At 8 PM the next evening, the long-awaited Starlight Carnival began.
Lu Chen sat in the VIP seats arranged by Venti, the deafening cheers from behind crashing over him like a tidal wave. Honestly, he had underestimated just how popular this concert was.
The entire venue—packed with tens of thousands—was a sea of darkness, lit only by countless glow sticks twinkling like stars. It was overwhelming.
And this was after a last-minute venue change. Due to an explosion at a nearby parking lot the day before, the organizers had to relocate the show to avoid any fire hazards.
"Ahhhhhh—Big brother's coming on!!"
The fans' screams behind him were so loud that he couldn't even hear what Ei was saying. Fortunately, after so many years of being in sync with her, he could still read her lips.
"Where are Xiao and Venti?"
The noise was too loud. Lu Chen had to lean close to Ei's ear. "Venti has a performance today, so he went backstage to see Barbara. Xiao is still worried about the remnants of the Archon, so he's patrolling around the venue."
Ei felt the warmth of his breath close to her and turned her face toward him. "Xiao's patrolling? Didn't they already check the area?"
"He can't help it—it's an occupational habit," Lu Chen said, helplessly.
Xiao took the matter of the Archon remnants seriously and had spent the entire day searching the area for clues. But just as Lu Chen had expected, there wasn't a single lead.
The Abyss Order must've been on guard, halting all activity.
Besides, the two worlds were separated. Unless they returned to Teyvat and caught the Abyss Order directly, there was nothing they could really do here.
"He's really dedicated," Ei remarked.
Lu Chen nodded. Even though the tens of thousands here weren't from Liyue Harbor, Xiao still instinctively felt responsible and wanted to protect them.
"Xiao always said he didn't like the Lantern Rite... now I finally understand why."
Lu Chen wasn't nearly as relaxed as he seemed. He'd been scanning the carnival nonstop, keeping watch for any sign of the Abyss Order. He hadn't enjoyed a single song, nor did he even know which guests had come on stage.
This all felt far too similar to the Lantern Rite.
Every year during the Lantern Rite, behind all the joy and laughter, Xiao would spend the entire night fighting without rest. For him, festivals were just overtime shifts.
"What about Qiqi?"
"She's home watching the place."
Worried something might happen tonight, Lu Chen didn't dare bring Qiqi along. Besides, she didn't like this kind of atmosphere anyway.
"Oh..."
After they talked, Lu Chen didn't move away from Ei's ear.
His warm breath brushed against her earlobe, making her feel ticklish.
Lu Chen kept watching her.
The stage lights glimmered across Ei's flawless, delicate face. Her eyes sparkled under the shifting colors, so beautiful it felt surreal.
Lu Chen had no interest in the show itself—his eyes were fixed on Ei.
He noticed her crystal-clear earlobe twitch slightly. It was too cute, so he leaned in playfully and blew on it.
Ei touched her ear, pretending to stay focused on the performance.
So, Lu Chen leaned in closer.
Then, catching her off guard, he gently bit her petite, elegant earlobe.
As expected—it was sweet.
"Lu Chen!?"
"You—!"
Ei was stunned. She glanced around, then pushed Lu Chen back to his seat with a pout of annoyance.
Lu Chen chuckled dumbly, only to get mocked from the other side by Miko.
"Hah!"
"In public, in the VIP seats no less—have you no shame?"
"Huh?" Lu Chen looked around.
Apparently, there were lots of celebrity guests nearby, but he didn't recognize any of them. Everyone was watching the show, and it was dark. No one noticed him.
"You tricked me again." He shot her a look.
Miko nibbled on the fried tofu Lu Chen had made for her in the RV's kitchen, savoring it while listening to the heart-wrenching ballad from the singer on stage.
The VIP section was filled with rich and famous people, yet none were as laid-back as her—snacking and watching at the same time.
But no one said anything. The trio had a certain aura that made even Miko's beer and skewers seem elegant and fitting.
"What's shame? I've never heard of it." Lu Chen's skin was thick. Ei had looked so tempting just now—how could he pass up the chance to tease her?
Miko gave him a look of scorn and contempt.
Then she reached out and gestured, "Come here, I'll tell you something."
"Hm?" Lu Chen blinked.
Miko kept motioning impatiently for him to come closer.
Lu Chen leaned in, curious to hear what she wanted to say.
"Lu~ Chen~"
Miko leaned slightly closer, her eyes shimmering with a bewitching glint.
She stopped right in front of him—so close their faces nearly touched. The hairs on Lu Chen's face stood on end.
Her warm breath brushed against his cheek.
"I want~"
"Want~"
That sultry, teasing tone instantly short-circuited Lu Chen's brain. His ears tingled, and his mind went blank.
He gasped, clutched his ears, and bolted back to his seat like lightning.
He was always the one teasing others—he never imagined he'd be on the receiving end... and it felt...
He snuck a glance at Ei, who didn't seem to notice. So, Lu Chen straightened up and pretended to focus on the performance.
The singer was kneeling at the center of the stage with eyes shut tight, hitting high notes impressively—but the song itself wasn't very good.
"Now do you understand what shame is?"
Lu Chen turned his head and saw Miko crossing her arms, her expression back to its usual disdain.
"I get it..."
Miko really knew how to push his buttons. Even he had blushed.
Lately, he'd noticed Miko getting bolder. He stole another glance at her.
She was covering her mouth, trying not to laugh—her fox ears nearly popped out.
He'd definitely have to teach this fox a lesson when the time came.
...
The male singer who hit those high notes seemed to have a massive fanbase. Even after he left, the cheers didn't die down.
But when the host announced the next act, the crowd was mostly quiet—few had heard of this group.
"Huh? School idols?" Ei leaned over curiously. "Is it Barbara and the others?"
Lu Chen quickly nodded. "Yep."
Finally, it was Barbara's turn to perform. Lu Chen relaxed a little, turning his full attention to the stage.
The song seemed to be a gentle one. The stage lights faded to black, leaving only a clean white spotlight from above, making Barbara appear angelic as she stepped forward.
"This is Miss Barbara's first big-stage performance. If she nails it, she's bound to become a star overnight."
At some point, Tony from Starlight Company walked over, phone in hand, and sat not far from Lu Chen.
Lu Chen greeted him, and Tony went back to tracking trends on the hot search.
"Don't be nervous, Barbara..." Tony muttered, still a bit worried. Though Venti, her accompanist, was reliable, Barbara had never faced a stage this big before.
"She'll pull it off!" Lu Chen said firmly.
Even so, he couldn't help feeling nervous for her—his palms were already sweating.