The Only Choice - 37

On stage, the lights brightened. A platform rose, bringing a woman in a golden gown into view.

A single spotlight found her as the first notes of Zhaoyang began. She stepped forward.

The audience erupted.

Cheers and screams washed over the stadium, only to hush almost as one when Guan Zhiyi sang her first, clear note.

Zhou Fanfan bit her lip, stifling her own excitement. One camera was fixed on a tripod; another was in her hands, snapping stills.

Guan Yuanbai sat beside her, the glowing light board resting on his legs.

The woman next to him was a whirlwind of frantic clicks and shuffles. He, in contrast, was perfectly still, his gaze settled not on the stage, but on her.

Does she really like her that much…

A soft chuckle escaped him. The truth was, he couldn't fully understand it. The person on stage was the little sister he'd helped raise. Even if she were a stranger, he doubted he'd get it—he'd never been one for idolizing celebrities.

But even if he didn't understand the why, he could clearly see Zhou Fanfan's joy. And that joy was infectious, lifting his own spirits effortlessly.

Four minutes later, the song ended. Guan Zhiyi waved from the descending platform and disappeared from view.

Zhou Fanfan's heart was still pounding from the song. She dropped back into her seat to check the footage, her hands trembling slightly.

"Wasn't that amazing?!" she burst out, turning to Guan Yuanbai. It was a habit from attending these events with fellow fans, to dissect every glorious second.

"It was fine," he said.

"'Fine'? It was incredible!"

The corner of his mouth quirked up in a hint of a smile. "Alright then. Incredible."

"Exactly." She looked immensely pleased with herself for having successfully converted him, and turned back to her photos with a satisfied grin.

Guan Zhiyi's performance had been late in the lineup. Within fifteen minutes, the entire gala was over.

The crowd began to stream out. The exit was a bottleneck of bodies, so Zhou Fanfan and Guan Yuanbai hung back, waiting for the throng to thin before making their way out.

By the time they reached the plaza outside, only scattered groups remained. A small concession stand was still open. Zhou Fanfan walked over and bought two cans of hot coffee.

"It's not barista-quality, but it'll do?" she said, handing one to Guan Yuanbai.

He took it. "Thanks."

"I should be thanking you," she insisted. "Without your extra ticket, I wouldn't have gotten to hear that live or get any of this footage!"

The stadium stood along the riverbank. They walked slowly along the pedestrian path, sipping their coffee.

A cool night breeze brushed their faces, but the warm cans in their hands kept the chill at bay.

"Happy now?" Guan Yuanbai asked.

Zhou Fanfan glanced at him, caught off guard.

He clarified. "Feeling a bit better?"

"...My feelings were fine," she said.

"Your mother. What happened at the restaurant."

The memory of her tear-streaked face and ragged sobs rushed back, and her expression turned awkward. "I... I was okay, really…"

"You don't have to put on a brave face. Whether you're happy or sad, you can say it. To a friend. To your mother." He paused. "To me, as well. It's not shameful to tell people you're unhappy. Letting it out is better than holding it in."

Zhou Fanfan looked down, silent.

Guan Yuanbai watched her bowed head, his hand twitching with the impulse to comfort her. He held back, suddenly regretting bringing it up.

"My mom divorced my dad when I was six. She went abroad. Years later, she married a foreigner and had a child. Xiao Heng."

Just as Guan Yuanbai was searching for a way to change the subject, Zhou Fanfan looked up and began to speak. "I've always missed her. I've always cared about what she thinks. That day… I just suddenly felt like she's always leaving me. That anything and everything becomes a reason for her to be distant. So I just… broke down."

"I understand," he said, his voice low. "But I believe she does care about you."

"She does. But her care always feels so far away. I can't reach it." She let out a soft sigh. "I'm not like Xiao Heng. He gets to be with her all the time. Wherever she goes, she takes him."

She offered him a small, self-deprecating smile. "It's kind of pathetic, isn't it? Being jealous of a little kid."

"It's not pathetic. You're still a kid yourself in some ways." He bent down slightly to meet her eyes and finally gave in, ruffling her hair. "Zhou Fanfan, the kind of care you want, the kind you can feel and touch, someone will give that to you."

The coffee can was warm in her hand, spreading heat through her palm. His gaze was fixed on her, as deep and tranquil as the night sky above, enveloping her completely.

In that moment, her heart seemed to grow as warm as her hand. It felt full, weighty, thawing and beating steadily under his watchful eyes.

It was a new sensation. One she'd never experienced before.

"Let's go. Any longer out here and we'll freeze," he said, noting her dazed expression. He gave her head another pat, this one more casual. "What's with the spacing out?"

She snapped out of it. She didn't know why she'd zoned out like that. It was just… his words had somehow lifted a weight from her shoulders.

In an instant, she felt a strange, newfound sense of safety and trust in him.

"Nothing… You're right. I do have someone who gives me that kind of tangible care. Grandma has always been there for me." A genuine smile spread across her face. "Something that precious… having even one person is enough. I don't need a crowd."

Guan Yuanbai was silent for a beat, studying her. "You can have more."

"Huh?"

He gave a soft laugh. "It's nothing… Let's go."

They reached the parking lot after a short walk. It was only then that Zhou Fanfan remembered something she'd forgotten.

"Oh! I didn't take a photo yet."

Guan Yuanbai looked at her. "What?"

The stadium was still visible in the distance. She took the light board from him. "A memento. I forgot to take a picture. Can you take one of me?"

"How?"

"Easy. Just get the stadium in the background and me with this." She hoisted the board.

"Got it."

"Hmm… stand back a bit. And can you, like, shoot from a higher angle?"

He hesitated. "A higher angle?"

The way his eyes then did a quick, skeptical sweep of her from head to toe screamed his unspoken question: How am I supposed to make you look taller?

