HDIEUMDBTSB Chapter 41: The Semifinals Air
Volume 1: The Road to Stardom
Chapter 41: The Semifinals Air
For Chu Zhi, the past week felt like waiting for dawn, while for the entertainment industry, it was just a fleeting moment without much disturbance. Hot searches came and went, remaining the battleground for celebrity promotions.
Director Meng Fan of the show kept his word and quietly launched an event on Mango TV called “Vote for Your Favorite Stage from All Four Seasons of 'I Am a Singer.'” The Hall of Fame for the singers' stages was being prepared.
In the bustling city of Shanghai, on an ordinary Friday at a regular law firm, the rush hour traffic marked the end of the workday. Unlike small towns, the city's advantage lay in its sheer number of people, so many that it made people want to escape.
“No, no, no, I really can’t cover your shift today. I only slept three or four hours yesterday. Ask Yuan Yuan instead,” Jiang Wan refused a colleague’s request to switch shifts, quickly packing up to leave.
Your problem is not my problem. Whether it's a colleague or a stranger, it’s not my responsibility to help, Jiang Wan thought.
Jiang Wan, 27 years old, was at the age where her parents were pressuring her to go on blind dates. She didn’t enjoy socializing and felt that having a couple of childhood friends was enough. She had no desire to make new friends. Her daily commute involved an 80-minute trip by subway and bus to her rented apartment, consuming much of her time. She wanted to live closer to work, but renting near the office was too expensive.
As a result, Jiang Wan developed two skills: the “Steady as a Rock” passive ability, which allowed her to stand in a moving subway without holding onto anything, even in high heels, and the ability to browse short videos with her earphones on, as there were rarely any seats available.
The second skill hint at her agility, typing with one hand on her small, chubby fingers while standing. At work, Jiang Wan wasn’t hot-tempered, but online, she liked to act as a judge of internet behavior. The only difference between her and typical keyboard warriors was that she had less malice and more pessimism in her comments.
The market near her apartment complex attracted a group of stray cats, occasionally fed by young girls or couples. Jiang Wan found this amusing and a bit hypocritical. If they were so kind, why not adopt the cats?
Though she never voiced her thoughts, she never acted on them either. Seeing a stray cat might prompt her to say a polite “good luck” to those feeding them.
A slightly limping kitten blocked her path. Rather than feeling pity, Jiang Wan felt annoyed and had the urge to kick it away, though reason and morality suppressed the impulse.
“You’re ugly, nobody pities you. If you were cute, you wouldn’t be abandoned,” she muttered to the cat, unable to muster a kind word.
Jiang Wan ordered takeout on her way home, timing it so that the delivery would be hanging on her door handle by the time she arrived. The name on the order was “Mr. Jiang.”
In a big city, single women living alone need to be cautious. Jiang Wan’s little tricks included occasionally hanging men’s shirts (borrowed from her father) on the balcony, scattering male colleagues’ cigarette butts on her doormat, and avoiding unfamiliar, secluded paths.
Feeling hungry, Jiang Wan didn’t bother to remove her makeup or change into pajamas. She neatly hung up her coat, turned on the air conditioner, and started eating her takeout.
She also turned on the TV, just in time for the premiere of “I Am a Singer.” She watched with a blank expression, as she was a fan of Li Xingwei, who was a challenge guest on the show.
Maybe the delivery was faster today, making her pork knuckle rice a bit cold, but Jiang Wan didn’t mind as she shoveled it into her mouth. “Why is this guy getting more screen time? He barely had any shots last episode,” she complained.
The “guy” she referred to was Chu Zhi. It’s worth noting that Jiang Wan’s previous Weibo handle was “Orange Soda~Sweet,” indicating she was once a fan of Chu Zhi. After the scandal broke, her reaction was the most intense. As the former leader of an Orange fan club, she disbanded the group herself. It wasn’t a lack of loyalty but rather her personality.
During her middle school years, Jiang Wan attended school in a different city. Due to her accent and slightly rustic appearance, she was bullied by her classmates. When she told her parents, her mother responded, "Let's just avoid trouble if we can't fight back."
But avoiding trouble wasn't an option. Children can be terrifyingly ruthless, and Jiang Wan's pleas to her teachers for help didn't lead to much change. She endured the bullying for three years. Fortunately, this didn't make her dislike school; instead, she studied even harder because excelling academically was the only way she could defeat those who bullied her.
These experiences during middle school led to her somewhat negative personality as an adult. She wasn't sure if she had any mental health issues since she never visited a doctor for it. She kept telling herself that she had forgotten the incidents and the people who bullied her and wouldn't let these memories affect her. However, she still harbored a sense of rage, finding satisfaction in pointing out and criticizing others' mistakes. Her impulse to kick the cat stemmed from this repressed anger.
"At least he's performing last," Jiang Wan thought. She planned to listen to her idol's song, do her laundry, and then return to see the results.
"Lin Xia's singing is good, but not as good as Wei Wei's."
"Uncle Cidian's vocals are so steady; his high notes gave me goosebumps."
"I never got what was so good about Heng Kouyi's singing until today. Even without watching the anime, it was powerful."
"These judges are quite professional. Wei Wei's talent is just exceptional."
Jiang Wan praised them one after another. Unfortunately, she couldn't see the live comments on TV, but she could imagine Lin Xia and Li Xingwei dominating the screen.
After the judges finished commenting on Li Xingwei's performance, Jiang Wan quickly cleaned up her takeout containers, not even glancing at the TV.
Something strange happened next. After the host, Gu Nanxi, introduced the next act, there was silence, as if someone had pressed the mute button. Jiang Wan couldn't help but look at the screen. Chu Zhi was standing alone on stage, and the audience was silent.
"??"
Was it a technical glitch? Jiang Wan's first reaction was to think it was a performance mishap. But when the audience remained silent for a full minute, with no cheering, light sticks, or support signs, she realized that the audience was showing their resistance to Chu Zhi.
This is exactly what should happen. Such celebrities deserve to be boycotted, Jiang Wan thought, feeling a sense of satisfaction. Her attitude was never to wish someone well after unfollowing them; she always believed, "If you're doing well, how can I be okay with that?"
Feeling pleased, Jiang Wan decided to delay her laundry to watch Chu Zhi's downfall more closely.
It took Chu Zhi a full two minutes before he announced the name of his performance. Jiang Wan clearly heard a slight tremble in his voice.
He began to sing amidst the sea of silent disapproval...
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