Chapter 86: Born for the Stage

Zhang Chen fell in love with acting—not for any lofty reason, but simply for two dollars.

Last time, he played the hapless victim swindled by a friend; this time, he portrayed the pitiable man dumped by his girlfriend for being poor. Qi Jiajia was his perfect partner.

“You’re so broke you don’t even have a single coin on you! Why should I stay with you for another night?” Qi Jiajia, speaking fluent English, took on the role of a hysterical girlfriend demanding a breakup.

“If I could find a coin on me, would you stay one more night?”

“You won’t find one.”

Zhang Chen started searching himself, rummaging through every pocket, but couldn’t find a single coin.

The crowd watching was thoroughly entertained. Some, unable to stand his misfortune, came forward to offer him money.

“You’re really too poor.”

“I feel you two are bound to break up sooner or later, but here’s something to tide you over.”

…

In the end, the two earned a tidy sum through their acting, enough for many rounds with the telescope.

On the way to the museum, Zhang Chen shook the money in his hand, thoroughly satisfied with his performance. He laughed, “I think I could make it in showbiz.”

“You’d win Best Actor on your first try,” Qi Jiajia teased along.

Zhang Chen seemed in high spirits and laughed heartily.

The livestream audience commented—

[Dead from laughter, Young Master Zhang has found a new way to get rich.]

[Chen bro tosses a million and becomes the leading man in the film ‘Two Dollars’.]

[From now on, he’ll scam his way through meals with sheer acting skill.]

…

Zhang Chen and Qi Jiajia had never worked so harmoniously before, chatting happily as they moved toward the museum.

“I see Chu Yao and Yi Ming. They’re still over there asking people for money.”

“We asked around there early on. Now that they're trying, most people aren’t buying it. They’re bound to hit a wall.”

“I think we’re the fastest to complete the task.”

“Hahaha!”

As they passed a plaza and saw a crowd gathered, curiosity drew them over. There, they spotted Lu Zhou and Ye Fangfei.

“Hey? It’s Lu Zhou and Fangfei! So they picked the commercial street too,” Qi Jiajia said.

“Let’s see what they’re up to,” Zhang Chen said, squeezing into the crowd, with Qi Jiajia following.

Lu Zhou and Ye Fangfei were at the front row, watching a street band perform.

Drummer, guitar, bass, keyboard, vocalist—all performing merrily.

Zhang Chen squeezed over to Lu Zhou and Ye Fangfei, patting their shoulders.

Lu Zhou turned, recognized them, and greeted them with a smile.

“So relaxed, watching a show—have you completed your challenge?” Zhang Chen asked.

Lu Zhou shook his head and smiled. “Tried three times with the telescope, failed each time. Now we’re out of money and owe Spider-Man five dollars.”

“Huh?” Qi Jiajia didn’t catch the meaning, thinking it was some new humor.

“Look at what we earned,” Zhang Chen boasted, showing off his cash.

Ye Fangfei raised her delicate brows in admiration. “That’s a lot. What trick did you use?”

“Acting,” Zhang Chen said smugly, brushing his fringe aside.

Qi Jiajia: “…”

Livestream comments—

[Could you be any more ridiculous?]

[Finally, a chance to show off.]

[I think you could be a comedian.]

…

At that moment, the street band finished their performance and prepared to disperse; the crowd started to thin out.

Lu Zhou hurried forward to negotiate with them.

“What’s he doing?” Zhang Chen sensed trouble.

“Making money,” Ye Fangfei tossed back, heading up as well.

Qi Jiajia’s eyes immediately lit up.

Could it be performing for money?

She had to see this.

Honestly, even though she’d been on the show and interacted closely with Ye Fangfei, she’d never actually seen her perform live!

No ticket needed—a free live show? That’s a treat.

Lu Zhou quickly struck a deal with the student band; they agreed to lend their instruments.

He looked at Ye Fangfei, “Shall we?”

“What should we sing?” Ye Fangfei agreed to team up.

“An English song?”

Ye Fangfei smiled. “You choose.”

“A song just came to mind,” Lu Zhou thought aloud. “Señorita? Are you familiar? If not…”

Hearing “if not,” Ye Fangfei instinctively arched a brow.

Not familiar? What a joke.

Without another word, she picked up the guitar beside her, slung it over her shoulder, and strummed out the familiar intro to “Señorita.”

Her deft fingers and crisp notes made Lu Zhou smile.

