Chapter 298 Own The Stage Tonigh
Friday.
Another episode of "MusicFest Tonight" was about to be broadcast live in just a few hours. Exactly a week before the release of their new music, Jin Chonglin and Iris Long plus Pandemonium were all scheduled to perform this night.
As a result, the studio's audience was filled with almost all of their fans. Those who couldn't fit inside the studio waited patiently outside the TV station building, even though it was winter cold. They were declaring tonight's episode as a showdown between their Prince Lin Lin and Boss Iris plus their Pandemonium hubbies.
When Iris and Jin Chonglin learned about their fans' situation, it was as if they were of the same mind. They both ordered huge tents and portable heaters to be delivered in order to shelter their fans from the cold. Of course, Iris took care of the Pandemonium fans as well. She even went the extra mile and ordered some food and hot beverages to be delivered.
Jin Chonglin's army of fans watched the Black Stars and the Pandemonium fans in envy as they ate. The Black Stars weren't petty people, so they shared some of the food and drinks to them. The two separate groups intermingled and began to cross over the tents. It didn't look like a fandom war at all but a festival instead.
All of them were touched by the actions of their prince and boss, even though the two hadn't arrived at the location yet. The people among them shipping LinRis increased after this. Some even speculated that perhaps Jin Chonglin and Iris were together when they heard about their fans' situation because they acted almost at the same time.
Director He of "MusicFest Tonight" heard about the situation outside. Wanting the publicity, he ordered to have several big TV screens placed outside so that the fans could still watch the show.
Some hours later, "MusicFest Tonight" finally started broadcasting live.
Jin Chonglin was scheduled to be the finale performance, while Iris Long and Pandemonium would perform just before him.
Director He decided on this order because he was sure that the two would completely overshadow the other artists performing on tonight's show if they were to perform before anyone else.
As for the other artists, they felt more like opening acts for the main stars in a concert. They were already regretting having been scheduled to perform in the same episode as Jin Chonglin and Iris Long. It was obvious that most of the audience tonight were their fans and were waiting for the performances of these two.###
The moment had come.
Iris and the members of Pandemonium were called for standby from their separate dressing rooms. They walked together with Tang Yiyi who looked excited and nervous at the same time. She knew that this performance was going to either make or break Pandemonium. She felt anxious because if the performance failed, Iris would also get dragged down with them.
"Don't worry, Big Sis Yiyi. We rehearsed this performance so many times until we puked. Besides, we have Senior Iris with us. She won't allow any of us to make mistakes," Blaze reassured their manager.
The other band members nodded in agreement.
Iris looked calm as always, even posing for Dom who was snapping photos of her. Some would be posted on her social media pages, while the majority would be sent to Jin Liwei.
They finally arrived backstage. To their surprise, Jin Chonglin was already standing there waiting for them. He was accompanied by his manager, Lin Dong. They greeted him because he was their senior at Bright Summit. Tang Yiyi and Lin Dong greeted each other with a nod.
"Sister Xiulan, didn't we already agree that you'll call me Brother Chonglin from now on instead of Senior? After all, we're already family," he said to Iris. His eyes roved in an admiring manner over her beautiful appearance.
"I understand, Brother Chonglin," she replied.
Lin Dong, Tang Yiyi and the Pandemonium boys all looked surprised and curious at how familiar the two were acting.Although the boys wanted to know the relationship between the two, they didn't ask because it was none of their business. However, their eyes lit up at another part. So Xiulan was their Senior Iris' real name! So very fitting for such a beautiful woman.
As for Tang Yiyi, she intended to ask Iris about her relationship with Jin Chonglin later. Her eyes dropped at the diamond ring on her finger.
'Maybe her fiancé is…? No. Iris is straightforward and honest to a fault. She said that her fiancé is not from showbiz so it can't be Jin Chonglin. I'm just overthinking,' Tang Yiyi thought to herself.
Lin Dong was actually having similar thoughts as her. His eyes flitted back and forth between Jin Chonglin and Iris, suspicion clear in his eyes.
"Good luck, Sister Xiulan. And you too," Jin Chonglin told Iris and the Pandemonium boys. Then he gave them a confident smile. "You'll need it because I'm going to own the stage tonight."
Iris raised an eyebrow at his statement. "Thank you very much for your well wishes, Brother Chonglin. It's too bad that we're going to perform before you because people will be thinking of our performance instead when it's your turn."
The eyes of Lin Dong, Tang Yiyi and the Pandemonium boys all widened. They didn't expect for Iris to respond to Jin Chonglin's provocation. What was more, she even threw a more biting provocation back at him.
Even the staff and the other artists around them felt excited while watching the great stare-down between Iris and Jin Chonglin who were tonight's most important stars of the show. The competition between them was on fire!
"Ehehe."
Dom giggled quietly by himself and snapped a photo of the stare-down between the two. Then he sent it directly to Jin Liwei. The phone in his hand immediately rang."Aiya!" He yelped in surprise, almost dropping the phone to the floor. He picked up the call.
"Hello, sir boss? Okay, got it!" Dom turned to Iris. "Boss, it's sir boss! He wants to talk to you quickly."
Iris took the phone. "Hello, darling?"
Jin Chonglin narrowed his eyes when he heard her words, knowing already who was on the other end of the line.
"Yes, it's almost our turn… Oh. Brother Chonglin and I were just wishing each other good luck. Yes, of course. Thank you, darling… Hey! What are you—"
Jin Chonglin snatched the phone from her, surprising not only Iris but also their managers and the others as well. What surprised them even more was that he began talking to who was obviously Iris' fiancé.
Lin Dong couldn't believe what was happening. Was Jin Chonglin crazy? Was he picking a fight with Iris' fiancé?
"Don't worry about your wife too much. I'm here. I'll take care of your wife in your stead—huh? Hello? Hello, are you still there?" Jin Chonglin looked at the phone's display and scowled. "What the hell? He hung up on me? Am I still his bro—hey!"
Iris snatched the phone back from him. Her cold eyes made him flinch a bit inside. The phone beeped. Her expression became gentle when she saw that it was a text message from Jin Liwei.
"You'll own the stage tonight, love. No one else can outshine you. I'll be watching you on TV and will be waiting for you to come home," he texted.She sent a quick reply, giggling. Jin Chonglin rolled his eyes at the dog food being thrown at his face.
Finally, a staff member motioned for Iris and Pandemonium to get ready. Jin Chonglin stepped aside, ignoring the warning looks Lin Dong was giving him.
The countdown started.
Iris and the members of Pandemonium stepped onto the stage.