Just because I wrote "Zhu Xian," the school beauty sent me razor blades.

Chapter 20 It's You

For the next half hour, Lin Yuan experienced a "live version of a singer talent show".

The female singers from Tianxing Entertainment lined up and stood in front of Lin Yuan one by one, singing the first few lines of "Summer Wind" a cappella.

The first female singer, an idol, with a sweet appearance, and her voice was captivating—

The July breeze is lazy, even the clouds feel warm...

Her voice is nice, but too sweet.

It's like a cup of milk tea with too much sugar, sickeningly sweet.

After listening, Lin Yuan nodded politely: "Next."

Female singer: "..."

The second female singer had a deep, resonant voice and skillful technique.

The July breeze is lazy—

His opening remarks immediately gave off the vibe of a "national team performing in the countryside to comfort the troops".

You sang it correctly.

But it's too "correct".

"Summer Breeze" doesn't need this dignified and grand sense of correctness; it needs a light, unguarded feeling, like the relaxed feeling of a summer evening breeze on your face.

After listening, Lin Yuan nodded again: "Next."

The third, the fourth, the fifth...

Some people sing with so much effort, it's like they're participating in a singing competition.

Some people sing too casually, like they're indulging in self-admiration in the bathroom.

Some people even showed off their skills halfway through a song, performing a vibrato—

Lin Yuan's pupils dilated in shock.

"Stop." He raised his hand. "Teacher, your vocal transitions are excellent, but this isn't a talent show. We don't need you to demonstrate every trick in the book."

The singer gave an awkward laugh and stepped back.

After one round, Lin Yuan's ears were practically calloused from listening to it.

"Sister Fei," he turned to Fei Zhao, "do all the singers at Tianxing Entertainment have some misunderstanding about 'relaxation'?"

Fei Zhao stood to the side, raising an eyebrow: "So?"

"so--"

Just as Lin Yuan was about to speak, a voice rang out from the corner.

"that……"

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound.

The speaker was a girl.

She stood at the very back of the crowd, looking to be around twenty-three or twenty-four years old. She wasn't very tall, had her hair tied in a simple ponytail, and wore a faded denim jacket. She was completely bare-faced and without any makeup.

Among the group of elaborately dressed singers, she stood out as remarkably plain.

"Can I...can I try?"

She spoke, her voice soft, tinged with nervousness and timidity.

Fei Zhao glanced at her, his gaze shifting slightly.

"Xu Nian."

She uttered the name with a hint of surprise in her voice.

"A second-tier singer, debuted three years ago, released one album, with mediocre sales."

Xu Nian lowered her head, as if someone had reopened her wounds.

"It's...it's me."

Fei Zhao looked at Lin Yuan: "Do you want to listen?"

Lin Yuan glanced at Xu Nian.

This girl doesn't look like the kind of fierce warrior who can fight his way up the Star Rankings.

It's more like the type who hides in a corner of a karaoke bar and sings along quietly.

But we're already here.

Listen to it.

"Okay, you sing."

Xu Nian took a deep breath and walked to the center of the karaoke room.

She closed her eyes and gently pursed her lips.

Then she spoke—

The July breeze is lazy, even the clouds feel warm...

The sound was very soft.

Light as a feather, it landed on the water and created a ripple.

It wasn't a deliberately lowered breathy voice, but a natural, slightly lazy, soft voice, as if it had just woken up.

"The sky was muggy not long after, and then it rained after a cloud cover..."

Her voice lacked technical skill and exaggerated emotional fluctuations.

It's like a girl humming a thought to herself on a summer evening.

No stage is needed.

No spotlight is needed.

All you need is a gust of wind and an audience.

Lin Yuan's expression changed.

He sat up straight, his gaze falling on Xu Nian, no longer with a scrutinizing eye, but with the delightful surprise of discovering a treasure.

"The temperature rose to an unbearable level, so I simply closed my eyes and let my imagination run wild..."

When Xu Nian sang the chorus, her voice rose slightly, like a sea breeze brushing past her ear.

The karaoke room was eerily quiet.

Everyone stopped whispering and listened quietly.

Even Fei Zhao unconsciously leaned forward slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

The last note fell.

Xu Nian opened her eyes, as if she had just woken up from a dream, her cheeks slightly flushed.

"I...I've finished singing..."

She whispered, not daring to look at anyone, only staring at her toes.

Lin Yuan did not speak immediately.

He remained silent for three seconds.

Then he smiled.

"You're the one."

Xu Nian suddenly looked up, her eyes filled with disbelief.

"Me...me?"

"Yes, it's you." Lin Yuan stepped forward and stood in front of her. "Xu Nian, right?"

"Yes, yes..."

"From this moment on, you are the singer of 'Summer Breeze'."

Lin Yuan stretched out his hand, a confident smile on his face.

"Are you ready to get to know this summer?"

Xu Nian stared at him blankly.

Her hand hovered in mid-air. After hesitating for two seconds, she finally reached out and gently grasped Lin Yuan's hand.

That hand was warm.

The warmth made her suddenly feel like crying.

Three years.

For three years after her debut, she remained an inconspicuous nobody.

There were no resources, no exposure, and no buzz.

The jobs the company assigned her were either opening acts for commercial performances or background roles in variety shows.

She thought her singing career would just continue in this lukewarm way.

Until they are completely forgotten by this circle.

But she didn't expect it.

On such an ordinary morning, in a karaoke room filled with skepticism and cold stares, a young man in a T-shirt and jeans pulled her out of the corner with a single sentence.

"I...I will try my best." Her voice choked with emotion. "I promise I won't let you down."

"Don't use all those 'you's' titles, it makes me sound like a retired cadre." Lin Yuan waved his hand. "Just call me Lin Yuan."

He turned to look at Fei Zhao.

"Sister Fei, I've made my decision."

"Now, let's get down to business."

Fei Zhao looked at him, a slight smile playing on his lips.

There was an indescribable meaning in that smile.

It sounded like approval.

It's like—

The anticipation of the show finally starting has been building.

"good."

She clapped her hands.