The Queen's Rise to the Top

271 - 280

Chapter 271
Next, Nan XiangWan did not continue to sleep, because it was time for her favorite dinner session.

The four actresses came to the canteen together and grabbed a table with the actors across from them.

Feng Kai Ji had already left the military district. Things here didn't need him to keep an eye on anymore. He had to go to the crew to check props and facilities.

As soon as Nan XiangWan sat down at the table, Gu Beihuai next to her immediately pushed over a large bowl of rice.

The rice and dishes were already prepared for her.

Nan XiangWan lowered her head and started eating. The others chatted while eating.

Lan Tianyou came alive when he arrived at the military district. He was happy and eating more happily.

But at this moment, Sun Hui walked by from the side.

He glanced at the people at this table, his eyes lingering on Lan Tianyou.

Sun Hui: "Lan Tianyou!"

Lan Tianyou: "Yes sir!"

Sun Hui: "You've never learned how to stand at attention, have you?"

Lan Tianyou honestly replied: "No."

He came several days later than the others and missed a lot of training.

Sun Hui: "Can't stand still, can't sit properly! Go stand at attention after eating!"

Lan Tianyou: "Yes sir!"

So after dinner.

Lan Tianyou was taken away alone and brought to an open space to practice standing at attention. Sun Hui coached him at first. After he stood well, Sun Hui left, leaving Lan Tianyou alone to keep standing for three full hours.

It was summer and the sky darkened late.

At first Lan Tianyou had no reaction, earnestly standing straight.

But as the sky began to darken and he was alone...

Lan Tianyou panicked!

And more panicked!

Stand for three full hours?

He wanted to cry now!

No one knew how helpless Lan Tianyou was at this moment. Because after dinner, it was time for fun comparisons, and everyone had run off to watch.

The night Nan XiangWan returned to the military district, she participated in combat training that same evening.

Hehe!

She stood in the center, amidst the cheers of a large number of soldiers, and began picking her opponent.

One by one, come on!

Or all of you come at once!

Come on!

Let's fight!

Mantou stood in the surrounding circle watching, picking his teeth while watching.

Gu Beihuai stood next to him, smiling as he watched the little one defeat opponent after opponent.

Mantou: "Tsk tsk!"

Gu Beihuai's expression instantly soured: "What are you tsk-ing about?"

Mantou: "None of your business. Why can't I tsk?"

Gu Beihuai: "You're so nosy!"

Mantou: "Humph! By the way, higher-ups are considering having Nan XiangWan start learning to fly fighter jets prematurely."

Gu Beihuai: "Isn't it too early? She's not 18 years old yet or even gone to college."

Mantou: "Special talents get special arrangements. You don't understand."

Gu Beihuai laughed: "Say I don't understand again?"

Mantou: "Alright, you understand. How are your eyes?"

Gu Beihuai: "They're fine if I don't overuse them."

Mantou: "Read less brain-burning books. You just about recovered then relapsed again. You really worry me to death."

Gu Beihuai didn't speak. By now Nan XiangWan had taken down three opponents, shouting arrogantly for the 'next one'.

She really looked like...

the military district was her home!

---------------

Tan Shen was not completely blacklisted after all. Although the impact of the dog abuse video was huge, he was not abandoned by capital.

With extremely high acting skills, plus his sincere apology afterwards, the road to recovery gradually emerged.

That evening, Tan Shen had dinner with a certain crew director.

His assistant Xiao Chen came to pick him up.

At the door of the restaurant, the fat director had an oily face. He patted Tan Shen's hand and laughed heartily.

Tan Shen also laughed. The two chatted happily.

Sitting in the driver's seat, Xiao Chen's eyes were very complicated.

This director had a terrible reputation in the industry. He was a lecher.

In the past, Tan Shen would never have worked with such a person.

But after the dog abuse incident, Tan Shen couldn't be picky. He didn't turn down anyone.

After saying goodbye to the director, Tan Shen got into the car.

He loosened his tie and took out a wet wipe to clean his hands.

That oily director had shaken his hand earlier and he was disgusted.

Xiao Chen drove in silence without saying a word.

Tan Shen felt a little uncomfortable and asked, "Where are you driving to?"

Xiao Chen was startled. "The villa?"

Tan Shen: "The apartment."

Xiao Chen didn't speak and silently made a U-turn.

Ever since the video was exposed, Xiao Chen had been very silent and less enthusiastic about his work.

Whenever he looked at Tan Shen, his eyes were full of fear.

That stray dog didn't die accidentally under Xiao Chen.

It was already dead!

But Tan Shen had framed him for it...

For a while, Xiao Chen couldn't accept this, especially having to interact with Tan Shen every day. Tan Shen seemed unchanged, still so kind and amiable.

But the more he was like this, the scarier Xiao Chen felt!

Such a terrifying person.

----------------

At 9:30 p.m., Sun Hui came to the open space to check on Lan Tianyou's standing at attention.

At a glance, he was still there, standing straight.

It was just that face...

Why was it all cried up?

Lan Tianyou was really crying, frightened.

He had stood alone for a full three hours with pitch darkness all around.

Sun Hui: "Why are you crying?"

Lan Tianyou: "Wahhh Commander Sun!!!"

He cried and just wanted to hug someone.

Sun Hui dodged all at once, inexplicably looking at him.

It was just standing at attention. Why was he crying?!

Lan Tianyou cried on the spot for a while longer before going back to the dorm to sleep.

Sun Hui similarly returned to his own dorm and complained to Mantou that there really seemed to be something wrong with Lan Tianyou's brain.

Mantou: "Oh, Gu Beihuai also complained to me about him today."

Sun Hui suddenly realized: "So he really doesn't have a good brain. Got it for next time."

............

The next day, at 4 a.m.

The wake-up alarm blared!

Nan XiangWan crawled up all at once and looked out the window.

This night scene, this time.

Excited!

Flying today!

So Nan XiangWan rushed to wash up and 'whoosh' darted downstairs to assemble.

Waking up early meant flight preparation.

Who knew how long she had waited and looked forward to this!

This time the actors all assembled on time with no one late. Lan Tianyou was encountering such an early rise for the first time and was clueless.

Seeing everyone assembled, Sun Hui ordered them to eat quickly.

After eating, they'd rest a while before going to the airfield.

Nan XiangWan was exceptionally excited. She wolfed down her food and was actually the first one finished eating.

She was usually the first to start eating and last to finish.

But today, in order to fly, she was even willing to eat a little less breakfast.

After the meal, they assembled and headed to the airfield.

Fighter jets were parked in rows before their eyes. Ground crew on the ground started getting busy.

Of the 10 actors, 9 had missed the first flight training session. Lan Tianyou was still new. So all ten people were seeing this scene for the first time.

Their eyeballs instantly bulged in amazement. They marveled at the might of the motherland.

So awesome! So proud!

Sun Hui took the 10 actors and arranged for them to work at the ground crew's posts.

Nan XiangWan was taken away alone and got into the rear cockpit with Mantou.

Chapter 272

This time Mantou did not directly take Nan XiangWan to fly in the evening, but started to explain on the cabin seat, from the basics to the application.

In the roar of fighter jets taking off one by one next to him, Nan Xiangwan listened carefully, but couldn't hear clearly several times.

After Mantou finished speaking, he asked loudly, "Did you understand?"

Nan Xiangwan answered loudly, "No!"

Mantou: "..."

Gu Beihuai was watching next to him. When he heard the dialogue between the two, he almost laughed.

Mantou gasped for air. So what he said for so long was in vain?

Gu Beihuai stepped forward and patted him on the shoulder: "Let me do it."

Nan Xiangwan looked completely innocent. The fighter jets next to her kept taking off, buzzing, and the entire airfield was very explosive. It was true that she couldn't hear clearly.

Gu Beihuai pulled Nan Xiangwan up from the rear cabin and let her sit in the front pilot seat.

Mantou was shocked: "Hey hey!"

Gu Beihuai raised his hand: "Don't worry, it's okay."

Then he started explaining. Every time he explained a place, he would let Nan Xiangwan reach out and touch it to feel it.

Nan Xiangwan just listened like this, without making any extra moves.

When it comes to learning, she is serious!

Under Mantou's horror, Gu Beihuai asked after finishing speaking, "Do you understand this time?"

Nan Xiangwan's eyes lit up: "I understand! So can I fly now?"

Gu Beihuai: "No, go back."

Nan Xiangwan: "Oh."

I didn't say you could fly after explaining it to you once. Do you want to die?

If Nan Xiangwan wants to fly by herself, she must go through harsh assessments and be proficient in simulated driving in the simulated cabin first.

Mantou got on the plane and sat in the pilot's seat.

Nan Xiangwan was excited sitting in the back row.

Mantou: "Ready! Taking off!"

Nan Xiangwan: "Ready!"

Buzz—

The huge roar of the fighter jet sounded, swoosh and it went straight up into the sky.

In the spinning world, Mantou took Nan Xiangwan to soar in the sky.

Feeling the extremely strong push back and occasional weightlessness, Nan Xiangwan really liked it.

But unfortunately, she could still only fly once today. Fortunately, Mantou flew for a little longer this time.

Half an hour later, the fighter plane landed smoothly.

It just happened to meet the actors helping the ground crew transport things. A group of people stared at each other as the fighter plane landed next to them.

Lan Tianyou shouted on the spot: "Nan Xiangwan, did you ride in a fighter jet?!"

