Chapter 113: The Lucky Audience Member, Hurry Up and Come on Stage

Wang Fei was the sort who never worried about money. In recent years, singing love songs had earned him a fortune. As for money, he had never cared all that much anyway. He could afford fine food and drink, a villa, and luxury cars; he was luckier than most people, so there was no need to chase after anything else.

“Family, now we’re picking a lucky audience member! In a moment, the lighting crew will choose at random. Whoever the spotlight lands on will come up on stage.”

The lights sweeping over the stage drifted through the crowd as shrill cries rose and fell, until at last they settled on Lin Yu, drawing envious looks from everyone around him.

“Sir, if you don’t want to go up, could you give me the chance instead?”

Jiujiu leaned over, and before Lin Yu could refuse, she hurried on, “How about this: if you’re willing to give me this chance, I’ll give you all of today’s earnings!”

Huh? Today’s earnings?

Just thinking of how, with a coquettish little whine, this female streamer could have a wealthy patron instantly arranging a Carnival gift for her—one of the most expensive gifts in a short-video platform’s livestream room, worth three thousand yuan apiece, wasn’t it?

From what he knew, there had already been more than a dozen of them. By rough estimate, that would be forty or fifty thousand yuan.

And the old saying held true: if there was money to be made, only a fool would refuse. Besides, going on stage carried the risk of his identity being exposed.

So, he took it.

“Lucky fan, come on up! Everyone’s waiting for you~”

When Wang Fei said that from the stage, why did he sound faintly gleeful? Could she really have seen through his identity?

Hmm...

The crowd suddenly fell silent, and everyone turned to look at Lin Yu.

Lin Yu stared blankly back, then followed their gazes to the giant screen above the stage. Huh? When had he gotten on camera? And why did it look as if he and the streamer Jiujiu were pressed close together, chatting intimately?

No... We were just discussing something and making a proper exchange, okay?

He quickly stepped away from her, then smiled as he shook Jiujiu’s hand. “Thank you for helping me. Otherwise, I still wouldn’t know who was up there.”

It was only a prank, wasn’t it? As if he couldn’t do the same.

He had only stirred things up from below the stage with a few jeers. Was that enough reason to deliberately spotlight him?

The light had circled one full turn, then, as if it had found its target, stopped on him. If that wasn’t deliberate, who would believe it?

Under the guidance of security, Lin Yu successfully made it onto the stage. A staff member came up to help clip the microphone onto his ear.

There was a faint, clean fragrance about the person—perhaps soap, perhaps perfume. Up close, it was the sort of scent that made one’s cheeks warm and the heart race. Anyone who wore such a scent had to be a handsome man, surely. So fresh, so pleasant, so soothing.

Seeing the staff member blush as she lowered her head, Lin Yu privately reflected that young women really were lovely. That kind of innocent shyness was unforgettable no matter a man’s age.

“Why would this fan wrap himself up so mysteriously?”

“Could it be that he’s hiding some unspeakable secret?”

That last line was directed at the audience. Wang Fei had indeed stirred their curiosity, and the fans immediately began shouting for Lin Yu to remove his sunglasses and cap so they could see his face.

Everyone wanted to know what this lucky audience member looked like.

Lin Yu lowered his voice, making it sound somewhat foolish, and gave a self-introduction. Of course, he used a false name. His tone was so idiotic that it seemed as though even the mouth behind the mask was crooked.

Wang Fei even felt a little regretful. Why had he brought a half-crippled man on stage? Wouldn’t tomorrow’s entertainment news accuse him of bullying an idiot?

“Well then...”

Just as he hesitated, he heard the “idiot” suddenly take the microphone and begin performing.

“I’m sorry, not because I’m rude,
just because my looks are a little rude.”

“I know you’ve been looking forward to seeing my face,
but sadly I’m so ugly I’m about to explode.
With deepest apologies, I only ask for your forgiveness and an embrace!”

Hm?

Why did he sound so foolish, yet rap with such... rhythm?

Wang Fei was a little stunned. What, were people in the city all this good at playing around now? Could even a babbling fool learn to rap?

Could this kid actually be faking idiocy?

Even with suspicion in his heart, Wang Fei forced a smile. “Mr. Xu, your rap is pretty impressive.”

“Let’s give this gentleman a round of applause!”

He was here to wreck the show. This kid was definitely here to wreck the show! No matter how you looked at it, he had to be! Could some rival have sent him to throw off Wang Fei’s composure?!

Lin Yu caught a flicker of doubt in Wang Fei’s eyes, and beneath the mask, the corner of his mouth was nearly unable to hold back a smile. Mutual damage? Come on, sure. But you’d better be able to endure my game.

“Friends, thank you all for your support toward me...” Lin Yu’s rap drew a great many cheers, but seeing Wang Fei tense at his words, he changed course and said, “...and toward the love-song prince standing beside me.”

“Thank you all for your support of this love-song prince. I’ll take all your love and hold it for him.”

“A steel scrubber, a rich lady’s happiness ball, a little star full of affection for him, a little round ball dancing with the music, hey—”

Lin Yu suddenly lowered the mic and, in a deep voice, sang the final line:

“All the balls I love~”

Good grief. His rap talent was truly top-tier. As for the lyrics he came up with, they were simply... far too wicked.

Hearing that voice, the wealthy woman in Jiujiu’s livestream room, Liu Liu, became even more certain that it was indeed the familiar tune of “Dignity,” the song she listened to every day and night, unable to sleep without.

“This kid is absolutely Ah Yu, no question! I’m sending ten Carnivals. Get me up there and take him down!”

“Rich guy Brother Li: whatever Liu Liu sends, I’ll double it! Take him down!”

Jiujiu silently counted the earnings from those thirty Carnivals. At this point, how could she still be upset about not getting on stage? Those tens of thousands were already enough to keep her fed and entertained for quite a while.

“Take him down, for sure!”

She promised the two big spenders in her livestream, then began smiling cutely all the way forward, calling out “brother” and “sister” as she asked people to make way. A sweet girl was hard to refuse; before long, she had squeezed to the front of the crowd.

Right below the edge of the stage, she gathered all her strength and shouted, “Ah Yu!!!!”

Those behind the stage couldn’t hear her. They only knew that the audience in front of the stage had suddenly gone quiet. Just as they were wondering why, they sensed a commotion breaking out up ahead.

What was going on? They hadn’t even gotten on the bus yet! What now? Why had it suddenly gone quiet? And then suddenly noisy again?

At the front of the stage:

“Is it really Lin Yu?”

“My God! No wonder he looked so familiar!”

“He just seemed to glance down at that girl, didn’t he? Is it really singer Ah Yu?!”

“Help! One stage, and I get to see two of my favorite singers! This is too amazing!”

“Ah Yu? Could you sing ‘Dignity’ for us?”

“Aaaah! Ah Yu!! Husband!”

The whole venue erupted at once. Although the crowd behind the stage hadn’t caught the beginning and end of it clearly, the rising wave of voices carried the name Ah Yu all the way to the words Overlord’s Arrival, and everyone knew exactly who was on the scene.