Chapter 145: Fang Xing’s Little Fangirl

Over the next few days, Li Caiwei spent most of her time at home practicing her songs.

"Mommy, are you going to sing with Uncle Fang Xing?"

When Little Bean Sprout heard that her mother was going with Uncle Fang Xing, she snuggled into Li Caiwei's arms and pressed for details.

"That's right, just for two days. I'll be back soon," Li Caiwei said, hugging her daughter and soothing her with a soft voice.

Little Bean Sprout pouted and said, "I want to go too."

"What would you do there?" Li Caiwei didn't flatly refuse; she prepared to reason with her.

"I can play the piano for Mommy," Little Bean Sprout said, holding up two fingers and mimicking the action of playing keys.

Li Caiwei found it amusing. The idea of wanting to get on stage after playing only two keys was quite an ambitious thought.

"That won't work. The uncles and aunties at the TV station definitely wouldn't agree."

"Why not?" Little Bean Sprout persisted.

"Well... because Uncle Fang Xing is going there to sing, and he isn't responsible for the piano, so there's no way for him to play with you," Li Caiwei offered a very logical explanation.

Little Bean Sprout frowned, then proposed another request: "Then I'll go to cheer for Mommy and Uncle."

"Can't you just wait obediently at home? It's only two days. Mommy promises to come back as soon as the recording is done," Li Caiwei said, holding up three fingers to guarantee.

Little Bean Sprout pouted, "But you and Uncle Fang Xing are going out to have fun, and you're leaving me all alone at home."

"Isn't Grandma here to keep you company?" Li Caiwei asked.

"But I want to watch Mommy and Uncle Fang Xing sing." Little Bean Sprout lowered her head, looking very unhappy.

"I can't, honey. I'm going to participate in a program, and I'll be singing on stage, so I won't be able to take care of you," Li Caiwei shook her head in refusal.

"No, I want to go with Mommy! I'll be a good girl, okay?" Little Bean Sprout kept begging.

Just then, Grandma Bean Sprout walked over and said, "If the little one wants to go, just take her along. I'll come with you to help look after her."

"But wouldn't that be a nuisance?" Li Caiwei frowned.

"Didn't you say Fang Xing likes Little Bean Sprout? Just let her tag along. Doesn't that show, *New Voices*, often have singers bring their family members? Let's go to the TV station and see for ourselves," Grandma encouraged.

Li Caiwei couldn't help but laugh, "Mom, you just want to go to the TV station to join the excitement, don't you?"

"So what if I do? Can't I go to the site to see my own daughter on television?" Grandma admitted directly.

"Alright then. I'll ask the production team. If they agree to let you come, you can take Little Bean Sprout with you. But you have to keep a close eye on her," Li Caiwei emphasized.

Grandma smiled, "Have you looked after her more, or have I? Do you really need to remind me?"

Because Pine Stone Records had two singers appearing on *Voice*, Qiao Yinghong booked their flights together.

On Friday afternoon, the nanny van came to pick them up. It wasn't until Fang Xing boarded that he realized Little Bean Sprout was there too.

As soon as she saw Fang Xing, Little Bean Sprout said excitedly, "Uncle Fang Xing, I'm going to help you play the piano too!"

"Is that so?"

Fang Xing, naturally, wouldn't take a little girl's words too seriously, so he reached out and pinched her chubby cheek.

"Really, I've been practicing hard!" Little Bean Sprout held up both hands, her expression very serious.

Li Caiwei sighed helplessly and added, "Ever since she played that duet with you, she's been clamoring to play every single day. Her enthusiasm is a bit overwhelming."

"That's a good thing," Fang Xing said as he pulled the van door shut.

The van headed to the airport. Upon arrival, Li Caiwei put on a mask and reminded him, "You go through security first; I'll get out later. We need to avoid being photographed together."

Fang Xing actually felt there was no need to be so cautious. They shared the same agent and were appearing on the same show; it was perfectly normal to board together. However, the production team needed to keep the identity of the replacement singer a secret. If they were seen boarding together, the secret would be leaked.

Therefore, Fang Xing got out first, went through security, and entered the business lounge. Ten minutes later, Li Caiwei arrived with Little Bean Sprout.

As soon as she entered the lounge, Little Bean Sprout ran over, climbed onto the sofa next to Fang Xing, and handed him a milk candy, saying, "Here, for you."

Fang Xing peeled the wrapper for her and popped it into her mouth. She took out a second one and offered it again, "For you."

"Aren't you afraid of getting cavities eating so many at once?" Fang Xing asked.

"It's really for you," she insisted.

Li Caiwei walked over, patted her daughter's head, and said, "You think your uncle likes candy as much as you do?"

...

More than two hours later, the group landed at Xiangjiang Airport and was taken to a hotel by the production team's vehicle to rest.

Usually, replacement singers are required to keep their identities secret and are housed in a separate hotel from the original contestants. However, since Fang Xing already knew Li Caiwei was the replacement, there was no need for secrecy between them. Thus, they stayed in the same hotel, in adjacent rooms.