Nan Xiangwan raised her chin arrogantly: "I flew for half an hour!"

Lan Tianyou was extremely envious: "Wow! Wow wow!"

Other actors were also very envious. They couldn't even touch it, but Nan Xiangwan came back after riding inside and flying a lap.

What's more, this was her second time riding in a fighter jet!

The morning flight training lasted until noon at 12 o'clock.

In the afternoon it was regular fitness training.

Nan Xiangwan once again opened her high-pitched posture, from an integrator to a team leader.

In the end, Sun Hui was too lazy to manage, and let her rush to the forefront of everything.

In this way, after three days of colorful military district training...

Feng Kai Ji came back with a group of crew members.

With the permission of the military district, everyone avoided the key points of the military district and came to an open space to shoot.

Today is to shoot the pilot publicity trailer for the crew of Trembling Starry Sky.

Since Nan Xiangwan's identity as the heroine had already been forced to expose, they should also take the initiative to release something to let everyone understand why she was able to play the heroine.

The 12 actors were all in place, and next to them was Commander Mantou.

Other members of the military district avoided shooting.

Mantou was wearing the captain's uniform today, and his upright figure was awe-inspiring in the sunlight.

The 12 actors wore combat uniforms in starry camouflage, carrying a bag on their backs, standing in a row waiting for orders.

Feng Kaiji set up the camera.

Cut, action!

Mantou: "Start combat training!"

Whoosh!

The 12 actors instantly dropped to the ground, ignoring the dirt on the ground, and started crawling forward.

Ahead were mud pits, high grounds and various obstacles, and even small hills.

They need to crawl all the way forward, climb over, reach the highest point of the hill, and then assemble the 95 automatic rifle!

Nan Xiangwan and Gu Beihuai took the lead with the fastest speed, disappearing in an instant.

They quickly crawled forward on the ground, bringing up bursts of flying dust.

After a few days of high-intensity training, Lan Tianyou had already caught up with everyone's rhythm. At the moment he was able to follow closely behind Nan Xiangwan and Gu Beihuai, only a few meters apart.

The other actors were scattered behind them. There was no way about it, they tried their best.

Nan Xiangwan and Gu Beihuai were almost side by side, moving at the speed of a qualified soldier during combat training.

The two flew quickly past all kinds of obstacles and reached the hillside.

Then, start assembling the 95 automatic rifle!

Nan Xiangwan had been trained many times in disassembly and assembly. She quickly took out the steel pipes, springs and other things from her backpack.

Click click!

On-site assembly, the speed was so fast that afterimages were brought out.

Gu Beihuai next to her slowed down to keep up with her pace.

After one and a half minutes, both of them finished the assembly at the same time!

A matte black automatic rifle was gripped in their hands. Then the two moved forward in a lunge posture, aiming their guns forward.

After the two disappeared behind the hill, Lan Tianyou, who was behind, arrived and still assembled the 95 automatic rifle on the spot.

But it took him 10 minutes and he made two mistakes.

Not to mention the people behind, although they had trained many times, there were still many errors.

The shooting ended here. After post editing it would be good.

However, Feng Kaiji also discovered one thing. The content went from stimulating and passionate at the beginning, to a different flavor when it came to Lan Tianyou.

It was a little funny!

When the other 9 actors assembled with many errors, it was even more funny.

Feng Kaiji felt that it could be edited into two videos, one passionate and one funny.

Hmm, he really was a genius!

After shooting, the 12 actors stood up straight on the open space.

Nan Xiangwan stood very straight without moving at all.

Gu Beihuai also stood very upright, but not with Nan Xiangwan's sense of excitement.

The others were all sweating profusely. Some had crooked hats and looked at Feng Kaiji expectantly.

After shooting, was their training over?

Sure enough, Feng Kaiji smiled and said, "Congratulations everyone! The training is perfectly over!"

Ji Jirou: "Wow! That's great!"

Zhu Yun: "So excited I want to cry."

Hua Ying also breathed a sigh of relief: "It was tiring these past few days."

Lan Tianyou was completely confused: "I just got here less than a week, and you tell me it's over?"

Feng Kai Ji smiled like an old fox: "Actually, our crew only requires you to learn how to stand at attention. But learning more things is always good."

Everyone: "..."

What the hell!

They only needed to learn how to stand at attention?

But they let them learn how to disassemble and assemble automatic rifles, wilderness survival training, and all kinds of getting up at dawn...

Ah! Director, you're inhuman!

However, when everyone packed up and left collectively in the afternoon, they became reluctant to part.

Especially the female barracks, the three actresses cried together.

After being with each other day and night for the past few days, they all became acquainted with the female soldiers and had feelings for them.

Ji Jirou and Zhu Yun cried and pulled the hand of their instructor commander Long Yue desperately.

Ji Jirou: "Commander Long Yue! Woo Woo Woo! I was too ignorant before!"

Zhu Yun: "Commander Long Yue I miss you so much wawa!"

Hua Ying was also wiping away tears, saluting Long Yue goodbye.

Long Yue took a step back with red eyes, returning the salute.

Of the four actresses, there were obedient ones, disobedient ones, and weird ones, but after leading them for two weeks, Long Yue also had feelings for them.

When they parted, everyone cried loudly!

As for Nan Xiangwan...

Nan Xiangwan didn't feel anything. She ran to the cafeteria to take some buns and left.

She had already enlisted, and was assigned to the Lingshan military district. Sooner or later she would come back.

So she didn't have any sense of parting at all!

However, the people in the canteen were different. They all thought she was leaving, and packed two big bags of buns for her to take away.

Nan Xiangwan smiled and promptly accepted them accurately.

Cry? Non-existent.

Grab the buns!

Chapter 273

When everyone was saying goodbye, the 12 actors came downstairs with Feng Kai Ji smiling and accompanying Commander Han Ting.

Before the 12 people left, they carefully folded their military uniforms and returned them to the military district.

Among them was Nan XiangWan carrying two large bags of buns...

Han Ting looked at this group of people. From the beginning when they were completely out of state, they now subconsciously stood at attention, each one tall and straight.

This is what the children of Great China should look like!

Mantou: "Salute!"

Swish!

The 12 actors collectively saluted.

Han Ting stood at attention and returned the salute.

After the salute.

Han Ting said approvingly: "You have all worked hard. Although you are actors and we are soldiers, we are all the same Chinese citizens. You have social influence, and we also have the duty to protect our homes and defend the country."

Han Ting: "Here, let's part ways!"

After he said those words, Hua Yao, Ji Jirou, and Zhu Yun cried again.

Although the training time was not long, everyone learned a lot from the soldiers.

Fearlessness and passion!

Feng Kai Ji clapped beside him, admiring.

Look at the words he said, the Commander is the Commander, he has skills.

But at this moment, Han Ting's words took a 180 degree turn, and he suddenly shouted.

Han Ting: "Nan XiangWan!"

Nan XiangWan instinctively took a step forward: "Here!"

Han Ting looked at her: "During the first wilderness survival training, you destroyed a light unmanned aerial vehicle, the compensation is five thousand."

Everyone: "..."

Feng Kai Ji: "..."

Nan XiangWan: "???"

Mantou almost laughed, damn compensation, haha.

Nan XiangWan's mind went blank for a moment. Didn't she enlist? Wasn't she a part of Lingshan Military Region?

How could she be asked to compensate for the unintentional destruction of the drone?

But Nan XiangWan could not say so!

She was a secret soldier, her identity could not be exposed.

So Nan XiangWan's face darkened, well, this money could not be avoided.

Han Ting chased for debt on site: "Get it done quickly, you are not short of money, can't you pay five thousand?"

Everyone: "..."

Feng Kai Ji: "..."

Nan XiangWan put down the buns and took out her cell phone: "Then I'll make a call."

Han Ting: "???"

Soon, Nan XiangWan dialed a number, and the other party answered after one ring.

Nan XiangWan's tone suddenly became very sweet: "Dad! I broke someone else's drone and they asked me to pay."

She couldn't pay it herself, so ask dad when short of money.

Dad had lots of money!

Nan Songxian was stunned at first, then generously waved: "How much? Dad will pay for you!"

Nan XiangWan was about to open her mouth...

Swish!

Han Ting snatched the phone and said, "Wrong number, goodbye!"

It was only five thousand, did you have to ask your dad?

If your dad knew, wouldn't your mom know too?

When Han Ting thought of Xin Zi's fierce face, his heart thumped wildly.

Don't mess with her, he didn't want the money anymore.

Han Ting drove them away on the spot, hurry up and leave!

He even helped push the actors onto the car himself.

Leave quickly, don't look back!

The actors were puzzled at first then burst out laughing. The originally sad farewell became so funny ah ha ha.

Nan XiangWan actually asked her parents to intervene, this was funny!

Only Gu Beihuai, who knew the inside story, smiled silently. This was not simple tattling, it was deliberately causing trouble. If not handled properly, it could lead to a battle between the two military units.

Under Commander Han Ting's expulsion, the actors left this place that they would never forget.

However, not everyone was on the same flight.

Today was already Friday. Nan XiangWan had to record "The Singer" on Saturday and "Escape Room" on Sunday. The two big shows directly divided her week time into two halves, so she went back to Shang Hai first.

Feng Kai Ji took the supporting actors to the crew first to prepare, the opening ceremony and worshipping the boss were indispensable.

