The Idol ran away!

"Zhao Ying, wake up. Everything has been set. All the dancers have taken their position. Now everyone is only waiting for your arrival." A mild voice rang out. When Zhao Ying didn't respond, the voice grew anxious. "Zhao Ying?"

Zhao Ying frowned lightly. Her movements were slow and lethargic. A second later, her eyes opened slowly. She found herself in a spacious room having half of its walls covered with mirrors. More than a dozen of fancily dressed people surrounded her. They were collectively staring at her as if observing her like she was some piece of art.

Seeing that she had opened her eyes, the woman that had called to her eased slightly.

"This is no time to laze around. Everyone's waiting for you. The show director is standing just outside the door. If you delay another moment, he is going to get really upset. And you do know how difficult was it for us to get a contract with his company? You wouldn't want to leave a bad impression of you, would you?"

Zhao Ying blinked at the unfamiliar woman. "Were you talking-" Zhao Ying gasped. She was stunned at how unfamiliar her voice sounded. She clasped her hands over her mouth and stared at the woman who was now glaring at her.

"This is no time to joke." Xiao Yi lips pressed into a thin line. She grabbed Zhao Ying and before Zhao Ying could say anything in objection, she was already dragged outside of the spacious room.

From behind her, Zhao Ying could hear whispers.

"What happened to her suddenly?"

"Have you not heard? Before her disappearance from the entertainment media, she was notorious for her antics and pranks. She must have been trying to do one."

"Its been so long since the last she performed. I had totally forgotten about that. No one knows her nowadays. It won't be a surprise if today's concert ends in failure. Can't she be seriously considering the gravity of her situation?"

"Such a dunce. Does she think she can afford all this after losing her fame?"

"Shush! You don't want her to listen, do you? It won't take a few words for her to go bitch on you."

Zhao Ying wanted to know if they were talking about her but the door was shut close.

"Director Zhang she is here. I apologize for the delay." Just as they stepped outside, the woman bowed deeply in front of a man. "Zhao Ying has recently recovered from her injuries. The medication causes her dizziness spells some times."

Zhao Ying opened her mouth to something, anything but she froze when she sensed the assessing glance of that grim-looking man. The way that man was dressed, he looked like a big show.

"Xiao Yi, are you sure she will be able to perform? If today's show ends up in failure then all the losses would be burdened by her agency. And if that happens she can say goodbye to her career." The man's demeanor was very serious. Zhao Ying didn't get good vibes from him.

"We have been practicing for the last three months. There is no way today's show is going to be a failure." Xiao Yi was confident. She waited no more and grabbed Zhao Ying and guided her. "Let's go. We must not keep the fans waiting."

"Wait... Hold on a second!" Zhao Ying was trying her best to catch up with the events.

"Why? We are already late on schedule. No matter how dense you can be, you must have noticed the director's suspicion just now. Why are you being so weird? Forget it. You just better rehearse the lyrics and dance steps in your mind. Leave the rest to me."

"I think you don't understand it! Listen to me once at least! I'm not-"

Before she could say any further, she was put into the middle of dancers. In front of her, there were long red velvet curtains. "I don't like it." She turned to try to communicate with the woman. But when she glanced back, the woman was already walking away. She stepped to follow that woman.

But the next second loud music rang out, stopping her dead in her tracks.

"And our next performer is the one you are all here for, the long-awaited, the one who shook our souls with her inspirational songs, the one who pulled the strings of our hearts with her heartrending lyrics, and also the one who brought us to tears with her sudden disappearance; today out there to make her debut once again, Scarlet!"

"Why does it feel like they are talking about me?" Zhao Ying reluctantly turned back and faced the red curtains. She glanced at them as if they were hiding a monster behind them.

After the enthusiastic introduction followed loud cheers that reached up to the height of skies. Outside the stage, countless fans were going crazy.

"Our idol, she is finally here! I can't wait to see her! It has been so long!"

"For the last two years, there hasn't been a single day I haven't listened to her songs."

"Her songs have changed my life. Believe it or not. If not for her, I would never have been able to confess my feelings to my crush. Now we are happily married."

"Zhao Ying, we are your loyal supporters!"

"I don't like the feeling of this." Zhao Ying felt like having a panic attack coming to her. She stepped back in fear. Before she could mentally prepare herself, the curtain parted in the middle slowly. Glaring lights blinded Zhao Ying momentarily. When her vision adjusted back to normal, she froze.

"This is not happening. This is not happening. This is just a dream."

However, it wasn't.

Loud music started blasting in the background with intensity. Fancily dressed dancers glanced at Zhao Ying in anticipation when she didn't move.

"Zhao Ying, what the hell you are stalling for. Move forward and pick up the guitar." A voice screamed into her ears from nowhere.

She broke out of the trance.

"Zhao Ying, don't mess it up!" The voice grew shriller.

Zhao Ying took out a device from her ears.

Hell! She didn't even know that nasty thing was there in her ear!

"Zhao Ying, if you don't move now I swear..." Xiao Yi's words were useless because Zhao Ying had already discarded the earpiece and ran for her precious life. The cheers in the auditorium died out, replaced with confused silence.

'What was their idol running for?'