Chapter 153: The Fifth Episode Airs, “Blue and White Porcelain” Wows the Internet

For the next few days, Lu Xiang’er stayed hidden at home. Whenever she had no classes, she would not even step outside.

Ning Xiaoyun sensed that her childhood friend was acting strangely, so she went to Lu Xiang’er’s house to check on her.

“What’s wrong? You’ve looked miserable these past few days.” Ning Xiaoyun pulled Lu Xiang’er up from the bed.

Lu Xiang’er rubbed a plush toy with a troubled expression and muttered, “He didn’t get my permission.”

“Who? Permission for what? What are you talking about?” Ning Xiaoyun asked, utterly confused.

“Nothing. I’m fine.” Lu Xiang’er had no intention of telling her childhood friend this secret.

“Hm? Xiangxiang, you’re starting to keep things from me!” Ning Xiaoyun knew her friend far too well to believe that nothing was wrong.

“Really, it’s nothing. I just feel a little unwell, so I’m staying home to rest for a couple of days.” Lu Xiang’er hurriedly brushed her off.

Ning Xiaoyun began displaying her detective talents. She paced around the room, speculating, “There haven’t been any exams lately, so it definitely isn’t school. Auntie is in a good mood today and hasn’t scolded you either.

“Once every possibility is eliminated, what remains must be… Is it related to Fang Xing? Did he get involved with another woman and you happen to catch him?”

Lu Xiang’er rolled her eyes and said speechlessly, “What on earth are you imagining?”

Seeing her friend’s exasperated expression, Ning Xiaoyun knew she had guessed wrong. “That was a little far-fetched. Even if Fang Xing were involved with another female celebrity, there’s no way you would have caught him.”

Lu Xiang’er was even more speechless. She tipped sideways onto the bed and said weakly, “Go away. I want some peace and quiet.”

Ning Xiaoyun’s eyes turned sly. “If you won’t tell me, I’ll ask Fang Xing myself. I’ll ask him, ‘Did you bully our Xiangxiang?’”

Lu Xiang’er hurriedly sprang up and held her down. “Don’t make trouble, or I’ll pinch you.”

Ning Xiaoyun immediately burst out laughing. “I knew it! It definitely has something to do with Fang Xing. There’s clearly something going on between you two. Would you like an expert in romance to give you some advice?”

“No. All you ever give is terrible advice.” Lu Xiang’er was already at a loss for words. If Ning Xiaoyun had not mentioned that avoidant attachment nonsense, she would never have started overthinking things.

Ning Xiaoyun continued to let her imagination run wild. “Did Fang Xing confess his feelings to you, and then you rejected him?”

“No, no! What kind of nonsense are you talking about?” Lu Xiang’er hurriedly shook her head.

“Then you confessed to him and he rejected you. If that’s what happened, things are rather troublesome.” Ning Xiaoyun began pondering with a serious expression.

“No! What are you thinking?” Lu Xiang’er felt she was about to be driven to death by her childhood friend.

Ning Xiaoyun nodded thoughtfully. “That makes sense. With your courage, you wouldn’t dare confess first. So he must have confessed to you. But why would you reject him?”

“Who said I rejected him?” Lu Xiang’er collapsed onto the bed again.

“True enough. You’re always talking about Fang Xing this and Fang Xing that. There’s no way you would reject him. Then what happened? Which one of you confessed?”

Ning Xiaoyun was confused as well.

“Neither of us confessed! Neither of us!” Lu Xiang’er stressed.

“You still haven’t confessed? How long are you two planning to drag this out? Keep waiting, and other people’s children will be old enough to buy soy sauce.”

Lu Xiang’er muttered under her breath, “It’s precisely because neither of us confessed that it’s so outrageous.”

“What did you say?” Ning Xiaoyun pressed.

“Nothing. I’m fine now. How about we go practice the piano?” Lu Xiang’er quickly got up and pulled Ning Xiaoyun away to practice, preventing her from letting her imagination run any further.

…

The day after returning from Xiangjiang, Fang Xing went to the studio for the usual meeting. He asked Qiao Yinghong about the progress of their work.

“How are things going with the Louis endorsement?”

Qiao Yinghong’s expression was somewhat peculiar as she replied, “Louis’s senior management still hasn’t made a decision. I heard through certain channels that their hesitation is because we previously discussed an endorsement deal with Bvlgari.

“Louis is considered a top-tier luxury brand, and its status is higher than Bvlgari’s. Their executives feel that if even Bvlgari refused to sign an endorsement deal with us, it would make Louis look cheap if they signed us.”

The luxury industry had its own hierarchy.

The six top-tier luxury brands occupied the highest level.

Bvlgari was not among them and therefore ranked below Louis.

Qiao Yinghong continued, “The good news is that yesterday I had dinner with a senior executive from another top-tier luxury brand’s Asian division. Prada is also discussing next year’s spokesperson. Several celebrities are being considered.”