Gu Beihuai and Lan Tianyou would go with Nan XiangWan, as the two also had to record "Escape Room" on Sunday.

So in the VIP lounge, the three sat in a row again.

Lan Tianyou: "We're recording that horror escape room the day after tomorrow, are you guys scared?"

Gu Beihuai glanced at him without answering.

Nan XiangWan: "Not scared, rather excited."

Lan Tianyou: "I'm so scared!"

Nan XiangWan: "You can ask your Guan Gege to protect you."

Lan Tianyou: "Come on, Guan Gege can't wait to hide from me."

After chatting for a while, it was time to board.

From Yong City to Shang Hai, it took two and a half hours to arrive.

Xiao Dong had been waiting to pick them up. Seeing Nan XiangWan, he rushed over to take her bags and parcels.

Xiao Dong: "What, what is this stuff?"

Nan XiangWan: "Buns!"

Xiao Dong: "..."

Gu Beihuai leisurely walked behind wearing sunglasses and a mask. He deliberately didn't call anyone to pick him up.

Since they were all going back to Ji Mansion, why not go together.

He wanted to hitch a ride on little beastie's car!

At this moment, a fat man in his late twenties approached them. He was very fat, wearing a straight man's plaid shirt, unshaven and bald.

As this man walked past Nan XiangWan, he suddenly turned back.

Staring at Xiao Dong!

Xiao Dong: "???"

After looking at Xiao Dong, the fat man seemed to confirm something. Next second he turned his head and stared at Nan XiangWan in disguise behind big sunglasses.

Fat man: "Nan XiangWan! Ah ah ah!"

Nan XiangWan: "!!!"

Xiao Dong: "!!!"

How did he recognize her?

She was dressed more exaggerated than a bear now, with masks and sunglasses all over, yet she was still recognized?

The fat man was extremely excited, shouting: "You are Nan XiangWan, right? I recognize your assistant. He appeared on camera during the Destiny Girls reality show. Ah ah ah! Nan XiangWan!"

Xiao Dong: "???"

Nowadays, even assistants of celebrities need to be in disguise?

Recognizing the principal through the assistant, interesting!

Nan XiangWan: "Don't get excited, don't shout."

Fat man: "Okay hubby! Hubby please give me your autograph!"

Nan XiangWan was shocked. Damn you, a big man calling her hubby?

But the fat man's voice was still very loud, attracting a lot of people at the airport to crowd around.

Nowadays, Nan XiangWan was no longer comparable to before. Especially after participating in the two big shows, her popularity had skyrocketed.

It could be said that she became super popular!

The onlookers exploded on the spot. The excitement was simply off the charts. Nan XiangWan was surrounded and could not get out.

Seeing this situation, Nan XiangWan had no microphone to maintain order, it was a bit chaotic.

So she quickly shouted: "Gu Beihuai is behind!"

As soon as she said this.

Swish!

The fat man was the first to turn back to look for Gu Beihuai.

The fans on the spot were also split up. Those who stayed in place were obviously Nan XiangWan diehard fans. Those who turned back decisively were Gu Beihuai diehard fans. Those who hesitated should be CP fans?

Anyway, it definitely eased up here for Nan XiangWan.

The fans were very well-behaved. After the initial crowding, they began to maintain order and stop jostling.

But behind, it was miserable for Gu Beihuai!

The fat man led the charge. He was the first to find the principal, then started shouting.

"Ah !!! Gu Beihuai!!! Hubby!!!"

That voice was loud and piercing as it echoed through the clouds.

Gu Beihuai unconsciously stopped in his tracks. Who are you calling hubby?

Didn't this guy just shout Nan XiangWan hubby earlier?

Gu Beihuai's mind went blank for a moment.

Fans these days are really...

He didn't know how much time passed before Gu Beihuai finally appeased the enthusiasm of the fans. Nan XiangWan and Xiao Dong had long since disappeared.

Hitch a ride?

No way!

Lan Tianyou was the last one to come out. He didn't dare to swagger out so openly. After avoiding the spotlight, he rushed out quickly, opened the door and got into the car in one go.

His movements were so fast that no one noticed this passing black pig was also a celebrity!

Once in the car, he was comfortable.

Hee hee!

But soon, many people surrounded his car.

Then the door opened, and Gu Beihuai got in, hitching a ride since he couldn't get on little beastie's car.

Fans reluctantly sent them off.

"Be careful on the road, brother!"

"Pay attention to safety, hubby!"

"How come there are other people in the car? Who is it sharing a ride with my hubby?"

Lan Tianyou: "..."

It was his car! Ah!!!

Chapter 274

On her way home, Nan XiangWan started nibbling on buns and continued all the way until she got back.

While driving, Xiao Dong observed, "Miss Nan, your carb intake seems a bit high."

Nan XiangWan rolled her eyes and nibbled even more heartily.

Xiao Dong: "Shall I make you some soup tonight then?"

Nan XiangWan: "I'll order takeout!"

Xiao Dong: "Miss Nan, you've really moved up in the world since you've learned to order takeout."

Nan XiangWan: "Xiao Dong, you're getting cheekier by the day."

Xiao Dong: "Heehee!"

Ultimately, when they returned to Ji Mansion, Xiao Dong still followed her and rushed into the kitchen to make some nourishing soup for Nan XiangWan. Meanwhile, Nan XiangWan lay on the sofa and ordered takeout - 10 jin (5 kg) of little lobsters!

Just then a message came in on WeChat.

'Gu Beihuai: [Image attachment]'

'Gu Beihuai: I polished it up a bit and added some color. Your song "Wish Upon the Gods' Favor" doesn't have a cover yet, right? How about using this?'

Nan XiangWan tapped to open the image. It was the hand-drawn picture from last time.

The polished version was so lifelike, with smooth lines and vibrant colors. It still depicted the same scene - a woman with trailing black hair brandishing a sharp blade while striding forward, and behind her a smiling man with hair so gentle it seemed to spill over.

'Nan XiangWan: For my use? Don't you need it?'

She clearly remembered Gu Beihuai originally wanted this as his new song's cover.

'Gu Beihuai: I have another one.'

'Nan XiangWan: Then I won't stand on ceremony!'

'Gu Beihuai: No need to stand on ceremony with me.'

It was perfect timing. Cheng Xue had been urging Nan XiangWan to get to the recording studio to record and release her new song.

The only versions currently online were the live recordings from "The Songster" which had some background noise.

Nan XiangWan called out, "Xiao Dong!!"

Xiao Dong immediately popped his head out from the kitchen: "Yes Miss Nan?"

Nan XiangWan: "Let's go, to the company!"

She would record the song tonight and try out the songs she had to sing tomorrow as well.

With a ladle in his right hand and spatula in his left, Xiao Dong looked at her pleadingly.

His...his soup wasn't ready yet!

Now came the real test of his professional assistant skills. Xiao Dong promptly moved the soup into a clay pot to simmer on low heat. He then untied his apron, gave his hands a quick wipe, opened the door, grabbed their bags, and called the elevator.

Swift as the wind!

By the time Nan XiangWan had changed her shoes, Xiao Dong already had the elevator waiting.

Awesome!

There weren't many people at Hua Wan Entertainment at 6pm. The sound engineer was busy working. Nan XiangWan came in without greeting anyone, giving the entire company a huge shock.

"The boss is here!"

"It's Miss Nan, an inspection?"

"Quick, welcome Miss Nan!"

After a flurry of preparations by the staff, Nan XiangWan had already entered the recording studio.

The sound engineer was also a bit nervous: "Miss Nan, you're here to record a song?"

Nan XiangWan: "Yes, I'll be quick."

Sound engineer: "No no, take your time, I'm standing by ready anytime."

But very soon, Nan XiangWan gave this sound engineer a live demonstration of what it meant to be fast.

A song less than 4 minutes long - adjust the equipment, go in, start recording.

Five minutes later - done!

The sound engineer was so shocked his jaw nearly hit the floor: "That...that's it?"

Nan XiangWan: "Yup, finished."

Having already gotten word of her arrival, Cheng Xue was waiting by the door. Seeing the boss be so diligent made her face flush with approval.

Cheng Xue: "Tired, boss? Shall I take you somewhere nice to eat?"

Xiao Dong: "She ordered 10 jin (5 kg) of little lobsters for home delivery and I was making her soup."

Cheng Xue: "...oh" So much for her concern.

Nan XiangWan shrugged, then casually sent the hand-drawn picture from Gu Beihuai to Cheng Xue as the single cover artwork with instructions. She then left without a backward glance.

A whirlwind that came without a trace and left without a shadow.

Many Hua Wan Entertainment employees didn't even get a chance to catch a glimpse of her before she disappeared.

...

It was 7:30pm when they returned to Ji Mansion again.

Xiao Dong dropped her off downstairs with instructions to eat and drink heartily but remember to drink the nourishing soup afterwards.

Nan XiangWan made a perfunctory promise before streaking up to the apartment.

Little lobsters! She had arrived!

As the elevator reached apartment 2202, there was an enormous takeout bag sitting outside her door that was still hot to the touch.

10 jin (5 kg) of little lobsters!

Nan XiangWan gleefully picked up the bag and brought it inside to start feasting.

Midway through her meal, a video call came in. It was her brother.

She answered it and her brother Nan ChaoYang's arrogant face immediately popped up on the video screen.

Nan ChaoYang adjusted his own camera to show just his face magnified. He seemed to be waiting for his sister to speak first.

