Chapter 131: With a single word, he evokes a vast expanse of mountains and rivers—is he here to wreck the place?

"Stop acting, Leng Yan!"

"This kid didn't even bother to change his voice. He just came straight onto the show to promote his own song, didn't he?"

"This song is impressive. Since when did your singing skills improve this much?"

"Hurry up and take off the mask. What are you standing there for?"

Amidst the chorus of voices from the judges, Leng Yan silently removed his mask. Although his expression remained as stoic as ever, his eyes betrayed him.

"Good kid, it really is you!"

"Come on up, what are you still doing down there? Welcome to the family of judges!"

"Young Master Leng, you’ve been incredible lately. That song 'Young China Says' was already a huge success, and now you’ve brought us another heavy-hitting new track?"

"Not bad at all!"

Everyone present was a singer, and a top-tier one at that. However, even they couldn't produce music at such a frantic pace. As for every song being a masterpiece with high popularity, that was simply impossible. Even Li Yuanhong had long passed his creative peak and was now considered a has-been singer lingering only in people's memories.

Although Leng Yan was a junior to Li Yuanhong, he had maintained his popularity and consistently released new work. Even if he wasn't always at the peak of the charts, he was still doing better than the vast majority of singers. Now, to have released another quality piece in just these short two months—how could the others not be jealous?

To this, Leng Yan replied, "Don't flatter me."

"This isn't my credit; I didn't write this song."

The crowd suddenly perked up.

"You didn't write it? Oh, wait, I recall you were looking to commission a song from Bai Ling a while back, weren't you?"

"Damn, it's only been a short time—you actually got one?"

"Is this song by Bai Ling?"

"That girl is something else."

"My goodness, this is getting a bit scary."

Although these people weren't personally acquainted with Bai Ling, she was the latest rising star in the music scene. Ever since "Invisible Wings," her momentum had been unstoppable. The fact that Leng Yan had approached Bai Ling for a song was known to both their fanbases and many veteran singers, but they hadn't taken it too seriously. Songwriting takes time. Some people need three days, others a week or even a month. There were even cases where a song took two or three years to polish.

To have a new song written in just one week, and one that was such a perfect piece of work—everyone found it somewhat incredible. Instantly, the discussion at the judge's table became quite lively.

The audience at the scene was also whispering amongst themselves. Bai Ling, meanwhile, felt a bit surprised. She hadn't even made her appearance yet, and Young Master Leng had already helped her run a promotional campaign. This... was truly unexpected. The production team, seeing the situation, was quite happy to let it play out. It was a recorded show, so a little extra time didn't matter.

Once the discussion died down, the host stepped onto the stage to steer the program forward. Two more singers followed, both delivering high-level performances, and as expected, their identities were guessed. The judge's table gained two more newcomers. The singers on the panel were calling for the production team to work harder and bring up two more chairs, otherwise, there wouldn't be enough seating.

Unfortunately, while this situation seemed joyous, if everyone failed to advance, it wouldn't be good news for the show. But that was a concern for the producers; all Bai Ling had to do was get on stage. She was next.

Dressed in a Doraemon costume, Bai Ling walked onto the stage with some clumsiness. Her shuffling gait was quite adorable. When she reached the center of the stage and was bathed in the spotlight, everyone looked at her cute,憨态可掬 (artless and charming) appearance, and smiles spread across their faces.

"Hey, there's actually a Doraemon here!"

"So cute, it must be a girl inside, right?"

"Probably. Looking forward to her performance; wonder what song she'll bring."

"I guarantee, as soon as she opens her mouth, I'll recognize her. I know every female singer in the industry!"

"Oh, give it a rest. Didn't you almost fail to guess me last time?"

"Uh, that was an accident, a mistake, you were just disguised well. This time, I’ll definitely have no problem."

"Enough chatter, it's starting!"

"What song is it?"

"Wait, this intro seems a bit interesting. Could it be..."

"No doubt about it, this is 'Young China Says'!"

"Leng Yan, what do you think?"

Leng Yan rolled his eyes. "What do I think? What could I possibly think?"

"Aren't I sitting right here watching with you all?"

To avoid being identified, everyone basically covered other people's works, so it was only natural that someone would pick "Young China Says."

After a youthful, childlike voice, Bai Ling began to sing.

"The red sun rises, its path is vast and bright,"

"The river emerges from hidden springs, a vast and surging flow,"

...

"The youth have their own youthful frenzy,"

"Their bodies are like mountains and rivers, standing tall with a backbone,"

...

"Daring to ask the heavens and earth to test their mettle,"

"Who can block them as they hack through thorns and brambles?"

"The world laughs at me, yet I remain strong,"

"Living up to my youth."

The moment she opened her mouth, it was majestic and grand, filled with overwhelming power. To others, this timbre was a perfect match for the song. It was incredibly resonant and yet thick and rich—seemingly contradictory, yet perfectly complementary. Added to her already excellent singing technique, she brought the artistic conception of the song to life.

In an instant, everyone’s eyes widened. Even the "original singer," Leng Yan, was dumbfounded.

"Good kid!"

"And they said someone this cute must be a girl. Bullshit, so cute, of course, it's a boy!"

"This voice, there's something to it, it has real depth."

"Who’s to say otherwise? This opening is like a vast landscape of mountains and rivers, like the universe settling into place. How interesting."

"Young Master Leng, what do you think now? Can you still sit still?"

"Young Master Leng, to be honest, he sings it better than you."

"I thought today was 'Guess Who I Am,' but it turns out someone came to crash the party."

"Young Master Leng, aren't you going to rush down there and start a fight?"

Leng Yan, too, wore a look of astonishment. The other person's singing technique might not be much stronger than his own, but in terms of timbre, it was something no one could match. The moment the voice rang out, the outcome was decided, leaving even Leng Yan inexplicably in awe. One could even say this song was better suited for the singer before him.

This made Leng Yan feel a bit sour. After all, wasn't this a form of being "NTR'd"? As for the others' teasing, Leng Yan could only give them a big eye-roll.

"Why are you all so talkative?"

"Can't you just listen to the song in peace?"

The judge who had spoken immediately laughed, "Yo, yo, look at that, look at that! He's anxious! He's really anxious!"