Chapter 30

Chapter 30

The room fell silent, and everyone's gaze naturally fell on the adorable cat mascot.

If it were an ordinary contestant on stage, people might have been able to make some preliminary judgments based on his subtle facial expressions and eyes.

However, the contestant was wearing a headpiece, a cute one that completely covered his face, making it impossible for anyone to guess what he was thinking...

Unable to guess his intentions, the mentors who had chosen Su Xingyao, caught up in the atmosphere created by the live music, were visibly tense.

Fortunately, Su Xingyao didn't like to drag things out or beat around the bush.

He stood still, calmly looking towards the front left and soon spoke in a light tone.

"My choice is Mentor Sheng Yan."

The audience fell silent for several seconds.

Su Xingyao's statement was like a tightly wound string that suddenly snapped without warning.

His decision came as a surprise to most people.

The contestants below the stage even asked each other in disbelief, "Is it Sheng Yan? Did I hear correctly?"

"It's definitely Sheng Yan."

"Why didn't the cat mascot choose Wen Yun? I thought he would choose Wen Yun..."

"Wen Yun's style actually suits him better... Sheng Yan's idol vibe feels..."

"Just the mascot's whim..."

Because the cameras were on, the contestants didn't feel comfortable speaking too plainly.

But it was clear to anyone listening that they meant Sheng Yan's idol style and the cat mascot's powerhouse style were worlds apart.

After all, traditionally, most people still prefer the combination of a powerhouse mentor and a powerhouse contestant.

Not only were the contestants surprised, but even Sheng Yan himself was incredulous and kept double-checking with Su Xingyao.

"Did I hear that correctly? It's me, right?"

Su Xingyao nodded, then bowed to both Wen Yun and Shen Huaixi, apologizing for not selecting them.

After getting confirmation, Sheng Yan couldn't help but laugh, covering his nose with one hand.

Meanwhile, Wen Yun, next to him, was filled with regret and disappointment upon confirming that contestant 78 had not chosen him.

"After all, I lost to the charming Mentor Sheng, alas."

Wen Yun regretted not being able to collaborate further with such an excellent singer.

But he also knew it was the contestant's own choice, so he quickly adjusted his mood and smiled at Su Xingyao.

"Although we didn't form a team, can I make a request?"

Su Xingyao politely responded, "Please, go ahead."

"Can I give you a hug?"

Wen Yun scratched the hair near his temple, "Honestly, I've had my eye on your mascot costume for a while now."

Wen Yun's unexpected comment instantly lightened the mood again.

Fu Qingyan also chimed in at the right moment to ease the atmosphere.

"So, Mentor Wen, you wanted contestant number 78 in your group mainly because you wanted to feel the fur of the mascot costume, right?"

Wen Yun chuckled, "You got me."

With that, Wen Yun stepped down from the mentor's seat and headed over to Su Xingyao.

Su Xingyao quickly reached out to hug him.

As he hugged Su Xingyao, Wen Yun made sure to turn off his mic and whispered in his ear, "Even though we didn't end up on the same team, I still really like you. Whether it's during the show or after, if there's anything I can help with, feel free to come to me if you don't mind."

For Wen Yun to say such things to a contestant from his position, it really shows how much he appreciates the other's voice.

After the hug, he gave Su Xingyao's furry back a pat.

"Feel free to hit me up anytime to talk music."

Since Su Xingyao's mic was still on, he could only nod and reply, "Okay, thank you, Mentor Wen."

Everyone in the audience watched their interaction, knowing they were talking.

But with Wen Yun's mic off, no one could catch what he was saying.

Hearing Su Xingyao's reply, Sheng Yan playfully brought up the earlier joke about him and Wen Yun trying to poach contestants.

"Alright, alright, Yun. No more poaching, okay?"

Wen Yun let go of Su Xingyao and waved at Sheng Yan, "No more poaching, I promise. Don't worry."

After saying that, he reached out to touch the cat fur on Su Xingyao's arm one last time before reluctantly heading back to his seat.

Wen Yun isn't the type to hold a grudge; even though Su Xingyao didn't pick him, he wasn't upset.

Meanwhile, Shen Huaixi, off-camera, turned grim after Su Xingyao's decision.

