Chapter 91

The official broadcast of *Music Bank* starts at 6:05 PM. Although it only lasts for a little over an hour, many fans had their lunch and rushed over, either cheering outside or waiting inside. The official broadcast is more important to these fans and the artists they support than the entire afternoon, because *Music Bank* uses a ranking system. Any artist with a chance to win the top spot will put in their best performance, as no one wants to be ranked below others.

Knowing that Li Jingming was scheduled to perform in the latter half, Jessica finally felt relieved. From the rehearsal, she felt that Li Jingming was in good form today, and his live performance would not be inferior to the album. Regardless of how hard the other senior artists performed, Jessica felt it no longer mattered to her. She began to zone out, biting her nails while doing so.

Performing on stage with self-accompanied singing leaves little room for lip-syncing. Unless Li Jingming had pre-recorded the accompaniment and the song, and then performed according to this version without making any mistakes, even a slight breath out of sync could be spotted by keen-eyed viewers. It would be better to sing live. Li Jingming's choice of such a simple, almost rudimentary stage setup was actually a way to "show off his skills." Now, the internet has hyped him up so much that it seems almost fake. Brain-dead fans are equivalent to high-level black PR, a conclusion drawn from the wisdom of countless Chinese netizens. Li Jingming took this to heart, but he could not blame those who supported him. He could only try his best to make their words become undeniable facts, to repay the fans' affection.

Li Jingming was the third to last performer. When he stepped on stage, the audience immediately fell silent, though the golden lights still shone brightly. Not everyone had arrived early; some working fans could only come to the venue after work on Friday, so they had not seen Li Jingming's rehearsal. They were a bit surprised when the entire hall fell silent.

"Cold moonlight, my heart is also cold." With just one line, Li Jingming brought the temperature of the entire hall down. The previous energetic performances were forgotten, and only his voice lingered in the ears of the audience. Viewers watching on TV could feel the change in atmosphere, and the live audience felt it even more. The PD of *Music Bank*, Yoon Gun-jae, shook his head in admiration as he watched Li Jingming on the monitor. Having seen many famous singers, he found few who could match Li Jingming. This newcomer, so young, already had such mature singing skills. Yoon Gun-jae had seen many new artists with strong techniques, but those who could sing with a mature flavor and control the audience's emotions with their voice were all seasoned singers. Li Jingming was the first new artist he knew to possess such power.

"My goosebumps are up." Many people whispered this to their companions.

The gentle voice seemed to be softly recounting a vague yet profound past, a lingering sorrow, a light-hearted release. The audience was still not satisfied when the song came to an end. "No matter how I think about it, I still find it hard to believe that I love you." The song was not over; perhaps the protagonist had more to say: "But what does it matter to love you, when you are no longer here, and I am no longer just myself, but must live a new life."

Li Jingming's voice seemed to stop, yet it still lingered in the ears. When the lights came on, not only the Lighters but also some neutral fans and even fans of other artists stood up to clap. Some were even wiping away tears while clapping. Music knows no boundaries. Li Jingming, holding the neck of his guitar, bowed deeply to the audience. At this moment, he enjoyed the cheers that were uniquely his. This was an experience he had never had before. He sincerely thanked those who supported him, for it was because of them that he could stand on this stage and receive the cheers. After more than ten seconds, Li Jingming raised his head, but he did not leave immediately. Instead, he used his left hand to draw the Chinese character "八" (eight) in the direction of his Lighters and winked.

Jessica's hands were tightly clasped, and her lips curled up. She knew Li Jingming had noticed her; the wink was for her. The moment their eyes met, she felt a jolt of electricity.

"Wow, Jingming oppa winked at me, amazing!" Tiffany, sitting next to Jessica, thought Li Jingming was winking at her and cheered, shaking Jinyoung's arm. Jinyoung nudged her with her elbow, pointing to Jessica. Tiffany then noticed Jessica's "weird" smile.

