Chapter 417: The Right Way to Experience

Karen was completely stunned.

Yes, she was the one who filmed that video; yes, she had watched that performance countless times on her TV; yes, it was because she loved it so much that she decided to upload it to the forum; yes, she was right there in person when the miracle of that afternoon was born.

Yet, in this moment, Karen was swept into a storm—

It's different, completely different.

Watching through a screen can never truly capture the life force that the performance conveyed. Those strings, those notes, and those sounds came rushing towards her, filled with passion and energy. Her skin was burning, her heart was racing, her breath was quickening; only by fully engaging all her senses could she truly touch the soul of the music.

It was scorching and brilliant.

Now Karen realized what she had missed out on by focusing on filming the video.

She watched intently as each band member took their turn with solos and performances, and at the end, her eyes followed Anson as he moved to the snare drum.

Gasp.

Karen held her breath.

The next second.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

One after another, the steady and deep drumbeats poured down like a torrential rain, and Anson's powerful and clear voice pierced through the layers of melody, igniting the entire audience.

"Oh-oh-oh-oh. Oh-oh-oh-oh!"

Whoa.

In a sudden movement, Karen was on her feet. It was an instinct, a drive from deep within her soul, her blood boiling with excitement.

A moment later, Karen noticed that Blair had also immediately stood up. Even though it was Blair's second time witnessing this performance up close, she couldn't contain her passion and wild enthusiasm. The two exchanged glances, their smiles spreading widely across their faces.

As for everyone else?

They didn't care.

Life is far too short, and if you live it always worrying about what others think, you'll never break free and embrace who you are.

So, even though they were on "The Tonight Show," so what?

They were ready to fully enjoy this moment. Even if it meant being banned by the show forever, the happiness bursting like fireworks on the Fourth of July in their minds was all that mattered.

They raised their hands high, jumping with abandon, letting their bodies feel the beat, the rhythm, the music—

This was true immersion.

Music truly does have a soul.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

That was the sound of souls burning and lives flourishing.

Fortunately, Blair and Karen were not alone.

The entire audience erupted.

No one was an exception, literally no one.

The passion burning in their veins made their bodies restless, they had to cheer, they had to jump—there was no other way to release that energy.

So, when two figures stood up to show the proper way to immerse in the music, everyone else followed, unable to resist, standing up reflexively.

One by one, ten by twenty...

Before they knew it, the entire room was engulfed in a wave of energy.

Jared Reno could clearly feel the blood boiling and burning within him. As he looked around, he noticed that all the audience members and staff in the studio had already stood up. More staff members were pouring in, crowding the studio to its fullest capacity.

Clap. Clap. Clap.

Unconsciously, the entire room was clapping, jumping, and getting lost in the moment. The drumbeats seemed to hit right at the heart, unleashing a surge of energy that rushed to a peak, leaving the mind blank with nothing but passion burning.

At that moment, the studio transformed into a concert venue.

Then—

It abruptly stopped.

The band ended the performance with a crisp and decisive note, concluding at the peak, in a state of fullness, halting abruptly to freeze the moment into eternity.

Hearts exploded.

The entire studio erupted with applause, whistles, and cheers all converging into one.

Jared Reno stood up, shaking his head repeatedly, a smile spreading across his face as he looked in disbelief at the four people before him.

Ah, ah, ah!

Karen was screaming, completely losing herself. She couldn't believe that she had been there experiencing it all in person, yet only now did she feel like she had truly appreciated the live performance. Only then did she realize what she had "missed" before.

Fortunately, everything was made right today, experiencing the performance again in its purest, fullest form.

This was the correct way to "Wake Me Up."

Cheers, jumps, applause—every cell in Karen's body was screaming.

Ah...

The lingering cheers surrounded the small stage completely, growing more intense, reaching new heights, circling 360 degrees, refusing to stop. For a moment, it felt like the entire world was shaking.

Turning his head, Anson could see Miles' bright and excited face quietly watching the crowd in front of him, with fervent excitement in his eyes. He could also see Lily standing there, seemingly in shock, her eyes filled with disbelief.

And then there was Connor.

Poor Connor hung his head low in embarrassment, trying to hide his panic.

Anson, concerned, patted Connor on the shoulder. Connor clumsily rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand, mumbling defensively, "I'm not crying. I'm not crying."

But the wetness on the back of his hand betrayed the truth.

Anson, too, felt a wave of emotion because he knew the pain of having to give up on a dream. He also knew the bitterness and longing of standing in the mud, looking up at the stars.

Maybe, for him, this was a beautiful surprise; but for them, it was the light at the end of the tunnel after complete despair.

Roar!

Roar, roar, roar!

The applause in the studio continued without end, sweeping through like a tidal wave.

Without a doubt, this was a sensational moment. The entire "Tonight Show" crew had turned out in full force, completely unprepared for the fact that the scene on the streets of Manhattan would be reenacted in the studio.

And then, Anson saw Hayden.

In the crowd, Hayden stood alongside Ewan McGregor. Thanks to their height advantage, they stood out, easily catching Anson's eye.

Even though Hayden didn't take part in the interview, it seemed he had come to visit the set today, and now he was joining in on the excitement with Ewan.

But Hayden was stunned.

Neither of them had expected to meet again under such circumstances. The surprise was so great that neither of them had time to react.

In the midst of the noise and heat, the loud clamor pounded their eardrums, but in the moment their eyes met, there was a sense of calm, a brief pause button pressed on the scene.

Jared Reno's voice came through, "Welcome, welcome! Welcome to 'The Tonight Show,' ladies and gentlemen, let's give a round of applause to Anson Wood, Lily Watkins, Miles Anderson, and Connor Jenkins."

This was the signal for the show to continue.

So—

Anson flashed Hayden a smile, his eyes clearly saying, "Long time no see."

Then, without waiting for a response, Anson set down his instrument and headed toward the main stage.

Hayden was stunned.

He tried to say hello, but was quickly swallowed by the overwhelming cheers, forcing him to swallow his words, standing there, a bit lost.

In the crowd, his eyes and expression were hard to make out.