Love Variety Show: The despised me exploded in popularity

His smile was gentle in his eyes and brows, spanning all the past he had and trapping the youth he once was.

"In that hastily passing year, we saw too little of the world, only loving the sight of the same face."

The melody resumed, carrying on until the last phrase, "We owe each other, we wish to linger like severed lotus roots still linked by fibers," and with these words, the entire song finally came to an end.

Clap!

All the lights on the dim stage lit up, Lin Wanzhou bowed to the music program's band and then slightly bowed to the audience. The voting started at this moment, and the tally behind him soared on the big screen.

"Hello, everyone, I am the singer Lin Wanzhou."

The studio audience fixated on the big screen, watching the numbers change non-stop, climbing from three hundred all the way to six hundred.

The two at the bottom were Xu Ou and the folk singer Yu Zhongyi, both scoring under six hundred votes. Lin Wanzhou exerted a little effort and broke past six hundred, shattering Xu Ou's dream of a comeback.

As expected, they were destined to be eliminated.

When the results came out, Xu Ou actually let out a sigh of relief first. Then, looking up at the score behind Lin Wanzhou that was over six hundred and still climbing, she pressed her lips together lightly.

"Already over six hundred, will it surpass Sister Wen?"

"It's unlikely, Sister Wen has 650 votes, but Lin Wanzhou's live performance of this song is just too strong," Qi Yingying said, "and it's an original composition...."

"This song is quite excellent. It's hard to imagine it came from a young singer," said Guan Fengchen, who was seasoned enough to refer to Lin Wanzhou as a junior with generosity.

After a brief pause, the numbers continued to rise, breezing past six hundred and fifty votes.

"It's surpassed it!" Jiang Jingsheng stood up, dumbfounded, "Six hundred fifty-nine... and it's still climbing, now it's second."

"It won't surpass Uncle Hou, will it?" asked Wen Shuanghua, her petite figure delicate, and she smiled winsomely.

"That's not very likely. Uncle Hou has 724, it's basically insurmountable," Jiang Jingsheng shook his head, "My guess is that the votes might be around six hundred and eighty, it's very difficult to go higher."

On a stage like "I Am the Singing King," the biggest enemy of a singer is the audience's aesthetic.

Most present were professional singers, it's all about who has more flair, more solid foundations. Either give an old song a new twist, or present a re-arranged piece.

If one has confidence, they might as well throw in an original.

Simply put, the more gimmicks, the more popular you are.

The choice of "In that hastily passing year" was very good, easily stirring the audience's emotions. Coupled with the special stage presentation, within three to four minutes, it was almost like watching a movie.

With such quality, taking second place effortlessly was no problem at all. As for what Jiang Jingsheng referred to as surpassing six hundred and eighty but difficult to go higher—

The next moment, it was proven wrong as Lin Wanzhou's climbing votes passed six hundred and eighty without any sign of stopping, still slowly ascending.

Six hundred eighty-five, six hundred ninety-one, all the way to six hundred ninety-nine.

Everyone's heart hung in their throats, for once the score exceeded seven hundred votes, it meant that the singer had stepped into the realm of outstanding musicians.

"Seven hundred!"

The voting miraculously settled at seven hundred and six, confronting Hou Xueheng's score of seven hundred and twenty-four from a distance, stunning everyone present.

With only eight hundred people in the audience, persuading seven hundred and six of them to vote for an original love song was no easy feat.

"The score's too high?" Xu Ou gasped in disbelief, "Am I seeing things? It's broken seven hundred, really... too strong."

Seven hundred votes, there was no longer any need for envy.

Although Jiang Jingsheng could also relax with his six hundred and fifty votes, that was already the limit. Those who did not vote were the most steadfast and the hardest to win over.

Moreover, those who voted for Jiang Jingsheng might not necessarily vote for Lin Wanzhou.

Thus calculated, to achieve over seven hundred votes, one must impress that small portion of stubborn music fans in the audience. Allowing for a portion of people who might not like one's song, from this, the total number of votes was determined.

