Facing his ex-girlfriend and former roommate, Qiu Qiu wanted to explain, but everything he said sounded like a feeble attempt to cover up the truth. Fortunately, the program crew called at that moment, asking why he was still nowhere to be seen when the gathering time had already passed.
Qiu Qiu, who was just looking for an excuse to slip away, quickly said goodbye to them and dashed up to the eighth-floor studio with his guitar.
He thought he would be the last to arrive, but upon getting there, he learned that Hua Xiang still hadn't been contacted.
The staff were bustling about, and the assistant director had almost blown up Hua Xiang's phone, but all he got from the other end was the automated message: "The number you have dialed is powered off."
Watching the assistant director's face grow darker, Qi Qiqi, who had been engrossed in a game, put down his phone and said in his childish voice, "Don't worry, Director Uncle. He's definitely just sleeping in."
The assistant director thought that made sense. After all, Hua Xiang was a recent exam taker; it was time to relax after the college entrance exams. Staying up too late and oversleeping was entirely possible. Fine, he was a top seed for the championship anyway. If he wanted special treatment, so be it. What could they do about him being late?
The brief morning flew by with explanations of the competition process. By noon, the program crew had prepared light and tasty boxed lunches for the contestants.
Qiu Qiu hadn't expected much from the boxed lunch, but after just one bite, he found the flavor familiar. Even simple stir-fried vegetables were exceptionally delicious, with distinct layers of taste. Moreover, each contestant had a small bowl of throat-soothing soup, fragrant and savory.
He took a closer look at the restaurant name printed on the packaging and realized he had eaten from this place before—when he had delivered pig stomach soup to Fu Ruien's office, the nourishing takeout he ate with his godfather was from this very restaurant.
Sure enough, other contestants noticed the special quality of the lunches and joked with the assistant director, "Our program crew is so generous! I've only eaten at this health-focused private kitchen once before, and I had to wait over half a month for a reservation. I didn't know they did delivery, and it tastes just as good as in the restaurant."
The assistant director slumped his shoulders and showed them his own boxed lunch. His portion was rich and heavy, with a large braised chicken drumstick, tomatoes stewed with beef brisket, stir-fried three earthly delights, and pork stir-fried with garlic stems. It looked plentiful on its own, but compared to the contestants' meals, the difference was stark.
"Our program crew certainly can't afford such nice meals for ourselves," the assistant director said, finishing the chicken drumstick in a few bites and waving the bone. "The special meals you contestants are eating are sponsored by Enrui Group. Especially that medicinal soup for nourishing the lungs and soothing the throat—it uses several kinds of herbs. That single bowl of soup alone costs more than ten of our boxed lunches. Everyone, make sure to sing well later and don't disappoint our sponsor daddy."
Huh... so it was specially chosen by godfather...
Qiu Qiu held the small soup bowl, sipping gently from the rim.
The soup was scalding hot. After just one sip, Qiu Qiu's face and neck flushed red from the steam.
...
After lunch, the assistant director made another round of urgent calls to Hua Xiang, but his phone was still off.
Wasn't this "sleeping in" taking it a bit too far?
Finally, three hours before the program was set to begin, Hua Xiang's phone got through.
However, Hua Xiang didn't answer. Instead, he sent a text message to the program's artist coordinator, saying he had encountered an unexpected issue, was withdrawing from this round of the competition, and apologized to everyone. The coordinator immediately pressed for details about the issue, but Hua Xiang was vague, saying it was inconvenient to explain. When they tried calling again, the phone became unreachable.
Back when the "Super New Voice" program was first being planned, the lead producer had prepared several emergency plans, including one for "contestant withdrawal/loss of contact/inability to compete due to unforeseen circumstances." Once the competition started, the host would find an appropriate way to smoothly explain the situation.
Hearing the assistant director's decision, the other contestants exchanged glances in private, a hint of glee in their eyes. Hua Xiang was a hot favorite to advance. Regardless of why he wasn't showing up, with such a major obstacle removed, wouldn't everyone else's chances increase?
They had stumbled upon a huge stroke of luck, but Qiu Qiu was anxious. Now that he couldn't reach Hua Xiang either, he was particularly worried about his friend.
He knew Hua Xiang was a fifth-year student at the Affiliated High School of A University. He vaguely remembered that Professor Wang had a former student teaching at that high school. After several phone calls, he finally got in touch with Hua Xiang's homeroom teacher and, after much persuasion, managed to get Hua Xiang's mother's phone number.
Fortunately, Hua Xiang's mother's phone was working. Qiu Qiu introduced himself as a friend Hua Xiang had made during the talent show. Upon hearing this, Hua's mother quickly said, "We're in the underground parking garage right now. Young man, can you help me talk some sense into him?"
