Chapter Forty-Seven: Rain on the Day of Remembrance

After Ai Ting finished her second song, the venue instantly erupted with waves of excitement. Lin Xinrou said nothing, but raised her head to look at Chen Nian in the distance, her eyes brimming with hatred.

Chen Nian was utterly indifferent, a smile lingering at the corners of her mouth as she met Lin Xinrou’s gaze.

The host, fearful that the situation might spiral out of control, didn’t dare invite the four mentors to comment, instead announcing the PK results directly.

Unsurprisingly, with Chen Nian’s support, Ai Ting won with an overwhelming advantage.

Now, if she could defeat her final opponent, she would successfully take the stage. At that point, Lin Xinrou’s team would be forced to eliminate one of their own contestants.

In the contestants’ lounge, Lin Xinrou looked at her team members with a face darkened to the extreme.

This last showdown was now irrelevant to her team; from here on, it was a battle between Lin Xinrou and Ai Ting.

She refused to believe Chen Nian could compose a third song for Ai Ting.

“Chen Hao, you’re up for the last round!”

“Me?” Chen Hao pointed to himself, disbelief written all over his face.

“Take out the song I prepared for you. No matter what, you must defeat Ai Ting!”

Chen Hao hesitated. “But wasn’t this song meant for Xing Fei? Are we using it now?”

Lin Xinrou didn’t finish her sentence, just glanced down at Chen Hao.

Chen Hao immediately nodded. “Alright, I understand.”

The third match officially began.

In the backstage studio at the recording site, the production staff were completely bewildered.

When they first saw Ai Ting sign up for the challenge match, they were simply hoping to capitalize on the drama between Ai Ting and Lin Xinrou to boost the show’s popularity.

No one expected things would turn out as they had.

“What do we do now?” The assistant director looked at the chief director sitting on a small stool, his expression troubled.

If Ai Ting actually succeeded in the challenge, when the show aired, the audience would surely laugh themselves hoarse at the production team.

After all, Ai Ting had been proactively fired from their company just two months ago.

And now, in barely two months, she was about to publicly embarrass them on the hottest show under Hearttrace Entertainment?

“What do we do? What can we do? No matter what, Lin Xinrou’s team must win this final showdown!” The chief director gritted his teeth as he spoke.

Being publicly humiliated didn’t matter much to him as the chief director.

After all, “Who Is the Singer” had never cared about ratings; as long as the show was popular, nothing else mattered.

But Lin Xinrou was now the flagship star of Hearttrace Entertainment. If she were dragged into another plagiarism scandal because of this match, the chief director’s career would be over.

Yet he was powerless to change the current situation. The hundreds of live audience members weren’t blind; they had witnessed everything that had just unfolded.

All he could do was pray that Lin Xinrou’s team wouldn’t lose too obviously, or else even if he wanted to tamper behind the scenes, he’d have no opportunity.

On stage, Chen Hao was the first to perform in the third round.

Clutching the microphone, he walked onto the stage trembling.

He wasn’t even close to being the strongest member of Lin Xinrou’s team—not even in the top three.

The team’s acknowledged strongest members had already fallen to Ai Ting. For a technically mediocre nobody like him to face Ai Ting—how could he not be nervous?

Seeing Chen Hao’s timid demeanor, Lin Xinrou’s hopes finally died.

After his performance, even Lin Xinrou, the team captain, could only cover her face and force a bitter smile.

“Get off the stage!”

“How could you deliver such a good song like this? Chen Hao, are you useless?”

“Trash. If you know what’s good for you, leave Lin Xinrou’s team yourself!”

Faced with the audience’s scolding, Chen Hao could only lower his head in silence, not even daring to look at Lin Xinrou.

For this performance, Chen Nian could only sum it up in four words: “Supported by debate…”

Maybe, thanks to Chen Nian’s involvement, the song’s quality was decent compared to before.

But issues like missing beats and off-tempo were beside the point—of ten lyrics, Chen Hao managed to forget nine.

The live performance was a disaster.

After Chen Hao’s performance, it was Ai Ting’s turn.

Still clad in her black dress, Ai Ting stood on stage, her striking figure like a vengeful goddess returned from hell, fixing her gaze on Lin Xinrou at the mentors’ table.

She had imagined this moment in her mind countless times.

The instant Lin Xinrou had slandered her and driven her out of Hearttrace Entertainment, she had sworn silently to herself that she would drag Lin Xinrou down from her pedestal, no matter what.

Now, that moment had finally arrived.

Ai Ting closed her eyes slowly, and the lights dimmed throughout the venue.

“The next song, ‘Rain on Qingming,’ lyrics by Chen Nian, music by Chen Nian. I hope you enjoy it.”

For the third time, she announced Chen Nian’s name, but this time the audience wasn’t as excited as before.

The accompaniment began, and Ai Ting raised the microphone to her lips.

“I remember the wind in your hem all those years ago.”

“Carved wood gilded in gold, years ripple by.”

“Seven years since I laid down my brush, for in this life I write only for you.”

“Rain wets my eyes, year after year I lean by the well waiting for your return, most afraid my tears will unknowingly split into two streams…”

After the prelude, Chen Nian’s brows furrowed slightly, then she let out a resigned smile.

“What’s going on? Is there something wrong with the accompaniment?” A member of the audience voiced their suspicion.

“Yeah, it sounds uneven, and the rhythm’s off.”

As more people voiced their doubts, Ai Ting’s vocals suddenly cut out—then resumed after half a second, creating the impression for unknowing listeners that she had forgotten the lyrics.

Ai Ting, aware something was wrong, still gripped the mic, determined to finish the song.

The microphone glitches grew more frequent as her nerves mounted.

“What’s happening? Did she forget the lyrics?”

“A complete song chopped to bits—what is she doing?”

“Such a beautiful song, and she can’t even remember the lyrics. What a pity.”

Hearing the audience’s reactions, a trace of satisfaction finally appeared on Lin Xinrou’s dark face.

Onstage, Ai Ting’s brows knitted in frustration. Just as she was about to give up, images of being scapegoated and expelled from the company at Lin Xinrou’s hands flashed through her mind.

Looking at Lin Xinrou’s ugly, triumphant expression at the mentor’s table, Ai Ting gritted her teeth and, as the next bar arrived, cast off the microphone and began singing unamplified.

Rain wets my eyes, year after year I lean by the well waiting for your return, most afraid my tears will unknowingly split into two streams.

I wander this world, unable to find your paradise.

Jars and mirrors arrayed, I wish I could forget.

Again the rain of Qingming falls, I send chrysanthemums to your side, softly singing your favorite song…

Her ethereal voice could only be heard by a handful of front-row listeners.

But her act of casting away the microphone was witnessed clearly by all, making it obvious to the audience what had just happened.

Watching Ai Ting’s actions, Chen Nian nodded in satisfaction…