anwhile, back at Xihu District, as the sun dipped lower in the sky, casting soft golden hues across the city, Vera found herself wandering through the vibrant heart of the district, the Wushan Square. The area was alive with the hum of energy, filled with students, tourists, and artists. The free market was in full swing, with local vendors showcasing their handmade crafts, artwork, and other unique creations.
This was her favorite part of the city she found so far—where students, artists, drears, and wanderers all collided into a chaotic but still beautiful ss.
Drawn by the rhythmic beat and the excited chatter, Vera moved closer to the sound. A small crowd had gathered around a busking performance, and from the front, she could see a group of teenagers on stage, energetically performing a catchy song.
They had professional equipnt, matching in-ear monitors, and crisp choreography.
A banner nearby read: Alphabet – DEBUT SHOWCASE
Agency: StarX Entertainnt
Vera leaned in to watch, folding her arms and nodding along to the beat. The group, while clearly rookie idols, had charisma and tight synchronization, and their debut song was catchy—a sumr pop track with bright vocals and flashy moves. Since it is winter, it is kinda weird to hear such a type of debut song. After all, winter debuts usually lean toward cozy, emotional, or dramatic concepts, but then again, it isn’t a hard-and-fast rule. Moreover, StarX is a small-ti agency. They can’t afford to waste too much ti on training/preparation ti as it costs too much money.
As the performance ended, the group bowed to enthusiastic applause, thanked the audience, and began packing up. Vera clapped lightly, impressed, then moved along the street, just enjoying the lingering buzz.
That’s when sothing caught her eye.
A pair of twin girls stood not far from one of the open areas, surrounded by cables and equipnt—not setting up, but rather... packing down. Their faces were pinched with frustration. Vera slowed her steps. Sothing felt off.
An older man, who seed to be part of the informal organizing team, was speaking with them, his arms crossed. "You’re next on the list. What’s going on? Are you canceling?"
One of the twins, the one without any glasses, sighed and scratched her head. "Our guitarist... he had to leave for an ergency." Her voice was laced with visible disappointnt.
The other twin added quickly, "We were going to just play acoustic versions of our songs, but half our set needs the guitar. We don’t have a backup."
The man tilted his head. "So what now? Want to push your slot to later while you try to adjust? Or do you want to cancel?"
The twins exchanged a worried glance, unsure how to proceed.
Before either of them could answer, Vera stepped forward from the small group of onlookers that had started gathering. She held her hands up slightly in a friendly gesture. "Sorry—I, uh, accidentally overheard." She smiled at the twins, continuing to play a tourist with a Siberian dialect but with enough clarity for native speakers to understand it properly. "I play guitar. Been playing for four years now."
The three of them looked at her in surprise.
"I an, I don’t know your songs or anything," Vera added quickly, "but if you need help, and if you can walk through the chords or even do a quick run-through... maybe I can fill in?"
The glasses twin said. "We are doing ’Live As Always’? And ’I Hate Myself More Than You. ’ Heard of those songs or..." Unlike her older sister, she was slightly skeptical. Even if this stranger knew how to play guitar as she claid, based on her accent and her appearance, it is likely that she is a foreigner, based on her green eyes. Would she know many songs from Zhonggou?
Well, as long as she heard their nas, it should be okay. The older twin was more optimistic than her glasses twin.
Vera blinked. "I know ’Live As Always.’ One second," she said, reaching for the guitar resting near them. She strumd a few soft chords, tuning by ear as her fingers moved fluidly. Then, she launched into a clean verse of the requested song, her tempo steady, matching the subtle lancholy tone of the piece.
The twins stared at her, mouths slightly open in disbelief. The sound was exactly what they needed. Heck, it sounds even better in this stranger’s hand than their teammate’s.
The informal organizer, anwhile, glanced at his watch, noting that the performance ti was almost here. "Alright, it looks like you are set. I’ll push your performance to two lots away. That leaves you half an hour to practice."
"Thank you." The twins bowed to him.
