Chapter 148: Announcement of Rankings, The Theme for the Next Episode

Fang Xing stepped down from the stage and walked through the backstage corridor.

Pushing open the door to the lounge area and entering the main hall, the singers present warmly came forward to shake hands and greet him.

"You sang brilliantly. I surrender completely," Xie Yuwen was the first to step forward and shake his hand.

"I am bowing down to you right now," Shen Xiyin was equally full of praise.

"You flatter me, you flatter me..." Fang Xing exchanged a few modest remarks with them.

With all the singers having completed their performances, the production team began arranging for the 500 audience judges to cast their votes.

After the voting concluded, the tallying of the votes began.

Following a half-hour wait, the production team notified all singers to gather in Hall Number Two.

Zheng Tao, holding a cue card with the final results written on it, approached the group:

"Before announcing tonight's ranking results, there is a rule that needs to be shared with everyone in advance.

"That is the rule for advancing to the grand finale, the 'King of Singers' battle.

"Singers who have watched past seasons should already know this rule, but I will explain it once more.

"Starting from the eighth episode of the regular competition, there will no longer be any eliminations. Instead, in each episode, the singer with the highest total votes for the entire season will be determined and will advance directly to the grand finale 'King of Singers' battle.

"In other words, after the eighth, ninth, and tenth episodes of the competition conclude, one singer with the highest total votes will be decided each time, going straight to the final showdown.

"That means by the tenth episode, three singers will have advanced to the 'King of Singers' battle.

"The eleventh episode will be the breakout round, where all the singers who temporarily left the stage can return to participate in the breakout competition.

"Ultimately, five singers will be chosen to advance through the breakout round into the grand finale 'King of Singers' battle.

"The twelfth episode will be the grand finale 'King of Singers' battle, which will be broadcast live. At that time, the final eight advancing singers will compete for the ultimate glory of the King of Singers."

The advancement rules for the "King of Singers" battle this season were similar to those of previous seasons, with only minor improvements made to a few details.

Therefore, singers who had watched past seasons roughly knew what the rules entailed.

Xie Yuwen chimed in, "The rules are pretty much the same. Anyway, however you say we should compete, we'll compete. Just singing is enough. Hurry up and announce the rankings."

Zheng Tao revealed that familiar smile, and the singers present knew he was about to start again.

"Does everyone want to hear who came in first place first? Or would you prefer to hear who came in last place first?"

Everyone rolled their eyes in unison. Only higher-status singers like Liu Hongsheng had to maintain their image and continued to sit upright with stern expressions.

Xie Yuwen waved his hand and said, "You don't need to announce first place; I already know who it is. Right now, I just want to know who is in second place."

Tonight's second place was filled with suspense.

There was the top-tier Guofeng female singer Xu Xinzui, the heavenly king of the music scene Liu Hongsheng, and quasi-top-tier female singer Li Caiwei, whose competition song was produced by Fang Xing.

All three of them had a chance of placing second, depending entirely on which song the audience liked more.

Maintaining his smile, Zheng Tao said, "Since everyone is so eager to know who won first place..."

"We don't want to!" Xie Yuwen, Shen Xiyin, and a few other playful singers loudly interrupted the director.

Suppressing a chuckle, Zheng Tao continued, "Alright, since everyone is so reluctant to know, let's announce first place first.

"The singer ranked first tonight received a total of 356 votes, the highest vote count obtained in the entire season of the show so far.

"This song is extremely ethereal and delicate, so the singer ranked first tonight is... Fang Xing, with his performance of 'Blue and White Porcelain'. Congratulations!"

Xie Yuwen sat on the sofa with a calm expression, spreading his hands as he said, "There are no surprises whatsoever."

"Indeed, no surprises," Shen Xiyin echoed.

Three seconds passed.

Only then did Xie Yuwen suddenly stand up and congratulate Fang Xing, "Congratulations, congratulations, you've won first place again."

The remaining singers also stood up to offer their congratulations.

"Thank you, thank you..." Fang Xing responded to them one by one.

Xie Yuwen then asked, "Are you so used to winning first place by now that your heart doesn't flutter at all?"

"It's alright, it's alright," Fang Xing replied with a smile.

Xie Yuwen continued, "Can you give the rest of us a chance? At least let us feel like we still have a tiny glimmer of hope of challenging for first place this season."

Fang Xing thought for a moment and said, "There is a chance. Theoretically speaking, in the final few episodes of the program, I won't even be qualified to participate in the competition."