He narrowed his eyes, glaring at the cat mascot costume on stage, his lips pressed tightly together.

He was mad not just because Su Xingyao didn't pick him, but also because the choice left him feeling utterly humiliated.

Among the mentors, if you had to label them, Wen Yun and Xu Beizhou were seen as the real deal singers, while he and Sheng Yan were more like celebrity idols.

Though Sheng Yan is a singer, he's more of a fan-centric idol, and in the public's eyes, he's not much better than Shen Huaixi.

So when the first two episodes dropped, a lot of viewers saw them as being on the same level.

But even though he and Sheng Yan started out on similar footing, in the end, Sheng Yan snagged half of the final four spots.

Despite his best efforts to win over contestant number 78, he still ended up empty-handed.

Yet, in the end, not only did the other not give him face, but also chose Sheng Yan right next to him, slapping his face.

If number 78 had chosen Wen Yun, Shen Huaixi wouldn't have felt so humiliated...

This public humiliation left Shen Huaixi with a bitter taste.

Seeing number 78 interact with Sheng Yan on stage, and noticing the camera wasn't on him, Shen Huaixi couldn't even fake a smile.

On the other hand, because Su Xingyao chose to join Sheng Yan's team, the previously confirmed members of Sheng Yan's team were now overjoyed, waving enthusiastically in Sheng Yan's section to warmly welcome his addition.

"Alright, congratulations to number 78 for joining Sheng Yan's team!"

Fu Qingyan, the host, announced the result and immediately made an inviting gesture, "Now you can go join your teammates."

Su Xingyao waved to his team from the stage and then walked towards them.

Su Xingyao wasn't in a hurry, so he walked at a leisurely pace.

But someone was clearly eager and ran towards him.

The person ran hurriedly, arms wide open.

Just as everyone thought he was about to give Su Xingyao a big hug, he suddenly stopped.

Su Xingyao smiled and raised his right hand, and the other person mirrored his action.

The next second, number 77's fair and slender hand met the soft cat paw, and the two completed this unique high-five.

Su Xingyao looked at number 77, who had also chosen Sheng Yan, and smiled, "We meet again~"

Number 77 tapped his chest three times with his fist, then patted the cat plushie Su Xingyao had given him before saying, "Our cute cat duo is back together."

As the last contestant to choose a mentor, after Su Xingyao joined the team, all the advancing contestants had completed their team formations.

So far, Wen Yun's team had seven, Sheng Yan's team had nine, and Xu Beizhou's team had eight.

Out of all the mentors, only Shen Huaixi's team had just two members.

After announcing this result, Fu Qingyan immediately glanced at the pitiful Shen Huaixi.

Knowing Shen Huaixi had never faced such humiliation, Fu Qingyan used his authority as the super mentor to call for a brief recording pause.

Pausing recording during the show is common due to unpredictable factors.

No one thought it was odd when Fu Qingyan called for a pause, and everyone took a break where they were.

Sheng Yan used this time to check in with his team.

After a quick hello to the team, he sat down with them in a circle, no airs about him, and pulled out his tablet to open the show's system.

"Now, there's something important we need your help with."

Sheng Yan pointed at the contestant photos on the tablet and marked them with a stylus.

"We're still three members short. The next round is the selection phase, so let's use this break to decide who to pick for these spots."

The remaining contestants were those who hadn't been picked by any mentor in the previous round.

Though they weren't chosen earlier, due to quota limits, many strong contestants remained.

The contestants had a good understanding of each other's strengths, and Sheng Yan's team was straightforward in their discussions.

Now that the mentor had taken the initiative to suggest a group discussion, everyone freely shared their thoughts.

Soon, the contestants settled on three candidates.

Sheng Yan quickly jotted down the three numbers.

Su Xingyao glanced at Sheng Yan's notes, then looked at the remaining contestants and brought up a point.

"The program team hasn't announced how the next round will work yet. Is it possible that multiple mentors might still pick the same contestant?"

Everyone immediately agreed with Su Xingyao's point.

"Yeah, that's how I got picked last time. So, to avoid that, we should have a backup plan."

A rapper in the group chimed in, "Kitty, got anyone else in mind?"

