Chapter 135: The Encore Remains the Center of Attention

He knew his own limitations. Compared to Yan Jun, he still had a long way to go. Without the nebula in his mind or the inspiration that appeared from time to time, he certainly could not have written songs that rivaled Yan Jun’s works.

This served as a reminder that he still had much to learn.

Therefore, regardless of today's outcome, he would maintain a humble attitude, learning as much as possible from these masters and absorbing their experience. After all, the three instructors had dominated the music scene for so many years, and there was much he could gain from them.

Yan Jun’s performance was, of course, not on par with a professional singer, but as the creator of the work, he naturally knew how to convey its emotions and substance, and the result was quite impressive.

At the very least, the netizens watching the live stream and following the results were thoroughly entertained.

"Teacher Yan’s level is good enough to enter a talent show."

"First-class work, second-class performance—666."

"To create such a piece in such a short time, Teacher Yan is amazing."

Next was Qu Ping’s work, titled *Sunshine*. The lyrics described a woman receiving care from a boy during a time of sorrow, like a ray of light shining into the heart amidst darkness—a very healing and warm song. As he himself admitted, the melody had minor flaws, but like Yan Jun’s, it was still a superior work.

His performance, singing while playing the piano, was also full of charm, much to the delight of the netizens.

"Truly worthy of being called Teacher Qu." Lin Qihua gave a thumbs-up to Qu Ping, showing his heartfelt admiration.

The third was naturally Han Dongli’s work, *Falling Petals*, a rather poignant love song.

The sorrowful melody flowed quietly through the studio, deeply moving everyone present.

"Compared to Teacher Yan’s and Teacher Qu’s works, this is more outstanding. Does anyone have any objections to my assessment?" Teacher Cheng Dinglong asked.

"None at all. We can only admire the work Teacher Han created with her full effort," everyone agreed with a nod.

"Then, the last one is Xiao Lin’s work." The moment had finally arrived. Even Cheng Dinglong felt a bit nervous; he didn't know what the result would be once he picked it up.

The thin pages, held in Teacher Cheng’s hand, felt as heavy as Mount Tai, drawing the eyes of countless people.

"What will it be?"

"Why did Teacher Cheng’s expression change so quickly? Fear, anticipation, surprise, contemplation—it leaves so much to the imagination. Hurry up and reveal it!"

"At the very least, we can be sure it’s a complete work; there’s no look of disappointment on his face."

"True, but that doesn't prove much. It could be of very poor quality, in which case we won’t approve of it."

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Teacher Cheng slowly set the work down and smiled slightly. "I won't say anything just yet. Let everyone take turns looking at it. I think everyone will reach a fair judgment in their hearts."

"I’ll go first." Qu Ping was the first to take the work handed over by Teacher Cheng. Upon glancing at it, his expression shifted from confusion to shock, then to contemplation. After a long while, he looked at Lin Qihua with a strange expression before solemnly passing it to Yan Jun.

Yan Jun, Han Dongli, and Le Kai passed the work among themselves. After reading it, each of them gave Lin Qihua a meaningful look, their expressions unreadable.

"I think the result is quite clear now, isn't it?" Teacher Cheng Dinglong laughed.

"No objections. First place," Qu Ping said with a smile.

"It’s better than ours," Yan Jun sighed. "I didn't expect this, I truly didn't."

"What else can we say? We can only admit defeat. Xiao Lin, we apologize to you. We took the lead in doubting your talent, but with the facts before our eyes, I solemnly apologize to you." Having said that, he stood up and bowed to Lin Qihua.

"We do as well," Qu Ping and Yan Jun stood up and followed suit. "We apologize for our doubt."

"Please, you mustn't!" Lin Qihua jumped from his chair, waving his hands frantically, his face full of anxiety. "I cannot bear this. It is I who should apologize to you all, teachers. I used the three of you—I am sorry."

Cheng Dinglong watched with satisfaction as the four of them exchanged apologies. "Alright, there is no need for this. No one was in the wrong here. The result is excellent, and I am very happy. I have witnessed the emergence of another genius, and I have seen the three of us creators challenge ourselves and break our limits. More importantly, I have seen everyone recognize their own shortcomings and set aside their pride to apologize to a young man. This is exactly what we hope to see in the entertainment industry, and I am very pleased."

"Indeed. In Qihua’s work, I see a rising star, and that is our greatest joy," Le Kai added happily. "In one live broadcast, we saw the birth of one classic and three first-class songs. Although it lasted nearly twelve hours and everyone is exhausted, it was worth it. Thank you all for coming and presenting us with such a brilliant performance."

"As for a live performance, I think it’s better not to do it now; let’s leave the suspense for tomorrow’s competition. What does everyone think?" Teacher Cheng suggested with a smile.

"Agreed," everyone said in unison.

