Miss Witch Doesn't Want to be a Diva

Blanchi was surprised by Tilan's maneuvers, and even more so when she saw Shui Yanqing and Ores undergo corresponding transformations. Shui Yanqing's striking blue hair turned black, and her pinkish-purple eyes were now covered with fashionable brown sunglasses, completely altering her aura. Ores, on the other hand, put on a ring, causing her silver hair to change to gold, her features became somewhat hazy, as if she had become another person.

"You guys?" Blanchi wanted to say something, but the words wouldn't come out. She felt she was still too green on the path of becoming a Songstress.

What Songstress would go out without carrying disguises? If they didn't want to be gawked at, they would all have their tricks.

"Hehehe, don't worry, Blanchi should cherish this time before becoming famous. After all, once you reach our stage, going out and having fun won't be so easy anymore," Shui Yanqing said as she took Blanchi's arm and they walked into the shop together.

Ores also entered the shop curiously, bringing Tilan along.

Compared to the lineup outside, it was actually quieter inside. During this time, there were only a few people buying other albums and film Memory Chips. Most people were lined up to purchase a special commemorative edition album.

The shelves were stocked with plenty of film Memory Chips and music albums, with headphones hanging next to them available for sampling. Above the counters were projected holograms demonstrating posters of the films. These were all standard fixtures in an audio-visual store and not surprising.

What really caught the group's attention was the rectangular crystal in the center of the store, impossibly clear with a soft blue glow from the light at its base. Inside the crystal, a girl of Tilan's height was singing with her eyes closed, or rather, it was Tilan's holographic image, so lifelike that it was hard to distinguish from the real person.

With a lazy tone, an ethereal voice sang, and with her snow-white skin contrasting sharply against the black fabric, Tilan in an off-shoulder evening gown slowly opened her eyes, revealing a pair of orbs that swirled like the Star River. Her slender fingers danced on the strings of her instrument, and the outline of her delicate joints and her tender figure elicited a sense of compassion and delivered a uniquely striking impact to the audience.

After watching this brief holographic performance, the three were left with their mouths slightly open in awe. Was this really Tilan? They compared her to the quiet girl they knew, who loved to sleep, didn't talk much, and they simply couldn't imagine it was the same person.

Finally, Ores, barely able to contain herself, pulled Tilan aside into a corner and asked in a whisper.

"Is that really you, not an AI-synthesized image?"

"Er, it's unexpected, but that is indeed me. It was just that I was still quite naive back then—it was filmed when I was 16," Tilan replied. She was a bit impulsive at the time, having just completed her Songstress certification. It was during her first visit to the Flying Feather Star Domain when she gave an impromptu performance at a concert hall, without expecting it to have such a big impact later.

Tilan pressed her hand to her forehead and shook her head with a wry smile.

"It can't be just because of this that I was pegged as a 'dark series' Songstress," she thought to herself.

When negotiating with the record company, they did mention using a few video clips as a bonus for the commemorative album, but she hadn't anticipated the overwhelming response that turned these occasional recordings into the main reason people bought the album.

And it had been over a month since then, so why had it suddenly become popular? She herself was unaware.

Perhaps the situation with this shop was an exception. After all, it was located right next to the Golden Flame Flower Academy. It was normal for everyone to be interested in a Songstress. She comforted herself, thinking that her image in the minds of others might now be sliding completely in one direction, thus creating a stark contrast.

But worrying about that now was useless. After browsing around, the other three Songstresses insisted on buying a commemorative album that night to uncover what kind of past Tilan had been hiding.

For Tilan, the thought was excruciating. She hoped to quickly return to sleep because the songs in the album were indeed expressions of her raw emotions and thoughts at the time. However, if everyone started openly discussing them now, it would feel quite awkward and embarrassing. It was like having one's juvenile declarations uncovered by friends years later.

'Oh, this sorrowful world~'

The prospect of the others repeating this phrase by her ear made Tilan feel like burrowing into a hole.

No, she would have to focus on studying behind closed doors for a while.