Feng Bingbing had known Lin Mu for years and had heard him howl his way through countless songs.
When she heard that song, "Quiet," she was shocked—and delighted.
So Senior Lin could sing beautifully after all?
And he could write songs, too.
Wasn't he talented and handsome?
So I really hadn't picked the wrong person to like?
Wow, Mom, I'm melting!
Feng Bingbing was certain that if Dawei Tianlong really was Senior Lin, all he had to do was open his mouth again and she'd know for sure.
But she never expected that when she eagerly waited for Dawei Tianlong to take the stage, his voice would suddenly turn into that of a weathered middle-aged man.
Could Senior Lin not only sing, but also be so skilled that he could change his voice at will?
If they hadn't been recording the show, Feng Bingbing would have been tempted to pull out her phone and ask Lin Mu directly.
The three mentors were awash with conflicting emotions, and the audience was just as silent.
The song had only a simple guitar accompaniment, yet somehow it drew listeners into its feelings of longing and regret.
"Defying love's temptations, fate's control, fighting back beyond my means, until death puts an end to it."
"Why can't I remember who last held me, or when?"
As the final lyric ended, the notes plucked from the guitar grew quieter and gradually faded away...
The song was over, but its lingering echo remained.
Wang Xinzhe quickly wiped the corner of his eye, then stood up and applauded.
The audience, still immersed in the song's emotions, rose to their feet and joined him.
Even the hired extras responsible for building the atmosphere were stunned. Fine, they didn't need to get the crowd going after all.
Zhang Zheng stood up too and clapped as hard as he could, so fiercely that people worried he might break his hands.
Damn it, I can only numb my tear ducts with pain. Otherwise, if I, a big-shot mentor, start crying in public, I'll die of embarrassment.
Feng Bingbing didn't stand or applaud. She was completely dumbfounded.
Was it him?
Wasn't it him?
Was it him?
Wasn't it him?
Mm, ah!
I'm gonna break!
At the other end of the mentors' table, Zhou Yiyi hadn't stood up either.
He'd never known hardship. He was a popular star propped up by capital.
He'd skipped the stages of struggle and setbacks and fast-forwarded straight to the peak of life.
A chunk of life experience was missing from his past, so he couldn't empathize with the song.
On top of that, he'd noticed that Feng Bingbing didn't seem to like the song much either, so he decided to act as if they shared the same discerning taste.
Feng Bingbing will definitely think we're on the same wavelength. Heh heh heh.
But Feng Bingbing wasn't paying him any attention. She was staring fixedly at the stage, as if she wanted to see through the curtain and make out the man playing guitar beneath it.
"Junior Feng, stumped now, huh? Wahaha!"
Lin Mu had naturally seen Feng Bingbing's reaction on the display screen.
He instantly felt refreshed, as if he'd regained control over his disobedient junior in the palm of his hand.
That felt good.
"Contestant Dawei Tianlong, is 'Hill' an original song?"
Zhang Zheng had steadied himself and now asked the question from the mentors' table.
"No."
Lin Mu replied.
His voice had been changed by a voice modulator into a mechanical one, making it impossible to tell who he was.
"Hm? It's not your original song?"
Lin Mu's answer caused an uproar among the audience. Wang Xinzhe and Zhang Zheng exchanged glances.
They'd never heard this song before. If Dawei Tianlong hadn't written it, had he taken someone else's song and passed it off as his own?
"I dreamed it."
Lin Mu had the good sense to know his place as a song transporter. The song belonged to Li, after all. He couldn't claim it as his own.
"Haha, you've got a sense of humor. No wonder you're a middle-aged man who's weathered life's storms."
Zhang Zheng laughed heartily, having already filed Lin Mu away as one of his peers.
"Thank you for the compliment, Teacher Zhang. You guessed right—I really am getting on in years."
Lin Mu was delighted and immediately went along with what Zhang Zheng had said.
He glanced at the display screen. Feng Bingbing looked dazed, like a little flower battered by a gale. Lin Mu could barely keep from laughing out loud.
Why was teasing Junior Feng so much fun?
"This song really captures a middle-aged man's reflections on life. At least, it moved me. Old Wang, what do you think?"
After praising the song, Zhang Zheng turned the conversation over to Wang Xinzhe. He had sharp eyes and had noticed Wang Xinzhe secretly wiping his eyes.
"Teacher Zhang, you're already a winner in life, yet you put on such a weathered act. How are middle-aged failures like us supposed to go on living?"
Wang Xinzhe's words drew laughter from the audience. Only then did he look toward the curtain onstage and say slowly,
"'Hill'—I feel like this song was written for me. Contestant Dawei Tianlong, how about selling me the rights to it?"
The audience froze for a moment, then erupted in surprise.
"Wang Xinzhe is actually asking a contestant for a song?"
"Dawei Tianlong is amazing!"
"This song deserves it. I'm an old-timer, and I almost cried listening to it."
Wang Xinzhe hadn't offered a single word of praise, yet his request was the greatest compliment he could give Lin Mu and "Hill."
"Hey, hey, Old Wang, you can't do that. Brother Long, I was the first to applaud. Sell the song to me!"
Zhang Zheng pretended to block Wang Xinzhe. He even shamelessly called Lin Mu "Brother Long."
The audience burst into laughter.
"No wonder they call him Leather Pants Zhang. He's such a troublemaker."
"Two mentors are fighting over a song. Who exactly is this Dawei Tianlong?"
"Could he be some big shot from the industry, pretending to be a nobody so he can show off?"
The audience had grown curious about Dawei Tianlong's identity.
"Not bad."
Chen Xin smiled with satisfaction. The previous contestants had been a little underwhelming; the moment Dawei Tianlong came onstage, the show finally got exciting.
A good song really did make all the difference!
Just then, the female host walked onto the stage and stood outside the curtain.
"Teacher Zhang, Teacher Wang, let's talk about buying the song later. Shouldn't we vote first?"
"Oh, right. Let's take care of business first. What do you say, Old Wang? Shall we do it together?"
Zhang Zheng asked Wang Xinzhe with a smile.
They exchanged a glance and pressed the blue buttons in front of their chairs together.
Blue lights came on atop the tables in front of them, meaning the mentors had voted to let the contestant pass.
With two votes, Lin Mu had made it into the safe zone. At the very least, he wouldn't be eliminated outright.
One more vote, and he'd qualify for the national top eighty.
"Teacher Zhou Yiyi, what did you think of contestant Dawei Tianlong's performance?"
The female host smiled and addressed Zhou Yiyi as "Teacher." Zhang Zheng and Wang Xinzhe smiled too, though inwardly they felt awkward.
Why did she call everyone Teacher?
Didn't she care whether they deserved it?
After Zhou Yiyi had tried to "bother" Feng Bingbing earlier, neither of them had much liking for the young star.
Before speaking, Zhou Yiyi glanced at Feng Bingbing, then said with a serious expression,
"I don't like this song."
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