The audience stared at the screen anxiously and emotionally. In the backstage, the few singers also held their breaths in as they stared at the screen without blinking.
A few seconds later, the screen froze.
Qin Baobao: 200 votes!
Huang Yuteng: 260 votes!
No one voided their votes, and the crowd present all voted. Huang Yuteng won with a larger number of votes.
In the backstage, he wiped away his non-existent sweat and joked, “I almost thought I lost.”
It was purely a joke as he had won Qin Baobao by a solid 60 votes. On a certain level, he had crushed her. However, Huang Yuteng himself knew that it was his popularity taking effect. Purely based on singing, Qin Baobao’s amazing product ‘Invisible Wings’ had crushed him so he was secretly nervous.
On the Internet, many people expressed their opinions. “Qin Baobao sang so well; why did she lose?”
“That’s right. There aren’t many songs that can make me cry. Are all the audience present blind?”
“They’re deaf, not blind.”
“What were the voting audience thinking? If Huang Yuteng lost, he could at least make a comeback in the resurrection round, but what about Qin Baobao? She might not win over the two eliminated singers.”
“It’s not wrong if she lost to Leader Huang. Qin Baobao’s singing skills still lack in a fire throat.”
“This program isn’t fair. ‘Invisible Wings’ is too good. It’s definitely a masterpiece. How could she lose? Qin Baobao did not lose on her singing; she lost to popularity.”
“I’m actually looking forward to it. Didn’t they say she specialized in original songs? Is the next song an original, too?”
“How can it be? Do you think good originals are found all over the street? Her company should have only prepared one song. They didn’t expect her luck to be so bad to pick Huang Yuteng.”
The advertisements came next.
Qin Ze turned his head and comforted his sister. “Baobao, don’t give up. It’s okay if you lost. You can come back in the resurrection round.”
Qin Baobao glanced at him. “Can you just call me Baobao? You’re being rude again. Call me ‘sister’.”
“Sister, sister, dear sister.”
“You still want to kiss[1] your sister? Are you asking for a beating?”
Wang Zijin covered her face. “Here you go again. You can do the talk show later. We’re watching a show now.”
“Dear audience, this music competition ‘I am a Singer’ is brought to you by ‘Sheng Ji’ cosmetics. I’m the emcee—Yin Jia.”
After the program ended, the emcee—Yin Jia—stood at the center of the stage smiling. She looked decent and had a pretty good figure. Originally, she was the highlight of the show; but with a precious gem like Qin Baobao, the signature beauty would look ordinary.
In the live comments, the audience spoke, “Let’s not talk nonsense. Hurry and continue with the resurrection round.”
“Why are you in such a rush?”
“I want to listen to Qin Baobao’s next original.”
“I’m so excited. Who would be eliminated this round?”
According to the previous elimination sequence, the first one to sing would be Xiao De, followed by Chen Xiaotong, and lastly, Qin Baobao.
The lights turned dark, and Li Zongde came up from the backstage. A spotlight shone on him, and he looked stern.
“I rather move somewhere else on my own.
“I rather taste the bitterness of heartbreak on my own.
“I don’t want to see your guilty face.
“And your gaze of leaving me for someone else.
“Do you even have me in your heart?
“Was the gentleness of the past real or fake?”
The lights turned, and Li Zongde sang his heart out. He expressed the conflict and disappointment in the song with his deep and slightly shaky voice, causing people to immerse themselves in the scenario.
The singing ended.
Li Zongde put down the microphone and slightly bowed to give his thanks.
The applause sounded loudly!
Even the singers backstage were clapping for him!
The audience’s screams resonated!
Huang Yuteng, “Xiao De was really engrossed in his singing. He had really sung someone else’s song like his own.”
Li Rongxing, “It was really an extraordinary performance. ‘I am a Singer’ stage is too amazing. You can never underestimate any singer.”
Chen Xiaotong, “What to do? What to do? I’m under a lot of stress.”
Hong Jingyao, “Xiao De is a very outstanding singer. He has sufficient potential and talent. He’s chasing after the older generation of singers. Personally, I have high hopes for him.”
