Chapter Two: Liu Xiaoyu’s Astonishment

The seventeen-year-old Jiang Yi had a voice that was both rich and clear, perfectly suited for this song. After finishing the first verse, he moved into the second, his emotions rising more than before:

"Back to the very beginning,
Standing dazed before the mirror,
Clumsily tying a red tie,
Combing my hair to look like a grown-up…"

As he sang into the chorus, his voice grew ever more passionate. Jiang Yi himself felt his eyes moisten; after all, both the story and the song were classics—beautiful and heart-wrenching.

"The heavy rain we missed those years,
The love we lost those years,
How I long to hold you,
To embrace the courage I once lacked,
I once dreamed of conquering the world,
Only to look back and realize,
Every drop, every detail in this world,
All of it is you…"

But just as Jiang Yi was about to finish, there came a loud banging on the bathroom door.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

"You little brat! How long are you going to wail in there? I need to use the toilet—get out! I’ve got diarrhea!"

Jiang Yi had no choice but to stop.

"Dad? Diarrhea?" Startled, Jiang Yi quickly got up, pocketed his phone, grabbed his guitar and the lyric sheet, and slunk out of the bathroom.

His father, a middle-aged man in shorts and a tank top, rushed into the bathroom and slammed the door. A resounding, unmistakable sound followed.

Jiang Yi stood there speechless.

Only then did he realize he’d forgotten to stop recording. Flustered, he ended the recording and returned to his room.

He tried recording the song twice more, but, in the end, none sounded as good as the version from the bathroom.

The acoustics there really did have better resonance.

He watched the video again, even the part where his dad’s emergency interrupted him, and chuckled—it wasn’t bad at all. He thought to himself, "I’m just here to make up the numbers. Why take it so seriously? With my guitar skills and singing, I just want to get my face out there… I’ll just send this in! If it doesn’t work out, I’ll think of something else!"

With his mind made up, Jiang Yi gathered the video he’d recorded in the bathroom, along with his personal information and photos, and put them all together on his computer. Then he sent the file off to the production company, "Chirp Chirp," which ran the show "Son of the Future."

Meanwhile, at the Chirp Chirp offices in the capital, the response to the advertisement on TengE Video had already brought in piles of applications from young men. The selection process was in full swing.

Dragon Dandan, the formidable CEO and head of the "Son of the Future" production team, addressed the staff sorting through all the profiles and videos:

"Keep not only those who are exceptionally good-looking or talented, but also the ones who are funny or have something unique. This is our first show on TengE Video, our debut battle—we must make it a success!"

With that, Dragon Dandan left, and only the female staff remained to sift through the videos. Since this was a boy idol competition, it only made sense for women to be the judges—after all, only the opposite sex truly understands the appeal.

Dragon Dandan had keenly sensed the rise of new media and the dawn of the internet age; television was no longer king. Now, online video platforms ruled the flow of attention.

That’s why she’d accepted TengE Video’s invitation and struck out on her own. "Son of the Future" was her first show for the platform—a joint venture between her company and TengE Video. The video platform needed content, and she had years of talent show experience and a seasoned team. The partnership was a natural fit.

Many of those working here had been with Dragon Dandan for years, but there were also plenty of new recruits—young women fresh out of university. Dragon Dandan knew full well that this show was aimed at young people, especially young women, so her team had to include them.

Liu Xiaoyu was one of those newly hired staff members. A graduate of the media academy, majoring in film and television directing, today she’d been assigned to help screen the applicants.

"Son of the Future" was open to contestants aged sixteen to twenty-six.

"What kind of people are these? They can’t carry a tune, can’t dance—yet they still apply. At least it’s funny, I suppose…" she muttered as she worked.

"This one’s much the same, but he’s got a pretty face. A bit feminine, but handsome enough—he’ll go into the looks category…"

"This one’s not funny, not handsome, can’t sing, can’t write songs… eliminate."

With a ponytail and headphones on, Liu Xiaoyu clicked through one profile after another: information, photos, talent videos. After a while, her eyes grew tired and she stifled a yawn. So many bland, unremarkable candidates—it was exhausting.

She frowned. "Isn’t there even one truly talented person? The funny ones can only be fillers; being handsome alone won’t win the championship. Otherwise, people will say our show is shallow."

"Hmm? Jiang Yi?"

At last, she opened Jiang Yi’s video.

"Seventeen? Not bad-looking… But he can’t dance, didn’t graduate from a music academy, no other talents? Oh, he writes his own songs."

"But honestly, most original songs are terrible. Those who lack real skills always claim to be songwriters—it’s just a pretense."

"Just here to get his face out there? Let’s see. If the song’s not good, I’ll just put him in the looks category…"

As she thought this, the video began to play. On the screen, Jiang Yi’s face appeared—youthful, yet strikingly handsome.

"Even better than the photos! There’s something so lively about his features," Liu Xiaoyu’s eyes brightened.

Jiang Yi’s voice came through the headphones:

"Ahem, hello directors. My name is Jiang Yi, I’m seventeen. Actually, I want to be a screenwriter, but no one’s read my scripts, so I thought I’d try to participate in your show…"

Liu Xiaoyu was speechless. "What? Wants to be a screenwriter? Then why apply to a singing competition? Just to get noticed? I guess I shouldn’t expect much from his talent video."

She was about to give up listening entirely, moving the progress bar forward to the middle, wanting to sample just a few lines of the chorus before passing him over.

Still, even if his talent was lacking, Jiang Yi’s looks were decent enough to keep him as a backup in the visuals category. But with so many handsome boys applying, those who had at least a little talent would always have the edge. If someone was purely a pretty face with no skills whatsoever, they’d be eliminated.

But as soon as she let go of the mouse, a clear, gentle, and deeply emotional voice poured through her headphones:

"The heavy rain we missed those years,
The love we lost those years,
How I long to hold you, to embrace the courage I once lacked,
I once dreamed of conquering the world,
Only to look back and realize,
Every drop, every detail in this world, all of it is you…"

In that instant, Liu Xiaoyu was stunned. Her ears were instantly captivated!

Regret and longing filled his voice, carried by a beautiful melody that drew her in completely.