Chapter 141: The Second Episode of "The Song" Airs

For the next few days, Fang Xing focused on preparing the song for the fourth round of the competition. Since the theme was dialects, he was busy practicing a Cantonese track.

Ever since he had kissed her mask that night, Lu Xiang'er had been giving him the silent treatment for two days. Fang Xing used this time to drill his vocals. By the time Friday arrived, his phone pinged with a WeChat notification. Sliding it open, he saw a message from Ning Xiaoyun.

Ning Xiaoyun: "Are you watching the show tonight?"
Fang Xing: "Are you asking for yourself?"
Ning Xiaoyun: "Xiangxiang told me to ask."

The message was retracted less than three seconds after it was sent. Ning Xiaoyun quickly sent another: "I'm asking, is that a problem?"
Fang Xing: "Sure, just come over to my place."
Ning Xiaoyun: "Come to your place? That’s too dangerous."

Fang Xing looked at the message, shook his head with a smile, put the phone down, and went back to listening to music.

***

Meanwhile, Ning Xiaoyun and Lu Xiang'er were debating where to watch the show.

"If we don't go to his place, what, are you going to invite him over to yours and meet your mother?" Ning Xiaoyun asked.

Lu Xiang'er, wearing a hoodie with the hood pulled up, shook her head. "No, absolutely not."

Ning Xiaoyun pressed on: "Then my place? I don't mind, but how would I introduce him to my parents? Should I say, 'This is Xiangxiang's... you-know-who'?"

Lu Xiang'er shook her head again. "No, that won't work either."

Ning Xiaoyun looked at her childhood friend with a strange expression. "What's wrong with you these past few days? You're acting all nervous."

Lu Xiang'er pulled her hood down, straightened her back, and said, "Nothing, I'm fine."

Ning Xiaoyun waved her hand. "Forget it, asking you is a waste of time. We’re doing it my way." She immediately started texting Fang Xing again: "Is your TV big?"
Fang Xing: "Is 65 inches enough?"
Ning Xiaoyun: "That's okay. One more thing: are people allowed to stand on your sofa barefoot?"
Fang Xing: "Why are you asking such strange questions?"
Ning Xiaoyun: "I'm worried you’re a germaphobe."
Fang Xing: "No germaphobia."
Ning Xiaoyun: "Can we eat snacks at your place? Like, a whole table full?"
Fang Xing: "Sure."
Ning Xiaoyun: "Do I need to clean the coffee table, sofa, and floor afterward?"
Fang Xing: "I can hire a cleaner, though if you have a habit of cleaning, I won't stop you."
Ning Xiaoyun: "One last question: do you allow pets?"
Fang Xing: "Depends on the pet. Cats and dogs are welcome; snakes are out of the question."
Ning Xiaoyun: "Then I must formally introduce my baby."

She immediately sent a photo of a cat—a Chinchilla.
Ning Xiaoyun: "Her name is Mimi."
Fang Xing: "Is this the cat you're responsible for feeding and Lu Xiang'er is responsible for petting?"

Seeing this, Ning Xiaoyun glared at Lu Xiang'er. Lu Xiang'er laughed and retorted defiantly, "What? Not allowed to pet her?"

Ning Xiaoyun waved her off and began planning for the evening: "Eat a light dinner. We'll head to the supermarket at 6:30, finish shopping by 7:30, and then go to Fang Xing's to eat snacks and watch the show."

***

At 7:30 PM, Lu Xiang'er and Ning Xiaoyun stood downstairs at Building 6, each carrying two large bags of snacks. Fang Xing came down to swipe them in.

After changing into slippers, Ning Xiaoyun spread the snacks across the coffee table, kicked off her shoes, and collapsed onto the sofa, hugging the Chinchilla. She looked like she had merged with the furniture.

Lu Xiang'er tugged on her sleeve and whispered, "Can you try to be a bit more lady-like?"

Ning Xiaoyun remained glued to the sofa. "When we watched TV at your place, I had to worry about your mom seeing us. Now that I'm free, why bother with being a lady?"

Lu Xiang'er pretended to be annoyed. "This is our first time visiting someone else's house."

Ning Xiaoyun draped herself over the back of the sofa and shouted to Fang Xing, "Hey, big star! Xiangxiang is trying to restrict my freedom. I asked you before we came, right?"

Fang Xing, who was grabbing drinks from the fridge, replied casually, "It's fine. Just make yourselves comfortable. What do you want? Cola or jasmine tea?"

"Tea is better," Lu Xiang'er said, sitting primly on the edge of the sofa, looking very much like a first-time guest.

