Chapter 127: If You Take the Stage, Wear a Mask

This was truly insane.

Leon Chen took a deep breath. Glancing at his watch, he noticed the NO.9 top-tier ability, "Mastery," had deactivated.

Still puzzled, he stepped out of the elevator and stood before the private room door, hesitating briefly before entering.

"You're back?" Serena Su greeted him with a smile as clear as water.

Leon, curious to know if his earlier performance was a fleeting moment of brilliance or just a fluke, gazed at the serene girl for a moment before walking straight up to her.

"Serena..." Leon's voice was filled with genuine emotion, even he found it incredible how deeply he could act.

Serena sensed something unusual in the atmosphere, her eyes widening slightly in surprise at Leon's transformation.

"Leon, what's wrong?"

"I..." His voice, tinged with hesitation, was full of an expectant quality that made Serena's heart skip a beat. A flash of panic crossed her eyes as her hand grabbed at her button and then let go. Leon caught this small detail immediately, understanding her emotions—anticipation mixed with nervousness about the unknown.

If he had to summarize her feelings in one word, it would be—future!

Realizing he was going too far, Leon snapped out of it, his deep, meaningful atmosphere vanishing as he returned to his usual self. He reached out, grinning, and ran his fingers through Serena's hair, producing a shiny coin.

Serena blinked, her cheeks regaining their natural color as she sighed in relief, smiling. "You were acting so strange just now."

"I was acting. How did I do?" Leon asked.

Serena was astonished. Even with her "Saint Hunter" perception, she couldn't detect any trace of pretense. All she felt was something deeply sincere, from the bottom of the soul.

Leon looked up at the TV screen, which was showing footage from an Angelina Dream concert. Seeing this girl, not much older than himself, who had become a global sensation, Leon felt a mix of emotions. He wondered if Lily Lin would ever have a day like this. Imagining the shy Lily radiating energy on stage, he found himself looking forward to it.

After a moment, the door opened, and two people walked in. One was a mature woman with glasses and her hair in a bun, wearing a business suit, looking very professional. Beside her was a beautiful angel.

If Lily Lin was a pure spring, then the girl before them was a vision of pure white.

Angelina Dream!

The angelic singer herself!

Angelina whispered something to her manager, who nodded and left, closing the door behind her.

Meeting the legendary star, Leon found he wasn't overly excited, just impressed and awed.

"Leon, Serena, thank you for coming." Angelina Dream's movements were graceful, her smile exuding a flawless warmth, elegance, and purity.

Honestly, based purely on looks and demeanor, Angelina was as stunning as the "Four Legendary Beauties" of H University Leon had seen. Her aura of religious-like sanctity even surpassed theirs. Yet, for some reason, Leon felt a strange unease.

After they sat down, Angelina began chatting with them. She was as charming and poised as she appeared on screen, flawlessly engaging and ladylike, a true testament to her ability to captivate so many.

"Miss Dream, I heard you're about to embark on a world tour. What plans do you have for us?" Serena asked. "I think it would be more appropriate to discuss the composition directly with Lily."

Angelina looked at Leon. "I heard there was quite an incident at H University recently..."

Both were taken aback. Although the affair with Chase Wei had caused a huge stir, the conclusion had been peaceful due to Wei's status. The matter only circulated within the university circle, and even then, no one discussed it openly. How did she know?

"I'm an H University alum myself," Angelina smiled.

"Is that why you called us here?" Serena frowned.

"I know Chase Wei. He's quite a formidable character, and I'm quite afraid of him. Hearing about his mishap naturally piqued my interest. But that's just a side topic," Angelina shifted gears, "I wanted to write a song for Lily and her boyfriend, so naturally, I wanted to meet him personally."

There was nothing wrong with this reasoning, but Serena still felt that Angelina was not an ordinary person.

From the moment Angelina entered, Leon had been content to remain silent, enjoying the leisurely atmosphere while letting the two women converse.

Gradually, he realized where his strange feeling came from.

Acting!

Angelina was acting!

With his now top-tier acting skills, Leon easily saw through Angelina's angelic façade.

Every move she made, every word she spoke, was meticulously calculated and masked.

Suddenly, Leon lost his previous admiration for this actress, but quickly let it go. Despite her social interactions being filled with pretense, her music still conveyed genuine sincerity.

With that thought, Leon smirked, curious to observe Angelina's acting talent, secretly rating her performance.

Angelina asked Leon some questions about his daily life, to which Leon responded with an equally flawless performance, causing Angelina's eyelids to twitch several times.

Around noon, the conversation finally drew to a close.

"Can I invite Leon to speak with me alone? I need to understand some things more deeply for his girlfriend's debut song. Leon, you wouldn't refuse me, would you?" Angelina asked with a smile, clearly not expecting a different answer.

Leon had no reason to refuse, and he was curious to see how long Angelina would keep up her act.

Serena looked at Leon, who nodded.

"Alright, I'll leave first," Serena said, leaning in to whisper, "Be careful."

"I will. You too," Leon replied.

"Hmm."

Angelina escorted Serena out. When she returned to the room, she saw Leon leisurely sipping tea. A fleeting coldness crossed Angelina's eyes before she masked it with a gentle smile as she approached. "Leon, I didn't realize you were so charming. That girl Serena seems to like you a lot."

Leon's heart skipped a beat, but he maintained his composure. "Your smile isn't natural enough, the emotions in your eyes aren't well concealed, your steps are too calculated, losing your innate charm... Language, actions, and expressions all have flaws. Overall, I'd give you a seventy. Decent for acting."

Angelina's smile froze, her expression stiffening.

"I guess I'll deduct ten points. You need to work on your immediate reactions," Leon critiqued, pointing out flaws in her performance since her arrival.

The angelic singer's smile turned icy. "Leon, I don't understand what you're talking about."

"I'm just rambling," Leon chuckled.

Angelina could no longer smile. Having left Leon alone, she had no mood for further pretense. Hearing him critique her performance surprised her. The angelic singer, now cold and imperious, crossed her arms.

Leon inwardly smiled. This was likely the real Angelina Dream.

"Leon, let me be frank. If I don't approve, Lily Lin won't be joining this company."

Though he knew she was acting, seeing her arrogance still made Leon uncomfortable. "Is that so?" he responded coolly.

"Actually, I think it's best for Lily not to enter this industry," Angelina said coldly. If any fan saw this scene, they'd likely go mad. She was the complete opposite of the angel on screen.

Angelina was far from the grandeur of Grace Wang, Leon thought.

"I've met Lily. She's a pure, talented girl. Once she's on screen, she'll undoubtedly be adored," Angelina continued with a sneer. "But you probably know why I think she's not suited for this industry, right?"

"I don't know," Leon shrugged.

Angelina frowned, annoyed, but continued, "If you take the stage, wear this mask. Do you want your girlfriend to become as fake as I am?"

Leon admired her for admitting her flaws. "It's not fake. Life itself is a masquerade. The greatest performance isn't on stage but in reality," he replied. If Lily could at least learn to protect herself, wouldn't that be a good thing?

Angelina was taken aback by Leon's words, her icy demeanor softening slightly. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," Leon nodded.

"Seems you wear a mask too. Interesting," Angelina said with a meaningful smile, standing and stretching. Her prominent curves momentarily stunned Leon, despite her star status.

Angelina huffed, crossing her arms. "In that case, follow me."

"Where to?" Leon blinked.

"Having lunch with me, any objections?" Angelina's brows arched imperiously, leaving no room for refusal.

This superstar was certainly not very likable.