But unexpectedly, even after waiting forever Nan XiangWan didn't make a PEEP!

Nan ChaoYang was infuriated. He switched the view to show Nan XiangWan's side - only to be confronted by the scene of her heartily tucking into the table full of little lobsters.

Nan ChaoYang: "..."

Arghhhh!

He had just finished eating!

Why was it this again? His dad Nan Song had tortured him the exact same way not long ago!

Without another word, grumpy-faced Nan ChaoYang directly hung up the video call.

So pissed off!

Nan XiangWan glanced bewilderedly at her phone screen. What bug had bitten her brother this time?

Asking for a beating? Fine, she'd give him a good walloping when she went home.

This meal of little lobsters left Nan XiangWan extremely satisfied. She had initially thought 10 jin (5 kg) would be a lot, but it turned out most of the weight came from the shells and shrimp heads.

Lying on the sofa browsing her phone afterwards, it was 8pm primetime.

Hua Wan Entertainment had posted a new message that was instantly bombarded by fans.

A WeChat message also came in from Cheng Xue.

'Cheng Xue: [link]'

'Cheng Xue: Boss, the new song post-production is complete and has been released right on time to all major audio platforms!'

Nan XiangWan tsk-ed admiringly. This manager worked crazy fast.

She also logged into Weibo and posted the audio source for "Wish Upon the Gods' Favor".

The ink-wash style hand-drawn cover added a touch of traditional flair to the song.

As expected, fans instantly poured in, the comments and reposts/likes count broke 10k then swiftly 30k, 50k, 80k...

The fans' passion was through the roof!

Nan XiangWan casually scrolled through some comments, most were along the lines of this being the Southern King's first single song that was destined to become a hit, etc.

The rest...well, the rest were spamming emoticons!

Nan XiangWan threw down her phone in anger. Damn emoticons!

Just as she was about to rage into the comments section for an epic emoticon battle royale with the fans, she suddenly noticed the Weibo post had updated.

Gu Beihuai had also made a post.

Huh?

Gu Beihuai released a new song too?

This close together?

It seemed like only half a year had passed since his last song "Sword Dance".

The Northern Emperor's fans were equally shocked. Given that Gu Beihuai hadn't shown much dedication lately, maintaining a pace of one single per year, his fans didn't expect there would be a new song!

Who knew that after half a year, the Heavenly King Gu would actually put out a new song!

Oh my god!

Hordes of passersby and fans rushed in to listen.

"Evening Breeze, Heavy Rain"

It was a very gentle love song!

But...hmm?

WTF was with this single cover?

Chapter 275

Nan XiangWan's new song "Wish the Gods Would Favor" single cover was hand-drawn, with a scene of a man and a woman, one standing and one striding.

Gu Beihuai's new song "Evening Wind and Rain" single cover was also hand-drawn, similarly with a man and woman, one standing and one striding.

Moreover, these two single covers were clearly drawn by the same person!

The style, clothing, and even the background are identical! The only difference is the woman standing in front.

The hand-drawn cover of "Wish the Gods Would Favor", the striding woman in front has a fierce expression, as if she would kill someone the next second.

The hand-drawn cover of "Evening Wind and Rain", the woman standing in front also has an aggressive posture, but her face is different.

A fang was added, along with a pair of cat ears.

The whole scene changed from murderous to somewhat cute in an instant.

It's that kind of: Don't come over, I'm super fierce!

But no matter how you look at them, these two single covers clearly came from the same hand, and apparently only the face and expression of one of the characters was changed.

In other words, the characters on these two covers...had a crossover!

The fans were first shocked, then started cursing at each other.

Who copied who?

No matter what, you must have copied us!

Neither side of fans would back down, biting at each other.

Bystanders looked around and saw what was going on.

Hehe!

Isn't this a couple's cover?

Hehehe!

CP fans then celebrated in the super topic, New Year is here, New Year is here, and started raining red envelopes.

Send red envelopes! Celebrate!

But sadly, the celebration was short-lived.

After the initial verbal battles, the fans on both sides suddenly slammed the brakes and stopped fighting. They rushed to the Nan Wang Bei Di super topic and started killing CP fans.

The reason was simple. The artists had just released new songs, they couldn't fight and make trouble, or else outsiders would see and it wouldn't look good.

Especially don't start battles in the artists' Weibo comments!

So the fans on both sides who were irritated had nowhere to vent their anger, they could only go after the CP fans.

Bring it on!

While killing CP fans, they also battled the opposing fans in the super topic.

Since there were more new fans due to the new song releases, the online numbers on both sides reached a peak at this moment.

So in the back-and-forth battles and killing of CP fans, they pushed the super topic into the hot search trends.

Hot Search #1: 【Nan Wang Bei Di】

Hot Search #2: 【Evening Wind and Rain】

Hot Search #3: 【Wish the Gods Would Favor】

Now the real show began.

Large numbers of outsiders rushed into the top 3 hot searches and looked around, then reached the conclusion:

Gu Tianwang is in love!

Roar!

Congratulations Tianwang!

So under Gu Beihuai's new song, batches of congratulatory messages emerged.

Most passersby fans still hoped the Heavenly King would start a family, after all he was already 25.

And look at the partner, oh oh oh, that new star Nan XiangWan who has been very popular recently?

Not bad!

Gu Tianwang has great taste!

The sudden change drove both sides of fans crazy!

Gu Beihuai fans and the Nanzi rushed out to explain.

They're not dating, they're not!

The sudden disappearance of huge traffic caused the 【Nan Wang Bei Di】 popularity to drop to third place.

Next was the contest between 【Evening Wind and Rain】 and 【Wish the Gods Would Favor】.

The Nanzi brought out all their power to push upwards, while the Gu Beihuai fans kept explaining to outsiders that they were not dating while defending.

So these two trending topics started a winding race, rising and falling.

One moment 【Wish the Gods Would Favor】 would rush to first, and the next moment be overtaken by 【Evening Wind and Rain】.

The outsiders didn't care, listening to both songs, reading both comment sections, wanting to join all the fun!

The great battle lasted a full 4 hours, with no decrease in popularity even at midnight.

The popularity of both songs exploded on the major audio platforms!

No one knew what happened, but it vastly exceeded Gu Beihuai's previous songs "Wasteland" and "Sword Dance".

...

Nan XiangWan didn't care about the online battles at all. She had obediently gone to sleep at 10 pm.

To get up in the morning and weight lift!

Gu Beihuai was at home the whole time, holding his phone and watching the show.

No matter how many twists and turns in the process, the outsiders' first impression had already been set.

Gu Beihuai and Nan XiangWan's names were tied together!

That was enough!

The rest could be taken slowly.

After reading through everything, Gu Beihuai was very satisfied. He ignored his agent Langhu's calls and unread messages, and set his phone to silent mode before going to sleep.

...

The next morning.

Nan XiangWan opened her eyes and smelled a burnt odor.

She bolted up and thought, this is bad!

Oh no!

The health soup!

She rushed out of her room and opened the door. Sure enough, the burnt smell was strong.

The clay pot soup in the kitchen had burned black on the bottom.

Luckily there was no accident, the pot had just cracked.

Dry burning!

Nan XiangWan hurriedly turned off the stove, then was silent.

Soup, I'm sorry.

She opened the windows to get rid of the smell. Nan XiangWan didn't bother with the charred remains, she went upstairs to the gym to run and lift weights.

Her weighted lifts had increased again, now reaching 90 kg.

She felt one punch could explode the sandbag!

Nan XiangWan practiced till drenched in sweat, then went to shower and change clothes.

Xiao Dong was already waiting downstairs in the car.

Nan XiangWan got in the car, and started eating from the large lunchbox Xiao Dong handed to her.

After handing over the lunchbox, Xiao Dong started frowning and stared at Nan XiangWan.

Nan XiangWan felt guilty and lowered her head to eat her rice, refusing to look up.

Xiao Dong: "Boss Nan, why do you smell weird?"

Nan XiangWan: "!!!"

You and your dog nose?

She had showered and Xiao Dong could still smell it?

Xiao Dong: "Spray some perfume."

With that, she took out perfume from her bag and handed it over.

Nan XiangWan: "......"

You're silly too.

But she felt guilty, failing that pot of soup.

So while eating breakfast, Nan XiangWan sent a message to Gu Beihuai.

'Nan XiangWan: Comrade! Aren't we bonded in life and death?'

'Gu Beihuai: Yes......'

'Nan XiangWan: Comrade! If I have something going on, you'll definitely help right?'

'Gu Beihuai: What happened?'

'Nan XiangWan: My second floor doors and windows weren't locked, could you go to my kitchen and take a look?'

'Gu Beihuai: What exactly happened?'

'Nan XiangWan: Help me find a cleaning auntie to tidy up the kitchen okay?'

'Gu Beihuai: Okay.'

Actually it would only take minutes to get the property management to handle this small thing, but Nan XiangWan clearly didn't understand that.

Gu Beihuai was happy to help with this favor, and naturally wouldn't point that out. Most importantly, the little cub had taken the initiative to find him!

Gu Beihuai also had a morning exercise routine, so he had free time now. He climbed over the glass railing between two households and arrived at Nan XiangWan's home.

Instead of finding a cleaning auntie, Gu Beihuai cleaned the kitchen himself. Very quickly he tidied up the kitchen spotless, wiping the tables to be reflective. He also took out the trash.

