41: Resonance on the Balcony

"That pass was sexy."

Scarlett Johansson's husky voice was like a feather, lightly scratching the eardrums of everyone present.

Especially Lin Feng, who was standing in front of her.

Taylor Swift's hand, which was linked through Lin Feng's arm, unconsciously tightened slightly, and a hint of vigilance was hidden beneath her sweet smile.

Lin Feng, however, seemed oblivious to the undercurrents flowing between the two women.

He released Taylor's arm with natural and polite movements.

Then, he shook the hand Scarlett had extended.

It was very soft, carrying the coolness transferred from a whiskey glass.

"Miss Johansson, you flatter me."

Lin Feng's voice was calm and gentle.

"I just did what I was supposed to do."

His palm was broad and strong; after a brief, polite clasp with Scarlett's soft hand, he released it.

"Is that so?"

Scarlett's red lips curved into a playful arc, and her gaze swept back and forth between his face and Taylor's.

"I, on the other hand, think you're always doing things you 'shouldn't do,' and doing them exceptionally well."

The implied meaning in that sentence caused Taylor's expression to change slightly.

"Scarlett, Lin is my guest."

Taylor's voice was still sweet, but it now carried the posture of a hostess who would not tolerate intrusion.

"Of course, your guest."

Scarlett raised the whiskey in her hand, no longer looking at Lin Feng, but at Taylor.

"Have fun, you two."

Having said that, she turned around, her sexy silhouette—which drove countless men wild—swaying as she disappeared into the other end of the crowd.

An invisible confrontation ended in a flash of lightning.

"Don't mind her."

Taylor re-linked arms with Lin Feng, and this time, she pressed her soft body closer to him.

"She's always like this, trying to attract attention with some inexplicable remarks."

Lin Feng smiled, offering no reply.

He could sense that Taylor's emotions were fluctuating.

"It's a bit stuffy here."

Taylor glanced around at the noisy crowd, frowning slightly.

"I'll take you somewhere quieter."

Without waiting for an answer, she pulled Lin Feng through the bustling living room and pushed open a glass door leading outside.

The noisy music and human voices were blocked behind the heavy glass.

A cool evening breeze blew in their faces, stirring the golden strands of hair on Taylor's forehead.

This was a huge open-air balcony, with smooth teak flooring underfoot, and beyond the railing was the brilliant, galaxy-like night view of the entire Los Angeles.

"Wow."

Lin Feng let out a heartfelt exclamation of admiration.

Standing here, it felt as if he owned the entire city.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?"

Taylor let go of Lin Feng's arm, walked to the railing, and spread her arms as if embracing the night.

Her long red dress fluttered gently in the evening wind, making her look like a butterfly preparing to spread its wings.

Lin Feng walked to her side, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with her, gazing into the distance over the railing.

"Every night, after a tour performance, when I return to the hotel, I stand by the window and watch the night view for a long time."

Taylor suddenly spoke, her voice devoid of the Queen aura she had at the party, replaced by a touch of indescribable loneliness.

"The night view of every city is different, but the feeling is the same."

"What feeling?" Lin Feng asked.

"Loneliness."

Taylor uttered the word, then turned to look at Lin Feng, her blue eyes appearing misty in the darkness.

"Look, there are thousands of lights below, and beneath every light, there is a family, a story."

"And I, standing at the highest point, enjoying the love of tens of millions of fans, feel like I don't belong to any of those lights."

"Every relationship I have is turned into a gossip headline, scrutinized by the whole world under a magnifying glass."

"Every song I write is matched by them to every person I've ever dated. They analyze the lyrics, guessing who hurt me, and who I'm alluding to."

Her voice grew softer, tinged with deep exhaustion.

"Sometimes I feel like they don't love Taylor Swift, but rather a symbol, imagined by them, living in songs and scandals."

Lin Feng listened quietly.

He didn't offer empty comfort like "I understand."

Because he truly empathized.

"When I first entered the league, I was just a temp on a ten-day contract."

Lin Feng's gaze also fell upon the myriad lights in the distance, his voice calm as he narrated.

"I could be cut at any moment, and I didn't even know where my next meal would come from."

