Chapter 39: The Show is Ruined
After being helped back to the waiting area, Cheng Yue was met with the confused and puzzled expressions of the others.
This shouldn’t be!
Even if Cheng Yue wasn’t very famous, she was still a singer who had performed on many stages. How could she not sing a single word on stage?!
This was even more shocking than singing out of tune on stage.
Singing out of tune just meant your singing skills were not good enough. You could still make a comeback in the next performance. But not singing a single word… that was a bit too outrageous.
This could only mean that the singer’s mental fortitude was not up to par. She could no longer remain calm on stage, let alone enjoy the performance and resonate with the audience emotionally.
The other singers looked at Cheng Yue with strange expressions, even suspecting that she had been hexed by someone.
And Cheng Yue herself was already in a daze and in fear. She didn’t dare to think about the consequences of her performance on stage. The mere thought of it made her feel like she was about to collapse.
Her fingers fiercely tugged at her hair. She sat on the sofa, sobbing softly.
The others didn’t go to comfort her. After all, it was not appropriate for them to say anything now. They could only let her vent by herself first.
Chi Xiasheng, who was dazing off on the side, looked at her and just lowered his eyes, stirring the steaming coffee in front of him with a spoon.
He hadn’t done anything to her. He had just given her a psychological suggestion when they were talking.
But a merman’s psychological suggestion was much stronger than an ordinary human’s. It was normal for her to panic.
But if her mental fortitude was high enough, and she was confident enough in her own strength, this suggestion would be like a mosquito bite, with almost no effect.
Unfortunately, Cheng Yue was not a person with a firm belief.
After seeing the shocking effect of Chi Xiasheng’s singing, she was shocked, and the pressure continued to accumulate. She worried that the audience wouldn’t like her song, that she would be compared to Chi Xiasheng, that she would not perform well on the spot… and so on.
All the small problems eventually turned into heavy shackles that bound her, ultimately leading to the complete explosion of her mentality.
Coupled with Chi Xiasheng’s previous suggestion, she had subconsciously believed that she was unable to sing, so she had let this result happen.
Chi Xiasheng didn’t feel any sympathy for her. He closed his eyes and took a nap, waiting for the competition to end.
While the next two singers were singing, the trending topics online had already started to ferment rapidly.
The two people with the highest discussion rate were Chi Xiasheng and Cheng Yue.
Chi Xiasheng’s singing video had already topped the charts on various apps, and countless netizens were lost in his voice, unable to extricate themselves.
Some netizens even hoped that he would immediately record a clear version. After all, the sound quality of the stage version was not stable, and there was even a line of lyrics that was not recorded, which made the netizens feel extremely frustrated!
After looping it a few times, the netizens even started a topic called #BeggingChiXiashengToStopActing.
[A lost pearl in the singer circle, please stop acting and just sing, okay?]
[Quickly sing another song! Don’t waste your talent!]
[I reasonably suspect that Chi Xiasheng is really in love with acting, which is why he’s so determined to go into a field he’s not good at.]
The netizens’ words were sincere. Some people even directly sent a private message to Chi Xiasheng’s agent, saying that if he continued to force him to act, they would jointly boycott him as his agent!
Li Ge saw the netizens’ genuine feelings and the rapidly increasing number of followers on Chi Xiasheng’s Weibo. He was in a daze and couldn’t believe it…
The artist I’m managing, he’s really famous now!
And for Cheng Yue, who was also on the trending topics, the netizens’ comments were much sharper:
[I feel that Cheng Yue’s mental pressure is too great. She’s no longer suitable to perform on stage.]
[What’s going on? I saw her trembling with fear when she went on stage. Did something happen?]
The netizens’ gossip was also very powerful. For a melon they hadn’t eaten properly, they would definitely use all their skills to find out what had happened.
Just as the netizens were digging deep, the competition also came to an end.
All the singers went on stage together, waiting for the judges’ comments.
The show had invited a total of four judges. Two of them were respected seniors in the singer circle. Although the new generation of young people could hardly call out their names, their strength was very strong.