“There’s no need to rush. We can take our time. The later we wait, the higher our asking price will be.”

Fang Xing was genuinely in no hurry. As The Voice continued to air, he would gain more and more leverage in negotiations. By then, he would naturally be able to secure better terms.

Qiao Yinghong understood that as well. She nodded and said, “If the boss isn’t anxious, then I’m even less anxious. Ideally, we should wait until the entire season of The Voice has aired. If you win the title in the grand finale, the brands will be coming to us themselves.”

Guo Keda chimed in, “Brother Fang, are we bringing out another big weapon next week? The theme is hometown. Do you have something special prepared?”

Qiao Yinghong added, “If there isn’t enough time to prepare the songs, the company can arrange Caiwei’s performance song for her.”

Regarding the theme of hometown, Fang Xing had thought of several songs, but he had not yet decided which one to sing.

“I’ll send one to Li Caiwei. The company can prepare one for her as well, and she can choose whichever she wants to perform.”

“That works too.” Qiao Yinghong nodded.

…

On Friday, it was time for the fifth episode of The Voice.

Fang Xing had originally wanted to invite Lu Xiang’er to watch the show with him.

However, Lu Xiang’er had been acting awkwardly, apparently still sulking over what had happened before.

Fang Xing was not in a hurry. He let her slowly work through her emotions and continued concentrating on preparing his performance song.

At eight that evening, the fifth episode of The Voice began airing.

Music critic Ni Hongdan had started her livestream early, as usual, accompanying her viewers as they watched the program.

Online, everyone was speculating about the identity of the replacement singer.

When Li Caiwei appeared, the comments began flooding the screen.

“Li Caiwei? Seriously?”

“If it’s Li Caiwei, doesn’t that mean Fang Xing knew about it long ago?”

“Exactly! That guy pretended not to know all this time, and he even acted pretty convincingly.”

When the host announced that Li Caiwei would be performing a song called Like a Summer Flower, the viewers once again sent a barrage of puzzled comments.

“What’s going on? Why does that title sound so familiar?”

“Wasn’t Like a Summer Flower the song people suspected Fang Xing had sung in that video?”

Before Li Caiwei even began performing Like a Summer Flower, viewers dug up a video that had made the trending searches more than a month earlier.

Many people commented beneath it.

“I said from the beginning that the person in the video was Fang Xing. Isn’t it confirmed now? He gave the song to Li Caiwei.”

“I’ve been searching online for the original version of this song for more than a month and couldn’t find it anywhere. Is this finally the official release? It isn’t sung by Fang Xing, but Li Caiwei should sound great too.”

“This song is going to be on The Voice? I had no idea! I rushed over to watch the show.”

The program continued.

Li Caiwei began singing Like a Summer Flower.

The beautiful melody, combined with the distinctive quality of Li Caiwei’s voice, made for an exceptionally captivating performance.

As soon as she finished, the comments erupted.

“Beautiful! We finally get to hear the official version. This song tormented us for more than a month. That horribly distorted video was painful to listen to.”

“Li Caiwei is on The Voice! A ten-year fan is crying tears of joy. Thank you, Fang Xing.”

“Thank you, Fang Xing plus one.”

Li Caiwei’s former fans once again thanked Fang Xing in unison.

The tradition had begun with Painted Face from Tomorrow’s Star and had continued ever since.

Whenever Li Caiwei performed a song produced by Fang Xing, her fans would start thanking him, filling the screen with messages of gratitude.

Next, Liu Hongsheng’s Rain on Wutong Trees also won over many viewers.

The song was undeniably excellent.

Many viewers even posted predictions.

“I have a feeling that Heavenly King Liu is finally going to take first place this time. This song is incredibly strong.”

“Don’t rush. Fang Xing hasn’t performed yet.”

The show continued.

After Liu Hongsheng finished, it was Fang Xing’s turn.

Then came Blue and White Porcelain, crushing all competition.

The audience was stunned. Everyone was dazzled by the song’s ancient charm, expressed through both its lyrics and melody.

Before the performance had even ended, the comments had exploded.

“So beautiful!”

“This traditional-style song is incredible!”

“I think this could rank among the top three traditional-style songs ever.”

“Top three? Are you kidding? Blue and White Porcelain is the pinnacle of traditional-style music, without a doubt.”

“This is insanely good!”

“Blame my lack of education. All I can say is, ‘Damn!’”

“Congratulations, Heavenly King Liu. You’ve held on to your position as the second-place champion of a thousand years.”

“Congratulations, Heavenly King Liu, on winning another silver medal.”

“That’s harsh. The results haven’t even been announced yet. What if he comes in third?”

“Have some humanity, people.”

“Fang Xing is as ruthless as ever. He’s dropped another nuclear bomb on television.”

“The nuclear bombs never stop. It’s honestly too much.”

“Poor Liu Hongsheng.”

“My prediction: Blue and White Porcelain is going to top the trending searches tonight.”

