Chinese entertainment: Top stars have no holidays

The stage lights dimmed briefly during a break in filming.

After the staff quickly completed the site control adjustments, the next round of guest appearances began, following the program's established schedule.

This is the third round of choral performances in this episode.

Two brand-new masked singers took the stage one after the other, temporarily diverting everyone's attention from the "school heartthrob" and "iron lady" from the previous performance.

The two new guests joined forces to perform a classic old song, "Night After Night".

The audience listened intently, and the judging panel members also lowered their heads to review the voices and keep throwing out guesses, maintaining a lively recording pace throughout the event.

With the chorus performances concluded, the competition continues, and it's time for another popular and suspenseful singer to perform a solo.

The masked guest, nicknamed "Baby Turns Over and Sings," won the solo performance with his unique and mellow male voice, and sang a tear-jerking hit song, "Don't Think of Me."

It was precisely this mature, steady, and slightly husky male voice that sparked a new wave of guessing and speculation on the spot.

Most viewers and members of the judging panel were convinced that the singer was Huang Xiaoming.

After all, Huang Xiaoming occasionally crosses over into singing, and his voice has a similar texture to his voice on stage.

With the suspense deliberately created by the production team, almost everyone in the audience reached a consensus on the same guess.

A group of judges took turns providing their evidence, each one logical and well-founded, confident that they were absolutely right.

However, when the performance ended and the official guessing and voting began, everyone guessed wrong.

This popular guest failed to be unmasked, successfully keeping his identity a mystery and advancing to the next episode.

After two consecutive stage performances concluded, the atmosphere remained electric, and the audience's anticipation was fully heightened.

At this point, the host skillfully steered the conversation back to the guests who had not yet finished their solo performances.

"The stage performance just now was amazing enough, but we still have a mystery singer waiting for his solo performance!"

"Next up, please welcome—the very busy school heartthrob—to give a solo performance!"

"The song he's going to perform is his own original composition, a brand new single that hasn't been released yet!"

The spotlight instantly focused on the center of the stage.

Then came a burst of discussion.

"Original songs?"

Ella confidently stated, "Then he must be an original singer-songwriter. Let's guess in that direction!"

"And he's definitely not a veteran singer, otherwise I would remember him completely," Eric Moo added.

Are there any promising new original singers lately?

Da Zhangwei shook his head, looking completely bewildered. He had no idea!

Amidst the discussions of the judges, Jiang Bai, who had been waiting backstage, slowly walked onto the stage.

He was still wearing that simple and clean light-colored suit, and the robot-like headgear on his head was exquisite and unique.

The iconic Slow Sheep grass leaf adds an extra touch of adorable contrast.

The mask perfectly concealed his eyebrows, eyes, and distinctive features, making it impossible to determine who was behind the mask based on his appearance alone.

Everyone sat up straight, holding their breath and waiting.

A gentle and soothing piano prelude slowly began, and a clean and pure melody filled the entire studio.

The noisy scene instantly fell silent.

The audience members who were talking in hushed tones and the judging panel who were reviewing the previous round of the performance all fell silent at the same time, their eyes fixed on the tall figure in the center of the stage.

Jiang Bai adjusted his breathing slightly, gently placed the microphone to his lips, and slowly began to speak.

"The book always seems to describe evenings filled with unexpected joy."

"The bicycle they were riding and their conversation~"

Unlike the deliberately lowered, rich voices used in choral singing.

At this moment, Jiang Bai completely shed his disguise and returned to his purest and most healing natural voice.

Her voice was clear, gentle, warm, and transparent, so clean that it was without a trace of impurity.

Without any deliberate vocal flourishes or fancy techniques, she simply uses the most down-to-earth and everyday singing style to tell a tender love story.

"The boy loved to see the girl in her white dress."

"So many scenes, so much romance, so much heartache, a clean break..."

Every word was enunciated softly and gently, the breath was steady and long, and the emotions progressed gently and naturally.

His singing is very evocative.

The moment the song begins, a series of images seem to unfold slowly along with the melody.

The boy, dressed in a clean school uniform, rode his bicycle, while the girl skipped and hopped along behind him.

Day after day of companionship, a love hidden deep in my eyes, unspoken.

A tender and pure campus crush, so gentle it melts your heart.

Jiang Bai stood in the center of the light, his posture relaxed and at ease.

Without any superfluous physical movements, she simply stood quietly and sang softly.

But it is this quiet, gentle narration that is more moving than any dazzling stage performance.

"You liked the kiss I gave you just now, right?"

"Otherwise, why would you keep holding my hand and not let go?"

"You said you really wanted to take me back to your hometown."

"Green tiles and red bricks, willow trees and moss."

"The past and the present are the same."

They didn't choose high-pitched songs that showcased technical skill, nor did they select viral songs from Douyin (TikTok) in later years.

Jiang Bai chose a song that perfectly suited his current mood and was suitable for promoting the TV series for his first masked solo performance.

Slowly Falling in Love with You

This song perfectly matches the drama "A Love So Beautiful" and the inner world of Jiang Chen in the drama.

Jiang Chen in the drama is never a passionate, straightforward, or unrestrained young man who expresses his love.