The guitarist from the original street band watched with interest.

Ye Fangfei, guitar in hand, turned to Lu Zhou with a smile, “What do you think?”

“Nice, let’s do it,” Lu Zhou replied, lips curled.

Ye Fangfei handed the guitar to Lu Zhou. “Let’s recreate the original performance—guitar’s yours.”

Lu Zhou took the guitar and smiled at her. “If we’re going for authenticity, then… we’ll have to shed some inhibitions.”

“You have inhibitions?” Ye Fangfei asked.

“No, I mean you,” Lu Zhou glanced at Zhang Chen in the crowd.

Ye Fangfei shrugged. “I live for the stage.”

Then she looked into the livestream camera.

“All actions in this performance serve the stage, unrelated to personal feelings. Please don’t overinterpret.”

Livestream comments—

[Recreating… the original performance???]

[Isn’t that a bit much?]

[Two dollars isn’t worth that much dedication.]

…

Zhang Chen in the crowd had no clue what they were plotting, but seeing the two conspiring, he couldn’t shake a bad feeling.

“They’re planning to sing together?” Zhang Chen raised a brow.

“Definitely. I really want to see it—let’s watch before heading to the museum?” Qi Jiajia suddenly transformed into Ye Fangfei and Lu Zhou’s fangirl.

“Watch! We have to see it through! It’s not a competition, time isn’t an issue,” Zhang Chen replied firmly.

For once, the two agreed without quarreling.

Livestream comments—

[Now it’s not a competition?]

[No rush now?]

[Comedy duo.]

…

“You’re here too?”

Suddenly, Qi Jiajia felt a tap on her shoulder and heard a familiar voice.

She turned to see Wen Yiming and Chu Yao, who had somehow ended up there as well.

“Hey? How did we bump into you again?” she exclaimed.

“Saw the crowd and got curious. What are those two doing? Planning to show off their talent for money?” Wen Yiming looked toward Ye Fangfei and Lu Zhou as they fiddled with instruments.

“Yes,” Zhang Chen interjected.

“That’s a good idea!” Chu Yao glanced at Wen Yiming. “We’ve been asking all the way, it’s too exhausting. Maybe this way, people will be more willing to give.”

“Why don’t we try that later?” Wen Yiming laughed.

Qi Jiajia chimed in, “If you sing, you’ll scare the audience away. How do you expect them to pay?”

Wen Yiming chuckled, “I never said I’d sing.”

“So what talent do you plan to show?” Chu Yao asked.

“I could show off my strength… by lifting you?” Wen Yiming teased.

Qi Jiajia: “…”

Zhang Chen laughed, “Bro, that’s pretty trendy.”

Chu Yao gave him a look, “Thanks, I guess.”

Wen Yiming laughed, “I don’t have any special talents. Besides showing off fitness and looks, I don’t know what else. How about you? I’ll cheer you on.”

Chu Yao agreed readily. “I’m in.”

Qi Jiajia glanced at Chu Yao, curious about what she’d perform. She was about to ask when a voice rang out through the speakers.

“Hi, may we have your attention?”

Zhang Chen and his group looked toward Lu Zhou and Ye Fangfei in surprise.

Lu Zhou, holding the guitar, stood beside Ye Fangfei, who held the microphone and smiled at the gathering crowd.

Behind them were the original band’s drummer, bassist, and keyboardist, now convinced to join the performance.

Ye Fangfei briefly introduced herself and her partner Lu Zhou, explained their current predicament due to filming, and expressed hope that their talent would earn them some support.

The crowd watched for fun, offering scattered applause.

Zhang Chen, sensing the atmosphere needed a boost, led the crowd with a few cheers, drawing more attention.

“Next, we’ll bring you ‘Señorita’. Hope you enjoy,” Lu Zhou announced.

He began strumming the guitar, the intro to “Señorita” flowing through the less-than-perfect speakers across the plaza.

Ye Fangfei, following the rhythm, walked with feline grace toward him, her gaze laced with a subtle, flirtatious tension.

When she was two or three steps away, she raised the microphone to her lips, and her voice rang out—

“I love it when you call me señorita…”

Her opening notes made the crowd arch their brows in surprise.

The high notes showcased her vocal prowess; her style, while true to the original, carried her own unique flavor.

Her technique was superb, unmistakably professional.

