Chapter 086: "Original Songs" Premieres

With Guo Shuzhen’s invitation and the audience’s encouragement, Qin Ruolin knew there was no escaping this “ordeal.” Resolute, she stepped down from the mentor’s seat.

“It’s my honor to sing with Teacher Guo,” Qin Ruolin said as she walked onto the stage, flashing Guo Shuzhen a smile.

“I’m very honored as well,” Guo Shuzhen replied graciously.

“Now, the stage belongs to the two of you,” Yang Fan said with tact, making way for them. Lin Feng and Lin Wen followed him backstage for the moment.

“Wenwen, what’s Mom up to now?” Lin Feng whispered.

Lin Wen pouted. “How should I know? She’s been saying she wanted to see her daughter-in-law perform.”

“Well, watching’s fine, but why is she singing too?” Lin Feng was somewhat speechless.

“Maybe Mom thought she couldn’t see well from afar,” Lin Wen replied with a playful grin.

On stage.

Qin Ruolin stood a bit awkwardly beside Guo Shuzhen. She never expected that her first meeting with her future mother-in-law would play out like this.

The music began to flow—this was the prelude to “To the Ends of the Earth.”

Just by the name, most would assume it was a love song, but it was not. “To the Ends of the Earth” depicted the yearning of a mother for her lost child.

“Teacher Guo, please go ahead~” Qin Ruolin whispered as the main verse approached.

Guo Shuzhen nodded and sang: “The wind blows gently, the raindrops fall slowly, amidst wind and rain, whom do I miss, for whom do I grieve…”

True to her reputation as a veteran singer, Guo Shuzhen’s vocals were steadfast and impressive; applause broke out at her first note.

Next, Qin Ruolin took her turn.

“Rain becomes tears of longing, the breeze carries my greetings, beloved, can you receive them…”

As one of the four divas of the music world, Qin Ruolin’s talent was beyond doubt. The moment she opened her mouth, the audience erupted in cheers.

The song continued, each taking turns, their voices blending beautifully, making for a harmonious and pleasing performance.

Soon, the chorus arrived, and the two sang together.

Had we not parted at that street corner,

I’d have followed you to the ends of the earth.

But we parted at that street corner,

And now, to the ends of the earth, it’s hard to meet again.

…

Since it was an impromptu duet, they sang only a section. When their voices faded, thunderous applause filled the venue.

“Encore! Sing another!” came the calls.

“Sing another!” echoed the crowd.

Guo Shuzhen and Qin Ruolin exchanged smiles, then embraced warmly.

As they hugged, Guo Shuzhen whispered by Qin Ruolin’s ear, “Let’s have dinner together sometime~!”

Qin Ruolin was momentarily surprised; she hadn’t expected Guo Shuzhen to invite her so proactively. But she nodded lightly. “Of course.”

…

A cheerful interlude concluded.

The competition resumed.

The next three rounds of PK battles in Fanquan’s team were fiercely contested, with vote differences in the double digits between each pair.

After intense competition, Fanquan’s top six were determined:

Chen Qiao, Lin Feng, Feng Yao, Zhu Xuejiao, Phoenix Legend, and Yezi.

To Lin Feng’s dismay, among Fanquan’s six finalists, there was only one and a half men. Phoenix Legend was a male-female duo, so Lin Feng counted the male member as half.

The imbalance was striking!

After Fanquan’s top six were revealed, Lin Feng couldn’t help but sigh.

Immediately afterward, the draw for the six-to-three elimination round was held on-site.

The matchups were:

Lin Feng vs. Feng Yao,

Chen Qiao vs. Yezi,

Phoenix Legend vs. Zhu Xuejiao.

The second round of group eliminations would be a freestyle creation—contestants were free to perform their own original songs on PK day, without restriction.

The recording time for this second elimination round would be announced separately.

When the recording ended,

Lin Feng, his mother Guo Shuzhen, and sister Lin Wen returned to their hotel.

Guo Shuzhen had a performance in two days, so she flew back to Jiangning that night. Lin Feng and Lin Wen stayed in Yanjing. Lin Feng remained because he was to appear with Zhou Ziqian on “Music PK Arena,” and Lin Wen stayed to assist him.

The rules of “Music PK Arena” were as follows: the contestants would compete in three rounds. The first two rounds were freestyle; each composer would invite two singers to perform their original songs, and live audience voting would decide the winner. The third round was on-the-spot songwriting—both competitors had to compose within a set time and then compete. Whoever won two out of three rounds would be the final victor.

Lin Feng had few friends in the entertainment industry, so he didn’t have many singers he could call upon. Lin Wen, trained in music and fond of singing herself, was counted as one of his supporting singers.

For the other spot, Lin Feng hadn’t decided yet. He had considered inviting Chen Qiao or the Haier Brothers, but doing so would mean openly opposing Zhou Ziqian—a black-or-white choice Lin Feng was reluctant to force on others. After all, neither Chen Qiao nor the Haier Brothers were close enough to tie their fortunes to his.

…

A few days flew by.

Friday evening, seven thirty.

Many families’ televisions were tuned to CCTV Channel One.

Tonight marked the premiere of the fourth season of “Original Good Songs.”

As one of the highest-rated variety shows in this timeline, the debut of “Original Good Songs” was highly anticipated.

Especially recently, the show’s trailers had been bombarding CCTV Channels One and Three, whetting viewers’ appetites.

With just half an hour left before the fourth season’s official broadcast, Lin Feng updated his Weibo.

“Half an hour to go. If you’ve promised to watch, hurry home and turn on the TV… Fourth season of ‘Original Good Songs’—don’t miss it!”

His post was met with an enthusiastic response from fans.

“I’ve been waiting by the TV for ages!”

“Any show with Shen Feng is a must-watch!”

“Looking forward to Shen Feng’s performance!”

“Can’t wait to see Shen Feng and Ruolin together on stage!”

“…”

After all the recent “turmoil,” Lin Feng’s Weibo follower count had surpassed five million, making him an undisputed big V. His “Shen Feng Guardians” were growing stronger, with nearly ten thousand die-hard members.

Gathering so many loyal fans in such a short time was a testament to Lin Feng’s charisma.

Just as everyone awaited the premiere of “Original Good Songs,”

Zhou Ziqian updated his Weibo.

“Lin Feng, I heard you’re participating in ‘Original Good Songs,’ and that a mentor even pushed you onto the stage. Well, I’m amused. I want to see if your work is anything special. If it’s mediocre, I’ll have to question the fairness of the show’s production team! Also, don’t forget—we’re facing off on ‘Music PK Arena’ in two days. Don’t chicken out!!”

…