Volume One: Debuting at the Pinnacle Chapter 23: Prepare to Welcome...

"Hello, Zitan? I might be late to the venue today... Yes... I know... It's nothing serious, just a relative's child visiting at home, I need to settle her in... Yes, got it, I'll hurry over."

Chen Jing called Lin Zitan to ask for a bit of leave, then turned to look at the little girl with purple hair, quietly sitting on the sofa in his oversized T-shirt, her small feet peeking out. Chen Jing thought for a moment, murmuring to himself, "Hmm~ I still need to buy her some clothes."

Since the little girl was injured and found it hard to move, Chen Jing decided to go out alone to purchase what was needed.

He switched on the television, then turned to Molly and said, "Molly, I'm going out to buy you some clothes. Can you sit here and watch TV while you wait for me?"

Molly stared at Chen Jing silently, and after a while, gave a barely perceptible nod.

Chen Jing gently patted her hair, smiling, "Don't worry, I'll be back soon."

It was nearly eleven by the time he finished shopping and returned to the apartment, carrying several large bags. It hadn't needed to take so long, but many children's clothing stores didn't open early, so Chen Jing had to wait almost an hour before finding the earliest opening store to buy the clothes.

As soon as he opened the apartment door, a small figure rushed out and hugged him tightly. Looking down, it was the little purple-haired Molly.

Chen Jing quickly shut the door and set down the bags, then picked up Molly, his heart aching, "Why are you running around? Didn't I tell you your foot hasn't healed yet, you shouldn't walk around?"

Molly shook her head without speaking, only clutching his shirt even tighter.

Chen Jing, a little helpless, carried her in one arm and the shopping bags in the other as he went inside.

Inside the room, Chen Jing took out the clothes he had bought for Molly, "These are all for you. Come, try them on." He pulled a little princess dress from the bag and handed it to Molly.

Molly took the dress, timidly asking, "Is... is this really for me?"

Chen Jing nodded, "Yes, hurry and try it on."

Molly looked at the encouraging expression on Chen Jing's face, glanced at the dress, then reached out and grabbed the hem of the T-shirt she was wearing, preparing to take it off.

Seeing that Molly was about to change, Chen Jing immediately got up to leave the room and give her privacy. Even though she was a child, it was important to be mindful.

But as soon as he stood, Molly reached out and grabbed his shirt, not letting him go.

Seeing Molly's confused look, Chen Jing explained, "I'll step out for a bit. Molly, you're a girl, it's not proper for me to stay while you change."

Molly seemed puzzled, "Is it necessary for others to avoid you when you change clothes?"

Looking at Molly's innocent face, Chen Jing sighed inwardly, "Molly, you must remember this: whenever you change clothes, make sure no one else is around. When you're not dressed, you can't let others see. Understand?"

Molly nodded as if she half-understood, finally releasing his shirt.

Chen Jing smiled and nodded, leaving the room. It seemed he had a knack for teaching children after all.

Once Molly finished changing, Chen Jing prepared lunch and dinner for her, then said, "Molly, Uncle has to go out and take care of some things. I might not be back until tonight. Will you wait at home for me, like a good girl?"

Molly looked at him timidly, saying nothing. Chen Jing had to patiently repeat, "Uncle really has some work to do, I'll try to come back early tonight. If you're hungry, eat the food I put on the table, okay?"

Around one in the afternoon, Chen Jing finally arrived at the recording site of Voice of Huaxia.

He found Lin Xi, Lin Zitan, and Li Qingwei on site, and walked over to them.

"Ah, Jing, you're here?" Lin Zitan was the first to spot him and called out.

"Sorry, something came up and delayed me," Chen Jing apologized.

Lin Xi shook her head, "No worries, we're still on time."

"Yeah, Jing, they're only recording the twelfth group now, there's still a long way to go before our turn," Li Qingwei added.

"Jing, why did your relative's child come to you?" Lin Zitan asked with interest.

"There was a problem back home, so the child is staying with me for a while," Chen Jing replied, smiling, not explaining further.

On stage, the twelfth group, Xie Weiyu and Gu Tao—both considered beauties—stepped up. After their first-round performance aired, their popularity soared, so their appearance sparked a wave of cheers from the audience.

After some rather pointless banter, the host asked why they decided to team up. Xie Weiyu answered.

"After watching Tao's performance in the first round, I thought she was adorable. I really wanted to perform with her, and it turned out the second round was a team event. So I immediately asked Tao to form a duo," Xie Weiyu said, holding Gu Tao's hand affectionately.

Gu Tao smiled quietly, lowering her head without speaking.

Others assumed Gu Tao was shy, but only Chen Jing and his friends knew she was embarrassed. Though no one knew the real reason they teamed up, it was certainly not as Xie Weiyu claimed, since both had approached Chen Jing to discuss forming a group.

