Girl idols are meant to be exploited!

"Well, let's go."

Hoshikawa Taku nodded.

Taku Hoshikawa is the person in charge of the stage lighting in this concert. From the color tone of the lights, changing rhythms, to the integration with each song, everything needs to be checked by him personally, which is a heavy task.

"Oblivionis, please stay in the lounge for now. We'll call you when we need you to rehearse on stage."

Hoshikawa Taku said to Xiangzi.

"I……"

Xiangzi hesitated to speak, his eyes flickering slightly, and finally shook his head, "It's nothing, go ahead."

From her perspective, Hoshikawa Taku didn't know about the relationship between her and Sankaku Hatsuka, so if she rashly asked to leave, it would seem strange.

But what she didn't know was that Hoshikawa Taku actually did it on purpose.

He deliberately wanted Xiangzi to stay here, to come into contact with the two people from Sumimi, and to develop a relationship "naturally".

"Then I'll go with you. It's a good opportunity to see the situation on the scene."

As the agent said this, the three adults left together. At this time, only three girls, Mikado Hatsuka, Junda Mana and Toyokawa Shoko, were left alone in the room.

As soon as the adults left, the lively Mana Junda immediately came to Xiangzi's side and started asking questions curiously.

"Ms. Oblivionis, when did you start playing the piano?"

"Do you feel any pressure playing with Master Sakamoto?"

"Have you met Master Sakamoto before? Have you ever participated in any large-scale performances before?"

"Why are you wearing a mask? Can you let me see your true face? I promise not to tell anyone!"

Xiangzi was a little at a loss for words after her question, and subconsciously looked at Chuhua on the other side of the triangle.

But at this moment, Sanjiao Chuhua just slightly raised the corners of his mouth, crossed his arms in front of his chest, leaned on the dressing table, watched their interaction with interest, and had no intention of interrupting.

She just looked at Xiangzi quietly, with an ambiguous smile on the corner of her mouth.

"Ms. Oblivionis, you don't look like the type who's very good at chatting, do you?"

Junda Mana blinked, not caring at all about Xiangzi's indifference. Instead, she smiled and said, "But it doesn't matter. I'm good at finding topics to talk about! What kind of music do you like?"

Xiangzi breathed a sigh of relief and reluctantly followed the topic: "It's a fusion of classical and electronic music..."

Mana Junda immediately said excitedly: "Wow! That actually fits in with our Sumimi style! You know, I've always wanted to try some more electronic symphonic works, but the producer said it doesn't fit our mainstream style, so I never had the chance to try it..."

She talked incessantly, while Xiangzi listened silently, occasionally responding a few words, and on the surface seemed to have integrated into the conversation.

But she could feel that Sanjiao Chuhua, who had been silent all this time, still had his eyes fixed on her.

She is like a hunter, patiently waiting for her prey to reveal its flaws.

After being asked so many questions, Xiangzi finally couldn't stand it anymore and made an excuse that he needed to go to the toilet.

She could easily deal with Junda Mana's curious questions, but Sankaku Hatsuka didn't say a word from beginning to end. She just stood aside and watched her quietly.

That silent gaze was more oppressive than any questioning.

Walking into the bathroom, Xiangzi took a deep breath and finally got a brief breathing space.

She stood in front of the sink, rinsed her hands with cold water, and adjusted her mood.

"……call……"

However, the moment she raised her head, she saw Sanjiao Chuhua standing behind her in the mirror.

"...!"

Xiangzi's back suddenly stiffened, his heart skipped a beat, and his fingers subconsciously clenched the faucet.

The air seemed to freeze in an instant, only drops of water slid down the fingertips and dripped onto the sink, making a slight sound.

She was silent for a while before she whispered, "...Why did you follow me?"

Sanjiao Chuhua's gaze met Xiangzi's in the reflection through the mirror.

She did not answer immediately, but slowly took a step closer until the distance between them was just a few inches away, then she whispered:

"Because I want to know why you are hiding from me in disguise."

Sure enough, his disguise was exposed.

Xiangzi took off the mask with a wry smile.

"...Chu Hua, I'm not hiding from you, I just don't know how to explain to you what happened to me."

