Chapter 124: The Conclusion of the First Round of Performances

As Singer No. 2, Chen Lizhu, performed, Shen Xiyin pressed the challenge button.

To avoid disturbing the singer’s flow, Shen Xiyin pressed the button discreetly, and the broadcast hall showed no immediate change.

Chen Lizhu continued singing, her melody shifting from gentle to impassioned, the chorus soaring with a rich, unusually deep female voice.

This gave her voice a distinctive character—whenever that slightly heavy female timbre emerged, it was easy to recognize as hers.

Fang Xing sat in the lead singers’ lounge, listening to Chen Lizhu’s performance, firmly convinced that her championship from the newcomer competition was well deserved.

When Chen Lizhu finished, the host, He Hao, came on stage and informed her that she was being challenged.

However, Chen Lizhu had long anticipated this.

Her Chinese was excellent.

After reviewing the challenge rules, she was fairly certain that since the previous lead singer had not been challenged, she herself would be.

Her expression showed no surprise. “Actually, I already expected it,” she said calmly.

He Hao replied, “Indeed, this challenge was inevitable. Would you like to know who the challenger is?”

Chen Lizhu shook her head. “I don’t know.”

“You may ask me one question about the challenger. What would you like to ask?” He Hao guided.

“Hmm… Is the challenger male or female?” Chen Lizhu considered before asking.

“She is a female singer,” He Hao answered.

“How old is she?” Chen Lizhu continued.

“The script from the director says only one question can be asked, but I can answer this one: she’s about your age,” He Hao replied.

“So she’s a young female singer. No wonder she chose me,” Chen Lizhu remarked.

“Thank you, Chen Lizhu, for bringing us ‘Melody in Dream.’ Please return to the lounge and enjoy the competition. Next up is the challenger’s performance. Who is she, and what song will she bring? Let’s wait and see. Please welcome the challenger!” He Hao said, gesturing to the back of the stage.

Shen Xiyin had already left the lounge and stood behind the stage.

Backlit, the audience could only glimpse the silhouette of a graceful woman.

Shen Xiyin strode forward with long legs, stepping into the spotlight.

Everyone craned their necks. As the light finally illuminated her face, recognition spread through the crowd.

“Shen Xiyin!”

Many voices expressed surprise upon seeing the challenger.

Fang Xing raised an eyebrow upon recognizing Shen Xiyin.

They had met once before at the airport waiting area, exchanged greetings, and chatted along the way.

Neither had revealed they were there to record “Voice.” Now, seeing each other on set was unexpected.

Fortunately, they had only seen each other through the lounge’s screen, not face to face, avoiding awkwardness.

However, after hearing Chen Lizhu’s “Melody in Dream,” Fang Xing thought it would be difficult for Shen Xiyin to win.

Actually, Chen Lizhu’s choice of an English song was already a concession.

English songs were well received by audiences born in the 1980s, ’90s, and 2000s, but more challenging for those born in the ’60s and ’70s to embrace.

Meanwhile, Shen Xiyin’s group, Sky Girls, had no songs strong enough to compete.

If she sang the group’s anthem, her chances were slim.

As Shen Xiyin reached center stage, He Hao began the pre-performance interaction.

“Xiyin, we meet again.”

“Yes, we just saw each other at rehearsal yesterday,” Shen Xiyin replied.

He Hao stumbled, “The audience doesn’t know about the rehearsal. I meant we met during the last segment.”

“Yes, three months ago. It’s already a whole autumn,” Shen Xiyin quipped.

“So, how do you feel about coming as a challenger this time?” He Hao asked.

“Honestly… at a loss,” Shen Xiyin said, looking somewhat weary.

“Why at a loss?” He Hao pressed.

“All the lead singers are too strong. I didn’t know whom to challenge—either veterans, chart-toppers, or the newcomer champion. Choosing anyone was tough,” Shen Xiyin sighed.

“Then why did you choose Singer No. 2 in the end?” He Hao continued.

“She’s about my age and also female. At least age and gender are evenly matched,” Shen Xiyin answered.

“As far as I know, there are two challengers tonight. Do you know who the other challenger is?” He Hao shifted the topic.

So far, the audience did not know the identity of the other challenger.

This question piqued the curiosity of many.

“Yes, because we share the same lounge,” Shen Xiyin replied.

“Really? Can you give us some hints about this other challenger for the audience here and at home?” He Hao asked.

“Can I?” Shen Xiyin glanced toward the director, Zheng Tao.

Though she asked, these questions were scripted, and the production team had already set boundaries.

After a moment’s thought, she said, “His situation is similar to mine, and the target he chose is also… evenly matched.”

He Hao raised an eyebrow, “By evenly matched, do you mean age and gender?”

“Yes.”

