Chapter Seventy-Eight: The Outcome Has Changed

Her smile made Li Zhe's heart skip a beat. How enchanting it could be when a girl known for her sharp tongue suddenly became gentle and poetic, Dong Yanyan did not know; she only knew that it would be enough if she could captivate Ren Jiaxuan. A woman does not need to win the affection of every man—she only needs to win over the one she likes. Every girl needs someone to appreciate and cherish her; fortunately, the boy who knew how to do just that had appeared so soon in her life.

She felt incredibly lucky.

At exactly six in the evening, the lights in the small auditorium on the sixth floor blazed on. Ren Jiaxuan and Du Jingxuan walked hand-in-hand onto the freshly decorated stage. Tonight, he wore a silver-gray suit, elegant and striking, the bright lights illuminating him so brilliantly he seemed to radiate light.

Dong Yanyan watched him from below, a smile on her lips and a happiness swelling in her chest: such an outstanding boy was her boyfriend.

“Honored teachers, dear classmates, good evening!” Ren Jiaxuan and Du Jingxuan began their opening remarks, radiating joy.

With a few words of welcome, they announced the first contestant. The lights shifted, the accompaniment began, and Lin Mei entered in a beautiful gown, singing Sun Yue’s “For This Day.”

Listening to Lin Mei sing was a true delight. Her vocal range was wide, her voice beautiful, and there was a noble elegance to her when she sang main melodies. In truth, Dong Yanyan preferred her Cantonese songs, which had a unique charm. Such a woman was truly born to captivate.

Knowing Lin Mei was the predetermined winner, Dong Yanyan didn’t hold back and gave her a score of 9.75.

Li Ling was third in line. Her high notes were unmatched in the school, having studied vocal music since childhood. The only flaw was that her looks weren’t quite stunning. This time, she sang her signature piece, “Tibetan Plateau.” In Dong Yanyan’s memory, she had come in second.

Teacher Wang nodded repeatedly, giving her 9.6. Beauty Yang gave 9.55. The other judges gave marks just slightly below Lin Mei’s. Li Zhe, with much fanfare, gave the highest score. Zhao Jing couldn’t hide the pride on her face.

Dong Yanyan did a quick calculation. Because Lin Mei performed first, her score was set almost too high from the start. Lin Mei’s average was 9.7, with Li Ling just a little over a point behind. It was impossible for anyone to exceed those two; to slip in between them was simply out of the question.

She began to feel sorry for Liu Siying. This determined girl had spent the week practically eating and sleeping with her tapes, practicing every word and note, headphones still on even as she slept. Now, the only hope was for her to surpass the two beauties from the broadcasting class.

Liu Siying was fourth to perform, and Dong Yanyan was surprised to feel a flicker of nervousness.

Liu Siying stood at center stage and bowed gracefully to the audience. Then, she nodded to Song Mingcheng below the stage. He started the accompaniment tape, and the gentle piano notes filled the air, the soft lights casting a perfect glow on her flawlessly made-up face. As the music flowed over her focused eyes, her expression became intent.

“Are you going to Scarborough Fair? Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme…” Her ethereal, haunting voice floated out like an orchid blooming in a hidden valley, quieting the hearts of all who listened.

Li Zhe sucked in a breath beside her. Dong Yanyan curled her lips in a smile: her first two lines were perfect. The first impression matters most in a song—if the opening line captures the judges, even a minor slip in the middle can be forgiven, as long as the ending is strong.

As planned, Song Mingcheng controlled the lights impeccably. A spotlight followed Liu Siying’s every move in the center, while the background remained dim, putting her in the sole focus of all and drawing every listener into the song.

When the song ended, the lights blazed and the applause was thunderous, even more enthusiastic than for Li Ling.

Dong Yanyan saw Lin Mei rush over to Teacher Yang, the two whispering intimately to each other.

“She’s an angel!” Li Zhe was awestruck, giving her a decisive 9.8.

Ren Jiaxuan, after announcing the scores, couldn’t help but laugh. “Looks like we have a dark horse tonight! After dropping the highest score of 9.95 and the lowest of 9.5, contestant number four’s final score is…”

Li Jian grinned mischievously at Li Zhe, who sighed, “I thought my score was high enough, but those two seniors from the other class went even further. Yanyan, she won’t blame me for this, will she?”

Dong Yanyan was in shock as well! The moment Liu Siying started singing, she knew the two seniors from the broadcasting class were doomed to be also-rans. She hadn’t expected Lin Mei to be so generous, even relinquishing the championship.

Liu Siying stood on stage, looking at the audience in disbelief. Dong Yanyan flashed her a victory sign, and only then did she descend in a daze, where the classmates from her own class erupted in excited cheers. Even Teacher Chen was beaming as he hugged her. To have her own student outshine Director Tang’s must have been a surprise even for him.

