Chapter 74: Praying Not to Run Into Xu Ze (Two Chapters—Please Keep Reading!)

The recording site for the third round of "I Am a Singer-Songwriter."

All the staff members were already in their respective positions, and all the major cameras were live. Today, there were 500 professional jury members and 500 audience members who had registered for tickets, totaling a thousand people seated in the audience.

The main camera began to pan across the crowd.

At that moment, the cameraman found it odd—why were there so many women who looked to be in their thirties among the audience, and quite a few with children in tow? In earlier rounds, the majority of the audience had been young girls.

Unbeknownst to him, these were all Xu Ze’s "mom fans."

Ever since Xu Ze’s "Young China Speaks" was aired, everyone increasingly saw Xu Ze as a positive role model. Not only were his lyrics uplifting and patriotic, but just the fact that he was a top student from Qingbei University put him above 99% of other celebrities.

Many parents, seeing their children watching Xu Ze’s performances, wouldn’t stop them. Instead, they encouraged their kids to learn from Xu Ze. Many schools even played Xu Ze’s songs during breaks, which made his popularity among students soar.

At this moment, many in the live audience could barely contain their excitement.

“I’m so excited—I’ll get to see Xu Ze soon!”
“I wonder what song Xu Ze will sing this time.”
“I bet it’ll still be a beautiful, traditional-style song.”
“Oh, I wish Xu Ze would sing a love song.”
“A love song? Xu Ze can’t sing those trite love songs! Xu Ze is a man of talent; it doesn’t suit his image.”

Most of the audience chattered on, all talking about Xu Ze.

The staff at the scene exchanged bemused looks.

“It feels like no one else in the show even matters anymore. As long as we keep the camera on Xu Ze, we’re good.”
“Exactly. In the past, the draw of our show was the mentors, but now, as long as Xu Ze is here, it doesn’t matter who the mentors are—the ratings are guaranteed.”
“I have to admit, Xu Ze is truly charming. I’m almost a fan myself.”

Five minutes later, the recording officially began.

Last episode, because Xu Ze wasn’t present, the ratings had plummeted.

For this third round, there was no live broadcast; it was being recorded and would be split into two episodes for airing. There were a total of twelve contestants. In the previous round, those who drew the same theme would be paired up for a face-off.

The six winners would advance directly, while the remaining six would have to sing another song during the next recording, with only the two with the highest votes moving on. The decision would be made by the 500-member professional jury.

At this moment, the host took the stage. After the opening speech, the four judges came up.

They were: the acclaimed male singer Wei Ping, heartthrob Wang Yihan, Jiang Yiyan from the girl group New Era, and the most popular A-list female singer, Zhang Yingjing.

Jiang Yiyan was still in ultra-short shorts and black stockings, showing off her long legs to perfection. Zhang Yingjing, meanwhile, wore a long black dress, her hair in voluminous waves, exuding a commanding aura.

The mentors’ appearance still drew cheers from the crowd, though it was clear that this time, the audience seemed less excited to see the judges.

Once the mentors were seated, there was the usual round of pleasantries.

Wei Ping, the male singer mentor, was the first to greet Zhang Yingjing: “Your team is really strong this round, Zhang Yingjing. I’m looking forward to the songs, especially Xu Ze’s.”

Jiang Yiyan from New Era agreed, “Yes, with Xu Ze and Zhu Zhengting both in your team, it feels like our team doesn’t stand a chance. I just hope none of my contestants have to face Xu Ze.”

As she spoke, envy flashed in Jiang Yiyan’s eyes. She had really wanted Xu Ze for her team in the last round, but he hadn’t chosen her. The thought still annoyed her—after she’d added Xu Ze on WeChat, he hadn’t said a single word to her.

Whenever her group mates asked if she’d managed to add Xu Ze, she had to lie and say she hadn’t. Otherwise, if they saw that she’d added him but he’d never replied, it would be too embarrassing.

“Hmph, if you won’t message me, I won’t message you either. I’m a mentor—I have to maintain my dignity.” That was Jiang Yiyan’s initial resolve.

But she felt like she couldn’t hold out much longer. When Xu Ze performed the impassioned “Young China Speaks” recently, she’d almost messaged him then and there.

It had taken a lot of willpower to hold back.

Meanwhile, Wang Yihan looked on with disdain at the two of them.

These sycophants.

But he couldn’t show his feelings. Today, as he came to take part in the show, he no longer had the swag and confidence he’d shown in the previous two rounds.

The main reason was the new song chart last month—he’d only managed fourth place.

The top three songs were all by Xu Ze.

A mentor completely overshadowed by his own contestant. It was truly embarrassing. Luckily, he had thick skin, and his company had done a lot of PR work. Otherwise, he’d have been ridiculed across the entire internet by now.

Upon hearing the exchange, Zhang Yingjing responded modestly, “It’s all right. It really depends on how everyone performs on the day—you never know.”

No one took Zhang Yingjing’s humility seriously. Who was she kidding? Anyone who could write a song like “Young China Speaks” was hardly going to turn out a weak new song.

The only slightly weaker member of Zhang Yingjing’s team was Sun Na.

At that moment, Jiang Yiyan could only hope her own team wouldn’t have to face Xu Ze. Anyone matched with him was basically doomed. Her team was relatively weak, and if none of her contestants advanced, she, as a mentor, would lose all face.

Just then, the host announced that another guest would be joining.

For this round, they’d invited a highly respected music producer: Du Yuanzhou.

A graduate of a prestigious American music academy, he had participated in the production of numerous hit music programs and written several smash-hit songs. Having worked in the entertainment industry for many years, he had extensive connections.

Today, he wore a loose-fitting practice robe and held a traditional landscape fan, cutting a graceful, urbane figure.

After taking his seat, Wei Ping greeted him, but Du Yuanzhou only nodded curtly in response.

Wei Ping paid it no mind; everyone in the industry knew that was just Du Yuanzhou’s temperament. There were few people in the country he respected, and he had always been a strong advocate for foreign music.

While many people criticized him for this, few dared offend him due to his seniority and impressive connections.

After reading the sponsor’s message, the host officially announced the start of the competition.

“The first group to take the stage are the two contestants who drew the theme ‘Fish.’ They are Zhu Zhengting from Zhang Yingjing’s team, and Yu Shibo from Wang Yihan’s team.”

Upon hearing which contestants would face off, Wang Yihan’s expression soured.

He hadn’t expected his team to go up against Zhu Zhengting right out of the gate.

Other than Xu Ze, Zhu Zhengting was the only one who could compete with their team’s Huang Minghao—a truly formidable opponent.

What rotten luck.

Yu Shibo was talented, but against Zhu Zhengting, it would be tough—unless Zhu Zhengting made a mistake.

...