Chinese Entertainment King: Starting as a Fat Boy and Becoming a Singing King

The recording of the top 16 to top 8 competition began, the atmosphere was tense, and everyone was on edge.

Li Wenqi sat next to him, knees together, fingers intertwined.

"Are you nervous?" Xu Yao asked.

"A little," Li Wenqi admitted honestly, then looked up at him. "Brother Yao, are you nervous?"

"I'm super, super nervous," Xu Yao said with a smile.

"Hehe, you're teasing me." Li Wenqi laughed, feeling a little more relaxed.

There was a monitor in the corner of the waiting area showing the situation on the sync station.

In the video, Su Qifan and Zhao Ke, the first group to perform, had already finished singing "Standing By". The two stood on the stage, holding microphones, and their expressions were somewhat tense.

Yang Kun looked down at the paper in front of him and remained silent for a few seconds.

"The one who advances is—Su Qifan."

Zhao Ke's expression didn't change much, as if he already knew the outcome.

He turned around, hugged Su Qifan, and then walked off the stage.

The door to the waiting area was pushed open, and Zhao Ke walked in, his eyes a little red.

He picked up his backpack from the chair, nodded to the remaining trainees in the waiting area, said "Good luck," and then pushed open the door and left.

The waiting area was quiet for a few seconds.

Li Wenqi looked at the closed door and whispered, "He sang very well..."

"She sang very well," Xu Yao said. "But that's how competitions are; there are winners and losers, and some people have to leave while others stay."

The monitor then played a second set of audio, featuring Mo Haijing and Deng Xiaoqiao, singing "Fool".

After the two finished singing, Yang Kun remained silent for a longer time than the first group.

"The one who advances is Mo Haijing."

Deng Xiaoqiao stood on the stage, her hand holding the microphone trembling slightly.

She took a deep breath, bowed to Yang Kun, and then turned and walked off the stage.

When Deng Xiaoqiao entered the waiting area, her eyes were already red and there were obvious tears, but she bravely held them back.

Li Wenqi stood up, wanting to say something, but Deng Xiaoqiao had already pushed the door open and left.

"It's too fast." Li Wenqi sat down, his voice a little tense. "Brother Yao, the competitions are too cruel."

Xu Yao didn't comfort her: "Starting today, for every recording session, half the people will be gone."

Then, Xu Yao felt a little emotional, and even a tiny, fleeting sense of shame.

If Li Wenqi hadn't met me, she could have gone much further. What a pity...

Next up is the third group.

Qin Xiaolin and Rong Qi, a mashup of "Princess" and "Dangerous".

"The one who advances is—Rong Qi."

The fourth group, Robynn & Kendy and Apple Garden, performed "Say You Love Me + I Swear".

Two pairs of four people stood on the stage, their harmonies exquisitely arranged.

Xiao Jingteng, unusually, said a few more words: "Your chemistry isn't just about matching your voices, it's even about matching your outfits. Robynn & Kendy are wearing yellow, and Apple Orchard is wearing green. The four of you look very comfortable standing together."

Wang Feng also gave high praise: "In terms of singing and coordination, you have no problems. Almost everything is very accurate, and there are no flaws."

Yang Kun's expression was conflicted: "I think these are the four people I was most worried about tonight, but they performed exceptionally well on this stage. I find it strange that from the moment this song was chosen and the four of them were put in a group, I didn't feel that they were a pair, but rather that tonight the four of them were a group."

Everyone knows that the more you praise someone, the harder it is to get selected.

"Those who advance are—Robynn & Kendy."

The two boys from the Apple Orchard duo exchanged a glance. The taller, thinner one bit his lip, while the slightly chubby one patted his partner on the shoulder. They bowed to the judges' panel, then turned and walked off the stage.

Li Wenqi was silent for a moment, then suddenly turned to look at Xu Yao: "Brother Yao, have you participated in any competitions before?"

"no."

"Then why are you so calm?"

Xu Yao thought for a moment and said, "It's probably because I've already lost once."

