Just because I wrote "Zhu Xian," the school beauty sent me razor blades.

London, UK, the official recording studio of The Eternal Voice.

Just two days after Lin Yuan's "Ghost Blows Out the Light" caused panic among Chinese netizens with the phrase "blowing out candles in the southeast corner," the "Eternal Voice" program dropped a bombshell during its global live broadcast.

Holding the microphone, the host excitedly announced to hundreds of millions of viewers worldwide:

"In pursuit of the ultimate musical collision, this round of the elimination tournament will feature an unprecedented rule upgrade—the [Double-Person Limited Team Battle]! All contestants must pair up and perform a duet song together. The final scores will be ranked by the groups, and the bottom-ranked group will be eliminated!"

The moment this news broke, the entire internet exploded with comments!

"Holy crap?! A duet?! This show's producers really know how to stir things up!"

"If two high-pitched weirdos teamed up, wouldn't they be able to blow the recording studio roof off?!"

"Hurry! Let's see who can snag Lin the Great Demon King! Whoever teams up with Lin Yuan gets a guaranteed ticket to the finals!"

The atmosphere during the team-building lottery was as tense as it was on the eve of the Cold War.

Rock star Gabriel straightened his leather jacket, preparing to invite pop diva Christina Aguilera under the name of "hardcore rock band," but before he could even speak, Christina had already passed him like a gust of wind and stopped directly in front of Lin Yuan.

"Lin!" Christina's beautiful eyes sparkled with fervent light as she extended her hand with captivating charm. "Team up with me this time! You choose the song, you write the lyrics, and I'll absolutely obey!"

Gabriel's outstretched hand froze in mid-air, his lips twitching violently.

Lin Yuan looked at the top diva in front of him, who had tens of millions of fans worldwide, and shrugged: "Sis, it's exhausting to team up with me. I'm a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to details."

"Call me Tina!" Christina readily pulled out a chair and sat down. "I'd take any kind of hellish training! As long as you can write me a masterpiece like 'Apologize'!"

Viewers across the internet burst into laughter in the live chat as they watched the diva on TV acting as docile as an intern.

"Hahaha, Gabriel has been ignored yet again!"

"Sister, that's so true! This is what you call 'clung to the biggest thigh in the universe'!"

"Lin the Great Demon King: I was just thinking of slacking off, how did you end up delivering yourself to my doorstep?"

Two hours later, in the dedicated rehearsal room for "Eternal Sound".

Christina held the sheet music that Lin Yuan had just spent half an hour writing, and fell into a long daze.

The song title on the paper was extremely simple—"Need You Now".

"A country pop love song? A duet?" Christina looked up, her eyes full of doubt. "Lin, we're facing Gabriel, who's been belting out 16-octave high notes in the rehearsal room next door! Are you sure we're going to sing a love song that just hangs in the mid-range? Won't that be... too bland?"

"dull?"

Lin Yuan was leisurely pouring a cup of black tea when he heard this and smiled: "Tina, music isn't a fight where whoever shouts the loudest wins. What can truly pierce the soul is always the tension of emotion."

He pointed to the first verse on the sheet music: "Come on, try singing the first line."

Christina took a deep breath, adjusted her vocal placement, and showcased her diva-level skill. Her opening vocals were exceptionally full-bodied and powerfully resonant, characteristic of American vocal repertoire.

"Picture perfect memories, scattered all around the floor~"

That shout was incredibly powerful, demonstrating profound skill.

However, Lin Yuan immediately gave a stop gesture.

"Stop, stop, stop." Lin Yuan rubbed his temples, looking at her speechlessly. "Tina, the way you're singing right now doesn't sound like someone lonely missing their ex in the middle of the night. It sounds like you're holding a megaphone in Times Square, New York, announcing to the world, 'I'm going to drag my ex out of the streets!'"

"Pfft—!" The music director, who was playing the piano accompaniment, spat out a mouthful of water.

Christina blushed as well: "Then...how should I sing it? This is country pop!"

Listen carefully.

Lin Yuan walked to the microphone, reached out and turned off the main light in the rehearsal room, leaving only a dim yellow light.

He leaned down slightly and closed his eyes. In that instant, his languid demeanor vanished, replaced by an intense sense of loneliness and intoxication in the dead of night.

He began to speak softly. He didn't use any exaggerated high notes; his voice was even slightly hoarse and breathy.

"Picture perfect memories, scattered all around the floor..."

"Reachin' for the phone 'cause I can't fight it anymore..."

That voice, tinged with a hint of intoxication, a touch of self-mockery, and yet filled with boundless longing and restraint, instantly filled the dimly lit rehearsal room!

Christina was completely stunned!

She stood there blankly, goosebumps rising on her arms!

How...how is this possible?!

