Once Lin Sen had settled into his seat, Yu Xiuyuan leaned a little closer and lowered his voice, his tone dripping with sarcasm:
"Actually, I was planning to come anyway. All that effort you put in was for nothing, Mr. Lin."
Lin Sen's clenched fists began to tremble slightly. His demeanor finally matched his buzz cut.
Having successfully pissed him off, Yu Xiuyuan finally felt a little better.
Before long, the other two resident mentors arrived one after the other.
One was Old Zhou, a veteran producer in the industry, in his forties, with a round face and a cheerful smile that made him look very approachable;
The other was Song Yao, an accomplished singer in her early thirties with a straightforward personality. She nodded to Yu Xiuyuan in greeting as soon as she entered.
The two sat in the middle, exchanging empty pleasantries, though their eyes kept drifting toward Yu Xiuyuan.
That burgundy shirt really was striking. It made his fair skin practically glow.
Lin Sen's expression darkened another shade.
At nine, recording began.
The contestants took the stage one by one. After each performance, the four mentors gave their comments, with Yu Xiuyuan third and Lin Sen last.
Yu Xiuyuan had no plans to stir things up just yet. He kept his feedback conventional, following the lead of the first two mentors.
Lin Sen, whose turn came after his, was sharpening his knives, ready to contradict him. But Yu Xiuyuan was as slippery as a fish, leaving him nothing to sink his teeth into.
He was so angry that the corners of his mouth drooped, his face flushing dark red from holding it in. He looked rather ugly.
After a long stretch of recording, it was finally the turn of the contestant who had caught Yu Xiuyuan's attention.