After finishing up, although curious, Gu Beihuai didn't wander around the little cub's home. He returned to his own home, then took a bunch of things from the pantry.

Electric drill, wrench, large iron hammer...

He put on safety goggles and gloves.

Gu Beihuai came to the glass railing between the two homes. He first found a corner of the glass panel and positioned the iron hammer, then started pounding.

Crash!

The tempered glass instantly cracked into a spiderweb pattern.

After hammering and cracking all the glass panels, Gu Beihuai connected the electric drill and started dismantling the steel flooring underneath.

He would definitely dismantle this whole railing today!

Chapter 276

Nan XiangWan arrived at the filming location of The Singer and walked towards her dressing room.

She happened to run into two seniors who were also going to their dressing rooms to get ready.

Heeding Gu Zhanyou's advice, Nan XiangWan's first reaction was to lower her head and greet them, "Good day, Teacher Yang Rongjun, Teacher Wu Sisi!"

Yang Rongjun gave her a smile and patted her shoulder, "You're doing well, young one with potential."

Wu Sisi ignored her and walked straight past without a word. Yang Rongjun was a little embarrassed and nodded at Nan XiangWan.

Nan XiangWan didn't mind and went into her own dressing room.

Monica and two assistants had arrived very early. As soon as she came in, she started spraying Nan XiangWan's hair.

Monica: "What kind of crappy stuff did that sissy Jing Dashuai do to you? It looks awful. Leave it to me."

Nan XiangWan sat in front of the lit mirror knowing she should keep quiet.

Indeed, Monica wasn't asking for Nan XiangWan's opinion. She just wanted to vent. She criticized everything from Jing Dashuai's aesthetics to the details and techniques.

Nan XiangWan didn't chime in and simply closed her eyes.

Time for a nap!

Monica kept spraying and styling while verbally outputting nonstop. Her mouth didn't affect her speed one bit.

At lunchtime, Xiao Dong fed Nan XiangWan.

At this point her hair was still being bleached. Who knows what big stunt Monica was pulling by bleaching it to the lightest shade.

After lunch, Nan XiangWan continued her nap.

The Singer's filming would start at 8 pm and finish in about an hour and a half or two hours.

The following Horror Escape Room show had an uncertain filming time that could easily go past midnight.

Just to be safe, Nan XiangWan decided to get some solid sleep.

...

In the other dressing rooms, the singers would visit each other while getting styled.

For example, Wu Sisi brought an exquisite lunch box into Yang Rongjun's room.

Wu Sisi: "Senior, let's have lunch together!"

Yang Rongjun: "What a nice looking lunch box!"

Wu Sisi: "Senior, do you like it? I can buy you one just like this."

Yang Rongjun: "No need, that would be too wasteful."

The two of them sat on the sofa, chatting while they ate.

Yang Rongjun naturally brought up Nan XiangWan, "That girl from the first episode is really something!"

Originally, Yang Rongjun was also dissatisfied, but after getting to know her this past week, his view changed.

She really was an outstanding and capable junior!

Wu Sisi's expression soured. "As a junior, she sure had the audacity to take first place. She showed absolutely no respect for her seniors or a trace of deference!"

Yang Rongjun: "..."

Wu Sisi complained indignantly: "And what about those fans? Oh, just because she's pretty she gets to be first place? This is The Singer competition not a beauty pageant!"

Yang Rongjun: "..."

Wu Sisi: "Let me ask, how many Golden Melody Awards has she won Nan XiangWan? How many albums has she put out? What nerve does she have to spout such arrogant words on stage!"

What angered Wu Sisi the most was the contest over Gu Zhanyou.

Right after she stated her wish for Gu Zhanyou to be her resident accompanying singer, Nan XiangWan made the same request.

Wu Sisi was a two-time Golden Melody Awards winner!

What right did Nan XiangWan have to make demands?

Knock knock knock.

At that moment, there was a knock on the door.

Yang Rongjun: "Come in."

Zhong Lingfei walked in, smiling cheekily at Wu Sisi.

Wu Sisi was taken aback. She frowned without getting up from the sofa.

She was a two-time Golden Melody Awards winner who was still young and had endless potential.

She felt it was completely unnecessary to show too much courtesy to others.

But Zhong Lingfei opened her mouth, "This is The Singer competition. We're competing not just in singing but in all-around artistry and creativity."

Wu Sisi, crossing her arms: "Either way, juniors should act like juniors and take the initiative to come to the seniors' dressing rooms to say hello, as basic courtesy."

Zhong Lingfei: "Speaking of which, I'm also your senior. I debuted 12 years ago. And you?"

Wu Sisi: "You!"

After saying that, Zhong Lingfei left. Who's the real senior here!

Still sitting in place, Wu Sisi was furious to madness!

Oh really!

Using seniority to suppress her?

Is this show about forming cliques and gangs now?

Everyone coming at the Golden Melody Awards winner that is her?

Not a shred of deference at all!

Yang Rongjun started getting a headache. He regretted letting Wu Sisi come in.

He just came on the show to participate, not to deal with palace intrigue.

...

Nan XiangWan slept several times in the dressing room while Monica kept messing with her hair and makeup. Beside them, two assistants were ironing Nan XiangWan's stage outfit.

Xiao Dong would pop in from time to time to feed Nan XiangWan, ensuring she maintained her energy until the evening.

At 6 pm, the overall director Zhang Rui dropped by.

Seeing the internationally renowned stylist Monica, Zhang Rui was visibly shocked!

Nan XiangWan greeted politely, "Director Zhang."

Zhang Rui nodded, "Uh, you didn't do the rehearsal right? Will that be okay?"

Nan XiangWan: "I didn't get a chance to rehearse. Thank you Director Zhang for the concern."

She could now smoothly rattle off perfunctory phrases.

Zhang Rui: "I see. You're busy shooting movies and two variety shows in a row. Busy busy. And you chose... Do you know the theme this round is sorrow?"

He had been busy looking at data after the last filming ended, and forgot to add Nan XiangWan's WeChat.

By the time he remembered and tried to contact Huawan Entertainment Company, he didn't get her WeChat.

This irritated Zhang Rui so he gave up altogether.

As a result, he didn't get to inform her about the song theme selection for the second round.

Zhang Rui admitted he wanted to watch the drama unfold and started observing Nan XiangWan's reaction after speaking.

Would she be nervous? Worried? Flustered?

Hmm? None of that?

Nan XiangWan calmly nodded, "I'm aware, thanks Director Zhang for the reminder."

Zhang Rui: "..." How do you know?

Alright, you have great intel.

With no recourse, Zhang Rui chatted for a bit more before leaving.

Nan XiangWan continued resting her eyes and praised Dog internally.

So each round of the show has a theme. Thankfully there was Dog, otherwise she definitely would've chosen the wrong song.

...

At this time, online.

Beidi fans and BanZhuan gang flamed each other for a whole 20 hours overnight, reaching new insulting heights.

The chaos continued all the way until this afternoon, with the great battle eliciting reactions from passersbys that went from dumbfounded, to awe-struck, to utterly worshipping.

The initial altercation in the NanWangBeiDi superforum started from Gaokao exam questions to university math analysis.

But then a Banzhuan member by the id 'SunriseEastSunRising' suddenly popped out and slammed a full analysis of 'Devil Cult Under the Moonlight' in Beidi fans' faces!

Beidi fans were no pushovers either and immediately sent out the Clear North (QingBei) PhD mathematician fan to save the day.

Thus, the cursing battle abruptly leveled up. The art style started getting twisted.

After a night, both sides of fans were locked in debate on: NP Complete Problems, Hodge Conjecture, Poincaré Conjecture, Riemann Hypothesis, Yang-Mills Existence and Mass Gap, Navier-Stokes Equations, BSD Conjecture...

In the fantastical flaming war, the 7 Unsolved Millenium Problems in Mathematics got hauled out!

Nearly a thousand pages of comments were filled with high-intensity exchanges.

Bystanders were left gaping as if looking at hieroglyphics, collectively kneeling in worship before frantically hitting the follow button. Cursing at each other to such heights was truly a world wonder.

Nowadays you don't even dare to chase stars without some academic credentials yo!

Chapter 277

At the same time, on major audio websites, the songs at the top and second place on the charts had been refreshed.

"I Wish the Gods Would Favor" was at the top, and its popularity was even higher than "Wasteland" before.

"Late Wind and Rain" was second place. Not that Beihuai's fans don't support their brother, but because of the name and content of this song...

Only Beihuai's fans simply cannot bear to listen to it!

Damn it!

Brother, did you write a song to confess your love?

It's so infuriating to the fans!

Beihuai's only fans would love to have this song fall out of the rankings and disappear. How could they support it?

The whole world knows that Gu Beihuai you're confessing!

Oh, except Nan Xiangwan doesn't know.

The current Nan Xiangwan was happily eating fruit one after another.

Xiao Dong was like a ruthless feeding machine, feeding her meals and fruit mechanically, stretching out his hand to her mouth.

The styling had lasted from morning till 7:30 at night before it finally ended.

After Monica finished work, she took a photo and then posted it on Weibo, while also stepping on Jing Dashuai.

Then arrogantly, she threw her phone into her bag with a smug look.

Monica: "My queen, you are the most beautiful tonight."

Xiao Dong: "This style is really beautiful. Monica rules!"

Monica left with her own team, with Xiao Dong obsequiously holding doors and seeing them all the way downstairs.

Nan Xiangwan was left alone in the rest area, getting up to stretch.

