novelraw Chapter 50 is about to begin.
Chapter 50 is about to begin.
In the dormitory, Tang Yuan was lying on his bed scrolling through his phone when he suddenly sat up abruptly.
"This is insane!" he muttered as he walked, holding up his phone. "Ming-ge is absolutely insane! Look at that mess! Is he even human?! I'm seriously speechless!!!"
Zhou Xu sat at his desk, slowly flipping through his notebook without even looking up:
"Relax, relax, haven't you gotten used to it after all these days?"
"This isn't a matter of getting used to it or not, I'm telling you, this is definitely not human anymore..." Tang Yuan turned his head and saw Zhou Xu packing his things. He stared in disbelief and asked, "What are you packing your things for?"
Zhou Xu stood up, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and smiled slightly:
"I went to the music room to write songs; I've been getting some inspiration lately."
Tang Yuan's mouth slowly opened wide enough to fit an egg.
"Damn it!" he wailed. "Zhou Xu, you bespectacled guy with thick eyebrows and big eyes, you're going to betray the organization too!"
Zhou Xu didn't say anything, just waved at him and turned to leave.
As he reached the door, he slightly turned his head and uttered a sentence:
"Whether you come or not is up to you."
Then he disappeared outside the door.
Tang Yuan stood frozen in place, staring at the open door, his face filled with shock at being betrayed.
Three seconds later.
"Wait for me!!"
He grabbed his schoolbag and scrambled out of the room.
Just as Jiang Yi's classmates were enthusiastically participating in the project under Chen Ming's guidance, the outside world was also quietly changing.
The various channels for "Chinese Singers" have successively completed the selection of participants.
Major record companies have begun to officially announce the list of contestants they have submitted.
The first company to trend on social media was Tingxian Entertainment.
[Tingxian Entertainment: Congratulations to @ShenYuewan and @TaoYe for qualifying for the main competition of "China's Top Singers"! We look forward to seeing you shine on a bigger stage!]
Shen Yuewan.
This name is familiar to many people.
In the May newcomer rankings, she took first place with her original song "Phantom Day". Although she only stayed for less than a day before being pushed down by Chen Ming, her ability to write and sing has already been recognized both inside and outside the industry.
Following that, StarTraces Entertainment also made an official announcement.
As for Tao Ye, this name had no prior works; all that was known was that he was a trainee who had returned from training abroad for ten years.
[StarTraces Entertainment: Congratulations to @SunHong for qualifying for the main competition of "China's Top Singers"! A young man with dreams, living up to his youth!]
Sun Hong.
Another familiar face on the May newcomer list, her song "Summer Night Breeze" was overtaken by Chen Ming, but the fact that she could fight with Shen Yuewan for so long shows that her strength is definitely not bad.
Mohai Records followed suit and officially announced the relationship of a girl named Su Qian.
Many people may not be familiar with this name, but she has quite a background. She is said to be a trainee who has been secretly trained by Mo Hai for three years. She is good at singing and dancing and has a striking appearance. As soon as the official poster was released, the comment section exploded.
[Such good looks! Such charisma! I'm in love!]
[What trump card has Mo Hai kept hidden for three years?]
I heard she's an amazing dancer too, a true all-rounder!
But what truly ignited the entire internet were two other pieces of news.
StarTraces Entertainment also officially announced the addition of another person, Zhou Zihan.
Many people know this name from TV dramas. Last year, he played the second male lead in a hit historical romance drama, which gained him a large number of fans.
But here's the problem: he's an actor!
Wait a minute? Isn't Zhou Zihan an actress? Why is she participating in a singing competition?
[He sings really well, okay? I've seen him on variety shows, and he sang quite well.]
But this is "China's Top Singers"! It's a national team selection! What are actors doing here?
[He meets the rules; he's a new singer who debuted less than a year ago... He's acted before, but he hasn't released any songs.]
This is definitely a bug!
Even more outrageous moves were yet to come.
Mohai Records also officially announced another Lin Yuxin.
This name came from a talent show.
Last year, she was stuck in the finals of a girl group talent show. Due to unforeseen circumstances, she did not participate in the finals and ultimately did not debut as a member of the group, but she accumulated a large number of fans.
She also meets the criteria: she has been in the industry for less than a year and has not released a formal album.
Wow, is this season of "Chinese Singer" going to collect all the hidden gems from various platforms?
[Zhou Zihan + Lin Yuxin, the sheer amount of buzz they generate is terrifying]
With them around, how can those amateur players compete?
[Speaking of the Brilliant Galaxy, isn't there going to be an official announcement? Are you just letting Chen Ming do it all by himself?]
