98: Chapter 98 I'm going to witness history!

Xishan Villa.

Bai Erru and Yang Jingqiu sat in the living room with the television on; the Spring Festival Gala was nearing its end. A fruit platter and New Year's goods were spread across the coffee table—everything that should have been there was present, yet the room lacked the comforting sense of a completed New Year celebration.

"It's almost midnight." Yang Jingqiu glanced at the wall clock, her gaze drifting toward the door. "Why hasn't Xiaohe returned yet?"

Bai Erru leaned back on the sofa, holding a cup of tea, his lips pursed as he pondered something.

"Old Bai, I'm talking to you."

Bai Erru took a sip of tea. "Don't worry. Xiaohe doesn't usually have many friends and always stays cooped up at home on New Year's Eve. Since she's finally gone out, let her have some fun."

Yang Jingqiu frowned slightly. "But it's so late. Should I call and ask? I'm feeling uneasy; after all, Xiaohe is a young girl."

"Forget it, I'll call." Bai Erru took out his phone and dialed Bai Xiaohe's number. As soon as it connected, the other side hung up.

Bai Erru paused, his expression turning serious—something seemed off. Could she really be in danger? Just as he was about to redial, Bai Xiaohe called back.

"Dad, I have something going on here, it's very important. Don't worry, I'm fine."

"What is it, at this hour?"

"Something very important to both Zhao Yang and me. I can't tell you right now. I won't be back tonight; I'll come back tomorrow morning and explain."

"Xiaohe, can you tell Dad where you are right now?"

"I'm at 798 Art District. Alright, I have to go, time is tight."

The call ended.

Bai Erru stared at his phone, his expression shifting.

Yang Jingqiu looked worried. "What happened? Did Xiaohe run into trouble?"

Bai Erru shook his head. "She said she has something to do, something important to both her and Zhao Yang."

Yang Jingqiu's expression became subtle. "Then when will she be back?"

"Tomorrow morning."

"Where is she now?"

"At the 798 Art District, with Zhao Yang."

Yang Jingqiu fell silent, her expression growing increasingly strange. She suddenly stood up. "No, I have to go get her. Regardless, she is a daughter of the Bai family. Staying out all night like this will ruin her reputation."

Bai Erru quickly grabbed her. "Don't go. Things might not be as you think. Besides—even if it is what you think, is it really a bad thing?"

Yang Jingqiu calmed down, slowly sat back on the sofa, and sighed. "Old Bai, what exactly is the relationship between Xiaohe and Zhao Yang? This child tells us nothing; it's so frustrating."

Bai Erru thought for a moment. "Maybe even Xiaohe doesn't know. I don't think Zhao Yang is the type to act recklessly. Let's stop guessing; we'll know tomorrow."

Around eight in the morning, Bai Xiaohe returned.

It was obvious she hadn't slept all night. Her fair skin had an uncharacteristic sheen, and there were dark circles under her eyes. However, her eyes were bright, the corners of her mouth were slightly upturned, and she had a rare spring in her step—she was clearly in a very good mood.

The Bai Erru couple hadn't slept much either. They were already up before Bai Xiaohe even entered.

"Xiaohe, what exactly were you doing last night?" Yang Jingqiu asked while carefully observing her gait. When she noticed Bai Xiaohe walking up the stairs with a brisk pace, she breathed a secret sigh of relief, though her suspicions deepened.

Bai Xiaohe smiled slightly. "I went to witness history!"

Bai Erru: "?"

Yang Jingqiu: "?"

Bai Xiaohe yawned. "This is still a secret. Wait until the third day of the Lunar New Year; I'll take you to a place, and you'll know. I've been up all night, I'm exhausted."

Bai Erru asked skeptically, "Why are you alone? What about Zhao Yang? Didn't he come back with you?"

"He's still busy; he'll be staying at 798 for the next couple of days. By the way, Mom, I'm going back at noon. Could you help prepare some food? Make it for four—actually, count me in, make it for five."

