Applause thundered across the banquet hall. Bai Lanyue lowered the microphone with regal grace, her lips curved in a cool, triumphant smile as she stepped off the stage. Cameras flashed like lightning. The murmur of admiration swept the crowd, but before she could rejoin Shen Yichen and Wen Qing, the grand doors at the far end of the hall creaked open.
The chatter dimmed slightly as all heads turned.
Standing beneath the ornate archway was *Ji Yanluo*, tall and imposing in a crisp black suit that was dangerously simple. Beside him, *Ji Lanxue* glowed in an icy blue gown, her presence elegant and aloof. Their arrival drew attention like gravity itself. Guests instinctively stepped aside, forming a subtle path as the Ji siblings walked in—unhurried, composed, yet commanding.
A few whispers broke through the hush.
"Ji Yanluo came in person?"
"Didn't expect him at something like this…"
"Isn't that his sister, Ji Lanxue? She's rarely seen in public…"
Bai Lanyue's confident smile twitched slightly before she replaced it with warmth. She walked forward, arms open.
"President Ji, what an unexpected honor," she said sweetly.
Ji Yanluo gave a brief, polite nod. "Thank you for the invitation."
Wen Qing appeared beside Lanyue like a shadow. "We're so glad you could make it. And Miss Ji—you look beautiful."
Lanxue gave a faint smile. "As always."
There was a pause. Lanyue's eyes flicked behind them—no one followed. No sign of the person she'd invited under disguise.
Yet.
Ji Yanluo's expression betrayed nothing. "Apologies. We arrived later than intended."
"No worries at all," Lanyue replied smoothly. "The night's just beginning."
She stepped aside, allowing them to blend into the guests. Wen Qing leaned closer, voice low, "Where is she?"
Lanyue's smile didn't falter. "She'll come. She wouldn't dare not show."
And as if on cue, the doors opened again.
This time, silence fell like a dropped curtain.
A woman stood at the threshold, veiled in flowing black satin from head to toe. Her gown shimmered subtly under the light, elegant yet mysterious, a quiet storm wrapped in silence. By her side walked *Xiao Lin*, clad in sharp lines and high heels, her expression unreadable.
Gasps rippled across the hall.
"The veiled musician…"
"She came…"
"She's really here?"
Photographers froze, unsure whether to raise their cameras or bow.
The veiled musician did not pause. Her steps were soft but deliberate, head slightly lowered beneath the veil, revealing nothing—but radiating presence like a flame in a still room.
Bai Lanyue's eyes lit with something sharp and gleaming.
Wen Qing whispered, "She's braver than I expected."
"Foolish, more like," Lanyue replied, voice low. "She walked into her own unraveling."
Shen Yichen looked up, brows furrowing faintly as he glanced between Lanyue and the veiled woman. "That's her?"
Lanyue smiled without answering. "You'll see soon enough."
Ji Lanxue, from across the hall, narrowed her eyes as the veiled musician entered. She didn't glance toward the Bai family. Instead, she locked eyes for a fraction of a second with her brother, and something unspoken passed between them.
Xiao Lin stopped just short of the inner circle of guests, subtly adjusting the musician's position. They stood quietly—no greetings, no introductions. And still, no one dared approach.
The tension climbed, layered and taut, humming beneath the clink of wine glasses and staged laughter.
Bai Lanyue, without missing a beat, raised her glass and turned back toward the stage. "Let's make sure tonight… sings."