It seems there hasn't been an official announcement regarding anyone other than Chen Ming.
Don't underestimate my brother Ming just because he's only been in the industry for a short time; his talent is undeniable!
During the discussion, someone suddenly asked:
"So, what's Chen Ming been up to lately? Is he practicing singing every day in preparation for the competition?"
The comment section was silent for a second.
Then, a netizen with the ID "Jiang Yi is studying" appeared:
"Chen Ming? He's busy auditing classes every day."
【？？？？？】
[Sit in on classes? What do you mean by sitting in on classes?]
What does this mean?
It's exactly what it sounds like: after finishing their own classes, they'd audit other classes—rock, folk, traditional Chinese style—whatever they could find.
Netizens were completely dumbfounded.
【？？？？？】
[The competition is in a month, and he's still busy with classes?]
Wow, what kind of course is so amazing?
Is he genuinely not nervous, or is he just pretending?
[They're already so famous, yet they're still working so hard, I'm crying.]
[Chen Ming: The competition? Let me finish my class first.]
[Other players: We're preparing! Chen Ming: I'm in class.]
[While his studies are fine, can the current university curriculum really teach Chen Ming? Shouldn't he be practicing singing and writing songs more?]
After this comment was posted, the comment section fell silent.
Then, someone started to chime in:
To be honest... I wanted to ask that too.
[Yeah, with Chen Ming's level, what can he possibly learn in class?]
University courses teach the basics; Chen Ming probably doesn't need those basics anymore.
Isn't he being a little too superstitious about attending classes?
It's not really superstition, maybe it's just a habit?
[But the problem is, "Chinese Singing Champion" is coming up in a month! So many amazing singers!]
While other players are frantically preparing for the competition, he's frantically attending classes... I honestly don't understand this.
Could it be... that he's become complacent?
[Slacking off? He attends so many classes every day, is that considered slacking off?]
It's not about being lazy, it's a fundamental problem! Going to class when you should be practicing singing, isn't that just being lazy?
That makes sense... Although I'm working hard, I'm putting my efforts in the wrong direction.
[Yeah, can you produce a champion just by teaching a class?]
Some people have also tried to explain:
What if they're just looking for inspiration?
Finding inspiration doesn't require attending classes every day...
[Perhaps Chen Ming has his own pace?]
[Rhythm is rhythm, competition is competition; this is "China's Top Singers"!]
The comments section fell into a subtle state of confusion.
You might say Chen Ming is slacking off, but he's clearly putting in a lot of effort in class.
If we say Chen Ming is hardworking, then his efforts seem to be in the wrong direction.
Netizens racked their brains but still couldn't figure out what Chen Ming was thinking.
Meanwhile, Tingxian Entertainment Company.
In Shen Yuewan's dressing room, the lighting was soft, and there was a half-finished cup of milk tea on the table.
Shen Yuewan herself was nestled on the sofa, resting her chin on her left hand, scrolling the mouse with her right hand, and staring at the screen.
The screen displayed the discussion thread about Chen Ming.
"Class begins..." she muttered softly, her brows furrowing slightly.
Today she wore a loose beige sweatshirt, her long hair was casually tied into a low ponytail, and she looked soft and fluffy, like a lazy cat.
But her eyes were very serious.
Chen Ming.
She knew that name all too well.
She thought she had it in the top spot on the May newcomer chart, but this person suddenly appeared with a song called "Big City, Small Love" and snatched the number one spot away.
Later, he wrote "Listening to the Sea" for Lin Wei, and then published "Special Person" to retaliate against Qiu Xuan and Lin Peikun.
She followed the battle from beginning to end, and was completely dumbfounded.
Now, they're going to share the stage.
In the main competition of "China's Top Singers", there are 72 contestants, and she and he will be standing there.
Shen Yuewan put down the mouse, picked up the milk tea with both hands, and took a sip.
She chewed the pearl slowly in her mouth, and her thoughts began to wander.
Attend class?
Chen Ming is currently in class?
She tilted her head, somewhat puzzled.
Given Chen Ming's abilities, what else can university courses really teach him?
If it were her, she would definitely be practicing singing, breathing exercises, studying her opponents, and preparing songs at this time.
But he was in class.
What kind of operation is this?
Shen Yuewan took another sip of milk tea, chewing on the tapioca pearls, her brows furrowing even more.
"I don't understand..." she muttered softly, "Never mind, I don't want to think about it anymore."
She put down her milk tea, sat up straight, and clenched her fist in front of the mirror.
The little girl in the mirror had bright eyes and a serious expression on her face.
