Chapter 160: Waiting in Line to Give Birth

The entire hotpot restaurant was buzzing with excitement.

Xue Qianqian and Su Bai hadn’t appeared yet, but countless people had already opened their phones to start live streaming.

“Hello, dear viewers in the live room! Good afternoon! Soon, we will be streaming the moment when Su Bai and Xue Qianqian perform together!”

“That’s right, you heard correctly — live from this hotpot restaurant, Su Bai is about to sing!”

Scenes like this were unfolding at every table.

Viewers in the live chat were skeptical:

“Is this for real? Could it be clickbait just to grab views?”

“Su Bai performing at a hotpot restaurant? That’s a bit too low-profile, isn’t it?”

“No, wait, I just came from another live stream where the host also said Su Bai would be singing soon!”

“Is this restaurant just pulling a stunt to attract customers?”

“Does anyone know which hotpot place this is? If it’s nearby, I might go check out the real thing!”

Countless viewers bombarded the live chat with questions about the stream.

Soon, a host clarified:

“This hotpot restaurant is owned by Xue Qianqian, located in Yanjing.”

“Su Bai was probably invited by Xue Qianqian himself!”

“Earlier, Xue and Su Bai spoke briefly to everyone here before heading upstairs to prepare.”

“I’m not lying, everyone, just be patient and wait a little longer in the live room. Su Bai and the others will come out soon!”

“If you don’t believe me, just look around—everyone here is holding up their phones, waiting for Su Bai’s appearance!”

When someone panned their phone around the restaurant, it was clear—many people were indeed holding their phones up, seemingly waiting for something.

At that moment, Su Bai and Xue Qianqian descended from the second floor, carrying speakers.

The entire restaurant erupted with excitement.

“He’s out! He’s out! Su Bai’s here!”

Everyone pointed their phones at Su Bai.

In the live chat, viewers went wild.

“Oh my god, it’s really Su Bai!”

“Is Su Bai here to hype up for Xue Qianqian?”

“Wow, Su Bai is so handsome! I love him!”

Su Bai noticed nearly everyone holding up their phones, presumably live streaming, and was momentarily stunned.

Then, he quickly regained composure.

“Hello, everyone. Due to limited time, I’ll only perform one song for you today.”

“Please tell me which song you want to hear!”

The moment he finished speaking, countless voices erupted:

“‘The Lonely Brave’!”

“‘Dragon Scales of Heaven and Earth’!”

“‘Actor’!”

Voices clamored with all kinds of requests.

Suddenly, someone let out a loud shout:

“Don’t you want to hear Su Bai and Old Xue sing ‘Actor’ together?”

The room fell silent for a moment.

Meanwhile, the viewers in the live chat exploded.

“A duet of ‘Actor’!”

“A duet of ‘Actor’—this is an opportunity we can’t miss!”

That shout had done its job.

In the end, everyone agreed to the duet request.

Su Bai glanced at Xue Qianqian with a hint of amusement.

Xue Qianqian looked helplessly at the crowd.

“When we came down just now, I even joked with Su Bai that today I probably wouldn’t have to sing—that Su Bai could just sing alone.”

“But it seems I can’t escape having to sing live after all.”

Since this was Xue Qianqian’s own hotpot restaurant, whenever he visited, fans usually requested a song or two, and he obliged.

But the energy wasn’t as intense as it was now with Su Bai present.

“Since everyone wants to hear ‘Actor,’ let’s sing ‘Actor.’ Who should start?”

Su Bai raised his hand gently, signaling Xue Qianqian to begin.

After all, this was Xue Qianqian’s home turf.

Xue Qianqian began:

“Keep it simple,
Keep the words simple,
Skip the deepening emotions,
You’re not an actor,
Don’t design those scenes.”

The crowd responded:

“Wow, Old Xue really is Old Xue—the moment he opened his mouth, that heartbreak was palpable!”

“So beautiful to hear! Even though I’ve heard Old Xue sing this before, hearing it live again still shocks me!”

“Celebrities are celebrities. Those internet stars just can’t compare; they’re professionals.”

“Sounds amazing!”

“At first, I thought Old Xue wasn’t exactly handsome, but when he picked up the mic, he looked pretty cool.”

Old Xue: …(I want to thank you for the compliment.)

Su Bai took his turn:

“No complaints,
I just want to see how you’ll cover it up,
Your sadness is too superficial,
Like an untalented actor,
The audience can see right through.”

The moment Su Bai started singing, the chatter about Xue Qianqian’s performance instantly ceased.

For a long time, only one sigh could be heard from the crowd.

“Ahhh, my ears are pregnant! What do I do? It’s so beautiful!”

“The original singer is truly the original—the voice carries countless stories!”

“What has Su Bai been through? Why do I want to cry when I hear him sing ‘Actor’?”

“As soon as Su Bai opens his mouth, I fall completely under his spell.”

“I never believed the hype about how good Su Bai’s singing is online—it always sounded just okay to me. But hearing him live now, I realize I was wrong.”

At this moment, Su Bai and Xue Qianqian exchanged a glance.

Then, they harmonized:

“I play along with your performance, pretending not to notice,
Forcing the one who loves you most to improvise,
When did we start lowering our standards,
Going along with the times and tolerating clumsy acts?
But if you loved me so much, why act out the details?
What must I become to delay my growing weariness?
It turns out that when love lowers its guard,
Those moments are the true test.”

Their voices intertwined and filled the entire hotpot restaurant.

Though they had never partnered before, their harmony was astonishingly perfect.

Their breathing synced flawlessly.

Only then did everyone truly understand the meaning of a lingering melody.

Despite the lack of professional sound equipment, their singing created a 3D auditory experience.

It was a feast for the ears.

It felt like being at a live concert.

Viewers in the chat exclaimed:

“Amazing, truly amazing!”

“If they don’t perform ‘Actor’ together at this year’s Spring Festival Gala, I’m not watching!”

“Honestly, that harmony part was incredible. Have they practiced together privately?”

“Phenomenal chemistry!”

“Absolutely perfect!”

“Ahhh, I love you, Su Bai! I want to have your babies!”

“Ahhh, Su Bai, I want to have little piglets with you!”

“Ahhh, Su Bai, I want to have little calves with you!”

“Ahhh, Su Bai, I want to have little tigers with you!”

“Ahhh, Su Bai, I want to have little puppies with you!”

…

“Enough already! Su Bai has tens of millions of fans online, more than half of them women. If each had a child, how many zodiac cycles would that cover?”

“Ha ha ha, I’m dying laughing!”

“Good thing I’m a male fan, or I’d be joining the baby-making brigade too!”