By the time Xie Yang woke up the next day, Qiu Xing had already gone to the meeting room for an early meeting. There was breakfast on the table and a simple and elegant dark blue suit on the sofa.
There was a note on the suit that had bold cursive calligraphy written on it: Wear this to record the program. Record it well and don’t be stupid.
Xie Yang smiled, ate breakfast and wrote a return note to Qiu Xing. Then he put on the suit and went out to do the styling for today’s recording.
At 1 p.m., the recording of the new issue of Who is the King of Songs started.
Xie Yang was seated in the guest waiting room.
There was a big screen in the waiting room so he could watch the recording of the stage. The host was speaking the opening words. A fresh meat-type singer who had previously ignored Xie Yang suddenly took the initiative to reach out and touch Xie Yang. “I’m so nervous. I’m the youngest of all the singers and it hasn’t been long since I debuted. Are you nervous? My hands are sweating.”
Xie Yang looked at the young man who only glanced at him yesterday and replied, “I’m not nervous.”
The male singer’s act was interrupted. He pretended to take a deep breath to adjust his emotions and cover up his speechlessness. He asked, “Are you really not nervous? The several seniors over there are nervous. They will draw lots in a short amount of time. I’m afraid that I will be first.”
“I’m not nervous or afraid.” Xie Yang’s face was trusting. “I believe in Teacher Ji.”
“…” The male singer realized he had found the wrong person to add some scenes with. He spoke a few words with Xie Yang before changing his partner.
The recording proceeded smoothly.
After two small processes, it finally reached the part where lots would be drawn to decide the singing order.
Before starting the draw, the host suddenly said, “In fact, this issue of Who is the King of Songs, we haven’t only invited people to sing. We also welcome a special guest to comment on the performances. Everyone, please guess who it is. The guests who get it right will get to draw lots first. Before everyone makes a guess, let me give you a hint. The special comment guest is male…”
“Wow, so cunning. There is actually a new commentator. who do you think it will be?” The fresh meat male singer continued to act.
Xie Yang glanced in the direction of the number one waiting room that contained Ji Zehui. He was waiting for the host to say Long Shuyou’s name. The big screen timely cut to the number one waiting room. At this time, the guests were discussing it. Some impatient guests urged the host to reveal more clues.
The host wasn’t in a rush. “He has won many awards and made albums for three song kings and two sing queens. He is very handsome and young. He has a good relationship with two of you—”
“Long Shuyou! It is Long Shuyou, right? He is handsome, young and powerful. He has also made an album for me!” An old singer excitedly called out Long Shuyou’s name.
The host smiled. “Congratulations to Teacher Zeng. You answered correctly!”
The old singer called Zeng Min didn’t have the joy of guessing right. She had a headache as she said, “You actually invited that boy Long Shuyou. It’s over, I’m starting to get nervous. You don’t know but his mouth is too poisonous.”
Xie Yang noticed that the moment Long Shuyou’s name was called out, Ji Zehui’s expression had frozen.
The host then addressed Ji Zehui. “I remember that Long Shuyou and Teacher Ji also cooperated not long ago. I thought that Teacher Ji would be the first to guess.”
Ji Zehui smiled awkwardly. Xie Yang covered up his smile by drinking water. Ji Zehui had worked with Long Shuyou and it was on the album Broken Cocoon. However, Long Shuyou eventually withdrew from Broken Cocoon because he couldn’t stand Ji Zehui’s voice.
Long Shuyou hadn’t mentioned this to Xie Yang and the media also didn’t report it, but Hu Biao later asked about it.
The old singer Zeng Min got the first draw but she was unlucky enough to pick the first slot. Afterwards, the guest drew one by one. It was unknown if Ji Zehui’s luck was good or bad but he actually got the last slot.
“The pressure on the last singer will be very big. You—” The fresh meat singer couldn’t hold back and went to speak to Xie Yang. Then he saw Xie Yang’s calm face and swallowed back his words. “I’m cheering for you.”
Xie Yang was polite. “Thank you, I’m also cheering for you.”
On the stage, Long Shuyou had appeared at the host’s invitation and took a seat at the commenting table.
There was a transitional speech and the first singers came up to perform.
As an old singer, Zeng Min’s strength was very good and her guest singer also matched. The two people’s cooperation was perfect and the atmosphere immediately warmed up when the song ended.
It came to the comments section and the other commentators were all boastful. Only Long Shuyou looked at the score and frowned. “No breakthrough.”
The old singer showed an expression that said ‘I knew it would be like this.’
Long Shuyou mercilessly raised all the problems exposed in the selection, adaptation and singing. Then he briefly exaggerated the singing skills of the old singer and gave some professional suggestions.
Then the old singer glanced at the host. “Believe it or not, he is actually very satisfied with my singing just now.”
The host cooperated. “I believe it. Master Long rarely praises people.”
Then the second, third, fourth and fifth singers went on stage to perform in turn.
Long Shuyou’s review became sharper and sharper. He didn’t give the singers any face at all. The fresh meat singer who talked with Xie Yang even cried due to Long Shuyou. Fortunately, after every comment, Long Shuyou would give some useful suggestions regarding the singer’s problems. This meant the atmosphere of the scene wasn’t too ugly.
Finally, it was Ji Zehui and Xie Yang’s turn to come to the stage. The host was speaking as Xie Yang left the waiting room and was led by the staff to the stage entrance to meet with Ji Zehui.
Ji Zehui’s expression was tense. After seeing Xie Yang, he gave Xie Yang some rare encouragement, telling Xie Yang to sing well. Xie Yang nodded and approached Ji Zehui. Then he suddenly lowered his voice and told Ji Zehui, “Long Shuyou was specifically invited by me.”