"Back then, no one paid attention to me. I could play ball all afternoon on any street court in Los Angeles, and no one would recognize me."

Taylor listened silently, not interrupting him.

"Later, because of a few shots, I became famous overnight."

Lin Feng gave a self-deprecating smile.

"The media hailed me as the 'oriental sharpshooter,' the 'Los Angeles Lakers Savior'."

"Sponsors sent sports cars and suits, and paparazzi started staking out my apartment building."

"And then, as you saw today, a baseless report is enough to put me on the entertainment headlines."

"My name is put together with yours, and what they discuss isn't how well I play basketball, but whether I'm worthy of you, or whether you'll write me into your next song."

He turned his head and looked at Taylor.

"We are like people living in a glass house, stared at by countless eyes. They consume our lives and define our joys and sorrows."

"Our every move becomes their after-dinner conversation."

At this moment, the air seemed to stand still.

The evening wind blew, and the city's light and shadow flowed in their eyes.

One was a Queen of Pop, the other a New King of Basketball.

But at this moment, they were just two young people equally trapped by fame and fortune, enduring immense pressure.

A strong sense of resonance silently spread between the two of them.

Taylor looked at Lin Feng, seeing the same understanding and helplessness regarding their situation reflected on his handsome face.

She suddenly felt that this man understood her.

What he saw wasn't Taylor the dazzling superstar, but the real her, the one who also felt lonely and exhausted.

Her eyes slowly grew hazy.

"Lin..."

She softly called his name.

"Hmm?"

Taylor voluntarily took a step closer to him, the distance between them close enough to feel each other's breath.

The scent of vanilla and flowers on her became more intense.

"I think..."

Her voice was very soft, like a sleep talker, her red lips almost touching Lin Feng's ear.

"The inspiration for my next song might just be you."

The ambiguous atmosphere reached its peak at this moment.

The night was the best catalyst.

Lin Feng's reflection shimmered in Taylor's blue eyes.

She slightly stood on her tiptoes, closed her eyes, and raised her long neck in a graceful arc.

She seemed ready to offer a kiss.

Lin Feng's heart also skipped a beat.

Just as their lips were about to meet.

"Click."

The glass door behind them was pushed open.

A female voice with a distinctly husky quality broke the ambiguous silence.

"Looks like I came at a bad time?"

Scarlett Johansson leaned lazily against the doorframe, holding two glasses of amber whiskey.

An enigmatic smile hung on her face, and her gaze swept over the two frozen figures.

"However, compared to champagne, I guess a real 'artist' prefers something stronger."

The party gradually dispersed in the early hours of the morning.

Lin Feng declined the suggestion of Taylor's Agent to arrange a driver, and personally drove the aston martin to take Taylor home.

The car was quiet, save for the steady roar of the engine.

Scarlett's appearance was like a stone thrown into a lake; although the ripples had faded, the undercurrents beneath the water could not be calmed.

The car finally stopped outside another mansion belonging to Taylor in Beverly Hills.

"Thank you for driving me back."

Taylor unbuckled her seatbelt but didn't immediately get out of the car.

She turned around, her blue eyes fixed on Lin Feng in the dim car interior.

"I had a wonderful time tonight."

"Me too," Lin Feng replied.

Taylor suddenly leaned forward and gave Lin Feng a deep embrace.

Her soft body, carrying warm heat and a captivating scent, pressed tightly against him.

Lin Feng could feel her slightly rapid heartbeat.

A moment later, she released her arms, but left a clear and gentle kiss on Lin Feng's cheek.

"Good night, my mr. artist."

After she spoke, she pushed open the car door and walked into the brightly lit mansion without looking back.

Lin Feng sat in the car, his fingers subconsciously touching the spot on his cheek where warmth still lingered.

Just then, a stream of blue information suddenly lit up in his mind.

Below the gray text representing [Aomine Daikis Formless Shot], a progress bar appeared that had never been there before.

The progress bar instantly leaped forward from empty, stopping at roughly ninety percent!

Lin Feng's heart gave a heavy thump.

He knew he was just one final step away from the goal.