84. An Unexpected Turn

“What’s wrong?” Given He Hongjing’s age, she shouldn’t look so panicked.

“Our band’s keyboardist, Ale, is stuck on the road and hasn’t arrived yet!” He Hongjing’s voice was almost desperate.

Ale’s home was quite far from the Haishi Stadium, so during recent rehearsals, he’d been staying at a nearby hotel. Yesterday, his mother was unexpectedly hospitalized, and he had to rush home. He’d planned to leave for the stadium this morning for the performance; under normal circumstances, he’d have had plenty of time. To save time today, Ale chose to take a taxi rather than public transport. But it was that very taxi that ruined everything.

The popularity of “The King of Songs” had brought a surge of people into Haishi, and with the May Day holiday, the city was packed to capacity. All the main roads were congested; he was stuck on the overpass for ages, and the closer he got to the stadium, the denser the crowds became. Even public transport was overwhelmed; it was impossible to squeeze on.

Now Ale was near the stadium, but the entrance was crowded with fans from every group, and the staff sent to pick him up hadn’t given any updates yet. He Hongjing, fearing it might affect Hailan’s performance, hadn’t dared to tell her. She and the rest of the “Crimson Flame” band still thought Ale was already inside.

Ji Fanxing’s expression grew increasingly grave.

A rock band is usually made up of a vocalist, drummer, bassist, guitarist, and keyboardist. These roles aren’t strictly fixed; some bands might adjust, omitting the keyboardist or adding other instruments like a DJ or sampler.

With the crisis unfolding and the performance imminent, there was no time to make any changes. The keyboardist, who mainly adds layers and color to the music, may not be as prominent as the guitarist or drummer, but is still indispensable. Especially for Hailan’s live rock performance—the absence of the keyboardist would severely diminish the effect.

“Hurry, hurry, hurry! It’s about to start! Get into position!” The stage manager strode over, calling for He Hongjing. “Why are you still here? You’re missing a member! Where are they? Move quickly, this is live broadcast—speed up!”

The situation was dire. Ale’s phone was constantly busy, and He Hongjing was anxious and distraught. It had been so hard to get the chance to perform on a stage before thousands, and now this—after all the effort her little Hailan had put in, was it going to end in failure?

With reddened eyes, He Hongjing decided to risk everything. If Hailan’s stage was missing the keyboardist, and if the guitarist was absent too, it would truly be a disaster.

Just as she was about to gamble everything, Ji Fanxing, quick to assess the situation, stopped the stage manager.

She pointed at the manager’s baseball cap and the sunglasses clipped casually to her pocket. “Miss, could I borrow your cap and sunglasses for a moment?”

Still in work mode, the manager looked up in confusion, only to meet Ji Fanxing’s pleading gaze—a look so powerful it seemed to pierce through her heart. Unable to resist, she instinctively handed over the hat and sunglasses.

Oh my, she called me ‘Miss’!

The manager felt dizzy, so happy she could practically fly.

“Thank you, I’ll return them to you later,” Ji Fanxing said, knowing that every second counted in an emergency like this. She took a hair tie from her pocket, quickly pulled her hair into a ponytail, donned the cap and sunglasses, and grabbed Hongjing, heading backstage.

As they walked, she slipped off her shirt, revealing a black strapless top underneath. Passing a mirrored wall, she realized the outfit was a bit conspicuous. “Hongjing, let me borrow your jacket.”

He Hongjing stared in amazement at Ji Fanxing’s series of actions.

“Hongjing, without a keyboardist, the effect of this song will be severely compromised. I can play the keyboard and I’m very familiar with this song—I can fill in perfectly.”

He Hongjing finally snapped out of her shock, hesitating for a moment as conflicting thoughts battled within her. After all, Ji Fanxing had written the music; she trusted her skill implicitly. What worried her was whether, as a contestant herself, Ji Fanxing’s appearance on stage might affect her own standing if anyone found out…

“Don’t worry, Hongjing. This is a singing competition; the judges focus on the contestants’ vocal abilities. If I play accompaniment, it won’t be an issue. Besides, as the program’s ‘King,’ so long as I don’t affect anyone else’s results, it’s fine.”

She could use Ji Shengxue’s songs, so of course she could help accompany Hailan.

The audience’s attention wasn’t on the accompaniment—it was on Hailan. The stage was so far from the audience that even if they wanted to, they couldn’t make out her features. Even the cameraman, unless right next to the vocalist, would only give her a passing shot.

“Hurry! Curtain’s going up!” the staff urged frantically.

“Alright!”

He Hongjing closed her eyes, gritted her teeth, and handed her jacket to Ji Fanxing.

And so, Ji Fanxing became the temporary keyboardist for “Crimson Flame,” successfully stepping in.

“Shh, keep it secret,” she whispered before going on stage, glancing at the hesitant stage manager behind her, pressing a finger to her lips and winking mysteriously.