At this time, the camera pointed at Qin Baobao. She smiled and said, “Teacher Xiao De is really amazing.”
Li Zongde left the stage in the sea of applause. The second singer in the resurrection round—Chen Xiaotong—went up to the stage.
Originally, they thought Xiao De was already performing above his standards, but they did not expect the queen Chen Xiaotong to have really hidden her skills. She was singing a Cantonese song that became famous all over the country and was originally top on the leaderboard for a few months. It had won countless awards.
Like the classic song that Hong Jingyao sang, it had caused a lot of people to reminisce about the past.
In the backstage, the singers were all shocked. “Once this song was out, there were no more rivals for love songs.”
Xiao De laughed bitterly. “If I knew earlier on, I shouldn’t have chosen to sing a love song. I should have sang an intense one.”
Hong Jingyao nodded. “Xiaotong’s singing skills are gradually returning and reaching its peak.”
Li Rongxing, “Just listen to the crowd’s cheers and screams. She still has it despite her age.”
Huang Yuteng laughed. “We should record this video and show it to Xiaotong later. Haha, she still has it despite her age.”
Li Rongxing begged for mercy. “Hey, Brother Huang, don’t do this. I was wrong, very wrong.”
Then, the camera pointed towards Qin Baobao. Before every singer went on stage, they would get to make a ‘speech’ of more than ten seconds.
Qin Baobao faced the camera, and her looks were bedazzling. Her lips curved up in a slight smile. “This time, I really brought two original songs with me. From the start, I never felt that I could successfully advance in the first round. Even though I’m not very confident—no matter the results, I’m still thankful to the ‘I am a Singer’ stage for giving me this chance.”
Li Rongxing was very interested in Qin Baobao. He interrupted, “Teacher Qin, can I ask you a question?”
After the ‘Invisible Wings’ performance, people started calling her ‘Teacher Qin’ instead.
Qin Baobao smiled and nodded.
“Did you write ‘Invisible Wings’ on your own? It’s really too good. You’re so talented.”
Qin Baobao shook her head. “I didn’t complete it on my own. My brother wrote the lyrics and tune.”
Li Rongxing said, “Oh, then what about your part?”
Qin Baobao blinked. “I’m responsible for singing it.”
“Which talent is your brother from the circle? He can write such a good song; I don’t believe he’s a silent nobody,” Huang Yuteng suddenly said.
“A lyricist with the last name ‘Qin’… Teacher Huang, I haven’t been very involved in the industry these few years so I’m not too familiar. Do you know who he is?” Hong Jingyao was also very interested.
After being silent for a while, Huang Yuteng shook his head with a bitter smile. “There are a few people with the last name ‘Qin’, but their ages aren’t compatible.”
On the live comments, the audience in front of the screen was also curious. “My brother is responsible for composing; I’m responsible for singing. There’s no problem. It’s completed with two people’s cooperation. (slide to reveal)”
“I was wrong. Qin Baobao doesn’t rely on sleeping around; she relies on her brother.”
‘Hahahaha.”
“Is there a musician with the last name ‘Qin’ in the music industry?”
“He’s definitely not someone within the entertainment circle. After all, there are a lot of unknown composers. Their songs might be viral, but the crowd doesn’t know who the writer is. They only know who sang it.”
“How old is Qin Baobao this year? His brother must be even younger. I don’t really believe it.”
“This time, I feel that there might be a catch. Qin Baobao’s ‘Invisible Wings’ expressed people’s thoughts, and it’s the only song that wasn’t a love song. The crowd would more or less give her some sympathy and shocking points.”
“Yes, now with her newcomer identity, I don’t think she can get much sympathy points. Then, what should she sing? Compete in love songs? How would she win those singers who were already famous for some time?”
“The person above had analyzed it pretty well. It’s rare to have one incredible song. There can’t be another one. It’s impossible for the company to waste so many resources on a newcomer. Was it really written by her brother? Even if so, incredible songs are hard to find. He can’t just write it at will.”
