—【I’m face-blind now. Where did the production team manage to gather so many ugly people?】
—【Is that guy named Han Shuai a mango that turned into a spirit? His chin could hold a whole pot of soy sauce…】
—【What mango? This is clearly a shoehorn face!】
—【I’m so miserable. I’m enslaved by capitalists during the day, and when I relax and watch a variety show at night, I still have to endure the aesthetic bullying from the capitalists’ ugly kids!】
—【Seeing them so confident is making me doubt my own aesthetic judgment.】
Netizens kept complaining, while fans in the audience battled with light signs.
Amid the rising and falling screams, Han Shuai felt as if he had become an international superstar, so he thrust his hips even more vigorously.
The others were not to be outdone.
Tonight’s audience for the debut finale wasn’t just made up of fans; there were also many representatives from fashion brands, music producers, and film directors.
They would offer resources based on each member’s performance.
This was also why Han Shuai had been currying favor with Shen Zhaonan.
Clutching the Shen family’s leg was equivalent to clutching the legs of brand representatives and directors.
—【Baojuan, my eyes! Male idols are forbidden from thrusting their hips!】
—【The sexual shrinkage force is maxed out!!】
—【LOL, are you all living in the Qing Dynasty? You’re freeloading on the performance and still yapping, how shameless!】
The opening dance ended.
The host took the stage to introduce the next performance—it was Qin Mu’s turn to go on.
Han Shuai ingratiatingly sidled up to Shen Zhaonan. “Second Young Master, should I tell the sound and lighting technicians not to cooperate with Qin Mu?”
Shen Zhaonan rested with his eyes closed, not even lifting his eyelids. “No need.”
“Second Young Master, you’re so kind. You have no idea, that poor kid Qin Mu demanded thirty million in breach of contract fees as soon as he opened his mouth, as if he’s never seen money in his life.”
“Quiet.” Shen Zhaonan frowned, cutting off the noisy Han Shuai.
Han Shuai was so frightened he immediately fell silent.
He knew Shen Zhaonan wasn’t being kind.
On the contrary, it was a form of contempt.
Because to him, someone like Qin Mu wasn’t worth wasting his energy on.
A closer look at Shen Zhaonan’s performance outfit would reveal that, while it appeared similar to everyone else’s, both the fabric and tailoring were high-end custom-made.
Han Shuai couldn’t help but envy him!
For a young master born with a silver spoon in his mouth to take a fancy to Qin Mu’s debut spot was actually an honor for Qin Mu.
He wanted to see how Qin Mu could still win the fans’ affection without any styling or makeup.
At that moment, the stage lights went out.
Many audience members below were discussing Qin Mu’s withdrawal from the competition.
“How foolish! He was just one step away from debuting!”
“Does Qin Mu even have the skills to debut?”
“He only has his face going for him. Withdrawing from the competition must be because he’s guilty!”
“What bad luck! I don’t want to watch his performance. I can already imagine it’ll be a disaster!”
Nearby, Qin Mu’s fans listened silently, their hearts filled with mixed emotions.
Then, the stage lights came on.
The audience members who had been gossiping immediately fell silent when they saw the stage.
So ethereal.
Compared to the explosive opening dance, the stage setup was now extremely simple.
There was only one person and one guqin.
Qin Mu wore a blue-and-white headband and a wide-sleeved robe, which blended seamlessly with his cool, detached aura.
The young man stood alone on the vast stage, accompanied only by the ancient guqin, with mist swirling around him, creating a transcendent, almost immortal feeling.
Viewers in front of their screens were also stunned.
—【A young immortal lord has descended to the mortal realm!】
—【It gives me the illusion of an ancient noble young master time-traveling to the modern era.】
—【Give the makeup artist a bonus!】
As soon as Qin Mu appeared on stage, the barrage exploded, and the number of viewers for the variety show continued to climb.
Backstage, Shen Zhaonan opened his eyes, his gaze dark and gloomy.
“Who did Qin Mu’s makeup and styling?”
Everyone panicked, shaking their heads in unison.
