The finals venue was filled with tens of thousands of people, with professional judges seated on high platforms on both sides, and lights blazing brightly like stars, as if countless people were waiting to witness a unique ascension belonging to six individuals.
At this point, the audience generally knew the debut list, but still held a strong obsession with the rankings and who would be the main center of the debut.
This week, major news in the entertainment industry had been frequent and shocking, so much that even strangers would share an unspoken smile when they met again.
Han Qu disappeared from the public eye, FALSE’s reputation was ruined, and many past incidents were dug up, as if a belated reckoning was taking place.
On DIVINE’s debut night, many fans of Corona spent a lot of money on tickets to be at the venue, some even holding old light boards from the past.
They couldn’t see the return of the legendary peak myths, but at least seeing Huo Ren still active on the stage, their deeply buried passion was embraced once again.
Xie Lianyun, as the special guest host, had already made an appearance when the audience was seated, sparking waves of cheers and shouts.
Huo Ren had walked around the makeup rooms of the trainees backstage, his eyes warm with smiles.
He remembered the two years they had waited for their debut.
First came the auditions, then several levels of selection and training, until finally, six people formed a group and had to train together and write songs for another two years.
Before their debut, they always had endless fantasies and desires for the future.
Wanting to sing the songs they wrote to everyone, wanting to have a concert of their own, wanting to stand as tall as their seniors.
Back then, Mei Shengyao would get bored and roll on the carpet, and Long Jia would occasionally drive them out for a sneak outing.
After finishing ice cream and a movie, they would lament, when exactly they could debut.
Time flew by, and it had already reached today, right now.
He smoothed the wrinkles at his collar and led the trainees out as the music started.
“It’s Huo Ren!!”
“The kids are out!! Fu Mingnian looks so handsome today ah ah ah——”
“Vampire makeup! Jianian can’t!! Too lustful!!!!!!”
“Ren Ren ah ah ah ah Ren Ren——”
The whole venue erupted like a tide, with intersecting laser lights swinging back and forth, and flashlights shining like never-ending bright stars.
“Hello everyone, we are—— ‘Chosen by the Gods’ trainees!”
“I am mentor Huo Ren,” the young man said with a light smile, “long time no see.”
As soon as the show started broadcasting, the signal inside and outside the venue was so crowded that pictures couldn’t be sent.
Fans on forums and microblogs started competing to support their favorite idols, their eyes reddening the moment they saw their beloved trainees.
They had watched these trainees step by step to get to today.
Some were nameless at the auditions, some were already full of controversy before joining the group.
Finally… it had come to this day.
Huo Ren was already accustomed to facing countless people on the overly vast and open stage, and now he and Xie Lianyun joked together as if they had collaborated many times before, though it was their first time hosting the same show.
As soon as the live camera turned to them, the number of floors in the live broadcast tower jumped like pages.
[It’s 8102 years and I can still ship the double genius duo!! That mutual smile made my day!!!]
[Where is ‘High Mountains and Flowing Water’!! Professor Bo come out and take your fox home!!]
[I really want to see Yaoyao ah if only the other people could come too——]
“So, please welcome the ten trainees to perform individually,” Xie Lianyun stepped back slightly, adjusting his headset and saying, “Remember, soliciting votes is also part of the limited time, plan accordingly.”
The following scenes completely exceeded many people’s imaginations before the broadcast.
Chen Yuanqing wielded a long sword, spinning and soaring through the clouds, Shi Jianian performed a vampire dance to tango music, and Zhu Xizhi jumped around like a secret agent in a laser dot matrix.
Before the cheers ended, the lights suddenly dimmed, plunging the vast venue into darkness.
In the silence, a clear and gentle voice softly began to sing.
“If he is your light, can I still have the afterglow?”
“I do not deny, I do not oppose, yet I must hide my traces, like someone who has no right to embrace.”
Han Yang sat next to a crescent moon, holding his guitar and singing softly.
He played the guitar beautifully, and even though he wasn’t particularly tall, sitting in the silver moonlight, he had a unique presence.
The accompaniment was simple and plain, which perfectly highlighted his singing, creating an outstanding acapella effect.
Enunciation, breath control, chest resonance, emotional expression, and a voice as delicate as a forest thrush.
Each aspect was deeply memorable.
“The evasive aura seems like a barrier, eyes confirming how precious friendship is.”
“Reaching out to hold onto something, feels like trying to kiss the moon and the water…”
As he appeared, many who had been feasting on gossip for a week were energized, quickly whispering to confirm whether this young man was Han Qu’s younger brother.
Even the platform’s barrage was so dense it caused a crash.
[I suddenly don’t want to gossip anymore… Little thrush’s voice is truly a gift from heaven, he must not be closely related to his brother, otherwise, Huo Ren wouldn’t still be so close to him.]
[It’s my Yang baby, I love him so much, he must debut successfully!!]
[The songwriter is Fu Mingnian?? OMG Yang Yang dares to sing a teammate’s song in the finals??? What have I stumbled upon???]
But Han Yang sang with his eyes downcast, as if he was completely unaware of anything beyond the stage.
His voice was too beautiful.
More and more people gradually quieted down, swaying from side to side with the unfamiliar melody, unconsciously becoming his sincere audience.
On the other side of the stage, Fu Mingnian quietly watched Han Yang sing, eventually taking a sip of coffee.
Zhu Xizhi casually draped a jacket over his shoulders, smiling, “Aren’t you happy?”
Fu Mingnian, indeed a bit cold in his performance attire, didn’t shy away but wrapped the jacket tighter, “It’s fine, I feel nothing.”
