After being dumped by the diva, I was picked up by her arch-enemy.

The guitar strings are plucked.

Zhang Hao's voice betrayed obvious nervousness.

The performance ended in less than five minutes.

On the judges' panel, Chen Yaohua was the first to pick up the microphone.

He leaned back in his chair, his brow furrowed.

"Your guitar skills are decent."

"But his breath control was too shallow, and he was shouting the high notes."

"Your skill level isn't even good enough to get into the preliminary rounds."

"Unqualified".

Zhang Hao's face turned pale instantly.

Zhang Xiangjun gently shook his head.

"The emotions were genuine, but the technique was definitely lacking."

"Feel sorry."

The camera focuses on Lin Qinghe in the center.

Her expression was cool and her tone was steady.

"The song choice is not suitable for your voice; there are two obvious off-key notes in the verse."

Keep up the good work.

Three red lights came on.

Zhang Hao, his face deathly pale, bowed deeply and left the stage dejectedly.

The atmosphere in the waiting room instantly became tense.

The young contestants looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Aren't these judges too strict?"

The next half hour was a complete disaster.

Four contestants went up in succession.

completely annihilated.

The highest-ranking candidate only received one vote.

The air in the studio became oppressive.

Just then, the assistant director pushed open the door to the waiting room.

"Li Ziyan, get ready to go on stage."

Li Ziyan stood up and straightened his sequined jacket.

He nodded slightly to the contestants around him and strode confidently toward the passageway leading to the stage.

The spotlight shone on the center of the stage.

The accompaniment begins, a very rhythmic English dance song.

Li Ziyan's performance was indeed very stable, combining singing and dancing with excellent breath control.

With her exquisite face, she instantly ignited the atmosphere.

The female audience members screamed repeatedly.

The three-minute performance ended.

Li Ziyan, slightly out of breath, struck a cool ending pose.

On the judges' panel.

Chen Yaohua nodded with a smile.

"That's great. It's rare to see young people these days combining singing and dancing so well."

"I'll approve it for you."

Zhang Xiangjun also gave a positive evaluation.

"You have a strong stage presence and are a mature artist. I look forward to your future performances."

The camera cuts to Lin Qinghe.

Her expression remained aloof, and she simply said something indifferent.

"Your breathing could be a little more steady."

Then, she pressed the green button in front of her.

It passed with three votes.

Li Ziyan bowed deeply in gratitude, his face beaming with excitement, and then stepped off the stage.

At this moment, the live stream chat was completely filled with Li Ziyan's fans.

"Ziyan is so handsome! He's an all-around idol!"

"With that skill and that looks, he's definitely this year's champion!"

"All three votes passed! Well deserved!"

In a small Western-style building in the center of Shanghai.

Gu Ruanxing sat cross-legged on the sofa, watching the barrage of comments scrolling across the TV screen, and pursed her lips.

She grabbed a potato chip and stuffed it into her mouth, chewing it with a crunching sound.

"What kind of all-around idol is this? I can't even remember the tune of this song after listening to it. It's completely forgettable."

In the studio.

The match continued.

The next few contestants performed poorly and were all eliminated without exception.

The atmosphere at the scene became somewhat somber again.

Just then.

The assistant director pushed open the door to the waiting room.

"Jiang Yichen, get ready to go on stage."

Jiang Yichen stood up and straightened his black suit jacket.

He pushed open the door and walked along the passageway toward the stage.

The lights in the studio dimmed.

Only one spotlight shines on the standing microphone in the center of the stage.

Jiang Yichen stepped out of the passage and onto the stage.

On the big screen, a close-up of his face appeared instantly.

The audience, who had been somewhat drowsy, instantly perked up.

The comments section in the live stream also reacted enthusiastically.

"Holy crap! Who's this guy? He's incredibly good-looking!"

"With looks like that, she could debut right here and star in an idol drama!"

"He looks so elegant in a suit, he's totally my type!"

"Three minutes. I need all the information on this man!"

On the judges' panel.

Zhang Xiangjun looked at Jiang Yichen as he walked onto the stage, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes.

This young man's physical appearance is truly impeccable.

Chen Yaohua narrowed his eyes slightly.

Jiang Yichen.

This is the kid Chen Yu had him eliminate.

He scoffed inwardly.

What's the use of being good-looking? On this stage, you still have to listen to my word.

The camera focuses on Lin Qinghe in the center.

The moment Lin Qinghe saw Jiang Yichen walk onto the stage, her hand on the table trembled slightly.

My fingertips turned white instantly.

A complex mix of emotions flashed across that aloof and stunningly beautiful face.

She looked at the tall, upright man in a black suit on the stage.

Jiang Yichen now is almost a completely different person from a few days ago.

That composure and calmness that emanated from his very bones felt completely foreign to her.

Jiang Yichen stood in front of the microphone.

His gaze swept calmly across the judges' panel.

His gaze lingered on Lin Qinghe's face for less than a second before naturally moving away.

"Hello, judges and audience."

"I am contestant Jiang Yichen."

"I'll be performing an original song, 'Red-Clad Lament'."

The whole place fell silent.

The accompaniment flowed out slowly.

As soon as the intro started, Zhang Xiangjun's eyes lit up.

This arrangement.

The interplay of the flute and erhu carries a rich classical charm, yet perfectly blends with the rhythm of modern pop music.

The prelude alone captivated everyone's ears.

Jiang Yichen closed his eyes and gripped the microphone with both hands.

A clear and bright voice echoed in the studio.

"As the play unfolds, the water sleeves rise and fall—"

"Singing of joys and sorrows, of partings and reunions, it has nothing to do with me—"

"The fan opens and closes, the gongs and drums sound and then fall silent—"

"The emotions within the play, the people outside the play, who can say—"

In the verses, his voice was deep and melodious, carrying a sense of worldly wisdom and vicissitude.

The audience held their breath.

That singing ability, that emotional impact.

They completely crushed all the previous contestants.

The chat was flooded with comments.

"My God, I'm speechless!"

"That voice is amazing! It gave me goosebumps!"

"These lyrics are so evocative!"

On the judges' panel.

Lin Qinghe stared blankly at Jiang Yichen on the stage.

Is this really a song he wrote?

Jiang Yichen, whom she considered to have no talent and only capable of writing mediocre tunes?

Her heart was pounding uncontrollably.

On stage, the lights suddenly changed.

A beam of red light shone on Jiang Yichen.

The chorus begins.

Jiang Yichen suddenly opened his eyes.

The originally clear pop singing style was instantly switched to a highly penetrating operatic style.

"The audience walked by, their faces no longer visible—"

"On stage, someone sings a heartbreaking farewell song—"

"The word 'love' is hard to write, she sings it with blood—"

"The curtain rises, the curtain falls, who are the guests—"

The opera singing began.

The entire studio erupted in cheers!

It was a shock that struck straight to the soul.

Sad, tragic, and desolate.

The perfect transition between true and falsetto voices seamlessly combines the charm of traditional opera with the dynamism of pop music.

Zhang Xiangjun was so excited that he stood up abruptly.

The online live streaming industry has exploded.

"Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap! That's Peking opera singing!"

"It's like it's been blown off my head! What kind of divine song is this?!"

"Adding traditional opera to pop songs can actually make them sound so good!"

Inside the small Western-style building.

Gu Ruanxing excitedly tossed the can of potato chips aside, tilted her head back, and looked incredibly proud and smug.

"Hmph, of course my people are powerful!"