The Last Ember of Smoke

The lead singer wore a white dress. The delicate line of her collarbones showed faintly beneath the sheer fabric, and the fitted waist accentuated her slender figure. Two braids, tied with white ribbons, swayed with her movements. The gauzy skirt caught the stage lights, reflecting tiny sparks like stars in the night sky.

Her voice was incredibly gentle, like the songs a mother might softly murmur into her child's ear. Standing onstage, she drew everyone into a scene woven from her singing.

A summer night, fireworks, and a sudden, overwhelming flutter of the heart.

She had been singing with her eyes closed and her head slightly bowed, like a fragile work of art. At the song's climax, she suddenly lifted her head in perfect time with the lyrics and gazed toward one part of the audience, her smile blooming like a spring breeze in February.

The girl onstage was reflected in his eyes. The lights were dazzling, making Jiang Yi feel a little dazed, as if they held some kind of magic. He opened his mouth and sang the next line:

“Your presence heals me.”

She commanded the atmosphere with ease, a singer born for the stage, shining with a light all her own.

She commanded the atmosphere with ease, a singer born for the stage, shining with a light all her own.

Jiang Yi was dazzled and lost in thought, but her almond-shaped eyes were crystal clear. It was as if he were the only person reflected in them. The noise around them seemed to disappear. In that moment, they were each other's whole world.

The clear, sweet voice onstage kept singing, as if making a promise to herself.

“I'd be happy to be your number-one supporter too...”

Lyrics from Yan Renzhong's “The Last Fireworks of Summer”