Utterly confused, Qiu Qiu took the elevator down to B2. As the doors opened, he indeed heard a commotion.
Following the sound, Qiu Qiu saw Hua Xiang clinging tightly to a car door. Behind him, a beautifully maintained woman was pulling hard on his clothes, trying to drag him toward the elevator lobby. But the woman was petite, and Hua Xiang, standing at 185 cm tall, wasn't someone she could easily move.
Seeing Qiu Qiu arrive, the woman turned her attention to him and greeted him: "You must be Qiu Qiu? Please help me talk to this child. He's been insisting on withdrawing since this morning, and I really can't persuade him anymore."
Hua Xiang didn't want to lose face in front of an acquaintance and felt too embarrassed to keep throwing a tantrum. He could only let go of the car door with a dark expression and turn to face Qiu Qiu. But he still refused to speak, his face extremely sour.
This guy was only a year younger than Qiu Qiu, but having been spoiled since childhood, he would throw major fits when things didn't go his way. Even Qi Qiqi was more mature than him.
Unsure what he was upset about, Qiu Qiu could only try to smooth things over, asking him why he wanted to withdraw.
Hua Xiang remained silent for a long time before finally speaking—"My throat is inflamed. If I can't sing with my best voice on stage, then I'd rather not sing at all."
His voice was very hoarse; his condition was indeed poor. Hua's mother explained that he had started running a fever the day after the college entrance exams ended. The doctor said it was a release of pressure after the stress was over, and many students fell ill after major exams. Hua Xiang had been sick for several days in a row, only recovering from the fever the day before yesterday, but his voice hadn't returned.
Right now, he could manage speaking, and he could barely get through catchy pop songs. But if he wanted to perform his specialty—singing as a male Dan (female role in Chinese opera)—it was absolutely impossible. All the high notes cracked into low notes, sounding less like a charming young lady and more like the stern matron Rong Momo.
Hua Xiang said stubbornly, "I can't face that humiliation! I'm withdrawing. I've already texted the artist coordinator. I don't care who advances. I'm just not going on stage."
Hua Xiang was always impulsive and childish, but the decision to withdraw was something he had actually considered carefully over the past few days.
He was a singer; his voice was his instrument. Now that the singing voice he took such pride in had lost its color and couldn't help him stand on that dazzling stage, what else could he do but quit?
Hua's mother had always been extremely indulgent with her child, reluctant to prune even when he grew crooked, and could only helplessly agree with his decision. She complained, "If you really had no intention of performing, then why were you so frantic about having me drive you to the TV station?"
Who would have thought Hua Xiang would grab Qiu Qiu's arm, his voice hoarse as he said, "Entrusting... the orphan!"
He returned to his car, took out his golden microphone from a locked small case, and caressed it with great affection several times. He handed this treasure, blessed by a high monk, to Qiu Qiu. At this moment, he felt like Wu Yazi from "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils," passing on his legacy to Xuzhu before his demise.
Qiu Qiu took the precious item worth two hundred and eighty thousand, softly reminding him, "Thank you for your trust... but that phrase is pronounced 'tuō gū' (entrusting an orphan to somebody), and it's not used in this context..."
He was now starting to worry about this good friend's Chinese language score on the college entrance exam.
...
Due to Hua Xiang's sudden withdrawal, the regional finals lost much of their appeal.
After all, Hua Xiang had been a dazzling star since the auditions. The production team privately believed he could at least make it to the national semifinals. Who could have guessed he would suddenly "withdraw for personal reasons," with no one able to reach him.
Qiu Qiu took to the stage holding the golden microphone Hua Xiang had lent him.
Under the spotlight, it was as if he was possessed by the spirited, unrestrained young master. He stepped onto the stage with an indomitable momentum, delivering an exceptionally brilliant performance.
He poured one hundred percent of his emotion into his singing, the guitar strings trembling, his voice soft and haunting. The campus friendship expressed in this folk song perfectly fit the recent graduation season's theme of farewell, moving the live audience to tears and causing online live-stream comments to soar. Even the judges, with their superb acting skills, reddened their eyes, not stinting on praise during their critiques.
In the end, Qiu Qiu smoothly advanced by taking first place in the region. Qi Qiqi bravely seized second place, and a fairly talented female contestant successfully picked up the slack, securing third place.
When the final results were announced, the cheers from Qiu Qiu's classmates in the audience instantly flooded the studio. The Cheer Squad, led by captain Little Li and vice-captain Da Xiong, swayed their light boards in unison, forming a sea of pink light.
