Chapter 123: Concert

Chapter 123: Chapter 123: Concert

Irene sat in the staff section in the front row, gently waving her glow stick to the rhythm, watching her radiant best friend on stage with a heart full of pride.

In this life, she should be much happier than in the last one.

Britney’s voice remained sweet yet powerful. From "Baby One More Time" to "Oops!... I Did It Again," each classic song triggered a sing-along from the entire audience.

When she sang "Lucky," she suddenly stopped, picked up the microphone, and cast her gaze in Irene’s direction.

"Today is a special day. Not only is it the finale of my concert tour, but it is also the 19th birthday of my best friend and me."

The whole venue instantly quieted down, and all eyes followed her gaze toward Irene.

Britney’s eyes shone, and her tone was gentle and sincere.

"She is a very talented director, working hard for her dreams. I want to use this stage to say to her: Irene, happy birthday! Thank you for always being by my side, no matter what difficulties I face. May we always be best friends and shine together in our respective fields!"

As soon as she finished speaking, thunderous applause erupted throughout the venue. Irene’s eyes instantly welled up with tears. She waved her glow stick vigorously and shouted at the stage, "Britney, happy birthday! You’re the best!"

Afterward, during the gap while Britney changed outfits, other guest performers came onto the stage.

Unsurprisingly, Justin Timberlake appeared again.

It seemed that whenever Britney made a public appearance, he was there. How could this not be considered a form of "companionship"? It was no wonder Britney ended up with him, only to suffer a brutal betrayal.

Fortunately, in this life, before everything started, this person was already out of the picture.

After they finished two songs, they quickly left the stage. After a brief wait, Britney returned to the stage.

Irene couldn’t help but feel curious. She had previously heard Britney mention other people from the same company, including female singers she was close with. Why hadn’t they appeared?

You have to realize that being a guest performer at a Britney concert was already a fantastic platform for newcomers who hadn’t yet debuted.

She turned to ask Bella, the assistant beside her.

Bella’s expression turned awkward upon hearing this, and she stammered, "Ah... a small incident happened before. Britney had a falling out with them and specifically said they weren’t allowed to appear anywhere she was, so the company canceled their guest slots."

Irene frowned upon hearing this. Britney did have a bit of a girlish personality, but she wasn’t a particularly petty or overbearing person. What kind of conflict would make her make such a decision?

But she didn’t continue asking. After all, Bella was Britney’s assistant, and many things certainly wouldn’t be convenient for her to disclose.

Irene thought for a moment and decided to put the matter aside. Regardless, it had already happened, and focusing on the concert was the priority now.

The concert ended in a frenzy of excitement. Britney returned backstage and, ignoring her fatigue, immediately pulled Irene to the birthday party venue that had been prepared in advance.

The lounge was filled with pink balloons and ribbons. The table was set with cake, champagne, and various desserts. Staff members and close friends were all there to celebrate their birthdays together.

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you..."

The familiar birthday song began to play. Irene and Britney stood shoulder to shoulder in front of the cake, closed their eyes, and each made a wish.

The moment they blew out the candles, cheers erupted in the room. The two looked at each other and smiled, their eyes full of longing for the future.

"What did you wish for?" Britney asked curiously.

"I hope The Italian Job is a box office hit, and I hope you keep singing happily," Irene said with a smile. "What about you?"

"My wish is the same as yours," Britney said, holding her hand. "And I hope we will always be best friends, no matter how long we go without seeing each other, our bond will never change."

The two cut the cake and shared it with everyone present. Britney picked up a piece of cake and secretly smeared a bit of cream on Irene’s face. Irene immediately retaliated, smearing the cream back onto the tip of her nose, filling the room with laughter.

The next morning, sunlight filtered through the floor-to-ceiling curtains of the hotel suite, casting dappled light and shadows on the carpet.

Irene was woken up by a sense of suffocation. An arm was wrapped around her waist like a vine, and a leg was pressed heavily over her own, leaving her unable to move.

She struggled to open her eyes. The grogginess from the hangover made her vision a bit blurry, and it took a while before she could see clearly: Britney was like an octopus, clinging to her entire body, her head buried in the crook of her neck. Her warm breath brushed against her skin, carrying a faint scent of a mix of champagne and strawberry cake.

Fragments of the madness from last night’s celebration party suddenly flooded into her mind.

Bella was truly a competent assistant. Not only did she listen to Britney and find several male models, but she even had the models perform a striptease.

They were all experienced, and since they were serving the youngest and most promising ladies of the moment, they were incredibly enthusiastic.

Her memory only held fragmented pieces: the male models dancing around them, Britney holding a champagne tower and drinking it all in one go, the two of them swaying on the dance floor to the beat, and being half-carried, half-dragged back to the hotel by their assistants.

"Britney, wake up." Irene tried to move her arm, but the other person not only didn’t loosen her grip but instead groaned, tightened her arm, and wrapped her leg even more tightly around her, locking her almost entirely beneath her.

Irene smiled helplessly, her nose brushing against Britney’s soft blonde hair, where she could still smell the lingering scent of stage hairspray.

She just lay there, listening to the steady breathing of the person beside her. The headache from the hangover slowly eased, replaced by a sense of lazy comfort.

The neon lights outside the window had long since faded, replaced by the rare tranquility of Las Vegas. In the distance, the skyscrapers outlined clear silhouettes in the morning light, everything carrying the relaxed feeling of the aftermath of a wild party.

It was unclear how much time had passed, but Britney finally moved, her eyelashes fluttering as she slowly opened her eyes.

She looked at the ceiling in a daze, then lowered her head to meet Irene’s gaze, freezing for three seconds before realizing: "Oh my god! Did I sleep holding onto you all night?"

Irene rubbed her arm, which had gone numb from being pressed on, and said in a teasing tone,

"What else? How come I only just discovered that you’re an octopus spirit? I couldn’t even turn over in the middle of the night. I almost thought I was going to be tied up by you until noon."

Britney covered her mouth and laughed, her eyes still sleepy from the hangover. "I’m sorry, I’m sorry! I blacked out from drinking. I don’t remember anything at all."

She raised her hand to rub her temples. "My head hurts so much. How much did I drink last night? Why do I remember Bella finding some male models?"