"Common Jasmin Orange" stunned the crowd

Pan Feng's eyes brimmed with tears.

She held a patterned handbag worth 930,000 in her left hand, while her right hand formed an orchid-finger gesture, gently dabbing the tears at the corner of her eye with the back of her index finger.

"Honey, not only do we need to hold a family reunion ceremony so our son can return to his ancestral roots, we also need to give him another hundred million in spending money."

Lu Yuanqing nodded. "Yes, that's what we'll do!"

Lu Chi walked over and stopped beside the couple, unaware that they had just discussed such a major decision.

Outside the glass doors.

Lu Qingru, Lu Jiyang, and the others were still surrounded by reporters asking them all sorts of questions.

Lu Jiyang had dressed up for the occasion in a suit and tie.

He looked every inch a wealthy young gentleman of noble standing.

His demeanor was just slightly on the effeminate side.

Like a big celebrity, whichever way he turned, the reporters' cameras and microphones followed.

Lu Chi watched the scene before him with disdain.

The television studio was packed with a dense sea of people.

This round of The Voice of Huaxia singing competition was being broadcast live through Jing City Television Station and major media platforms.

Lu Yuanqing and his wife were invited to sit relatively near the front.

Lu Chi wanted to find somewhere to sit on his own.

Pan Feng called loudly to a staff member, "That's my son. Have him sit beside us."

But Lu Chi waved his hands repeatedly.

"Mom, there's no need. I don't like sitting at the front. I prefer somewhere closer to the middle, so I can stay calm for the competition. Sitting at the front makes me nervous."

Hearing her son say this, Pan Feng said nothing more and settled into her seat beside Lu Yuanqing.

Lu Jiyang finally shook off the reporters.

He walked into the studio, chatting and laughing with his second sister, Lu Qingru, third sister, Lu Yanxin, fourth sister, Lu Xiaoyue, and fifth sister, Lu Yunke.

Since Lu Qingru was a big celebrity, the five siblings naturally also sat near the front, not too far from Lu Yuanqing and his wife.

About forty minutes later, everything was ready.

Six pretty young girls in lace performed an explosive opening dance.

"Good evening, everyone! ..."

As the host delivered the opening remarks, The Voice of Huaxia officially went on air.

Thanks to the advance publicity, the livestream's viewer count quickly soared to 100,000 as soon as the show began.

Bullet comments surged across the screen like a raging tide, wave after wave, showing no sign of stopping.

The host announced that the contestants would draw lots on-site.

There was a large lottery machine at the venue. When the host pressed the button, it began spinning rapidly.

Before more than three hundred people at the venue and over a hundred thousand livestream viewers.

The numbers and their corresponding contestants' names began scrolling.

When the machine stopped, each contestant saw their number.

Lu Jiyang drew number 8, while Lu Chi drew number 38.

A single broadcast could not cover every contestant, so Lu Chi's number 38 effectively made him the last contestant of this broadcast.

"Wow, great! If you want to prosper, you can't do without eight. First place is mine!"

When Lu Jiyang saw that his number was 8, he nearly jumped out of his chair in excitement.

He felt it was an excellent omen.

Turning back to look at Lu Chi in the middle seats, he laughed. "Thirty-eight, what a bitch!"

Lu Chi glared at him, and Lu Jiyang quickly turned away.

Looking up and around, Lu Chi saw that every contestant seated there was meticulously dressed.

Some brimmed with confidence, while others were uneasy.

Contestant number 1 took the stage and sang a popular song from this world.

He had barely sung three lines before the judges drove him off.

"What are you singing? That sounds awful. Get off!"

Contestant number 2 took the stage. The judges patiently listened to half the song, and the contestant successfully advanced.

It was number 8, Lu Jiyang's turn.

Lu Jiyang strode confidently toward the stage. Amid his sisters' cheers, he held the microphone and said, "Hello, everyone. My name is Lu Jiyang, and today I'll be singing 'If You Can Come.'"

"If the wind knew the fragrance of rice blossoms in the fields,

If clouds had wings of their own.

