championship.
Now that Lin Yanyu had confessed, her carefully acquired dirt on her, bought for two million, was completely useless.
She let out a bitter laugh and pushed herself up from the ground, walking slowly towards the backstage. Her steps were stiff, as if she had lost her soul.
She had exhausted herself trying to win the championship, only for it to slip through her fingers.
She had wanted to drag Lin Yanyu down with her, only to realize that all along, she had been the joke.
...
"Haha, who would have thought student Lin Yanyu would give us such a big surprise! This episode has come to an end. Thank you all for watching. Let's give them a thunderous round of applause and best wishes!"
The host wiped the sweat from his brow, inwardly groaning.
What in the world was going on?
Was this something that could be broadcast live?
Did young people these days have such bold ways of expressing themselves?
As the host finished speaking, the audience erupted in enthusiastic applause.
Following this was the usual round of thanking sponsors.
"Quick, take pictures!"
"This is big news, a traffic magnet!"
"I'm sure Weibo will explode with trending topics soon!"
"..."
The reporters below the stage raised their cameras and aimed them at the pair, snapping photos furiously.
"Su Yu."
Lin Yanyu emerged from Su Yu's embrace, tears streaming down her face.
"What is it?"
Su Yu wiped her face with his sleeve, his voice gentle.
"They made me kiss you just now," Lin Yanyu said softly.
"And then?" Su Yu blinked in surprise.
"This time, I wanted to kiss you myself. To put my mark on you."
Lin Yanyu's eyes curved into crescent moons as she smiled, looking exceptionally cute.
Before Su Yu could fully comprehend her words, she cupped his face with her hands, stood on her tiptoes, and pressed her lips to his forehead.
"Wow!"
The applause hadn't even stopped.
The audience, who thought it was all over, erupted again as they witnessed the scene on stage.
Seriously, who would have thought watching a singing competition would turn into a display of public affection?
And not just once, but twice?
Did they even consider the feelings of us fans!
Their hearts had been broken once, and now they were being ground into dust again.
"Wuwuwu... I want to leave this place!"
"Why did I even bother watching a competition..."
"Is this how you show affection? It's too much!"
"Su Yu, right? Can't you lower your head a little? Isn't my goddess tired from standing on her tiptoes?"
"Wuwuwu... As long as she's happy, I'm fine..."
"No!!"
...
The finals of "Good Voice" concluded.
Lin Yanyu led Su Yu out of the venue through a different exit.
Not far from the venue was a riverside road, where people occasionally jogged, and many couples walked.
Su Yu and Lin Yanyu were among those couples.
After walking for a while, Su Yu suddenly realized he hadn't seen Gong Ju-ren since the crowd dispersed.
The guy had been egging them on to kiss just moments ago, and now he had vanished.
"What's wrong?" Lin Yanyu asked, noticing him looking around.
"Little fairy, did you see Little Gong?"
"Oh, so you're with me, and you're thinking about other men," Lin Yanyu feigned a pout.
"Uh, this..." Su Yu rubbed his nose, unsure how to respond.
He just felt that since they had come together, it was natural to be concerned when someone suddenly disappeared.
Gong Ju-ren was a good-natured fellow, and if he got into trouble, Su Yu wouldn't know how to explain it back home.
"Pfft..." Lin Yanyu was amused by his expression.
She chuckled and said, "I saw him sneaking away mysteriously just now. I wonder what he's up to."
"Alright, he's old enough not to get lost," Su Yu shook his head.
After that, a silence fell between them.
Lin Yanyu had been emboldened by the atmosphere earlier, which led her to be so daring.
Now that everything had quieted down, in this ambiguous atmosphere, she wasn't sure what to do.
The November night breeze was a little chilly.
Lin Yanyu had changed out of her qipao into casual wear in the dressing room, but she still felt a bit underdressed.
As they walked along the river, a gust of wind blew, and she involuntarily shivered.
"Are you cold?" Su Yu regretted asking immediately; it was a ridiculous question.
"Yes, a little." Lin Yanyu nodded seriously.
Su Yu naturally reached out and pulled her into his arms, asking with a smile, "Is this better?"
"Yes... much better."
They were standing very close. Lin Yanyu could feel Su Yu's warmth clearly, a sensation that made her heart flutter.
Just then.
Su Yu's phone rang.
He picked it up to see it was the vanished Gong Ju-ren.
"Hello, Brother Yu, where are you?"
"We're by the riverside road."
"Wait for me, I'll be right there."
With that, Gong Ju-ren hung up.
Su Yu shook his head and put his phone back in his pocket.
"See, your shadow can't get lost," Lin Yanyu, standing close, could hear their conversation.
Su Yu couldn't help but rub his nose awkwardly, not knowing how to reply.
...
A short while later.
Gong Ju-ren came running from a distance.
"Brother Yu, I finally found you." He stopped and panted for breath.
Then he waved at Lin Yanyu beside him, "Hey, sister-in-law, hello. Did I complete my mission perfectly?"
"Yes, you completed it perfectly," Lin Yanyu chuckled, covering her mouth.
She felt very pleased with being called "sister-in-law."
"What mission?" Su Yu asked, utterly confused.
Lin Yanyu giggled and said, "I asked him to be responsible for successfully bringing you to the venue."
Su Yu finally understood.
No wonder Gong Ju-ren had been so secretive along the way.
"Hehe, I won't disturb your romantic time. My flight takes off in half an hour, so I'm leaving. Brother Yu, this is your ticket for tomorrow morning." He took a plane ticket out of his bag and handed it to Su Yu.
"Oh, and here's the room key. I've sent the address to your phone. It's not far from here. I just handled it for you. Brother Yu, I'm off then."
After he finished handing over the items, he grinned wickedly, patted Su Yu's shoulder, and disappeared in a flash.
Su Yu was left holding the ticket and the room key, completely bewildered and unable to snap out of it for a long time.
"Your little brother is really thoughtful," Lin Yanyu said, her cheeks flushing slightly as she looked at the room key.
"Cough... Little Gong is just a helpful person," Su Yu said awkwardly, tucking the room key away.
"Then... you should go back and rest early," Lin Yanyu murmured softly, lowering her head.
"Okay, I have to wake up early tomorrow for the flight," Su Yu nodded.
With that, the two of them walked towards the hotel.