The scene changed and the stage with dazzling lights appeared. Qin Baobao walked forward with her long legs.
The gentle music started playing, and the rolling subtitles behind her showed the song title: ‘Miracle’.
Qin Baobao opened her mouth and sang.
“It’s just because I looked at the sea of people one more time.
“I’ve been unable to forget your face.
“Dreaming of bumping into you again someday.
“I began missing you alone from then.”
This tune, this voice…
The camera swept past countless audience’s faces, and all of them had their eyes wide open and their mouths agape. Everyone was stunned.
Qin Baobao’s voice really suited this song very much. Her voice and magnetism made people feel that they were not listening to her song, but her spilling her love problems.
At this time, Qin Baobao focused on the camera as if focusing on the millions of audiences.
“You’re by the skies when I’m thinking of you.
“You’re before my eyes when I’m thinking of you.
“You’re in my mind when I’m thinking of you.
“You’re in my heart when I’m thinking of you.”
Below the stage, the audience closed their eyes and was engrossed in the music. This was a different love song with a different melody, a different voice, and a different singer. There were no special high notes, heart-rending music, or an intense chorus. It was very calm and gentle, but it stirred up the sorrows and troubles in people.
“I’d rather believe that we have a promise in our past life.
“Our love story will not change in this life.
“I rather wait for the rest of my life for you to discover…
“That I have always been by your side.
“I have never gone far away.
“It’s just because I looked at the sea of people one more time.
“I’ve been unable to forget your face…
“Dreaming of bumping into you again someday.
“I began missing you alone from then.
“You’re by the skies when I’m thinking of you.
“You’re before my eyes when I’m thinking of you.
“You’re in my mind when I’m thinking of you.
“You’re in my heart when I’m thinking of you.”
In the backstage, the singers once again had their tongues tied. They were all professional singers so the moment Qin Baobao opened her mouth, they could differentiate the various layers to the song. It was an incredible piece; formidable, and was even better than the previous ‘Invisible Wings’. It requires heaven’s mandate for a newcomer to casually pull out two incredible songs.
Li Rongxing muttered, “Oh, my god.”
“This song, this song…” Hong Jingyao was shocked. “This song, this voice… it’s too stunning. It’s so pleasant. It’s a different love song.”
Huang Yuteng squeezed out a bitter smile towards the camera. “Now, I really want to know who the legendary composer is.”
“This song is very hard to sing and requires the singer’s superb control. Qin Baobao is awesome, really awesome.” Chen Xiaotong gasped. Her heart sank. This song, this love song… was too unexpected. She had no confidence that she would win Qin Baobao.
Li Zongde kept mumbling. “It’s over, it’s over.”
Why did she pop out of nowhere and disrupted everything? Why did the program committee not mention this before? She had shown two incredible songs in one shot. If he knew that it was these kinds of songs, he would definitely have prepared in advance. Now, everything might change.
“I’d rather believe that we have a promise in our past life.
“Our love story will not change in this life.
“I rather wait for the rest of my life for you to discover…
“That I have always been by your side.
“I have never gone far away.
“It’s just because I looked at the sea of people one more time.”
Qin Baobao exhaled deeply and bowed towards the audience.
There was no commotion earlier as the audience were silently engrossed in the gentle but sad music. At that moment, the crowd went wild. Countless people screamed at the top of their lungs and waved their hands enthusiastically. The audience in the first row all gave a standing ovation and screamed.
“Qin Baobao.”
“Qin Baobao.”
“Qin Baobao.”
On the stage, Qin Baobao—who had always been ashamed of her name—felt the corner of her lips twitch. It was a very subtle expression, but the professional cameraman captured it.
At this point, the live comments dropped like snow:
“Amazing, so amazing.”
“She’s amazing multiplied by one hundred and eight.”
“After listening to this song, I found out that love songs could be sung in this manner. Say no more, I’ll decisively change to a fan.”
“Who said Qin Baobao relied on connections? This song, this voice, and these lyrics… it’s formidable.”
