Chapter 27: Everyone "Slanders" Fang Xing Together

Time slipped by in the tense atmosphere of rehearsals.

Fang Xing had absolute confidence in his singing, but the public performance stage demanded more than vocals—it required dance as well.

The choreography was mainly coordinated by Wang Huajun, who worked closely with the program’s dance team.

Leaving professional matters to professionals certainly made things much easier.

The date for recording the second public performance drew ever nearer.

On the eve before the second performance, both parts of the third episode of "Star of Tomorrow" were released and began airing online.

The third episode focused primarily on song selection and the daily training routines of each group of trainees.

Episodes without a public stage performance usually tended to be less engaging.

However, the song selection segment of the third episode proved to be quite dramatic.

Because the production team had released teasers in advance, the impending second showdown between Fang Xing and Hashim was heavily hyped.

Tension ran high between the two sides.

Especially during the process of choosing team members.

Fang Xing first snatched Shao Yu, whom Wu Junchen had his eyes on, then went on to take Wang Huajun, whom Hashim wanted.

He seemed to snatch every contestant he set his sights on, winning every time.

Particularly when Hashim tried to get Wang Huajun, his excitement was so exaggerated it seemed almost theatrical, filled with sincerity, but in the end, Wang Huajun still chose Fang Xing.

Since Fang Xing was able to take a contestant that Wu Junchen wanted, and succeeded, Wu Junchen’s fans became frenzied, causing an uproar on social media.

This time, however, bystanders and ordinary viewers were not swayed by the fans’ comments.

Because anyone following topics about Fang Xing and Wu Junchen would inevitably come across "Nocturne" and "Wild Bird."

After listening to these two songs, most casual viewers sided with Fang Xing.

Still, these viewers kept their opinions to themselves and rarely commented online.

Instead, a number of irreverent netizens began to echo Wu Junchen’s fans in the barrage of scrolling comments:

"That’s right, he’s just a singer, what does he know about music?"

"His singing really is indescribable—I’ll be his anti-fan for life."

"Did you forget the dog-head emoji?"

"Even with the emoji, my forty-meter broadsword can’t be restrained."

"Indescribable, as in, words can’t capture how awesome these two songs are?"

"So that’s what you mean—bring out my Italian...noodles."

"No need for noodles, just dress him in enemy colors and give him a proper burial."

All these comments were playful responses to a question Fang Xing had answered in a previous interview segment:

"If you have the guts, be my anti-fan for life."

...

After three episodes and with the support of his agency, Hashim had also gained a following.

His fans now began boasting online:

"My Hashim will crush Fang Xing in the next performance—just wait and see."

"Hashim will surely win—his rap is unbeatable."

However, compared to Fang Xing’s legion of playful ‘anti-fans’, their presence was much weaker.

A strange phenomenon gradually emerged online.

The entire internet seemed to be "hating" Fang Xing—paid posters, anti-fans, and mischievous netizens all mixed together, impossible to tell apart.

Some comments were adorned with the dog-head emoji, others not—a chaotic mix of rivalry and camaraderie.

...

Occasionally, a straightforward newcomer would join the fray.

"I just listened to ‘Nocturne’. How can you hate on such an amazing song?"

"Looks like we have an honest one in our midst."

"We have a traitor among us."

After much back and forth, the honest one would finally catch on, switch to a sarcastic tone, and join in with the ‘anti-fans’, finding the experience oddly liberating.

At first, they’d add the dog-head emoji manually; later, they’d completely let loose.

...

In the first part of episode three, there was also a playful interlude.

It occurred when Fang Xing, as team captain, was choosing his team members.

He wanted someone who could sing up to G5, or even A5.

Shen Xiyin looked at Fang Xing, her face flushed, and said, "Captain Fang, you’re not looking for me, are you?"

This was a joke, because for most male voices, singing above D5 is nearly impossible, while for female voices it’s relatively easy.

Apart from Lu Ming, who had a boy soprano voice, only Shen Xiyin could hit G5 on set, hence the joke.

But when this joke was edited into the final cut, it carried a hint of flirtation.

