Utopia

After the girl walked away, her final words still echoed in Tang Xin’s ears.

"You must never give up; take my expectations with you and ascend to a grander stage."

She clasped her hands to her chest, her lips pursed tight. Until the very end, she hadn’t found the courage to tell the girl the real reason she had come today...

If the girl heard the truth, she would be so disappointed, wouldn't she? Just the thought of that heartbroken expression caused an unavoidable wave of sorrow to well up within Tang Xin.

But this path was definitely not the one she had dreamed of.

Tang Xin regulated her breathing. Finally, she summoned her courage and pushed open the door to the lounge.

"They don't even drop any gold coins, yet they keep looking at me with those lewd gazes. It’s disgusting."

"Heh, but we have to thank them. They’re the reason the media company noticed us."

Ai’s voice drifted over.

A pungent smell of smoke hit Tang Xin square in the face, making her choke and cough into her hand.

"Oh, Tang Xin, you’re here?"

A teenage girl with pale pink hair leaned back on the sofa, one hand propped on the armrest, legs crossed sloppily. Clouds of white smoke swirled around her.

"Cough... cough, cough..." Tang Xin coughed so hard her face turned slightly red.

"Ai, that’s enough. Tang Xin can’t handle the smell," the bassist with the lip ring said coldly. She had taken off her vest, revealing a dark red rose tattooed on her arm, its thorny stem extending all the way to her shoulder.

"Whether she likes it or not is none of your damn business. Since when did you start thinking for her?" Ai scoffed, her brow furrowing.

The bassist didn't argue back, merely pulling a black hoodie over herself.

"Ai..." the drummer started to speak, but Ai interrupted her impatiently.

"Shut up. You're annoying."

Silence fell over the room.

Ai seemed completely indifferent to the oppressive atmosphere. She waved Tang Xin over. "Come here, Tang Xin. I have something to tell you."

It was the same commanding tone as always. Tang Xin didn't say a word; she just clenched her fists, her shoulders trembling slightly.

"Can’t you fucking hear me, Tang Xin? Get over here," Ai raised her voice.

"You’re going too far, Ai!" Finally, the bassist reached her limit and stood up to confront her. "What do you think we are? Your servants?"

"You've always been like this—arrogant and unreasonable..."

"So what? Those fat losers like me, not you. Don't forget who has the most popularity in this band. Without me, this band would have disbanded long ago, haha." Ai sneered. "The followers of you three combined aren't even half of mine. Without me, do you think Chenguang Media would have even looked at you?"

"You're all just accessories."

"You!" The bassist's eyes widened.

"If it pisses you off that much, then quit. Get lost," Ai mocked mercilessly. "If you're so capable, go be a street performer. See if you can even afford rent then, or if you'll just freeze to death on the streets."

The bassist’s chest heaved with anger. Finally, she let out a cold snort and slammed the door as she stormed out.

"Doesn't even have the guts to quit, yet she talks back to me."

"I want to quit," Tang Xin said suddenly.

The other girls froze. Ai looked as if she had heard something impossible.

"What did you just say?"

"I want to quit," Tang Xin repeated, looking the girl in the eye. "I came here today specifically to leave the band."

"Are you crazy?" Ai was dumbfounded. "We become an official band tomorrow! You're saying this now...?"

"If there's nothing else, I'm leaving." Tang Xin turned to go.

Feeling as though a piece of her foundation was missing, Ai rushed forward and grabbed Tang Xin’s hand, forcing a strained smile. "Xin, why don't you think about it? Is there anything we can't just sit down and talk about?"

"I have nothing to talk about with you." Tang Xin shook off Ai’s hand.

"You really disappoint me!" Ai’s voice suddenly rang out behind her.

Tang Xin paused for a moment at the door.

"Do you think people like us have any kind of future? Do you think anyone would notice you without a management company pushing you?" Ai spread her hands wide. "We are people with no talent. Why can't you just see yourself for what you are?"

