Chapter 504 - 503: IF Route: Did the Big Shot Vie for Favor Today? 72

Chapter 504: Chapter 503: IF Route: Did the Big Shot Vie for Favor Today? 72

Shi Lan really admired her. In fact, it was Chen Xinyi’s personality that had allowed them to become friends in the first place. Now that they’d known each other for a while, it seemed Shi Lan had been influenced by her and become a bit more outgoing.

Chen Xinyi pulled her to a roadside stall to buy some lemon tea. Even though it was raining, vendors were still set up outside the stadium. Some had even made custom Yan Huoshui-themed milk tea cups, which made for great souvenirs.

She bought two cups and couldn’t wait to take a picture with Shi Lan. The cups were covered with all sorts of stunning photos of Yan Huoshui. As Chen Xinyi marveled at his handsome face, she turned to Shi Lan with an adoring look. "Oh my god, Lanlan, this is all thanks to you! AHHHH! If it weren’t for you, my sister, I never would’ve gotten a ticket."

Shi Lan smiled. "It’s all thanks to my junior from university."

She was too embarrassed to call him a suitor. After all, nothing was set in stone between them yet. Plus, given Jiang Xia’s childish nature, Shi Lan found it hard to believe his feelings for her were real. Since they both went to the same university, she just told her friend he was a junior from her school.

Chen Xinyi didn’t care about the details. "It’s still because of you," she insisted. "If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have this ticket at all."

"Aww, my Lanlan is the best."

Chen Xinyi happily pressed her cheek against Shi Lan’s and snapped a selfie of the two of them. Looking at her photo gallery, she wore a satisfied expression. "Lanlan, you’re so photogenic! So beautiful. You know what they say—looking at handsome men and beautiful women is good for your health. I’m so lucky I get to see a beauty like you every day."

Shi Lan blushed. There were plenty of people around, and many of the fans were very attractive themselves. She felt she didn’t deserve the compliment and tried to distract her friend, pointing to a nearby roll-up banner. "Xinyi, look! That poster—you should definitely get a picture of that."

Chen Xinyi looked over and saw it was the main poster for Yan Huoshui’s concert. The theme this time was ’Soul Capture’. The promotional poster was hauntingly cool, a style unlike anything he’d done before.

The overall image was dark red. In the center, he wore a red eye mask, his sharp gaze fixed ahead. He extended a red-gloved hand as if reaching out to grab something. The shot was a close-up, lingering on the wicked curl of his lips.

Many fans were excitedly screaming, "He’s killing me!"

"That look in his eyes... So hot, so hot!"

Even Chen Xinyi snapped a ton of photos. Shi Lan, however, just stared at the poster. The longer she looked, the more a chill crept down her spine. ’Why does Yan Huoshui’s gaze look so sinister?’

Thinking of his new single, "Benefactor," made Shi Lan’s scalp tingle with dread.

’I hope I’m just overthinking all this.’

Due to the sheer number of fans—both ticket holders and those just soaking in the atmosphere—the ticket-checking process took more than thirty minutes. The security guards didn’t demand that everyone put away their cameras, only reminding them not to use flash and warning them not to record and leak footage of the songs, as that could result in a warning from his management team.

Fans who managed to snag tickets and attend generally understood concert etiquette. Besides, Yan Huoshui had always been a bit spontaneous, and they were afraid he might just decide to stop holding concerts altogether. As a result, every single person was on their best behavior. Even after entering the arena, the crowd remained orderly and didn’t get rowdy.

Yan Huoshui wasn’t short on money. He had originally planned to offer half-price tickets to anyone who brought their cat, but his team felt it would be too difficult to manage. Having so many cats would be chaotic, and they also had to account for people with cat allergies and so on. In short, there were too many unpredictable variables.

Since it was a matter of health and safety, he had no choice but to scrap the idea. However, he did leave a special gift on every fan’s seat.

Shi Lan and Chen Xinyi’s seats were in the front row. The moment they sat down, Chen Xinyi hugged her again with immense gratitude, a blissful look on her face, and then eagerly opened the gift.

Inside the gift bag was a light stick and an exquisite-looking red gift box. Red was Yan Huoshui’s official fan color, which was why Chen Xinyi had specifically worn a red dress today. Shi Lan had opted for a simple, one-shoulder yellow floral dress.

Chen Xinyi took out the box and opened it. It was a tall box, apparently with two tiers. The top tier held a set of exquisite, custom-made cat-themed merchandise: a white cat plushie, a transparent crystal cat-shaped mug, a cat-themed spoon, and a card.

She opened the card and read it. "This is a cat named Benefactor. He is my beloved pet and has brought me great luck. I hope to share this luck with all of my dear fans~"

As she finished reading, Chen Xinyi couldn’t help but say, "I’d heard that Teacher Yan had a cat, but I didn’t realize he loved it this much. This is so sweet. This gift set is so thoughtful."

She then looked at the second tier. It was a three-piece skincare set that he endorsed—toner, lotion, and cream. The set normally retailed for 1,100 yuan in the official flagship store.

Just based on the gifts alone, Chen Xinyi felt the ticket price was more than worth it. For those in the back rows with tickets that cost around three hundred, it was practically like getting paid to watch the concert.

She sighed with emotion again. "Teacher Yan is so generous and spoils his fans so much. I definitely chose the right idol to support."

Chen Xinyi was already blissfully snapping photos of everything, but Shi Lan had been frozen in place, stunned, from the moment her friend read the card’s message.

She was certain there was more to this concert than met the eye. ’Is he... really looking for me?’

First, the ’Soul Capture’ poster, then the cat-themed gifts, not to mention a song titled "Benefactor."

Shi Lan still couldn’t figure it out. According to what Jiang Xia had said, the cat was still around after her soul had left it. Why was Yan Huoshui going to all this trouble? The cat was back with him, wasn’t it?

She grumbled inwardly, not believing she was charming enough to warrant this. ’In any case, this Yan Huoshui is too dangerous. He was sharp enough to notice the change in the cat’s soul. It looks like I’d better stay away from his public events from now on.’

As Shi Lan stewed in her anxiety, the concert finally began.

Yan Huoshui’s hair was already dyed red, but for today, it had been styled and colored an even more vibrant shade. He wore a red suit and a red half-mask, looking both mysterious and dangerous.

Chen Xinyi was practically swooning. She leaned close to Shi Lan’s ear and whispered, "Oh my god, Lanlan, who is Teacher Yan trying to kill with that outfit? Red suits him so perfectly, it’s like the color was made just for him."

"Yeah."

Shi Lan’s response was barely audible, but her heart was inexplicably racing. ’He’s handsome, sure, but more than that, he’s just... eerie.’ He reminded her of Eric from *The Phantom of the Opera*—captivating everyone’s attention while hiding a turbulent darkness beneath the surface.

She swallowed hard, forcing herself not to dwell on it.

The first song he performed was his debut original, "Just a Joke." Much like his off-stage personality, the song was ostentatious and unrestrained, wild and rebellious, projecting an arrogant pride that held everything in contempt.

In the middle of the song, he took off his mask. Though the music was deafening, Shi Lan could still hear the sound of people sharply drawing in their breath.

’Okay, I admit it.’ Yan Huoshui truly lived up to his name—a man whose beauty was a catastrophe in the making.

’If he were an animal, he’d be a straight-up fox demon.’

The venue was filled with blazing red light-up signs, like flowing flames weaving through the sea of people.

At first, Shi Lan’s mind was racing, but she gradually became immersed in the electrifying atmosphere, even finding herself singing along with the crowd. That is, until the new song, "Benefactor," began, and Yan Huoshui started to speak.