"Whatever he's doing! Anyway, I've made tremendous progress lately! Super, super much!"
She counted on her fingers:
"Your breath control is steady, you can hit the high notes, your transitions are smooth, and there's more—"
She paused, then said in a slightly embarrassed voice:
"I think... I have a 20% chance of beating Chen Ming!"
After she finished speaking, she laughed first.
Two percent.
It's a bit embarrassing to say this number, since it's probably unlikely, but she's serious.
That's Chen Ming, after all.
She felt quite accomplished if there was even a 20% chance of success.
Just then, the door to the lounge was pushed open.
Agent Zhou walked in, beaming with joy and walking with a confident stride.
"Oh, Wan'er!" she exclaimed as she entered, her voice filled with excitement. "I have something to tell you!"
Shen Yuewan looked up: "What's wrong, Sister Zhou?"
Sister Zhou plopped down next to her, her eyes shining brightly:
"Haven't you always wanted to defeat Chen Ming? I feel like this opportunity has come!"
Shen Yuewan blinked: "Huh?"
Sister Zhou took out her phone, found the post, and handed it to her:
"Look! Chen Ming goes to class every day now! He doesn't practice singing! He's definitely slacking off!"
She became more and more excited as she spoke: "He's slacking off, we're working hard! That's the tide! This time our chances of winning are extremely high! Extremely high, you understand?!"
Shen Yuewan looked at Sister Zhou's face, which was flushed with excitement, and remained silent for two seconds.
Then she silently rolled her eyes.
The eye roll was light and slow, carrying a sense of inexplicable helplessness.
She knew it.
"Sister Zhou," she said, her voice soft but her tone earnest.
"Um?"
I'm begging you.
Sister Zhou was stunned: "What are you asking me for?"
Shen Yuewan pointed to her phone screen: "Seriously, let's not open the champagne prematurely. Last time you said 'it's a sure thing,' and what happened?"
Sister Zhou's expression froze for a moment.
Shen Yuewan continued, "Although they weren't practicing singing, they were genuinely attending classes and studying. Since when does studying become considered slacking off?"
She sighed:
"Furthermore, Sister Zhou, think about what made Chen Ming famous? It was his songs. How were his songs written?"
"I've done some research. His first song was sung in class. The song he wrote for Lin Wei, 'Listen to the Sea,' and his 'Special Person' were most likely also created during his school days."
She looked at Sister Zhou, her eyes revealing a clarity beyond her years: "So, maybe he's just looking for inspiration during class."
That's really what she thinks.
Because she is also a music creator herself.
As a creator, everyone gets inspiration in different ways.
For example, she gets her inspiration by eating delicious food.
Perhaps Chen Ming gets his inspiration from attending classes.
Otherwise, why would Chen Ming still go to class every day so close to the competition?
She felt that Chen Ming wouldn't be the kind of person who couldn't distinguish between what's important and what's not.
Sister Zhou fell silent.
Shen Yuewan patted her hand, her tone carrying a hint of comfort:
"I know you mean well, but please don't let netizens influence you. They're always making things up, and we can't let them lead us astray."
Sister Zhou remained silent for a long time.
Then, she took a deep breath and forced a smile:
"It's alright, Wan'er! We have the advantage!"
Shen Yuewan: "..."
She looked at Sister Zhou's face, which seemed to say, "I don't care, I'm going to open the champagne," and sighed silently.
Sister Zhou is beyond saving.
It's completely hopeless.
She nestled back into the sofa, picked up her milk tea, and took a big sip.
Pearl chewed in her mouth.
Forget it.
She thought that no matter what Chen Ming was doing, she just needed to do her best.
Even a 20% chance is still a chance!
What if!
She looked in the mirror and clenched her fist again.
The little girl in the mirror has bright eyes.
Outside the window, the night was deepening.
The lighting in Shen Yuewan's dressing room remained soft.
The evening breeze in May blew in through the cracks in the window, carrying a hint of coolness.
She suddenly remembered the feeling she had during the May newcomer rankings, watching Chen Ming's votes soar from eleventh to first place.
Surprise, resentment, and a little bit of admiration.
That person is truly strong.
But it's different now.
She has become stronger too.
The progress has been enormous.
and so……
Shen Yuewan gently clenched her fist as she looked out at the night sky.
"Wait for me, Chen Ming."
"This time, I'm going to fight you fair and square."
She finished speaking and then laughed sheepishly.
After laughing, he made a "V" sign at the window.
Then she turned around and ran off to practice singing with light steps.
The door to the lounge was closed, but the lights were still on.
The city outside the window is ablaze with lights.
And the real show is about to begin.