It was Friday. That evening, Xiangjiang Satellite TV was scheduled to air the third episode of *Voice*. After dinner, Fang Xing returned to his room to listen to his recorded demo.

At 7:30 PM, the doorbell rang. Fang Xing opened the door to find Little Bean Sprout standing there. She waved and said, "Let's watch TV together, okay?"

Fang Xing leaned out and saw Li Caiwei standing at the door of her room next door. She waved and said, "Want to watch together? Your third episode."

Fang Xing would have watched *Voice* anyway, though perhaps not necessarily on Friday—he might have watched it on the website the next day. But watching TV with others felt different than watching alone, so he readily agreed. He bent down, picked up Little Bean Sprout, and asked, "Where do you want to watch?"

Little Bean Sprout gestured with her hands, "Mommy prepared lots of fruit—grapes and apples—they're delicious!"

"So you've already got everything ready," Fang Xing said as he closed his door, carrying Little Bean Sprout to Li Caiwei's room to watch the show.

The hotel suite had a living room with a sofa that, while small, was comfortable enough. Fang Xing sat cross-legged on the sofa, and Little Bean Sprout sat on his lap with a fruit platter, ready for the show.

At 7:50 PM, Xiangjiang Satellite TV played the opening sequence of *Voice* on time, followed by a commercial break.

Because the teaser for the competition theme had been shown at the end of the previous episode, the theme of "Regret" for the third episode had already spread across the internet. Many netizens were guessing what songs the original singers would perform.

The guesses for Liu Hongsheng's selection were quite accurate, as he had classic hits that fit the "Regret" theme; netizens had also guessed Xie Yuwen's choices. But when it came to Fang Xing, the tone shifted:

[Someone guess, what will Fang Xing sing?]
[I know, it's definitely a new song. I'll bet five bottles of hydrogen peroxide on my head.]
[If you're betting that, I'll go all in with fifty.]

It wasn't just Fang Xing; audiences across the country were glued to their screens. Music critic Ni Hongdan, as always, was hosting a livestream to watch *Voice* with netizens, bringing her daughter along to "crowdfund" for child-rearing.

Amidst the anticipation of countless viewers, the third episode of *Voice* officially began.

They first showed the footage of the singers entering, followed by everyone guessing the identity of the replacement singer. Once that segment concluded, the competition officially started. The singers the audience was most looking forward to were Liu Hongsheng and Fang Xing.

Liu Hongsheng performed fourth, singing an old song titled *Past Dust and Memories*, which resonated deeply with the older viewers. After he finished, the applause was thunderous, and the performance was highly effective.

The comments on Xiangguo Video began to flood the screen:
[Truly a Heavenly King; this old song was sung remarkably well.]
[It's already the third episode; it's time he took first place.]
[Hard to say, depends on what Fang Xing has in store.]
[Since when does a dignified Heavenly King have to look at Fang Xing's mood?]
[To be fair, Liu Hongsheng has already taken second place twice.]
[Even though Fang Xing was targeting Li Siqi in the first two rounds, Liu Hongsheng is the one who really suffered, getting second place twice.]
[I suspect Fang Xing will strike hard again because of the Baoboli endorsement.]
[What happened with the Baoboli endorsement?]

Fang Xing's studio and Pine Stone Records had never directly responded to the Baoboli endorsement issue, so most of the audience was unaware of it.

The show continued. After Liu Hongsheng finished, it was Fang Xing's turn to take the stage. When Little Bean Sprout saw Fang Xing appear, she hopped excitedly, pointed at the screen, and looked back, "Look!"

"I see it, I see it," Fang Xing replied, picking up a grape and popping it into his mouth.

Li Caiwei looked at the nearly empty fruit platter and laughed, "You two are quite the eaters; it's all gone already."

Little Bean Sprout picked up a grape and held it out to Li Caiwei, "Mommy, eat."

Meanwhile, the comments on Xiangguo Video began to stir:
[Alright, the main event is here. Will Liu Hongsheng reclaim first place tonight to defend the honor of a Heavenly King, or will Fang Xing continue his winning streak?]

Because the production team was playing games, they amplified the rivalry between Liu Hongsheng and Fang Xing during editing, making it clear to the audience that the competition was fierce and neither would back down.

[Give the Heavenly King some face; if he gets second place again, he'll really be the 'perpetual runner-up'.]
[The production team is bold—they hyped the competition between Li Siqi and Fang Xing before, and now they're doing the same with Liu Hongsheng and Fang Xing.]

Since *Voice* was a last-minute replacement, the early promotion was insufficient. To boost ratings, the production team was indeed doing whatever it took. They intensified the competition between singers in the editing to make the show more engaging.

Furthermore, some netizens had pieced together clues suggesting a rivalry between Liu Hongsheng and Fang Xing over the Baoboli endorsement. A month prior, the official Weibo accounts of both Fang Xing’s studio and Pine Stone Records had shared posts regarding the Baoboli brand, and Baoboli’s official account had followed Fang Xing’s personal account. Netizens speculated that Baoboli was in talks with Fang Xing. There were even trending topics back then suggesting Fang Xing would be their next brand ambassador. However, when Baoboli and Liu Hongsheng’s company announced their partnership, the matter was settled.

