Wendy Aldridge glanced at the looks around her and knew things had gone south. She secretly cursed Renee Morgan for not playing by the rules and hurried to smooth things over: "It's fine if you didn't prepare a gift. It's true that time was tight."
Renee Morgan's uneasy expression gradually settled, and she gave a sincere smile: "If Mr. Yates doesn't mind, may I sing you a song as a birthday present?"
Miles Yates nodded. Renee Morgan's face instantly lit up with a cheerful smile; she waved to the three male team members nearby, and Lynn Miller stood up beside her.
The song Renee Morgan chose was Chloe Callahan's original composition "Longing." The theme of the song is the aching wait and hope; it goes best with guitar accompaniment. Earlier Renee had asked Lynn—she plays bass, while the male teammates happened to be good at guitar. The group was suddenly inspired to team up for this performance.
Renee Morgan would be the lead vocalist, Lynn Miller on bass, the male team members covering guitar, drums, and keyboard.
On the lawn, there was barbecue and fine wine—and music, with all kinds of instruments well supplied.
Hearing that Renee and her group were about to perform, the crowd quickly made room for them.
In the open center of the lawn stood a tall barstool, and behind it was the backing ensemble, audience forming a semi-circle. Every camera was fixed on the heart of the performance, occasionally sweeping over the expressions of a few key figures, Miles Yates at the center, followed by Wendy Aldridge and Zara Chapman.
Renee Morgan's outfit today was perfect for this song.
White shirt paired with a white tulle floor-length skirt—poetic and romantic.
When she sat on the barstool, her high-heeled sandals resting on the foot rail, exposing her elegant, beautiful feet, she instantly stunned the crowd—many people covered their mouths, faces filled with awe.
The cameraman zoomed in at once, showing a flawless, 360-degree view of her exquisite face. She softly closed her eyes, long lashes sweeping down and revealing an even more breathtaking profile. Even the rosy tip of her nose seemed to radiate youthful energy.
With her eyes closed, Renee Morgan held the mic and sang the first line—everyone suddenly held their breath…
"Clouds' heavy feet tread in sticky wind
Rain reluctant to leave the sky, not wishing to fall
The plain eternally stretching to the edge of memory
Time lifts the sand, can't see where you are
Clouds' heavy feet tread in sticky wind
Rain reluctant to leave the sky, not wishing to fall
The plain eternally stretching to the edge of memory
The sun and moon blurry, suspended, unable to find you…"
If Chloe Callahan, the renowned folk singer, has a deep, smoky voice that carries freedom and rebelliousness, then Renee Morgan is ethereal, lazy, and spontaneous. She didn't deliberately control the atmosphere like a professional singer; she simply sang and hummed, and her moving voice made everyone truly feel the longing and hope of the journey.
While the crowd showed dreamy smiles, she suddenly stood up from the stool, swaying lightly, stepping to the rhythm, dancing energetically, infecting everyone present. Lynn Miller was the first to lose control, stepping forward with her bass and joining the dance.
More and more people stood up, keeping the beat, gently singing along, faces brimming with vitality and joy.
"The train quietly passes by a flower in an instant
Missing the noise
The world owes me an answer…"
The world owes me an answer…
Renee Morgan held out the microphone toward the crowd, right at the beat.
The crowd closed their eyes, feeling the touch of freedom in their hearts, singing joyfully:
"Are you waiting under the clouds' feet
For the rain to fall
Are you gazing across the plain's end toward the strait
Did you set off on a cloudy day
Drawing pictures on the train window
Are you at the tail of the train, saying goodbye to the sunset…"
...
At this moment, the online audience watching the livestream all fell silent.
Maybe Renee Morgan wasn't as professional as a trained singer, but that ethereal, lazy, spontaneous tone captured the essence of the song and made it all the more beautiful and moving.
Beauty, voice—if this is the kind of waiting and hoping, people would sink into it, unwilling to leave.
Once the song finished, the viewers snapped out of it and started tapping on their keyboards, flooding the screen, urging the production team to edit quickly—they needed to hear it on repeat before bed tonight.
Miles Yates and Zara Chapman, moved by the music, stood up, surrounded by the crowd, humming the song and swaying in dance. For that moment, they and the show staff were more than just colleagues; they were like old friends, able to sing loudly, laugh freely. The bonds instantly grew closer.
Wendy Aldridge was squeezed into the farthest corner, barely even in the camera's edge. She was anxious but helpless, after all, her cocktail dress really wasn't suitable for pushing into a crowd.
She looked at Renee Morgan at the center of the shot, her lowered gaze flashing with bitter hate.
Renee Morgan had absolutely done it on purpose. She knew Wendy wore a dress and had set this up to make her look like an outsider.
Just wait, the real drama's still to come.
Wendy Aldridge thought of tomorrow's trending topics—Renee Morgan engulfed in scandals—and felt her depressed chest suddenly lift with satisfaction.
After Renee finished singing and the mood was set, Miles Yates stepped forward and hugged her, Lynn Miller, and the three male team members, thanking them for their heartfelt performance; he really liked such a gift.
Renee Morgan and Lynn Miller gave brief hugs and let go—after all, there were differences between men and women. The three male team members, on the other hand, went all out, hugging, patting muscles congratulating each other, pounding chests and slapping shoulders as they introduced themselves, quickly blending together.
This was something Renee Morgan hadn't expected.
Still, Miles Yates becoming friends with the three male team members was a good thing. She remembered in her dream, Miles couldn't lower his guard with them, performed poorly in the show, even quit halfway, and when he failed to gain fame, went home to inherit the family fortune. Years later, it was revealed that he suffered from depression, fell into a coma after attempting suicide—this appearance was meant as the family's last chance for him. If he still didn't achieve anything, he had to go back.
This was also the scandal that made people realize being an heir to a wealthy family wasn't easy. When Miles returned to the clan, he was sent abroad to study, otherwise, who would trust him with the family's vast assets?
Miles Yates had always loved performing arts since he was young—not learning.
To join the entertainment industry, he dropped out as a teen to become a trainee, debuted as a singer, then acted in dramas.
In academics, Miles was a total dunce—asking such a dunce to quickly become capable and take over the family business, wasn't that pushing him to the edge?
After days of rescue, Miles still died, never waking from the coma.
Renee Morgan didn't know if Miles Yates's fate would change this time, but seeing him fit in with the group, she was happy for him.
After chatting with the three male team members, Miles Yates turned to find Renee Morgan, only to see she'd already left.
Lynn Miller looked at the handsome man before her and cheerfully explained, "Morgan's shirt is wet. She went to change."