After Fu Xue finished singing, sparse applause echoed through the venue.
Fu Xue nearly failed to maintain her composure. Then came the live voting. Host Daye came on stage to lighten the mood – he was a host from Entertainment 10K Points who had been poached by Apple TV.
With his humorous banter, the atmosphere remained tolerable. But when the final voting results were announced, Fu Xue’s face turned deathly pale.
Out of five hundred voters, she received only four hundred and four votes. Previous unsuccessful challengers had garnered at least four hundred and fifty votes. This meager number felt like having her dignity trampled into the ground.
After coming offstage, her manager’s expression was equally grim. When Fu Xue got her phone and saw the online comments about her performance, she couldn’t hold back her tears anymore.
She had known coming in that she would be eliminated in the first round, and that she would be defeated in the PK.
Having been active online for so long, she had never experienced such overwhelming rejection.
The next performer after her was Hang Yingxue.
As the only domestic female singer in the original lineup, her skills were truly impressive.
Her breakthrough hit “Break Through,” which had established her peak popularity from debut, had been selected as the ending theme song for a national television drama.
Paired with the actors’ superb performances, the song could move listeners to tears the moment they heard it.
As the prelude began, that haunting, plaintive feeling immediately transported everyone into the drama’s storyline.
Following her voice, listeners unconsciously recalled the stories within stories.
Faint sobbing could be heard around the venue, almost completely overwhelming the cheerful, sweet atmosphere Fu Xue had tried to create.
The accompaniment gradually built up. Like a roller coaster climbing step by step to its highest point, it paused at the very peak.
Everyone’s Hearts caught in their throats. Even the accompaniment stopped completely, then a soprano voice that could tear through one’s Heart emerged.
Her voice was piercing, yet carried a spine-tingling quality.
It stunned everyone watching the live stream online.
Hearing it live was even more thrilling.
When the song ended, Chen Duo in the front row finally let out a relieved breath.
Beautiful to listen to, but too intense for frequent listening.
This was already the third performer finished, yet the seat beside Chen Duo remained empty.
If she had her phone, she would have sent a message to ask, but all phones had been locked in small lockers upon entry.
Was he even going to come in at all?
After the second performance ended, Host Daye returned to the stage, asking if anyone wanted to challenge.
Three-second countdown.
Chen Duo could hear people whispering below.
“How could anyone compete with that?”
“So powerful!”
“Worthy of being in the original singer lineup.”
“My Heart is still trembling.”
When the three seconds ended, no special sound effect indicating a challenge was heard.
Hang Yingxue’s smile widened slightly. With no challengers, she could go to the collective waiting area to watch the rest of the performances.
But in the unnoticed room, Gu Yanqiu had clearly pressed the button.
When Fu Xue beat him the first time, he thought it was just his slow reaction speed. But when he pressed it the second time and nothing registered, Gu Yanqiu realized someone had tampered with the button.
It seemed Apple TV had written a script for him without informing the main actor.
His male manager also noticed: “What do we do now?”
“Press for every one of them and see what happens,” Gu Yanqiu said calmly.
“That’s too risky!” the male manager responded. “The next three are all formidable opponents.”
Only three contestants remained to take the stage, all of them were headliners at major music festivals.
Dai Xinglei was a master of ethnic singing—his voice could instantly transport you to the grasslands to graze. He used to frequently appear in major galas broadcast on national media. He was, after all, a conservatory professor.
As for Bai Shan, needless to say, he was a rock madman. His live performances were like massive dance parties. While most domestic musicians tended to be restrained on shows, he would smash microphones, break guitars, kick tripods, and even dash across the stage. The stage effects were explosive, and no one wanted to perform after him. Often, it took two acts after his performance for the audience to gradually refocus. It was truly terrifying.
Then there was the international contestant Mei Kaolife. Abroad, she was a super-popular guest for opening shows. As a Black artist, her singing and dancing talents were nearly maxed out. Her vocal runs were textbook-level perfection.
Compared to these three, the earlier “Ballad Prince” and “Queen of High Notes” still seemed somewhat challengable! But these three were simply crushing.
The male manager knew that a pie not meant for their caliber would surely be hard to swallow—but he never expected it to be choking them to death. The fear he felt was unprecedented. He even considered withdrawing from the competition. The moment the thought emerged, every cell in his body seemed to agree.
“Let’s withdraw,” the male manager said.
Gu Yanqiu didn’t move.
The manager continued, “Even withdrawing would generate some buzz.” After all, whether he performed or not, he’d be criticized. Not performing would get him labeled a coward, but performing might get him mocked right out of the entertainment industry. Between the two, withdrawing actually seemed like the better option.
Gu Yanqiu said, “I don’t want to cause trouble for others.” Before coming, he had clung to a sliver of hope for a comeback. But his performance here had crushed even that tiny hope. Without hope, under immense pressure, one could truly break down.
Yet Gu Yanqiu held on. Perhaps this was the best stage he would ever get in his lifetime… How could a king of singing and dancing from a talent show lack ambition? Unfortunately, this wasn’t his era. There were no idol stages left for him now—even returning idols were being worn down on variety shows, let alone someone like him who never quite made it. As for his dream of holding a concert, it would end here today.
Though he appeared calmer than his manager, it was only on the surface.
After Hang Yingxue, it was Dai Xinglei’s turn. Gu Yanqiu didn’t register any of it.
Bai Shan clearly wanted the closing spot and refused to go onstage. But after some discussion with the production team, he finally took the stage. The atmosphere exploded, instantly turning into a music festival.
Finally, Mei Kaolife appeared.
She was the black pearl of the stage. With highlighter on her face, she was breathtakingly beautiful. While domestic audiences sometimes struggled to appreciate certain foreign features, Mei Kaolife unified everyone’s aesthetic standards. She was genuinely stunning, radiating charisma onstage.
She performed a classic song from a foreign film that had screened domestically thirty years ago. Back then, tickets cost fifty cents, yet it grossed a hundred million, becoming the highest-grossing foreign film. The song had been covered by many domestic artists over the years.
Even those who hadn’t seen the movie knew the music.
As the familiar melody began, accompanied by Mei Kaolife’s rich, powerful voice, the live comments went wild.
“This is the real deal.”
“Her voice is like rich chocolate—aromatic, smooth. Pure bliss.”
“This season of ‘I Am a Singer,’ she’s definitely going to make it to the end.”
“Upstairs, be bolder. It’s not just making it to the end. She might even become the king of singers.”
After hearing her sing, it instantly cleared out all the previous performances with one click.
Forgot what the earlier singers had performed. Even though I was blown away by the previous singers too.
As soon as she finished, before the host Daye could come on stage, there was a loud bang, golden light burst out, accompanied by a sound like a heavy drumbeat.
Everyone present was stunned.
What is this…
The host Daye came on stage and said, “For pure milk, we drink organic milk. Just now… Gu Yanqiu challenged Mei Kaolife. Oh, this is really exciting.”
Following the host’s words, the bullet comments exploded with criticism.