“I have a gut feeling that this lady will become famous.”
“The song name is ‘Miracle’. Her voice is so clean, gentle, but sad. Qin Baobao is really unique. She’s amazing.”
“This is definitely not fake. Analysis completed.”
“My goddess finally appeared. From now on, I’ll only love Qin Baobao.”
“It’s a pity that ‘I am a Singer’ doesn’t show dancing with music. I really want to see Qin Baobao dance. I want to see her groove.”
“She sings really nicely. My mum came over too, really.”
“Am I the only one who noticed Qin Baobao’s expression? Hahahaha. Please forgive me for laughing.”
“Hey… look at the corner of her lips.”
“This lady also knows that her name is funny. Haha.”
“She’s too cute. I want to kiss her.”
“Lick the screen.”
The emcee—Yin Jia—went on stage and gasped. “She sang so beautifully; it’s as if we’re having a listening festival. I almost cried when I listened to her sing. It turns out love songs could be sung in this way. Thank you, Teacher Qin, for bringing us this original song ‘Miracle’. Aiyo, am I saying too much? I’m not trying to earn votes for her.”
The crowd roared in laughter.
“Then, we’ll go into the voting segment. The audience present will decide on the fate of three singers,” Yin Jia said loudly, “Hold up the voting device in your hands. Voting begins. Now, let’s all look at the screen.”
Amidst the rhythmic music, the audience present all focused on the screen. The three people’s votes kept increasing and were neck and neck. However, after a few seconds, Li Zongde’s votes started falling behind; and it became a fight between Chen Xiaotong and Qin Baobao. As the queen of the past, Chen Xiaotong was still pretty popular.
The final results were:
Li Zongde: 123 votes
Chen Xiaotong: 186 votes
Qin Baobao: 191 votes.
The crowd broke into thunderous applause.
The final person who was eliminated was Li Zongde. Qin Baobao’s votes had won Chen Xiaotong—the queen of the past—by a small margin. This result was very surprising, but upon much thinking, it was possible. Chen Xiaotong was relying on her past popularity while Qin Baobao had a non-existent fan base, but her chest was big, legs were long, and her appearance was charming.
Of course, one could not think so lowly of the audience. This is one reason, and another was because the two incredible songs—’Invisible Wings’ and ‘Miracle’—were too shocking. All these years in musical variety shows, there really was not a singer like Qin Baobao who had brought incredible originals to the stage—not even one.
In front of the television, Qin Baobao and Wang Zijin high-fived; and both of them giggled.
“Am I awesome or what?”
“You’re too awesome, my Baobao.”
“Do you worship me?”
“Worship, worship.”
“Give me a kiss.”
“Give me a kiss.”
Qin Ze looked at his sister with a hopeful gaze, but Qin Baobao pressed on his head and shoved him aside.
“Qin Baobao, are you trying to kick me to the curb after using me?” Qin Ze was a little disappointed as he did not receive his sister’s kiss.
“It’s obviously because I sang well.”
“What nonsense. Without my song, you would be shivering and crying your heart out today.”
“Cry? Qin Ze, I’ll laugh at you. I can cry, but based on my appearance and singing skills—without your song, I can still advance. I have already made a huge step, and nothing can stop me.”
“Can you leave some face for yourself? Bleh.”
Wang Zijin clapped her soft and white hands. She said delightfully, “The next show, Siblings’ Talk Show.”
“Okay, since you’ve said that, from next week’s recording onwards, don’t beg me.”
“The words I’ve said are like water that was splashed out. The company agreed to assign me a composer.”
“Qin Baobao, you can do it.”
“Hmph, Zijin, let’s go sleep and ignore this pervert.”
Qin Baobao held Wang Zijin’s hands and entered the room delightedly. She really did not expect Qin Ze to provide more songs for her. A good song could not be created at will. The program is shown once a week. How was it possible for him to compose an incredible song every week?
[1] ‘Kiss’ and ‘dear’ in Chinese are written in the same way so she was playing on the pun.