radicalducati Chapter 25 Bath Time
Chapter 25 Bath Time
The provincial university's centennial celebration gala concluded amidst thunderous applause and lingering emotions.
School leaders, beaming with joy, went on stage for a group photo, alumni gathered in twos and threes to reminisce about the evening's program, and students were busy taking selfies and posting them on WeChat Moments.
The captions were all the same: "Tonight, a song struck my heart," "The song 'Once Upon a Time' was a once-in-a-decade divine performance," and "It turns out that even a small stage can create a legend."
Interestingly, only the official account of the provincial university broadcast the entire gala live on a major video platform.
The account usually posts serious stuff like "Professor So-and-so of our school won the National Science and Technology Progress Award", "School leaders warmly greeted the freshmen during military training", and "A picture guide of the beautiful campus in all four seasons". It has a follower count of just over 10,000, of which probably 8,000 are people that the school's teachers and students have to follow.
When the live stream started, the number of online viewers was a pitiful "326", and only a few comments floated by.
"I came to see Guan Lin."
"Xiao Kai! Xiao Kai!"
"Sister Vivi looks so beautiful today!"
"Who is that Wang Bo? I've never heard of him."
When Wang Bo took the stage and sang "Once Upon a Time"—although the live broadcast's audio quality was compressed and it wasn't as impressive as the live performance, the power that penetrated the screen still captivated many viewers.
The number of online users quietly climbed to 5123, and the live chat exploded.
"Holy crap?! This song?!"
"What did I just do? Why was I watching a live stream while washing dishes?"
"The bowl broke, pay me back!"
"Is this really a live broadcast? Or a pre-recorded video with audio editing?"
"I got goosebumps during the guitar solo!"
"Those guys and girls in the string section are so into it!"
"Smurf account! The smurf account is amazing!"
Has anyone recorded a screen recording? Please share!
"Provincial University Official: You didn't expect this, did you? We can produce amazing scenes too (doge)"
The real storm came after the party ended.
It's unclear which audience member recorded the entire performance of "Once Upon a Time" on their phone, but it was uploaded to a short video platform.
The video quality is a bit shaky, and the audio is mixed with background noise and the sobbing of people around, but it is precisely this "imperfection" that makes the video seem incredibly real.
The poster captioned: "Live from the provincial celebration, a song brought the entire audience to tears. I'm completely exhausted and need to be revived."
The video didn't spread quickly at first, until a well-known music critic shared it and commented: "One of the most genuine live performances in the Chinese music scene in recent years. No showing off, no hype, just the power of the music itself. Remember the name of the singer, Wang Bo."
Following suit, several influential music-related social media influencers also jumped on the bandwagon.
"This is what music should be like!"
"The You of the Past" - Dedicated to all those who have been tempered by life but still retain their original aspirations.
"I heard the singer was a nobody before? How many talented people has the entertainment industry buried?"
"The band's coordination was flawless, especially that improvisation, which was textbook perfect!"
On the trending topics list, hashtags such as #TheYouOfThePast#, #AmazingScenesOfTheProvincialGrandCelebration#, and #WhoIsWangBo# climbed at an astonishing speed. The comment section was completely buzzing.
"I've listened to it on repeat for ten times, and I still want to cry every time I hear the part about 'the girl who once broke your heart'."
"I'm a senior in college, I just broke up with my boyfriend, and I'm looking for a job. After listening to this song... I've decided to send out another fifty resumes."
"A middle-aged man showed up uninvited. He used to play in a band when he was young, but he gave up the guitar to make a living. He just secretly cried while listening to music in the garage. His wife asked him what was wrong, and he said it was from the smoke."
"Am I the only one who noticed that the girl in the red dress had her makeup ruined from crying? She looks like a rich and beautiful woman?"
"Upstairs, it's not just her; many big shots in the VIP section are wiping away tears. This song is too powerful."
"Please let Wang Bo debut! Please release an album! Please hold a concert!"
"I checked, and Wang Bo sang 'Summer Bubbles' before... Is this really the same person?"
Breaking news: Several companies, including Tianyin Media and Xinghui Entertainment, have contacted Wang Bo! The battle for talent has begun!
……
While the online world was buzzing with excitement over "Once Upon a Time in You," the Su family villa in reality remained quiet.
It was already late at night, and only a few dim wall lamps were left on in the villa's living room.