Rappers tend to be straight shooters, and this one was no exception, immediately turning to the most respected figure in the group.

Sheng Yan, as a mentor, wasn't bothered by this and also turned to look at Su Xingyao.

Seeing this, others followed suit.

Su Xingyao, under everyone's gaze, pulled back his cat paw a bit.

But part of the reason for the questions was that the choice was tough.

After several rounds, most of the top picks were already gone.

Seeing everyone stuck, he agreed and carefully reached out his paw, quickly picking six contestants on the tablet.

Su Xingyao's six picks hadn't come up before.

So, seeing his list, everyone was a bit surprised.

Because their memories of these few were pretty hazy.

Noticing the confusion, Su Xingyao tapped the first contestant's photo, opening a clip of their performance.

After skipping to the parts he'd noticed, Su Xingyao explained, "His voice is versatile; he'd fit well with different styles in the team."

Then he clicked on the next contestant's profile, and a lively intro filled the room.

Hearing this, a few contestants remembered the person.

"That's the one who tries to rock but can't..."

Su Xingyao didn't speak but dragged the progress bar to the part where the contestant sang.

"Her voice is unique, with smooth shifts between falsetto and chest voice. But her song choice might be a bit off; if she chooses a slower, quieter song next time, her voice will be very captivating."

He then dragged the video to a slightly more relaxed part of the song.

Hearing her calm voice, everyone agreed it sounded way better.

Su Xingyao spoke at a moderate pace, but his reasoning was incredibly clear.

For each contestant, he only said a few brief sentences.

But he nailed each person's unique traits perfectly.

After hearing his analysis, the rapper couldn’t help but glance up at him again, his eyes filled with awe for someone so skilled.

Well...

The cat tycoon really knows his stuff.

Not only did the rapper think so, but mentor Sheng Yan did too.

Even as a mentor, he’s always had a good sense of self-awareness.

Many idols would dodge the topic of vocal skills, but he’s crystal clear about it in his mind.

He’s always known that his fan appeal doesn’t come from his singing.

So when it comes to singing, he doesn’t feel inferior, but he’s quick to acknowledge others’ strengths.

And contestant number 78 on his team is clearly way more skilled than he is.

The people he mentioned didn’t stand out much, but the other guy skipped straight to the key parts of the video, making their strengths and weaknesses instantly obvious.

Sheng Yan gave Su Xingyao a thumbs-up and quietly showed his approval.

Next, Su Xingyao broke down the strengths and weaknesses of the next four contestants for the group.

Aside from singing, he doesn’t usually talk this much in one go.

After analyzing a few contestants, he cracked open a bottle of water and took small sips.

To stay safe, he’d taken steps to keep his mouth area hidden from prying eyes.

But when drinking or eating, a small gap would still open up in the tightest spots.

It wasn’t enough to reveal his face, but his fair skin still peeked through the small opening.

After jotting down the numbers of these six contestants, Sheng Yan glanced over and caught a glimpse of fair, smooth skin under the cat mask.

Later, to make sure he got the people he wanted, Sheng Yan finalized the list of twelve contestants for his team.

After picking his team, he walked over to Su Xingyao and spoke to him quietly.

"There were too many people earlier, and I didn’t want to put you on the spot. Mind if I ask why you picked my team?"

Off-camera, Sheng Yan didn’t have to worry about the show’s image, so he cut to the chase and spoke his mind.

"Wen Yun and Xu Beizhou’s styles seem more your speed."

Su Xingyao, rummaging through his bag for his phone, was a little caught off guard that Sheng Yan had approached him privately.

When he’d picked Sheng Yan’s team earlier, he’d been a little unsure how to answer if the question came up.

Who’d have thought he’d wait until now to ask?

Since they were offstage, Su Xingyao decided to be honest.

"I’m a big fan of one of your songs."

As Su Xingyao spoke, a melody immediately surfaced in his mind, and he started singing without accompaniment.

Sheng Yan raised an eyebrow and instantly recognized it.

"《Light》."

When he mentioned the song title, a spark of surprised delight appeared in Sheng Yan's eyes.

He knew this song inside out.

Because it was the first song he had written entirely on his own, both lyrics and music, after he started his career.

