Chapter 98: Your Band-Aid Fell Off

As Qin Tian, Jiang Yingying, and Shen Xiaqing entered the venue, Mi Xue was being led around the stage to check her positioning.

Upon seeing Qin Tian, Mi Xue offered a faint smile, her eyes bright with quiet delight. Qin Tian smiled and nodded in return.

“What are you doing?” Jiang Yingying frowned.

“Mi Xue! It really is Mi Xue! Alive!” Shen Xiaqing’s grin stretched from ear to ear.

“Then you didn’t need to pinch me, did you?” Jiang Yingying glanced at her friend’s hand.

At that moment Shen Xiaqing was gripping Jiang Yingying tightly.

“I just wanted to make sure this wasn’t a dream!” Shen Xiaqing blinked rapidly.

“Then why not pinch yourself?” Jiang Yingying’s eyes widened.

“Pinc hing yourself would hurt,” Shen Xiaqing answered matter-of-factly.

“Some day I’ll sell you!” Jiang Yingying huffed, reaching out to grab her.

“Slither slither,” Shen Xiaqing stuck out her tongue and darted away.

Just then Mi Xue approached.

“Sorry, I still need to run through a bit of the choreography. You go ahead to the dressing room first; I’ll join you in half an hour,” she apologized with a warm smile to the three of them.

“Go ahead and focus on your rehearsal. We’ll be fine,” Qin Tian replied with a nod.

“I…” Shen Xiaqing started to protest, but Qin Tian pulled her aside.

“Mi Xue will be here soon. We don’t mind waiting a little. Talking to her now would waste rehearsal time,” he explained.

“Oh,” Shen Xiaqing murmured softly.

The three walked to the dressing room, which was only a temporary partition made of wooden boards. The venue had stood for more than a decade, its facilities aging and its amenities incomplete. This makeshift space had been assembled overnight by the relevant units. Originally they had hoped to use the other venue in Wushi, but renovations there had delayed its opening, forcing them to make do with this old gymnasium.

Half an hour later Mi Xue arrived exactly on time. She wore tight-fitting jeans and a milky-white T-shirt, radiating effortless youth.

“Sorry to have kept you waiting. I’m here now,” she said, pushing open the door with a smile.

“Mi Xue! Hello, I’m Shen Xiaqing—your biggest fan!” Shen Xiaqing leaped to her feet and lunged forward, startling her idol.

“Hello,” Mi Xue nodded, clearly taken aback.

“Xiaqing is just like this—very straightforward. Please don’t mind her,” Qin Tian said with a grin.

“No problem. It’s so lively,” Mi Xue replied.

“This must be Yingying, right?” She turned to Jiang Yingying.

“Hello,” Jiang Yingying answered with a nod.

“Everyone, wait a moment,” After the brief introductions, Mi Xue let them pause, then stepped aside to rummage through her bag. After some effort she produced three CDs.

“Here, this is my latest album—the limited edition. It hasn’t gone on sale yet,” she said.

“Wow!” Shen Xiaqing’s eyes flew wide.

“You said it wouldn’t be released until next week. How did you get it so soon?”

Qin Tian was momentarily stunned. He remembered Mi Xue telling him the night before that the earliest release would be the following week.

“This is something I burned myself, so it’s different from the market versions—truly one of a kind,” Mi Xue added, blushing.

It had been recorded alone at home the night before yesterday. She hadn’t known why she was doing it, yet she simply wanted to give Qin Tian something meaningful.

“Wow! So only we have it, and no one else does?” Shen Xiaqing clutched the CD to her chest as if it were treasure.

“Mm,” Mi Xue nodded.

“You really have a good heart,” Qin Tian noticed the faint dark circles beneath Mi Xue’s eyes, hidden by makeup but still visible upon closer inspection.

“You are all my good friends,” Mi Xue said, cheeks flushed.

“Friends? Me and superstar Mi Xue are friends!” Shen Xiaqing gasped, nearly beside herself with joy.

Qin Tian shook his head with a smile. Was this the inevitable fate of every fangirl?

After chatting with Shen Xiaqing and Jiang Yingying for a while, Mi Xue was called back to rehearsal. She mentioned they would eat lunch together later and told them to wait in the dressing room or watch from the front.

The three sat in the dressing room for a time, growing restless. On Shen Xiaqing’s urgent suggestion, they moved to the front to observe Mi Xue practice.

The gymnasium thrummed with music as Mi Xue danced energetically on stage. Because she was not a professional singer, the concert featured only about ten songs; the rest of the time was spent dancing and engaging the audience.

Most fans came for Mi Xue herself rather than her music, and audience interaction only heightened the atmosphere.

“Friends down there, how are you?” Mi Xue spotted Qin Tian and the others, picked up the microphone, and teased them with a smile.

“Very good!” Shen Xiaqing squealed from the floor.

Qin Tian shook his head, smiling.

Suddenly Mi Xue stumbled, her legs seeming to give way, and nearly fell.

Shen Xiaqing and Jiang Yingying saw it at once. Shen Xiaqing cried out in alarm and rushed onto the stage.

She was her idol! Of course she feared for her idol’s safety!

“Mi Xue, are you all right?” she asked, worry etched on her face.

“I’m fine—probably just exhausted,” Mi Xue said, steadying herself against Shen Xiaqing.

“Rest a while if you’re tired,” Shen Xiaqing suggested.

“This rest won’t help,” Mi Xue answered, blushing.

Shen Xiaqing was puzzled.

“I have my period,” Mi Xue whispered into her ear.

Qin Tian stepped forward, reading Mi Xue’s lip movements clearly and understanding immediately.

Girls always had such days, and Mi Xue was due. It simply happened to coincide now. Some girls felt fine, others grew weak or unwell—both were normal.

Shen Xiaqing understood at once. “Oh, that’s why.”

But concern quickly replaced her understanding. Could Mi Xue perform under these circumstances without fainting on stage?

“Don’t worry, I’m fine. Auntie Song, give it to me,” Mi Xue reassured Shen Xiaqing, then called out to Song Fangmei.

Song Fangmei understood at once and hurried over, handing the item to her.

Because she wore tight jeans, Mi Xue tried to tuck the item into her pocket but failed, letting it drop outside.

Qin Tian glanced around; everyone’s attention was fixed on Mi Xue, oblivious to the fallen object.

Mi Xue turned and fled. Qin Tian’s heart raced—what if she reached the toilet and realized she had forgotten the item?

Yet calling out the actual word in public would be undignified, wouldn’t it?

So Qin Tian had an idea and called out, “Mi Xue, did your band-aid fall off?”