…

Ni Hongdan listened carefully to the entire performance during her livestream and was deeply impressed as well.

Viewers flocked to her livestream and began posting questions.

“Mommy Qi, how was Fang Xing’s song tonight? I know it sounds good, but I don’t know how high its actual quality is.”

“Exactly, Mommy Qi. Could you analyze Blue and White Porcelain for us? Do you think it might take first place again?”

Looking at the comments, Ni Hongdan sighed.

“It may sound a little like excessive praise, and it might be unfair to many singers who became famous through traditional-style music.

“But I still have to state my honest opinion: Blue and White Porcelain can absolutely be called the pinnacle of traditional-style music today.

“The lyrics, composition, and vocals are all flawless. The words and melody perfectly convey the exquisite, delicate beauty of ancient Chinese aesthetics. The song brings that ancient charm to life in every possible way.

“From a vocal perspective, Fang Xing performed it exceptionally well. Every line was delivered with precisely the right touch.

“Because the lyrics and melody are both expressing a delicate, restrained mood, the performance is not improved by simply becoming more intense.

“The word ‘delicate’ is crucial here. The singer has to maintain perfect control.

“Fang Xing achieved exactly that. One more measure would have been too much; one less would have been too little.

“As for whether this song can take first place tonight—

“I can only say that if Blue and White Porcelain does not come in first, it will be the greatest injustice in the history of The Voice.”

The program continued.

Since Fang Xing was the final singer to perform, the rankings were announced immediately afterward.

Blue and White Porcelain took first place again, without the slightest suspense.

The program had not even finished airing when numerous related topics surged onto the trending searches.

“Once Blue and White Porcelain appears, all other traditional-style songs lose their color.”

“Fang Xing’s five consecutive victories: strength or luck?”

Even more amusingly, Liu Hongsheng climbed high on the trending list because of a bizarre topic.

“The mighty Heavenly King has become the eternal runner-up.”

Under that topic, countless viewers began expressing sympathy for Liu Hongsheng.

The spectators who enjoyed a good spectacle loved this sort of thing, so they all rushed to commiserate with him.

Then they created a new trending topic.

“The entire internet feels sorry for Liu Hongsheng.”

Liu Hongsheng himself never imagined that after appearing on The Voice and performing so many songs, he would reach the top of the trending searches because of the nickname “the eternal runner-up.”

…

After Blue and White Porcelain surged onto the trending searches, it quickly spread across every major online platform. Judging from the momentum, it was destined to become another nationwide hit.

And Blue and White Porcelain was not the only song making waves. Like a Summer Flower also appeared on the trending searches.

Although Li Caiwei’s ranking that week was not particularly high, Like a Summer Flower had already attracted considerable attention.

Some viewers even compared the street-recorded version of Like a Summer Flower with Li Caiwei’s performance, prompting all kinds of ridiculous comments.

“Fang Xing really isn’t very good. The audio quality of his version is far worse than Li Caiwei’s.”

“Definitely. I had to listen to that horribly distorted version of Like a Summer Flower for a month. Li Caiwei finally saved me today.”

“The contrast between their two versions is brutal. This time, I choose Li Caiwei.”

“Li Caiwei versus Fang Xing. Li Caiwei wins unanimously. Nobody objects, right?”

While the fifth episode of The Voice was airing, Fang Xing and Li Caiwei had already boarded a flight to Xiangjiang to record the seventh episode.

The two of them watched the program on their phones in the departure lounge and browsed the social media platform at the same time.

Li Caiwei showed Fang Xing the topic where netizens were comparing their versions of Like a Summer Flower and joked, “Look. Everyone agrees that I sang this song better.”

Fang Xing had long grown accustomed to the antics of people who enjoyed making fun of everything. He admitted, “It’s the fault of the person who recorded the video. Who told them not to bring recording-studio equipment?”

Li Caiwei continued, “I wonder what Liu Hongsheng will think when he sees his trending topic. He’s a Heavenly King, after all. He probably won’t be very happy.”

Fang Xing shrugged. “Who knows? And you can’t blame me for this. Actually, getting rid of the title of eternal runner-up would be very easy for him.”

Li Caiwei asked curiously, “How?”

Fang Xing said with a smile, “He could simply give up and come in third, fourth, fifth, sixth, or seventh.”

Li Caiwei froze, struggling not to laugh. “You’re unbelievably vicious. If Liu Hongsheng heard that, his face would probably turn green.”

Fang Xing spoke in a relaxed tone. “There are only two episodes left. He’ll be free soon enough.”

After episodes seven and eight were recorded, Fang Xing would advance to the Battle of the Singers according to the rules.

He would not participate in the performances during the two following episodes.

By then, Liu Hongsheng’s opportunity would naturally arrive.

That was also chief director Zheng Tao’s way of leaving Liu Hongsheng a chance.

After all, he was a Heavenly King. If he failed to win even one championship throughout the entire season, it would be far too embarrassing.