Volume One: A Debut at the Pinnacle Chapter Fifty-Nine: The More You Resist, The More Excited I Become

"Wow! How could Xie Wei Yu possibly get such a high score? It's just an English song—what's so impressive about how she sang it?" Wang You Xuan glared resentfully at the triumphant Xie Wei Yu on stage. "I could sing that English song too. What's there to be so proud of? It's all Mom's fault. I told you not to cast that vote for her!" She grumbled, shooting a reproachful look at Wang Meng Lan beside her.

Wang Meng Lan only smiled indifferently. She didn't think the score was particularly high, and she felt Xie Wei Yu had sung quite well; that's why she decided to cast her vote. She believed that, even with her vote, Xie Wei Yu still wouldn't surpass Chen Jing in the end. She had faith in Chen Jing!

On the other side, after seeing Xie Wei Yu's score, Ling Ruo Han teased Chen Jing, "Wow! Seven hundred seventy points, that's pretty high. What do you think, Ah Jing, feeling any pressure?"

Chen Jing shook his head with a smile and, for once, boasted, "Come on, I'm aiming for a perfect score. Otherwise, I'd be letting down the song I've chosen."

"Oh, so confident? Dare to make a bet with me?" Ling Ruo Han's interest was piqued. She grinned at Chen Jing, "What shall we wager?"

"It's simple," she replied. "If I win, you promise to help me produce another album. If I lose... well, I'll let you decide how to deal with me." With that, she shot Chen Jing a flirtatious wink.

"Let you decide..." Chen Jing's gaze lingered unconsciously on Ling Ruo Han's alluring figure, and he swallowed discreetly before quickly regaining his composure. "Alright, what are the terms?" Truth be told, he didn't care who won or lost; he simply enjoyed betting with beautiful women.

Noticing Chen Jing's quick glance, Ling Ruo Han blushed slightly but maintained her poise. "The rules are simple: if you score a perfect hundred, you win. Otherwise, I win. How about that?"

Upon hearing the terms, Chen Jing clasped his hands as if to bid farewell. "Excuse me!" he said, preparing to turn and leave.

His earlier claim about aiming for a perfect score was just bravado. He knew it was impossible—no song could ever achieve a perfect score unless it captivated every single audience member and judge, especially Su Ting Ting. Yes, and there would have to be a compelling reason for Su Ting Ting to grant him full marks.

"Hey, hey, don't leave!" Ling Ruo Han hurriedly grabbed Chen Jing, pouting. "Then you suggest the bet."

Chen Jing responded quickly, "If I score above seven hundred ninety-five, I win; below, you win." Seven hundred ninety-five—that was the standard he set for himself with this song.

"And if it's exactly seven hundred ninety-five? Who wins then?"

Chen Jing rolled his eyes. "Fine, you win."

Ling Ruo Han was instantly delighted, "Great! It's a deal. I'll be waiting for your performance!" She turned to Lin Zi Tan and Lin Xi, "Xi, Zi Tan, do you want to make a bet too? Don't miss your chance!"

Lin Zi Tan giggled, "Alright, I'll bet Ah Jing loses. If you do, remember to treat me to dinner!" She felt that scoring above seven hundred ninety-five was quite difficult—seven hundred ninety might be possible.

Chen Jing touched his nose. So little faith in him.

Ling Ruo Han looked at Lin Xi, "Xi, won't you join in?"

Lin Xi smiled, glancing at Chen Jing teasingly, "Then I'll bet Ah Jing's final score will exceed seven hundred ninety-five. That way, we split our bets, and at least we won't lose too badly." Though she said it lightly, Lin Xi genuinely believed Chen Jing would score above seven hundred ninety-five.

Chen Jing looked at Lin Xi in surprise. She smiled back, their eyes meeting, saying everything without words.

Ling Ruo Han's eyes sparkled at Lin Xi's suggestion, "Good idea, it's settled then!" She and Lin Zi Tan burst into laughter together.

Chen Jing could only sigh inwardly—so true, three women make a drama.

After the playful banter, Lin Zi Tan urged Chen Jing, "Alright, Ah Jing, stop dawdling. It's your turn now. Good luck, I believe you can do it!" She even made a cheering gesture.

On stage, Xie Wei Yu had already stepped down. The host, Cai Lun, returned to announce, "Now, let's welcome the final contestant of tonight's competition. I'm sure everyone has been eagerly awaiting his performance. Let me remind you: in every round of Voice of Huaxia, including the auditions, every song he sings is his own original work. Who is he? He is none other than the musical prodigy, Chen Jing. Let's welcome him with a round of enthusiastic applause!"