Shivering, Tiffany realized she had misunderstood and quickly smiled, "Hehe, I'm just a fan, a fan."

Li Jingming was indeed winking at Jessica. He felt happy amidst the cheers and decided to wink at her. Jessica had not had time to surprise Li Jingming, but he had surprised her. Jessica confirmed in her heart that Li Jingming must like her; otherwise, how could he find her among so many people? It must be a case of mutual understanding. Due to his long-term martial arts training, Li Jingming had better vision and hearing than normal people and could sense gazes. He had noticed Jessica in the audience during the rehearsal but did not show it then, wanting to save the surprise for the end.

Fortunately, behind Jessica was a large group of Lighters, and the camera timely turned to this sea of gold, categorizing Li Jingming's action as a thank-you to his fans. Like Tiffany, many young girls felt that Li Jingming was winking at them, and dozens of little deer were running around in their hearts. A real little deer, with bright eyes, stared at Li Jingming. Although she had heard the song during the rehearsal, the second time it moved her even more. As a front member, Lin Yoon-ah's singing skills were not as strong as those of the other members, but this did not dampen her enthusiasm for singing. Li Jingming's performance gave her a new experience, a refreshing breeze in the dance-dominated K-pop industry. This was the reason for the album's success. People who were used to heavy and spicy dishes suddenly tasted a light and delicate soup and would be greatly impressed. Li Jingming's "Confession" was very similar to this situation.

Jessica was still in a daze when her phone vibrated. It was a text message from Li Jingming, sent on his way back to the waiting room. The message contained only a winking emoji.

"Amazing, so romantic." Tiffany peeked and sighed.

"Hey, Pani, do you want to die?" Jessica was speechless. Not only did Tiffany eavesdrop on her calls, but she also secretly read her messages. Was she too lenient with her?

Tiffany formed a heart with her hands in front of her chest: "Chalanghey."

"Don't think you can get away with being cute!" Jessica bared her teeth at Tiffany, a threatening expression. This Pani always used this trick when she did something bad, and Jessica was almost immune to it. She decided to give Tiffany a lesson and reached out to tickle her. Although Tiffany was also a "receiver," she was stronger than Jessica. She was about to resist, but Jinyoung, seeing an opportunity, also reached out to tickle Tiffany. Tiffany couldn't handle it, not daring to call for help to disrupt the order or be caught by the camera. She was almost driven mad by trying to hold back her laughter. After a while, the girls calmed down. The next performers were heavyweights, and the last two were top-tier singers. As small trainees, they dared not be rowdy during their performances.

Li Jingming was the third to last performer. With only two more after him, and no special stage for today's *Music Bank*, Li Jingming, who had not rested long, drank a sip of ice water and was called back to the stage. All artists who participated in the competition had to be present for the announcement of the winner.

There are not many solo artists nowadays; more are groups, like Super Junior, which has thirteen members. This creates a crowded stage. This scene gave Li Jingming a sense of déjà vu. A familiar song echoed in his ears: "Unforgettable tonight, unforgettable tonight, no matter where you are in the world..." Having lived in China for four years, although he always returned to Korea for the New Year, he still watched four Chinese New Year's Gala shows, which left a lasting impression. Whenever he saw all the artists on stage together, this song automatically played in his mind.

The hosts of *Music Bank* were HaHa (Heo Dong) and Lee Ji-hyun (not the one Li Jingming knew, but the queen of *X-Man*). Even at the last moment, they did not forget their duties, making the final speech and organizing the lineup. HaHa, a member of the "Liu Line," co-hosts *Infinite Challenge* with Liu Zaishi and has many interactions with him. HaHa had heard Liu Zaishi mention Li Jingming's name and understood from his tone that this handsome young man was "one of us." HaHa now took care of Li Jingming, pulling him to stand next to him instead of the back.

Do not underestimate this action. According to the rules, Li Jingming, as a newcomer, should stand at the back, and being tall, he should also stand at the back. However, no one could say anything when HaHa pulled him. HaHa, who debuted in 2001