"Should I go buy another one?"
What else could I do? he thought. I ate her meal; I can't just let her go hungry, can I?
Li Chunhua looked up at him, her displeasure evident as she said, "Never mind, I'll go myself. You two keep a close eye on Qingqiu and be more attentive. Don't act like it's none of your business."
With that, she picked up her bag and left.
Once the lounge door closed, Xu Qingqiu said, "Chu Tian, don't take it to heart. Sister Hua isn't in a good mood today. She was scolded by the director for half a day this morning because of the song change. Please try to understand; she's not a bad person."
She also knew Sister Hua had been quite blunt just now. Although she had always looked down on Chu Tian, she hadn't particularly targeted him; she just couldn't be bothered with him.
Sister Hua's temper today was for a reason, and Xu Qingqiu was worried Chu Tian might misunderstand.
"I'm fine. It was my fault, anyway."
Chu Tian indeed felt he was in the wrong. I'd just woken up and hadn't thought much about it. My stomach was growling. There are four of us; surely they wouldn't order only two meals, right? So I naturally assumed this one was for me.
Who could have known this was the situation?
Besides, he really couldn't get angry with Sister Hua. Truth be told, Sister Hua strongly resembled his agent from his previous life, Aunt Mei.
Both were very dominant women, and they managed him as strictly as a teacher would a student, lecturing him daily.
He hadn't understood at first. Only later, after more time had passed, did he realize it wasn't that they were overly strict; rather, they knew just how deep the waters ran in this industry and were terrified he would make a misstep.
The mere fact that Aunt Mei had dropped all her other artists to focus solely on him for ten years showed how much heart and effort she had invested in him.
Even setting aside emotions, who would easily give up ten years of their career, energy, and time?
All her demands were ultimately so he could have a smooth journey.
Just then, the large screen in the room suddenly lit up.
Zhouzhou, who hadn't come back yet, also rushed over.
"Teacher Xu, the recording is about to start. You need to get ready. The lounge will be filmed as well."
"Okay, thank you, Zhouzhou."
"Teacher Xu, you don't have to be so polite. Today is the first competition. I wish you a great result. Go for it!"
"Thank you. I'll take those good wishes."
This was already the third season of "The Sound of Nature." The competition rules weren't complicated: nine contestants would compete.
The first stage consisted of two rounds of performances, aired over two episodes. The 900 audience members present would score them, with each audience member having two votes to cast as they wished. The contestant with the lowest combined score from both rounds would be eliminated. One contestant would be eliminated in each of the four stages, leaving five to directly enter the semi-finals.
Before the semi-finals, there was also a revival round where two out of four eliminated contestants could return. These two successful contestants, along with the original five, would make a total of seven competing in the semi-final performances.
The semi-finals were divided into two stages: one was a collaboration stage, inviting guest artists for duets, and the other was a solo performance stage.
Finally, four more would be eliminated, leaving three to enter the grand finale to compete for the championship title.
That was the overall structure of the competition—not too complicated.
Today was the first round of the first stage, and everyone was extremely nervous.
While waiting for it to begin, everyone was anxiously preparing. Of course, some didn't know what to do and could only watch from the sidelines.
"Is it starting already? Are we going in the same order as before?"
Chu Tian was still in the dark. I can't believe they're starting the recording already, right in the middle of our chat!
What a miscalculation! I didn't even see the rehearsal, which is usually more exciting than the actual show.
"No, this time it was decided by drawing lots. That's already done."
"Huh? When did they draw? Whoever drew the first spot is so unlucky. The pressure must be immense, right?"
The first performance of the first stage. If they didn't handle the pressure well, it could be disastrous.
Though the speaker meant no harm, the listeners took it to heart. The moment he finished speaking, everyone in the lounge stopped what they were doing and stared at him, motionless.
"What? Did I say something wrong?"
Xu Qingqiu shot him an exasperated look and muttered sullenly, "I'm that unlucky one..."
"..."
Chu Tian was momentarily speechless, unsure how to react.
Oh, great. Turns out I was gloating about my own boss's misfortune, and to top it off, I said it right to her face. What a mess...
"Haha, actually, going first is great! You can make a dazzling entrance, belt out a song, and scare the others so much they won't dare to sing."
"My sincere thanks. You can stop talking now."
Xu Qingqiu was on the verge of tears, suddenly questioning if insisting he come today was the right decision or a mistake.
"Sister Qiu, you can do it! You're the best!"
"Thanks. Yiyi, you always know the right thing to say. Not like some people, hmph."
Chu Tian...
「...」
In the studio, the audience members were all seated, and the lights dimmed one by one.
A voice announced, "The Sound of Nature Singer Competition, Stage One, First Round, begins now!"
Following the chief director's announcement, the host walked onto the stage.
Simultaneously, camera crews began entering each singer's lounge.
"Teacher Xu, it's time for us to go."
Zhouzhou reminded her. Xu Qingqiu stood up and followed her out, a camera trailing them the whole time.
Chu Tian looked, saw Yiyi had also followed, and figured it wasn't appropriate for him to stay there alone. So, he too headed backstage after them.
"Next, let's welcome our first competing singer, Xu Qingqiu!"
After speaking, the host walked directly offstage.
The lights dimmed once more.
Xu Qingqiu stood behind the stage entrance, taking continuous deep breaths, yet she still couldn't shake her nervousness.
This was different from an exhibition match; this was a PK battle. With over 900 audience members below, and it being her first time facing so many people on stage after such a long hiatus, more importantly, she had changed her song at the last minute. She had no confidence she could sing it perfectly. To say she wasn't nervous would be a lie.
Seeing her in this state, Chu Tian couldn't help but worry. Based on his experience, if she went on stage like this, she would definitely run into problems.
Heedless of everything, he bypassed the staff on either side and suddenly jumped in front of Xu Qingqiu.
"Ah! You scared me to death!"
Already incredibly nervous, Xu Qingqiu was so startled by his sudden appearance that her heart almost leaped out of her chest.
"Haha, scared you, didn't I?"
Chu Tian wore a playful, teasing grin, as if he'd just pulled a prank. Xu Qingqiu looked at him, a flare of anger rising within her.
"Are you trying to get me killed?!"
For the first time in her life, Xu Qingqiu actually felt a flicker of aversion towards the man before her.
But just then, Chu Tian's expression shifted. The teasing look vanished completely, replaced by utter seriousness.
"Still nervous? Remember this feeling. Relax. It's just one song. You can do it!"
Time seemed to freeze. Xu Qingqiu stared at the man before her. Though the backstage area was dim, she felt as if she could see an entire galaxy in his eyes—deep, mysterious, and drawing her in.
She stared blankly, whether for a second or a minute, she couldn't tell. But for some reason, she suddenly felt incredibly calm. Her earlier nervousness had vanished without a trace.
"Thank you."
Xu Qingqiu nodded, all traces of nervousness gone from her face.
Seeing this, Chu Tian gave a small smile and slowly retreated.
"Everyone, get ready! Teacher Xu, stand by! Cameras, roll!"
The first competitive performance began.