Fang Xing handed them their drinks and turned on the TV. At 7:45 PM, the show hadn't started yet; Xiangjiang Satellite TV was still playing commercials.

It wasn't just the three of them waiting. Audiences across the country had tuned in early for *The Voice*. After the buildup of the first episode, the viewers were full of anticipation. In the first episode, the production team had pixelated the "mysterious challenger" to hide their identity. In the interview segment, the challenger insisted on choosing Fang Xing as their target for the second round. Many viewers were eager to see if the challenger would keep that promise.

While those who didn't use the internet might still find the singer mysterious, for the netizens scrolling through Weibo, the secret was already out. The topic of Li Siqi being the challenger had been trending for a week.

***

At 7:50 PM, music critic Ni Hongdan started her livestream on time to watch the show with her viewers. It had become a tradition for her to stream whenever Fang Xing was on. As soon as the stream started, thousands of viewers flooded in, and the numbers continued to climb.

Ni Hongdan held her daughter, Qiqi, and greeted the audience. "Qiqi, say hello to the big brothers and sisters."

Qiqi looked at the lens with curiosity and chirped in a baby voice, "Big brother... big sister..."

The chat was immediately flooded with virtual gifts—mostly baby formula.

[Qiqi’s formula is on me.]
[Take the milk powder money!]
[Qiqi’s mom is crowdfunding for child-rearing.]

After the greetings, Ni Hongdan handed Qiqi back to her grandmother. "Alright, Qiqi needs a bath and bed. Everyone, put on your headphones; it's time to listen to music."

The "Qiqi fans" began to protest in the chat:
[What music? I'm here for Qiqi! I only saw her for two minutes.]
[Next time, start at 7:00. Qiqi gets an hour, then Mom takes over.]

Ni Hongdan laughed. "Fine, next time I'll start earlier, but 7:30 is the earliest I can manage."

***

At 8:00 PM, the second episode of *The Voice* officially began.

The show opened with footage of the challenger. Shen Xiyin didn't need to perform in this episode, but she was still part of the recording. In the footage, she was chatting with the mysterious singer, whose face was still covered by a cartoon graphic.

After all the original singers arrived, the director reminded the challenger to choose their target. The challenger scribbled a name, held it up to the camera, and declared, "I said I’d choose him, and I will. As a fellow member of the new generation of male singers, I’ll use tonight’s song to prove I’m not weaker than him."

The chat exploded.
[So stubborn, I love it.]
[That's right! Fang Xing is just a singer, what's there to be afraid of? Challenge him!]
[Why bother?]
[Production team, stop the blurring. The whole world knows who it is.]

Next, it was time for the original singers to choose their performance order. Chen Lizhu had bad luck; she was already in a precarious position and was placed first. However, Fang Xing swapped spots with her, making him the first to perform.

The audience laughed.
[First to perform? No need to fast-forward. Well, you can't fast-forward on TV anyway.]
[Is he going to play it safe again?]
[He can't. If he plays it safe tonight, he won't have another chance to be challenged. Imagine coming all the way to *The Voice* and leaving without even showing your face.]

The show continued. Soon, it reached the performance stage. Fang Xing stepped onto the stage, and the host began the pre-performance interview, mentioning the Donghai Conservatory of Music's First Symphony Orchestra.

The camera swept across the orchestra. At the apartment, Ning Xiaoyun urged, "Quick, quick! Look closely, is Xiangxiang on camera?"

Fang Xing, Lu Xiang'er, and Ning Xiaoyun sat up straight, eyes glued to the screen. The camera panned over the string section and landed on Professor Li Xiuqin.

Ning Xiaoyun pointed at the TV. "Did you see that? It looked like she was on camera, but it was too fast—less than half a second!"

Since Lu Xiang'er was just a violinist in the orchestra, she didn't get a close-up, but she was definitely caught on screen.

Fang Xing smiled. "I’ll check the website tomorrow and find it frame by frame."

Lu Xiang'er huffed. "It’s my first time on satellite TV!"

Fang Xing coaxed, "Alright, alright, I'll help you find it tomorrow."

"I don't need your help," Lu Xiang'er said, taking a sip of her drink.

Ning Xiaoyun reminded them, "The performance is starting. Stop the flirting!"

On TV, the intro to "Qi Li Xiang" (Common Jasmine Orange) began. A gentle breeze seemed to blow, followed by the sound of piano, guitar, drums, and strings. The melody turned soulful.

The live chat on the streaming platform was flooded:
[Intro killer!]
[The intro killer is back!]
[Wow, he's really going hard this time. Just the intro is insane.]
[It's over. I have a bad feeling about this.]
[If the lyrics aren't a disaster, Li Siqi is in trouble.]