In a way, this song held extraordinary significance for him.

At the time, he had high hopes for it.

But the reality was that after its release, apart from his fans, the song didn't break into the mainstream and remained virtually unknown.

It was completely unexpected to hear Su Xingyao mention it today.

Sheng Yan was quite happy to learn that Su Xingyao had chosen him because of this song.

But the next sentence Su Xingyao uttered left him completely taken aback.

After hearing Sheng Yan name the song, Su Xingyao nodded.

However, the nod was so slight that, realizing Sheng Yan might not see it, he repeated his acknowledgment.

"I probably listened to 《Light》 a hundred times by the end of the year."

Having said that, Su Xingyao finally found his phone in his bag, unlocked it, and pulled up his music platform, opening the link to his year-end music recap.

The platform showed Su Xingyao's most-listened songs of the year right away, with Sheng Yan's 《Light》 ranking second.

Su Xingyao wasn't lying to Sheng Yan earlier.

He listened to a lot of music—foreign, domestic, rock, traditional Chinese-style—anything and everything.

So when Sheng Yan's album was released, he had bought it and listened to it.

While he thought the other songs on the album were just okay, the first time he heard 《Light》, it really grabbed him.

The most important thing about listening to music is finding something that resonates with you.

At that time, he had been in a state of deep confusion and struggle.

So this song, which spoke about the fear of losing one's way in the future, became something he would listen to during countless nights when he couldn't sleep.

Su Xingyao tucked his phone away and looked up at Sheng Yan, sincerely praising him, "This song is really well-written, Mr. Sheng."

Sheng Yan looked at the person before him, his eyes flickering with intense emotion, and stayed quiet for a long while.

After a half-hour break, Fu Qingyan returned to the stage.

*

After quickly running through the steps, he announced that the final round of selections was officially underway.

However, while announcing the rules, there was a slight hiccup.

When selecting contestants, Fu Qingyan let Shen Huaixi pick first.

"Next, Teacher Shen will pick five contestants first."

Hearing this, Sheng Yan raised his hand to cut Fu Qingyan off.

"Sorry, Teacher Fu, but I need to interrupt."

Sheng Yan waved the process card in his hand at Fu Qingyan, "Fifteen minutes ago, I got the rules, and they clearly said this round was supposed to be a lottery. Why are we changing the rules now?"

After saying this, he looked towards the director, looking confused.

Not only Sheng Yan, but Wen Yun also looked equally puzzled.

He hesitantly raised his hand, "Same here..."

The director offstage gave an awkward smile, hinting that everyone should ask Fu Qingyan, who had a good relationship with the investors.

Fu Qingyan didn’t pass the buck and directly explained the reason to the mentors.

"It's like this—to balance the teams, I just talked to the director about this."

He looked towards Shen Huaixi's direction, "Teacher Shen’s team is short on players."

Fu Qingyan said in a conciliatory tone to the other three mentors, "The rules haven’t actually changed. We’ll let him fill his team to seven first, and then proceed with the lottery for selection, okay?"

While Fu Qingyan was speaking, Shen Huaixi gave a helpless, pitiful smile and gestured pleadingly to the others.

Xu Beizhou was the first to agree—he wasn’t about to give Shen Huaixi a hard time.

Wen Yun quickly agreed as well.

Though he thought it was unfair for Fu Qingyan to change the rules without consulting everyone, seeing how pitiful Shen Huaixi looked, he bit his tongue.

Sheng Yan, though, stayed quiet for now.

As someone who’d clawed his way through a brutal talent show, he hated blatant rule-bending and favoritism.

In their talent show, there were also such privileged contestants, and the production team always made everyone yield to them.

Giving up songs, center spots, highlights... In short, the weaker ones always got their way, and they had to yield everything.

Sheng Yan wasn’t about to make a scene.

Although he felt very uncomfortable inside, he nodded reluctantly and went along with it.

However, Sheng Yan didn’t expect that agreeing to Fu Qingyan's rule change for Shen Huaixi would result in him being the biggest loser.

Because the five contestants Shen Huaixi added were all from his list.

Later, during the lottery, he had the bad luck to draw the last pick.