After sitting all day, her bones were very stiff!

Seeing it was almost time, Nan Xiangwan quickly changed into her stage performance costume.

She checked her in-ear monitors, jewelry and other items, then sat quietly after making sure everything was ok.

It was 8 pm prime time.

The live broadcast of "The Singer" began, with simultaneous streaming!

Almost the instant it started broadcasting, a large number of viewers rushed in and started flooding the screen.

Among them were no small number who came to see Nan Xiangwan, because of the virality of "I Wish the Gods Would Favor" and Gu Beihuai's high popularity, the name Nan Xiangwan was gradually moving towards household familiarity.

The host Guan Liangzhe took the stage. His styling today was very eye-catching, and as soon as he got on stage he received a lot of applause.

Guan Liangzhe: "I really am the most handsome, right?"

Audience: "Hahaha!"

Guan Liangzhe: "Alright! Without further ado, let's start the draw!"

On the big screen, names scrolled and then suddenly froze under the gaze of all the live audience.

Guan Liangzhe: "Let us welcome the first guest performer—Mr. Yang Rongjun!"

There was thunderous applause from below the stage.

Viewers who were waiting in front of the livestream were even more so, starting a screen-flooding welcome message mode.

Just then, amidst the messages there was a small disturbance.

Danmu comments:

: Can those in front please stop showing off? This is Teacher Yang Rongjun. Why are you all typing Nan Xiangwan's name?

: ???? We didn't type our Xiangwan sweetie!

: Friend, that's called a fan verification, an exclusive for a fan club, with idol's name added before user name. So when they send danmu comments, it automatically identifies which idol's fan they are.

: Then can Nan Xiangwan's fans shut up?

: ???

: ????

: Still typing? Nan Xiangwan disrespects her predecessors and has no sense of propriety whatsoever, don't know how she even got popular! It must only be grade-schoolers who like such an immature person!

: Wait a minute, on what basis are you attacking us grade-schoolers? Do grade-schoolers not deserve to have any say? Are grade-schoolers not people anymore?

: Why denigrate grade-schoolers? Weren't we supposed to call them the nation's flowers?

: I'm 28 and I like Nan Xiangwan! Who you like has nothing to do with age! It's Nan Xiangwan's own boundless charm!

: Nan Xiangwan charm boundless!

: Nan Xiangwan yyds! (a shortened form of a Chinese phrase meaning amazing, popular with youth)

...

The argument in the danmu comments was fierce, and the person who provoked the argument resulted in a ton of boards (fan club members) sending even more ferocious danmu comments.

A large number of fans bearing Nan Xiangwan's unique nicknames emerged, a dense sea of messages that made one's eyes dazzled.

-------------

At that time, in a family of four.

A 10-year old little board (fan club member) was sitting on the sofa, her head in two braided buns held with cute hair clips.

On the TV was the live broadcast of "The Singer", her phone was also playing the livestream, and the laptop next to her showed the same thing.

The little board had her hands on the laptop keyboard, angrily typing away.

Damn it!

So infuriating!

What's wrong with being in grade school?

Today I'm going to absolutely let the other side know that grade-schoolers are not to be trifled with!

Just then the bedroom door opened, and Xiao Chen happened to see what was happening in the living room.

Xiao Chen laughed and said: "Youngest, is it really necessary to have three screens open?"

Little board: "Brother, what's that idiom called? I don't know how to write it?"

Xiao Chen: "What idiom?"

Little board: "The one that's like 'dignitaries famous generals rather have integrity and backbone' or something."

Xiao Chen: "'Ministers and generals, dukes and princes—who wouldn't aspire to integrity and skill?'"

Little board: "Yes yes yes, ministers and generals, dukes and princes—who wouldn't aspire to integrity and skill. Scold them! We little grade-schoolers are the dukes and generals of the future, who wouldn't aspire to integrity and skill?"

Xiao Chen: "What are you doing connected to idioms?"

Little board's braided bun swung around: "Some people were attacking my Xiangwan sweetie, and attacking grade-schoolers too. I have to fight back!"

Xiao Chen: "Oh...using idioms to curse at people?"

Little board: "As my sweetie's fan, we must be cultured! I must study hard, to try and have richer language and knowledge in the future, to win against other fans when we fight!"

The experts on Nanwang Beidi's (popular Chinese drama characters) super-topic forum do the same thing. The little board was stunned and impressed, firmly remembering it.

Xiao Chen found it very amusing. He took a look at the livestream: "I know this show."

Little board suddenly asked: "Brother, you work in showbiz right? Can you help me get my sweetie's autograph?"

Xiao Chen thought about everything that had recently happened, and gave a wry smile: "Can't get it..."

There actually was a chance before...

The little board was somewhat disappointed, but didn't strongly ask again, and continued to be active in the danmu comments.

----------

Wu Sisi was hugging her phone in the waiting room, her hands continuously tapping the screen.

At this moment, the livestream for "The Singer" filled her phone screen, with danmu flying across in dazzling speeds.

Wu Sisi was cursing at netizens, but with so many boards (members), her words kept getting drowned out.

Not only that, she suddenly got a notification.

【Your account has been reported for too many malicious insults and attacks in your comments. Your account will be suspended for 3 days. 】

What?

She was actually reported for account suspension!

Wu Sisi angrily slammed her phone down with a loud bang!

The corner of the screen hit the ground and cracked into a spiderweb.

Her assistant quickly picked it up, then took out a backup phone from her bag and handed it to her.

Wu Sisi turned it on, went back to the livestream room, re-registered an account, and continued cursing.

But not even 5 minutes later, the second account also got banned.

The internet is not beyond the law. The boards have sharp eyes, instantly picking out your improper speech to report.

Wu Sisi was so angry she almost smashed the phone again!

But just then, the broadcast sounded: "Contestant number 2, Wu Sisi!"

Wu Sisi was shocked, she was picked second to go on?

Too fast!

She hurriedly tidied up her makeup, reapplied lipstick in a fluster, then lifted up her skirt and went out the door.

Walking through the long backstage hallway, going on stage in the darkness.

Wu Sisi took a deep breath, adjusting her emotions.

When the intro music sounded, it was accompanied by a beam of warm light shining on her head.

Live audience: "Wow!!!"

Followed by loud thunderous applause.

It had to be said, today's Wu Sisi was truly too beautiful!

Dressed in a white gown seemingly like a fairy, with long straight black hair draped over her chest.

She held a custom gold microphone, raised her noble chin, and looked towards the entire audience.

Chapter 278

The accompaniment sounded for 20 seconds, and Wu Sisi started singing.

It started with an extremely difficult technical showoff segment!

The high notes were so high that they made people involuntarily open their eyes wide. As expected of a two-time Golden Melody Awards winner.

However...

However, weren't these high notes too long?

A full minute of high notes, taking a breath in between, very impressive but.

Was it just nonstop high notes without any other content?

The live audience and online viewers started looking at the lower left corner of the screen to see what song she was singing.

Upon looking, it turned out to be an adaptation of the original song.

The original song was only three minutes and some seconds total. Skipping the 20 second intro, and the minute long high note showoff segment.

Would she only sing the minute and a half of remaining content?

After the high note showcase ended, Wu Sisi suddenly shifted the microphone to the corner of her mouth.

Then, she started brewing emotion, singing the first line of lyrics.

The audience below gave accompanying applause.

But the viewers watching the livestream had differing opinions.

Comments -

:Sorry! No offense intended to the senior artist! But that bloody big mouth is a bit creepy!

:Agree with above, the lipstick too thick? Especially with the white clothes and black long hair, slightly disturbing!

:Sadako???

:Can't feel any sense of grief, blatant showing off is unnecessary.

:Looks to be in a lot of pain while singing, is it tiring?

:Was trying to express grief, but overacting makes it seem contorted, like a mask of agony!

:Let's not overcriticize, everyone. Bear the exclusive fan titles of various fan groups, need to give some face!

:Alright! Go Wu Sisi!

......

At three minutes and ten seconds, Wu Sisi finished singing the whole song.

Applause sounded from below the stage as she cocked a brow and walked off the stage with confident strides.

In terms of technique, she was the best!

Wu Sisi had this confidence, high notes were her specialty.

At this time, Guan Liangzhe went on stage to draw lots: "Wow! Our Wu Sisi is so gorgeous! My eyes were glued to her!"

Wu Sisi responded with a smile below the stage. The camera obligingly gave her a close up.

It was originally meant to capture her grace and elegance.

But the smear of red lipstick on Wu Sisi's face flashed under the ghastly white stage lights, nearly scaring a number of livestream viewers to tears.

Heavens forbid, never wear white clothes with red lips under bright lights, too horrifying!

Guan Liangzhe was also frightened, mainly recalling unpleasant experiences from last week.

So he quickly changed the subject: "Alright, let us spin the display and contestant number 3 is——"

Swish!

The scrolling text on the big screen froze, three words.

Amidst applause, Guan Liangzhe announced: "Let us welcome! Nan Xiangwan!"

Whoosh!

Comments instantly erupted like a tidal wave, densely stacked atop each other, so numerous the video was invisible, only the floating words could be seen.

Those watching the stream could only reluctantly turn off comments temporarily due to the overwhelming volume from Nan Xiangwan's popularity.

Wu Sisi frowned unsatisfied below the stage.

She didn't know if it was her imagination, but she felt the applause when Nan Xiangwan appeared was louder than when she did.

