## Chapter 4: The Embarrassment Syndrome
"Angel's Wings" is not a song that demands great vocal skills, but its quality is undeniable. This single song was enough to drive the release of an album. In his previous life, the original singer had been obscure for ten years but became an overnight sensation thanks to "Angel's Wings."
Choosing this song was primarily due to Li Qing's subpar singing skills. He had hummed a few lines of "Tibetan Plateau" and found his voice cracking, which made him give up on the idea of singing any high-pitched songs.
Then, he tried singing "Matchstick Heaven" at a fast pace but realized he was completely out of breath and lacked the lung capacity.
So, he chose a more soothing song, ultimately settling on "Angel's Wings."
This indicated just how poor the hardware of this body was; it didn't even meet the basic lung capacity requirement of a singer. Even with a bunch of good songs in front of him, there would be no chance of becoming popular.
Fortunately, "Angel's Wings" didn't disappoint. Through his emotionally charged performance, Li Qing cleverly masked his lack of singing skills, thoroughly impressing the judges and the audience.
Watching Zhao Wendi reluctantly raise the pass sign, Li Qing felt a cold smile inside. "I love seeing you disapprove of me yet still have to work with me."
Amidst the cheers of the crowd, Li Qing bowed, returned the guitar, and waved with a smile as he left the stage.
"Music Star" recorded six contestants per session, so after Li Qing secured his pass, the studio announced the end of the show.
Many audience members chatted excitedly as they left, "The highlight this time was definitely that handsome guy at the end. Good-looking, sings well, and he wrote the song himself. How did someone so talented not become famous before?"
"How could he not be famous? He was quite well-known before. He released albums and tapes, but he disappeared for over a year, and his popularity dwindled."
"Is he the one from that fiery boy group? Weren't they known for being divas? Anyway, just for today's 'Angel's Wings,' I'll have to check if their albums are still available in the market."
"I love 'Angel's Wings' too. It sounds so good, and he sang it so handsomely. Oh my, I'm totally obsessed with him now. I'm officially his superfan, and nobody better try to compete with me!"
As the excited audience dispersed, the judges also got up one by one, preparing for their next engagements.
Director Zhang, while announcing the wrap, called over a stagehand, "When is Li Qing's next appearance?"
The chubby stagehand was busy tidying up the props in the studio, sweating profusely. Upon hearing the director's question, he was momentarily stunned before recalling who Li Qing was. He hurriedly took out his notebook and, after a long while, coughed and said, "Um, the ones who passed today are number 05 Xie Sixue and number 06 Li Qing. According to our PK ranking order, it will be three more weeks before it's his turn... but..."
"But what?" Director Zhang asked.
"Well... we didn't anticipate this situation..."
The chubby stagehand smiled apologetically, "Judge Zhao had previously mentioned that Li Qing wouldn't be placed in the ranking because he wouldn't get a pass. So, I had already prepared the preview footage for the results of this match. If Li Qing passes and gets inserted into the lineup, the appearance times of other passed contestants might need slight adjustments... So, should we cut out Li Qing's segment?"
Judge Zhao?
Director Zhang frowned. He had already learned about the grudges between the members of the Fiery Boys backstage. He hadn't expected the usually modest and kind Zhao Wendi to pull such strings behind the scenes.
Zhao Wendi's private request was undoubtedly an attempt to use his influence to block Li Qing.
If it were before Li Qing's appearance, or if Li Qing's performance had been mediocre, Director Zhang might have given Zhao Wendi some face. After all, Zhao Wendi had won several awards at various music festivals over the past year and was on the rise. Director Zhang didn't want to offend a rising star for an irrelevant person.
But now, it seemed Li Qing was a potential star.
Not only did he have strength comparable to Zhao Wendi, but overall, Li Qing probably had even more potential. After all, Li Qing was incredibly handsome...
While Zhao Wendi was also somewhat pleasing to the eye, he couldn't compare to someone as outrageously good-looking as Li Qing...
Moreover, with one or two thousand people witnessing the event, it was impossible to cut the segment. Those were walking endorsements.
Sacrificing ratings and reputation for Zhao Wendi's sake?
No way.
"No need to cut it, broadcast as usual."
Backstage, seeing Han Han with red eyes and an excited face, Li Qing's originally high-spirited mood suddenly calmed down. For some reason, whenever he saw Han Han, he felt a pang of unexplained pain in his heart.
This silly girl...
Patting Han Han's shoulder, Li Qing pretended to be smug and said, "I told you I wouldn't let you down. How was it? Did I perform well?"
"Yes, yes!" Han Han nodded vigorously, looking at Li Qing's still bright black eyes staring at her. Han Han felt a sweet warmth in her heart, half shy, half proud, and said, "I knew it, our Qingzi is the best. No one can compare..."
Then, her eyes became a bit dreamy, "But, Qingzi, you've changed a lot, really like a different person..."
Li Qing's heart tightened, and he quickly forced a laugh, nervously covering, "Haha, really? How could that be? I'm still me!"
Han Han shook her head, "No, you've changed a lot. The old you... how should I put it... I was a bit scared... especially when you lost your temper... This past year, ever since the company announced it wouldn't give you any more resources, every day felt like the end of the world. But now, it doesn't. Our Qingzi is like the old Qingzi before debut! Handsome, humorous, cute, sunny, charming..."
Seeing Han Han's cautious yet proud and admiring look, Li Qing's heart ached even more. This silly girl...
Well, I can accept "charming," but what's with "cute"?
"Of course, I think the biggest change is... you can compose! Wow, you're a great talent; you can write songs!"
Han Han was as happy as a child, "This past year, you often locked yourself at home and didn't come out. I really thought something bad might happen. But I didn't expect you were creating music! Oh my, our Qingzi is amazing!"
Li Qing felt his embarrassment syndrome flaring up.
From what he understood, it seemed his predecessor had been locking himself at home to sleep and play video games...
NEXT