Xie Yuwen and Shen Xiyin chimed in with identical complaints, "You can say that again! You've already advanced to the 'King of Singers' battle ahead of time!"

According to the advancement rules for the "King of Singers" battle.

In the eighth, ninth, and tenth episodes, the singers with the highest total season votes would be determined respectively, advancing to the grand finale "King of Singers" battle ahead of schedule.

Up to this point, Fang Xing had already secured first place six times. Even if he finished dead last in both the seventh and eighth episodes, he would still, in all probability, be the singer with the highest vote count.

Therefore, by advancing to the "King of Singers" battle early, the other singers truly had a chance now.

Zheng Tao pressed his palms down to quiet the crowd and then continued announcing the rankings:

"Next, we will announce the second, third, and fourth places. The vote counts for these three positions are not far apart.

"Moreover, these three singers share a common characteristic: their names all consist of... three characters."

Shen Xiyin collapsed face-first onto the sofa, speechlessly muttering, "Except for Fang Xing, everyone else's name here has three characters!"

"Oh, is that so? It seems you're right," Zheng Tao put on an expression of having just realized this.

Everyone couldn't help rolling their eyes.

Unfazed by the silent grumbling of the group, Zheng Tao continued, "Among these three singers, two are female singers and one is a male singer."

Xie Yuwen raised a hand and said, "Alright, you don't need to say anymore. I know who this male singer is; it must be Heavenly King Liu."

In truth, Xie Yuwen still wanted to compete for a spot in the top four.

If Zheng Tao had just said there were two male singers, he would have still held a sliver of hope.

However, since Zheng Tao stated there were two female singers and one male singer, he already knew where he stood.

Shen Xiyin also sighed and said, "I know who the two female singers are as well. Anyway, it's not me—there are only three female singers here in total."

Zheng Tao smiled at Shen Xiyin and encouraged her, "Keep working hard for the next competition. The two female singers are indeed Xu Xinzui and Li Caiwei. Congratulations to both of you.

"Xie Yuwen guessed very accurately as well. The male singer among the second, third, and fourth places is indeed Heavenly King Liu Hongsheng. Congratulations."

Liu Hongsheng then asked, "What about the specific rankings?"

Nodding, Zheng Tao said, "Next are the specific rankings. First is second place. Congratulations... Heavenly King Liu, for winning second place tonight."

Liu Hongsheng raised an eyebrow, a trace of pride welling up in his heart.

Although he had been suppressed by Fang Xing for six episodes, he had at least won against another song produced by Fang Xing.

Zheng Tao proceeded to announce the rankings.

Xu Xinzui came in third, and Li Caiwei came in fourth.

Hearing this ranking, Li Caiwei was not too surprised.

Furthermore, she was quite satisfied with this placement.

Fourth place meant that as long as her performance in the next episode wasn't too poor, she would be safe from the threat of elimination.

When Fang Xing heard this ranking, he wasn't overly surprised either.

In fact.

When Coco Lee performed "As Beautiful as Summer Flowers" on *I Am a Singer*, she ranked seventh in that episode, which was dead last.

Although Fang Xing had always felt that Coco Lee placing last with "As Beautiful as Summer Flowers" in that episode was one of the greatest injustices of the show, the voting results were simply what they were.

Now, Li Caiwei was stepping onto the stage of *Voice* for the first time, and her personal recognition was not as high as Liu Hongsheng's or Xu Xinzui's.

Coupled with the preferences of the 500 audience judges on site, who might not have resonated as much with this style of song, it ultimately led to this outcome.

However, placing fourth on *Voice* was actually a respectable achievement.

After all, the singers on this program were all powerful vocalists.

After announcing the rankings.

Zheng Tao went on to declare, "Next, we will announce the competition theme for the next episode.

"The competition themes for the show are all selected from Weibo polls initiated by the *Voice* official account, and the top three themes voted on by the audience all have a chance of being chosen.

"Therefore, the competition theme for the next episode is... 'Family Love is Priceless'."

Hearing this theme, the expressions of the singers present instantly turned serious.

"We have to sing about 'family love' this time," Xie Yuwen said, frowning as he pondered.

In the music industry, there were quite a few songs expressing familial affection, so selecting a piece wasn't too big of an issue, but singing it well would not be easy.

To sing about family love, one had to touch the hearts of the audience; as long as one failed to move the listeners, it would be difficult to secure votes.

Upon hearing this theme, Liu Hongsheng felt relatively confident in his mind.

