Chapter 49

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This chapter is edited by gravityjammy. Thank you for your contribution!

Chapter 49: Wow, Is This Person Cheating?

Chu Yuanqing quickly mapped out the perfect escape route in her mind, nearly bursting into laughter.

On the surface, however, the girl appeared serious and focused, adjusting her breathing. Following Zhao Dapan’s cue, she began singing earnestly.

After just a few lines, she had already caught the attention of the other contestants.

Damn, turns out she wasn’t being modest on stage—she really can’t sing!

Zhao Dapan cleared his throat a few times and quietly interrupted:

“Wrong pitch. Start again.”

Chu Yuanqing felt a small spark of joy in her heart and tried again.

Zhao Dapan tapped the table lightly with his knuckles, frowning as he interrupted her once more:

“No, try again. The pitch is off.”

Remaining composed and serious, Chu Yuanqing felt her plan was progressing perfectly. With unwavering confidence, she continued singing.

But it wasn’t long before she was met with the vocal coach’s disapproval yet again. Amid the mixed gazes of the other trainees—some sympathetic, others mocking—he said:

“Have you never learned to sing? It’s still not right. This time, lower it by a half pitch!”

The atmosphere in the room grew increasingly tense.

This was the fourth interruption in a row.

Performing under the scrutiny of competitors and enduring repeated criticism from mentors could be incredibly stressful. For the singer in the spotlight, it felt like standing in a harsh and pressurizing environment.

Such intense pressure could gradually take its toll, creating a persistent sense of failure. It could severely impact a competitor’s confidence, increasing the likelihood of mistakes and triggering a vicious cycle that might end in a complete breakdown.

Even the other contestants watching from the sidelines couldn’t help but feel the tension and nervousness creeping over them.

Even though they believed they sang much better than Chu Yuanqing, none of them felt confident they could meet Zhao Dapan’s exacting standards. If they failed to quickly correct their flaws, the repeated interruptions could easily turn into a humiliating spectacle.

Losing their composure could spell disaster, creating a scene they all feared.

However…

Because of Chu Yuanqing’s self-assured remarks yesterday, where she portrayed herself as superior and morally high, she had unwittingly dragged down the other Grade C contestants sitting nearby. Her words made them seem inferior and even superficial by comparison.

Now, as they watched the “unlucky” Chu Yuanqing stumble, they couldn’t help but feel a sense of schadenfreude:

“She’s so bad. Did she really never learn vocal music?”

“Completely tone-deaf. Her popularity must just be pure luck.”

“No foundation in dance or vocal music. Competing for a dream? Isn’t that laughable?”

“Yesterday, she acted all high and mighty, but now look at her. Probably knew she couldn’t compete with real talent, so she staged everything during the live broadcast to attract fans. Quite cunning.”

Time seemed to crawl.

Though Chu Yuanqing didn’t pretend and honestly revealed her true abilities, her near-zero foundation in vocal music left her vulnerable. Each time she tried, she was interrupted and denied, forced to restart her performance.

By the time Zhao Dapan interrupted her for the eighth time, something unexpected happened.

The girl felt an overwhelming sense of joy, and her gaze toward Zhao Dapan softened.

Of course! Most talent show audiences are drawn to strong performers. Dummies who can’t even sing well? They’re bound to be disliked. Eliminating them would be a piece of cake!

But Zhao Dapan suddenly felt his heart skip a beat under Chu Yuanqing’s gaze. The words he’d prepared to say caught in his throat, refusing to come out.

It was no secret among the mentors that Chu Yuanqing lacked vocal training and sang poorly. Her flaws were as evident as her inexplicable popularity.

By choosing her for this moment, Zhao Dapan had intended to capitalize on that mismatch. Her glaring weaknesses, contrasted with her popularity, would surely create excitement and controversy, drawing attention to Dazzling Stage and boosting its success.

Even though his actions were ultimately for the benefit of the show, not out of direct malice toward Chu Yuanqing, something about her teary-eyed gaze struck a chord.

For the first time, Zhao Dapan felt a pang of guilt and a heaviness in his chest.

It was unbelievable.

Having spent many years in the entertainment industry, Zhao Dapan thought he was immune to being swayed by just a handsome face—let alone succumbing to sudden pangs of conscience or emotional turmoil.