“I always feel that you seem down lately,” the little snow leopard patted his shoulder with a paw: “Don’t be nervous, rankings are trivial—let’s go eat grilled lamb ribs after the competition.”
The young man raised his eyebrows slightly, turning to look at him: “You’re even younger than me by a year.”
Fu Mingnian didn’t even know what was bothering him, feeling that Zhu Xizhi didn’t need to take his moods so seriously.
Among those who were waiting to debut, Gu Shaochu, who had dropped out, was the oldest at twenty-three. The others were all around twenty, not much difference.
Only the two of them, one seventeen and the other eighteen, seemed like high school students who had sneaked out to compete.
“Hmm? Oh yeah, then I must be the youngest.” Zhu Xizhi grinned, “Brother, we’re debuting tonight, cheer up.”
Fu Mingnian had never been coaxed like this before, and suddenly, his mind buzzed, and he impulsively took off the jacket and stuffed it into his arms.
“Eh?”
“Stop calling that,” the young man’s face heated up, hurriedly saying: “I need to get ready to go on stage, see you later.”
“See you later,” the little snow leopard wagged its tail: “Remember, grilled~lamb~ribs~~”
“Got it!”
After Han Yang finished his song, Huo Ren came on stage smiling and introduced the program details.
Their moment of interaction on stage directly debunked various online speculations, relieving many fans who supported both.
“This song was originally created by Fu Mingnian, why did you want to perform this one?”
“Brother Mingnian is super good at writing songs,” Han Yang smiled, “Actually, the piano accompaniment was played by Brother Huan, we get along great!”
The girls in the audience nodded vigorously: Say more, say more!!
The following performance can wait!! Gossip for another five minutes before continuing!!!
In the old Mei family house, within the underground space,
“Popcorn’s ready—added chocolate and drizzled some strawberry powder!” Mei Shengyao hurried over with a small basin, dodging a pile of corn kernels to check the current voting situation: “Who’s first now? Why are they still showing commercials——”
“Watch the carpet as you walk,” Bo Jue quickly came over to catch the snacks, gesturing for Chi Ji to move aside: “It’s still Shi Jianian in first place, Zhu Xizhi in second, who’s performing next…”
“Xiao Huan,” Chi Ji, wrapped in a small blanket, raised his hand: “I’ve been waiting for a long time.”
Bo Jue felt a chill down his spine and stood up to leave: “Aren’t there clothes still to be picked up——”
“Sit down, sit down.” Mei Shengyao pressed him back down: “Xiao Huan is about to dance, what clothes are you picking up.”
Bo Jue’s face almost crumpled: “I don’t want to watch, I’ll go out for some air.”
“Come on, watch,” Chi Ji looked up: “It’s Xiao Huan, just watch.”
In recent days, they had all caught up with previous episodes of “Chosen by the Gods.” Throughout, Bo Jue would leave to drink water, take out the trash, or peel fruit whenever his younger brother appeared, just as awkwardly as in the past.
While reminiscing about their debut years, Chi Ji commented throughout with a smile, Mei Shengyao hugged a pillow and nodded frequently beside him, occasionally cutting a durian to eat while watching.
Before Bo Jue could escape Mei Shengyao’s grasp, the projector screen just happened to end the commercial break, familiar smoke lingering between the lights and colored glass pools.
So familiar—could it be—
Mei Shengyao blew a long, clear whistle.
Chi Ji’s smile froze a bit: “Wait—”
Bo Jue stopped in his tracks: “Xiao Huan he??”
The program name then popped up.
“In the Palm of Fire”
Performer: Bo Huan
Lyricist & Composer: Corona
Original Singer: Chi Ji
On the edge of a deep black marble bathtub, a youth in a cherry blossom bathrobe sat.
His dark hair fell around his skin smooth as white jade, his long eyelashes slightly curled.
Bo Huan leaned over to scoop a handful of water in his palm, and a pure white flame spiraled up, lingering like a neck-craning swan.
“You are the white flame in my palm,” he sang softly: “I want to scoop a handful and hide it away, afraid of the burn, yet also of holding too lightly.”
As he tilted his head, his long hair flowed like satin, revealing even more of his slender neck.
With a light tap of his clean toes on the water’s surface, the water in his palm fell like a starry river plunging down.
The youth spun around in the radiant light of the pool, turning his gaze as if falling into a haze, yet as if he had never known earthly desires.
“That day I saw the twilight fall on the shore.”
“A piece was missing from my heart, unsure what to replace it with.”
He twirled and paused, by the deep black marble like a lost, wandering swan, exquisitely delicate yet pure.
His enticing voice became a bewitching spell, deeply intoxicating with a sense of illusion.
The original work’s purity was genuine, yet this performance seemed like a deceptive trap.
There was an indescribable sense of danger.
Chi Ji watched intently with a pillow for a long time, then turned to Mei Shengyao: “His style is pretty good, isn’t it?”
“Where,” Mei Shengyao seriously said: “Yours was the best.”
“Brother Jue, what do you think, Brother Jue?” Chi Ji turned his head, only to see Bo Jue already covering his face with his hands.
“It’s okay, it’s okay—after all, he’s your younger brother—stay calm—”
Author’s Note:
Thanks for waiting! The finals continue in the next chapter, followed by night fire candy!
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Bestie: You’ve been stuck all afternoon, maybe stop and update tomorrow
Me (clinging to a full basin of FLAG): No, if I delay any further, I’ll have to commit seppuku in apology burp——
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Speaking of which, Chi Chi’s desire and Huan Huan’s desire are not the same type.
One is purely innocent, the other knowingly sinful,
I love them both www
gosh, this is making me cry