Then came the performance. Both Xie Weiyu and Gu Tao were strong contestants, and their song choice was one of the currently most popular hits, which they rearranged. Their performance was flawless, their teamwork seamless, and unsurprisingly, the audience erupted in screams.

Chen Jing couldn't shake the feeling that during her performance, Xie Weiyu shot him a few provocative glances whenever she turned in his direction.

Hmm—maybe it was just his imagination.

After their performance, it was time for the judges' feedback. Diva Su Tingting gave effusive praise, and the duo scored a total of 743 points.

Xie Weiyu and Gu Tao stepped down, passing right by Chen Jing and his group. Seeing him, Xie Weiyu lifted her chin arrogantly and even let out a slight "hmph."

Chen Jing: "..." Well, it wasn't just his imagination after all.

"That's a high score," Li Qingwei remarked, impressed.

Lin Xi frowned, "It's decent, their singing was good." She looked at Chen Jing, "But ultimately, it'll depend on your state. I have a feeling your song will be even better."

"Yeah, I'm sure you two will score higher," Lin Zitan nodded confidently.

Chen Jing smiled, reassuring Li Qingwei, "Relax, we're not here to compete with them. As long as we advance, that's enough."

Li Qingwei took a deep breath, grinning, "I don't know about competing with them, but if there's a chance at first place, I'll go for it."

"Wow! That's bold," Lin Zitan gave him a thumbs-up.

Lin Xi looked at Li Qingwei in surprise, not expecting such ambition from him.

Perhaps she really could sign Li Qingwei? Well, better to see how his performance goes, she thought.

Chen Jing shrugged, "As long as nothing goes wrong, I'm confident we'll get the highest score."

Groups thirteen and fourteen went by quickly, and soon it was time for Chen Jing and Li Qingwei's group, number fifteen, to perform.

Chen Jing and Li Qingwei went backstage to prepare, and Chen Jing noticed Li Qingwei's legs trembling.

Li Qingwei glanced at the calm Chen Jing, nervously asking, "Jing, aren't you nervous?"

Chen Jing looked at him helplessly—where had his earlier bravado about winning first place gone?

"Relax, it's just a small stage. What's there to be nervous about? Think about how excited you'll be when we blow the audience away and take the top score," Chen Jing encouraged him.

"Uh, alright." Li Qingwei imagined the scene and, feeling a bit excited, found himself less nervous.

"Next up, group fifteen..."

The indicator light came on—it was their turn.

"Let's go, it's our time to shine..."

The two walked onto the stage, greeting the three judge-singers. The hosts were still Cailun and Wenwan from the first round.

Cailun smiled, "Long time no see, Chen Jing. Your last performance left me wanting more—I just wish I could hear your singing a few more times."

"Haha, that's easy. Didn't he just release singles for 'The Brightest Star in the Night Sky' and 'Birch Forest' recently? You can listen on the platform," Wenwan interjected with a smile.

"Chen Jing's 'Birch Forest' is a great song. I'd love to hear it live sometime," Huang Wenhao nodded.

Wei Guoqiang chimed in cheerfully, "I said 'The Brightest Star in the Night Sky' would be a hit, and I was right."

Su Tingting smiled, saying nothing.

Chen Jing knew this was the company's way of slipping in some promotion. He didn't respond, only smiling, "Thank you all for your support."

"Haha, Wenwan's right," Cailun laughed, then said, "Tell us how you two teamed up. Honestly, I'm curious. After all, Chen Jing was first place last round, and Li Qingwei was last. Of course, the rankings don't mean much, but your pairing is really intriguing."

"Well, actually, Chen Jing asked me first. He said he'd written a song and needed me to sing with him, and asked if I'd like to team up for the second round," Li Qingwei explained—just as Chen Jing had suggested he do.

He scratched his head, embarrassed, "Once I heard Chen Jing invited me, I didn't even hesitate to say yes."

His words sparked laughter throughout the venue. Whether it was true or not hardly mattered—the story fit the occasion.

"Haha~ Well, if Chen Jing invited me, I'd agree without a second thought," Wenwan joked.

"So, this song is another original by Chen Jing?" Wei Guoqiang zeroed in.

"Yes," Chen Jing nodded.

Huang Wenhao sighed, "Another original—young people these days are so bold."

"Alright, let's watch their performance," Su Tingting cut in directly, not wanting Chen Jing to be praised any further.

"Now, let's welcome the fifteenth group for their performance," Cailun sensed the atmosphere shift and quickly announced the start.

The stage lights went out instantly, and the recording site fell silent...

Author: Has anyone guessed what song they will sing? I think the hint was pretty obvious→_→