Sister Takes You Flying

"Almost our turn. Let's go get ready."

Luo Ruiyu stood up and naturally grabbed Fang Jun's wrist, pulling him along as she headed down.

Fang Jun was startled for a moment before reacting. He stood up, muttering under his breath, "That fast?"

Luo Ruiyu didn't look back. "Don't be nervous. I'll take you flying."

With that, the two of them walked down toward the stage.

Jiang Yunlu stared in that direction for a few seconds, then looked away, her voice dripping with gossipy enthusiasm.

"These two... Luo Ruiyu and Fang Jun. How should I put it? They've got way more chemistry than Jun Huang ever did."

Xie Yuling, usually quiet, chimed in.

"Luo Ruiyu really is... pretty generous. She's natural around Fang Jun, always looking out for him."

An Yuexin listened, then turned his head to glance at Lin Mo.

Lin Mo glanced back at him.

Their expressions were oddly identical—that subtle look of "What do you think?" and "I don't know what to say either."

An Yuexin shook his head. "Those two have always been like this, ever since middle school."

He paused, then added,

"Back then, Luo Ruiyu liked someone else."

The moment those words left his mouth, the two girls who had been eagerly analyzing went silent.

Jiang Yunlu opened her mouth but couldn't get a word out.

Xie Yuling lowered her eyes and didn't respond either.

The atmosphere chilled for a moment.

Lin Mo didn't break the silence. Some things—outsiders might look at them and think they understand, but not even the people involved could always explain themselves.

He looked up toward the stage, where the next group was performing, but his mind drifted to Fang Jun.

Number thirty-two. Almost their turn.

Student council host: "Next up is the song performance by Class 8, Grade G2—'Kiss and Say Goodbye.'"

Actually, there was a string of English letters after the title.

But the host was too lazy to read them and just said "Kiss and Say Goodbye."

Fang Jun and Luo Ruiyu walked out from the waiting area, both their steps stiff.

Luo Ruiyu had none of the cool confidence she'd shown offstage just moments ago.

Fang Jun walked to her left and could feel her trembling—fine vibrations traveling through the air from her arm.

He had no room to laugh at her; his own legs were shaking too.

But Luo Ruiyu was braver than him after all.

Suddenly, she reached out and grabbed Fang Jun's wrist. Her fingertips were ice-cold, but her grip was surprisingly strong.

Fang Jun snapped back to reality from her pull. Together, they gave a slight bow to the judges.

Fang Jun walked to the standing microphone, adjusted his guitar strap, and placed his fingers on the strings.

Luo Ruiyu picked up the other microphone and stood half a step to his right.

Someone in the audience whistled.

Fang Jun ignored it, lowering his head to pluck the strings.

Only God knew how long he had practiced alone on the rooftop last night.

Mosquitoes had bitten him seven or eight times, and his left fingertips were sore—all to play a prelude that wouldn't drag Luo Ruiyu down.

His technique wasn't exactly smooth, but at least he didn't mess up.

Still, why were there still mosquitoes in December?

The guitar sound spread through the hall. The prelude gave enough time for buildup.

It was about time to start singing.

Fang Jun glanced at Luo Ruiyu.

He was really afraid she'd freeze up, forget the lyrics, or choke out the notes.

But to his surprise, Luo Ruiyu happened to look back at him at the same time.

Their eyes met. Luo Ruiyu bit her lip, stepped forward, and leaned into the microphone.

"Pasts and bygones turn to smoke, fading right before our eyes..."

Luo Ruiyu's voice was completely different from how she spoke. It had a natural huskiness—low, yet not lacking softness. The way she let the final notes trail off had an indescribable charm.

The murmuring in the audience immediately quieted down.

Even the judges' eyes lit up.

Rows of students turned their heads to stare at the girl onstage with the ponytail.

"Whoa, Luo Ruiyu sings that well?" Jiang Yunlu couldn't help exclaiming.

An Yuexin sighed. "Yeah, in middle school, Luo Ruiyu always got perfect scores in music. Otherwise, why would Fang Jun love karaoke so much?"

But Jiang Yunlu shook her head.

"Too bad Fang Jun is just a karaoke-level singer. At least he can play guitar, though."

Onstage, Luo Ruiyu had noticeably relaxed by the second verse. Her breathing steadied, and her voice opened up.

Her tone was indeed special—not sweet and clear, but leaning toward androgynous. Her lower register was rich, and she handled the higher notes without strain, making for a very pleasant listen.

At the judges' table, Director Huang, who had been leaning back in his chair, had somehow sat up straight. He tapped his pen twice on the scoring sheet without writing anything, but his eyes stayed fixed on the stage.

A classic song paired with a beautiful voice was definitely a bonus.

And Director Huang was, after all, a big fan of the God of Songs.

"The more innocent your smile, the more wildly I love you..."

Suddenly, the song shifted.

Fang Jun, who hadn't sung a word until now, joined in with an even more magnetic voice:

"Take me to your heart, take me to your soul..."

The girls in the audience couldn't help letting out a collective "Wow."

Their reaction wasn't unwarranted.

Fang Jun's English-singing voice sounded like a different person—low, clean, with perfect breath control that gave every syllable a lazy, affectionate texture that lingered on the ears.

An Yuexin's face dropped.

He was simply annoyed by how cool that was.

Even Xie Yuling seemed surprised. "Wait, I thought Fang Jun's singing voice wasn't like this?"

"Yeah, I don't remember his tone being this... unique," Jiang Yunlu added, trying to recall.

Lin Mo, however, remained calm. "Some people have different tones for Cantonese and Mandarin songs; English songs can change them too. If you tried chanting 'A kei ku li hou ya hou ben,' you'd find your voice sounds different too."

Onstage, after Fang Jun's English part, the two exchanged a glance and almost in sync leaned half a step closer to their microphones.

The chorus was coming.

"And I kiss you goodbye, on a deserted street, letting the wind mock me for not being able to resist."

"And I kiss you goodbye, on a wild night, my heart waits to greet the sorrow."

Their voices—one higher, one lower—wove together unexpectedly well. Luo Ruiyu's androgynous timbre locked tightly with Fang Jun's low, magnetic pitch. The melody in the chorus swelled to fullness.

Some students in the audience softly hummed along.

Those familiar with the song tapped their fingers on their knees in time.

After the chorus ended, Fang Jun plucked the strings one last time, letting the final note fade out slowly.

They hadn't sung the entire song—they stopped there.

Luo Ruiyu lowered the hand holding the microphone. A thin sheen of sweat covered the back of it. She tilted her head to glance at Fang Jun. He gave her a slight nod, and together they bowed to the judges again.

The audience fell silent for about two seconds.

Then applause broke out.

Not overwhelmingly thunderous, but noticeably louder than for the acts before them.