Chapter 306: They had to pause
Hua Ling!"
The audience screamed, waving their lightsticks wildly.
She walked back onto the stage, still dressed in her glittering purple outfit.
Her steps were delicate, her face painted with the perfect mixture of humility and pride.
She took the trophy into her hands, lowering her head as if overwhelmed.
"Thank you... thank you so much..."
Her voice cracked beautifully, tears shimmering in her eyes.
"To my fans, to everyone who has believed in me—this award belongs to you. Without you, I would not be here tonight."
The audience melted, some even crying with her.
But as she spoke, her eyes began to roam.
Scanning. Searching.
And then—
They landed directly on Lin Qian.
Her smile deepened, but her gaze sharpened, glittering like a blade.
Lin Qian sat motionless.
Her fists, however, were clenched tight in her lap, nails digging painfully into her palms.
Her knuckles turned pale from the pressure.
The fury boiling in her chest threatened to burst out.
But then—she exhaled.
Slowly, her face relaxed.
Her gaze steadied.
Her expression became calm, almost serene.
When Hua Ling saw that, her lips twitched into a cold sneer.
Calm? So what if you’re calm?
Didn’t you say I wouldn’t win any award tonight?
The thought curled through her mind as she kept her smile radiant for the cameras.
She lifted the trophy higher, angling it perfectly so the lights bounced off its golden surface.
She wanted to make sure Lin Qian could see it.
Every gleam. Every glimmer.
Look closely, Lin Qian.
This is mine. All of this is mine.
All of you who support Hua Jing will have to wait the next lifetime before you can even think of competing with me!
Hua Ling descended the steps gracefully, the trophy still warm in her hand.
The applause from the stage echoed behind her, faint but still feeding her pride.
Her heels clicked softly against the floor as she entered the dim hallway.
The light here was weaker, almost swallowed by the shadows.
It was as though all the brightness had been poured onto the stage above, leaving the corridors in eerie gloom.
Her assistants trailed behind, chattering quietly but keeping their distance.
Hua Ling’s mind, however, was still buzzing with triumph.
The smile on her lips lingered as she thought of Lin Qian’s expression.
But then—she stopped.
From the opposite end of the hallway, a figure emerged.
A woman.
She was dressed in a striking red gown, her steps slow and deliberate.
Red heels tapped against the ground, sharp, steady, echoing louder than Hua Ling’s own.
The dim light caught the gown, making it shimmer faintly like a drop of blood in the dark.
Hua Ling narrowed her eyes, straining to see the woman’s face.
But the shadows clung to her features, blurring them as if refusing to be revealed.
The closer the woman walked, the stronger Hua Ling’s unease grew.
For a moment, they passed each other.
And in that instant, Hua Ling caught it—
A smile.
Faint, soft, yet dripping with something chilling.
Her heart gave a violent thud, a jolt running through her veins.
She spun slightly, wanting to call out.
But the hallway behind her was empty.
The woman was gone.
Not a trace left.
No footsteps, no echo, nothing.
As though she had never been there at all.
Hua Ling’s pulse quickened, thumping so loud she could hear it in her ears.
A cold weight pressed down in her chest.
It was a strange, suffocating feeling... like a warning.
Something terrible was coming.
She couldn’t name it, but her body knew it.
Her hands tightened around the trophy until her knuckles whitened.
Just then, her assistant hurried up, breaking the tension.
"Sister Ling!"
The girl’s voice was full of excitement.
"You were amazing! You’re the talk of the town right now—everyone’s saying you’ll sweep all the awards!"
The praise washed over Hua Ling like warm sunlight.
Her stiff shoulders relaxed, her lips curving upward again.
Yes.
That was what she liked to hear.
By the time she reached her dressing room, her pride had been restored.
And inside, waiting for her, was Mao Li.
The head of Blue Entertainment himself.
He stood tall, his sharp suit immaculate, his presence carrying the weight of power.
Even in middle age, his features remained refined, and his smile was polished to perfection.
"Congratulations," he said smoothly, handing her a bouquet of fresh flowers.
"They’re already calling this the performance of the night."
Hua Ling accepted them gracefully, her heart swelling.
"Thank you, President Mao."
He didn’t linger.
He couldn’t afford to.
With a courteous nod, he stepped past her and disappeared back into the chaos of the event.
The moment he left, Hua Ling let out a small laugh.
Even Mao Li himself had come to praise her.
How could she not be satisfied?
She quickly changed out of her purple gown, slipping into a new one.
This time, it was golden.
Shimmering, radiant, and made to dazzle.
When she emerged and walked back toward her seat, the lights caught her perfectly.
The gown glittered with each step, almost blinding.
Though exhaustion tugged at her limbs, she kept her head high, her walk steady.
To her fans, she looked untouchable.
"Queen!"
"Goddess!"
It seemed as if her fans had been hypnotized by her because even a single move she made, made them go into a frenzy.
It was quite hard to keep them in check under the hosts had to pause for a little while so they could calm down before they continued.
Their screams grew louder as she sat, the golden fabric pooling elegantly around her.
Another artist soon took the stage.
The performance was decent, even enjoyable.
But compared to Hua Ling’s spectacle, it fell short.
The energy in the stadium dipped.
Applause followed politely, but it lacked the frenzy from earlier.
And then—
Silence.
Complete, unnatural silence.
The kind that pressed down on the chest and forced people to hold their breath.
Before anyone could speak, the lights snapped off.
The entire stadium was plunged into darkness.