The two of them first commented on the other people’s songs. When it was Chi Xiasheng’s turn, one of the seniors stared at the young man, his eyes overflowing with admiration. “Although there are still some flaws in your singing technique, the flaws do not overshadow the jade. This song is the most pleasant song I have heard in all these years.”
The other senior let out a long sigh. “I’m very glad that I was born a few decades earlier than you. If I were in the same era as you, I’m afraid I would have to live in your shadow.”
Chi Xiasheng was taken aback and quickly said, “Teachers, you are also very amazing. I still need to learn from you.”
The old senior waved his hand. “What is there to learn? We are already about to retire. Now is your era.”
Some of the older viewers, hearing this, couldn’t help but recall the familiar melodies of their childhood memories. For a moment, the comments were filled with reminiscing.
The two seniors did not comment on Cheng Yue. Because her topic was too hot, they had no intention of sensationalizing it to attract attention, so they stopped there.
The remaining two judges were Pei Zhixuan and Su Chimian, who had squeezed his way in.
Pei Zhixuan was the first to pick up the microphone. His usually gentle eyes seemed to have frozen over, exuding a chill that shot straight at Cheng Yue.
Cheng Yue’s body trembled, and she lowered her head.
Wen Nian, who was watching from the audience, whispered to Wen Shu, “Mom, look at that girl. She’s even shyer than me.”
“This isn’t shyness,” Wen Shu pinched Wen Nian’s mouth and pressed his chattering head down. “This is pain. Do you feel it?”
Wen Nian quickly hummed, “I know, I know!”
On stage, Pei Zhixuan glanced at Cheng Yue and, without kindly skipping over the fact that she hadn’t sung a single word, he brought it up separately. “Cheng Yue, why didn’t you open your mouth? Your performance on stage was very disappointing.”
Cheng Yue’s body trembled as if she couldn’t take the blow. She held the microphone and whispered, “I… I’m very sorry.”
“But this is not something that can be offset by a simple apology. During the rehearsal in the afternoon, you rehearsed for a full hour. Weren’t you in good spirits at that time?”
Hearing Pei Zhixuan mention the afternoon sound check rehearsal, the director’s and Cheng Yue’s hearts both turned cold.
The director even quickly used the earpiece to tell Pei Zhixuan not to mention this matter anymore and to move on!
But Pei Zhixuan refused. He glanced at the slightly surprised Chi Xiasheng on the side and continued, “You even stole someone else’s sound check time. And you still didn’t perform well. Are you here to be a joke?”
After he said this, Cheng Yue and the director both felt their vision go black.
And Chi Xiasheng, on the other hand, was surprised and his mood instantly improved. He wished he could hand the microphone to Pei Zhixuan and tell him not to stop, to keep going!
The netizens in the live stream exploded, and the comments scrolled faster and faster.
[Wow, I knew there was a melon on Cheng Yue!]
[Hogging the rehearsal time, I just want to know who the poor little thing who didn’t get to rehearse is?]
[I was just sympathizing with her a moment ago, but now, hehe, what a waste of my kindness!]
Cheng Yue never expected Pei Zhixuan to expose her on stage. Her nails dug into her flesh, and a trace of blood had already seeped out of her palm.
She didn’t dare to answer. And because the person opposite her was Pei Zhixuan, she didn’t even dare to deny it. She could only lower her head, her lips trembling, hoping that he would let her go.
But Su Chimian, who was sitting on the judges’ panel, his eyes deepened, and he quickly stepped in. “Brother Pei, don’t be too hard on Little Yue. After all, she’s a girl. It’s not good for her to be watched by so many people.”
Hearing this, Chi Xiasheng looked up at Su Chimian and, meeting his slightly guilty smile, he instantly understood.
No wonder he and Cheng Yue had no grievances, yet she had targeted him so much during the sound check. It turned out that Su Chimian was behind it all.
Chi Xiasheng really wanted to expose Su Chimian’s hypocritical skin in public and let the audience see his true, disgusting face.