“Quiet, everyone, please! Tonight’s contest has been full of surprises. Will our fifth contestant bring us an even bigger one? Please welcome contestant number five, Li Yan!” Du Jingxuan’s sweet voice rang out and the room finally quieted.

Dong Yanyan caught sight of Zhao Jing’s increasingly sour expression. If another upset occurred, Li Ling wouldn’t even make the top three.

While the contestants sang, Li Jian scribbled furiously on paper nearby, as did Li Zhe, both likely calculating scores. The senior from the 96 broadcasting class was also hunched over, doing the math.

Dong Yanyan couldn’t be bothered. The senior from 96 was pretty and had a nice voice, but compared to Li Ling, she was still a bit lacking. Dong Yanyan didn’t think she’d make the top three. Whatever the others scored, she’d just follow suit—it didn’t matter anyway, since their class’s Qu Dongliang was sure to take first place in the men’s group. He was the one who sang “O Sole Mio,” and tonight he’d be performing “Farewell My Concubine”—how imposing!

As for Lin Feng—she doubted he expected to place in the top three. She glanced back and saw him chatting quietly with Teacher Chen, looking completely at ease.

Ren Jiaxuan was surely set for second place—wait! Suddenly, her heart skipped a beat! If Siying took the championship this time, the outcome would be changed. It would be different from the first time, all because of her choice! If she hadn’t helped Siying pick that song, maybe the result would never have changed! Had she already begun to alter history? Or was she already affecting this world? Would everything about her future change as well? Then again, if she didn’t change anything, wouldn’t her fate just repeat itself? What would be the point of living again? Suddenly, this place felt unfamiliar and she felt utterly alone. Here, she was an outsider. No one could know the fear and unease in her heart.

“What are you thinking about? The performance is over!” Li Jian nudged her with a laugh.

She snapped out of her reverie and quickly entered her score.

Li Zhe teased her from the side, “Jiaxuan hasn’t even performed yet and you’re already this nervous?”

Dong Yanyan smiled without answering. She suddenly realized he had quite the gossipy streak—despite his usual aloof and elegant demeanor, it was all an act!

“Now that the girls have finished, let’s move on to the first contestant in the men’s group. Broadcasting class, tell me—who is it?” Du Jingxuan bounded onto the stage and called to the audience.

“Ren—Jia—xuan—!” the class of 97 broadcasting shouted in unison.

“What song do you want to hear?” Du Jingxuan held the microphone high and asked loudly.

“Backpack!” came the deafening response.

To wild cheers, Ren Jiaxuan flung off his jacket, ran to center stage in time with the music, and waved dashingly at the crowd.

This was his signature song—the same one he had sung at the welcome party. It wasn’t a particularly difficult song, but it depended on the performer’s ability to work the crowd. As an acting student, he was a master at creating atmosphere, so it was easy for him to get the whole crowd excited.

“My youth that passed through wind and snow, my backpack burdened with years, the dreams of my youth falling like blossoms—who can understand this lonely heart…” Ren Jiaxuan sang as he stylishly waved his left hand toward her.

Dong Yanyan gazed at him on stage, so dazzling he seemed to shine, her heart leaping with excitement. She felt she might just be completely charmed by him.

When it was time to score, she gave him a lovestruck 9.3. Li Zhe, a bit dissatisfied, joked, “Yanyan, suddenly trying to avoid favoritism at such a crucial moment?”

“I think that’s plenty,” Dong Yanyan replied breezily. “He got a bit too hyped this time.” Besides, after the lesson from the girls’ group, who would be foolish enough to give the first contestant too high a score? If no one surpassed him later, it was best to keep the score a bit lower.

Sure enough, when the final scores were tallied, Ren Jiaxuan’s average was exactly 9.3. Li Zhe was surprised again, “Sister, you’re the benchmark!”

Dong Yanyan just smiled. She didn’t even know how she remembered that Ren Jiaxuan’s average was 9.3, but she was sure that score would earn him second place. The other contestants took the stage one after another, and when the men’s group finished, the judges began nervously calculating the totals.

Meanwhile, the stage played host to duet performances from the male and female groups.

Lin Mei and Ren Jiaxuan, as usual, were the first pair to warm up the stage. Lin Mei sang the Cantonese song “I Have an Appointment with Spring,” while Ren Jiaxuan stood slightly to her side, quietly playing the saxophone. Just that scene alone was enough to draw the audience into a world tinged with the melancholy of passing years.

Dong Yanyan was utterly captivated. “This song suits her temperament so much more—it’s on a whole different level from the Sun Yue number earlier. Why didn’t she sing this in the competition?” she murmured without thinking.

“That was a lucky accident. The teacher originally arranged for her and Jiaxuan to sing ‘Pearl of the Orient,’ but Jiaxuan absolutely refused, so they switched to this one. Who would have thought the effect would be so good?” Li Zhe said, trying not to laugh.

Hearing this, Dong Yanyan composed herself, shot him a quick, serious glance, and whispered, “No personal talk during working hours!”