Usually, everyone wore similar stage outfits and similar makeup.
But now, under the hands of the makeup artist, Qin Mu’s pure and cool temperament was highlighted, as if everyone else was merely his backdrop, outshining them all.
Han Shuai’s eyes shifted, and he patiently said, “Second Young Master, have some water to calm down. Qin Mu is a good-for-nothing; only his face is worth looking at. Just wait for him to crash and burn.”
Only then did Shen Zhaonan’s expression soften.
His gaze drifted toward the direction of the stage, but his view was blocked by two people standing there.
Shen Zhaonan waved his hand, signaling his manager to clear away the people blocking his line of sight.
The manager looked a bit troubled. “Second Young Master, they’re Qin Mu’s family… they’re quite difficult to deal with.”
Just then, a girl wearing a security guard uniform was seen running back to Qin Mu’s parents, holding a brown paper bag.
Qin Mu’s mother said, “Look at you, all sweaty. Where have you been?”
The girl smiled without answering, looking mysterious.
Shen Zhaonan stared at the brown paper bag, also feeling a bit curious.
He walked over and had just uttered the word “you” when the girl turned around, her face serious as she said, “Shh! My second brother is about to perform. You, feather duster, keep quiet.”
Shen Zhaonan: “…”
Feather duster? How did he look like a feather duster!
On stage, the melodious sound of the guqin began.
One person, one instrument, as if transcending a thousand years.
Someone in the audience recognized it. “It’s ‘Butterfly Lovers.'”
Flowing like clouds and water, sorrowful and poignant.
It carried the lingering tenderness of love.
The tension and severity of resisting marriage.
The passionate grief of mourning and leaping into the grave.
The serene tranquility of transforming into butterflies together.
The overwhelming emotions were poured into every string, stirring the audience’s hearts as if they had stepped into the perspective of the characters in the song, their eyes involuntarily moistening.
As the song ended.
Qin Yiyang mysteriously opened the brown paper bag.
Dozens of butterflies spread their wings and flew toward the stage, dreamlike under the lights.
One colorful butterfly happened to land on Qin Mu’s head, so beautiful it softened hearts.
The audience, immersed in the sorrowful and poignant melody of “Butterfly Lovers,” couldn’t tear themselves away for a long time. The moment they saw the butterflies, the atmosphere reached its peak.
All the lights brightened.
The audience snapped out of their reverie, and thunderous applause erupted in the venue!
Fans chanted Qin Mu’s name in unison.
It felt less like a variety show recording and more like Qin Mu’s concert.
They never expected that someone who had always been called a talentless good-for-nothing could play the guqin so skillfully. Why hadn’t he showcased this in previous variety shows?
The barrage swept across the screen like a flood, filling the live stream.
—【Wuwuwu, the domestic entertainment industry isn’t over yet!】
—【The butterflies at the end were truly the finishing touch. What a beautiful stage!】
—【Listening to this heavenly music, my ears are cleansed! This is the standard an idol should have!】
—【Beautiful wife! Wuwu, so beautiful, so beautiful!】
—【Qin Mu, how dare you play me like this!】
—【I seriously suspect that the production team deliberately suppressed Qin Mu before, cutting out his highlight moments! Who said he was a good-for-nothing? We’ve been scammed by anti-fans!】
—【Qin Mu is so captivating and charming, completely sniping my heart! The makeup artist is amazing too. I want to poach them for my idol’s styling!】
Qin Yiyang still didn’t know she was being praised too.
Second Brother had a pair of peach blossom eyes and an aloof, ethereal aura.
To his fans, he was the moon, a rose.
A beautiful wife, a tender-hearted deity.
Thus, when Qin Yiyang was styled, the focus was on highlighting his cool elegance and celestial charm.
Looking back now, the effect was excellent.
Qin Yiyang was being modest.
This wasn’t just good—it was outstanding!
The audience chanted “Encore!” in unison.
Not only that, but the bigwigs in the audience also began a fierce battle to recruit him.
This drove Han Shuai wild with jealousy!