He is aloof, reserved, and arrogant, keeping his distance from everyone, but he harbors a hidden affection for Chen Xiaoxi.

His affection was never a passionate, whirlwind romance, but rather the result of spending time together day after day.

It's a gentle, flowing affection, a quiet longing, a slow and gradual descent into infatuation.

The lyrics and melody of "Slowly Falling in Love with You" perfectly capture this state of mind.

There was no hasty confession, no passionate rush.

Only through slow getting to know each other, slow falling in love, and slow succumbing to tender affection can true love develop.

This song perfectly matches the emotional storyline of Jiang Chen in "A Love So Beautiful," as if it were written specifically for this character.

He sang not just a love song, but also Jiang Chen's unspoken thoughts throughout the entire drama.

Slowly, you fall in love; slowly, you develop a preference; slowly, you become certain; slowly, you grow to like.

"I'm slowly falling in love with you, slowly getting closer to you~"

"Let's slowly talk about ourselves, and gradually grow together."

"I'll slowly work with you, slowly give myself to you~"

As the song progressed, countless audience members were completely immersed in it.

The originally relaxed recording atmosphere gradually became gentle and healing.

Many girls felt a gentle warmth in their eyes, and a tender smile unconsciously appeared on their lips.

My heart was filled with the romantic atmosphere created by this song.

"I'll accompany you slowly, and grow old with you slowly~"

"Because taking it slow is the best reason~"

"The book always seems to describe evenings filled with unexpected joy..."

Until the last note faded gently, the lingering sound echoed softly in the empty studio, lingering for a long time.

After two seconds of silence, the entire audience erupted in thunderous applause and cheers.

It was more exciting and electrifying than any previous performance!

The audience members stood up and applauded, their cheers rising and falling for a long time.

The four judges on the panel were filled with utter astonishment and disbelief, their eyes brimming with surprise and shock.

Da Zhangwei couldn't sit still any longer. He grabbed the microphone, his voice filled with amazement: "My God! This is so good!"

"To be honest, I just got goosebumps!"

He stared incredulously at the figure on stage, repeatedly exclaiming, "I've never heard this song before!"

"A completely new melody, completely new lyrics—this songwriting skill is absolutely amazing!"

Ella nodded vigorously, her eyes full of appreciation, and said sincerely, "It's so healing!"

"His voice is so full of stories, gentle yet powerful. His simple singing is more moving than many high-note performances."

"Moreover, the melody of this song is so gentle, the lyrics are so delicate, and the sweetness is just right. It's especially soothing."

Veteran musician Eric Moo looked the most serious. As a senior figure in the music industry, he was the most demanding in judging singing skills and songwriting.

Looking at the stage with admiration in his eyes, he slowly said, "First of all, I can confirm that this is a completely original work."

"The arrangement is clean, the melody is smooth, and the lyrics are delicate and touching, demonstrating a very solid creative foundation."

"Secondly, this singer's singing skills far exceeded my expectations."

"Stable breath control, precise emotional expression, masterful control of dynamics, and most importantly, extremely high singing intelligence."

"He knows how to restrain himself, how to leave room for interpretation, and how to move people with the simplest of sounds—something many professional singers can't do."

Tao Ching-ying quickly added, her eyes full of doubt and curiosity: "And did everyone notice that when he sang the duet just now, his voice was mature and mellow, but now when he sings solo, it's a clean and gentle youthful voice."

"She switches between the two voices so effortlessly; her versatility is incredible!"

"The most crucial question is, who exactly is he?!"

"With such strength, why do I have absolutely no recollection of it?"

For a moment, the judging panel was completely dumbfounded. Everyone started a frantic brainstorming session, but still had no clue.

Some guessed it was the up-and-coming singer-songwriter Jin Zhiwen, while others guessed it was the talented singer-songwriter Pu Shu, who had been dormant for many years.

But no one would guess that it was actor Jiang Bai.

Even though he is currently the most popular male celebrity on the internet and the center of countless topics.

In everyone's perception, Jiang Bai is just a new generation actor who became popular because of a campus drama.

Her acting is natural, her looks are outstanding, and she has excellent public appeal—that's all.

Nobody knew he could sing.

No one could believe that a rising star actor who became an instant hit while filming actually possessed the singing skills of a professional singer.

She can also write such gentle, healing, and high-quality original songs.

On the stage, Jiang Bai stood quietly, listening to the enthusiastic applause and praise from the audience, his mind at peace.

The timing of this song, "Slowly Falling in Love with You," is the perfect prelude.

The program will air next week.

At that time, the song will not only fit the current popularity of "A Love So Beautiful" but also resonate with the inner feelings of the characters in the story.

And after the identity is revealed, it can completely overturn the public's preconceived notions about him.

Let everyone know that he is not just an actor who can act, but also a singer who can write and sing!

The host walked onto the stage, her voice full of praise: "What a gentle and healing stage!"

"A brand new original song that has completely captivated us."

"I have to say, the 'busy school heartthrob' really kept his secret for a long time!"

"After listening to this solo, I believe everyone in the audience, like me, was incredibly curious and even more eager to know: who is behind the mask!"

"Now, let's have the judging panel give their guesses!"

"Who exactly is this 'busy school heartthrob'?!"