If hope could wipe away sorrow,

If..."

It had to be said that Lu Jiyang did have some skill.

The song he had chosen was extremely difficult, yet he sang it with great proficiency.

After just a few lines, he won applause from the entire audience.

The audience shouted, "Great singing!"

In the livestream, bullet comments scrolled past one after another.

Like a mighty river flowing without end.

They all supported Lu Jiyang.

Ai***: [Isn't this the richest man's son? He sings so well!]

Ma***: [Oh my god, he makes such a difficult song sound so effortless.]

Love***: [Some people are born in Rome, while others are born beasts of burden.]

Flower***: [Handsome! So handsome! By the way, does Young Master Lu have a girlfriend?]

Chen***: [Handsome face, lovely voice. He probably has a shot at the championship.]

The host announced loudly, "Congratulations to contestant number 8 on successfully advancing!"

Lu Jiyang raised both hands and ran offstage, shouting, "Yeah, yeah, yeah!"

Below the stage, his four sisters took turns hugging him.

When it was Lu Chi's turn to perform, he looked out from the stage. Lu Jiyang and his four sisters had long since left.

However, his mom and dad had stayed the whole time.

His dad was still watching the stage with bright, attentive eyes, while his mom had long since fallen asleep.

Lu Yuanqing stood up and shouted to Lu Chi onstage, "Chi'er, you can do it! Dad believes in you!"

Lu Yuanqing's shouting woke Pan Feng.

Pan Feng cried out, slapped the chair in front of her hard with her right hand, and declared loudly, "Eight dots!"

Lu Yuanqing gave her a gentle nudge, and only then did she realize that she was at the competition, not playing mahjong.

She hurriedly stood up with Lu Yuanqing and shouted to Lu Chi, "You can do it, son! Winning or losing doesn't matter. Taking part is what counts!"

Only after a staff member signaled for them to sit did the older couple sit down.

Lu Chi had made his preparations the night before. The song he would sing today was "Common Jasmin Orange," a hit from the real world, the kind that had swept the entire country.

Lu Chi had recorded the accompaniment himself at home the night before and brought it on a USB drive, which he handed to the television station's backstage staff when he went onstage.

Lu Chi spoke calmly. "Hello, esteemed judges. I'll be performing a song I wrote myself-'Common Jasmin Orange.'"

Lu Chi's words did not cause much of a ripple.

Other contestants had also brought songs they had written themselves.

Yet once they opened their mouths, their singing turned out to be nothing special.

Lu Chi paid no attention to anyone's reaction. As the accompaniment began, he raised the microphone and started singing:

"The sparrows outside the window,

Chattered on the utility pole.

You said this line really felt like summer.

The pencil in my hand moved back and forth across the paper,

I used a few lines to describe who you were to me.

..."

Lu Chi used only half his ability, singing casually.

His aim was to make Lu Jiyang lower his guard.

As long as he advanced, that was enough. He would crush him with his true ability in the grand final!

Yet even though he had concealed his skill, he still left people stunned.

The judges heaped praise on him, saying that for Lu Chi to write such a fine song as an eighteen-year-old high school student, he was bound to have a bright future.

Both the beauty of the lyrics and the pleasing melody could be called exquisite.

The livestream viewers also thought Lu Chi was quite good.

But compared with Lu Jiyang, he was still far behind.

Nevertheless, there was no question that Lu Chi successfully advanced.

Lu Yuanqing and his wife were overjoyed.

They hurried to call their daughters, their every word brimming with delighted surprise.

Right in front of all those people, the couple even hugged their dear boy and showered him with kisses.

They left Lu Chi's face covered in the smell of the richest family's old folks' saliva.

After Lu Chi finished singing, the show ended as well.

Lu Chi and Lu Yuanqing's couple left the television station along with the audience.

At the entrance, the family was about to get into their car and leave when they suddenly heard a commotion up ahead.

It seemed someone had gotten into a fight.

Lu Chi took two steps forward.

To his shock, the person fighting was none other than the school belle, Su Yunian!