Lu Zhou, as her part ended, sang his own lines while playing guitar—

“Land in Miami…”

His gentle, magnetic voice was alluring—a deep, resonant tone so steady that listeners could mistake it for a studio recording. But no, it was live.

For the chorus, the two sang together. Ye Fangfei circled Lu Zhou, drawing nearer with every round, her gaze never leaving him, her steps alluring and enchanting.

“But every touch is true, la la la~”

At this point, she placed her hand on his shoulder, singing as she pivoted, then glided behind him, her back pressed firmly against his.

Lu Zhou played the guitar and sang into the standing mic, while Ye Fangfei, behind him, danced, the two singing back to back.

“Lock in my hotel…”

In the next section, Ye Fangfei moved away, slowly walking to face the audience, her back to Lu Zhou as she sang.

Lu Zhou detached the mic from its stand, shifted the guitar behind him.

He stepped behind her, Ye Fangfei leaning her back into his chest.

“Oh~~~”

She danced in his arms, Lu Zhou taking her left hand, and with the rhythm of “Don’t Stop,” she spun to face him.

The two stood within inches of each other.

As she spun, she tilted her head up; Lu Zhou looked down at her.

They were so close, it seemed a kiss was inevitable.

Her warm palm rested on his chest.

Her lips curled into a charming smile, his gaze fixed intently upon her.

Their breaths mingled, closer and closer.

The air seemed to freeze; the crowd erupted in wild cheers.

The livestream audience lost their minds—

[Ahh, just kill me now!]

[Blood gushing from my nose!]

[This is a massacre of singles.]

[This is too much, really too much.]

[Please, someone hold their heads down!]

[I’m terrified you’ll lose control and just…]

…

Among the onlookers—

Qi Jiajia and Chu Yao raised hands to cover their mouths, eyes wide in shock. They… were really going that far!

Zhang Chen… his face darkened, blood boiling, fists clenched, lips trembling, nearly rushing the stage. Luckily, Wen Yiming grabbed him just in time.

“Calm down… It’s just stage effect.”

“If that was Jiajia up there, would you be calm?” Zhang Chen was ready to tear someone apart.

“…"

After a brief musical pause, the rhythm resumed, Lu Zhou and Ye Fangfei instantly separating and singing together, mics raised.

“I love it when you call me señorita…”

“I wish I could pretend I didn’t need you.”

One high, one low, duet in harmony—their beautiful voices struck the crowd’s ears, drawing more people to watch, some even dancing or singing along.

Lu Zhou and Ye Fangfei’s impromptu stage became the focal point.

Immersed in the song’s mood, at the most passionate moment, Ye Fangfei hooked her arm around Lu Zhou’s neck, the two sharing a single microphone.

They were utterly absorbed, as if on a professional stage, with spotlights and a vast audience—never half-hearted in their performance.

In that moment, they were the protagonists of the song, not Lu Zhou and Ye Fangfei.

They sang of lovers’ devotion, entanglement, the pain of separation, faithfully recreating the original stage performance.

No rehearsals—this was a song requiring tight collaboration. Yet their first duet was near-perfect, a sign of deep rapport.

“Ohh, you keep me coming for you~”

As the final note faded, the surroundings fell silent.

Their eyes met, breath rising and falling.

Then came thunderous applause.

Lu Zhou and Ye Fangfei stepped out of the song, exchanged smiles, and distanced themselves, as if their earlier intimacy was a dream.

“Thank you!”

Lu Zhou and Ye Fangfei bowed to the crowd.

“Did we move you?” Ye Fangfei smiled, “If so, perhaps you could show your appreciation and help us overcome today’s hardship.”

People stepped forward to tip them.

Seeing the tips—much more than expected, enough for plenty of telescope sessions—Lu Zhou and Ye Fangfei high-fived in surprise.

Zhang Chen, having waited for their performance to end, stormed forward, cheeks puffed in grievance and anger, and said to Ye Fangfei:

“Doing this! It’s unfair to me!”

Recently, I've been very, very busy, exhausted; tomorrow or the day after will be even busier. If I can’t make the deadline, I’ll probably have to take leave; I have no points, so taking leave means losing perfect attendance, though I still want it—I’ll try my best.

Today, I’m too tired, so I’m just posting for attendance, nothing else.

The editor suggested I set up a reader group, but I don’t think I have the energy to manage it; after thinking it over, I won’t.

Thanks to “Love for This Life” for the reward of 100 Qi Dian coins!