Chapter Twenty-three: The Duel

“Too late, too late, you once smiled as you cried.”
“Too late, too late, your trembling arms.”
“Too late, too late, no one will rescue you.”
“Too late, too late, you clearly hate suffocation.”

On the stage, Zhou Lu stood beneath the neon lights, her face splintered like a broken princess. It wasn’t just her moving voice; it was the fullness of her emotion, an overwhelming surge of feeling! Unlike Na Ying, Zhou Lu sang with passion so complete that she achieved a perfect unity of singer and song, as though this piece existed only for her.

All five hundred audience members watched Zhou Lu’s performance in utter silence, too astonished to speak. In the backstage lounge, everyone was transfixed, their eyes locked on the live broadcast screen, entirely immersed in the poignant, pleading emotion.

Na Ying was stunned.

Standing in the waiting area, she gazed blankly at Zhou Lu on stage. Even before Zhou Lu finished singing, Na Ying knew she had lost.

“Oh my god! It’s so beautiful, truly so beautiful!”
“My ears are in heaven; Zhou Goddess’s emotions swept me away!”
“Is this what Zhou Goddess’s power is like? These lyrics, this feeling—I want to hear it again!”
“Wonderful!” Mo Fan and the other staff in the backstage jumped up with excitement.

“I said pairing Zhou Lu and Na Ying as the first group was absolutely right; the online live broadcast has already exceeded three million viewers!”

After countless days and nights of practice, Zhou Lu’s performance was flawless. Even in a live broadcast, where there was no chance to correct the sound, she was perfect.

“Now, let’s welcome Teacher Na Ying back to the stage,” the host said, stepping out with a microphone after Zhou Lu finished singing.

Amid shouts from the audience, Na Ying returned to the stage center with a bitter smile. After a round of interview with the host, the voting began.

Four hundred thirty-six to sixty-four.

“Deep Sea” won by an overwhelming margin.

In the first clash between two generations of national goddesses, Zhou Lu claimed victory without suspense. This also meant that Na Ying, having participated in just one episode, was eliminated immediately.

“Who wrote this song for you?” Na Ying asked with a smile as they returned to the lounge.

Wins and losses are common in competition. Though she still resented Zhou Lu for taking the title of national goddess from her, this time Na Ying was truly convinced by her defeat.

“Chen Nian. This song was written by Chen Nian. I’ve included it in my next album, so this counts as its debut,” Zhou Lu replied with a smile.

“Chen Nian, Chen Nian?” Na Ying thought for a moment. There didn’t seem to be any top producer named Chen Nian in the music world. Could it be a newcomer?

Suddenly, the handsome face of a young man floated into her mind. She remembered that rookie from Stardust Entertainment in the lounge—he was also called Chen Nian?

Seeing Na Ying’s comical expression, Zhou Lu burst out laughing.

“That’s right, it’s exactly the Chen Nian you’re thinking of.”

“Impossible, impossible,” Na Ying shook her head in disbelief.

Following Zhou Lu’s stunning performance, the subsequent shows paled in comparison.

Meanwhile, “Who Is the Singer” officially premiered, and the popularity Zhou Lu had painstakingly accumulated dropped instantly to one and a half million.

“What’s going on? Even if ‘Who Is the Singer’ started airing, our numbers shouldn’t drop so fast!” Mo Fan frowned at the data on the screen.

Just then, his assistant rushed in.

“Mr. Mo Fan, trouble—‘Who Is the Singer’ has launched a hit song, and the ratings have already surpassed 2.7!”

“What? Ratings over 2.7?” Mo Fan’s eyes widened.

After listening to Xing Fei’s performance of “Period,” Mo Fan slumped helplessly onto the sofa.

Mo Fan usually focused only on backstage production, so he didn’t know Xing Fei was actually a trainee from their own Stardust Entertainment, nor that “Period” was written for her by Chen Nian.

“We’re in trouble now.” He had thought that with Zhou Lu and Chen Nian, their new show would easily outshine “Who Is the Singer,” but Xing Fei had unexpectedly emerged.

At that moment, the director of “Who Is the Singer” was already raising a glass with his team, celebrating as they watched the barrage of comments online.

Victory was secure!

With Qin Baobao’s stunning looks and this song, tonight Heartbeat Entertainment was destined to trample Stardust Entertainment beneath their feet!

After the other three singers finished their performances, only Chen Nian and He Wei remained in the backstage lounge.

He Wei glanced at Chen Nian, who was still playing with his phone, and flashed a smug smile. He had expected a tough battle, but his opponent turned out to be a nobody trying to piggyback on popularity.

When the host called He Wei’s name, he straightened his clothes and strode confidently onto the stage.

“Mr. He Wei, will you choose…”

Before the host could finish, He Wei snatched the microphone from his hand.

“I choose to challenge Chen Nian!”

His words sent a ripple through the audience; even the singers backstage showed scornful expressions.

In their eyes, Chen Nian was just a filler, an internet singer brought in for numbers. He Wei choosing to challenge Chen Nian was shameless.

Everyone believed Chen Nian was certain to lose.

Only Zhou Lu, already confirmed to advance, smiled quietly.

Who is Chen Nian? He is the man who casually wrote masterpieces like “Period” and “Deep Sea.”

To challenge Chen Nian? Isn’t that courting disaster?

“Mr. He Wei, are you sure?” the host asked in confusion.

“I’m sure,” He Wei nodded. “But we need to raise the stakes. If Chen Nian loses, he must leave the music industry forever, and Lin Xinrou must issue a public apology!”

“Chen Nian, do you dare accept?”

His words instantly reminded the audience: Chen Nian was the central figure in the Lin Xinrou plagiarism scandal.

“What is He Wei doing? Are those Heartbeat Entertainment people all idiots? This is a live broadcast—what nonsense is he talking?” The backstage staff grumbled, ready to switch to commercials.

“Wait!” Mo Fan stopped them. “Broadcast it as is—let it go out directly!”

“But is that really okay?”

Mo Fan nodded with a smug smile. “If we want to beat ‘Who Is the Singer’ in ratings, we need something different. He Wei is a godsend.”

“Mr. Chen Nian, Mr. Chen Nian?” In the lounge, Chen Nian hadn’t heard a word He Wei said.

Only after a reminder from the accompanying cameraman did he look up at the lens.

After the staff repeated the terms, Chen Nian nodded blankly.

“Fine, as long as he wants it, I’m okay with anything.”