When she really showed her face, Sanjiao Chuhua's eyes froze slightly.

Not surprisingly, she saw the face of Shoko Toyokawa, whom she had been thinking about day and night.

She resisted the urge to hug Xiangzi and asked softly, "Xiangzi, what's going on? It's been a year since we last met. Didn't you have a band before? Why did you sign with Xingchuan Agency?"

"This is a long story. Let's find a place to talk about it."

Now that his identity has been exposed, Xiangzi has nothing to hide.

After Chuhua took her to an empty room, she told him what had happened to her.

His father was expelled from the family because of huge losses caused by business failure. In order to accompany his father, he also left the family and made a living by working.

Later, she met Taku Hoshikawa, who was willing to support her and signed a contract with her to make her famous so that she could return to the Toyokawa family with dignity...

Chuhua listened to Xiangzi's experience in full during this period of time and looked distressed.

She didn't expect that Xiangzi had such a bad time recently. When they contacted her on the phone before, she was smiling and there was no sign of gloom at all.

Unexpectedly, she was struggling alone and facing the pressure of life alone.

"…Why didn't you tell me?"

There was a hint of sob in Sanjiao Chuhua's voice.

Xiangzi lowered his eyes and said softly, "I don't want you to worry."

Sanjiao Chuhua took a deep breath and tried to calm down, but soon her brows furrowed slightly and she said in a deep voice:

"Xiangzi, you said you signed a ten-year contract with Mr. Hoshikawa. That's too long, it completely restricts your personal freedom. I only signed a five-year contract at Sumimi. What if he cheats you out?"

Of course Xiangzi knew what Sanjiao Chuhua was worried about.

She could talk about her own affairs, but the fact that Taku Hoshikawa had a foreign debt of 1 billion yen and the firm would go bankrupt if it could not be repaid was Taku Hoshikawa's secret and she could not tell it.

She couldn't explain herself, so she said, "I believe in Mr. Hoshikawa. He will help me realize my dream. Look at me now. Hasn't he gone to great lengths to allow me, an amateur, to share the stage with Master Sakamoto?"

Sanjiao Chuhua had nothing to say about this.

Taku Hoshikawa is willing to spend a huge amount of money just to give Xiangzi a better debut platform, which makes their Sumimi's agent envious.

They have always said that if the agency was willing to give them so many resources, their current popularity would definitely be able to reach a higher level.

However, Sankaku Hatsuka still felt that Hoshikawa Taku might not be that kind.

Others don’t know Xiangzi’s identity, but she does.

Toyokawa Shoko is the eldest daughter of the Toyokawa family and is essentially the only heir. Could it be that Hoshikawa Taku is taking advantage of her by having Shoko sign a ten-year contract?

However, she was not in a position to tell Xiangzi about her groundless speculation.

After all, at the moment, Taku Hoshikawa is doing his best to help Xiangzi and has not gained any benefits from her.

Xiangzi pleaded, "Chuhua, can you keep my identity and the contract I have a secret for me and not tell anyone else? I've only told you about this and no one else."

Chu Hua withdrew his thoughts and said with a smile: "Well, of course I will keep it a secret for you, not even telling Mana."

"Thank you, Chuhua."

Sanjiao Chuhua smiled, but a sharp look flashed in his eyes.

She would keep Xiangzi's secret and not tell anyone else, but she still felt that Hoshikawa Taku was very suspicious.

If there was a chance... she would definitely test Hoshikawa Taku's true thoughts in private.

Chapter 83 Who is the "third party"?

Seeing Toyokawa Shoko and Sankaku Hatsuka walk into the lounge one after the other, Junda Mana put her hands on her hips and complained:

"You two are so slow to come back! Our agent just told us to go to the stage for rehearsal, but you never came back..."

Her eyes fell on the two of them, and she seemed to have noticed something, and her eyes narrowed immediately.

"What's going on? I feel like you two seem to be getting a little closer. Could it be that..."

She suddenly lowered her voice, leaned closer to Triangle Chuhua and asked curiously, "Chuhua, when you went to the bathroom just now, did you see Miss Oblivionis's true face?"

Junda Mana's intuition is very sharp. Sankaku Hatsuka felt a little nervous, but he remained calm on the surface.

