Chapter One: The Bear Who Wouldn't Take Off Its Head

“I signed a performance contract, not an adoption form.” Mianmian raised a whiteboard. I DON'T EAT MUCH. I CAN BATHE MYSELF. Xinghe stared at the last sentence and had the uncanny feeling that something behind the fixed smile was staring back. Rehearsal went badly. The tour's young headliner, Shen Xiao, received an ocean of blue lights; Xinghe's set was cut to twenty minutes. The band called his old songs dated, and a technician misspelled his name on the screen. Only Lin Wanzhao, the new tour counselor, stood in the empty arena and listened to the end. She wore a cream blouse, her badge moving softly with her breath. When he finished, she didn't applaud. “You're afraid of the high note in the second chorus.”