244: Chapter 244 Rankings and Eliminations

Chen Yu revealed a smile that carried both a youth's stubbornness and an incomparable sincerity.

"Actually, it's not important."

[Bullet Chat] —

[Critical hit! A double critical hit!]

[That's cold-blooded! 'I think it's important' versus 'You think it's not'! Hahaha!]

[Chi Yushi: Who am I? Where am I? Why am I stuffed already?]

[This dog food is being forced down our throats! But it feels so good!]

The camera instantly cut to a close-up of Chi Yushi!

The music critic, known for his composure and sharp tongue, had a nearly imperceptible twitch in his facial muscles.

He opened his mouth as if to retort, but for a moment, he was actually speechless!

His expression was incredibly complex!

There was the shock of being contradicted, and the wordless exasperation of being force-fed dog food.

Even more so, there was a sense of grievance that seemed to say, "I'm freaking talking to you about musical vision, and you're showing off your relationship, yet I can't even argue back!"

His defenses were shattered!

What kind of move was this?

He had only offered a few professional criticisms, yet this kid not only talked back directly but also scattered a massive handful of dog food in the process.

And it was the kind that was freaking shoved into his mouth, forcing him to swallow!

Ultimately, Chi Yushi said nothing and just took a deep breath.

He set down the microphone with a stiff expression, his eyes seemingly saying: This show is impossible to film!

After a brief silence, the entire venue erupted in applause and cheers—a mix of understanding, amusement, and support!

"Finally, someone can shut Chi Yushi up. He made Momo cry before."

"I'm a fan now! Luckily I voted for him just now. His words are even better than his singing!"

"Aw, if I'd known, I would've voted for him. Too bad he spoke so late!"

The host wore a professional smile: "Now, I will announce the final rankings for tonight's 'Dreams' themed competition!"

"Sixth place, Yun Yi."

As soon as the result was announced, the audience erupted in an uproar!

Teacher Yun Yi herself maintained her calm and elegant smile, as if the ranking had nothing to do with her.

She simply nodded composedly, displaying the true demeanor of an artist.

But the audience and the bullet chat exploded.

[Bullet Chat] —

[What?! Teacher Yun Yi is sixth?! Are you kidding me?!]

[Rigged! This is definitely rigged!]

[Is the live audience deaf? Or is the Production Team just being inhuman?]

[I don't get it. In my heart, she should be number one!]

"Fifth place, Chen Yu."

Chen Yu didn't seem surprised by this ranking; he smiled and accepted it calmly.

This ranking was much lower compared to the previous round.

Some were disappointed, while others were satisfied.

Overall, the fans were in an uproar!

[No way, how can someone so good-looking only be fifth?]

[I still prefer hearing Chen Yu hit those high notes. It's not that this song wasn't good, it just wasn't exciting enough!]

"Fourth place, Su Ruiqi."

Su Ruiqi raised an eyebrow, seemingly a bit dissatisfied with the result, but she quickly masked it with her signature queen-like smile.

She confidently tossed her hair and bowed.

To her, this wasn't the end; she would just fight again in the next round.

I will use my strength to win first place!

"Third place, Yan Zheng."

Hearing his rank, Yan Zheng nodded steadily. His expression showed little emotion as he simply bowed politely.

It fit his usual image.

"Second place, Ling Han."

Ling Han remained as calm as ever. Upon hearing his rank, he bowed slightly with a gentle smile on his face.

For the listeners who loved his music, this position was a massive affirmation.

[Bullet Chat] —

[Ling Han deserves second place!]

[But still... how could Teacher Yun Yi be sixth... I can't accept this!]

"Seventh place, Lou Bingan."

Hearing her rank, Lou Bingan's body swayed almost imperceptibly.

At least she wasn't last, but she could still be eliminated. It was too dangerous.

She forced a smile, but the curve of her lips was very stiff.

This ranking meant she was still struggling on the edge of the elimination zone; the sense of crisis was far greater than in the previous round.

She took a deep breath, her eyes downcast as she bowed, filled with frustration and anxiety.

"Eighth place, Li Fang."

The camera immediately cut to a close-up of Li Fang. His forced smile froze instantly, his eyes widened in disbelief, and he instinctively growled, "Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

His voice wasn't loud, but the microphone captured it clearly.

His face flushed red instantly, filled with humiliation and resentment, completely unable to accept being at the bottom.

Li Fang's pupils constricted; the facial expression management required by his company had spiraled out of control.

[Bullet Chat] —

[Hahaha, he said it! He said 'impossible'! Anything is possible!]

[Don't you have any self-awareness? If your performance isn't at the bottom, whose would be?]

[Where are the fans? Hurry up and do some damage control! Look at this live performance!]

[Li Fang's fans: Rigged! It's definitely rigged! We put in so much effort to vote!]

[My heart aches for our Yuanyuan!]

"First place, Tan Xinya!"

Upon hearing the result, Tan Xinya instantly broke into a radiant smile, tinged with a hint of relief!

She excitedly covered her mouth, then bowed deeply to the audience and the judges' panel.

This was the best reward for her impeccable strength; she had conquered the stage with a perfect performance.

At the same time, she had surpassed the others.

"I said I would win first place!" Tan Xinya thought to herself.

Her eyes instinctively drifted toward Chen Yu, who had been first in the previous round.

He wasn't as dejected as she had imagined; instead, he was smiling, looking quite happy.

"Could it be that he doesn't care about rankings at all?" Before Tan Xinya could think further, she was called upon by the host.

To give her winner's speech.

"Thank you..." Tan Xinya gave a winner's speech.

But this wasn't enough; she wanted every episode, and she wanted the final overall championship!

After Tan Xinya finished, the show moved to an important segment.

"Based on the cumulative rankings and votes from the two competitions, unfortunately, one singer will be temporarily leaving our stage tonight." The host wore a signature smile, intentionally drawing out his words to let the suspense hang in the air.

The host paused, his gaze sweeping over all the singers on stage before finally resting on Lou Bingan, whose face had turned pale, and Li Fang, who still looked defiant.

"And by a very remarkable coincidence..."

The host's voice rose, carrying a sense of ritual as he prepared to reveal the answer.

"Singers Li Fang and Lou Bingan had identical rankings across both competitions. Therefore, the sole criterion for deciding who stays and who goes is their total vote count from both rounds!"

Here it comes!

The most exciting part is here!

As the saying goes, one's joy is built upon another's pain!

The background music changed to a heartbeat sound as dense as falling rain!

The giant screen instantly split in two; on the left was Li Fang's photo and a bar chart of his votes, and on the right was Lou Bingan's.

The vote counts for both began to roll upward at a breathtaking speed, simulating the final tallying process.