Chapter 136: A Pleasant Surprise

Because this was a return performance, Lin Qihua had no opportunity to visit the singer's lounge to catch up with friends. After the rehearsal, he waited backstage, accompanied by Su Jianhao.

"Are you feeling a bit unaccustomed to this?" Su Jianhao asked.

"It’s nothing," Lin Qihua replied, looking at the noisy environment and the busy staff around them. "For 'The Singer' to reach this level, the credit goes mostly to the staff working silently behind the scenes. The amount of sweat they pour into this is extraordinary."

"Indeed. As a top-tier competition show, every detail is scrutinized under a magnifying glass. A minor issue that wouldn't matter on other programs could be blown out of proportion here. Everyone is constantly on edge, terrified of making a mistake. Even with only one episode a week, the mental toll is immense," Su Jianhao sighed.

"Every successful show has its unique qualities, but one thing is universal: the details are exceptionally perfect. While creativity and inspiration may be accidental, the ability to execute and implement them is the foundation. With talent and this kind of attitude, even without 'The Singer,' some other program would have risen to the top."

"True. There is necessity within contingency; that is a scientific law in itself."

At eight o'clock sharp, the show officially began. Amidst the cheers of the audience, Guan Shengjie stepped onto the stage.

"Hello everyone, it’s good to see you again. I am Guan Shengjie, and welcome to 'The Singer'."

Thunderous applause erupted.

"As you all know, in the last episode, we bid farewell to a very powerful singer," Guan Shengjie continued. "He is also a dear friend of ours. Recently, he has been going through a difficult time. We, his friends, haven't been able to do much for him, so we decided to present him with a special gift on this stage. We hope he likes it, and we hope you do too. Please welcome our first competing singer, performing the song 'Dream Back to the Tang Dynasty'."

"Huh?" Lin Qihua said in surprise. "That’s my song."

"It is," Su Jianhao replied.

Lin Qihua smiled. "I understand what you meant by the surprise now."

The first to perform was Lu Zhixuan, who delivered "Dream Back to the Tang Dynasty," a song Lin Qihua had once performed. Compared to Lin Qihua's version, which featured Peking Opera-style chanting, Lu’s rendition was more robust and grand, capturing the splendor of the Tang Dynasty. Furthermore, his vocal technique was even more seasoned than Lin’s had been at the time, hitting the high notes with effortless ease. The effect was superb, and the atmosphere in the arena soared instantly.

As the performance ended, Lu Zhixuan gave a powerful gesture of encouragement. Lin Qihua knew it was meant for him—a way of cheering him on.

"Thank you," he whispered.

"It's our turn. Let's go," Su Jianhao reminded him.

"Right." Now was not the time for sentimentality. Lin Qihua braced himself and walked to the backstage area to prepare.

"The next singer is someone our competitors both love and hate. Even after being eliminated, he still comes to steal our thunder, yet we can't help but look forward to seeing what kind of song he will bring to the stage. I believe you are all very expectant as well, right?"

"Yes!" the audience shouted back.

"Then let us invite our returning singer to the stage to perform a song for you: 'I'."

A figure emerged through the darkness, draped in spotlights, slowly appearing on stage.

"He's here," the singers in the lounge said, sitting up straight, setting aside their tasks to focus on the screen.

"He's here." Qu Ping and the others sat in the audience, their spirits lifted. They knew all too well how brilliant Lin Qihua's songs were, which made them look forward to tonight’s performance even more.

"He's here." Yu Fengqin and others who cared for Lin Qihua gathered together, praying silently in their hearts.

"He's here." Tang Zhijie and his associates were also watching the performance from their respective locations. They hoped the song Lin Qihua had chosen would become a laughingstock, though they knew the chances were slim.

"He's here." Han Jiaqi danced with excitement. The past two weeks had been agonizing for her, as she stood up for Lin Qihua in front of her roommates. In her mind, how could someone who brought a song as perfect as "Blue and White Porcelain" to the stage do such a thing? The way events unfolded allowed her to see a lot of internal machinations. As a senior at the Film Academy, she had occasionally gone out to film and knew a little about how the circle worked. She sensed there might be some conspiracy involved, though she didn't know exactly what.