She said casually, "No, it's just that Miss Oblivionis helped me with a small favor just now, and our relationship has improved a little."

Chuhua had already promised Xiangzi to keep it a secret, so naturally she wouldn't tell anyone.

Junda Mana didn't bother to ask further questions. She excitedly took Sankaku Hatsuka's hand and said, "Okay, now that you're back, let's go over there. The agent is waiting anxiously!"

Normally, Junda Mana always held Chuhua's hand like this, and she didn't think there was anything wrong. However, this time, Chuhua took a step back and gently broke free from her hand.

Looking at the surprised Mana, Chuhua's eyes swept over Toyokawa Shoko who was standing on the edge of the stage calmly, and explained lightly: "The floor here is very slippery, walk carefully and don't fall."

It's just an excuse.

Chuhua actually didn't want Xiangzi to see her and Junda Mana being too close, so she deliberately kept a distance from her.

When they arrived at the stage, one of their songs was playing and Taku Hoshikawa was adjusting the lights at the lighting control console.

The agent raised his wrist to check the time, then walked up to the group and handed the intercom to Junda Mana.

"Mr. Xingchuan is in charge of the lighting effects for this performance. This is the plan he designed based on your song arrangement. If you need any adjustments, you can communicate with him directly through the intercom."

The lighting control console is located in the center of the second floor behind the audience seats. From this position, you can have a full view of the entire venue and directly observe the stage lighting effects.

Taku Hoshikawa stood behind the lighting control panel and waved at them.

During this week, in addition to being busy with Xiangzi and Pochi's affairs, Taku Hoshikawa did not forget this job and carefully arranged the lighting.

The stage lights kept changing under the adjustment of Taku Hoshikawa, presenting various dreamy and layered effects. The lighting effects of each song were unique.

As the melody progressed, Junda Mana stood in the center of the stage, squinting her eyes to feel the changes in the light. Then she raised her hand and gestured a few times. After thinking for a moment, she said into the intercom:

"Mr. Hoshikawa, the lights during the chorus all burst out at once, which is quite shocking. But if there was a gradual process, slowly spreading out from the center of the stage, wouldn't it be more layered?"

Without saying anything, Hoshikawa Taku started adjusting the lights as she said.

A few seconds later, the lights spread out like waves, and the stage gradually became brighter from point to surface as light and shadow intertwined. The lights in the auditorium also lit up little by little with the rhythm, making the atmosphere of the entire venue softer and smoother.

"Wow! That's great!"

Junda Mana's eyes lit up, and she spun around excitedly, a joyful smile on her face. "I feel a warm energy radiating from me! This is the stage atmosphere I want!"

Each performer has their own clever ideas, and the lighting technician needs to constantly communicate and coordinate with them to achieve the effects they want.

Mana Junda was very serious. While Taku Hoshikawa was demonstrating the lights, she kept offering her suggestions.

Some of the suggestions were good, but some were rejected by Taku Hoshikawa and his agent.

When they were communicating, Sanjiao Chuhua never spoke a word. She just stood side by side with Miss 'Oblivionis' next to her, and often glanced at her inadvertently.

Juntian Mana ran over and handed the intercom to Chuhua: "Chuhua, don't you want to communicate with Mr. Xingchuan?"

"No."

Sanjiao Chuhua shook his head slightly, and said calmly, "I think Mr. Xingchuan's lighting design is already very good, there is nothing to change."

"That's all very nice, but wouldn't you like to add a personal touch?"

Mana Junda gestured and said, "Don't we have a song with your guitar solo? I think it would be even better if you added some golden toplighting! Your guitar looks like it's bathed in holy light, which is super atmospheric!"

"Well, just discuss it together. I don't have any objections."

Sanjiao Chuhua avoided the topic and was unwilling to participate in the discussion.

Junda Mana tilted her head in confusion.

There's something really wrong with Chuhua today... She's not like this usually.

But considering that the concert was approaching, Chuhua might just be a little nervous. She didn't ask too much about it, but just shrugged and continued to discuss the lighting details with Hoshikawa Taku.

After the rehearsal is over, give Chuhua half a donut to cheer her up!