Taking Liu Yifei back to Northeast China for the Chinese New Year has sent the entire internet into

in the dark.

The giant LED screen in the center of the stage slowly lit up.

Against a pure black background, a line of white Song typeface characters emerged.

[Track: The King and the Beggar]

A murmur of discussion immediately arose from the audience.

strangeness.

No one had ever heard of this name.

It's not a classic song that's been around for years, nor is it some hidden gem; it's a brand new work that's never been released before!

The next second, a second line of information popped up.

Lyrics by Fang Yu

The commotion in the audience noticeably increased.

Before anyone could react, the third and fourth lines appeared one after another.

[Composer: Fang Yu]

[Arrangement: Fang Yu]

Three lines of information.

The same name appeared three times.

Lyrics, music, and arrangement—all by Fang Yu!

From the core framework of a song to the flesh and blood filling it, and finally to the complete appearance, he completed it all by himself!

This isn't someone who's here to help out with a song.

It's clear that both the person and the work have taken over Hua Yu's life-or-death situation!

in the audience.

Zhao Jiajia's eyes widened, and she subconsciously turned to look at Lin Xiao.

Lin Xiao was also looking at her, her face full of astonishment.

Before they came, the two of them had considered countless possibilities in their dormitory.

Singing "Mohe Dance Hall," using emotion to command the atmosphere.

Singing Hua Yu's signature song, she turned the tables with a glamorous stage performance.

Alternatively, the two could collaborate on a new song, each contributing half of the creative weight.

But they never expected that Fang Yu would take on the entire song from beginning to end!

"this……"

Lin Xiao's lips moved, but she couldn't say anything more.

As a die-hard fan, she knew better than anyone how arrogant and proud Hua Yu usually was.

How could someone like that completely entrust their fate to another person in a life-or-death battle that determines whether they stay or leave?

But the three lines of names on the screen don't lie.

Hua Yu really did pay.

Moreover, the handover was thorough.

Zhao Jiajia's heart was beating faster and faster.

Pride, excitement, and a touch of trepidation mixed in.

Brother Yu has really gone too far this time!

If Hua Yu loses, he'll have to take the lion's share of the blame!

The back row of the audience seats.

Zhou Yiming, a well-known music critic and blogger in the industry, unconsciously tapped his fingers heavily twice on his notebook.

Staring at the three lines of information on the screen, he even paused for a moment.

He'd seen too many collaborative competitions in music variety shows.

Hiring big names to sing with is nothing more than trying to gain popularity and secure a stable career.

Even if they want to show off their skills, they'll just take classic old songs and do some crazy remixes.

After all, a familiar melody is a ready-made safety net; the audience has memories of it, and the judges have something to refer to.

But in a do-or-die situation, would you directly confront a completely new and original work head-on?

I've only ever seen Zhou Yiming in those amazing music variety shows from ten years ago!

He took out a pen and wrote the following sentence in his notebook.

"It's either a divine coronation or a complete disaster; there's no third possibility."

The entire audience held their breath in anticipation.

"Snapped!"

The spotlights on both sides of the stage suddenly came down.

Two beams of light, one on the left and one on the right, landed in the center of the stage.

The elevator emitted a low hum, and two figures slowly rose up.

On the left is Fang Yu.

He wore a sharply tailored black velvet suit with no extra accessories.

The collar was slightly open, and the silver cufflinks on the cuffs reflected a cool light. The velvet fabric shimmered with a dull luster under the spotlight.

He casually put his hands in his trouser pockets and calmly swept his gaze across the audience.

Relaxed, at ease.

Hua Yu on the right, however, represents the other extreme.

He was wearing an oversized off-white sweater with distressed and frayed details at the hem and cuffs, and loose-fitting light-colored ripped jeans.

My carefully styled hair is gone.

Her flaxen hair fell loosely, obscuring her eyes.

He lowered his head, clutching the hem of his clothes with both hands, shrinking into the beam of light.

Vulnerable and helpless.

