Entertainment: A song that brought his deceased wife back to life.

"Cough cough..."

The host tried to make his voice sound less shaky.

"Dear viewers..."

"After fierce competition, the results of the first round of public voting are in."

Congratulations, Xu Qing!

The host almost shouted himself hoarse.

"With an overwhelming majority of 5.8 million votes, they won first place in this rookie competition!"

"This number of votes not only broke the historical record of 'The Rising Star,' but also broke the record for the highest number of votes in a single round of a domestic variety talent show!"

There was no polite applause from the audience.

Instead, a deafening roar erupted.

"Xu Qing!"

"Xu Qing!"

"Xu Qing!"

Several female audience members in the front row wiped away their tears and shouted, their voices becoming hoarse.

They are not chasing after celebrities.

"Please welcome Xu Qing back to center stage!"

The host turned to the side and made an extremely respectful "please" gesture.

This is unprecedented treatment in previous episodes.

In the shadows of the corner.

Xu Qing slowly stood up.

The spotlight shone on him.

There wasn't even the slightest hint of surprise on his face.

The host leaned over and held the microphone to Xu Qing's lips.

"Xu Qing, standing here right now, looking at this astonishing number of votes behind you, you must be very excited, right?"

This is a perfectly standard question.

According to the script, the contestant should burst into tears at this point, thanking their parents, CCTV, and the production team.

Xu Qing raised her eyelids and glanced at the red bar chart.

"It's alright."

The host's smile froze for a moment.

We can't talk today.

But being a professional, he immediately adjusted his mindset and tried to uncover more exciting moments.

"We all know that this song was written for... for her."

The host carefully chose his words, afraid of touching on Xu Qing's painful memories.

"Now this song is a hit, and you've won first place."

"I think if the little fish in the sky could see this, they would be very proud of you."

"At this glorious moment, what would you most like to say to everyone, or to her?"

The scene quieted down.

Everyone held their breath, waiting for the heartfelt young man's acceptance speech.

Everyone got their tissues ready, bracing for another round of tear-jerking bombardment.

Xu Qing took the microphone.

His fingers were long and slender with distinct knuckles, and the tips were somewhat rough from playing the strings for a long time.

He looked at the sea of ​​people below the stage.

Looking at those glow sticks.

Look at those tearful eyes.

Some trance.

Is this the stage that Xiaoyu has always dreamed of?

Is her condition serious, and does she also dream of entering this circle?

It's really noisy.

The light was also very bright.

Xu Qing's eyes felt a little sore.

"I have nothing to say."

Xu Qing's voice came through the speakers, carrying a unique grainy quality.

"I just let her listen to this song."

"Now, I'm done singing."

"The whole world heard it."

"Although she wasn't in the audience... I've kept my promise to her."

There was a collective sigh from the audience.

It turns out he came here simply to fulfill a promise.

In an entertainment industry where people will do anything for traffic, Xu Qing is a breath of fresh air.

however.

Xu Qing's next words, however, were like a thunderclap that exploded in the studio.

"The song is over, and the story is over."

Xu Qing spoke calmly, as if stating a given fact.

"I think I have no reason to stay on this stage any longer."

The entire room fell silent.

one second.

two seconds.

three seconds.

"boom--"

The studio erupted in chaos.

"What do you mean? Did I hear that right?"

"Is he withdrawing from the competition?"

"No way! This is only the first episode!"

"Brother, don't be impulsive! You're in first place by a wide margin right now! As long as you keep singing, the championship is yours!"

"Xu Qing, don't go! We haven't heard enough!"

The host's jaw nearly dropped to the floor.

He has hosted talent shows for so many years, and he has seen people tear each other's hair out to advance, and he has seen people fake falls to get more screen time.

I've never seen anyone who won first place give up.

"Um... Xu Qing, are you kidding me?"

The host, Qian, smiled and tried to salvage the situation.

"This is the stage for 'Rising Star', and countless people would kill to get in."

"With your current popularity, your future is limitless."

Xu Qing shook his head.

His eyes were firm.

"I don't belong here."

"I can't dance, I don't create a persona, and I don't know how to please the audience."

"I only know how to sing some old, outdated songs."

"and……"

Xu Qing lowered her head and looked at the floor beneath her feet.

"It's too bright here."

"She prefers darker places."

"I'm afraid if I stand here too long, I'll forget what she looks like in the shadows."

Done.

Xu Qing reached out and took off the gold badge on her chest that represented her advancement.

The staff just pinned it on for him.

sparkling with light.

Xu Qing bent down.

He gently placed the badge that countless trainees dreamed of on the stage floor.

It produced a crisp metallic clanging sound.

"bite."

The sound wasn't loud.

He straightened up and bowed to the audience.

Turn around.

Ready to leave.

Backstage control room.

Seeing this, Wang Gang's blood pressure spiked to 200.

"madman!"

"That madman!"

Wang Gang slammed the walkie-talkie in his hand onto the table, sending parts flying all over the floor.

"Does he even know what he's doing?"

"That's 5.8 million votes! That's countless endorsements and commercial performances!"

"He just threw it away like that?"

The assistant director next to him trembled with fear: "Director... what do we do now? The live stream chat is out of control, everyone is cursing the production team for rigging the show and forcing Xu Qing out."

"A conspiracy my ass!"

Wang Gang was so angry he jumped up and down.

"I'd love to kneel down and call him 'Father Xu'! Who dares to force him?"

"Quick! Have the host stop him!"

"No matter what method we use, whether it's clinging to his leg or begging on our knees, we absolutely cannot let him leave!"

"If he leaves, the show's viewership will be completely gone!"

"My villa! My bonus! My future!"

Wang Gang grabbed the spare headset and yelled hoarsely into it, "Host! You'd better keep him on stage, even if it kills you!"

on the stage.

The host turned green when he heard the roar coming through the earpiece.

He watched Xu Qing's resolute back, gritted his teeth, rushed forward, and spread his arms to block Xu Qing's way.

"Xu Qing! Wait a minute! Please wait a minute!"

The host was gripping Xu Qing's sleeve tightly with one hand.

"Let go."

Xu Qing's voice was not loud.

The host subconsciously loosened his grip.

Xu Qing turned around, holding her guitar.

He took very steady steps.

He didn't want to be a monkey in front of people here.

Now that the song is over.

Since the little fish heard it.

That's enough.

As for the first place...

As for debuting.

Those things meant nothing to him.

Just as Xu Qing was about to step into the shadows.

A woman's voice rang out.

"stop."