But now was the competition. Chi Xiasheng could only look away and calm himself down.
Many of Su Chimian’s fans in the comments were still saying, “Brother is so gentle” and “I also think it’s not good to criticize a girl in public,” trying hard to create a good image for him.
But Pei Zhixuan’s fans were not to be trifled with. Almost in the next second, the comments were all controlled by them.
The few remaining Su Chimian fans were still struggling, but they were quickly suppressed by other netizens.
[Are Su Chimian’s fans sick? What’s there to sympathize with about this kind of person?! Shouldn’t the most worthy of sympathy be the singer whose rehearsal time was squeezed?]
Su Chimian didn’t see the one-sided situation in the comments. He was just afraid that Cheng Yue’s mental pressure was too great and that she would say something she shouldn’t, so he had to step in to help.
Pei Zhixuan, on the judges’ panel, heard him and let out a light laugh. “Judge Su, what do you think is the most important thing for a singer?”
The words “Judge Su,” for some reason, were said with an extremely sarcastic tone by Pei Zhixuan.
Logically, those who could sit on the judges’ panel were either respected old seniors or top-tier artists like Pei Zhixuan who were both in film and music.
And Su Chimian, on the other hand, had not released a single song and had relied on the Su family’s power to squeeze out another judge to sit here.
Hearing Pei Zhixuan’s address, Su Chimian’s face indeed became not so good-looking. But Pei Zhixuan’s popularity was too high, and he couldn’t go against him. He could only force a smile and answer, “To be a good singer, you naturally need strength.”
The corner of Pei Zhixuan’s mouth curled up. “I think you not only need strength, but also good character. Public figures must regulate themselves to set an example. Don’t you agree, Judge Su?”
Su Chimian already knew what he meant, but he couldn’t refute it and could only nod with a slightly dark face.
“Unfortunately, this Cheng Yue has neither strength, standing on the stage without daring to sing a single song; nor good character, bullying newcomers, being arrogant and overbearing. Do you think she deserves to stand here and is worthy of our sympathy?”
These words were very serious and could almost ruin Cheng Yue’s future singing career.
Tears streamed down her face. She shook her head and wanted to defend herself, but seeing the coldness under Pei Zhixuan’s gentle expression, she couldn’t say a word.
Pei Zhixuan had been acting since he was a teenager. From his debut, he had never been so merciless to any celebrity. He was gentle and rarely got angry. No matter what, he would always leave people some face.
But facing Cheng Yue, his words were sharp and cold, which made many netizens see another side of him.
[Cheng Yue must have crossed Pei Zhixuan’s bottom line. I’ve really never seen him get angry before.]
[I hate Cheng Yue. Crying and sobbing. She has the face to bully others, but now she’s playing the victim.]
But there was also a small group of people who felt that what Pei Zhixuan said was too serious and that he shouldn’t be so harsh on a girl, and so on.
The director, seeing that Pei Zhixuan had said everything, couldn’t catch his breath and fainted.
The others quickly helped him back to the rest room and gave him some quick-acting heart-saving pills.
Cheng Yue was still crying on stage.
But now, very few people would sympathize with her. Everyone was just waiting for this farce to end.
Pei Zhixuan rested his chin on his hand and lightly commented on the other people’s performances, then ended his one-sided abuse of Cheng Yue.
Then it was Su Chimian’s turn to comment.
At this moment, the smile on Su Chimian’s face was almost gone. He said a few simple words and then quickly put down the microphone.
Today’s competition had left him mentally and physically exhausted.
Because of what Pei Zhixuan had said before, many netizens were questioning how he had gotten onto the judges’ panel.
His qualifications were low, and he had no representative music or songs. How did he suddenly get this position?
Su Chimian also didn’t expect this show to end up like this.
Before he came, this show was just an online variety competition supported by Pei Zhixuan’s fans, with not much fame.
Su Chimian thought it was just a judge’s position. There weren’t many people online who would pay attention to this variety show, so he just took it.
