"Oh... her eyes, her eyes... make the brightest stars seem dim... mmm mmm mmm... you know... everyone's chasing the light..."
Ollie softly hummed a tuneless melody, the first part Bruno Mars, the second morphing into OneRepublic. Despite being two completely different songs, they were strangely connected without any awkwardness. Then, it transitioned into a whistle, which he executed flawlessly.
Clearly, Ollie was in a very good mood, and in fact, it wasn't just Ollie. Maxim and Ronan were also beaming, their spirits high.
Bruno's world tour, the Philadelphia stop, had concluded successfully; the Boston stop, also a success. This officially marked the perfect end to the global tour for "Love Ballad Chronicles." Bruno had finally finished his long, year-and-a-half tour and was now fully dedicated to preparing his second album.
At the same time, OneRepublic's opening performances had also come to a successful close. They had stepped in as a last-minute replacement when The Fray encountered unexpected issues, but their performance was top-notch. Their captivating stage presence earned them numerous praises and generated a considerable buzz. After the Boston show, Bruno even invited OneRepublic to join him on stage for an encore, truly signifying the end of the tour.
Tonight, the tour officially ended. Bruno returned to New York with his entire touring crew in high spirits for a grand celebration party. This marked the successful completion of their marathon tour, and both The Fray, who had finally returned to North America after their detour, and OneRepublic, who had bravely stepped in at the last minute and delivered a fantastic performance, were guests of honor at the party.
This was also OneRepublic's first time attending such a high-profile party, and they were understandably excited.
Driving back to New York from Boston, they arrived in Manhattan after midnight, the date having already flipped to the next day. But the celebration party hadn't started yet. OneRepublic first arrived at the hotel Bruno had arranged for them. After freshening up and changing into formal evening wear, they set off for the party venue.
It was already two in the morning, but they were still on their way to the celebration, clearly indicating a night of revelry ahead.
The luxurious stretch limousine cruised along the brightly lit streets of Manhattan. With the sunroof open, they stood up, the early autumn evening breeze blowing from the Hudson River, carrying a hint of coolness. But the dazzling city before them was still wide awake. The flashing neon lights reflected off the tall, silent steel and concrete jungle, outlining the silhouette of a mysterious world. Spreading their arms wide, the cold wind hit their faces, making them feel like they owned the city.
Despite trying to remain calm and avoid appearing too "country bumpkin," the truth was that while the band members had attended many parties, they had never experienced one quite like this. Starting in New York at two in the morning, the city seemed both bustling and silent, allowing them to witness a completely different side of the world's capital.
The band members could hardly hide their excitement and exhilaration. Perhaps Cliff was the only exception.
The perpetually tense Cliff was always prone to worrying and overthinking, fearing they would embarrass themselves at the celebration party. After all, this wasn't a performance stage but a top-tier party filled with celebrities, a far cry from OneRepublic's usual scene. So, he was lost in his own thoughts, unable to pull himself out.
"Cliff, instead of worrying, why don't you sing along with me? Ah ah ah, oh oh oh..." Ollie was completely hyped, humming an unknown tune, without any rhythm or structure, a melody that seemed to have sprung from nowhere. He grabbed Cliff's hands, inviting him to join in.
Cliff looked at Ollie with a helpless expression, using his eyes to convey his strong protest.
"Hahaha." Ollie, in a state of complete excitement, laughed loudly, ignoring Cliff's gaze but releasing his hands and not pressing further.
Ronan looked at Cliff's speechless expression and didn't offer any grand advice. Instead, he simply raised both hands and made a gesture of pushing up towards the ceiling, saying, "Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah," as if he were already at the party. His vivid expression made Cliff laugh helplessly.
Cliff understood the logic. A party is a party, and enjoying it to the fullest is the only truth. But anxiety is anxiety, and Cliff still couldn't completely relax. He followed Ronan and Ollie's cheering gestures, feeling slightly better, and then turned to look at the night view outside the window.
It had to be said that despite having traveled through so many cities in North America, no other city's night view could compare to New York's.
Hidden beneath the bright lights were countless lonely stories. The vast space collectively held the contradictory emotions of noise and silence, and amidst the winding streets filled with traffic, people wrote their own lives, feeling small and insignificant in the face of such grandeur.
Slowly, the stretch limousine pulled up in front of a magnificent, brightly lit building. The band members got out one after another.
Ronan looked around, the city shrouded in night feeling so unfamiliar. The indistinct lights blurred the meaning of space, making it difficult to determine where he was, even doubting if he was still on the island of Manhattan or had entered a dream.
Beneath the city's prosperity always lay another world that outsiders couldn't see.
"Wow."
The exclamation escaped involuntarily. Ronan was a beat late in noticing that Ollie and Cliff had already walked towards the entrance, one after the other. So, he and Maxim quickly followed suit. As they got closer, they realized that this didn't seem like the club or bar they had imagined, but more like—
An apartment.
The kind of high-end private apartment where a crimson carpet led to a jet-black door. The lighting was luxurious but the decor was understated. The golden doorknob and dark green accents outlined the weight of history. The brick-red walls on either side of the door showed traces of time, further emphasizing its historical significance.
At the entrance, a security guard in a crisp black suit stood watch like a hotel doorman, or perhaps more accurately, like the concierge of a high-end private residence.
From the venue alone, they could sense that Bruno's celebration party was different. This was definitely a world the band had never encountered before.
"...What did you say? How could that not work? We are..."
"Wait, we never heard anything about needing an invitation..."
The wind carried the sound of an argument from ahead. Maxim looked at Ronan, exchanged a glance, and quickly walked over. Ronan also slightly quickened his pace.
"Ollie, Ollie! Calm down." Maxim grabbed the agitated Ollie. Because of Ollie's build, taking a step forward looked like he was about to roll up his sleeves for a fight, which definitely made the situation tense. "What's going on?"
"He's refusing to let us in, saying we absolutely need an invitation..." Ollie didn't even turn his head, glaring at the man in the black suit, expressing his strong dissatisfaction.