"Whoo!!" The audience erupted with excitement. Of the five hundred audience members, one hundred were provided by the production team for atmosphere, another hundred were volunteers selected from the general public, and the remaining three hundred were ticket holders. Voice of Huaxia wouldn't tamper with this process; if it were exposed, the show would be finished.

Because of this system, over half the five hundred audience members were veteran viewers who had been present since the first round and had stayed all the way to the finals. As loyal fans, they had been won over, again and again, by Chen Jing's original songs. The new arrivals—many, like Wang You Xuan, were Chen Jing's fans, eager to find any way into the finals to cheer him on.

The combined enthusiasm of new and old fans made Chen Jing's entrance feel like that of a superstar. Viewers watching the live broadcast could hardly believe it. Some were swept up by the excitement, cheering along with the crowd on TV. Others wondered if the audience was too overzealous—after all, Chen Jing had only just taken the stage. Was this level of excitement really necessary?

"Ah! My brother's on stage! Mom, look! Brother, here, I'm here! Look over here!" Wang You Xuan was certainly one of the fervent fans.

Wang Meng Lan watched her daughter jump and shout with helpless amusement, pulling her back, "Careful, don't get too excited—you might fall." But with the crowd's deafening screams, Wang You Xuan couldn't hear her mother's voice, or even if she did, she wouldn't care.

"Chen Jing, we've been waiting for you to take the stage."

On stage, Cai Lun and Wen Wan, the two hosts, shook hands with Chen Jing.

Wen Wan smiled and teased, "If I didn't know it was you, Ah Jing, I'd have thought the production team had invited a superstar—the audience is just too enthusiastic."

Chen Jing smiled and addressed the crowd, "Thank you all for your enthusiastic support."

"So, the contestant Xie Wei Yu has thrown down a challenge, giving you a tough problem. Will you accept her challenge?" Cai Lun asked with a smile.

Chen Jing took the microphone. "Actually, as finalists, the four of us—Guo Feng, Yang Xing Li, Xie Wei Yu, and myself—are all rivals, constantly challenging each other. Of course, since Xie Wei Yu singled me out, whether as a fellow contestant or as a gentleman, I won't refuse her challenge." He paused, smiled at the audience, and continued, "I thrive on challenges—the tougher, the better. Whenever I face such challenges, I feel a surge of excitement, because every time I overcome them, my abilities grow. It's precisely because I've conquered each challenge that I stand here on this stage today."

"Bravo!"

"Go, Boss Jing!"

"Brother, you're the best!"

Applause and cheers swept through the audience, inspired anew by Chen Jing's motivational speech.

At the judges' table, Wei Guo Qiang echoed the sentiment, "Well said. Now I see why you're so talented, Chen Jing. You're gifted and have such drive—no wonder you're exceptional."

Huang Wen Hao joked, "Exactly. And you're handsome, with a great figure—a combination of talent and looks. You're making it impossible for ordinary folks like us!"

Chen Jing shook his head, "You flatter me! No matter how many newcomers like myself there are, your status in the hearts of fans is irreplaceable."

Su Ting Ting listened quietly to the mutual praise, then asked thoughtfully, "Chen Jing, Xie Wei Yu has delivered a flawless performance. What do you think of her effort? And are you confident about your final song?" Her direct questioning drew everyone's attention to Chen Jing, and all waited to hear his response.

Chen Jing showed no stage fright, replying calmly, "Xie Wei Yu's performance was excellent and put great pressure on me. But as I said, I thrive on challenges—difficult situations bring out my best. I'm full of confidence in my final song, because it's my favorite of all I've written. I believe in its melody, and I'm sure the audience will love it as well."

Su Ting Ting fell silent at his perfect answer. Wei Guo Qiang was intrigued, "Your favorite? So it's your most satisfying original song?"

"Yes." Chen Jing nodded without hesitation. This song was, without question, his favorite from his previous life. That's why he reserved it for the grand finale of Voice of Huaxia, hoping the championship would pave the way for its debut.

Huang Wen Hao rubbed his hands eagerly, "Now I'm impatient to hear your performance. Let's get started!"

Without further delay, Cai Lun loudly announced, "Now, let's welcome contestant Chen Jing to sing his original song..."

Author's note: Can anyone guess which song it is? Here's a hint: it's by my favorite singer, and there's also a clue in the chapter describing its recording. See if you can figure it out.