Chapter 131: The Rankings Revealed, Performance Theme: "Regret"

Li Siqi was set to leave, and the production team made no effort to keep him. After all, having failed his challenge, forcing him to stay would have made for an awkward spectacle.

Once the results of the challenge were announced, Xie Yuwen urged, "Now that Li Siqi's ranking is out, hurry up and reveal Fang Xing's ranking too."

Zheng Tao maintained his smile and replied, "Why don't we reveal the others' rankings first?"

Xie Yuwen threw his head back against the sofa and shouted, "Fine, you don't have to announce it. I already know the result."

Zheng Tao continued, "That's not necessarily true. Perhaps it's not what you think?"

Xie Yuwen didn't buy the director's games for a second. "Director Zheng, I've seen through your tricks. If Fang Xing's ranking weren't high, you would have announced it already. Keeping it a secret just means something big is going on."

The other singers joined in the protest: "Since the challenge results are out, just reveal the rankings of the original singers as well."

Zheng Tao looked helpless. "If we just announce it like that, it takes all the fun out of it. Why don't you guess? What rank did Fang Xing get tonight? Fourth, third, second, or first?"

Xie Yuwen, no longer a young man, couldn't help but roll his eyes. "That's a stupid question. Fang Xing’s rank can only be one, two, three, or four."

"I’m guessing it’s not four. If it were four, you wouldn't be dragging it out; you would have just blurted it out. So, it must be first, second, or third, and the most likely scenario is back-to-back wins. Director, just tell me if I’m right."

Zheng Tao shook his head helplessly. "Xie Yuwen, if you keep this up, the editors are going to cut all your footage."

Xie Yuwen slammed his fist down and stood up. "See! I guessed right. You aren't announcing it now, but we already know the result."

Zheng Tao sighed. "In that case, let’s try a more interesting way to reveal it. Fang Xing's performance rank tonight is indeed in the top four. Besides Fang Xing, there are three other singers. We will announce those three names and their ranks. First, Xie Yuwen, what rank do you think you got?"

Xie Yuwen clapped his hands. "Since you’re starting with me, it must be fourth, right?"

Zheng Tao shook his head. "Wrong. Xie Yuwen's rank tonight is third..."

"Or is it fourth?" Xie Yuwen finished the sentence for him.

Zheng Tao laughed. "Xie Yuwen's rank tonight is third, period. There is no second half to that sentence. So, you guessed wrong."

Hearing he had made it into the top three, Xie Yuwen raised his eyebrows, stood up, and shook hands with the singers nearby. "Congratulations, congratulations."

"Thank you, thank you."

Zheng Tao continued, "Next, who else is in the top four? Xu Xinyu, do you think you made it?"

Xu Xinyu frowned in thought. "It's hard to say. Tonight's performance wasn't my best; rehearsals went better than the actual performance. So, I’m not sure."

Zheng Tao kept them in suspense for a long moment before announcing, "Xu Xinyu's rank tonight is fourth."

Xu Xinyu stood up to thank the other singers.

With that announced, Xie Yuwen raised an eyebrow. "Then the only ones left are first and second? I knew it. Fang Xing's rank had to be either first or second."

All eyes turned toward Fang Xing and Liu Hongsheng. Liu Hongsheng's performance tonight had also been spectacular. The singers present were fairly certain that Fang Xing and Liu Hongsheng must be the top two. As for who was first and who was second, it was hard to say. Fang Xing had performed first, which was a disadvantageous slot. Liu Hongsheng, the Heavenly King, had performed second to last—the most coveted slot for any singer. From a performance order perspective, Liu Hongsheng had the upper hand.

Zheng Tao continued to build the atmosphere. "Everyone likely guesses that, just like the last round, the top two spots belong to Liu Hongsheng and Fang Xing. Well, I can tell you that you are correct. Yes, the top two spots tonight belong to Liu Hongsheng and Fang Xing. But who is first, and who is second? Is it the same as last time, or is it the other way around? The final result is... Congratulations to... Fang Xing, for taking first place tonight! The live audience cast a high vote of 302 for his song, 'Qilixiang'."

The singers present immediately stood up to offer their congratulations. "Congratulations, congratulations."

"Thank you, thank you," Fang Xing nodded in return.

On the other side, Liu Hongsheng's expression froze. He had put his all into both rounds, desperate to take first place just once. In a show like *The Voice*, maintaining a winning streak was nearly impossible, but as a "Heavenly King," not winning first place even once would be embarrassing. That was why he had been so intense in both rounds—he just wanted to secure a win early on. Once he had a first-place finish, he wouldn't mind lower rankings later. But to be beaten by the same person two rounds in a row left him feeling stifled.

When the results were announced last time, his expression had remained frozen until the end. After returning home, his agent had a talk with him, advising him that only by being magnanimous could he win over the audience's favor. So, this time, after his expression remained stiff for a moment, he quickly put on a professional smile, stood up, and congratulated Fang Xing: "Congratulations, congratulations. You've taken first place again—two consecutive wins."

"Thank you, thank you," Fang Xing continued to acknowledge the well-wishes.

