Ye Cang held the microphone, his eyes slightly closed. His voice was unadorned, yet natural, like a clear spring seeping into the listener's heart and lungs, indescribably soothing and comforting.
Such a slow song should have been at a disadvantage after Li Zihang's energetic singing and dancing, but Ye Cang did not have this problem. The audience, whose passion was stirred up by Li Zihang, gradually calmed down under Ye Cang's voice and entered the world that Ye Cang had built for them.
The boy, dressed in a white shirt and jeans, had simple, clear eyes, carrying a touch of innocent spirit untouched by the world's grime. He possessed perpetually bright eyes and an indomitable spirit, conveying this straightforward and passionate emotion to all his listeners almost without reservation.
As the rousing chorus subsided and the high notes softened, Ye Cang's voice revealed a slight roughness. This imperfection, however, unexpectedly touched the softest spot in the hearts of all the listeners. Who hasn't had unrealistic dreams in their youth? Although many eventually give up for various reasons, it is those who, after weathering the storms of reality and growing into worldly and sophisticated adults, are most vulnerable to such pure and innocent emotions.
As the camera panned across the screen, many viewers shed tears.
The once crowded passageway seemed to freeze in time. Cao Yun wiped her face and realized that she had unknowingly burst into tears.
Shen Huai stood in a dimly lit corner, seemingly in a different world from the radiant Ye Cang on stage. Only when the stage lights occasionally swept over him could one see the light in his eyes. He had once thought that the 3D projection he had seen in the old residence had already demonstrated Lu Yang's strength, but now, seeing it live, he truly understood what this tyrannical stage dominance meant.
No one could take their eyes off him, no one could resist his singing; when he stood on the stage, everyone below was his subject.
Shen Huai stared blankly at the stage, clutching his heart, feeling it pound violently as if it were about to burst out of his chest. He was usually calm and had never felt anything like this before; it was so novel, yet... not unpleasant.
When the performance ended, the applause came a beat late, and there were even faint sobs.
Yao Jianing had finally calmed down when she saw Cao Yun, who had gone to the restroom, walking back with tears in her eyes: "Waaah, Yao Yao, I'm going to climb the wall..."
Yao Jianing immediately forgot all about sisterly affection and gritted her teeth: "You dare! Climbing the wall will make you gain ten pounds!!"
"Gaining ten pounds is fine!" Cao Yun sniffed, then looked at the judges' panel, her words full of fierce protectiveness. "My brother performed so well, if the judges don't advance him, I'll rush up and smash their heads in!!"
Yao Jianing: "..."
As if hearing the voices of all the viewers, the director turned the camera on the three judges, especially Xia Fei in the center. The farce on Weibo was still fresh in everyone's mind. Xia Fei's cold expression chilled everyone to the bone. No one thought Xia Fei would contradict himself; it was just a pity that Ye Cang had performed so well.
However, no one expected that beneath Xia Fei's calm exterior, his heart was surging like erupting magma. The moment Ye Cang spoke, he felt as if he had returned to his youth, to the first time he heard Lu Yang's song. It was like a torrent rushing down from the top of his head, making him tremble all over and unable to utter a single word.
He suddenly realized that over the years he had been too focused on trivial details and had neglected the song itself.
Now, Ye Cang's song instantly brought him back to his original love of music. He was certain that someone who could sing like that was definitely not an opportunist!
Just when everyone thought Ye Cang had no hope of advancing, Xia Fei spoke up righteously.
"As a music program, we ultimately need to let the music speak for itself. We don't need to pay too much attention to some unimportant things. Judging solely from the song itself and the performance, I think this song deserves to advance."
The audience: "..."
Wait a minute, what happened to your dislike for Ye Cang?! What happened to your promise not to let him advance?!
Netizens were stunned by this incredible reversal.
【What do you mean by "irrelevant things"?! Teacher Xia, that's not what you said on Weibo!!】
[Does Teacher Xia's face hurt? lol]
I don't know if Teacher Xia is in pain, but my face hurts a lot right now!