The twins glanced at each other, both thinking the sa thing. They don’t need to discuss. Both of them nodded to each other at the sa ti.
The older twin smiled. "Okay... let’s give it a try." She held out her hand. "I’m Qin Jiaqi. And this is my sister, Jiayi."
Vera shook her hand, grinning. "I’m Veronika. Friends call Vera."
Over the next thirty minutes, the three girls moved to a quieter corner, just beyond the reach of the current performance. Vera listened to the original track twice on one of their phones, adjusting her strumming to match the beat and energy. The twins sang softly, only practicing their harmonies in low tones so they wouldn’t disturb the other acts.
Vera was focused, her fingers running smoothly on the strings. She was quick to adapt, giving subtle nods and glances to the twins as they fell into rhythm.
When the organizer finally waved them over, all three girls took a deep breath. Vera rolled her sleeves, slung the guitar strap across her shoulder, and followed the twins to the center.
As the trio stepped up, the crowd began to form again—drawn partly by the anticipation and partly by the intrigue of the twins and one who seed like a foreigner.
They began with "Live As Always", Vera’s chords clean and understated, keeping herself in the background, not trying to stand out. She wasn’t there to perform—she knew she was helping, and didn’t try to dominate them. Her expression was calm and focused. Each note was played in harmony with the sisters’ voices.
The twins sang with emotion, their voices blending like streams eting mid-river. The crowd swayed. So whispered about how the "backup guitarist" looked like a model. Others just listened, smiling.
The second song was slightly more upbeat, filled with emotional tension. Vera adjusted smoothly, her transitions and tempo carrying the performance with professional subtlety.
When the final note hit, applause erupted from the crowd. The sisters bowed deeply. Vera gave a small bow too, then carefully handed back the guitar. "Thank you," she said.
"No, we should thank you," Jiaqi replied, almost laughing. "You saved us."
Vera then pulled out her phone. "Let’s take a selfie together?"
The three girls huddled together, grinning, as Vera held up her phone.
"Okay, one more. This ti, make a silly face..."
Just as they posed again, a figure suddenly leaned in from behind, his face inches from Vera’s shoulder. Click.
Startled, the three girls jumped, and Vera instinctively took a step forward, spinning around. Behind them stood three boys, maybe seventeen or eighteen.
The one in front, with dyed ash-brown hair and an arrogant smirk, pointed a finger-gun at Vera. "Nice shot, right?"
"You scared us," Jiayi muttered, frowning as she adjusted her glasses.
Jiaqi also frowned. "What the hell are you doing here?"
The boy let out a chuckle. "Nothing much. I was just here roaming around. By the way, who is this beauty? A new friend of yours?"
He took a step forward, looking Vera up and down like she was a puzzle. "I’m impressed, though. You were good up there. That playing was clean. Very cool."
Vera blinked, unsure what to say.
"I’m Tang Roujin by the way," he continued, brushing his hair back. "Future owner of Mirae Industries. Ever heard of it?"
"No," Vera replied flatly, crossing her arms.
That gave him a brief pause. "Seriously? Whatever, it doesn’t matter. Want to grab a drink with ? Sothing cold?"
"I’m 18, not legal to drink yet," Vera replied, folding her arms.
Tang Roujin squinted at her, then gave a low chuckle. "Well, congratulations, then. You can have your first drink with us."
"Still not interested," Vera said, backing up slightly.
"Fine, fine. No drinks. Let buy you ice cream then. It’s my treat." He flashed what was probably ant to be a charming grin.
"I don’t know you," Vera said, voice sharp now. "So, no."
Tang Roujin’s grin widened as if he enjoyed the pushback. "You’ve got fire. I like that."
Vera exchanged a look with the twins, already stepping away in annoyance. Jiaqi gave the boy a dry look. "Leave us or we’ll shout for harassnt."
"Alright... Alright..."
As the girls walked off, Jiaqi muttered, "This whole place is full of jerks like that."
"And we have to see that jerk at the school, too," Jiayi added, shaking her head.
Vera’s jaw clenched. "Jerks are everywhere."
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