The remaining six contestants that Su Xingyao had picked out for him had already been noticed by professionals like Xu Beizhou and Wen Yun.

Therefore, by the time it was his turn, the others had already taken two each.

After two rounds, he only managed to select two out of the six contestants, and the only remaining contestant he had chosen was also preempted by Shen Huaixi.

So, even though he’d prepared twelve names, he ended up with just two.

But his quota wasn’t full yet, so he had to temporarily add a less skilled contestant.

Fu Qingyan’s series of moves balanced Shen Huaixi’s team but left Sheng Yan extremely frustrated.

The contestants on Sheng Yan’s team were just speechless.

It wasn’t that they had any issues with the last contestant; they simply couldn’t handle Fu Qingyan’s favoritism toward Shen Huaixi.

"Fu Qingyan is quite close to Shen Huaixi, right? Someone even saw them having a meal together recently."

"Can’t help it, they’re childhood friends, officially acknowledged, I guess."

Hearing these comments, number 77 didn’t say a word, but his eyes were rolling so hard they might fall out.

Seeing his anger, Su Xingyao gave him a pat.

Number 77 seized the chance to grab Su Xingyao’s cat paw and whispered, "Kitty, how can you be so calm?"

Su Xingyao looked up at Fu Qingyan, who was chatting quietly with Shen Huaixi.

"Because I’m just used to it."

Ever since that major fire, Fu Qingyan has always been like this.

No matter the situation, he always favors Shen Huaixi.

To him, Shen Huaixi is his priority; changing rules for him is no surprise.

After a five-hour recording session, the mentor selection round finally ended.

The production team distributed boxed meals but didn’t let everyone leave yet.

After eating, they learned there was still an important recording task for the day.

They had to decide on the groups for the first PK stage.

Realizing there was such an important task, the contestants all got energized and continued recording.

Su Xingyao followed Sheng Yan to the area assigned to their team.

Because there were many people, mentor Sheng Yan was positioned by the crew to stand in the center of the team, while the other contestants found their spots accordingly.

Not one for crowds, Su Xingyao quietly found a secluded corner in the second row.

As soon as he stood there, number 77 joined him.

He winked at him and used the break in the recording to chat.

"How are the groups being decided? Can I ask to be in your group, kitty?"

Afraid that Su Xingyao might refuse, he quickly added, "I can do other styles too; I can be serious when I need to be~"

Su Xingyao laughed and went along with it, "It’s okay, I can be not serious too."

While it was a joke, it was also true.

He wasn’t limited to just the style of his first performance.

He had dabbled in rock, folk, classical, country music, and even opera...

After all, one of his extremely versatile roommates was a music fanatic. During their years studying abroad, while the other was pushing his own limits, he often roped Su Xingyao into trying new things.

While Su Xingyao was talking to number 77, a young girl in front overheard them.

She opened her big eyes and looked at Su Xingyao, timidly asking, "Can I join too?"

Su Xingyao was recognized as the top contender among all the contestants.

Not only was he strong in ability, but he also had a high online buzz.

Such a popular contestant, everyone really hoped to be in the same group with him for the first team-up.

But when Fu Qingyan announced the rules, everyone realized they had been overly optimistic.

Fu Qingyan stepped on stage holding a box.

"This team-up round is going to be intriguing."

He smiled and gave the box a playful shake.

"This time, each mentor's team will split into four groups."

Fu Qingyan paused for a few seconds before continuing, "And the other mentors will assign the groups."

Hearing this rule, the contestants couldn't help but look at their teammates, their eyes wide with panic.

Not only were the contestants panicking, but the mentors were too.

The straightforward Wen Yun, worried that everyone would be too tough, quickly bowed to the other mentors.

"Please, everyone, go easy on us during the grouping."

Wen Yun spoke humbly, but he was actually subtly hinting to everyone, suggesting that they should be fair and not make things hard for each other.

Sheng Yan and Xu Beizhou understood his meaning and immediately agreed with a smile.

Shen Huaixi, in the center, smiled warmly and cutely, joining Wen Yun in pleading, "Please, everyone, take it easy on me~"

After the mentors finished their polite remarks, the first round of team formation began.