Many netizens speculated that Liu Hongsheng had won that competition. Fang Xing’s studio had remained silent on all of this, choosing to cold-shoulder the rumors. The netizens who enjoyed drama loved this kind of gossip. With the third episode editing highlighting the conflict, the atmosphere grew tense.

[Sure enough, they're going to clash. A multi-million dollar endorsement taken away by Liu Hongsheng—can someone like Fang Xing swallow that?]
[This is interesting. Let's see if Fang Xing hits as hard this time.]

In reality, the timeline was wrong—Fang Xing had finished recording the third episode before Liu Hongsheng lowered his price to win the Baoboli endorsement. But since the show aired later, viewers misunderstood the sequence of events.

On screen, after the host's interaction, Fang Xing began to sing *Young and Promising*. The opening verse was quite flat. After just two lines, the comments started to flow:
[This song isn't good; it's too flat. Looks like Fang Xing is going to crash this round.]
[It really is a bit flat.]
[Is Liu Hongsheng finally going to take first place? Old fans have been waiting for this day... for three weeks.]
[Thanks to Fang Xing for going easy on him.]
[Are you a fake fan? No matter what, Liu Hongsheng is a Heavenly King; he doesn't need Fang Xing to go easy on him, right? It's not strange to not get first place once or twice; he'll get it eventually.]

However, when Fang Xing sang, "We once thought about having a place to sleep and eat / But how we struggled, turning night into day and couldn't even put together a down payment..." the audience felt a sudden weight in their chests.

And this was just the beginning. Each subsequent lyric felt like heavy seawater filling the hearts of the listeners. When he sang, "Describing a beautiful future to you, your eyes would often turn red," some sensitive audience members already had tears in their eyes. Others murmured, "This is too realistic; it makes me want to cry."

Yet, those who felt it most deeply were the ones who had lost the ability to cry easily. The more life experiences one had, the deeper the resonance. They had been through so much that crying was hard, yet their hearts remained heavy.

By the time the first chorus ended, the comments flooded:
[It's a good song, but why is it so painful to hear?]
[It feels suffocating, I don't want to listen, but I can't stop.]
[Oh no, I was happy too early. Liu Hongsheng might get second place again.]

Since Liu Hongsheng’s fans were mostly older and had established families and careers, they had more life experience. Those who had been smoothed down by the grind of life felt *Young and Promising* deeply. In contrast, Liu Hongsheng’s *Past Dust and Memories* felt detached from reality.

Older fans, typically more rational, commented:
[Though I don't want to admit it, Fang Xing's song really struck a chord.]
[Yeah, if only one could really be 'young and promising'.]
[Who doesn't want that? But without 'connections' or family wealth, and without ten years of grinding in the workplace, how can one easily achieve success?]
[Forget it. If you can succeed after ten years, you're already a genius. These days, just being able to live freely on your own is hard enough.]
[To be honest, it moved me, but if I were a judge, I wouldn't necessarily vote for it—it's too painfully realistic.]

When Fang Xing finished the whole song with the line, "Wishing I was young and promising," many viewers in front of their TVs couldn't help but wipe away tears. Many felt the song was suffocating, yet after it ended, they couldn't help but search for it online to listen again. This pushed *Young and Promising* onto the trending topics shortly after airing.

However, Liu Hongsheng’s *Past Dust and Memories* had reached the top ten first. The two songs competed on the trending list, both hitting the top ten, though *Past Dust and Memories* initially had higher heat.

After the episode ended and the rankings were announced, Fang Xing took first place again, becoming the three-time winner of *Voice*. The topic exploded: [Three consecutive wins on *Voice*, just how strong is Fang Xing?]

Because Fang Xing had offended many idol fans along the way, the comment sections were filled with snide remarks:
[*Voice* is just forcing a win for Fang Xing. Three consecutive wins—they have no shame.]
[The 'black幕' (corruption) of *Voice* is getting worse; even a Heavenly King is being sabotaged.]

Trolls started to engage:
[Wait, you have a profile picture of Li Siqi and you're bashing Fang Xing to help Liu Hongsheng? This is hilarious.]
[Ignore the brainless fan comments; just treat them like air.]

After taking first place, the popularity of *Young and Promising* soared, surpassing *Past Dust and Memories* and hitting number one on the trending list.

Many netizens commented:
[Clearly, this makes me feel suffocated, yet I can't stop listening to it over and over. I'm really pathetic.]
[Actually, I've been grinding for over a decade and have a family now. But looking back, if I had really been 'young and promising' back then, perhaps my life would be completely different. The emotion in this song is so sincere.]

As netizens continued to discuss the song, in the hotel, after watching Fang Xing sing, Little Bean Sprout turned back, held up two thumbs, and praised, "That was so amazing!"

Fang Xing, still feeling the emotional weight of his performance, reached out to rub her cheeks and asked, "Did you even understand it? Calling it amazing."

"It's just amazing!" she insisted.

Li Caiwei laughed from the side, "Little Bean Sprout is already your little fan."

Little Bean Sprout nodded like a chick pecking at rice, "Yes, yes..."