The moment the two stepped onto the stage, the theme of the performance was already laid bare before all the audience.

"Oh My God……"

Zhao Jiajia raised her hand to cover her mouth.

She understood; it turned out that "The King and the Beggar" was more than just a song title.

It's still just the two of them playing roles on this stage.

The key is--

Their roles are the complete opposite of reality!

Fang Yu, who usually wears a military overcoat, carries urea bags, and drives a tractor, has no idol image to maintain.

Tonight, he is a cold and profound king.

Normally, Hua Yu is always dressed in high-end luxury, with flawless makeup and styling, and always making a grand entrance.

Tonight, he is a beggar fallen into the dust.

This extreme contrast left not only Zhao Jiajia speechless!

The two thousand audience members present all got goosebumps!

Inside the studio.

There were no impressive sound effects or spectacular stage design.

An extremely clean piano prelude fell drop by drop in absolute silence.

The stage was instantly stripped bare, leaving it completely empty.

All eyes were focused on Hua Yu on the right.

He slowly raised his head, and the spotlight illuminated half of his face.

That face, which usually carries a sophisticated makeup look and an aloof air, was only wearing very light makeup tonight, almost like she was bare-faced.

Without the carefully designed highlights and shadows, his face appeared somewhat pale under the cold white light.

Hua Yu raised the microphone, her fingertips trembling slightly.

He closed his eyes and sang the first line.

"What's wrong? What's wrong?"

"A love has lost its luster."

"Face to face, back to back."

"No matter how much I struggle, it hurts."

His voice was slightly hoarse.

There was no deliberate showing off of skills, nor any exaggerated treatment.

Every note transition was tinged with a cautious, tentative approach.

It's like someone who, knowing they can't get anything back, still can't help but keep asking.

What happened?

When did everything change?

In the players' lounge.

Peng Jiahui and Ding Dang, who had just finished their performance, stood side by side, their relaxed backs instantly straightening.

"This song..."

After listening to a few words, Ding Dang frowned.

"It was written specifically for Hua Yu."

Peng Jiahui nodded.

Her gaze remained fixed on Hua Yu on the screen.

As veterans who have been in the music industry for over a decade, they immediately understood the value of this song.

The vocal range, pronunciation, breath control, and even the slight whimper when taking a breath perfectly matched Hua Yu's voice.

Hua Yu's singing skills have always been quite good.

But his past performances always gave people a feeling of being "pretentious".

There are many techniques, but emotions are hidden behind them.

It's gorgeous, but not authentic.

But tonight, everything has changed.

In "The King and the Beggar," the techniques and designs that envelop him are peeling away layer by layer.

In the end, all that's left is emotion.

on the stage.

Hua Yu's mood continued to sink.

"I thought love was as strong as a rock."

"Who knew it would shatter in a second."

"Does heartache have to be constantly polished?"

The vocal design in this section is quite unique.

The characters seem to be deliberately separated.

Two words, two words, squeezed out little by little.

Resentment, pain, and an uncontrollable trembling piled up layer by layer.

When she sang the last word "磨" (mo, meaning to grind or polish), Hua Yu's eyelashes trembled slightly.

The final note dissipated.

He lowered his hand holding the microphone and took half a step back.

It felt like those few lyrics had drained all my energy.

Hua Yu has finished singing the first part.

Only a few lonely piano notes remained on the stage, suspended in mid-air.

The entire audience of two thousand people was completely silent.

Even their breathing became unconsciously softer.

The beggar has sung the full story of his loss and destitution.

So—what about the king?

All eyes involuntarily turned to the left side of the stage.

Under the beam of light.

Fang Yu finally moved.

He slowly pulled his right hand out of his pocket, casually placing his fingertips on the microphone stand.

He turned his head slightly and glanced at the dejected "beggar" next to him.

There was no sympathy in that look, nor any condescending pity.

Only after experiencing everything can one retain a touch of warm tranquility.

Fang Yu gripped the microphone and finally spoke.

"Holding you tight, I am richer than a king."

"How happy I was."