But he never expected it to unexpectedly become a hit because of Chi Xiasheng. A large number of netizens gathered in the variety show and naturally began to care about other issues, such as the formality of the competition, the professionalism of the judges…
Su Chimian was the first to bear the brunt and was questioned by many netizens.
The netizens didn’t even have to think much to understand that he must have used the Su family’s power to get here.
[This is so funny. Chi Xiasheng sings so well and he’s not on the judges’ panel, but Su Chimian is.]
[Don’t say it, trash competition!]
This variety show had exposed so many dark secrets that its reputation was basically ruined. Even with Chi Xiasheng’s one-hit wonder, it couldn’t save this declining situation.
The netizens were even glad that Chi Xiasheng was just a guest singer and didn’t have to come back later, so he wouldn’t be dragged down by this show.
Although the variety show had become like this, it still went through the whole process and had the audience vote for the best singer of the show.
On the huge screen on the right side of the stage, along with the exciting music, the votes of everyone began to appear.
In the end, the first group, Chi Xiasheng and Ye Qi, led the way with their votes and became the champions of this episode.
The huge ball above their heads exploded with countless ribbons, and cheerful music sounded. The host, with a smile on his face, announced the final result of the competition.
“…Let’s invite Ye Qi to come on stage to receive the award!”
When Ye Qi was pushed on stage to receive the award, his expression was not very good-looking, even a little smelly.
The honor he had gained by relying on Chi Xiasheng only made him feel aggrieved.
Even the trophy in his hand felt uncomfortable.
But times were different now. No matter how upset he was, he had to endure it and even had to hold the microphone to thank Chi Xiasheng.
Everyone knew he had won this competition because of Chi Xiasheng. Ye Qi’s previous disdainful attitude towards him was like a slap in the face. It didn’t hurt much, but it was shameful.
When he went off stage, Ye Qi kept his head down and didn’t even look at Chi Xiasheng, leaving in a hurry.
Chi Xiasheng didn’t care. But he had been filming for so long and was also mentally and physically exhausted. He went back to the backstage and rested in the dressing room with his chin on his hand.
The other singers left for their next schedule as soon as they got off stage. The dressing room was very quiet, leaving only him lying on the table.
After he finished singing, he felt a little unwell, and his forehead was slightly hot.
In a daze, he realized that his heat seemed to be coming again.
But he had already learned to control his spiritual energy and would not cause the same situation as last time, attracting a lot of fish. He would just feel hot and weak and had to endure it on his own.
Just as he was about to fall asleep, the door to the dressing room was pushed open.
Sheng Sheng hadn’t been to the company for a while. The moment Chi Xiasheng left, he transformed into his human form and went to the company.
Secretary Liu was also seeing his boss for the first time since Chi Xiasheng had fallen into the sea, and he let out a huge sigh of relief.
If Sheng Sheng didn’t show up again, Secretary Liu would have thought he had failed his tribulation and had died.
“Boss, are you okay?” Secretary Liu went up and asked.
After Sheng Sheng had given half of his Demon Core to Chi Xiasheng, he couldn’t even maintain his human form for a while, which had made Secretary Liu very worried.
“I’m fine. I’m almost recovered.”
Sheng Sheng felt that even if he didn’t cultivate, his internal injuries were slowly healing. He thought it wouldn’t be long before he could recover to his previous strength.
Secretary Liu nodded and reported the company’s situation to him.
Compared to cultivating, Secretary Liu preferred to show off his skills in the company, using his intelligence to the fullest, which made him feel very fulfilled and satisfied.
Shengshi Group was initially founded by Secretary Liu, and Sheng Sheng was only responsible for providing the money.
After all, having lived for thousands of years, Sheng Sheng’s treasury had countless gold, silver, and jewels, and even some magical treasures and opportunities that cultivators desperately sought, all of which were stuffed into his mustard seed space.
Secretary Liu had once glanced at it when Sheng Sheng opened it and was so envious he almost drooled.