No, if we include my cousin, we lost twice on the stage of "The Voice of China".

"You've lost before? You've never participated in a competition before?"

Xu Yao didn't elaborate, but simply smiled and said, "So I can't lose. But Wenqi, I'm not targeting you. My opponent is everyone, and I will defeat everyone."

Li Wenqi felt a little annoyed: "Brother Yao, can't you say something nice to make me feel better during the competition?"

The fifth group, Xu Jianqiu and Kaikai, performed "Bubble".

Xu Yao sat up straight.

This song is very difficult to sing; G.E.M.'s original version requires a lot of breath control in the high register.

Xu Jianqiu's voice is thin, but his emotions are very sincere.

Kaikai has a wider vocal range, but some parts are not handled with enough finesse.

After the two finished singing, Xiao Jingteng commented first: "I think Jianqiu is more flexible and softer. Kaikai is more stiff. When he's big, he's huge, and when he vibrates, he shakes a lot. When he's small, he's very small."

He paused for a moment, then stated his judgment directly: "I support Jianqiu. Kaikai, you should start expanding your vocal placement today, which will allow you to sing more softly and easily. I've always been worried that singing like this is actually very damaging to your vocal cords and your throat."

Kai Kai stood on the stage, nodded, and didn't say anything.

Yang Kun remained silent for a long time.

"The one who advances is—Xu Jianqiu."

Xu Jianqiu stood on the stage, his face showing joy, but also a sense of relief.

He turned around and hugged Kaikai. Kaikai patted him on the back and said something. Xu Jianqiu nodded.

As they entered the waiting area, Xu Jianqiu walked straight up to Xu Yao and plopped down next to him.

"To be honest, my legs went weak," he said.

"I can tell, you're all bark and no bite," Xu Yao joked.

Xu Jianqiu took a deep breath and leaned back on the sofa: "Actually, Kai Kai sings really well."

"But you advanced."

"Yes." Xu Jianqiu closed his eyes. "Brother, but I almost couldn't hold on on stage."

Xu Yao patted him on the shoulder without saying anything.

Group 6, Chen Yongxin and Liu Ke, "If Clouds Know".

As soon as the intro to the song started, the waiting area fell silent.

Chen Yongxin's voice is clear and bright, while Liu Ke's voice is gentle and deep. The two voices intertwine, like two streams flowing into the same river.

When the chorus came on, Chen Yongxin turned her head and glanced at Liu Ke, who was also looking at her.

Their eyes met briefly on the stage before they looked away.

After finishing her song, Chen Yongxin's eyes reddened. Standing on the stage, her voice choked with emotion, she said, "I've known Liu Ke since the audition, and he's always been very gentle."

Liu Ke stood to the side, her lips moved, but she didn't say anything.

Yang Kun looked at the two of them and sighed, "I think they are both very young, and it's not easy for them to have such rich emotions. It's really not easy."

Na Ying laughed and joked from the side, but Yang Kun's expression was very serious.

"The one who advances is—Chen Yongxin."

Chen Yongxin stood on the stage, tears streaming down her face.

She turned around, and Liu Ke had already opened his arms.

The two hugged, and Chen Yongxin cried even harder. Liu Ke patted her on the back.

As she stepped off the stage, Chen Yongxin was still wiping away tears. She went to Xu Yao's side and said, "Brother Yao, keep going."

Xu Yao nodded.

Finally, the on-site director pushed open the door and came in: "Group 8, Li Wenqi and Xu Yao, get ready to go on stage."

Li Wenqi suddenly spoke up: "Brother Yao."

"Um?"

"You've taught me so much these past few days." Her voice was soft. "You helped me with the key when choosing songs, you guided me through rehearsals, and you stayed with me during recordings whenever I couldn't sing well..."

She paused for a moment, then her voice softened even more: "Suddenly, I feel a little reluctant to leave."

"Maybe it'll be me who leaves?" Xu Yao comforted him.

"I know you will win; your eyes say it all," Li Wenqi said somewhat pessimistically.