On screen, the intro faded, and Fang Xing began to sing:
"The sparrows outside the window are chattering on the telephone pole..."

The lyrics were filled with imagery—sparrows, pencils, cats, saury, strawberries—each one painting a picture of a sweet, intoxicating first love.

Lu Xiang'er rested her chin on her hand, listening to the violin part she had played and Fang Xing’s voice. A smile blossomed on her face.

The chat erupted:
[So good! I want to fall in love.]
[Why play such a sweet song when I'm heartbroken? I want to get back with my ex.]
[I declare that the challenger can just pack his bags and go home.]
[That's too harsh. At least let the guy show his face before you declare him the loser. Okay, fine—Li Siqi, you’ve lost.]
[This is the price of being stubborn.]
[Why does his fellow label-mate want to prove what Wu Junchen already spent a whole season proving?]

After the first chorus, the interlude shifted from E-flat major to C minor. The music became soft, with the sound of a celesta ringing out like falling water droplets. The breeze and the droplets blended into a sense of melancholy—the sweet confusion inherent in first love.

Then, the strings swelled, pushing the interlude to a grand, breathtaking height.

[Holy cow! Not just an intro killer, but an interlude killer too!]
[It’s over. I thought Li Siqi could at least struggle a bit, but now there's no point.]
[Something’s not right. I thought he was just lucky to get on *The Voice* after a boy band show. Now it feels like he’s slaughtering everyone.]
[Another song destined for the trending lists. He’s going to win consecutively, isn't he?]

***

After "Qi Li Xiang" ended, the challenge alarm sounded. The host announced the start of the challenge. The challenger walked onto the stage, backlit. As the lights faded, the camera zoomed in, and the "mysterious challenger" was revealed—it was indeed Li Siqi.

[No suspense at all. The production team kept a secret for nothing.]
[It was obviously Li Siqi. The show should be like this.]

The host introduced Li Siqi’s pianist, Zhou Mingqiao. Li Siqi performed a drama theme song, "Eventually to Drift Away." It was a decent performance, but coming after a masterpiece, it felt lackluster.

The results weren't announced immediately. The show continued with the other singers. Because the outcome was still hidden, SPK fans and trolls started fighting in the chat:

[It's settled, Siqi definitely won.]
[Siqi must win!]
[Fang Xing's singing was trash, Siqi will definitely win.]

The trolls joined in:
[Has the fan filter started affecting your ears now?]
[Don't argue with them. Let them keep dreaming; it'll be more satisfying when the results are announced.]

***

With the results still unannounced, many netizens flocked to Ni Hongdan’s livestream to ask:
[Qiqi’s Mom, how were the two songs? Who won?]
[Which one was more professional in terms of vocal technique?]

Ni Hongdan looked at the chat and interacted, though she was careful not to be too blunt. "Everyone is asking about 'Qi Li Xiang' and 'Eventually to Drift Away,' so let me analyze them from a vocal perspective. I don't know the final result, so this is just my opinion.

"First, 'Qi Li Xiang.' It's an intro killer, and an interlude killer. Most viewers might not catch it, but the song is in E-flat major, and it modulates to C minor during the interlude. That’s why there’s such a strange, beautiful shift in style. Also, the strings—I know the Donghai Conservatory’s First Symphony Orchestra. They are top-tier; their musicians are all masters and doctoral students.

"As for Li Siqi, his accompaniment was also excellent—Zhou Mingqiao is a master. But in terms of technique, Fang Xing is incredibly at ease. Li Siqi’s vocal cords were a bit tight on the high notes. If I had to rank them, Li Siqi is a gatekeeper for the 'Gold' tier, while Fang Xing is pushing into the 'Master' tier. Comparing them is a bit unfair to Li Siqi."

The SPK fans in the chat exploded:
[Who are you to say our Siqi is just a 'Gold' tier gatekeeper?]

But the SPK fans were the minority. Most of the viewers were Qiqi fans or trolls, and this was Ni Hongdan’s home turf. They immediately fired back:
[If Li Siqi isn't 'Gold' tier, what is he? 'Plastic' tier? Do boy band fans really have no clue about vocal levels?]
[Mom is being too kind. I'd put him in the 'Silver' tier at best.]

***

When the show finally reached the announcement, the suspense was thick. Li Siqi failed the challenge and was eliminated. Fang Xing took first place again, becoming a double champion.

The chat exploded. SPK fans began attacking Fang Xing and accusing the show of being unfair. "Qi Li Xiang" skyrocketed to the top of the trending lists, along with topics like:
[Li Siqi eliminated in an upset!]
[The Voice is rigged; they're pushing Fang Xing.]