Fu Qingyan placed his box down, and the staff brought out three identical boxes, then began placing name cards inside them.

Each mentor corresponded to one box, containing the names of the other three mentors.

The mentors drew name cards from the boxes, and whoever they drew in each round would be assigned to form a team.

Wen Yun drew first, picking Xu Beizhou.

Following the principle of peace and love, he grouped Xu Beizhou with three creative singers.

Xu Beizhou then drew Shen Huaixi.

Most of the contestants in the other team were based on his reference opinions, so he, who was very familiar with the other's style, also formed a harmonious trio with a fresh and light style.

The third to draw was Sheng Yan, who, like Xu Beizhou, drew Shen Huaixi's team.

A mentor's twelve contestants were to form four teams, so Sheng Yan thoughtfully grouped the other into a trio with similar styles, thus distributing three by three, just enough to form four groups.

After the three mentors made their assignments, everyone let out a small sigh of relief.

Everyone understood the logic behind their previous team member allocation: they assumed groups of three or four with similar styles, making it easier for the contestants to mesh.

Just as the contestants were beginning to relax, they didn’t expect that when it came to the final team formation by Shen Huaixi, the mentors’ unspoken agreement was thrown off.

The last to appear, Shen Huaixi, ended up with Sheng Yan’s team.

After taking the microphone, he first made a show of how difficult it was, then turned to Sheng Yan and teased, "Mr. Sheng... I want to give your group five members... is that okay?"

Sheng Yan felt a twinge of unease but politely responded, "Really, five people?"

Shen Huaixi nodded seriously.

Hearing this, Sheng Yan’s group felt a chill.

In a singing competition, everyone knows that five people in a group is way too many.

Especially in a competitive show, five people singing would mean each person gets barely any lyrics, and each solo would be minimal.

The other mentors had stuck to groups of three, to give the contestants more solo time.

Who would’ve guessed Shen Huaixi would suddenly suggest a group of five?

The contestants and Sheng Yan both objected.

He clearly wasn’t on board with Shen Huaixi’s idea.

But the show’s rules let the opposing mentor call the shots.

The rules didn’t say groups had to be three.

They’d done that on their own.

So even though he wasn’t happy about Shen Huaixi’s change, he could only nod politely and say, "Go ahead."

That was all he could muster; he couldn’t bring himself to say it was fine.

As soon as Sheng Yan finished speaking, Shen Huaixi casually strolled over to Sheng Yan’s group like it was no big deal.

He first picked out a main rapper with a grin, then chose a singer and dancer he’d previously turned down to stand in front.

After hesitating for a moment, he selected the third contestant, a pretty mediocre ancient-style influencer Sheng Yan had added last-minute.

Then Shen Huaixi zeroed in on number 77, whose style clashed with his.

"Number 77, you’re so cute, of course I have to choose you."

Upon hearing this, number 77 stepped forward expressionlessly, showing no emotion.

But while number 77 appeared indifferent, after he stepped out, many people in the audience revealed complex expressions.

Because the four members Shen Huaixi had grouped together, at a glance, included a cool and handsome rapper, an idol-style singer and dancer, an ancient-style influencer, and a cute and fresh face.

These contestants, to put it nicely, each had their own unique characteristics.

But the reality was, if they were to form a group together, they would be completely mismatched and incompatible!

Shen Huaixi, acting all casual, clapped his hands and admired his so-called masterpiece, dubbing it with a fancy name, "I can't wait to see how these contrasting styles clash—it's going to be awesome."

After selecting four people, Shen Huaixi finally turned his gaze to Su Xingyao, who he’d been eyeing from the start.

He narrowed his eyes at him.

"Kitty, you and number 77 are practically joined at the hip. I’d hate to split you two up. What’s a guy to do~"

He flashed an understanding smile.

He closed the distance to Su Xingyao, hand outstretched to grab his arm.

"What if... you two stick together this time too!"

His grin widened with every word.

Su Xingyao, caught off guard, glanced up.

He met his gaze, steady and unflinching, but subtly dodged the hand reaching for his arm.

Shen Huaixi shrugged off the rejection, peering at him from behind the mask with a scheming glint in his eyes.

"Kitty, you’re giving me that look. Got something to say?"