Is this... the "it's actually so good" phenomenon that no one can escape?
Chapter 6
The backstage dressing room was completely silent. All the contestants had complicated expressions. After all, no one had considered Ye Cang a competitor before this. Who could have imagined that reality would give them such a big shock?
The contestant behind Ye Cang was pale-faced and filled with despair. Zheng Zhao's expression wasn't much better. He had always considered himself exceptional, but he was already unhappy that Li Zihang had stolen most of his spotlight. Now, even a good-for-nothing like Ye Cang was stepping on his head. How could he tolerate this?
Zheng Zhao looked around and, taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention, quietly left the dressing room.
As Ye Cang stepped off the stage, he saw Shen Huai waiting at the entrance of the passage. He walked over, put his arm around Shen Huai's shoulder, and asked with a grin, "How did I do? Did I embarrass you?"
Shen Huai wasn't used to being so intimate with people. He wanted to take Ye Cang's arm off, but then he noticed that Ye Cang's forehead and neck were covered in sweat, and his lips were a little pale. He then remembered that Ye Cang hadn't recovered yet. So Shen Huai silently moved his hand to Ye Cang's shoulder and back, and under Ye Cang's surprised gaze, he said in a calm tone, "You can lean on me a little."
Ye Cang wasn't that fragile; he just wanted to tease his overly calm and composed manager. He didn't expect to be misunderstood, so he didn't explain and simply leaned against Shen Huai without any hesitation.
Although Ye Cang was thin, he was still a grown man. Shen Huai almost lost his balance when Ye Cang leaned on him. His glasses slipped down half an inch, and Ye Cang noticed that his manager's eyelashes were long and thick. The light on them made them look fluffy, like a small brush gently brushing against Ye Cang's heart.
However, Shen Huai quickly adjusted his glasses, and Ye Cang suppressed his strange thoughts, clicking his tongue in disappointment.
Shen Huai glanced at him with a puzzled look.
As the two walked backstage, they saw a figure slip into the stairwell. Ye Cang didn't pay attention, but Shen Huai recognized him as Zheng Zhao, one of the contestants.
Shen Huai was puzzled. What was he doing in the stairwell during the competition?
He was supporting Ye Cang and didn't have time to think about it deeply, so he could only put it aside for the time being.
-
Zheng Zhao had no idea he had been seen. He walked to the stairwell, looked around to make sure no one was watching, and then took out his phone and dialed a number.
As soon as the call connected, Zheng Zhao hurriedly called out, "Uncle!"
Zheng Zhao's uncle, Wu Jianguo, is a junior leader at Zhongjing TV. He arranged for Zheng Zhao to participate in "The Rising Star". During the early editing of the program, the production team intentionally or unintentionally promoted Zheng Zhao, which was also at Wu Jianguo's behest.
Wu Jianguo lowered his voice: "We're live streaming! What are you doing!"
Zheng Zhao spoke very quickly: "Uncle, I remember you said you could control the program that randomly selects songs, in a moment..."
Wu Jianguo quickly covered the microphone, secretly left the crowd, and then spoke again: "Didn't we agree that we would use that thing when the competition was halfway through?"
The most distinctive feature of the show "The Coming One" is the random song selection every other episode. Contestants stand with their backs to the big screen, randomly call for a song to stop, and sing whichever song is chosen. Whether they get a song they're good at depends entirely on luck, making it quite exciting. Previously, some contestants were eliminated because they chose songs they weren't good at.
Although fans are cursing the production team for being out of their minds, they have to admit that this competition format is more intense, exciting, and generates more buzz.
Wu Jianguo had long harbored ambitions regarding the competition format. He bribed the staff controlling the program and secretly altered it, though he originally intended to use it against Li Zihang. Li Zihang and Zheng Zhao were evenly matched in skill. If Li Zihang were randomly assigned a song he couldn't handle, the scales would tip in Zheng Zhao's favor. With skillful manipulation, Zheng Zhao could be eliminated without anyone noticing, leaving Li Zihang with no choice but to accept his bad luck.