By now, Ye Chen had circled back to the stage’s center from behind, and Tawanna eagerly rushed to him, throwing herself into his arms and holding him tight.
The crowd erupted into screams.
Then, just like Gu Qiuyi had done at the start, she interlocked fingers with Ye Chen, gripping his hands tightly. As they walked to the stage’s front, the cameras zoomed in on Tawanna’s face, projecting it onto the screens. She looked bashful, clutching her skirt hem as nervously as a bride in a wedding gown.
The Tawanna of old was bold and unrestrained on stage, her outfits always fiery and revealing, but who could’ve imagined her now as a delicate, shy maiden?
Holding Ye Chen’s hand, she finished her part of the song.
For the final line, Gu Qiuyi stepped forward, harmonizing with Tawanna in different vocal parts.
Normally, once that last line was sung, the song would end, and Gu Qiuyi would bow to the audience, concluding her guest performance.
But no one anticipated what happened next: as Tawanna sang the final note, she suddenly rose onto her tiptoes and kissed Ye Chen’s masked lips!
Though the mask was hard, after wearing it for several minutes, it had warmed to his body heat. Tawanna’s passionate tiptoe kiss, separated only by that thin layer, caught Ye Chen off guard.
The audience below nearly lost their minds!
Tawanna, despite her bold stage presence, had never done anything this intimate with a dancer before!
This was her offering a kiss!
Even with the mask, it was just a thin barrier! The air of ambiguity flooded the venue, leaving everyone dumbfounded.
Gu Qiuyi, watching from the side, was momentarily stunned, though she quickly regained her composure.
She’d long sensed Tawanna’s suppressed and self-conscious feelings for Ye Chen. With a chance like this to express her heart, how could Tawanna let it slip?
The crowd below erupted into thunderous applause, assuming Tawanna’s impulsive kiss was her fully immersing herself in the song’s narrative.
After all, the song portrayed an assassin reuniting with his lover after enduring countless hardships and brushes with death—a moment meant to be overwhelmingly emotional and unrestrained. Tawanna’s investment made sense.
But soon, confusion set in.
If Tawanna’s kiss was just part of the song’s mood and immersion, why, even after the music stopped, did she remain in that state, still clinging tightly to the assassin-dancer?
The cameras kept zooming in on her face, broadcasting a high-definition close-up on the screens. Tens of thousands of spectators could clearly see tears silently streaming from the corners of her eyes!
It was as if she feared the man before her might vanish again, holding him close, kissing him, tears flowing endlessly.
The audience was dumbfounded.
Tawanna’s manager was dumbfounded.
Only one thought raced through her manager’s mind: How the hell do I spin this in the press release later? How do I steer the narrative so no one gets suspicious?
This “love you can’t have” vibe is way too obvious!
Big sis, if you really wanted to kiss him, couldn’t you wait till you were offstage, let him take off the mask, and kiss the real guy?
Pulling this stunt in front of tens of thousands—within minutes, this clip’s going viral on every short video platform worldwide, topping global trends. You’re having your moment, but what am I supposed to do?
Don’t forget you’ve got a boyfriend, and he’s off in the States competing right now!
Somebody, anybody, save me!
