The cheers from the previous round of the dance competition faded into a hum as the contestants left the stage one by one.
Lanterns glowed overhead, warm golds, soft pinks, gentle whites, casting halos on the wooden platform.
The evening breeze rustled the decorative ribbons tied around the pillars, causing them to flutter like dancing tails.
Chi Huaijin sat comfortably beside her father, legs swinging freely under the bench. In her hands was a small bag of popcorn, caramel-coated, warm, and delicious.
She grabbed a handful and popped them into her mouth one after another as she watched Chi Yuanying and Liang Lingzhi bicker backstage.
"Father, look," Huaijin said around a mouthful of popcorn. "They're fighting again."
Yuanfeng sighed beside her, rubbing his temples. "There's always trouble where Yuanying is."
"And Lingzhi too," Huaijin muttered with a smirk. "Those two were made for each other."