It was instantly clear this man had ‘clueless boyfriend photography’ written all over him!

"Here, let me show you!" She hurriedly held her phone out to demonstrate. "See, my feet need to be right near the bottom line. Tilt the phone down a little. Look, using that post as an example…"

After her crash course, she ran ahead with the light board. "Okay, shoot!"

Guan Yuanbai nodded, followed her instructions, and took a picture.

"Maybe take a few more?"

He grunted in acknowledgment, found a few different angles, and snapped several shots.

When he was done, she ran back. "Let me see!"

He handed her the phone. She swiped through the photos, her face lighting up. "You're a natural! These are great!"

He raised a brow. "Was it supposed to be difficult?"

"For some, yes! Xiaoxian's ex-boyfriend, the one she dumped, his photos were notoriously awful. She complained about it constantly." She beamed at him. "But don't worry, with skills like yours, your future girlfriend will be very happy."

Guan Yuanbai paused. "And are you happy with them?"

"Of course I am! Very happy!"

He said mildly, "Good. As long as my current girlfriend is satisfied."

Zhou Fanfan froze, her eyes slowly lifting to meet his.

He looked right back. "What? Aren't you my girlfriend?"

"Ah… I suppose… I am."

"Then it's settled."

Her heart gave a little flutter. It wasn't the first time she'd heard the term 'girlfriend' in this context—that's what they were supposed to be in front of the elders. But hearing it from his lips felt… different.

"Should we take a picture together?" Guan Yuanbai asked suddenly.

"Us?"

He cleared his throat and nodded. "Our first concert together. We should have a photo. I was thinking of showing it to Grandma later, as proof we followed through."

That made perfect sense. She quickly raised her phone. "Right, okay then. I didn't even think of a selfie. Grandma asked me where I was going with you today…"

"Let's take it."

"Okay." She adjusted the angle. "You need to crouch down a bit."

He saw their faces in the preview. He'd never taken a selfie like this before and felt a little awkward, but he obliged, bending his knees slightly.

Seeing the angle was about right, Zhou Fanfan tapped the shutter.

"Got it."

"Wait."

Looking at the captured image, he seemed to remember something. He reached up and peeled the sticker from his own cheek, then carefully did the same for hers.

"Ow…"

"Let's take another one."

She rubbed her cheek. "The last one was fine."

He resumed his slightly crouched position and nudged her elbow. "What would people think with these all over our faces? Again."

What would they think? That we're fans!

She still preferred the first photo, but he was insistent. She went along with it—it only took a second, after all.

With the selfie done, they got in the car, and Guan Yuanbai drove her home.

The moment she was through the door, Zhou Fanfan dashed to her room, plopped down in front of her computer, and started editing.

She was a pro at this. Soon, the polished photos and videos of Guan Zhiyi were uploaded to Weibo.

Among all the fan recordings from the night, Zhou Fanfan's was the most complete and had the clearest audio. It quickly trended.

Fans flooded the comments, ecstatic that Guan Zhiyi had performed this song again, calling it a nostalgic trip.

Riding the high, Zhou Fanfan started composing a post for her private social feed, compiling highlights from the evening.

She picked through her shots: the merch, Guan Zhiyi on stage, her own photo with the light board. She selected eight. She needed one more.

Her gaze landed on the selfie with Guan Yuanbai. She usually posted a pic with whoever she attended events with, but this time… it was him.

Her social feed was full of people from the fandom. Even though they already ‘knew’ about her and Guan Yuanbai, she felt shy about flaunting it so openly.

Forget it… Better not use this one.

Ding—

Her phone vibrated with a new message.

Guan Yuanbai: [Send me the photo.]

She'd been so busy editing Guan Zhiyi pics she'd forgotten to send him their selfie. She quickly sent one over.

Zhou Fanfan: [For Grandma?]

Guan Yuanbai: [Yes. For all the elders to see.]

She assumed he meant he'd show it to them on his phone someday, in person. She didn't realize his definition of ‘for all the elders to see’ was far more public than she imagined.

A few minutes later, a new post appeared in her feed.

From Guan Yuanbai.

Her eyes widened.

He had… posted their photo?! Just like that?!

This was what he meant by showing the elders?!

She tapped the image to enlarge it.

In the photo, she was holding the light board and the little fan. He stood to her right. There had been a clear space between them, but from this angle, it almost looked like she was leaning against him.

It hadn't felt like a big deal when they took it, but seeing it displayed so publicly now sent a wave of heat to her cheeks…

[Holy crap! You went to the gala with Guan Yuanbai?!]

A group chat with her friends exploded. Qiqi had sent the message.

Zhou Fanfan was baffled. [Huh?... How do you know? Do you have him on social media?]

Seeing Guan Yuanbai's post and then this message seconds later, her mind made the connection.

Qiqi was equally confused. [Huh? What social media? How would I have him on there? Someone took pictures of you two at the concert!!! Dude, how did you get our 'son' to wear a face sticker?! I'm impressed!!!]

Liuliu: [OMG, what is going on with you two!! (Image)(Image)]

Xiaoqian: [You said Guan Yuanbai gave you the ticket! You didn't say he was going with you!!! You two! What is happening!!]

Qiqi: [These pictures... I'm shipping it so hard!]

Liuliu had posted two photos. They were taken from inside the venue, from the look of the angle, by someone sitting in front of them and shooting backwards.

The first photo captured them mid-conversation. Probably because the venue was so loud, their heads were inclined close together.

The second was taken after the performance had started. Zhou Fanfan was focused, camera held steady, capturing the stage.

But in the seat beside her, Guan Yuanbai, holding the light board, wasn't watching the performance at all. His head was turned slightly, his gaze resting entirely on her face…

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