Even a single blade of grass from there could probably make him jump up a level, and he would no longer have to rely on Sheng Sheng’s magic to maintain his human form.
Therefore, Secretary Liu was very diligent, working hard to show his worth.
Sheng Sheng had hardly ever managed the company’s affairs. When he heard Secretary Liu’s report, he just nodded boredly and then, as if remembering something, asked, “What time is it?”
Secretary Liu answered dutifully, “It’s eight o’clock in Beijing.”
Sheng Sheng directly opened his computer and searched for the live stream of the show Chi Xiasheng was participating in.
Secretary Liu knew Sheng Sheng’s feelings for Chi Xiasheng and smiled as if he had expected it.
It seemed that it wouldn’t be long before his boss had another one.
Secretary Liu also resigned himself to his fate and began to handle official business on the side.
But soon, he was completely captivated by a singing voice. The pen in his hand fell on the document, and his pupils kept flashing, as if he were trapped in an illusion and unable to extricate himself.
It wasn’t until the song ended that Secretary Liu was startled and found that his tail had come out at some point.
This… this is a merman’s voice?
Even without using spiritual energy, it can be so enchanting to a demon. No wonder they are called sirens who bewitch people’s hearts…
Secretary Liu sighed and, after marveling for a while, transformed back to look at the documents.
Sheng Sheng watched the entire show, his expression changing from satisfaction and pride to dark as water. In the end, he simply closed the computer and went directly to the competition venue.
Although Pei Zhixuan didn’t name who Cheng Yue was bullying, Sheng Sheng could tell at a glance that it was Chi Xiasheng.
Sheng Sheng himself didn’t even realize how much he cared about Chi Xiasheng. He even thought it was just a simple repayment of a favor, just not wanting others to bully his savior.
But the anger in his eyes betrayed his current mood.
When he arrived backstage, the director of the show had just been rescued. Seeing Sheng Sheng, his heart trembled, and he quickly went up to him.
“CEO… CEO Sheng? Why are you here?”
Sheng Sheng didn’t even recognize him and frowned slightly. “Who are you?”
The director was truly sad, but he still licked his face and said, “I’m the director of King of Singers. I went to your company to ask for sponsorship before. It was Vice President Yang who saw me. It’s normal that you don’t remember me.”
Few people in the industry could see Sheng Sheng. He was basically in a state of seclusion in the industry. It would be incredible to actually see him one day.
Hearing him, Sheng Sheng’s hurried pace slowed down. He looked at him and said, “You’re the director of the show? The investment for the show was sponsored by Shengshi?”
The director quickly nodded. “Yes, yes. This show is very well done. The online traffic has always been in the top few in the same time slot. I haven’t disappointed your expectations for me.”
Sheng Sheng smiled contemptuously. “I have no expectations for you. Withdraw the investment.”
The director’s expression froze. He wanted to say something to save the situation, but Sheng Sheng had already called Secretary Liu. “The director of what king of singers? Don’t give him any money for investment in the future. What is the company doing every day, giving money to any cat or dog? We’re a company, not a charity hall!”
Hearing this, the director’s heart, which had just been rescued, began to stop beating again.
Everyone very skillfully took the director back to the rest room and gave him medicine to save him.
Just as Sheng Sheng finished his instructions, he passed by a room and smelled a faint salty seawater smell, cool and refreshing.
He stopped, pushed open the door, and sure enough, he saw Chi Xiasheng lying on the table, fast asleep.
Seeing Chi Xiasheng’s flushed cheeks, Sheng Sheng reached out and touched his back.
But when his skin touched his forehead, Sheng Sheng’s fingertips trembled as if electrocuted, and he quickly pulled back.
Sheng Sheng couldn’t explain his mood. He wanted to touch but didn’t dare. His cautious attitude made him feel a little strange himself.
He lowered his eyes and swallowed nervously before he reached out and held him in his arms.
His forehead is so hot, he must have a fever. I have to take him to the hospital.
Sheng Sheng held Chi Xiasheng, his forearms tense, not daring to use much force.