Shen Xiyin nodded with a smile, wisely avoiding any comment on singing ability to avoid offense.

Age and gender evenly matched—this was a textbook diplomatic answer.

He Hao addressed the audience, “So, we know that the singer who chose Singer No. 1 as a target but did not challenge is a young male singer.”

Some audience members, familiar with the show’s patterns, commented, “No surprise. Challengers are usually less renowned than lead singers—mostly young singers.”

Back onstage.

He Hao asked, “Did you coordinate your targets, or did you each choose separately? According to the rules, you could have chosen the same target.”

Shen Xiyin smiled mysteriously, “We each had our own targets. Once you see him, you’ll understand.”

---

He Hao chuckled, “Sounds like there’s more to this story.”

Some in the audience began to speculate, “Could it be Wu Junchen? The age and gender fit, and both he and Shen Xiyin are from idol groups. Having a boy band member as a challenger fits perfectly.”

Nearby listeners perked up, “If it’s really Wu Junchen, this feels like the playoffs of ‘Tomorrow’s Star’.”

“If it’s Wu Junchen, there’s no contest. He never beat Fang Xing on ‘Tomorrow’s Star’ in any style.”

“True, if it’s Wu Junchen, he’s definitely out in the first round.”

“If it’s Wu Junchen, he probably signed a one-round contract. I know these variety show tricks. Some rookies come just to promote a new single.”

Amid the audience’s chatter, He Hao steered back to the competition.

“Xiyin, what song are you singing for the challenge? Is it your group’s anthem?”

Shen Xiyin smiled awkwardly. “Actually, this song relates to Singer No. 1. It’s a bit like showing off in front of an expert.”

He Hao raised an eyebrow, “Related to Singer No. 1? Are you singing one of his songs?”

“Yes, I ran into him at the airport yesterday. He told me he’s here to record ‘Weekend Laughter.’” Shen Xiyin gestured toward Fang Xing as he exited.

Laughter erupted from the audience.

Fang Xing, sitting on the lounge sofa, was surprised to hear Shen Xiyin would sing one of his songs—he hadn’t known before.

The song’s rights were currently managed by Songshi Records.

Other singers or companies wanting to perform Fang Xing’s songs for commercial shows only needed to obtain authorization from Songshi.

This was a major source of income.

Songshi’s copyright department handled these licenses.

Fang Xing was too busy to follow these matters, so he didn’t know which song Shen Xiyin had licensed.

Back onstage.

“So, which song by Singer No. 1 will you sing?” He Hao asked.

“My favorite, ‘The Wind Rises,’” Shen Xiyin replied.

“Let’s give the stage to Xiyin to bring us ‘The Wind Rises.’” He Hao stepped down.

Fang Xing found her song choice clever.

‘The Wind Rises’ had only been performed on ‘Tomorrow’s Star’ as a group number.

No professional singer had yet performed it solo.

Moreover, Fang Xing’s version with Guo Keda and Shao Yu was a male vocal version, differing distinctly from the female version.

Shen Xiyin’s clever choice lay in not selecting ‘Scarlet Mask.’

Because ‘Scarlet Mask’ featured Li Caiwei, especially her exquisite operatic section.

No matter how Shen Xiyin sang, she couldn’t surpass Li Caiwei.

In contrast, singing ‘The Wind Rises’ allowed her to present a completely different emotional tone from the male version.

For a cover to succeed, one crucial element is differentiation from the original.

Simply mimicking the original, no matter how well done, rarely wins over audiences.

The original ‘The Wind Rises’ was sung by a female voice, making it very suitable for Shen Xiyin’s age and vocal timbre.

Upon hearing her song choice, Fang Xing suddenly thought she might win.

---

Spotlights focused, Shen Xiyin held the microphone in one hand and signaled the band to start.

The prelude of ‘The Wind Rises’ began.

She lifted her skirt elegantly, moved forward two steps, and began singing with deep emotion.

She loved this song and had sung it many times privately.

Her vocal tone perfectly rendered the continuous high D5 notes, keeping the melody floating among the clouds.

Listening, Fang Xing had to admit Shen Xiyin was among the better singers from the many girl groups.

As she reached the final chorus, Shen Xiyin raised the pitch, preparing to seal the challenge with a decisive blow:

“The dusk hides your faltering steps,

Walking into the picture hidden by the bedside,

In the painting, you speak with your head lowered…

In the name of love, are you still willing?”

The audience born in the ’90s and ’00s applauded loudly.

This version of ‘The Wind Rises’ contrasted with Fang Xing’s male version, offering freshness alongside its beauty.

Moreover, Shen Xiyin’s high notes were truly exquisite.

Besides the younger viewers, some from the ’80s also liked it.