The scrolling comments exploded:

"He does want you!"

"No! He doesn’t, but I do!"

"You can only dream about it!"

"Goodness! I’m blushing."

"Get together!"

"Get together!"

CP (couple pairing) comments flooded the screen, and it felt as if the roar of the crowd could be heard just by reading them.

...

The night before the second public performance.

The five members of Fang Xing’s team gathered to watch the third episode together, completely relaxed—a stark contrast to the other teams.

This was mainly because Fang Xing had requested a simplified choreography, focusing on vocals, and would hand over the center position in the dance to Wang Huajun.

This saved a lot of rehearsal time, making the past few days leisurely and unhurried.

Shao Yu pointed at the barrage of comments on the show, unable to hold back a laugh. "Fang Xing, these silly netizens all say they’ll be your anti-fans for life."

"To be an anti-fan for life—that’s a bond built on real feelings," Lu Ming remarked thoughtfully.

Guo Keda suddenly had an idea. "Captain, why don’t we call your fans ‘Fang Blackies’, or ‘Lifelong Antis’? It’s so fitting."

Fang Xing was quite open-minded; seeing the comments, he didn’t get angry at all, but was rather delighted. He even typed into the comment box:

"Exactly, this guy’s just a singer, what does he know about music."

...

A leisurely night passed.

Tomorrow was the day of the second public performance’s recording.

Fang Xing’s entire team went to bed early.

At dawn, as usual, Fang Xing led the team in vocal warm-ups.

Then came the final rehearsal, and when that was done, they headed straight to the venue for the dress rehearsal.

Wang Huajun would be performing with aerial wires, so his rehearsal took longer.

And for the aerial segment, only Wang Huajun was required.

...

The other four were called by the producer to a neighboring interview room for a pre-show interview.

"Tonight, you’ll be going up against Hashim’s group. Are you confident?"

"Absolutely," Guo Keda replied in a thick northeastern accent, full of assurance.

"That confident?" the producer pressed.

"Didn’t you see the chief director’s face when he heard our demo? He nearly wanted to pin down our captain and pull the full song out of his phone right on the spot."

Guo Keda vividly described Director Tong Fei’s reaction that day.

The producer’s face twitched, but continued, "This time your theme is ‘Martial Arts Dream’. Can you share what that means to you?"

Lu Ming and Guo Keda took turns sharing their childhood memories of martial arts dramas.

For their generation, martial arts series were a staple of childhood—everyone harbored a martial arts dream.

After listening, the producer turned to Fang Xing. "Can you talk about the connection between your song and martial arts? What’s the story behind it?"

"Well..." Fang Xing paused, then replied, "This song does indeed have a martial arts backstory. It’s about an immortal couple and a great eagle."

The producer’s curiosity was piqued. "Can you tell us more?"

"No," Fang Xing replied crisply.

The producer’s face twitched again and moved on to the next question. "Describe your upcoming stage in one word."

Lu Ming: "Heavenly."

Shao Yu: "World-shattering."

Guo Keda: "Stage-exploding."

Fang Xing: "Just singing casually."

Everyone stared at Fang Xing, thinking, What kind of answer is that?

The producer’s expression grew increasingly strained, but pressed on, "Now use one word to describe your captain."

Lu Ming: "Attentive."

Shao Yu: "Mentor and friend."

Guo Keda: "Down on my knees."

Fang Xing: "Do I need to?"

Producer: "Yes, use one word to describe your own role in the team these days."

Fang Xing: "Nothing much."

"......"

Everyone stared at him again, question marks on their faces.

Guo Keda joked, "Captain, you’re not usually this modest."

Fang Xing chuckled. "Who says so? I’m always humble and polite, never one to compete or bicker."

"Is that...so?" The four of them all twitched at the corners of their mouths.

Fang Xing sighed, "You still don’t truly understand me."

Guo Keda slung an arm around his shoulders. "Captain, tell us the truth—have you been scared by the netizens’ roast and decided to change your style?"

Fang Xing laughed, "You’re overthinking it."