Without any fancy techniques or high-pitched vocals, Lin Yuan used only two sentences, extremely precise vocalizations, and breath control to instantly pull people into the scene of 1:01 a.m., drinking a little wine, surrounded by photos, and desperately missing his ex!

"This...is this your control over music?!" Christina gasped, her gaze towards Lin Yuan shifting completely from "admiration" to "worship".

In the Western music scene, people are used to using powerful high notes to tear the stage apart, but Lin Yuan used the most exquisite emotional control to give this Western diva an extremely shocking lesson!

"Do you understand?" Lin Yuan opened his eyes, his tone calm. "Don't sing with your throat, sing with the soul you have when you're drunk late at night. Come on, let's start again."

Over the next four hours, Christina experienced what true "devil training" really meant.

"Add three more breathy sounds!"

"When you sing this part, don't rush the rhythm; show some hesitation!"

"Lower your voice during harmonies, and become my background!"

Queen Christina was scolded by Lin Yuan like a primary school student who had just joined the choir, but she not only did not have any temper, but became more and more excited as she sang, her eyes shining!

A few days later, the competition for "Eternal Sound" officially began!

The competition was incredibly fierce. Gabrielle teamed up with another high-pitched female singer and delivered a powerful heavy metal rock performance. The two belted out high notes on stage, almost lifting the roof off the studio, and earned an astonishing 92 points!

"Lin Yuan and Christina's situation is in jeopardy!"

"Yeah, 'Need You Now' sounds like a love song just from the title. How could a mid-range duet possibly compete with a frenetic rock song?!"

"It seems like the Great Demon King is going to have a major setback this time!"

Amidst the online buzz and comments, the host's voice echoed throughout the venue:

"Next up, please welcome tonight's headlining duo—Lin Yuan and Christina! They'll be performing their brand new original single—'Need You Now'!"

The lights suddenly dimmed.

On the huge stage, only two dim spotlights remained, like those in a corner of a late-night bar.

Christina, dressed in a vintage black silk gown, sat on a high stool. As the soothing, slightly melancholic guitar strumming of the prelude began, the previously restless atmosphere instantly quieted down.

Christina slowly raised the microphone. This time, she didn't just deliver the message with overwhelming emotion; she absorbed Lin Yuan's teachings perfectly.

Her voice was slightly intoxicated and restrained, possessing an extreme sense of narrative:

"Picture perfect memories, scattered all around the floor..."

"It's 1:10 AM, I'm all alone, and I need you now..."

"Buzz—!"

The entire audience of two thousand felt a chill run down their spines! That voice was so captivating! It evoked that feeling of loneliness in the dead of night!

Before the audience could recover from Christina's emotions, the spotlight shone on Lin Yuan on the other side of the stage.

Lin Yuan, dressed in a casual suit, casually took the lyrics with one hand in his pocket:

"Another shot of whiskey, can't stop looking at the door..."

"Wondering if you're ever come through..."

As soon as Lin Yuan uttered his uniquely magnetic voice with a slightly husky tone, countless female audience members covered their mouths and their eyes instantly reddened!

That was the most exquisite expression of longing in a male voice! No exaggeration, no roaring, yet it etched the deep emotions of sleepless nights and drowning one's sorrows in alcohol into the very bones!

Then, the climax arrived!

The two stood up at the same time and walked towards the center of the stage.

Amidst the rousing drumbeats, Lin Yuan's lead vocals and Christina's divine harmonies intertwine perfectly!

"And I said I wouldn't call, but I lost all control and I need you now..."

"And I don't know how I can do without you, I just need you now..."

There was no roaring, no tearing apart, only the most intense collision and longing of two lonely souls in the dead of night!

The harmony between the two was like interwoven silk and strong liquor, smooth and intense, turning the entire studio into an emotional ocean that captivated thousands of people!

Backstage, Gabriel, who had been all smiles, now had his mouth agape wide enough to swallow an egg, and the water glass in his hand fell to the floor and shattered.

"This...this kind of harmonic expression...how could he control his emotions to this extent?!" Gabriel muttered to himself, utterly despairing.

As the last note faded away in the lingering echo of the guitar, Lin Yuan and Christina smiled at each other in the center of the stage and gave each other a light high five.

The scene was deathly silent for a full three seconds.

next second!

"boom--!!"

The entire audience of two thousand people rose to their feet instantly, like an erupting volcano! The frenzied applause and screams almost tore the London night sky apart!

The entire internet's bullet comments section was completely overwhelmed:

"A masterpiece! An absolute masterpiece!!!"

"I cried! After listening to this song, I immediately sent a text message to my ex, only to find I'd been blocked!"

"Lin Da Mo Wang (Lin the Demon King) has once again delivered a devastating blow! He has proven that you don't need to belt out high notes to conquer the world with music!"

"The harmonies are amazing! I'm as docile as a choir member in front of Lin Yuan, but the effect is simply unbeatable!"

The voting result was a foregone conclusion.