He had sung too many classic television soundtracks twenty years ago, and among them were dramas depicting familial affection.

"Alright, the competition theme for the next episode has been released, and tonight's recording is concluded. Thank you everyone. Singers, please go back and prepare your songs, and we'll see you next week." With that, Zheng Tao bowed and dismissed everyone to leave as they pleased.

...

The singers took their respective chauffeured vans back to the hotel.

Inside the van.

Liu Hongsheng wore a rare smile and said, "We finally won against one of Fang Xing's songs this time. At least it proves that Fang Xing isn't invincible, and we completely have a chance to win. However, there aren't many opportunities left."

His manager, Hu Changqing, remarked, "It's a pity we couldn't suppress Fang Xing and take first place. The quality of 'Wutong Night Rain' this time was actually very high."

Liu Hongsheng waved his hand and said, "After listening to 'Blue and White Porcelain', I knew we wouldn't stand a chance tonight.

"However, we at least won against 'As Beautiful as Summer Flowers', which shows that Fang Xing isn't unbeatable with every single song.

"Keep in touch with the heavyweights in the industry; I want a better team. The next episode is about family love, a theme where we hold an advantage, and we must take first place."

Hu Changqing smiled and said, "Actually, you don't need to be in such a rush. Judging by the current momentum, Fang Xing will definitely advance to the grand finale early after the eighth episode concludes, and then the ninth episode will completely be our domain."

Liu Hongsheng shook his head, speaking in a solemn tone, "No! I must win first place while Fang Xing is still on the stage, otherwise fans will say in the future that I never beat Fang Xing.

"The next competition is about family love, a theme I am very confident in. Go talk to Puxiang; if the production effect they deliver isn't satisfactory, we'll switch to another team."

Hu Changqing nodded in agreement, "Alright, leave this matter to me."

...

On the other side.

Fang Xing and Li Caiwei returned to the hotel.

Li Caiwei was in an exceptionally good mood and said, "Congratulations, you won first place again."

"It's a pity you only managed fourth."

"I'm already very satisfied with fourth place. A substitute singer inherently has no advantage."

Li Caiwei was genuinely content with fourth place. As long as she wasn't eliminated and could perform for a few more episodes, that would be the best possible outcome for her.

"Fourth is fine too; there's room for improvement. We'll charge forward a bit more in the next episode," Fang Xing said.

"The theme for the next episode is family love, and that theme is not easy to sing. Song selection is one aspect, but singing it straight into the audience's hearts is even harder," Li Caiwei reminded him.

"We'll consider song selection after we get back," Fang Xing replied.

"Including mine?" Li Caiwei asked, turning her head with a charming and alluring smile.

"Rest assured, in the next episode, I'll hook you up with a heavy hitter." Fang Xing had already decided to drop another atomic bomb for Li Caiwei in the upcoming round.

Li Caiwei thought for a moment and said, "When it comes to family love songs, I should be able to express the emotions well; we don't need to restrict it to a specific familial role."

Having already become a mother with a daughter of her own, her feelings toward familial affection were much deeper than those of someone who had never experienced it.

"Mm, we'll discuss the song selection when we get back to the company," Fang Xing said as he turned his gaze toward the window, his thoughts drifting into the distance.

...

After recording the fifth episode of *Voice*, Fang Xing took the morning flight back to East Sea the next day.

After resting for half a day, he casually played the piano in the music room, recalling the deep-seated yearning for his parents and family from another world hidden in the depths of his heart.

He spent a leisurely day playing the piano all afternoon accompanied by the setting sun.

The next morning, he suddenly received a voice message on WeChat from his father: You haven't been home for a long time; can you come home for a trip?

Hearing the voice of his father from this lifetime, Fang Xing's heart suddenly tightened.

For the past half year, he hadn't returned home even once.

The reason he didn't go back was because he felt a sense of fear in his heart.

Even more frightening was when his parents suddenly called.

Whether in his past life or this one.

Fang Xing actually harbored the same fear—the fear of his parents calling suddenly outside of the usual hours for their regular phone calls.

Because that very likely meant something had happened at home.

Having lived two lives, Fang Xing understood the simple-hearted parents of this land all too well.

They didn't possess great abilities, nor did they know what their children truly wanted, but they had their own ways of looking out for their children.

When their children were out struggling to make a living, they would find ways to resolve any issues on their own, and barring absolute necessity, they wouldn't trouble their children.