Yet, the emotions stirring within him now felt more like unease and guilt, as though he were trespassing on sacred ground.

In that moment, Zhao Dapan understood what Chen Baijiu had once complained about in private.

There was an inexplicable sense of sacredness about Chu Yuanqing, a quality that demanded respect.

Though unassuming like plain water, she carried a quiet dignity that refreshed and soothed, leaving an impression long after.

Even though the unease lingered, Zhao Dapan pushed forward. He gently interrupted her performance, offering earnest feedback and carefully pointing out the flaws in her singing.

For her part, Chu Yuanqing felt a twinge of shame, but she kept her composure, determined to face the challenge.

With the vocal teacher putting in so much effort, if she still couldn’t improve, wouldn’t it mean she was wasting public resources and taking up the valuable training time of other trainees?

After all, the secondary rating was a critical turning point in determining the fate of everyone present.

Chu Yuanqing wanted to be eliminated, but not at the expense of others.

With this thought in mind, she entered a state of intense focus—a “Heart Flow.”

Her mind raced, rapidly piecing together an analysis based on the music theory she had studied the night before. Drawing from the tutor’s insightful advice, she seamlessly integrated their corrections into her performance.

The girl wholeheartedly embraced the learning process, absorbing knowledge like a sponge soaking up water. She repeatedly gained insights, diligently adjusted her breathing and scales, and worked hard to improve with each singing session.

The efficiency of her understanding and the speed at which she responded to feedback were remarkable.

Unfortunately, “Heart Flow” was not a miracle cure.

Chu Yuanqing had only just begun vocal training. She had yet to develop the muscle memory required in critical areas—her throat, tongue base, pharyngeal wall, vocal cord edges, and even her smiling muscles.

This lack of foundational “hardware”, combined with gaps in her knowledge, led her progress to hit a subtle bottleneck.

As a result, the small but meaningful improvements she made went unnoticed by the other contestants.

Zhao Dapan was deeply impressed. Drawing on his years of experience in the industry, he quickly assessed Chu Yuanqing’s situation. Behind the sunglasses, his eyes sparkled with growing enthusiasm.

This is a true gemstone!

First, Chu Yuanqing possessed a voice with a unique recognition factor.

In a girl group, standing out among many members is essential. Having a distinct and memorable quality is something every member aspires to, and she already had it naturally.

Second, her mental strength was extraordinary. Despite being interrupted multiple times, she accepted her mistakes without hesitation and continued singing without losing composure. This calm and collected demeanor, reminiscent of her debut stage, was a rare and invaluable quality in a contestant.

And her sense of rhythm? Exceptional.

It wasn’t surprising that Chen Baijiu had praised her rhythm during the debut evaluation—it was clearly one of her standout strengths.

For beginners, understanding musical scales often feels vague and abstract. Yet, Chu Yuanqing seemed to instinctively grasp the right answers.

If not for her lack of foundational training leading to technical issues, learning the song Candy would have been completely effortless for her.

Zhao Dapan was thrilled by her progress. His enthusiasm for teaching her grew with every small breakthrough.

Through continuous interruptions and guidance,

Chu Yuanqing finally managed to complete singing ‘Candy’, though she stumbled a bit along the way.

It was during this time that the other participants began to notice something unusual.

During the normal demonstration and testing, each person would only be given three or four chances to sing a sentence at most.

Even though Chu Yuanqing had been interrupted countless times and hadn’t been asked to change partners by the coach, it was clear she either had royal blood or possessed something truly exceptional.

Soon after, Zhao Dapan stopped guiding her and instructed her to sing the entire song again from the beginning.

Chu Yuanqing’s singing style still sounded immature and clumsy.

However, the various issues—being off-key, incorrect vocalization, breathing errors, and unclear enunciation—were all noticeably corrected and improved. This allowed her distinctive voice to shine for the first time, making the whole song sound surprisingly pleasant.

At the same time,

The expressions of the other trainees in the room subtly shifted.

Although Chu Yuanqing’s singing wasn’t perfect, it was undeniably a remarkable improvement compared to the beginning. If this process were edited into the show, it would serve as a powerful motivational narrative of overcoming obstacles.

Wow! How can someone improve so quickly? Are they cheating?!