The stage lights were pitch black.

A warm glow shone down after Nan Xiangwan stood in place.

Instantly, everyone present subconsciously quieted their breathing.

Under the dim warm lights, Nan Xiangwan wore black pants and a red silk shirt.

The long sleeve cuffs were rolled up to her forearms, revealing a slender wrist and fingers with prominent knuckles.

Her hair was platinum blonde, an extremely faint shade.

Only those with exceptional looks and skin tone could pull off that hair color.

The black and red contrast, together with the slightly retro style, made her outfit extraordinarily eye catching.

Yet all this only magnified Nan Xiangwan's flawless beauty!

As soon as she appeared on screen, applause broke out below the stage once more.

Simple pants and shirt, but why did she look so gorgeous?

It gave off a high class retro vibe!

As for the livestream, confessions of love for Nan Xiangwan in the comments soared beyond count.

The red was also different.

Wu Sisi's red was excessive. The white dress under bright stage lights made her look somewhat glaring.

Here, Nan Xiangwan's black pants and platinum blonde hair were foils to the red silk top. Choosing warm stage lights that continuously honed the smooth shine of the silk.

The disparity in stylists was clear!

The initial contrasting impressions also caused Nan Xiangwan's score to rise while Wu Sisi's fell.

At this time, the accompaniment sounded.

The bottom left corner of the screen also displayed a line of text.

"Twilight" - Original: Zhou Chuanxiong

The melancholic prelude of the piano accompaniment instantly evoked the feeling of the entire song.

Sorrow upon sorrow all contained within.

The key atmosphere of the prelude was grievous. Nan Xiangwan quietly stood, basking in the warm stage lights.

This song had no choreography or adaptation. One, there was no time, two, there was no need.

Not until 29 seconds did Nan Xiangwan raise the microphone.

Her unique vocal texture contained a hint of slight hoarseness.

[After going through the entire summer]

[Sadness has not gotten any better]

......

Applause already sounded after the first verse.

No excessive polish, just quietly singing.

Moreover, no adaptations were made to the original. Letting this song show in its original form.

So many years......

This was an old song released in 2000. After over twenty years of time immersion, replaced by generation after generation of eras.

Yet listening now, it was still so amazing, still such a classic!

Nan Xiangwan's voice continued:

[Can't finish singing this song]

[Exhaustion leaving dark eye rings]

Her voice was low and bewitching. The trailing notes contained not a speck of impurities.

The three hundred musicians all subtly reacted, as if able to feel the pain in this song, the helplessness against illness, the reluctance to part with life and death.

[Still remember your goodbye as firm as iron]

[Feeling scalded in the gloom]

As she sang these lyrics, the warm stage lights swept over the shiny red silk shirt, reflecting a hint of antique gold red.

Echoing the line 'scalded'!

Some excessively immersed musicians already unconsciously raised their hands to shield their eyes, unable to watch.

Singing the climax, Nan Xiangwan enunciated clearly. Her low to mid range vocals gradually became melodious.

She did not make any painful expressions, only sang with her head bowed.

It was helplessness and sighing.

This demeanor, strongly swayed by the intense lyric emotions, was like calm seas masking raging undercurrents.

The feeling was heart wrenchingly painful!

Some in the audience already started crying......

The livestream comments also drastically dropped in quantity, with only one or two drifting by in the end.

Behind the scenes, Zhang Rui anxiously glanced at the data and discovered the numbers had not decreased, instead madly increasing!

Just one or two comments was an unprecedented low, yet the online count continued soaring?

How bizarre!

A staff member next to him wiped tears and said: "Director Zhang, you should just listen to the song!"

Zhang Rui: "......"

The disappearance of comments was not due to lack of fans or data errors.

The influx of new viewers was genuine. The reason for lack of comments was simple.

They had cried listening to the song!

Extreme grief could short circuit people's brains, suddenly unable to cope and react otherwise.

The lighting was in place, the costume was in place, the vocals were in place.

The ambience of grief was too strong!

......

On stage, Nan Xiangwan was singing the last verse.

[The horizon at dusk]

[Severing joy and bliss]

[Love already disintegrated]

The entire 5 minute 44 second song finished. Nan Xiangwan completed the final trailing note, and the three hundred musicians below collectively stood and applauded!

Many were dabbing tear tracks. Such was the charm of music!

No need for flashy technical stunts or excessive flourish.

Most important were emotions, plucking at heartstrings!

Chapter 279

Nan Xiangwan finished singing a song, shook her sleeves and went backstage to the rest area.

Guan Liangzhe was also immersed in the sad atmosphere that he didn't react at first that the song had finished.

So when he went on stage, Nan Xiangwan had already left.

Guan Liangzhe joked, "Leaving already? Chat for a bit!"

Audience: "Hahaha!"

Originally there was not a single bullet comment, but everyone was brought into the song, and as soon as the host said that, the bullet comments poured out all over the screen, full of 'Hahaha' and comments.

Zhang Rui looked at the finally alive bullet comments and breathed a sigh of relief.

Damn, a song was actually sad enough to sing the bullet comments away. It really opened up a new world for him!

The rest areas were very quiet now, and the feeling of the singers participating in the show was not the same as that of the audience.

They were scared now!

The rendering power of Nan Xiangwan's live performance was too terrifying!

Yang Rongjun was sitting on the sofa with his eyebrows furrowed and his hands nervously on his knees.

The assistant next to him handed over a glass of water: "Have some water?"

Yang Rongjun took it and drank it all in one go. Only then did he recover from his previous state and shook his head helplessly.

This little girl Nan Xiangwan was too scary!

She actually used one song to pull him in completely with her singing.

With just "Twilight", she sang out the taste of life and death parting. What's more sad than being separated by life and death?

This episode, Nan Xiangwan wins for sure!

Similar scenes occurred in other rest areas to varying degrees as well. After just two recordings, all the musicians and the entire music scene had completely changed their views on Nan Xiangwan.

She was not some internet celebrity or newcomer, she was the future diva!

Nan Xiangwan's value also skyrocketed instantly, countless commercial endorsements eyed her and contacted Hua Wan Entertainment.

The agent Cheng Xue looked at the dense pile of commercial advertisements, frowned, and rejected them all.

No deal!

Nan Xiangwan was currently in a soaring period, focusing on her career, endorsements could wait.

In the rest area, Xiao Dong ran over happily, handing over cookies and a cup of water.

Xiao Dong: "Boss Nan, good job!"

She was so awesome singing that Xiao Dong screamed along with her, it was another day she wanted to marry Boss Nan.

Nan Xiangwan ate snacks and drank down the water in one go. "Another cup!"

Xiao Dong: "Coming up!"

After setting up food and drinks for Boss Nan, Xiao Dong started massaging her shoulders and back.

Nan Xiangwan lay comfortably on the sofa, resting her head on Xiao Dong's lap.

Nan Xiangwan: "Press harder on the right shoulder."

Xiao Dong: "Got it."

The other singers continued to draw lots and went on stage to perform one by one.

Zhang Rui came over again halfway, this was already the second time knocking on the door, making the director seem very free.

Zhang Rui was a little embarrassed. He cleared his throat, "Ahem! Uh, Teacher Nan, add me on WeChat to make it convenient for contact?"

Nan Xiangwan handed out her phone QR code: "Sure, Director Zhang."

Zhang Rui quickly scanned the code and reminded at the same time: "The theme for the third episode is passion. I'm giving you a heads up, Teacher Nan."

Nan Xiangwan: "Thank you, Director Zhang."

Zhang Rui took a look at Nan Xiangwan and Xiao Dong's position at that time, and tactfully left, lightly closing the door behind him.

Xiao Dong didn't really understand why, but continued massaging Nan's shoulders and back.

Nan Xiangwan lay on Xiao Dong's lap, looking at her phone. Her WeChat had a lot of unread messages.

'Cheng Xue: Boss Nan, the competition rules of "The Singer" are that the first episode and the final episode have to be original songs, the middle 10 episodes are cover songs based on the theme of each episode. Only VIP guests of the first episode and the remaining finalists at the end are eligible to showcase their own original songs on this stage, which is also an opportunity to promote them.'

'Cheng Xue: With your current momentum, making it to the final is certain. You can start writing your new song first.'

'Nan Xiangwan: ......'

'Cheng Xue: Don't worry Boss Nan. There's still early yet, a total of 12 episodes, two months before the finals.'

'Nan Xiangwan: Writing songs requires inspiration.'

Cheng Xue said a whole bunch more, Nan Xiangwan looked at the full screen of Chinese and yawned. Then she adjusted her position and slept in Xiao Dong's arms.

Xiao Dong: "......"

Should she say or not that Boss Nan's head was hitting her!

Online.

A video released by Hua Wan Entertainment topped the hot search.

【"Twilight" sings of life and death parting】

Hua Wan's staff shot the scene directly and sent it to the production team immediately after filming, which was edited and put online with added lyrics within minutes.

With the goal of being the fastest across the web!

Blowing away all other companies!

The loyal fans also went all out, guarding on the dot, rapidly turning, liking, commenting to boost the stats.

So by the time the general public finished watching the live show, there would already be a video to share online.

"Twilight" was an old song, striking a chord with the memories of many people aged 25-35. Plus Nan Xiangwan did not do any rearrangement, respecting the original song and presenting it completely, increasing favorability among passerbys.

Especially since they hadn't heard this song for so many years!