Aside from the designated night every week or every month when they would make a fixed phone call, they tried their best not to disturb their children during the remaining time.

It was precisely because of this reason.

Every time Fang Xing suddenly received a call from his parents, a wave of worry would stir in his heart.

Hearing his father's voice message, Fang Xing felt a bit anxious, but since it was sent via WeChat, it at least indicated the matter wasn't extremely urgent.

Nevertheless, Fang Xing quickly replied with a WeChat message: I'll take the high-speed train back right now. If you need money, I can transfer it over first.

After a short while, another voice message from his father arrived.

However, this time it wasn't his father's voice, but his mother's: Son, don't be nervous. Everything is fine at home, and we're not short on money either. It's just that you haven't been home in a long time, so we were wondering when you'd have time to come back. Your father isn't good with words and didn't make things clear; don't worry, come back whenever you have free time.

Fang Xing had plenty of free time right now; having just finished recording the fifth episode of *Voice*, he had a week-long break.

Since his parents had taken the initiative to ask, it was time to go back and face it.

Moreover, Fang Xing always had a hunch that something was definitely going on at home, but the fact that his parents weren't in a rush meant it couldn't be anything major.

...

Taking the high-speed train at noon and then transferring to a coach bus, he returned to his hometown of Baitang Town.

Following the memories in his mind, he arrived in front of an old residential complex.

Fang Xing's memories from this lifetime began right here in this neighborhood.

According to his parents, they moved into this complex when he was three years old.

Calculating it that way, twenty years had already passed.

As it was an old residential complex, the buildings were not tall—only six stories—and lacked elevators.

Fang Xing remembered that his family lived on the fifth floor, and every day when he was little, he had to run up and down to the fifth floor multiple times for school.

Standing before the neighborhood entrance and looking up at the aged building, a myriad of emotions washed over him.

Because the neighborhood was very old, the property management was somewhat chaotic.

Access control was virtually non-existent; there was only an elderly gentleman on duty at the guard station whose main responsibility was simply opening the gate.

This time back, Fang Xing didn't bring much luggage, just carrying a single-shoulder backpack.

Upon reaching the entrance of the neighborhood, a sudden sense of fear gripped him, unsure of what expression to use when facing the parents of this lifetime.

He stood at the neighborhood entrance for a long time, blankly gazing up at the fifth floor of a certain building.

That window with the blue curtains was the room where he had lived for twenty years.

This feeling of being both familiar and unfamiliar was extremely complicated.

He didn't know how long he had stood there; if it were a residential complex with strict property management, they probably would have suspected Fang Xing of scouting the place out.

After all, he had lived here for twenty years.

Even though he was wearing a mask and a hat, a neighbor still thought he looked familiar and ran over to tell Fang's father.

Fang's father had actually known today that his son was coming back, and he and the child's mother had been bustling about busily at home.

Hearing a neighbor say that there was someone outside who looked like his son, Fang's father hurried down from upstairs. Arriving at the neighborhood entrance and taking a look, he froze for a moment before shouting, "Fang Xing!"

Fang Xing snapped out of his trance, turned to look at Fang's father, and his gaze froze right there.

Fang's father hurried over, grabbed Fang Xing by the arm, and pulled him along, saying, "Why are you just standing here? You're home, yet you're just standing around stupidly. Hurry up and go upstairs. Your mother made a lot of dishes you love, let's go."

Dazed, Fang Xing was pulled upstairs by his father, entered the home, and stood somewhat constrainedly inside this "home."

The moment Fang's mother saw her son return, she hurriedly brought out the freshly stewed soup and prepared dishes from the kitchen onto the dining table, saying, "Quick, quick, have a bowl of soup first. Look how thin the child has gotten."

Seeing his parents bustling around busily, a sudden sting of emotion hit Fang Xing's nose.

Without him realizing it, his feelings for the parents of both lifetimes had unconsciously merged into one.

Deep down in his heart, Fang Xing silently resolved: I will take good care of you both. If a soul truly inhabits a body in another world, I hope he is also taking good care of the parents in that world.

After sitting down, Fang's mother continuously scooped food onto his plate, saying as she served him, "Our family is quite famous in the neighborhood now, and everyone says our family has produced a big star. It's just that the aunties in my dance squad aren't fashionable enough; they refuse to use the songs their son sang for their dance routines."

While eating, the television was still playing the second episode of *Voice*.

Who knows how many times they had watched it; when someone pressed the remote control wanting to switch to a different channel, *Tomorrow's Star* popped up on the screen instead.