The nanny whispered to the two sisters who had just entered the room, "President Su and Sister Lu watched TV for a while, saying they were waiting for you, but then they couldn't stay up any longer and went back to their room to rest. They told you not to stay up too late."
Su Xiaoxiao nodded, kicked off her high heels, and stepped barefoot onto the cool marble floor, letting out a comfortable sigh.
Su Yiyi carefully placed the pair of light blue low-heeled shoes into the shoe cabinet, her movements as gentle as ever.
Then, the two of them walked upstairs in tacit agreement.
"Want to take a bath?" Su Xiaoxiao suggested. "I'm exhausted."
"Okay." Su Yiyi smiled. "I'll go run the water and add some lavender essential oil?"
"Whatever you like, just don't put in too much, the smell makes me sleepy."
The master suite features a spacious jacuzzi tub that can comfortably accommodate two people.
Su Yiyi adjusted the water temperature, added soothing bath salts and a few drops of lavender essential oil.
Su Xiaoxiao then went into the dressing room, pulled out two silk robes—one dark green and one light blue—and gave one to her sister.
Steam gradually rose, carrying a warm fragrance that filled the bathroom.
The two sisters took off their dresses, and Su Xiaoxiao's dark green dress slipped to the ground, revealing her slender waist and back.
Su Yiyi unbuttoned her cheongsam, and the light blue silk flowed down her body like water.
The two women have almost identical figures, but their temperaments are completely different—one is like a Sailor Moon ready to unleash her power, and the other is like a swan under the moonlight.
Stepping into the bathtub, the warm water instantly enveloped their tired bodies, and the two of them simultaneously let out a satisfied sigh.
Su Xiaoxiao leaned back against the edge of the vat, closed her eyes, and after a long while, she finally spoke: "Sister."
"Um?"
"Wang Bo's song... is going to be a hit."
Su Yiyi was gently rubbing her sore calves when she heard this. She looked up, water droplets sliding down her fair shoulders and neck: "I know. I knew it back in the recording studio."
"It's not just a hit," Su Xiaoxiao opened her eyes, her gaze still sharp even in the steam, "it's a phenomenon. Did you see those comments online on the way here? It's not just young people, middle-aged people, even older people, they're all resonating with it. This song has such a wide audience."
"Because it's real," Su Yiyi said softly. "Everyone has a 'you from the past' living inside them."
Su Xiaoxiao was silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled: "So signing him is definitely a good deal. Zhao Ming and Chen Mingyuan from Tianyin Media, and even two other companies I've never heard of, have all messaged me, wanting to discuss cooperation with Wang Bo. Zhao Ming's offer is very tempting."
She paused, a hint of unconscious smugness in her voice: "But Wang Bo is one of ours now—at least the letter of intent is signed, all that's missing is the formal contract. I'll have the legal department draft the contract tomorrow, with terms based on the standards of a top-tier singer, no, even better. We can discuss the revenue sharing ratio, and I guarantee to invest the maximum amount in promotional resources."
Su Yiyi looked at her younger sister. Under the warm yellow light of the bathroom, Su Xiaoxiao's cheeks were flushed with a faint pink from the steam, and she looked more like a young girl than usual, having lost her usual coldness in the workplace.
But those eyes still gleamed with shrewdness.
"Xiaoxiao," Su Yiyi said softly, "could you... have some warmth?"
"Temperature?" Su Xiaoxiao raised an eyebrow, scooped up a handful of water, and said, "The water temperature is just right, thirty-eight degrees Celsius. Any hotter and it would be scalding."
"You know that's not what I meant," Su Yiyi said helplessly. "I meant, when you talk about Wang Bo, stop focusing on 'commercial value,' 'return on investment,' and 'profit sharing.' He's a real person, a musician. You were there tonight, and you cried too, didn't you?"
Su Xiaoxiao paused for a moment. She had indeed cried, though only a few tears, which she quickly wiped away quietly.
But the impact of that song was real.
"I didn't cry," she insisted, "it was the steam."
Su Yiyi didn't expose him, but continued gently, "What I mean is, Wang Bo chose us—or rather, chose you—not just because of the contract terms. He trusts you, he trusts the starting point we gave him. This trust is more precious than any contractual clause."
Su Xiaoxiao stopped talking, lowered herself down, leaving only her nose and above exposed, and blew out a few bubbles.