Chapter 304: The illusion was breathtaking
The contrast against her red lips was enough to make her seem unreal, like a vision summoned from a dream, or perhaps a nightmare too enchanting to resist.
She stopped by the bed, her eyes narrowing as they drank in the sight of the man lying there so peacefully. Her lips curved slowly, deliberately.
That smile was not tender. It was dangerous.
She leaned down slightly, her shadow falling over him, her red heels gleaming faintly in the light as her perfume mingled with the orchids in the air.
For a moment, silence ruled again.
Only her gaze, heavy with intent, lingered on the man.
Then, softly, like a whisper carried on the wind, her voice broke the stillness.
"...Are you ready?"
The man on the bed stirred.
The soft, almost teasing voice had slipped into his ears like silk, pulling him out of his stillness. Slowly, his long lashes lifted, revealing eyes as dark as obsidian, deep and unreadable.
They weren’t ordinary eyes. They were sharp, luminous, burning with a depth that seemed to conceal both fire and frost. They were phoenix eyes—mysterious, mesmerizing, dangerous.
When they landed on the figure standing over him, his breath caught.
The graceful silhouette in the dim light. The gleam of red lips. The gown that embraced every curve of her body.
For a second, his composure cracked. His throat tightened, and he swallowed, his expression freezing in a rare lapse.
But just as quickly, the mask returned.
He lifted his hand to his collar, tugging gently at his tie as though he needed air. Then his other hand extended toward her, palm open, voice low and controlled.
"Come here."
Her smile widened.
The sound of her heels clicked softly as she moved forward, slow and deliberate, as though she was savoring the moment.
But before she could speak, his arm shot out.
Strong fingers wrapped around her wrist.
In one smooth pull, he yanked her down toward him. Their bodies tumbled back onto the bed together, the air stirring with her perfume.
She giggled softly, a sound both playful and alluring. Her lips hovered dangerously close to his ear as she whispered, "Can’t you wait just a little? Everything will be done soon."
The darkness in his eyes deepened, something unrestrained flickering inside them.
"I can’t wait."
His voice was low, almost hoarse, as though dragging itself out of his chest.
And before she could tease again, his head dipped, capturing her red lips with his own.
The kiss was deep, urgent, and consuming.
The lips that had tempted him from the moment she appeared were finally his.
—
On stage, the idol group’s performance thundered to an end.
The stadium was electric with applause, fans screaming at the top of their lungs, waving their glowing sticks. The last note rang, the members struck their final pose, and the stage lights dimmed to black.
The comedic duo hosts bounded back onto the stage, grinning from ear to ear.
"Wow! Did you hear that? My eardrums just retired early!" one of them shouted, pretending to massage his ears.
The crowd laughed.
"If we had danced like that when we were young, we wouldn’t be comedians today. We’d be international idols by now!"
"Correction—you would be international idols. I would be in the hospital!"
More laughter erupted.
The two exchanged playful banter before shifting smoothly into the next segment.
"It’s time for our very first award of the night!"
The big screen behind them lit up with gold lettering: Best Breakthrough Actress.
A short montage of nominees played, clips from their recent films rolling across the screen as the crowd clapped.
"And the Blue Award goes to..." one host teased, dragging the suspense.
His partner opened the envelope with exaggerated flair. "Jiang Meilin!"
The stadium roared.
A young woman rose from her seat, her eyes wide in disbelief. She wore a simple ivory dress, elegant but not extravagant, her natural beauty shining brighter than any jewels.
As she walked up the stage, her fans screamed her name, some already crying from excitement.
The award was placed in her hands, and she held it tightly, as though afraid it might vanish.
"Th-thank you..." Her voice cracked, tears already brimming in her eyes. She tried to smile, but her lips trembled. "I... I never imagined... I would be standing here tonight."
The hosts leaned back, giving her the spotlight.
"I still have so much to learn. I’ve made mistakes, I’ve stumbled, but because of the encouragement from my family, my friends, and my fans, I’ve been able to keep moving forward. I promise..." She paused, brushing at her tears. "I promise to keep working hard. To become an actress worthy of this recognition!"
The crowd clapped furiously, many standing in ovation.
Her name exploded across the live stream comments.
"Jiang Meilin is glowing!!"
"She deserves it, her role in Autumn’s Promise was amazing!"
"Look at her cry, she’s so pure T_T."
"Protect her at all costs!"
