Chapter Forty-Six: Just Milking a Single Song?

At this moment, Lin Xinrou, seated among the mentors, was utterly stunned. Her face visibly betrayed her growing panic. Last time, when the plagiarism scandal erupted, she had been lucky enough to escape unscathed only because Ai Ting had acted as a scapegoat. But if it happened again, she doubted the company would sacrifice someone else to protect a troublemaker like her.

Having spent so much time in close quarters with Lin Xinrou, Ai Ting could naturally discern her current state of mind. Realizing that Lin Xinrou was rattled, Ai Ting smiled faintly and sang with even more emotion and passion.

Her reason for agreeing to participate in the show and confront her inner demons was to see Lin Xinrou utterly disgraced. Even knowing that Chen Nian was merely using her didn't matter. She was determined to watch, with her own eyes, as she pushed the woman who had destroyed her life into the abyss.

"The lotus blossoms again on the branches, yet the butterfly cannot linger.
Drifting like river water ever eastward.
Gazing across the distant willows before my gate, loneliness unbroken.
I say nothing, letting tears flow endlessly.
Alone, I drink in the little pavilion outside the mountain, listening to a night of longing and sorrow.
After the wine, troubles weigh heavy, hard to dispel..."

As the song ended, a profound silence fell over the stage.

All three mentors turned to look at Lin Xinrou in the center, their expressions complex. Lin Xinrou clenched her teeth, her eyes locked fiercely on Ai Ting standing on the stage, saying nothing.

It was the audience who finally broke the silence.

"What’s going on? Who plagiarized whom with this song?"

"Isn’t it obvious? Ai Ting is the plagiarist here! Our goddess Lin is the victim!"

"Exactly! Lin just performed, and then Ai Ting has the nerve to copy her in public? She really has no shame!"

"But wait, didn’t Ai Ting just say this song was written by Chen Nian? With his talent, would he ever need to plagiarize anyone?"

"Yeah, this song was written by Chen Nian. He would never do such a thing..."

Seeing things start to turn against her, Lin Xinrou knew that if she didn’t speak up now, she would be in real danger.

"You say this song was written by Chen Nian? What proof do you have?" Lin Xinrou cut straight to the heart of the matter.

As long as Ai Ting couldn’t prove Chen Nian wrote the song, then the blame for plagiarism would fall squarely on her.

On stage, Ai Ting looked at the agitated Lin Xinrou, a sarcastic smile playing on her lips. Without a word, she turned and walked back to the waiting area.

An uproar erupted in the hall.

She didn’t even have the courage to confront the accusations head-on.

In the eyes of the audience, Ai Ting’s action was tantamount to admitting her guilt.

Lin Xinrou was stunned for a moment, then broke into a triumphant laugh.

Although she had no idea how Ai Ting got hold of the song, it was clear that in this showdown of plagiarism and victimhood, Lin Xinrou had won in the end.

"What’s the matter? Not even daring to say a word? Lost your nerve?"

"Plagiarist, come up here and face us!"

"Bold enough to plagiarize in public, but not brave enough to admit it?"

"Once a plagiarist, always a plagiarist!"

Listening to the support from the audience, Lin Xinrou beamed with satisfaction.

In her view, Ai Ting’s self-destructive behavior served only to boost the popularity of her own new song.

She could almost see the next episode airing, with herself personally taking the national goddess crown from Zhou Lu.

"Ahhh! It’s Chen Nian—he’s here in the audience watching Ai Ting perform!"

Just as Lin Xinrou was lost in her daydreams, Luo Xiaoyi’s excited shout shattered her fantasy.

Hundreds of spectators turned to look in Chen Nian’s direction.

"Wow! It really is him—it’s our beloved Chen Nian!"

"He’s so handsome! Chen Nian, I want to have your babies!"

There was no doubt that Chen Nian was the brightest rising star in the music world.

In just two short months since his debut, he had composed dozens of hit songs and bested two formidable foreign performers.

Wherever Chen Nian appeared, he was always the center of attention.

Truth be told, Chen Nian didn’t enjoy being the focus of adoration. To him, singing and composing were merely hobbies, and being a singer was just an ordinary job. He never considered himself a celebrity, nor did he think of himself as one.

But with no other choice, Chen Nian could only lean against the railing, smiling and waving in response.

"Chen Nian, did you write the song Ai Ting just sang?"

After much commotion, someone finally asked the crucial question.

Chen Nian nodded, maintaining his professional smile.

His answer set off another tidal wave of excitement.

On the mentors’ panel, Lin Xinrou clutched her microphone, weakly protesting, "So what if Chen Nian wrote it? Does that prove I plagiarized?"

Sensing the scene was about to descend into chaos, the host hastily took the microphone to regain control.

"Next, let’s welcome Li Ran from Lin Xinrou’s team, the challenger!"

Upon being called, Li Ran took the stage under immense pressure.

It was obvious that Ai Ting’s target was Lin Xinrou. As an amateur with no formal training, how could Li Ran possibly defeat Ai Ting at her best?

After one song, the result was clear: Ai Ting won by a landslide.

Now it was her turn to challenge again. If she won two more rounds, her challenge would be a complete success.

Ai Ting returned to the stage. By now, Lin Xinrou’s face was ashen, all traces of her former allure gone.

Seeing Lin Xinrou’s expression, Ai Ting smiled serenely, feeling deeply satisfied.

"Next, I’ll perform a song titled ‘Fleeting Fireworks,’ lyrics and music by Chen Nian..."

The moment she spoke, the previously calmed audience was once again engulfed in frenzy.

With two songs written for Ai Ting, even a fool could see the truth: Chen Nian and Ai Ting had joined forces to bring down Lin Xinrou. The plagiarism incident from two months ago was now shrouded in even deeper mystery.

The accompaniment began. Ignoring the crowd’s agitation, Ai Ting’s face remained impassive as she began to sing:

"The bustling world slips into silence,
Ensnaring countless souls,
A life’s journey haunted by chill and sorrow,
How many debts of love remain?
If you accept a life and death vigil,
Waiting, year after year,
As the rings of time turn,
How many tiers of the pagoda have crumbled,
Whose soul is lost..."

With the prelude, everyone thought it was simply a beautiful classical song.

But when the chorus came, before the audience had even recovered from the previous performance, they were stunned all over again.

"Rain falls, the old hometown is lush and deep,
I hear you are still alone,
Mossy city gates entwined with ancient roots,
Echoes on the stone path speak of waiting.
Rain falls, the old hometown is lush and deep,
I hear you still guard the lonely city,
A shepherd’s flute drifts from the outskirts to a wild village,
Destiny takes root as us.
Laughter of youth arrives,
Envying so many others..."

"Damn! Are they just milking one song for all it’s worth?" an audience member blurted out in utter disbelief.