On the big screen, the data bar for Lin Yuan and Christina's duo soared with overwhelming force, directly breaking the record for the highest number of votes since the premiere of "Eternal Voice"!

First place: Lin Yuan & Christina (vote rate: 88.9%)!

Gabriel finished second by a huge margin, once again becoming a veritable "stepping stone for the devil".

Post-match interview area.

Numerous Western media outlets surrounded Christina:

"Ms. Christina! What was it like working with Lin Yuan on 'Need You Now'? What's your opinion of him?!"

Christina blushed slightly, making no attempt to hide her admiration for the camera:

"Lin is a musical genius! No, he's a musical devil! In the rehearsal room, he corrected all my singing techniques, and he made me understand what emotion truly means. I feel... I've completely fallen in love with his music!"

The camera then pans to Lin Yuan's face, and the reporter shoves the microphone in his face again.

"Mr. Lin! Christina says she's fallen in love with your music. What are your thoughts on that?!"

Lin Yuan, carrying his suitcase, blinked innocently at the camera: "I'm very grateful to Tina for recognizing my work. But my only thought right now is—I need to hurry up and buy the earliest flight back home, or my wife might kick me out of the house."

After saying that, under the bewildered gazes of the foreign reporters, Lin Yuan slipped into a taxi with remarkable ease and headed straight for Heathrow Airport.

The cross-border flight, which took more than ten hours, came to an end.

The next afternoon, at Lin Yuan's house.

The sun was shining brightly, and the large TV in the living room was playing highlights from last night's "Eternal Sounds," with the screen frozen on the moment Christina, her eyes sparkling with hearts, said, "I've completely fallen in love with his music."

In the living room, Gu Zhiwan was curled up on the sofa, holding a bowl of sweet fermented rice balls in her hand, watching the scene on TV, her beautiful eyebrows slightly raised.

"Click".

The door lock clicked.

Lin Yuan pushed open the door and entered, carrying a suitcase, looking travel-worn.

"Phew... I'm finally back home. It's so comfortable at home." Lin Yuan loosened his tie and took off his coat, hanging it by the door.

Gu Zhiwan slowly put down the soup bowl in her hand, glanced at him sideways with her clear eyes, and snorted coldly: "Oh, isn't this the Lin the Demon King who swept the European and American music scene and made overseas divas 'completely fall in love'? Why don't you stay in London and teach people a few more love songs? What are you doing back in this small place in China?"

As soon as Lin Yuan entered the living room, he felt a chill run down his spine.

Gu Zhiwan stood up, casually picking up the heavy mechanical keyboard and weighing it in her hand. The switches made a crisp "click-click" sound with her movement. She smiled sweetly, but her beautiful peach blossom eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Lin, you big devil, explain yourself! 'Need You Now'—'I miss you so much now'? The lyrics are quite sentimental, and it even mentions calling someone at 1:01 AM? Who have you ever called at 1:01 AM?"

Lin Yuan's eyes twitched violently as he looked at the "magic-slaying artifact" that Gu Zhiwan was holding with great force.

"Zhiwan, let me explain! That's just a typical setup for country pop love songs! It's artistic creation! It's all for winning first place!" Lin Yuan, desperate to survive, raised his hands and tentatively backed away, saying, "Let's talk this out... Put down that keyboard you're holding first. Blue switches are fun to press, but hitting someone with them really hurts your bones..."

"I can't let it go!" Gu Zhiwan snorted, taking a step forward angrily and pointing at the keyboard in her hand. "I saw you were doing quite well abroad, correcting the diva's singing while getting all the attention online. I was worried you'd get itchy fingers when you came back, so I specially prepared this keyboard to help Lin the Great Demon King loosen up! If you don't explain yourself clearly today... this keyboard will either be used as a knee pad, or you can take it and sleep on the sofa in the living room!"

"Kneeling on the keyboard is really not something you can do carelessly!" Lin Yuan couldn't help but chuckle at her coquettish and embarrassed expression. He took a step forward and pulled Gu Zhiwan into his arms, teasingly saying, "Gu, this keyboard is for typing. If you use it to torture me, that's like murdering your husband, you know?"

"Who's your husband... Stop taking advantage of me!" Gu Zhiwan's face flushed red. She punched his chest with her small hand in a show of force, but in the end, she couldn't bear to smash the keyboard at him. Instead, she obediently leaned against him.

"Okay, don't be angry anymore." Lin Yuan whispered in her ear, wrapped his arms around her waist, and chuckled softly, "The song was written for the show, but the line 'I miss you' in the whole song, during the dozen or so hours I flew back, I wrote it all based on you."

Gu Zhiwan's delicate body trembled slightly, the jealousy in her big eyes instantly melting away. She pursed her lips and muttered softly, "You pass... but if you dare look at other girls again, you're going to be holding this keyboard!"