Chapter 75: Bai Lingchun Seeks a Sense of Presence?

There was no need for much analysis; the culprit was already perfectly clear. The good news was that even with the heroine of destiny intervening, Bai Ling was not particularly unlucky. At least for her, there was no significant loss. She had simply missed an opportunity to gain more followers, nothing more.

“It doesn’t matter. If she wants that garbage script, let her have it,” Bai Ling said, rather looking forward to seeing Wen Yan’s performance in such a shoddy production.

Sister Ge nodded. “That’s true, but it’s a pity to lose such a good opportunity.”

“Fortunately, you gained quite a few fans during the live broadcast,” she added. “But you need to pay attention to maintaining your fanbase. Post a few updates on your account—no matter what, you should set the record straight.”

Bai Ling agreed. This was a minor matter; she wouldn’t shirk such a simple task. After hanging up with Sister Ge, she logged into her social account to post an update.

“The innocent need not defend themselves; the muddied will reveal themselves. As for what in the variety show was scripted and what was not, I trust everyone will make their own judgments.”

After posting this brief statement, Bai Ling was ready to log off, not even intending to check the comments. It was easy to guess that since her rival had come to snatch resources, they wouldn’t let her posts go unscathed. It wouldn’t be long before a swarm of trolls descended beneath her update. Her post was little more than a gesture, a way to make her position clear. As for supporting her fans, that would be best handled through the fan group—those were her true supporters. The company and Miao Miao would help manage things. After all, it really wasn’t a big deal.

However, just as she was about to log off, she noticed someone had tagged her. This surprised Bai Ling a little. Her account had privacy settings, as did most artists, to avoid being bombarded by fans or haters. Those who could tag her were either acquaintances or special institutions. Clicking in, Bai Ling discovered it was Leng Yan.

She followed the link—it was Leng Yan’s new song.

“Oh!” she exclaimed. “It’s only been a day. Is Leng Shao always this efficient?”

Bai Ling had always thought that it took ages of brewing inspiration before a songwriter could produce a new work. She had once fantasized about being a singer for life—releasing one or two songs a year and achieving financial freedom. Wouldn’t that be delightful? But judging from Leng Shao’s performance, the industry seemed quite competitive.

Of course, Bai Ling was overthinking it. In truth, most songwriters were just as she imagined—they needed time and emotion to accumulate their work. Who could have guessed Leng Shao would be struck by a sudden burst of inspiration?

Moreover, Bai Ling’s own “Youth Speaks” had been commissioned by the authorities for a specific purpose—not to be released for profit on the major music platforms, but rather for promotion and educational outreach.

As a result, on both Leng Shao’s and the official social accounts, the studio version of the song’s recording was posted in full. Whether it was Leng Shao’s fans or random passersby, anyone could listen to the entire song for free.

Bai Ling couldn’t resist clicking in.

“Youth’s wisdom is the nation’s wisdom...”

The voices of children reciting in unison filled her ears, followed by Leng Shao’s masterful singing, perfectly matching the lyrics Bai Ling had painstakingly recalled. His voice was bright, his high notes steady—half-chanting, half-singing. It had to be said, Leng Shao truly deserved his reputation as one of the veteran singers active in the industry today. Despite his youthful appearance, his vocal prowess was not something the younger generation could easily match. Bai Ling hadn’t expected his performance to be so outstanding.

As she listened to the latter part of the song, Bai Ling opened the comments beneath the post.

“This makes my blood boil!”

“This song can’t just be described as good. Now I want to go practice military boxing!”

“This is a song for all the youth of China. May we strive for strength and create a brighter tomorrow for our homeland.”

“This rendition of ‘Youth Speaks’ sings of China’s boundless future and the vibrant spirit and determination of our youth. It’s simply exceptional.”

“Support for Leng Shao—his songs are always top-notch.”

“It’s amazing. I have to give this one a big thumbs-up!”

“May our young people in China rise above the chill, ignore the words of the self-defeated, and shine with their own light and heat. If there is no light, then become the only beacon.”

“How beautiful is our youthful China, growing old with the sky! How mighty are our young people, as enduring as the nation!”

“Are you all literary geniuses? Everyone’s so poetic!”

“This is a great song, I’ll give it a like. Where can I find the audio?”

“I just realized this is an official collaboration. Leng Shao really commands respect.”

“Of course! Leng Shao is one of the pillars of our entertainment industry.”

“Haha, ‘pillar’ is quite a word.”

“To be honest, this song reminds me of what Bai Ling said on the show. Did Leng Shao use that as inspiration?”

“I thought of Bai Ling’s words from the show too.”

“Honestly, I think Bai Ling made a lot of sense on the program. I just don’t get why so many people are hating, saying it was all scripted.”

“Even if it was scripted, if it’s educational, I’m fine with it.”

“But I really don’t think it was scripted at all.”

“Is this Bai Ling’s fandom coming in?”

“Bai Ling fans, could you please leave? Why do you need to make your presence known here?”

“Yeah, this is Leng Yan’s song. Why are you making a fuss?”

“What’s wrong? Just because we’re Bai Ling’s fans, we can’t listen to a song? What’s wrong with you people?”

“Listen all you want, but don’t drag everything back to your idol, as if Bai Ling’s the one singing.”

Bai Ling was happily reading the comments when she saw her fans being bullied and was left dumbfounded. Was there no sense or reason anymore? Still, she didn’t need to jump in to defend them—someone had already noticed that Leng Yan had tagged her.

“Why did Leng Shao tag Bai Ling?”

“What does this have to do with Bai Ling?”

“Seriously, did none of you watch the video? It’s written right at the beginning—lyrics and music by Bai Ling!”

“What are you all arguing about? I don’t get it!”

“Haha, someone’s about to be embarrassed.”

“Where are those people who told Bai Ling’s fans to leave?”

Leng Yan’s name carried significant weight; when everyone rushed in, they focused on his performance and overlooked the lyricist and composer. In fact, most people did the same. Who listens to a song and deliberately checks who wrote the lyrics or composed the music? Wasn’t it always about the singer? That’s precisely why lyricists and composers are far less famous than performers. The same logic applied in the film industry—actors were always more famous than directors or screenwriters.