In the studio, it was completely silent. Xu Qingqiu recalled the song she was about to sing, her expression calm. She nodded to two staff members, and then the door swung open with a WHOOSH.
Inside was the dim backstage; outside was an equally dim stage, yet one that concealed countless watchful eyes.
BOOM!
A spotlight descended from the sky, illuminating a lone figure standing within its beam. Her black dress trailed at her feet, its sequins and diamonds glittering under the light.
The piano music began to swell slowly. Xu Qingqiu lifted the microphone and gently parted her lips.
"Maybe you can't win against heaven and earth"
"Maybe you'll bow your head and cry"
"Maybe the bright sun and snow want to fly into your heart"
The lights on the stage gradually brightened as Xu Qingqiu walked towards the front, singing.
But darkness still surrounded her; only that single beam of light remained upon her.
"There will be walls of isolation you can't escape"
"Living a life as neighbors with indifference"
"What have those tragic and heroic times already taken from you?"
By the time she sang this, she was standing in the very center of the stage. Another row of lights switched on, shining into the distance, but the rest of the stage remained pitch-black, as if suppressing something.
The atmosphere of the entire stage, accompanying the song, mirrored the hearts of the audience—entangled, suppressed, waiting!
"In the human world, who lives"
"Not like it's a competition"
"I won't cry. I have no dignity left to abandon"
"When someday those dreams, those debts are lost in the sea of people"
"Don't be sad, let them go"
"This song is given as a gift"
...
As the chorus arrived, Xu Qingqiu's pitch suddenly soared. In an instant, countless lights burst forth, as if responding to her voice, as if the force of life itself had broken through the darkness, like a cry erupting from the depths of an abyss.
The audience below had long been utterly awestruck.
A studio built for tens of millions, lighting effects worth several million, and most crucially, sound equipment costing nearly one hundred million—all combined to create an incredibly breathtaking stage effect.
Everyone present enjoyed a top-tier visual and auditory feast, their hearts completely immersed.
Paired with Xu Qingqiu's clear, pure, and highly penetrating voice, everyone who heard was deeply moved by the song.
"There will be walls of isolation you can't escape"
"Living a life as neighbors with indifference"
"What have those tragic and heroic times already taken from you?"
"Who can prove you ever came to the human world?"
...
The singing slowly faded, and the entire venue fell silent, as if a deep sea had submerged everything, leaving not a sound.
Without a thought for applause or even the outcome of her performance, Xu Qingqiu gave a slight bow and then turned to walk backstage.
The host had already come onto the stage. He had to pick up the microphone twice before he could speak:
"Thank you, Xu Qingqiu, for that heartfelt performance. I..."
Before he could finish, the audience interrupted him. Those who were belatedly coming to their senses now erupted with wave after wave of cheers.
"OOH~~"
"That was so good!"
"Amazing! Damn, my whole body went numb! I couldn't even catch my breath while listening!"
The enthusiastic cheers were mixed with various emotional exclamations. Many people felt as if they had a torrent of words they wanted to express but didn't know how to articulate.
"Alright, alright, I know everyone's excited and that the song was fantastic, especially how the lyrics easily touched our hearts."
"But we are, after all, in a competition. So next, I'd like to ask everyone to pick up the voting devices beside you and cast your precious vote for Xu Qingqiu!"
At the host's playful reminder, the audience finally remembered they were in a competition. They laughed together and then unanimously picked up their voting devices.
"You have one minute to vote. Please hurry."
While the host was managing the proceedings on stage, backstage was equally restless.
"Sister Qiu! You were incredible! I'm telling you, I nearly cried. That song was so sad. It feels like it would take so much despair to write something like that."
Zhou Yiyi bounced over and grabbed Xu Qingqiu's hand, chattering away as she helped her walk back.
Perhaps it was only then that Xu Qingqiu finally detached herself from the song's emotions. She smiled, patted Yiyi's hand, then looked up at the silent Chu Tian beside her and impulsively asked:
"Did I sing well?"
"Ah? Yes, very well."
His words were not meant to placate her; they were sincerely heartfelt.
One had to admit, the girl before him truly seemed born for this, and even at his peak in his past life, he wouldn't dare claim to be more outstanding than her.
This excellence wasn't about Singing Skills, but talent.
To put it simply, Xu Qingqiu usually sang love songs, leaning towards a graceful, delicate style, and her songs were typically gentle and soft.
But the system had given her the Zhang Shaohan version of this song, which had a very high pitch.
Even so, she performed it flawlessly. Although her voice lacked the penetrating power of Teacher Zhang's, her rendition had its own unique characteristics; her pure voice carried a hint of Ethereal beauty.
Despite such a high pitch, her performance remained stable. Most importantly, it created a strong sense of imagery, easily drawing people in.
In his previous life, he'd heard of perfect pitch, or Musicality—a type of talent. He didn't have it, and neither did Xu Qingqiu.
But in this life, he had seen an ability called "Emotional Resonance" in the system. He initially thought it was a system-granted power, something with a fantasy attribute.
It turned out not to be fantasy at all. If he wasn't mistaken, Xu Qingqiu might naturally possess this talent for Emotional Resonance; it was just that no one had noticed.
"Hmph, you're just humoring me."
Seeing his seemingly casual response, Xu Qingqiu felt a pang of disappointment. It was as if she suddenly realized he didn't care about her as much as she thought. Moving from her earlier insecurity to her current disappointment, her heart sank with it.
Chu Tian was clueless that his earnest answer had been mistaken for a casual one. His attention was currently fixed on the system, checking the detailed information for the "Emotional Resonance" ability.
"Emotional Resonance": Top-tier talent, 80 million Reputation Points. Enables the user to better stir the audience's emotions, making performed songs more impactful.
The description was short; specific information would only be available after exchanging for it.
But even this brief line contained enormous implications.
Wow, it really is a top-tier talent! Probably on par with Jay Chou's perfect pitch, right?
This thing costs 80 million Reputation Points! That's really expensive. It's probably one of the most expensive items in the system store, isn't it?
Even if it isn't the most expensive, it's definitely among the most top-tier. Way too pricey.
Sorrowfully closing the system window, Chu Tian glanced at the girl beside him, almost drooling with envy.
A truly wealthy person, huh...
Why is it that some people do nothing and are born with such great talent, while he, on the other hand, was mute when he first arrived and only managed to speak properly after such a long period of treatment?
Who could understand this feeling? It makes me want to cry.
She sang this song, 'In the World', so well. For him, living in the human world is like being in purgatory; it's just too damn hard!