Standing on the high stage, Qiu Qiu looked down at his familiar classmates sincerely supporting him and the unfamiliar audience sincerely congratulating him. He had never experienced this strange sense of fulfillment and glory before.
After the show ended, Qiu Qiu hurriedly left the TV station, clutching the regional first-place trophy. The streetlights stretched his shadow very long; the shadow at his feet seemed to dance, bouncing and skipping for him.
In the parking lot outside the TV station, Fu Ruien had been waiting for a long time. With less traffic at night, he had returned the motorcycle to the garage and chosen a comfortable, luxurious car to pick up his precious son.
Seeing his figure, Qiu Qiu couldn't hide the dimples in his smile. He rushed to the car in a few quick steps, handed the trophy to Fu Ruien, his tail wagging like a whirlwind, his face full of anticipation waiting for his godfather's praise.
"My Qiu Qiu is the best."
Although Qiu Qiu had received countless praises from people tonight, only his godfather's affirmation made his heart feel completely full.
The regional trophy wasn't actually made very finely; the winner's name was engraved quite sloppily. Fu Ruien examined the trophy critically, deciding that for the national competition, all trophies would be made with real gold plating.
Regarding this competition, Qiu Qiu had a bellyful of things to tell his godfather.
Fu Ruien had watched the live stream online. He knew that the guy with the mop-head didn't appear and that the golden microphone originally belonging to him had somehow ended up in Qiu Qiu's hands.
Qiu Qiu was extremely worried: "Hua Xiang is very strong. It's such a pity he couldn't compete this time because of his throat." Then, he told his godfather everything about Hua Xiang's situation in detail.
After hearing this, Fu Ruien pondered for a moment, then quickly said, "If you want him to continue competing, it's not without a solution."
"What solution?"
Fu Ruien said, "Although this regional competition is over, the selections for other regions have just begun. If I remember correctly, the Southwest Region semifinals are next week. I'll have my people handle it later, letting Hua Xiang directly enter the Southwest Region semifinals as a seeded contestant. If he can seize the opportunity and stand out, you'll still have a chance to meet at the national competition."
In other talent shows, it's a common strategy for contestants who fail in one region to compete in another, nothing unusual. However, inserting someone at the semifinal stage requires careful handling; the favoritism can't be too obvious. But since Hua Xiang is Qiu Qiu's good friend, Fu Ruien was happy to do him a favor.
Fu Ruien's arrangement was very proper. Qiu Qiu cheered, leaning over from the passenger seat to hug his godfather, his voice as light and cheerful as a morning oriole: "Godfather is the most amazing. Is there anything in this world you can't do?"
Fu Ruien leaned close to his ear, whispering teasingly, "Apart from things that would make you unhappy, there's nothing your godfather can't do."
Qiu Qiu clung tightly to Fu Ruien with his upper body. He suppressed the feeling in his chest, afraid the sound of his heartbeat was too loud, audible in this quiet night.
An ambiguous atmosphere gradually filled the car. Fu Ruien asked, his voice hoarse, "Qiu Qiu, was the makeup artist today the same person as before?"
Qiu Qiu leaned in Fu Ruien's embrace, his mind in a haze. After a long pause, he answered blankly, "Yes... why?"
"Did she use that same chocolate-flavored lipstick on you?"
Qiu Qiu instantly understood the implication behind Fu Ruien's words.
He knew clearly in his heart that he should refuse decisively. Yet, as if bewitched, apart from a slight tremble in his body, he didn't move away a single centimeter.
As if guided by spirits, he slowly closed his eyes. He vaguely knew what was about to happen. His heart was calm, as if it were the natural course of things, not stirring a single ripple.
He felt Fu Ruien's body lowering closer and closer, until it completely blocked the already dim light inside the car.
Even in the darkness, Qiu Qiu could still clearly picture Fu Ruien's appearance in his mind. It was only then he realized that, in his memory, his godfather had always been an extremely bright presence.
The man's breath warmed his face, the heat drawing nearer. He slightly raised his head, the sound of his breathing growing lighter and lighter...
...Just as their lips were about to meet, a "knock knock knock" on the glass instantly shattered the perfect atmosphere.
Interrupted, Fu Ruien frowned in annoyance. He watched helplessly as the little silly cat he had finally coaxed quickly retracted its soft paw pads, broke free from his embrace, and retreated shivering behind the safety line.
Fu Ruien and Qiu Qiu simultaneously looked out the window—on the sidewalk outside the car window, a man in his fifties was waving at them cheerfully, a suitcase at his feet.
Although the man had a portly figure and a concerning hairline, he still carried himself with grace; even the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes radiated kindness.
The man smiled with a benevolent expression: "Qiu Qiu, who is this? Introduce him to your dad, won't you?"
