They surrounded me right after the breakup.

After returning backstage from the dance performance, several singers came over to greet Jiang Han.

Their respectful attitude stemmed not only from their appreciation of the song itself but also from their reverence for the industry leaders.

"Mr. Jiang, it's such a pity you voluntarily gave up your advancement! I hope we'll have the opportunity to work together in the future!"

"You sang so well! The lyrics are great, and the song is amazing. It's definitely going to be a hit!"

"Mr. Jiang, would it be convenient to add me on WeChat? Please consider me for future new songs, thank you so much!"

Jiang Han responded politely, neither arrogant nor overly enthusiastic, showing neither conceit nor excessive enthusiasm.

After seeing off the guests, only he, Qiu Siyao, and Mao Buyi remained in the lounge.

From the moment Jiang Han announced his withdrawal from the competition, Mao Buyi was completely sober.

"Brother Jiang Han, I'm so sorry! It's all my fault! I failed to seize the opportunity in the talent show..."

His face was pale, the flush from the alcohol had faded, and his voice trembled.

Mao Buyi's decision to give up the lead singer segment on stage was not a pre-planned or intentional act.

Upon hearing Jiang Han's performance, he felt in that instant that the song should belong to him.

Adding your own voice is completely superfluous and an insult to the song.

Mao Buyi was so engrossed in the beautiful music that he unconsciously gave up singing.

He hadn't expected the consequences of his impulsive act, and now he was filled with regret and remorse.

After sobering up, Mao Buyi understood Jiang Han's decision to abstain.

Rules are rules. Since it's a guest performance, we must distinguish between the main and secondary roles.

Even if the show makes an exception, advancing would leave room for criticism, so withdrawing from the competition is the best option right now.

Mao Buyi felt that he had let Jiang Han down, failed the company's cultivation, and even more so, let down the employees who had worked silently behind him.

Jiang Han smiled, looking very relaxed, and patted Mao Buyi on the shoulder.

"Don't drink fake alcohol next time..."

After saying that, he sat down on the sofa and started to snuggle up with Qiu Siyao.

"Huh?" Mao Buyi was stunned.

The expected anger did not materialize, not even a word of reproach, as if leaving the show was not a big deal.

"Brother Jiang Han, I...I..."

"You're famous now, so if you drink alcohol again, it has to be Moutai, you know?"

Mao Buyi stood there in a daze, and after a long while, he nodded firmly.

He made up his mind to devote himself to creative work and intensify his typhoon training so that he could repay Jianghan's kindness in the best possible condition.

On the monitor screen in the lounge, the guest performance segment of this episode of "The Rising Star" came to an end as the last contestant finished singing.

The host came on stage to read the script, and then the "GG" segment began.

Jiang Han received a notification from the staff that the contestants needed to go on stage to hear their rankings.

"Do we still have to go up if we withdraw from the competition?" he asked doubtfully.

"Yes, Mr. Jiang, our leaders instructed us to invite you up."

"All right…"

Jiang Han did not refuse again and returned to the stage with Mao Buyi.

The eight groups of contestants lined up in order of appearance and stood behind the host.

"After a tense vote count, we will announce the final rankings of this guest performance competition. The top 4 contestants will advance to the next round. Who will win the title of Rising Star?"

The host deliberately created suspense, switching the background music to a tense atmosphere.

"Eighth place, Zhang Jie; Seventh place, Niu Dehua..."

The rankings were announced from back to front, with Chung Yat-hin taking first place with his Hong Kong-style love songs.

After the results were announced, the audience applauded, but the host showed no intention of leaving the stage.

"We deeply regret Mao Buyi's withdrawal from the competition. His performance of 'A Person Like Me' by Jiang Han resonated with many people, wouldn't you agree?"

"That's right! That's right!"

"Jianghan is awesome!"

"Anyway, I voted for him!"

The audience reacted strongly. They didn't have professional knowledge of music, but they could still tell which song was good.

The host paused for a moment, then continued, "According to the backstage statistics, although contestant Mao Buyi withdrew from the competition, they achieved the highest number of votes since the show's inception in both online channels and music critic polls!"

wow——

The crowd erupted in commotion, and someone started whistling.

The host waited a long time before the room finally quieted down.

"After discussion by the production team, we sincerely invite contestant Mao Buyi to be a guest performer in the final segment. What do you all think?"

"Great! Respecting both the rules and the art, no problem!"

"Only Mao Buyi, what about Jiang Han?"

"Could we invite Jiang Han to sing along?"

"Yes, yes, yes! Just inviting Jianghan is fine too!"

The host looked a little embarrassed when he heard the cheers from the audience.

You don't want contestants, you want guest performers to sing with you. Isn't that a slap in the face to the production team?

Just as he was hesitating, the director team's plan came through his earpiece, instructing him to invite Jiang Han in public.

"Mr. Jiang Han, you've heard the audience's voices. Would you be willing to sing for us one more time?"

Jiang Han took the microphone: "Thank you for your support, audience. Xingyue Media has always been committed to being an entertainment company that the public loves..."

"Since there's a demand, I must respond actively!"

Facing the camera, he didn't forget to give his company a "GG" (goodbye).

Jiang Han's purpose in having Mao Buyi participate in the talent show was simply for publicity; it didn't matter whether he was a contestant or a guest.

As the boss, appearing on variety shows can increase the company's visibility and indirectly attract customers.

He agreed to sing, which satisfied the audience and generated buzz for the show—a triple win.

……

The recording, which lasted for two and a half hours, has ended.

The live stream was cut off, and the contestants said goodbye to each other.

Six women with graceful figures, different styles, and unique charms eagerly stepped onto the stage.

"Jiang Han, well done! No wonder you were chosen as my boyfriend!"

Lin Yaoyao spoke first, grabbing Jiang Han's arm and shaking it from side to side.

Softly rubbing against each other...

Xiao Xiao was clever and mischievous, and she didn't treat Jiang Han like an outsider. She patted him on the back twice.

"General Jiang is awesome!"

Xia Yutong's cheeks showed signs of crying, and her eyes were slightly swollen.

"You sang so beautifully!"

She hesitated for a moment, then leaned close to Jiang Han's ear and whispered something in a voice only he could hear.

"Mao Buyi is even more popular than I imagined. I can grant you one more request..."

After saying that, Xia Yutong blushed and quickly slipped away.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Han's heart skipped a beat, and he subconsciously thought of little feet.

Shen Qingning stood quietly to the side, watching her best friends surround her ex-boyfriend, her heart filled with two conflicting emotions.

On the one hand, as an ex-girlfriend, if she hadn't brought this upon herself, she should be the one openly proud of Jianghan right now.

On the other hand, her new relationship with the two of them made her complacent.

Shen Qingning stared intently at Jiang Han, and the moment their eyes met, she opened her mouth.

Shen Qingning didn't make a sound, but instead used lip reading to pronounce the two words in a way that only the other person could understand:

"Owner."