Days later, Sima Li's concert had become the most talked-about event in the entertainment world.
Thousands of tickets had sold out since the previous week, and the concert was set to take place in the biggest stadium in Asia. Once again, Sima Li had broken his own ticket sales record.
He was not just a singer.
He was a global star loved by millions of fans around the world.
Whenever Sima Li held a concert, it was bound to be epic. The fan service, the dancing, the songs, the guest artists... everything was something fans looked forward to. Even those who could not attend in person still streamed it, because somehow, Sima Li always made them feel like they were there.
The theme of this concert was tied to his upcoming album.
AURORA.
Over the past few months, he had released small snippets of the album, teasing fans little by little. But the full project had not been released yet. To rile them up even more, this concert was designed around the album's title, bringing the sound, concept, and visuals of AURORA together on one stage.
The tickets had sold out in less than twenty-four hours after the announcement.
And today, fans had arrived early, flooding into the stadium long before the main show began. No one wanted to miss a single second.
The stage had already been set.
Guest artists were performing, keeping the crowd alive.
Backstage, however, everything was chaos.
Crew members hurried back and forth. Makeup artists moved between rooms.
Dancers stretched and adjusted their costumes. Stylists checked outfits. Staff members spoke rapidly into headsets. The entire place buzzed with tension and excitement.
In the middle of it all stood Sima Li.
He was surrounded by his dancers, his expression bright but focused as he addressed them.
"We've already gone over everything these past few days," he said. "As usual, all we need to do is give our best. The fans want to see us shining, so it's our job to go out there and perform."
He raised one hand. "And also…"
The dancers looked at him.
Sima Li smiled. "Have fun. Remember to have fun."
"Yes!"
"Woooo! Let's go, guys!"
"Let's run this up!"
"We got this!"
His dancers were excited.
They had been practising for months in preparation for this concert, and if there was one thing Sima Li always insisted on, it was that they should not pressure themselves too much.
He wanted them to perform with him, not suffer behind him.
"Alright," Sima Li said, waving them off. "Go get ready. We're live in one hour!"
The dancers scattered immediately.
Just then, Shen Meixin walked toward him.
Her steps were unsteady, and she clutched her iPad tightly against her chest.
"S-Sima Li," she stammered.
Sima Li turned to her.
"Meixin, I was just about to find you. What's up with the stage entrance? Is she ready?"
Shen Meixin adjusted her glasses."That's what I wanted to talk to you about."
Sima Li tilted his head.
"The model cancelled," Shen Meixin said.
For a second, Sima Li said nothing, he closed his eyes.
And here he had been, foolishly thinking things would be perfect.
"What do you mean she cancelled?"
Shen Meixin swallowed.
"I… her manager called. She has a clashing schedule, and she can't make it here on time."
Sima Li ran a hand through his hair.
The model was important to the opening.
Without her, the entire stage entrance would feel incomplete. The sequence had been designed around her movement, her timing, her placement. If she did not show up, there was no easy way to fill that gap.
"Is there a way we can go around this?" he asked.
Shen Meixin nervously shook her head. "I've been trying to figure it out, but she's the only one who went through the practice. Changing it to someone else now might throw off the timing, and…"
She trailed off.
Sima Li sighed.
He did not want to deal with this right now.
Not with one hour left before the show.
"Find someone, Meixin," he said, his voice lower now. "Fix this. Just do something."
Then he turned and walked away.
His head was beginning to throb.
How was he supposed to fix this in less than an hour?
Just then, the backstage door opened. Mo Fei and Chen Yu walked in.
"Sima Li!" Mo Fei waved.
Sima Li looked up. The moment he saw them, he walked over.
"You guys came."
"Of course," Chen Yu said. "Since you begged so badly, how could we refuse?"
Sima Li gave him a sarcastic smile, he looked at Mo Fei.
"The show hasn't fully started yet. You can settle into the VIP section first. I'll have Meixin lead you there."
He turned and called Shen Meixin over.
"This place is packed," Chen Yu said, looking around.
Sima Li nodded absentmindedly.
His mind was still stuck on the cancelled model and the damage her absence could cause.
His gaze drifted.
Then it landed on Mo Fei.
Mo Fei was looking around backstage curiously, completely unaware of the way Sima Li was suddenly studying him.
Sima Li's eyes moved from Mo Fei's head to his shoes.
Then back to his face.
Wait a damn minute.
Sima Li's expression slowly changed.
Mo Fei noticed and frowned slightly. "What?"
Sima Li smiled.
It was not a normal smile.
It was the kind of smile that usually meant someone else's peaceful life was about to be ruined.
"Mo Fei," Sima Li said slowly, "how do you feel about opening my stage for me?"
Mo Fei blinked. "What?"
He had clearly not expected something like that from Sima Li.
Sima Li immediately grabbed his hand. "You're a model, and you can definitely do this," he said quickly. "My model cancelled on me, and I can't find another one on such short notice."
Shen Meixin walked over to them at that moment and stopped, bowing politely.
"Meixin," Sima Li said, turning to her, "can Mo Fei pull it off?"
Shen Meixin looked at the confused Mo Fei, then back at Sima Li. "Uhm… I…" She adjusted her glasses nervously. "It's impossible to go over the sequence properly in such a short time."
"Then change it," Sima Li said. "I hated it anyway."
Shen Meixin simply stared at him, baffled.
Sima Li turned back to Mo Fei. "So?" he asked. "Will you do it?"
Mo Fei blinked again.
Harder this time. He had come here to attend a concert.
A concert.
He had dressed as a guest, arrived as a friend, and mentally prepared himself to sit in VIP, eat expensive snacks, and watch Sima Li sparkle on stage like a shameless peacock.
Now, somehow, he was being asked to open the stage.
This was not in his plans for today.
Sima Li stared at him with pleading eyes.
Outside, thousands of fans were waiting.
Beside them, Shen Meixin and Chen Yu also waited for his answer.
Mo Fei sighed , "How much?"
Sima Li "…"
Shen Meixin "…"
Chen Yu smiled to himself. He was very proud.
"Huh?" Shen Meixin said weakly.
Sima Li stared at Mo Fei for another second before suddenly bursting into laughter.
"Hahaha…"
Truly, he had expected either yes or no.
Mostly no.
After all, asking someone to open a major concert with less than an hour to prepare was madness. If anything went wrong, it could damage Mo Fei's career just when he had begun climbing back up.
But Mo Fei had surprised him.
Completely.
Shen Meixin collected herself first. "It's… ¥5 million," she answered.
"¥10 million," Mo Fei said immediately.
"What?" Shen Meixin's eyes almost bulged out. "That's absurd."
"You need a model urgently," Mo Fei said calmly. "And right now, I'm the best choice you have." His expression did not change. "I'm risking everything."
He was not fazed at all.
Either they paid him properly, or he was out.
Shen Meixin opened her mouth to argue, but Sima Li raised one hand, silencing her.
"¥10 million," Sima Li said with a smile.
Mo Fei smiled back. "I'll let my manager know. You can discuss the rest with him."
Sima Li nodded.
"Meixin, get him ready. We don't have time to waste."
Shen Meixin immediately straightened. "Yes." Then she turned to Mo Fei. "Mr. Mo Fei, this way, please."
Mo Fei followed her off to get ready.
Once he was gone, Chen Yu leaned toward Sima Li.
"I would have gone for ¥20 million," he said. "Run your account down to the last."
Sima Li shoved him away. "Fuck off."
Chen Yu burst into laughter.