"Can dreams serve as inspiration? Can they put food on the table?"

"If you don't want to be thrown into the Keyboard District to rot away along with that ridiculous dream of yours, I suggest you think again."

"Thank you for your concern." Tang Xin did not look back.

"It's because of that sickly ghost..."

Before Ai could finish, the blue-haired girl turned back in a rage, her hand raised high.

Ai remained defiant, meeting Tang Xin’s eyes with a flippant gaze. "My dear little Xin, you have no presence even when you're angry. You're as cute as a little animal. If you've got the guts, hit me."

"I'm afraid you'd enjoy it too much."

Tang Xin lowered her hand. Under the watchful eyes of everyone present, an aura as surging as a tide radiated outward with her at the center. Gentle water elements danced in the air, their lightness palpable.

Ai’s face visibly swelled by a whole circle, becoming grotesque and unsightly.

"You—what did you do!?" For the first time, Ai felt true fear. That pretty face was the source of all her confidence.

"Expansion Spell. It will take five days for the swelling to go down. Stay home and don't go out."

Tang Xin left without looking back.

Hearing those words, the panic on Ai’s face deepened. "Five days... five days?"

"The company scheduled a performance in two days... you can't do this! You can't do this!!" She lunged toward the door in a frenzy, trying to catch Tang Xin, but the girl simply pulled the door shut, leaving her with one final, indifferent glance.

"Reflect on yourself."

"I'll reflect! I'll reflect! Please don't do this, Xin! I know I treated the others poorly, but I never did anything to you! Don't you remember? When you were sick last time, I was the one who bought medicine and took care of you!" Ai spoke rapidly, her words tripping over each other. "And before our first time on stage, when your legs were shaking so hard you couldn't stand, I was the one comforting you!"

"I really thought of you as a friend! I just... I just made a mistake that anyone would make!"

Bang.

The only response was the heavy sound of the door closing. Ai clutched her face, sitting on the floor as if she had lost her soul.

Tang Xin walked down the streets of the Queen's District, her shoulder bag in hand and a bass guitar on her back. The instrument bag, which stood half a head taller than her, made her look quite conspicuous.

The streetlights emitted a soft yellow glow. Snow had been shoveled to the sides of the street, stretching far into a vast white expanse. Tang Xin felt lost, Ai’s final words echoing in her mind.

In the Star of Art, it was normal for ordinary people to be like Ai, struggling on the edge of survival. Creating literature, paintings, plays, or sculptures was a luxury beyond the reach of those without talent. Starting as an underground idol and pursuing a career in entertainment was one of the few choices they had, and even then, only a minority were ever noticed by media companies.

On the street, a man in a thin cloth shirt with messy hair played a guitar as shadows of people passed him by. White specks of snow covered his hair, shirt, and trousers. His purpled fingers trembled, yet he never stopped plucking the strings. His hopeful eyes landed on every passerby, longing for someone to stop and cheer for him.

There was no bowl for tips at his feet.

Seeing the girl stop in front of him, the man’s eyes brightened slightly. But when he saw a piece of steaming hot bread being handed to him, his expression became complicated.

"Eat it. I just bought it," Tang Xin said. There was a bakery right next to them.

"How was my playing?" The man’s teeth chattered from the cold.

Tang Xin didn't know how to answer. She wanted to say that he should find a decent job first, but she was certain that saying so would only make him angry. On the path of chasing dreams, she had seen many people like this—people just like she had been at the very beginning.

Tang Xin sat at the entrance of the bakery, thoughts drifting uncontrollably.

Would Xiao Yi’s surgery be successful? Now that she had left the Gloomy Girls Band, she had no source of income. How would she pay next month's rent? And why had she started down this path in the first place?

Just then, a message popped up on her light screen.

[Miss Tang Xin, we sincerely invite you to become an artist under Dream-Chaser Media. We promise one-on-one training and guidance, with a prioritization of resources...]

[If interested, please contact the manager, Yuzu — 10000000.]