Jiang Meilin bowed deeply, holding her award close, before stepping off the stage.
The duo returned once again, making another joke about how her tears almost made them cry too, and the mood lifted once more.
Several performances followed in quick succession—solo singers, dance groups, and collaborative stages that had the fans roaring louder each time.
And then the lights dimmed again.
The atmosphere shifted.
The tension in the air was like a string pulled taut, ready to snap.
Everyone inside the stadium knew what was coming.
The atmosphere shifted as the final notes of the previous performance faded away. A ripple of whispers spread across the sea of fans, the words layered with excitement and impatience.
"It’s her turn. I just know it."
"The Queen is finally performing!"
"When will my queen appear? I’ve been waiting all night!"
"Just relax—she’s next. I saw the setlist. She’s about to come out!"
Their voices trembled with anticipation, their eyes glued to the stage.
And then—darkness.
The entire stadium fell into absolute black. Not a single light remained.
For one suspended moment, it felt as if the world itself had stopped breathing.
Then, like tiny stars being born, points of purple light flickered into the air. One. Two. Ten. Then hundreds.
The lights shimmered, clustered together, and began to take shape.
They weren’t just random flickers of light. They were butterflies.
Hundreds upon hundreds of them.
Wings formed of radiant beams flapped softly, their glow shifting from deep violet to lilac to dazzling silver at the edges. Each movement sent ripples of light scattering across the arena, painting the darkness in soft, surreal strokes.
They weren’t real, but the illusion was breathtaking.
Some butterflies fluttered high, brushing the rafters. Others swooped low, almost grazing the heads of the fans in the front rows. They twirled and spun in perfect harmony, as if dancing to music only they could hear.
Gasps filled the air.
"Wow..."
"Oh my god, look at them!"
"They look real!"
"They’re so beautiful..."
It was as if an entire swarm of glowing butterflies had chosen this night to descend from the heavens, to grace the audience with their otherworldly presence.
Fans craned their necks, phones shaking as they tried to capture every second of the spectacle. On the livestream, comments were exploding:
> "This is insane—what kind of tech is this?!"
"I swear those butterflies are alive!"
"The budget of the Blue Awards must be insane. Look at this stage!"
"Only one person could get this treatment—it has to be her!"
The butterflies swirled together above the stage, forming a glowing vortex of violet light. Their wings shed glittering trails that dissolved like stardust, filling the air with a shimmering haze.
And then the sound came.
A low, steady beat.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
The floor vibrated with each pulse, reverberating in the bones of every spectator.
The butterflies reacted to the sound.
With each thump, their wings beat in unison, releasing showers of tiny sparks that cascaded down like falling petals. It was hypnotic, as though the butterflies themselves were alive and responding to the rhythm.
The purple glow thickened, saturating the arena in a mystical haze.
And slowly, the stage beneath the butterflies began to change.
Crystalline structures rose from hidden platforms, glistening with silver and violet light. They resembled shards of amethyst, jagged yet elegant, rising from the stage floor like the pillars of a dream. Transparent screens caught the lights of the butterflies, scattering them across the arena until the entire stadium looked like a vast, glowing garden of violet glass.
The illusion was breathtaking.
It was obvious this set had not been created in a day, or even a week. It was the result of months of meticulous planning, of countless trials and adjustments. The extravagance of it, the sheer detail, spoke volumes: the artist performing next had poured everything into this moment.
Fans clutched their faces.
"This is unreal!"
"She must have prepared this for months!"
"No one else could pull this off—only the Queen herself!"
The butterflies reached their peak, spreading out across the arena until not a single corner was left untouched by their glow. And then—one by one—they began to vanish. Each disappeared in a soft spark, like a candle being snuffed out.
The stage darkened again.
And then—light.
A blinding flood of violet and silver illuminated the center of the stage.
And there she was.
Hua Ling.
The Queen of Blue Entertainment.
Her silhouette emerged first—tall, poised, her gown glittering with the same violet hue as the butterflies that had just vanished. Her presence alone seemed to command the light, pulling it toward her like a magnet.
Then her face was revealed, flawless under the brilliance of the spotlights, her eyes shimmering as if they carried their own stars.
The reaction was instantaneous.
The stadium erupted in screams so loud it felt like the roof might shatter.
"HUA LINGGGGGGGG!!!"
"My queen, my goddess!!!"
"She’s glowing! Look at her—she’s actually glowing!"
"This is why she’s the Queen. No one else could ever!"
