155: Chapter 155 Remember to show them what traditional Chinese style is.

Backstage waiting area.

Shen Qingxue sat in front of the vanity mirror.

Lu Li stood beside her with his hands in his pockets, his gaze falling on the television screen in the waiting area.

"Are you nervous?"

Lu Li turned his head to glance at her.

Shen Qingxue met his gaze in the mirror, thought for a moment, and shook her head slightly.

"I'm okay."

"Stubborn."

Lu Li smiled, took a piece of candy from his pocket, and handed it to her.

"Here, replenish your sugar and sweeten your throat."

Shen Qingxue lowered her head to glance at the brightly packaged candy in his palm and shook her head.

"No, I've eaten enough sugar today."

"Oh, just eat it."

Lu Li selectively ignored her, peeled the wrapper off the candy, and popped it into her mouth.

It was peach-flavored.

Shen Qingxue gave him a reproachful glare, but it lacked any bite.

"What number are you going up?"

Lu Li pulled over a chair and sat down next to her.

"The last one."

Shen Qingxue paused and added,

"This time it's the top sixteen to eight. As soon as we finish singing, the list of those advancing will be announced directly, and then the topic for the next match will be revealed."

Lu Li nodded, leaned back in his chair, crossed his legs, and looked at the television screen.

On the screen, the first contestant had already taken the stage.

It was a girl wearing a bright red Hanfu with plenty of accessories, making her look like she had stepped right out of a historical costume drama.

The lyrics of the song she sang were piled high with imagery from ancient poems...

The melody was quite impassioned, but it always felt like something was missing.

Netizens in the livestream chat were already flooding the screen.

"Another one stacking up words... Big sis, can we get something original for once?"

"I feel like I've seen these lyrics somewhere before. Are they Frankensteined together?"

"Guofeng isn't just about wearing a Hanfu and singing a few ancient verses..."

"Vegetable leaves and eggs are ready, who wants them?"

"If they aren't rotten eggs, I'm not throwing them. Do as you see fit."

Before long, the second contestant went up. It was a boy holding a guitar, singing a so-called "Guofeng folk song".

The lyrics repeatedly featured words like "Chang'an hometown" and "bright moon and clear breeze", but it still fell a bit short.

"This is alright, but you forget it as soon as you finish listening. There's no memorable hook."

"Is the Guofeng theme too difficult? Why does it feel like none of them hit the right vibe?"

"To be frank, the Guofeng genre has already been written dry. Everyone might as well pack up and leave now."

"To be frank, my foot! You've been talking nonsense, okay? Shen Qingxue hasn't even gone up yet, what are you freaking out for?"

"Looking forward to the goddess! Looking forward to the goddess! Looking forward to the goddess!"

"Seriously, I don't have high hopes for Shen Qingxue either. Guofeng is just those few words and melodies no matter how you write it, what's so innovative about it?"

The competition had just begun, and a large number of netizens had already started cursing at each other.

Along with that, the livestream's traffic dropped by a notch.

There was no help for it; these contesting contestants were each more disappointing than the last.

Lu Li was almost falling asleep watching, leaning back in his chair and letting out a yawn.

Shen Qingxue turned her head to look at him.

"Are you sleepy?"

"Not sleepy, it's just hypnotic."

Lu Li rubbed his eyes.

"How should I put these songs... It's like a plate of dishes that look decent, but taste bland."

Shen Qingxue froze for a moment, then the corners of her mouth curved up slightly.

"Your analogy is quite apt."

"Naturally."

Lu Li straightened up and glanced at the television screen.

"What number was that?"

"That was the seventh, eight more to go."

Shen Qingxue glanced at the time on her phone and offered a word of comfort.

"It should be soon."

In the next hour, the remaining contestants took the stage one by one.

Things like opera arias, the guzheng, and poems directly set to music...

Everyone was working hard to interpret the two characters "Guofeng", but the results were mixed.

The barrage in the livestream had changed from initial anticipation to teasing, and from teasing to numbness.

"I finally understand now that Guofeng isn't something you can pull off just by wearing a Hanfu and singing a few ancient verses."

"Please, give us a truly good song. My ears are about to give out."

"In the past, no matter what, at least a hit pop song would come out. Why is this year so pathetic?"

"Indeed, utterly pathetic. I can't bear to listen anymore."

"I'm completely numb. In the past, people would curse even if a hit pop song came out, but this year, even a pop song has become an extravagant hope."

"Not watching anymore, I'm out. If my ears keep listening to this, I'm going to go deaf."

Lu Li was also holding his phone, scrolling through the netizens' barrage, watching happily.

"What are you looking at? You're smiling so sneakily."

Shen Qingxue's voice came from beside him.

Lu Li snapped back to reality and touched the corner of his mouth.

"Did I smile?"

"You did, and you smiled in a way that just begs for a beating," Shen Qingxue said expressionlessly.

Lu Li coughed and sat up straight.

"I was just thinking about what the judges' and audience's expressions will look like later when you go on stage and finish singing "hair like snow"."

Shen Qingxue glanced at him and didn't reply.

Because there was no need to reply—he was asking a question he already knew the answer to!

Another period of time passed.

On the television screen in the waiting area, the second-to-last contestant had finished singing and was receiving comments from the judges.

The score wasn't high, with an average score of 8.2, barely advancing.

The host walked onto the stage with a smile, their voice resounding.

"Thank you Contestant Number Fifteen for the wonderful performance! Next, let's welcome our final contestant today... Shen Qingxue!"

Almost as soon as the words fell, the livestream's popularity gradually began to rise back up.

Many people had timed it right down to when Shen Qingxue would appear, and a massive wave of viewers returned.

In the waiting area, Shen Qingxue stood up from her chair. She took a deep breath and turned her head to look at Lu Li.

Lu Li smiled at her and gave her a thumbs-up.

"Go ahead, and let them experience what true Guofeng is."

Shen Qingxue nodded slightly and turned to walk toward the stage entrance.

Her back cast a slender shadow under the corridor lights, and her ink-wash-painting-style long dress swayed gently with her footsteps.

Lu Li leaned back in his chair, resting his hands behind his head, his gaze falling on the television screen.

On the screen, Shen Qingxue walked out from the side wings.

The stage lights dimmed at that moment, leaving only a single spotlight enveloping her.

She stood in the center of the stage, bowing slightly with graceful and composed movements.

The applause offstage reached its peak at this moment.

The barrage in the livestream also exploded instantly at this moment.

"She's here, she's here, she's here! The goddess has finally arrived!"

"This outfit is so gorgeous, she looks like she stepped right out of a painting!"

"So excited! What kind of divine song has Lu Li written this time?"

"Stop flooding the chat up there, let me watch! Let me watch!"

No matter how much public opinion Shen Qingxue had faced before, at this very moment, the cheers for her had also reached a peak.

Of course, if she didn't sing well, it would be another round of being slandered by the entire internet.

The host smiled and walked up to her, their tone enthusiastic.

"Teacher Shen, welcome to our grand stage!"

Shen Qingxue nodded slightly and took the microphone.

"Thank you."

The host paused and continued to ask, "Teacher Shen, as we all know, you've achieved exceptionally outstanding results in the previous matches."

"Especially that 9.8 score in the semi-finals, which is still the highest score of this competition so far. So what kind of surprise will you bring everyone in today's finals?"

Shen Qingxue thought for a moment, then began, "The song I'm going to sing today will definitely bring everyone a surprise! It's called "hair like snow"."

She paused, swept her gaze across the audience below, and added,

"The lyrics, music, and arrangement were once again completed entirely by my partner, Lu Li, all by himself."