Xu Yao turned to look at her, thought for a moment, and said, "How about this, no matter who wins or loses, we'll keep in touch."

Li Wenqi's eyes lit up immediately.

"real?"

"real."

"Brother Yao, you have to keep your word."

Li Wenqi's voice then became cheerful.

"Keep your word."

"Let's pinky swear." Li Wenqi extended her little finger.

Xu Yao looked at her outstretched little finger and couldn't help but smile.

A chubby man who was 1.85 meters tall and a little girl who was just over 1.6 meters tall stood in the aisle of the stage and made a pinky promise like two elementary school students.

I wonder if this scene will be captured on film and used as footage; it's certainly funny and comical.

The two people walked out of the passage and onto the stage.

The lights poured down, creating a white expanse.

Xu Yao stood in the center of the stage, and Li Wenqi stood beside him.

The two were less than a meter apart, but on this huge stage, she looked exceptionally small.

The acoustic guitar intro begins, flowing gently like the night breeze.

They have been practicing this song for five days.

Every note, every breath, every exchange of glances has been etched into muscle memory.

Xu Yao stopped thinking about techniques and stopped thinking about winning or losing.

He simply stood there, letting the voice flow from his chest.

Li Wenqi's voice followed him, as clean as the first drop of dew in the morning.

The two voices intertwined, one steady, the other clear; one supporting, the other floating.

As he sang the last line, Xu Yao's voice gradually subsided, like the arrival of night.

Li Wenqi's voice lingered for half a beat on the last note before gently falling back down.

The last note fell.

The recording studio was quiet for a long time.

Everyone was still immersed in the song and hadn't come back to their senses.

Then, the applause began.

It wasn't the kind of enthusiastic, explosive applause, but rather a slow, increasingly loud applause that rose in waves, one after another.

Yang Kun sat in the mentor's seat, clapping his hands, his expression somewhat complicated.

Qi Qin turned his head and glanced at Xiao Jingteng. The two looked at each other and saw the same thing in each other's eyes.

"This song," Yang Kun began, his voice lower than usual, "is the quietest and most powerful version of 'Vincent' I've ever heard."

He paused for a moment: "Your two voices, one is the earth, the other is the sky."

Qi Qin took over the conversation, his voice gentle yet earnest: "Li Wenqi's voice is incredibly pure, capable of piercing the night sky, and Xu Yao's voice complements Li Wenqi perfectly."

Wang Feng nodded and gestured with his hands: "Xu Yao's voice is like a lush tree, and Li Wenqi is the flower on that tree. Their performance will definitely be one of the top-ranked versions of 'Vincent'."

Na Ying also exclaimed, "This arrangement is simply unexpected; it will definitely be the most unforgettable adaptation on stage."

Xiao Jingteng sat to the side, unusually refraining from acting cute. He looked intently at the two people on the stage and spoke at length.

"Xu Yao and Li Wenqi, their voices together remind me of a Van Gogh painting. Xu Yao's voice is the deep blue night sky, and Li Wenqi's voice is the spinning stars."

He paused, his expression conflicted: "If I choose Xu Yao, I think Li Wenqi is too young and will definitely face a lot of setbacks. If I choose Li Wenqi, I think Xu Yao is like a big tree, tolerant and forgiving, which is very rare."

After Xiao Jingteng finished speaking, he spread his hands: "That's why I can't choose."

Forced into a corner, Na Ying chuckled and said something that made the whole audience laugh: "Music can't be compared like that, it's too cruel!"

But after the laughter subsided, everyone's attention turned to Yang Kun.

Yang Kun remained silent for a long time.

He looked down at the paper in front of him, then looked up at the two people on the stage.

One big and one small.

The older generation represents perseverance, while the younger generation represents hope.

"I know you're all waiting for me to tell you the result," Yang Kun finally spoke, his voice a little hoarse, "but it's really hard for me to choose."

He took a deep breath.

"What we wanted was a song that could quiet everyone down."

"You did it."

"Whether it's Xu Yao or Li Wenqi, you are both the strongest warriors of the Yang family."