Audience members born in the ’60s and ’70s generally didn’t watch talent shows, so the song was less familiar to them.

However, its graceful melody and youthful lyrics still evoked nostalgia, resulting in a strong positive reaction.

---

In the dressing room of superstar Liu Hongsheng.

After hearing Shen Xiyin’s song, Liu Hongsheng commented, “The lyrics and composition are quite good.”

The documentary director probed, “Do you think the challenger will win?”

---

“Yes, there’s hope,” Liu Hongsheng nodded.

Liu Hongsheng believed Shen Xiyin had a chance; Fang Xing felt she had already won.

In terms of pure vocal skill, Chen Lizhu was strong.

But her song choice—an English song—was not ideal.

Singing in English essentially meant forfeiting the votes of the ’60s and ’70s generation.

Her core audience was mainly those born in the ’80s, ’90s, and 2000s.

However, ‘The Wind Rises’ was a precise slam dunk, nearly unbeatable among younger listeners.

And Shen Xiyin sang it well, fully showcasing the strengths of a female voice.

After Shen Xiyin’s performance, the remaining lead singers competed.

Liu Hongsheng, as a superstar, sang one of his classic hits popular across mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, capturing the nostalgia of the ’60s, ’70s, and some ’80s listeners.

South Korean singer Zhong Yuanxun performed a well-known South Korean song’s Chinese version.

This song had been covered domestically before, so a Chinese version existed.

It appealed strongly to audiences born in the ’70s, ’80s, and some ’90s.

Next, Xu Xinru followed her usual style, singing her hit ‘Night Rain and Evening Breeze.’

After all singers performed, the host announced that 500 audience judges would begin voting.

Each judge had three votes but could not cast all votes for the same singer.

Thus, a total of 1,500 votes would be distributed among seven lead singers and one challenger.

On average, each singer had fewer than 200 votes.

Once voting concluded, tallying began live.

During the count, the documentary director started conducting interviews.

“Fang Xing, can you guess which challenger picked you as their target tonight?”

“I don’t know. He’s a young male singer, but there are many suspects,” Fang Xing admitted.

“Some audience members think it’s Wu Junchen. What do you think?”

“Probably not,” Fang Xing said.

He doubted Wu Junchen’s vocal ability met the show’s high standards, which were stricter than typical boy band auditions.

Even Shen Xiyin, considered one of the better singers in her girl group, had only managed to secure one challenger spot.

Very few idol group members attracted the ‘Voice’ production team's attention.

The director continued, “Why do you think the challenger who picked you didn’t actually challenge?”

“Probably because he thought he couldn’t win,” Fang Xing answered frankly.

His honesty would surely spark discussion if aired.

Smiling, the director asked, “Are you confident in your performance tonight? Where do you think you’ll rank?”

Without hearing others, it was uncertain.

But after hearing all performances, it was clear.

Fang Xing grinned, “If I answer this, people will call me arrogant. But I think I’ll be first.”

The director went on, “According to the challenge rules, this challenger has a chance next episode to pick another target. Do you think he’ll pick you again?”

Fang Xing thought briefly, “Probably not. There’s no need to be so stubborn. Choosing me and Chen Lizhu was because we’re young; the other lead singers are veterans, and out of courtesy, they picked us.

“Now that the first episode is done, it’s a competition, not about politeness. If the challenger is smart, he’ll pick someone else.”

The director chuckled, “Interesting news: during our interview, he said he would pick you again next episode.”

Fang Xing raised an eyebrow, “Why be so stubborn?”

The director added, “The challenger feels your song tonight resonated well with the audience, so this isn’t the right time to challenge you. He thinks your next song won’t be as strong.”

Fang Xing smiled broadly, “Then he’s mistaken. The audience should know me—I always come out swinging.”

---

The vote tally was complete.

The production team asked all singers to gather in the voting hall for the final results.

Since all lead singers had performed, identities were known, so secrecy was no longer necessary.

Along with challenger Shen Xiyin, the eight singers sat in a row, accompanied by their managers.

Guo Keda sat next to Fang Xing, his social energy high as he chatted animatedly with nearby singers and managers.

Though there were two challengers, only Shen Xiyin came to hear the results; the other had yet to perform and remained confidential.

This show had a signature moment: the head director, Zheng Tao, personally announced the results.

Holding the cards, Zheng Tao approached the singers with a smile.

“Thank you to all eight singers for your performances tonight. The officials from the Xiangjiang Notary Office have completed the vote count.

“Tonight, we received 498 valid ballots, totaling 1,489 votes.”

At that moment,

Guo Keda started counting on his fingers, frowning, “Wait, 498 times 3 isn’t 1,486?”

Zheng Tao chuckled, “Yes, because some judges only cast one vote—whether by mistake or choice, that’s their right.”