353 Sunshine Days
Sierra listened intently to Lila's performance on stage.
She thought the song sounded beautiful, but more than that, it felt like the lyrics were speaking directly to her heart.
The first line of the song took her back to when she had just arrived in this city. Back then, wasn't she wandering alone in this vast metropolis, feeling like the whole world had abandoned her?
And it wasn't just Sierra who was moved by the song.
In a dimly lit bedroom of a high-end apartment, a brown-haired girl lay on her side, staring blankly at her phone screen, watching the live stream.
As the young singer on stage reached the chorus, the girl heard the familiar lyrics:
"Open your eyes, look up to the skies and see
I'm just a poor boy, I need no sympathy
Because I'm easy come, easy go, little high, little low
Any way the wind blows doesn't really matter to me, to me."
The powerful voice seemed to stir something within the girl watching. Her usually indifferent eyes flickered for a moment, like ripples on still water.
Then, as if she had made some kind of decision, her gaze became resolute.
Back at the concert.
Serena's eyes sparkled as she watched the stage.
It's her!
Serena recognized the guest performer as the girl she had met earlier—the one who had claimed to be her fan.
Serena loved cute things, and she loved anything that shone brightly.
Now, she was starting to love the girl on stage!
Unlike Serena's cheerful excitement, Damian was caught completely off guard by this unexpected reunion. His expression was serious, to say the least.
Right now, he felt a bit uneasy—maybe even afraid of her.
In front of that mysterious girl, his usually sharp adult mind seemed to be suppressed, like he couldn't think straight.
If Ethan were here to see him like this, he'd probably make some snarky comment.
"See? Adults really do have heavy souls. Even when they're kids, they can't be happy."
Meanwhile, Damian's little sister had already climbed onto their guardian Fiona's shoulders, waving her glow stick along with the crowd, completely lost in the excitement.
Now that was what a kid should look like!
But if anyone was the most shocked by "Lila" at this moment, it had to be the real Lila herself.
Sierra's eyes sparkled with amazement. Could her beloved Guitar Queen teacher really be this talented?
This was her first live performance, and she had opened with a showstopper.
And yet, Sierra couldn't quite wrap her head around it. With this level of skill, why wasn't she out there making a name for herself? Why was she just a small-time creator on a video platform?
The song was nearing its end.
When it finally concluded, the stage lights came up fully. This was usually the part where the performer would say a few words, maybe interact with the audience a bit.
Ethan waved to the crowd and spoke into the mic, "The song I just performed is called Bohemian Rhapsody. I hope you all enjoyed it."
As soon as he finished speaking, the audience erupted in applause.
He could hear some of the people in the front rows shouting questions, most of them asking about his identity—who he was, where he usually performed, and if there were any ways to follow him.
But Ethan remembered his friend's instructions: no revealing his identity. So, he didn't even mention the "Guitar Queen" account. Instead, he just smiled mysteriously and said, "That's a secret."
This only made the crowd even more excited. After all, mystery is always alluring—especially when it's coming from a talented and enigmatic young woman.
Since this was the anniversary celebration for Jack-o'-Lantern, and he was being paid for the gig, Ethan followed up with a well-rehearsed congratulatory speech.
His eloquent words left the audience stunned, their jaws practically on the floor.
After that, most of the stage lights dimmed.
Ethan was preparing to sing the next song, so he announced, "Up next is the final song of the night. It's a song by someone I really admire—Sunshine Days."
As soon as he finished speaking, the intro to the song began to play.
This wasn't a cover of a famous song from another world. It was a track that already existed in this one.
Meanwhile, Lila, watching from her screen, was completely floored. Sunshine Days was a song she had loved since she was a little girl.
She couldn't believe it—she and the Commander had the same favorite song?
But then Lila remembered what Ethan had said earlier. He didn't say it was a song he liked,he said it was a song by someone he liked.
Sunshine Days was a signature track by a once-national idol, Stella Summers. So, did that mean the person Ethan admired was her?
Of course, Lila had adored Stella Summers when she was younger too. She had even dreamed of becoming an idol just like her one day.
But now, Lila's brow furrowed. It wasn't because her childhood dream had been crushed. It was because she had the strange feeling that she had seen Stella Summers somewhere before.
And then, in the next instant, it was like a jolt of electricity shot through her brain.
Lila suddenly jumped up from her seat, her movements clumsy as she scrambled out of her bedroom.
She had remembered. She knew where she had seen that person before.
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