Chapter 33: Xu Ze, Arrogant in His Talent

At this moment, the host signaled the contestants to begin drawing their song theme words. In the next round, each contestant would compose a song centered around the word they drew. Each theme word would be drawn by two contestants from different groups, and those who drew the same theme would automatically become opponents in the next round.

Xu Ze drew the theme word "snow."

Zhu Zhengting, from the same group, drew "fish," and Sun Na drew "wind."

The program’s chosen theme words were all concise and evocative.

With this, the second round of competition was officially over, and the live streaming platforms one by one closed their broadcast rooms.

Afterward, the production team would edit the live content, to be rebroadcast later on Penguin and Mango platforms.

After stepping off stage, Zhang Yingjing added the three group members on WeChat and created a group chat to facilitate her guidance in their upcoming songwriting.

Zhu Zhengting was the first to send a greeting emoji in the group.

Then, Sun Na followed up with: "Hello, Sister Zhang, I hope to learn from everyone."

She seemed particularly obedient and humble.

Xu Ze, meanwhile, was still occupying a stall in the TV station bathroom when he received a friend request from "Nana," which was Sun Na’s WeChat.

Xu Ze immediately chose to reject it.

Just then, Zhang Yingjing sent a message in the group chat, reminding them, "Everyone, make good use of your time to prepare a draft for your next round’s song based on your theme word. Create a demo first, and then we’ll discuss together."

"Received, Sister Zhang!"

"Alright, Sister Zhang!"

The other two replied immediately.

Xu Ze also responded with an "ok" emoji.

Moments later, as he walked out of the bathroom feeling refreshed, he was intercepted by Jiang Yiyan at the door.

"Xu Ze, why did you take so long in there?" Jiang Yiyan stood demurely by the door, complaining.

Xu Ze was baffled. Was Mentor Jiang actually waiting for me?

But isn’t it a bit inappropriate for a woman to stand right outside the men’s restroom?

Puzzled, Xu Ze asked, "Teacher Jiang? Is there something you need?"

Jiang Yiyan didn’t explain. She simply extended her fair hand, saying naturally, "Hand me your phone."

"Huh?" Xu Ze instinctively handed it over.

"Password?"

"12138."

Jiang Yiyan asked suspiciously, "Does that number have a special meaning?"

"Uh," Xu Ze shrugged, "It’s just my old apartment number."

"Alright then." Still somewhat skeptical, Jiang Yiyan unlocked the phone and quickly dialed a number.

"Who is playing the pipa, strumming out 'East Wind Breaks'..."

"Time peels away on the wall, and I see my childhood..."

A ringtone sounded. Jiang Yiyan blushed slightly and fished her own phone out of her pocket, a bit flustered. "Oops, I forgot to set it to vibrate."

Nonetheless, she remained composed, saved Xu Ze’s number, added him on WeChat, and then handed the phone back.

Waving her hand with a note of pride, she turned to leave. "I asked for your contact on behalf of our group, Girlhood. They really like your songs. Bye~"

"I see," Xu Ze rubbed his nose, then clutched his stomach in pain. "Ouch, I barely ate last night, why does it hurt again?"

He dashed back into the restroom.

At 10 p.m., in a high-end apartment complex, Li Lianfeng sat before his computer, sneering coldly.

He had just finished watching Xu Ze’s performance and listening to his song.

He had to admit, the kid sang well. The lyrics were skillfully written, and he’d cleverly woven in lines from Li Qingzhao.

But what Xu Ze should never have done was add his own supplementary line and even use it as the song’s title.

Anyone with eyes could see what he was implying.

Last night, upon seeing Xu Ze’s post "Worry not that there are no kindred spirits ahead," he thought the kid was backing down.

He never expected Xu Ze was lying in wait for him here—bold indeed.

Li Lianfeng sneered. Since you want to do this, don’t blame me.

With the show just ended, if he posted a critique of Xu Ze now, it would certainly draw massive attention, boosting his own followers while also knocking Xu Ze down a notch.

A win-win situation.

In no time, Li Lianfeng finished his lengthy post.

He made no comment on the quality of Xu Ze’s lyrics—everyone already agreed they were good, and he wasn’t foolish enough to criticize them now.

Instead, he fixated on Xu Ze’s arrogant claim of matching Li Qingzhao, using it as the basis for his attack.

No matter how well you write, your opponent is the unrivaled literary genius, Li Qingzhao. How can a student like you compare yourself to her?

Is this not sheer arrogance?

Truth be told, if Xu Ze hadn’t made that statement, Li Lianfeng would have had nothing to use against him.

"Xu Ze is still too young," he mused.

After editing, he posted the essay online, then leisurely brewed himself a cup of tea.

Tonight would be the night he broke a million followers!

As soon as Li Lianfeng’s post went up, just as he expected, it drew a torrent of attention.

With the show just concluded, any topic related to Xu Ze was guaranteed to receive a surge of traffic.

Soon, trending search entries appeared:

#Li Lianfeng’s lengthy post harshly criticizes Xu Ze#
#Xu Ze’s arrogant claim of matching Li Qingzhao#
#Do You Know#

Netizens’ attention was instantly captured.

After reading Li Lianfeng’s essay, many couldn’t help but feel a slight agreement:

"Xu Ze does seem a bit arrogant. Throughout history, only Li Qingzhao has deserved the title of unmatched literary genius. While Xu Ze’s lyrics are good, to claim he’s her equal seems a bit presumptuous."

Meanwhile, certain entertainment media, nudged by interested parties, quickly began reporting on the controversy.

On an entertainment news program, the host, wearing a professional smile, began the broadcast:

"Many of you likely watched tonight’s ‘I Am a Singer-Songwriter.’ This show’s unique feature is that all contestants perform with their own original songs.

"You see, in the music industry, to become a singer, all you need is a good voice.

"But to become a good songwriter and composer is much more difficult.

"And a singer-songwriter who can sing, write lyrics, and compose is as rare as a giant panda.

"In the first round of the competition, thanks to a song called ‘East Wind Breaks,’ the show broke all previous viewership records for music programs.

"Truly a miracle!

"The creator of this miracle is Xu Ze, a sophomore at Qingbei University.

"High education, high talent, and high looks—these are Xu Ze’s labels.

"After the explosive success of ‘East Wind Breaks,’ this musical prodigy from Qingbei performed another song, ‘Do You Know,’ in the just-concluded second round, fully displaying his unparalleled lyrical talent.

"But with fame has come controversy.

"After adding a final line to Li Qingzhao’s ‘As If in a Dream: Last Night’s Rain Was Sparse and the Wind Fierce,’ he claimed that he could now stand shoulder to shoulder with Li Qingzhao.

"In his song, he also borrowed lines from her poem and used his own addition as the song’s title.

"After the competition, several scholars led by Li Lianfeng voiced their disapproval of Xu Ze’s claim.

"Li Lianfeng, Vice President of the Classical Poetry Association, has contributed to several authoritative poetry collections and served as a judge for the Sheep TV Poetry Competition.

"This venerable scholar published a lengthy essay condemning Xu Ze for his arrogance, accusing him of exploiting the classics for fame.

"Our station believes..."

After the program aired, countless marketing accounts began to repost and amplify the story.