How About I Sell You This Cane?

Lin Mu asked warily, "What do you want to talk about?"

I already had two crazy women giving me headaches. I could do without Haiyuan, too.

Chi Haiyuan looked aggrieved. "Are you still mad at me? I was just a little upset that day because you kept ignoring me. It was only because I liked you so much!"

Lin Mu asked, "Did you get eliminated?"

Chi Yuting's eyes reddened, and her red lips trembled. She looked utterly pitiful.

"I only got two blue lights, so I'm on standby. But enough about me. I heard Teacher Wang and Teacher Zhang both think highly of you. I'm really happy for you."

Lin Mu sneered.

Sure enough, after Chi Haiyuan found out he was a contestant too, she'd asked around about his "stage name" and his results.

When she heard that even Wang Xinzhe and Zhang Zheng called him "Brother Long," and that they'd nearly fought over the rights to his song, she immediately realized that he wasn't someone she could look down on after all.

In fact, Lin Mu had become even more out of her league.

And with Chi Yuting facing standby status, she wanted to latch on to "Brother Long," a powerful ally.

Of course, to cast her net as widely as possible, Chi Haiyuan had deliberately waited by the door for Lin Mu, so Wu Tian wouldn't see her getting close to him.

No wonder she was destined to become the Pirate King. She really was meticulous.

As Chi Yuting spoke, she reached out and tried to hook her arm around Lin Mu's.

"Look, your name is Dawei Tianlong, and mine is Xiao Qing. We're so meant to be! It's like fate brought us together."

"Hey, hey, hey, contestant Xiao Qing, speaking of fate, aren't you and Xiao Bai even more meant to be? You were just hugging Wu Tian."

Zisu stepped between them.

Wu Tian's stage name was Xiao Bai.

Zisu had just seen Chi Yuting flirting with Wu Tian in the waiting room. She hadn't expected the woman to turn around and make a move on her big brother.

How could she let that slide?!

Chi Yuting looked Zisu up and down, sensing a serious threat. She asked Lin Mu, "Who is she?"

Zisu snorted and pointed to her badge.

"We're filming right now. Please follow the program's rules, return to your seats, and wait for the second round."

"You're on standby too?" Chi Yuting asked, surprised. She turned to Lin Mu.

"Yeah." Lin Mu nodded impatiently.

"Heh. I thought you were so impressive. Turns out you're all show and no substance!"

The moment she heard Lin Mu was on standby too, Chi Yuting felt confident again. She rolled her eyes and sashayed into the waiting room.

"What's that woman's problem?"

Zisu couldn't understand why Chi Yuting's attitude had changed so quickly.

"People who spend a lot of time at sea are all like that," Lin Mu said.

Then he went into the waiting room too.

Zisu was stunned. "At sea?"

When Lin Mu entered the contestants' waiting room, the others all looked over. He ignored them and went to sit in a corner by himself.

He wanted to use the chance to go over the song he'd just thought of again.

To advance to the next round, he couldn't get away with singing another world-weary song for Junior Feng.

But if Junior Feng thought that would be enough to recognize him, she was being far too naive!

"Bro, how'd it go?"

Hao Jian hurried over, looking curious.

Lin Mu turned to him. "Did Xiao Qing come ask you about me earlier?"

"Yeah! She's gorgeous, and she came to ask about you herself. She's obviously into you! I told her everything about you!"

Lin Mu narrowed his eyes. "So you told her I was Dawei Tianlong, and you told her what happened onstage too?"

Hao Jian nodded enthusiastically. "Bro, if you're interested in Xiao Qing, I can tell you about her too. I've got the inside scoop on all the other female contestants as well. I'll share it with you for free, hehehe!"

Lin Mu smiled and gave the guy a proper once-over for the first time.

An ordinary face and a lecherous grin—utterly nondescript, with the natural look of a paparazzo.

"How do you know so much gossip?" Lin Mu asked.

"Now that's a subject I can talk about all day!"

Hao Jian sat cross-legged on his chair like he was sitting on a heated kang in Northeast China. He spoke animatedly.

"Ever since I was a kid, people called me the neighborhood gossip. I knew which housewife went to get her hair done behind her husband's back, and which family's poodle ran off with the neighbor's calico. I knew everything!"

Hao Jian paused, waving his hands as he recalled it all.

"Every time I uncovered one of those hidden secrets, it made me feel so good. Way more fun than singing!"

"Then why'd you come on a singing competition?" Lin Mu asked.

Hao Jian glanced around and lowered his voice. "Honestly, I came on the show to dig up more secrets about the entertainment industry. Getting to hear the gossip up close is so much fun!"

Lin Mu looked at him, then suddenly smiled kindly. "How about I sell you this cane?"

It was time to bring in some fresh blood and change the team's direction.

"Huh?" Hao Jian didn't understand.

"Did you make it through?" Lin Mu asked.

"Nope. I got four red lights!"

Hao Jian sounded quite proud. "I looked into it. I'm the only one in our top eighty to get four red lights. Impressive, right?"

Lin Mu smiled. "You're happy about that?"

"I know I can't sing. I'm just here for the gossip.

"Hey, the woman in contestant slot 25 is dating number 39, but she's been flirting with number 41 too. And 41 went to a hotel with 39 last night."

Hao Jian whispered excitedly.

"Wow, that's a full-on love triangle."

Lin Mu glanced at the contestants Hao Jian had mentioned, then paused.

"Numbers 39 and 41 are both guys, though?"

"Doesn't that make it even more exciting?" Hao Jian snickered lecherously.

Lin Mu grinned. "Well, now that you've been eliminated, you won't get to hear any more gossip."

"Yeah. Sigh, what a shame I didn't get to uncover any of the judges' secrets."

At that, Hao Jian looked crestfallen, clearly disappointed.

"You want to hear the judges' gossip? Sure. I'll take you to it," Lin Mu said with a smile.

"What?"

Hao Jian looked confused.

"After filming, go to the parking lot across from Yonghui Supermarket on Huiyuan Road, two streets away, and wait for me. I'll take you to dig up a big secret about Zhou Yiyi."

Hao Jian chuckled. "You're messing with me, right?"

"Believe me or not, it's your choice. You've got one chance. Whether you keep living a dull life or start living an exciting one—that's up to you."

Lin Mu smiled faintly and said no more.

Hao Jian watched him uncertainly, as if he'd been tempted by Lin Mu's words, though he still found them hard to believe.

Dawei Tianlong was just an amateur contestant. How could he possibly have dirt on Zhou Yiyi?

Lin Mu paid him no more attention and silently went over the song he'd perform in the upcoming PK round.

He'd performed this song at his school's welcome party in his previous life.

He could play and sing it on piano or guitar.

But to keep Junior Feng guessing, he'd have to add something extra.

Just then, a staff member came over and had the contestants on standby draw lots and register the songs they planned to sing.

There were sixteen contestants on standby this time, making eight pairs for the PK round.

When it was Lin Mu's turn, he drew a lot at random without checking who his opponent was, then handed the number to the staff member.

"Contestant Zhang Hen, are you still singing an original song?"

Lin Mu nodded.

"Please tell us the title."

"Ugly Monster."