Chapter 28: Fans Switch Allegiances-Rising to Stardom with a Song(Xiong Wuwan)

At this moment, the audience was covered in goosebumps, their faces showing expressions as if they had seen a ghost. Compared to the online viewers watching the livestream, those present at the venue experienced the brilliance and enchantment of the performance far more intensely—it was truly a top-tier enjoyment, breathtakingly beautiful.

The young mentor, Han Wang, frowned. Even he had to admit that Xu Ze’s song, up to this point, was genuinely wonderful. After yesterday’s incident, he had thought that today’s popularity vote would see Xu Ze eliminated for sure. But now, it seemed anything but certain.

Beside him, the mentor Wei Ping gazed at Xu Ze in a daze. “He’s truly remarkable,” he murmured to himself. The song Xu Ze had composed was in a league of its own, far surpassing those of the other contestants. The lyrics and melody so far were both outstanding. He made up his mind—he had to have this contestant, he must recruit him into his team.

Meanwhile, Jiang Yiyan, another mentor, was swaying her head to the rhythm of Xu Ze’s song, her fair, slender legs swinging side to side, her face full of admiration. After the last round, all the girls in her group had asked her for Xu Ze’s contact, but when she said she didn’t have it, they accused her of wanting to keep him to herself. That had made her so angry. Now, listening to this song, she silently resolved to get Xu Ze’s details no matter what—and if that meant keeping him to herself, so be it!

Next to her, the popular mentor Zhang Yingjing stood with her arms crossed, nodding slightly. In Xu Ze, she seemed to see the shadow of someone else—a genius songwriter from many years ago, just as gifted as Xu Ze. Sadly, that artist had passed away unexpectedly, depriving the music world of many classics. But now, it seemed the stage was about to welcome another prodigy.

Zhang Yingjing had a feeling that the climax of this song would be the most memorable part, and when she thought of the song’s title, “Do You Know, Do You Know”, a small smile tugged at her lips. “I can hardly wait,” she whispered.

By this time, Xu Ze was completely immersed in his performance. The energy of a live audience thrilled him, and his voice seemed even more vibrant than in the last round. The lights brightened on stage as the song built toward its climax.

“Last night’s rain was sparse and the wind fierce,
A deep sleep failed to dispel the lingering wine,
I ask the one who rolls up the curtain,
But she says the begonia is still the same,
Do you know, do you know,
It should be that the green is lush and the red is fading.”

In an instant, the comment section exploded.

“My god, are these lyrics from Li Qingzhao’s ‘As If in a Dream—Last Night the Rain Was Sparse and the Wind Fierce’? How can it sound so good set to music?”

“Xu Ze’s arrangement is incredible.”

“How come it suddenly feels like Xu Ze’s added line ‘Do you know, do you know, it should be that the green is lush and the red is fading’ fits perfectly with the original poem?”

“I feel the same! It’s as if that line was always supposed to be there at the end of ‘As If in a Dream’!”

“Did Professor Li Lianfeng get it wrong?”

“I take back what I said yesterday. I owe Xu Ze an apology!”

“Same here—I apologize to Xu Ze!”

“Xu Ze is a true genius!”

…

As Xu Ze sang the final, climactic lines, the audience’s jaws dropped; he had completely stunned them, especially with the closing line, “Do you know, do you know.” In everyone’s mind, there was only one thought:

“Perfect!”

From this moment, it was as if “As If in a Dream” had finally become whole—a thing of breathtaking beauty.

Many fans who had been holding LED signs for other contestants began to change the names on their lights. Huang Minghao, Zhu Zhengting, even mentor Han Wang’s names were all replaced with Xu Ze.

Fans switched allegiances right there in the venue!

On stage, Han Wang could only raise his eyebrows in frustration. The more he looked at Xu Ze, the less he liked him. In the next round of team battles, he would have to defeat Xu Ze no matter what.

Next to him, mentor Wei Ping couldn’t help but exclaim as he heard the last line, “Brilliant! That final line is truly brilliant. This kid Xu Ze is a real talent.” Hearing this, Jiang Yiyan nodded silently. She glanced at Zhang Yingjing beside her and found that even she was lost in the music, her eyes full of unconcealed surprise.

Jiang Yiyan quietly took out her phone and snapped a picture of Zhang Yingjing’s expression. She was determined to share this rare moment with her friends. Zhang Yingjing was usually known for her reserved, almost icy demeanor—few had ever seen her display such genuine emotion.

In the control room, an assistant shouted excitedly, “It’s gone viral! Our livestream numbers have exploded! Reports from both Penguin and Mango platforms show that since Xu Ze took the stage, viewership has doubled—and it’s still surging!”

At that moment, the deputy director began flattering Director Yang Yin: “No wonder you’re the best, Director Yang! Did you foresee how explosive Xu Ze’s song would be? Is that why you agreed to let him change his song?”

He was thoroughly impressed with Yang Yin now—she was truly a top director in variety entertainment.

Yang Yin didn’t answer. Her full lips curved into a faint smile as she gazed at Xu Ze singing on the screen, her eyes brimming with delight. She was eager to see what other surprises this handsome young man might bring her.

Soon, Xu Ze finished his performance. Thunderous applause erupted from the audience. Under the spotlight, his tall figure and refined features stood on stage like a true gentleman.

Many female audience members couldn’t hold back and shouted, “Xu Ze! Xu Ze! Xu Ze!”

The host came out to regain control of the stage. According to the rules, the four mentors now had to decide whether to use their lock-in cards. After the host gave the signal, three of the four mentors—everyone except Han Wang—immediately chose to use their lock-in cards on Xu Ze without a moment’s hesitation.

The host seemed unsurprised, but still asked, “Are the three mentors sure you want to use your lock-in cards? Remember, you can only use it once per round, and your choice cannot be changed!”

“I’m sure!”

All three mentors nodded without hesitation.

The host announced, “Very well! In this round, aside from Mentor Han Wang, the other three mentors have all chosen to use their lock-in cards on Xu Ze. After the popularity vote, if Xu Ze advances, he can only choose one of these three mentors as his coach.”

Immediately, the livestream chat filled with comments:

“Aren’t Huang Minghao and Zhu Zhengting still left? The mentors are using their lock-in cards already?”

“Are you dumb? Of course they’d choose Xu Ze!”

“Agreed—even if Xu Ze went first, they’d still pick him without hesitation!”

“Did you see? People in the audience are changing their support signs to Xu Ze!”

“I saw it too!”

“I declare myself a Xu Ze fan now!”

“I’ve been a fan since he performed ‘East Wind Breaks’ last round!”

“He won me over with his rendition of ‘As If in a Dream’.”

“What are you waiting for? Go vote for Xu Ze!”

“I already did—the moment he sang the first line!”

“I was even earlier—I voted as soon as he stepped on stage!”

“Earlier than that—I voted for him the moment he was born!”

“Awesome.”

…