Ji Zehui was taken aback and then stared at Xie Yang with disbelief.
The host finished speaking and the stage lights came on. The audience cheered and the staff stepped forward to say that Xie Yang and Ji Zehui could take the stage.
Xie Yang faced Ji Zehui’s eyes and said, “Teacher Ji, I will definitely sing hard and try not to drag you down.”
Ji Zehui watched Xie Yang, forehead visibly sweating as he gripped the microphone tightly.
“Teacher Ji, Teacher Xie, it’s time to go on stage.”
Ji Zehui took a deep breath due to his emotional pressure. He gripped the microphone tightly and stepped onto the stage first. Xie Yang smiled and followed him up. The two people came to the stage and the band started to play.
The prelude of the adapted version of Angry Waves was very exciting. Xie Yang was responsible for all the A-part singing. He raised the microphone, timely joined into the accompaniment and performed as perfectly and stably as before.
The audience and guest commentators were quickly brought into the mood and emotions created by the song. Their expressions started to change with the song.
Xie Yang finished singing a verse and looked at Ji Zehui.
Ji Zehui’s brain was very chaotic as he raised the microphone out of instinct to sing. He was thinking hard and digesting Xie Yang’s words.
Long Shuyou was especially invited by Xie Yang? Xie Yang knew Long Shuyou? Wasn’t Xie Yang someone with no background in the circle?
His eyes subconsciously glanced at Long Shuyou under the stage and he noticed that Long Shuyou was frowning. Then his mind suddenly awakened.
Wrong! Xie Yang was a pure newcomer. How was it possible for him to move Long Shuyou? Xie Yang should’ve deliberately lied to stimulate him and influence his performance, so that he would show a bad appearance in front of Long Shuyou, all the audience members and the guests.
He couldn’t let Xie Yang succeed! The chorus just happened to come and Ji Zehui sang calmly. The first chorus was sung safely and Ji Zehui was relieved. The accompaniment continued. Xie Yang raised the microphone at the right time to sing the second segment, his performance still perfect.
Ji Zehui wasn’t panicked anymore. He listened to Xie Yang’s singing and inwardly sneered. A young person who didn’t know the heights and depths of the sky should be taught a lesson.
Once the second chorus arrived, Ji Zehui’s momentum suddenly became much stronger and he sang in a dazzling manner, long notes after long notes. This instantly broke the atmosphere created by the song.
Xie Yang glanced at Ji Zehui with surprise. He just stimulated Ji Zehui to disturb Ji Zehui’s emotions. He wanted to see if Ji Zehui would be able to interpret the emotions that the chorus needed to express the emotional parts. Yet had Ji Zehui gone crazy?
The audience was dragged out of the atmosphere created by the song and they all showed a stunned expression. The guest commentators were also stunned by Ji Zehui’s sudden dazzling skills and glanced at each other. Even the band couldn’t help looking at Ji Zehui who was dragging out his treble.
Ji Zehui didn’t realize it and was completely drunk on confidence.
The second chorus ended and there was a very tense interlude. The atmosphere of the song destroyed by Ji Zehui was slightly pulled back.
Finally, the last chorus came. This was the chorus of Ji Zehui and Xie Yang. Xie Yang performed normally but Ji Zehui seemed to suppress Xie Yang, amplifying his voice in a heavy manner. It was a loud and furious performance of fighting by Ji Zehui.
Long Shuyou under the stage frowned particularly fiercely.
Xie Yang tried to round out Ji Zehui’s voice so that he wouldn’t roar away the atmosphere of the song but Ji Zehui seemed unable to control his voice. He was high-key the entire way and almost roared out the last line.
Xie Yang, “…” He wanted to overturn Ji Zehui but he hadn’t expected it to be so big.
Once the song finished, the audience’s applause wasn’t warm and there were no cheers. The scene was filled with embarrassment.
The host came to the stage and looked at Ji Zehui in a confused manner. He asked implicitly, “This is a very special performance. Teacher Ji, your singing today is different from the previous rehearsal. Did you temporarily get a new idea?”
Ji Zehui felt that he performed well and replied, “It is indeed a new idea. I thought this type of singing would show more emotions.”
The host had nothing to say. After a few sentences, he handed it over to the commentators. The commentators cared about the company behind Ji Zehui and didn’t dare to criticize him, but they really didn’t know how to praise him. Thus, they only praised the adaptation.
Ji Zehui gripped his microphone.
Finally, the other commentators finished and only Long Shuyou hadn’t spoken yet. The host directed the words to Long Shuyou. Ji Zehui subconsciously straightened his back.
Long Shuyou put down the score of the adapted version of Angry Waves. “It is a very good adaptation of the song but it was sung very badly. Ji Zehui, did you just sing?”
The sentence caused silence.
Long Shuyou’s words were like a machine g*n. “A dry and tight voice, unsentimental singing, inexplicable dazzling singing, high-pitched changes and even almost breaking the sound? Xie Yang is your singing assistant and is helping you with the harmony. Why suppress his voice? The entire song seems to be split into two. Xie Yang sang Angry Waves. What were you singing? Roaring?”
Ji Zehui was angry and refuted, “Master Long Shuyou, there is no roaring. You can really joke.”
“I’m not joking.” Long Shuyou’s tone became more serious. “You wasted your voice and Xie Yang’s adaptation. Compared to the last time we met, your singing skills and emotional expression skills have declined again. I have seen your early works when you just started out. At that time, you were still very spiritual and you were full of emotions when singing. I don’t understand how you can consume yourself to this point. Ji Zehui, it is time for you to calm down and reflect on yourself.”
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