Chapter Ninety-Three: The Starlight Corridor

“I had thought about asking Xiao Xiao or someone else, but for this song, they wouldn’t be able to hold it,” Lin Qihua said, recalling another candidate. “As for the other person who would have suited it, she can’t be invited either. After thinking it over, you’re the best fit.”

Lian Yuling’s expression gradually returned to calm. “Let me think about it.”

“Of course.” Remembering what He Li had said, Lin Qihua understood that Lian Yuling was likely wrestling with a fierce inner conflict, so he said no more and instead joined the other staff members in discussing the arrangement.

Every song, in different settings and with different instruments, required a fresh arrangement, which would produce entirely different effects. In live performances, especially on live television, the arrangement was given particular importance. That was why Lian Yuling had brought the company’s strongest team to support them, determined to ensure Lin Qihua’s competition went smoothly. Yet the moment they arrived, the original plan was overturned, and everyone was thrown into chaos. It took an entire day of discussion before they finally decided to proceed according to Lin Qihua’s vision.

And all of it was thanks to one simple sentence from Lian Yuling: “I’ll promise you this—I’ll go onstage and help you.”

Those words set everyone alight with excitement. Who was Lian Yuling? One of the company’s three great powerhouses, the cold goddess. Even though she was already in her thirties, her looks were still among the very best in the company’s entire lineup of artists. In terms of allure, she could even outshine the youthful Xiao Xiao and the others. Add to that her frosty temperament and the superb figure she had maintained through years of dance, and she was the very image of a goddess. Everyone was eager to see what she would look like onstage, and that directly fueled the whole team’s motivation.

Lin Qihua did not know whether to laugh or cry over this unexpected side effect, but he was also genuinely looking forward to Lian Yuling’s return to the stage.

Working against the clock, Lin Qihua arrived at the television station the next day with the new demo.

The first round of the competition had already ended, so there was naturally no longer any need for secrecy. Lin Qihua could now walk openly through the station, and the experience felt strangely unreal.

When it came to Xiangzhou Television, what people remembered most were the classic dramas and hit variety shows produced by Xiangzhou Satellite TV. This station always seemed to possess an unusual instinct, able to find the right direction at the first possible moment, again and again leading the tide of change and firmly holding the throne as the number one variety-show powerhouse, unshaken no matter how fiercely the other stations challenged it.

What the public did not know was that Xiangzhou Television was also the largest media center in the region, wielding tremendous influence and control over public discourse. That was the true foundation of its strength. Xiangzhou Satellite TV was only the tip of the iceberg.

When he arrived at the production office, every department was in complete turmoil, swamped by a flood of work.

Wei Hongzhang made time in the middle of the chaos to meet Lin Qihua. After hearing his request, he remained silent for a moment and did not immediately give an answer. Instead, he called in Gao Rui, the live conductor and prodigious arranger.

“What do you think?” Wei Hongzhang asked bluntly. “Now that Qihua wants to change songs, how do you see it? And what about the new song—how effective is it likely to be?”

After listening to the demo Lin Qihua had prepared, Gao Rui was silent for a long time before saying cautiously, “Changing songs is not difficult. We’ve done it before, even right before a competition. Singers have their own convictions, and we naturally encourage that. This song is very different in style from the one previously submitted, so I’m not entirely confident.”

“But as for their idea, I do find it somewhat exciting,” Gao Rui added with a smile, changing tone. “Everyone has been guessing what Qihua will do in the next round. They think he’ll keep singing songs in a similar vein, or perhaps rock—maybe even playing guitar with a band. After all, his background and the songs he’s sung have already made that impression. But to sing a love song on such a beautifully designed stage—that’s really something to look forward to.”

“Is that so?” Wei Hongzhang turned to Lin Qihua. “You’re determined?”

“Yes. I want to sing this song. Let’s just treat it as one of my willful performances. I know it will affect the program. I know you don’t like things you can’t control. But I’m choosing to follow my heart.” Lin Qihua smiled as he spoke, though his tone was resolute.

“All right. I respect your decision.” Wei Hongzhang reached his conclusion. “Whatever the result, I’ll accept it. The Singing Champion is not merely a program. It is also my own alternative pursuit of music. I’d be delighted to see you reveal more sides of yourself. At the very least, no matter how you play with things in this round, you won’t be eliminated, so it won’t affect our overall plan.”

“Thank you.” Lin Qihua said gratefully. “I think I’ll bring you a surprise.”

“Then I’ll look forward to it.”

……

After that, Lin Qihua and Lian Yuling threw themselves fully into rehearsal. Lian Yuling, in particular, had not stood on a stage in many years, so merely overcoming the psychological barrier would take time. But Lin Qihua believed she would surely manage it.

The lingering melody echoed every day in the rehearsal room, until the day of the competition arrived.

As always, Su Jianhao came early to pick up Lin Qihua and take him to the recording site. This time there was no need for secrecy, so the two of them talked and joked freely along the way.

And as they walked toward the lounge, the production team had already hung up enormous posters of the contestants, forming a star-studded corridor together with a number of classic posters selected from previous seasons.

“This counts as The Singing Champion’s own Hall of Stars, I suppose?” Su Jianhao said. “Walking through this corridor gives you a clear sense of the history of our show. Singing at its core, people at its heart. Everything follows that principle. It’s the purest music program of all, leaving no room for the slightest impurity.”

“What a formidable history,” Lin Qihua said, looking at the posters of one powerhouse singer after another with awe. It was these singers who had built the glory of The Singing Champion.

That was why singers were the very foundation of the show. This was not flattery, but fact. It was the singers who brought one classic after another to the audience and together made the program a success. In turn, the show advanced the careers of the singers themselves, while the audience enjoyed a feast of music. Everyone won.

By the time they reached the waiting area, quite a few people had already arrived, and Lu Zhixuan and the others were chatting animatedly.

“Ha, we were just talking about you,” Lu Zhixuan said with a loud laugh when Lin Qihua came in. “Our duo is no joke.”

“Do you really call yourselves the Boys’ Duo?” Zhang Yuqian asked, widening her eyes.

“It was just for fun on the show,” Lin Qihua explained with a smile. “At the time it was a joke, but later I thought, hey, it’s actually pretty good. I happened to have a song I’d written that I hadn’t sung yet, and it suited a duet perfectly. So before I knew it, we performed it, and the result was surprisingly good.”