Chapter 87: Competition Rules

As the audience settled into their seats, the two hosts spoke in unison, “In this round, six contestants will be eliminated. Of course, after elimination, there will be a revival round. The two with the lowest scores from both the live audience and the online votes will face direct elimination.”

“Additionally, guests may choose to withdraw from the competition. Anyone who forfeits will be eliminated immediately.”

“The online voting window will open after both competing guests have finished their performances and the judges have given their comments. The results from the live stream votes will be announced first, followed by the judges’ scores.”

“Contestants entering the revival round will compete in the next stage, where two will be eliminated and the remaining four will advance to the second round.”

“Now, let’s welcome our first pair: Lin Weizhi versus Lin Guang!”

Lin Weizhi’s face went pale in an instant. When she had drawn Lin Guang’s name earlier, she’d been so nervous she could hardly breathe; the gap in their abilities was hardly insignificant. She felt the draw was unfair—she was a rookie singer, while Lin Guang was a reigning king of viral short-video tunes, songs that had taken the internet by storm.

The contest between them had been skewed from the moment the draw was made.

But before the competition, her agency had made it clear: her participation was merely to boost her visibility and traffic; winning or losing didn’t matter. She knew well that, as a newcomer in such a talent show, her chances were slim from the outset. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she offered a handshake to Lin Guang across from her.

The audience’s shouts for Lin Guang drowned out any support for Lin Weizhi.

Lin Weizhi performed first. The staff brought her violin, but nerves got the better of her, leading to mistakes in some notes. The song that had made her a sensation online sounded markedly different live, disappointing many of her fans.

There were a few die-hard supporters in the live chat, blaming the microphones and sound system for her lackluster performance, but it was clear: Lin Guang, a seasoned vocalist, took the stage and, with the same equipment, delivered a professional, commanding sound.

The outcome was all but decided.

After the judges’ comments, they praised Lin Weizhi’s looks, suggesting she might consider acting, just a gentle recommendation. As a singer who started as an internet celebrity, Lin Weizhi shed tears of frustration on stage, but it didn’t earn her much sympathy from the audience.

When the voting results came in, both online and from the judges, Lin Weizhi received only a handful of votes, while Lin Guang’s overwhelming tally secured him the first spot in the next round. Lin Weizhi entered the revival round, her fate to be decided after the remaining contestants finished their performances.

Lin Yu sat upright in his seat. With a singer in front blocking his lower half, he quietly pulled out his phone and started a game. Well-prepared, he felt no nerves whatsoever.

Especially after hearing Lin Weizhi’s trembling vocals and off-key notes, Lin Yu frowned in disapproval.

It was obvious: she was just there to make the other contestants shine.

He had just started a ranked match when Wang Fei, sitting nearby, glanced over and immediately grabbed his hand, his face twisted with envy as he demanded, “How do you take care of your hands?! Why is it that I’m stuck at Bronze, but you’re already thirty stars in King?!”

The so-called Prince of Love Songs’ outburst drew the attention of the artists in the front row, who turned to see what was happening.

Lin Yu tried to hide his phone, but the overhead camera caught his screen nonetheless. He wasn’t the only one sneaking in a game during the competition; Wang Fei had also taken out his phone, planning to join Lin Yu’s match, when suddenly he heard the host call his name.

“The next pair of contestants are Wang Fei, the Prince of Love Songs, and Bai Yichu, the Queen of Dance and Song!”

“Tch! Winning points can’t compare to the allure of a goddess! Bye, Yu—I’m off to sing!”

Without looking back, Wang Fei strode onto the stage, his eyes fixed on Bai Yichu as she approached from the opposite side.

He had always believed he shared a special bond with Bai Yichu—how else could they have ended up on the same team in that romance show? Even now, as rivals, they’d drawn the same number. It must be fate!

The overhead cameraman seemed almost deliberate, keeping the lens trained on Lin Yu’s phone screen. The production crew in the broadcasting room caught the shift in the live chat’s mood and quickly displayed the gameplay on the big screen.

“Whoa, Yu, you’re bold—gaming right in the middle of a competition. That’s next-level cool!”

“What? Just a few days ago, he was Gold, and now he’s already King?”

“Dang, I just searched Yu’s game ID—straight wins to King, one hundred percent win rate, how does he do it?”

“Six national standards… how is anyone supposed to compete?!”

“This is ridiculous—such disrespect for the guests at the event. If you don’t want to compete, don’t come! What a poser!”

“Disgusting! Contestants who disrespect the competition should be banned!”

“Oh my, the brainless fans are out again! Keyboard warriors, come at me!”

“Ridiculous. If he wants to play games, let him. He’s better than you, and still gets to be on stage. Are you jealous, resentful, or just pathetic?”

Wang Fei, true to his reputation as the Prince of Love Songs, was well cared for by his agency. They’d arranged for his long-time backup dancers to join him at the venue. As the sweet melody of his love song began, he sang.

His gentle voice instantly captured the hearts of everyone present. Fans screamed, and some guests stood up, waving their hands to the rhythm.

The hall was awash with screams and pink bubbles, the production team clearly skilled at creating the perfect atmosphere.

As Wang Fei sang his love song, he kept glancing at Bai Yichu. Anyone could see he hadn’t given up on her. This song, full of sweet bubbles, was obviously his confession.

Only Bai Yichu remained impassive, standing off to the side with her cool, untouchable demeanor. Even as the waves of screams rose and Wang Fei’s gaze lingered on her, she never reacted.

Despite her indifferent response, neither the live audience nor the online viewers criticized her. After all, she was the little queen—everyone was too busy admiring her beauty to think of anything else.

The other guests played along with the atmosphere, but in their minds, they carefully scored Wang Fei’s performance. Competing was all about ranking, especially for those who came from the internet or were new to their companies. Given a chance to shine, they were eager to secure a good result.

It was all preparation for the future.