"The standard of this song is very high, and Lin Wanzhou has performed well," the elder Hou Xueheng spoke up, "Given time, she will certainly become a diva."

As the voice fell, everyone in the studio turned their heads in unison to look at the eldest brother, their faces showing surprise.

No one had expected that, once Hou Xueheng started speaking, his appraisal of Lin Wanzhou would be so high. He was frank to the point of almost directly saying, "I see the makings of a queen in this woman."

On the brightly lit stage, since she was the last to perform and didn't need to return to the studio to rest, the female host announced the final results.

"Lin Wanzhou's 'In a Hurry That Year' received a total of seven hundred and six votes! Securing the second place with an excellent performance, the challenge is successful!!!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Wanzhou finally breathed a sigh of relief, a subtle action that the female host caught.

For some reason, she suddenly shifted the topic to her.

"First of all, congratulations to Zhouzhou on a successful challenge. Do you have anything you'd like to share with everyone?"

This was a typical post-competition awkward chat scenario. Faced with the host's question, singers usually talk about their creative origins or make jokes.

There was another aspect of the show that was often criticized—the music critics.

Sometimes the peculiar comments they made were hard to bear, but fortunately, the reviews were recorded and edited separately in post-production, so they couldn't be heard live.

Lin Wanzhou paused for a while, as if thinking, then spoke a few seconds later.

"I... I want to thank someone."

"Who?" the female host asked curiously.
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"The lyricist and composer of 'In a Hurry That Year' and my previous song 'What I Miss,' Xu Qingyan," Lin Wanzhou, in her cotton white dress, said nervously facing the camera.

"Without him writing songs for me, perhaps I wouldn't have been able to recover so quickly. The reason I can stand on this stage is also because of the confidence he's given me."

She spoke in fits and starts.

Despite being a small queen who had debuted years ago, she was wearing a white cotton dress reminiscent of her teenage years. While thanking someone, she blushed and stuttered, just like a young girl giving a speech at a school awards ceremony.

This natural contrast immediately evoked envy from the audience. Most had never heard of Xu Qingyan before and wondered who he was.

In the backstage studio, Jiang Jingsheng's expression was subtle.

He clearly knew who Xu Qingyan was—"Qing Tian," "Always Very Quiet," "What I Miss," three songs hitting the market, it was hard not to know.

He hadn't expected that "In a Hurry That Year" was also written by Xu Qingyan. What kind of frightening productivity was this? Four hit songs in just one month's time!

Wen Shuanghua, who had just returned to the country, heard this name for the first time and couldn't help but be curious.

"Who is Xu Qingyan?"

"A lyricist and composer... Well, not quite, a month ago he was still an amateur," Jiang Jingsheng responded, struggling to find the right words, "In any case, he's a new entrant to the field of songwriting."

"A newcomer?" Xu Ou was the most astonished.

It was hard enough to make a comeback on a show, first being overshadowed by the youngest, Lin Wanzhou, and then learning that the person who wrote "In a Hurry That Year" had only formally entered the industry last month.

The word "frustrated" was worn out—were the up-and-comers really this formidable?

"Really? A newcomer wrote that?" Wen Shuanghua was stunned. She had just returned to the country. "In a Hurry That Year" was written by a new person? Could a newcomer write such a song?

"He has written other songs too, each with pretty good results," Qi Yingying volunteered, "but I didn't expect him to write another good song. It's somewhat unbelievable."

"It would be good to meet this young man," Hou Xueheng remarked offhandedly, without much reaction.

Seen it all, believe little.

There were too many instances of packaging and hyping in the entertainment industry, and one could hardly imagine the extent to which those people were willing to go just to make a name. Seeing was believing.

The program recording was nearing its end, and outside the TV station, the sky was still clear at noon.

Four-star hotel.

Pei Muchan's room was connected to another, located in the middle of the corridor. After both took a short break and set out together, it was already half past noon.