Among the many congratulations, one person's approach was a bit strange. Chen Lizhu walked over to shake hands. "Congratulations, and thank you for swapping performance slots with me."

"No problem."

Fang Xing could hear the tremor in her voice; she was struggling to control her emotions. With the rankings announced, Chen Lizhu's fate was clear. Last round, she had ranked fifth. Tonight, the rankings were: Fang Xing first, Liu Hongsheng second, Xie Yuwen third, Xu Xinyu fourth, and Li Siqi fifth. This meant the best possible result for Chen Lizhu was sixth. Fifth last time, sixth this time—her combined score wouldn't be enough to reach the top three. This meant she was eliminated.

Once the singers were seated, Zheng Tao looked at Chen Lizhu and made the formal announcement: "Chen Lizhu, your rank tonight is sixth, and your combined ranking is also sixth. Since Shen Xiyin won the challenge last round and you did not place in the top three over these two rounds, you will be leaving the stage of *The Voice*."

Chen Lizhu stood up, pressed her hands together, and said gratefully, "Thank you to the production team for the invitation, and thank you to everyone for taking care of me. Thank you."

In truth, she had been prepared since the end of the last round. So, although she felt sad, she managed to keep her composure. She stayed until the final scenes were recorded before leaving.

Once the rankings were revealed, Zheng Tao announced the theme for the next round: "The theme for the next round was selected from a poll on the official *The Voice* Weibo account. The theme for the next round is 'Regrets in the Heart.' There are no restrictions on song choice, as long as it fits the theme."

The singers began to discuss it immediately. "Singing about regrets? That's the Heavenly King's home turf," Xie Yuwen remarked.

Many of Liu Hongsheng's early hits were indeed sad love songs, and many of them fit the theme of "regrets." He had plenty of songs to choose from, all his own. His music appealed to the 70s, 80s, and 90s generations. Even now, many music variety shows featured covers of his songs. Calling "regrets" his home turf was spot on. In fact, the production team choosing this theme was a way of leaning in Liu Hongsheng's favor. He was a singer they had spent a great deal of effort to sign, and he was the face of this season. He was also on a special contract. To keep the show interesting, helping him secure a first-place win served the production team's interests.

After the theme was announced, the original singers left one by one to consider their next performances.

...

After the recording of the second episode of *The Voice* ended, Fang Xing didn't return to the hotel immediately; he went out with Guo Keda to find something to eat. Having eaten very little before the performance, his stomach was growling.

Since the backing band didn't need to stay for the ranking reveal, Lu Xiang'er and the others had returned to the hotel two hours earlier to rest. Lu Xiang'er shared a room with Ning Xiaoyun. Back at the hotel, Lu Xiang'er called home to report: "Mom, we finished filming."

Her mother switched to a video call. "How did it go?"

Ning Xiaoyun leaned in and waved. "Auntie, Xiangxiang did great! Fang Xing is definitely going to take first place this time."

"Fang Xing? Who is that?" Her mother frowned, looking puzzled.

Ning Xiaoyun widened her eyes at Lu Xiang'er, realizing she hadn't mentioned Fang Xing to her mother. She quickly explained, "He's one of the contestants on *The Voice*. We're just there to provide violin accompaniment. *The Voice* doesn't allow violinists to compete."

"I was wondering how a symphony orchestra could participate in *The Voice*. As long as you did well, that's fine. Where are you now? It's very late."

Since the filming had run late, it was already 11:30 PM. Ning Xiaoyun took the phone and panned around the room. "We're in the hotel room. Xiangxiang and I are sharing a standard room; it's very spacious. Don't worry, Auntie, I'll definitely keep an eye on her for you."

Lu Xiang'er sat cross-legged on the bed, rolling her eyes as she listened to her childhood friend butter up her mother. She muttered under her breath, "You're the one who needs someone to keep an eye on, not me."

Just then, a WeChat notification popped up. Ning Xiaoyun saw the alert and immediately shoved the phone toward Lu Xiang'er. Seeing the message, Lu Xiang'er said quickly, "Mom, it's too late, we need to wash up. Bye!" She hung up before her mother could say another word.

Only then did she open the message. It was from Fang Xing: *Want a midnight snack?*

Attached was a photo of a bowl of wontons, half-eaten. Seeing the wontons, Ning Xiaoyun immediately grabbed Lu Xiang'er's hand. "Quick, say yes!"

"But it's so late," Lu Xiang'er frowned.

"I'm hungry! I can't let my waistline shrink from hunger," Ning Xiaoyun rubbed her belly.

Lu Xiang'er rolled her eyes and typed back: *Ning Xiaoyun wants some.*

Since their hotel wasn't far from the recording site, Fang Xing arrived in about ten minutes. *Knock, knock, knock.*

Ning Xiaoyun ran to open the door. Fang Xing walked in with three bowls of wontons and set them on the table. Lu Xiang'er looked at the three bowls, curious. "Why three? Did you know Ning Xiaoyun could eat two?"

Ning Xiaoyun shoved her friend. "What are you talking about? I have a small appetite!"

Fang Xing laughed. "One of them is mine."

"Didn't you already eat out?" Lu Xiang'er asked, remembering the photo of the half-eaten wontons.

