As Mirei Mei concluded her performance, she bowed respectfully to the live audience and the cameras.
"Amazing, Mei-chan! You're the best!" a fan shouted.
"She's already won too many times," another audience member commented. "I think it's time to announce the results. Why even give the Creator a chance to perform when he hasn't even shown up?"
"That makes sense, but the singer shouldn't have to take the blame for the Creator's absence," someone else chimed in. "Chaoyue should just focus on singing well. Even if she loses this time, it's not her fault. That One Leaf Knows Autumn is just arrogant and overconfident."
The audience's criticism of Ye Huanqiu was palpable, especially as Yang Chaoyue prepared to take the stage. Behind the scenes, viewership ratings surged once again.
The average rating had climbed to 0.65% and continued to rise.
Shen Tao and Director Zhang in the control room couldn't care less whether Ye Huanqiu showed up or not. Adults prioritized profit, while only children fussed over right and wrong.
As the viewership curve soared, Ye Huanqiu's absence became irrelevant. As long as the ratings kept climbing, everything was fine.
Today, Yang Chaoyue wore an elegant, understated dress and toned down her usual vibrant makeup. Many viewers assumed this subdued look was due to Ye Huanqiu's absence.
In reality, Yang Chaoyue had been cultivating her emotions for a long time before taking the stage. All she had to do was recall her past hardships and heartaches, and the feelings would flood back instantly.
This time, she used a microphone stand. Instead of holding the microphone, Yang Chaoyue stood directly in front of it.
She nodded to the sound engineer, signaling that she was ready to begin.
The song's title, "Rainy Day," appeared on the large screen.
The song started without an intro. Yang Chaoyue opened with the heavily nasal singing style Ye Huanqiu had taught her, and the piano accompaniment followed immediately:
What do I do on a rainy day? I miss you so much~
I don't dare call you; I can't find a reason~
Why has the sound of insomnia become so familiar?
This silent scene acts as your substitute, keeping me company as I wait for the rain to stop~
The singing style was peculiar, unlike Yang Chaoyue's usual voice, yet it suited the song perfectly.
Some audience members exclaimed, "Is that really Yang Chaoyue? I closed my eyes for a moment and almost didn't believe it!"
"Wow, this actually sounds pretty good... Damn it, One Leaf Knows Autumn has outdone himself again."
"So what? This is personal. When the time comes, we'll flip the vote and crush him!"
Some netizens even urged others to blindly vote for "Sad Song" when the time came.
But these voices represented only a small minority of the audience.
Gao Jin, sitting in the audience, shook and nodded his head repeatedly. His shaking meant he was astonished that Yang Chaoyue's voice could be refined to this extent. The song's melody was quite high, and her previous singing style would have made it difficult to reach the notes, her voice sounding too thin and lacking depth.
The clever addition of a heavy nasal tone had paradoxically enhanced the voice's texture, a testament to Ye Huanqiu's brilliant imagination and professional coaching.
In this regard, Gao Jin had to admit that Ye Huanqiu was superior to him.
His nodding, on the other hand, expressed his appreciation for the song itself. Compared to the "Sad Song" he had written for Mirei Mei, he subconsciously realized that his own song was better suited for a male vocalist, which was why some details hadn't been properly executed.
"Rainy Day," however, was completely tailored for a female voice.
When Yang Chaoyue lifted her gaze to meet the camera, tears glimmered faintly in her eyes, perfectly embodying the word "pitiful."
Anticipation makes us sink deeper
Who else waits in vain for someone who never comes, just like me?
Falling for you, I'm always learning the taste of loneliness
One person holds the umbrella, one person wipes away the tears
Being alone is so exhausting...
The song seemed to tell the story of a young girl's first, fleeting romance, one that ended without closure, leaving her feeling utterly insignificant.
It evoked a profound sense of sorrow, drawing listeners into the girl's plight with empathy.
When Yang Chaoyue poured her heart into the chorus, her voice rang with all the pent-up emotions:
What kind of rain, what kind of night,
What kind of me could make you miss me more?
How heavy must the rain fall, how dark must the sky grow,
To earn your tender concern?
Without me, you wouldn't even notice the difference,
The ending would be just as clear.
Don't say you're heartbroken,
Don't say you want to change.
The one who's loved never needs to apologize...
As she unleashed this torrent of raw emotion, Yang Chaoyue hit her stride, silencing the audience with the power of her performance.
Viewers flooded the screen with question marks: "???"
"This is so heartbreaking... did she really get dumped?"
"But wait, didn't One Leaf Knows Autumn write this song? How can a grown man capture such delicate emotions? This is literally my life right now—I'm about to fall apart listening to this after a breakup."
"Is that a crocodile shedding tears in the upper gallery? Honestly, I'm starting to waver. That arrogant bastard One Leaf Knows Autumn is full of himself, but he's got real talent!"
"Chaoyue is incredible! If I hadn't watched her debut, I'd swear she was a seasoned professional."
One exceptional song completely turned the tide of public opinion.
Tan Weiwei, rarely one to offer praise, spoke up from the judges' panel: "It's genuinely beautiful. To be honest, this song is too youthful for someone my age to perform. Chaoyue's progress is undeniable."
The Creator understands the quality of a song, and naturally, the singers do too.
Chen Yihan watched Yang Chaoyue pour her heart into the performance. She could hear that the raw emotion wasn't just about romantic heartbreak, but rather a cathartic cry against the hardships she had endured.
Yang Chaoyue had always projected strength, rarely allowing herself to show vulnerability. In this song, she held nothing back.
And that's precisely what moved people so deeply.
The host stood by the stage, while Meng Yan's eyes reddened with tears. Wang Ziqiang quickly signaled a staff member for tissues, a moment naturally captured by the cameras.
"Goddess Meng Yan is crying! Don't cry..."
"Damn you, One Leaf Knows Autumn! Why did you write such a heart-wrenching song?"
"My other self... I'm crying with Meng Yan!"
"Don't cry, sweetheart. Mommy's here. Come into my arms."
"Your account ID shows you're male! No male moms allowed!"
On stage, Yang Chaoyue had never felt so liberated. She poured all her pent-up emotions into the song, culminating in a flawless performance.
As she bowed to acknowledge the applause, a single, glistening tear rolled down her cheek.
Just wipe away the tears, she thought, lifting her head with her signature bright smile.
The audience spontaneously erupted into applause, though Gou Bing and Li Yuanjie were among the less enthusiastic clappers.
When Meng Yan took the stage, she embraced Yang Chaoyue. "That was incredible," she said. "Would you be interested in singing karaoke with me sometime?"
"Huh?"
Yang Chaoyue hadn't expected to gain a "fangirl" from this show.
Who wouldn't love a beautiful older sister? With a sweeping gesture, Yang Chaoyue agreed: "Sure!"