"I’m not leaving tonight. I’ll go to the venue tomorrow and try to snag a seat," Qu Ping shouted. "Once Xiao Lin’s live performance is over tomorrow night, we’ll have to wait a long time for the next one."

"Where? You flatter me, Teacher," Lin Qihua said, deeply uneasy.

"Alright, let’s end the broadcast here. The results are clear, and Qihua’s talent has been unanimously recognized by all the teachers. All the rumors can finally be put to rest. Thank you all for watching, and please look forward to tomorrow night’s *Singer*." Le Kai delivered the closing remarks and signaled the staff to cut the feed. Everyone was exhausted, and the TV station had arranged a sumptuous late-night snack for them to enjoy.

The broadcast had ended, but the netizens were not satisfied.

"Damn it, it just ends like this? No detailed review? What kind of song could it be to earn such praise from all the teachers and make three veteran creators admit defeat?"

"I was all ready to watch, and this is what you give me?"

"They’re really going all out for the ratings of *Singer*, leaving the suspense for the competition. That’s so annoying!"

"Everyone, look forward to Lin Qihua’s encore tomorrow night. It’s quite rare for an encore performer to be so anticipated. I wonder what Lu Zhixuan and the others are thinking?"

"What else could they be thinking? Probably laughing and crying at the same time. They finally managed to eliminate Lin Qihua and get rid of someone who steals the spotlight, only for him to come back and steal it all over again. Because of this live stream, how many people will be looking forward to tomorrow’s encore?"

"Anyway, I’m looking forward to it. Lin Qihua’s talent has been recognized by the teachers. The fact that they preferred to wait until tomorrow night rather than perform it on the spot suggests how much they value and look forward to this song. It makes one’s imagination run wild—could it be another *Existence*?"

"Yeah, suddenly I feel like time is moving so slowly."

"Since Lin Qihua’s talent has been confirmed by the teachers, and Teacher Cheng has clearly stated that Lin Qihua is a rare creative genius, I think the online debate can finally settle down. Is it really right to slander such a talented singer?"

"I’m now holding a skeptical attitude toward other accusations against Lin Qihua. As I said, there’s no evidence. Judging by Lin Qihua’s performance today, he doesn't seem like that kind of person, right?"

"We don't know yet. Let’s wait until after the competition tomorrow night."

"Let’s wait for tomorrow."

Entertainment media also stopped voicing their opinions on this. Outlets like Red Bean Entertainment, which had gone all out to smear Lin Qihua, were filled with anxiety. They were not ignorant; the prestige of Teacher Cheng Dinglong, combined with the unanimous recognition from the three other masters, left no room for doubt. Although the final outcome would have to wait until tomorrow night, they no longer dared to discuss the matter. Many media outlets were already considering how to save face for their previous behavior. With this live stream, Lin Qihua had placed himself in an invincible position—unless there was solid evidence to prove his misconduct. But was there? They knew the truth deep down.

"Tell Rainbow Records that no matter what, they must convince Su Zitong to come forward. As long as she is willing to accuse Lin Qihua, we can stop him from changing the outcome and destroy his reputation all the same. If she agrees, I don't care what the conditions are—I will accept them." Tang Zhijie hissed, "We haven't lost yet; Lin Qihua and his lot still don't know how to play the game."

"Understood," the man in glasses said fearfully. He knew Tang Zhijie had lost his composure. In the past, everything he set out to do had succeeded; his tactics were usually flawless, but this time, they had failed when used against Lin Qihua.

Tonight was destined to be a sleepless night. The disputes of the past two weeks were drawing to a close, and the process of waiting for the final result was agonizing. The various parties involved were waiting anxiously.

Lin Qihua, however, slept soundly. After a hearty late-night meal with the teachers, he returned to the hotel and fell asleep immediately. The day-long broadcast had taken a significant toll, especially mentally, and as soon as his head hit the pillow, he drifted off.

In his dreams, countless images still kept him company.

The next day, Su Jianhao saw a rejuvenated Lin Qihua.

"Welcome back," Su Jianhao said, embracing him.

"Thank you." Lin Qihua knew Su Jianhao wasn't just saying welcome back; this past week had been incredibly difficult for him, but he had finally made it through, hadn't he? After weathering the storm, he had finally seen the rainbow. He hadn't let anyone down.

"This time, it really caught everyone off guard," Su Jianhao said with a smile on the way. "You were only scheduled for an encore performance, and the focus should have been on who would win the championship and who would be eliminated. But this time was completely different; everyone is fixated on your encore. I wonder if Brother Lu and the others will be upset?"

"He’s definitely jumping with anger," Lin Qihua said with a smile, though he knew Lu Zhixuan would only be happy for him.

"I heard they’ve prepared a pretty big surprise for you," Su Jianhao said mysteriously.

"Is that so? I’m looking forward to it."