"I didn't eat much for dinner. These wontons are small; two bowls only get me half-full," Fang Xing said, sitting down and unwrapping his bowl.

Lu Xiang'er blinked. "This is our room..."

Fang Xing glanced at her. "Can't I borrow a table to eat a bowl of wontons?"

"Exactly. Get up and eat!" Ning Xiaoyun pulled Lu Xiang'er up, and the three of them sat side-by-side eating.

After finishing two, Fang Xing paused. "Good performance tonight. But in the interlude, you were half a beat slow, right?"

Lu Xiang'er's eyes widened. "You noticed?"

"You handled it well, though. You were slow, but you used a gradual crescendo to catch up with the ensemble. I doubt many people in the audience noticed," Fang Xing said.

Lu Xiang'er felt a bit deflated. She put down her spoon. "I... I'm sorry. I got distracted."

Since *Qilixiang* didn't require strings through the entire song, she had been staring at Fang Xing's profile while her violin was silent. She had been so happy, she lost focus, and by the time she realized, it was almost too late. However, there were seven violinists in the first violin section. She was just one of them, and by using a gradual approach to rejoin the ensemble, she hadn't disrupted the performance. The flaw was negligible. Even though it didn't ruin the song, a mistake was a mistake, and she felt awful.

"I'm sorry..." she sighed, head bowed.

"It's fine. As long as you didn't squeak, I think it's okay. Though, Professor Li probably heard it," Fang Xing reminded her.

Lu Xiang'er sighed. "Right, Professor Li would definitely hear it. My chances of getting into the school's First Symphony Orchestra just dropped."

"You don't need to be so nervous. Even the world's most famous violinists can't say they've never made a mistake. Making a mistake is fine, as long as you learn from it. You made one, but you gained experience, so you won't be so nervous next time. Besides, your recovery was actually quite good; it didn't affect the performance," Fang Xing encouraged her.

Lu Xiang'er took a deep breath. "Right. I'll work hard not to make mistakes and aim to join the First Symphony Orchestra next year."

Ning Xiaoyun was surprised. "You could hear such a tiny mistake, Fang Xing? Weren't you busy singing?"

"There are no lyrics during the interlude, so I was listening closely to the strings. Despite that small flaw, the overall performance was great," Fang Xing praised.

Lu Xiang'er asked nervously, "Did it affect the score? What rank did we get?"

Since they had left for the hotel before the rankings were announced, they didn't know the outcome. Ning Xiaoyun began to analyze seriously: "Yeah, what rank? *Qilixiang* is so good, it must have made the top three, right? I heard the other singers' songs, and the only one with any real competition was Liu Hongsheng's. Xie Yuwen's was okay, but it shouldn't be able to beat our *Qilixiang*."

Fang Xing chuckled, keeping them in suspense. "What rank do you think?"

Lu Xiang'er pressed her hands together in prayer. "Please don't let me have dragged us down, please..."

Fang Xing thought she was too tense. "Don't worry. Even if you did drag us down, it wouldn't matter—we still got first place."

Lu Xiang'er’s eyes went wide. "Really? We really got first?"

"Of course. Definitely first," Fang Xing gave a thumbs-up.

Lu Xiang'er jumped up, hugged him, and then quickly turned to hug Ning Xiaoyun. Fang Xing felt... soft and warm. Watching the two excited girls hugging, he couldn't help but remark, "It's just first place, is it really worth getting this excited over?"

"It's *The Voice*! Isn't that worth getting excited about?" Both girls felt it was a momentous occasion.

"It was just a basic operation, keep calm, keep calm," Fang Xing waved his hand, looking unfazed.

After finishing the wontons, Fang Xing returned to his room. Lu Xiang'er tidied up the disposable utensils and threw them in the trash. Ning Xiaoyun lay on the bed, clutching her pillow and scrolling through Weibo, specifically checking Li Siqi's page. "Xiangxiang, if Li Siqi broke his leg during the challenge, do you think the SPK fans will explode?"

Lu Xiang'er nodded. "Probably."

Ning Xiaoyun looked delighted at the prospect of drama. "I really want to see Li Siqi's fans and Fang Xing's fans tear each other apart online."

Lu Xiang'er looked at her, speechless. "What kind of person are you? You actually want to watch fans fight?"

"Of course! It's so interesting. But Fang Xing has so few fans, and they're mostly trolls and clowns. If a fight started, they probably wouldn't even be able to tell who was friend or foe," Ning Xiaoyun mused.

However, after checking, Weibo was quiet; there were no related topics.

The next day, there was no online uproar because the production team hadn't revealed the challenger's identity. However, they did announce the theme for the third round: "Regrets in the Heart."

Many internet trolls flocked to Fang Xing's Weibo:

[So, did you go easy on them, or did you go a hundred million times too hard?]

[The theme for next round is 'Regrets.' Have you decided what to sing yet?]

[No comment? He must have been eliminated.]

[After all, *The Voice* isn't a fishpond talent show. No more fun to watch now.]

A crowd of trolls had already imagined the ending of Fang Xing's journey on *The Voice*.