So in addition to loyal fans, passerbys also started voting for Nan Xiangwan one after another.

After voting, the passerbys were amazed when they looked at the video comments.

Were these Nan Xiangwan's fans?

Why were they like that?

Comments-

:[Barehanded brick splitting].gif

:[I am your good friend].gif

:Charge! Pic is here! [Scorching sun].gif

:Wow! Amazing gif above! Is there a HD large version?

:Waiting for the pic!

......

The first gif [Barehanded brick splitting] was still fine, they had seen it many times and were used to it.

But the second gif [I am your good friend], that scary lighting background, that face with eyes widened and grinning, looked terrifying no matter how you looked at it!

After checking, oh, turns out it was a gif from the horror movie "Haunted House".

Incredible!

With such a gif, are you really fans?

As for [Scorching sun].gif, it happened to capture the moment when Nan Xiangwan's last note dragged and she looked down with the contrast of black and red making her look extremely elegant.

Both beautiful and handsome, a fusion of two styles.

At first glance the passerbys were captured by Nan Xiangwan's looks and temperament.

Truly gorgeous!

How could she be so gorgeous that they want to call her husband and want to call her wife at the same time?

Nan Xiangwan's charm transcends gender!

Inside the 【Nan Xiangwan large brick exclusive group】, the large bricks waited for half a day, waited for a very very long time.

But where was the picture?

And the brick head?

Group owner! Call the group owner! The group owner didn't upload again!

'Qing Xiu: Something's not right, the brick head didn't give a picture for the first time after Little Treasure's live performance. Could he have gone missing? Should we call the police?'

......

At this time, at the connected rooftop gardens of the two top floor suites in Ji Mansion.

Gu Beihuai had already put on a safety helmet and double gloves.

Zizi! Zizizi!

He was diligently and carefully dismantling the railings!

His phone left inside kept buzzing nonstop with incoming calls from Jie Chou and Mantou, and WeChat was full of unread messages.

'Jie Chou: Where are you??? Is it that hard to bring me to the scene?'

'Jie Chou: Awoo! It's over! Damn!'

'Jie Chou: Where did you go? F**k! Don't tell me you didn't go to the scene?'

Chapter 280

Night of the South and the Return of Nightfall

"Sunrise in the East: Did the picture come out?"

"Return of Nightfall: No! The big slab didn't work today, the chain fell off."

"Sunrise in the East: I knew they couldn't do it! We still have to rely on our diehard fans!"

"Return of Nightfall: ..."

"Return of Nightfall: But there's only two of us total, are you sure you want to rely on us?"

"Return of Nightfall: Why don't we just let those outside applying to join the group in?"

"Sunrise in the East: No! Look at the names those people picked, 'I'm Nan XiangWan's husband', 'I'm Nan XiangWan's wife', 'Nan XiangWan is mine', as a diehard fan I can't accept it!"

"Return of Nightfall: Okay, I'll listen to you big brother!"

"Return of Nightfall: Oh right big brother, in the Nan Wangbei Di super forum, a Beidi diehard fan took out stealth paint to declare war on you."

"Sunrise in the East: Hmph! Another weakling? Let me go take care of him!"

----------------

When Nan XiangWan woke up from her sleep, she was told to go on stage to announce the results.

The recording had already ended, they were tallying votes.

Nan XiangWan got up, a few strands of hair were standing straight up on her head, sticking up like antennas.

She didn't even look in the mirror, she just rushed out the door heading towards the stage passageway.

Xiao Dong had just taken out a comb, and turned around to see Nan XiangWan's figure had already disappeared from the rest area.

Xiao Dong: "..."

Done for, going to be another meme!

The host Guan Liangzhe was desperately hyping up the scene, constantly increasing the enthusiasm of the atmosphere on site, and even interacting with the livestream audience.

While waiting for the contestants to return to the stage and for the votes to be counted, the big screen kept scrolling the real-time barrage, and would occasionally pull out a few to interact with.

Guan Liangzhe felt this new segment was very fresh, and started playing with it on the spot.

Guan Liangzhe: "Let's see what the livestream viewers have sent in, stop!"

Swish, the scrolling text on the big screen stopped.

Guan Liangzhe immediately read it out: "A message from the user 'My name is Mu Xia', asking if... oh no, if brother Guan Liangzhe has paid attention to the meme spread from his expression in 'Horror Escape Room'?"

After reading it out, the scene was dead silent at first, then immediately burst into laughter!

Guan Liangzhe's face was black, don't mention his old shame.

With the professionalism of a host, he handled it very tactfully.

That is, directly skip over it!

Guan Liangzhe: "Alright, let's continue drawing viewer messages, next one, stop!"

Guan Liangzhe: "A message from user... asking if brother Zhang looks forward to more horror variety shows in the future... okay pass! Next one! Keep drawing!"

Barrage comments:

:Hahahahaha!

:I'm laughing to death! Everyone go at it! Send in more messages to ask questions!

:Come on, draw a few more to make the host draw all this kind!

:I really love this segment!

:Zhang Guanzhe really cracked me up, must be smiling on the outside but cursing on the inside!

:The one before, his name is Guan Liangzhe hahahaha!

...

In an atmosphere of fiery enthusiasm, Guan Liangzhe finally saw that all the singers had returned to the stage.

He immediately stopped this segment, and started walking over to the singers, firmly resolving in his heart to propose cancelling this segment to the production team, cancelling!

This season's netizens are out of control!

The 8 singers went on stage, standing in a row waiting.

At this time, the vote counting had finished, and director Zhang Rui was asking them to recount the votes to confirm.

Because these numbers didn't seem right!

Last round, the main age distribution of Nan XiangWan's votes was 18-25, taking up 60% of the chunk.

But this round, the number of votes suddenly increased, and the distribution had also changed.

18-25 years old dropped to 30%, ridiculous.

25-30 years old drastically increased, to 50% of the share.

Over 30 took up 20%.

Zhang Rui looked at this data, suspecting for a time that there was a mistake, but the recount still showed the same.

It wasn't that the 18-25 age group had fewer votes, but that the 25-30 age range had a crazy increase in votes.

Nan XiangWan's total votes this round was double last round's!

Nearly three times more than the second place!

Too scary!

...

After the host Guan Liangzhe chatted with the singers briefly, he was notified backstage that the vote counting segment had ended, and they could start announcing the numbers now.

Guan Liangzhe immediately got into his host persona, first regretfully announcing the last place elimination, then quickly reporting the rankings from 7th to 4th place.

Worth noting is that Wei Sha moved up from 7th place last round to 6th place this round.

Going up one ranking!

Wei Sha didn't expect that she could still move up, and was naturally very happy with this small surprise.

The one dropping down to 7th place was none other than Wu Sisi!

Upon hearing her ranking, Wu Sisi's face went pale, she almost blew up right there on stage.

How could she possibly be only 7th place?

You need to know 8th place means elimination, she almost got eliminated?

Did you mess up counting the votes?

Host Guan Liangzhe continued announcing the rankings: "In 3rd place! Congratulations to teacher Zhong Lingfei!"

Zhong Lingfei took a step forward and bowed deeply, stabilizing her top three position again, not bad at all.

Guan Liangzhe: "In 2nd place! Our Mr. Yang Rongjun again!"

Yang Rongjun joked: "Mr. Teacher is fine too, no need to add old."

Audience: "Hahaha!"

Guan Liangzhe blinked: "Alright! Big brother Yang Rongjun!"

Yang Rongjun: "No need for such exaggeration..."

After a brief moment of levity, Guan Liangzhe's voice rang out loudly: "Finally, let us announce the 1st place of Singer's 2nd round stage - Nan XiangWan!"

Swoosh! The scene started fluttering down strips of colored ribbons and shiny glittery sequins.

Nan XiangWan stood in the center of the stage, the camera immediately focused in on her for a close up.

And so, all the livestream viewers suddenly saw those two strands of hair sticking straight up from her head!

Jutting up over there, swaying slightly from time to time.

Barrage comments:

:Pfft hahahaha! Pfft hahahahaha!

:Big god quickly screenshot! Quickly quickly!

:[Antenna hair].gif is here

:Too cute want to touch!

:Ahhh XiangWan's antenna hair I love it!

...

Nan XiangWan was simply unaware that she had new meme material again, happily basking in the glory of 1st place!

Happy!

【Ding!】

【Mission Complete: Sadness】

【Congratulations host for obtaining Singer's 2nd round 1st place! 】

【Congratulations host for obtaining 10x cashback reward 3 times, capped at 100k!】

Awesome!

Suddenly rewarded with 3 times cashback stacking, adding to the previous one makes 4 times now, so 400k limit.

Nan XiangWan was even happier now, making the antenna hairs on her head sway around actively.

The barrage flooded with [antenna hair].gif spam.

So cute!

At the same time, a new mission was issued.

【Ding!】

【Triggered Mission: Hot Blood】

【Mission Requirement: Have the host sing a song with the theme of hot blood in Singer's 3rd round stage】

【Mission Reward: Announced according to final ranking】

Nan XiangWan continued standing there antenna hair and all, the system sure enough issued a 'hot blood' theme.

After Singer's 2nd round recording and livestream ended, Guan Liangzhe ran up to catch up with Nan XiangWan.

Guan Liangzhe: "Nan XiangWan! XiangWan bro! Nan Wang! Let's team up!"

He was now starting to get scared, Horror Escape Room was about to start!