However, that didn't hinder her firm support for Lin Qihua. Now, seeing him appear on this stage again, awaited by the masses, she couldn't help but be happy for him. It was good that he was back; the storm was finally passing, and the future would be clear and bright.

Gu Yuhan saw her frantic behavior and smiled slightly. She, too, was looking forward to what kind of song could earn such high praise from Elder Cheng.

Yes, at the most critical moment for Lin Qihua, it was she who had convinced Cheng Dinglong to make the final decision, settling the challenge and winning Lin Qihua a chance for a comeback.

*Let me see if you are as I imagined—that no matter how great the storm, you will not yield. If the entertainment industry were to lose you, it would lose many interesting stories, and many good songs.*

Lin Qihua didn't know how many people were watching him. As he walked onto the stage and heard the familiar applause and cheers, he felt a momentary sense of trance. Last week, when he stood on this stage, he was greeted by a chorus of abuse. Today, as he returned, it was a completely different scene. Life is unpredictable and truly difficult to fathom.

But what of it? He was still himself. I am still I.

The piano began to play, soothing and tender.

"I am what I am, I will always love this version of me."

His magnetic voice gently asked: Am I truly myself? What kind of person am I, really?

But this version of me is the one I love the most.

"The opening is direct; the first line captures the theme. At the first glance, I was shaken," Teacher Cheng said from the audience, intoxicated. "A masterstroke."

"I am who I am, a firework of a different color. In the vast sky and sea, I will be the strongest bubble. I like that I let the roses bloom into a result. In the lonely desert, I bloom just as nakedly."

His clean, transparent, and magnetic voice spoke firmly of his attitude toward life and the criticisms he faced. "I am who I am, a firework of a different color." Even if I were as fragile as a bubble when facing tradition, I would be the "strongest bubble." Even in a "lonely desert" where I am not understood, I would bloom as nakedly as a rose.

Fireworks give people splendor and make hearts flutter. Accompanying those thunderous booms, people see the beauty they yearn for and the romance of love. But besides that, who knows what that "bang" is actually saying? If you and I are fireworks of a different color, don't we want someone to be able to read and recognize the stories in our hearts? When we truly go "bang," can we show others more? Simply because... you and I are people with stories.

Bubbles are fragile, easily burst, illusory, and superficial. Yet they are simple and pure. They can define your life—is it the simple, pure strength of living, or is it that vain, fragile facade like a bubble? In the journey of life, you and I will experience much. If you fill your life with false prosperity, letting it expand and inflate recklessly, it will only end in dust and smoke. Just like the vast sky and sea, we need to learn to "see through" our lives.

The rose signifies truth, goodness, and beauty, while reality is filled with falsehood, ugliness, and evil. Will you choose to be like a rose, revealing purity and innocence in loneliness, or will you stand in reality, experiencing and filtering out the hypocrisy and vanity among the masses?

Listening to such a song, people thought of Lin Qihua’s experience of being criticized and slandered over this period. If he were an ordinary artist, he would have collapsed and wept in the face of such overwhelming criticism. But he didn't. He chose to continue being "the version of me I love," choosing to prove himself and let all the criticism vanish on its own.

Isn't this song singing his own inner voice?

And what about oneself? Isn't one the same? Although everyone hopes to be their true self, this seemingly trivial wish is actually very difficult to achieve. Ask yourself: have you really never once betrayed your own will?

Often, to make those around us happy, I go against my true thoughts to do many things. Often, I live behind a mask, forever living for others.

When few people support us, we usually start by doubting ourselves and then change to please others.

How difficult it is to be oneself in this cold world. There are always people who like to stand on the moral high ground to criticize others, stopping them from being true to themselves. So, please always remember: I am who I am. There is no need to be the same as others, no need to follow the life trajectory of others, and no need to win the understanding and favor of others. Be a firework of a different color; even if it is brief, it must be brilliant! Only then can you proudly tell yourself that you have truly lived.

Lin Qihua sang his heart out on stage. In a daze, it seemed as if a figure of unparalleled grace had merged with him, transcending time and space, shouting his inner voice, his firmness, and his pride on the stage: I am who I am, a firework of a different color. No matter how you slander me, I will unswervingly stick to my own path and be myself.