"Heh heh." Li Mengxiao smiled shyly as usual, her chubby cheeks flushed with bashfulness. However, her gaze towards Ling Fenghan held a trace of complexity.
On the other side, Ling Fenghan cleared his throat briefly and announced that they could begin practicing.
Being able to sing with her idol felt like a dream come true for Xia Qingtian. She performed flawlessly throughout the practice, even earning praise from the vocal coach.
At this moment, Ling Fenghan's phone alarm blared. A flicker of panic crossed his eyes before he said, "Let's take a break."
Hearing Ling Fenghan's suggestion, everyone agreed.
Li Mengxiao immediately offered Xia Qingtian a throat-soothing tea. "The temperature is just right. Try it, and if it's too bitter, I have rock sugar prepared."
"Thanks, Xiaoxiao," Xia Qingtian expressed her heartfelt gratitude and took a large gulp. The temperature was indeed perfect, and it instantly soothed her throat.
Recalling Li Mengxiao's misunderstanding with Ling Fenghan, Xia Qingtian surveyed the practice room. "I'm going out for a bit. You should rest too."
With that said, Xia Qingtian grabbed a bottle of mineral water and left the practice room, intending to find Ling Fenghan and offer him a drink to ease any awkwardness.
She couldn't see him, but she overheard Ling Fenghan's agent speaking at the corner.
"You really can't take this medicine anymore. Did you stay up all night again yesterday?" the agent's voice was filled with worry.
"I'm fine. I still have to practice later. If I don't take the medicine, I'm afraid I won't be able to manage," Ling Fenghan's voice was a little weak. "I'm sorry for making you worry."
"Don't apologize to me! You! You! Can't you just relax your emotions? It's fine if you cry it out! If you continue like this, you'll go crazy sooner or later!" the agent deliberately lowered his voice.
"I'm already close to going crazy," Ling Fenghan said with a self-deprecating laugh. "I can't help it, I really can't... I've tried my best, I've tried everything... I can't, I really can't!"
"How about I give you a few days off? You can rest properly?" the agent hesitated. "How about I arrange a trip abroad for you?"
"My work schedule is already set. It would be irresponsible to leave at this time, and besides..." Ling Fenghan's voice trembled. "And those extreme fans will track me down. I don't know how they find out my schedule, they'll follow me, they'll take sneaky photos, they'll..."
"Okay! Okay!" The agent realized Ling Fenghan's anxiety might be acting up again and quickly said, "Fenghan, let's not talk about it! Take a deep breath! Deep breaths! You're in the company right now, you're safe! Deep breaths!"
Ling Fenghan then gasped for air, his expression strained. "The medicine! Give me the medicine!"
"This..." The agent held Ling Fenghan's medicine bottle, seeming hesitant.
At that moment, Xia Qingtian suddenly appeared, snatched the medicine bottle from the agent's hand, unscrewed it, and asked, "How many pills?"
"Two," Ling Fenghan was a little shocked but extended his trembling hand to take the pills Xia Qingtian offered, and then the mineral water she handed him.
After taking the medicine, Ling Fenghan stabilized considerably.
"How do you feel?" Xia Qingtian asked, supporting Ling Fenghan's arm.
"Much better, thank you," Ling Fenghan nodded, then gave Xia Qingtian a bitter smile. "You've seen me in such a pathetic state. Do you feel like your idol has been ruined?"
Seeing Ling Fenghan still smiling at her, concerned about her feelings at this moment, Xia Qingtian felt a dull ache in her chest.
"Qingtian, Fenghan has his reasons for being like this, and he's actively undergoing treatment. He'll get better soon," the agent said to Xia Qingtian. "I hope you can keep this a secret. It concerns Fenghan's future."
"Don't worry, I won't say a word," Xia Qingtian first assured the agent that she would be discreet, then looked at Ling Fenghan and said, "Since the day I became your fan, I knew you were a normal person. You get tired, you get hurt, and you have moments when your emotions are not good. I like your songs. As long as you don't resort to lip-syncing, my image of you as an idol will never be shattered. Don't worry!"
Hearing Xia Qingtian's words, Ling Fenghan felt a sense of relief, and strangely, an urge to cry.
After so long, he finally felt such an impulse to vent, as if a crack had appeared in the fortress he had built in his heart.
The subsequent practice session went very smoothly. Ling Fenghan was experienced on stage, and Xia Qingtian possessed superior talent and solid fundamentals. Their collaboration earned applause from everyone present.
"That's great! As long as you maintain today's level during the recording, you'll be absolutely fine!" the vocal coach exclaimed after the session. "Thank you for your hard work today!"
"Thank you too, Coach. Everyone worked hard," Ling Fenghan and Xia Qingtian expressed their gratitude to everyone present before heading out.
As Ling Fenghan got into his car, he heard Xia Qingtian call his name.
Ling Fenghan turned to look at her. "What is it?"
"Do you have any other plans after today?" Xia Qingtian asked.
"No, I just want to go home and see if I can fall asleep. Last night..." Ling Fenghan gave a wry smile and shrugged. "I'll just... try."
"I have a bottle of medicine here, specifically for insomnia caused by emotional issues. If you're going to sleep right away when you get home, you can drink it in the car," Xia Qingtian said, handing Ling Fenghan a "Emotional Release Potion" she had retrieved from her system inventory.
Given Ling Fenghan's current condition, if he didn't release his emotions, he would drive himself crazy by suppressing them.
If nothing else, based on her interactions with Ling Fenghan during this period, she could attest that he was a very accomplished singer and a high-quality idol.
Xia Qingtian didn't want him to leave the stage he loved because of this.
"Thank you," Ling Fenghan took the medicine bottle from Xia Qingtian. "I'll try it."
"Okay, see you tomorrow." Xia Qingtian waved with a smile before returning to her own car.
Meanwhile, as the agent got into the car, he saw Ling Fenghan drinking something. "What are you drinking? A vitamin drink?"
"I don't know," Ling Fenghan replied after finishing it. "Qingtian gave it to me. She said it helps with insomnia."
"Huh? You drank it just because she gave it to you?" the agent was taken aback. "Let me see!"
Ling Fenghan handed the empty bottle to his agent. The agent looked at the small, nicely designed bottle that lacked any pharmaceutical certification and felt a headache coming on.
His artist was so easily trusting of others. What was he going to do...
"Should we go to the hospital and get his stomach pumped..." the agent muttered.