"Oh my, child, what on earth are you busy with?" Yang Jingqiu was even more confused.

Bai Xiaohe rubbed her forehead. "I can't anymore, I'm exhausted. Let's talk after I've recovered. Zhao Yang and his group are absolute madmen; they've stayed up so long and still aren't tired. Dad, Mom, if I'm not up by 11:30, make sure to wake me. Alright, I'm going to sleep." With that, she scurried back to her room and closed the door.

The Bai Erru couple looked at each other and shook their heads simultaneously.

Yang Jingqiu frowned. "Old Bai, what's wrong with Xiaohe?"

Bai Erru was silent for a moment, then suddenly laughed. "When have you ever seen her so cheerful?"

Yang Jingqiu paused and slowly shook her head. "It seems... really never. What on earth happened last night?"

"How would I know? Didn't she say she'd reveal it on the third day of the Lunar New Year? Let's just wait."

Zhao Yang stayed at 798 until the morning of the third day of the Lunar New Year. For these few days, Bai Xiaohe had been bringing food. The Bai family's meals were prepared by five-star chefs, so Meimei and the other two enjoyed the treat as well.

The two songs were practiced and ready for the stage. After resting for a day, the group headed to the Grand Concert Hall for final preparations.

The Bai Erru couple had been dragged to the Grand Concert Hall by Bai Xiaohe. Sitting in the audience, Bai Erru was a bit puzzled. "Xiaohe, aren't you uninterested in music? Why the sudden urge to attend a concert?"

"That's right, you only studied for six months when you were a child and refused to go anymore," Yang Jingqiu chimed in. "Later, whenever we tried to make you go, you would cry like anything."

Bai Xiaohe pouted. "Oh Mom, don't bring up the past. Those etudes were too boring. Besides, I just didn't like studying it; it doesn't mean I don't like listening to it."

As they were chatting, the concert began.

Bai Erru didn't pay much attention at first. Just like in previous years, opera, pop, and folk performances took turns on stage, and the program was quite entertaining. Phoenix Legend's national style segment was indeed ear-catching, but it was nothing extraordinary—he had all their CDs at home, and Bai Erru was already very familiar with them.

"Xiaohe, what exactly are you making us witness?" he lowered his voice. "It's not like we haven't heard Phoenix Legend's songs before."

"Don't rush." Bai Xiaohe's gaze remained fixed on the stage, and suddenly her eyes lit up. "It's coming, it's coming, don't get distracted."

At this moment, a female host in an elegant gown stepped onto the stage. She smiled and scanned the audience, pausing before speaking. "I wonder if any of you here attended that Phoenix Legend concert at Workers Stadium?"

As soon as she finished speaking, a buzz of discussion arose in the audience.

Many people had indeed attended that concert. Even those who hadn't had heard of it—it was said that many people resigned the next day. And that mysterious guest, "Passerby," remained a mystery regarding whether they were male or female; listening to that album titled "Play" over and over dozens of times still couldn't reveal if the artist was male or female.

Someone had already realized: "Passerby! Did they invite Passerby!"

"Passerby?"

"It must be Passerby!"

The female host smiled slightly. "Since everyone has guessed it, I will hand the stage over to Passerby and Phoenix Legend. Please enjoy their new work—'Star Sea'."

The lights dimmed.

It was that same outfit—mask, large cloak, a knot tied in front of the neck, covering everything completely.

Passerby walked onto the stage with Zeng Yi and Ling Hua.

Many audience members stretched their necks, trying to see through the gaps in the mask to determine if the face was male or female, but they could see nothing.

Bai Xiaohe clasped her hands in front of her chest, staring at the stage with excitement.

Bai Erru looked at his daughter's expression and had a vague realization.

He turned to the side and lowered his voice. "Xiaohe, is there... some connection between Zhao Yang and this Passerby?"

Bai Xiaohe looked at the cloaked figure on stage, the corners of her mouth curling slightly, her tone carrying a hint of mystery. "Just watch, and you'll know."