84: Chapter 84 The Wind Rises, Everyone Stands Up

The entire Studio plunged into darkness.

The number of viewers in the Livestream Room jumped to 15.2 million.

On stage, a spotlight fell from the dome, hitting Shen Nian.

She walked out from the left curtain.

Wearing a white shirt dress, her hair flowing softly over her shoulders, with no extra accessories.

Standing in that beam of light, she looked clean to the point of being unreal.

Shen Nian took the microphone off the stand.

"Hello everyone, I am Shen Nian. This song is called 'the wind rises'."

There was no extra self-introduction, nor any sensational buildup.

After speaking, she nodded toward the band on the side of the stage.

Seeing Jiang Fan standing at the side entrance out of the corner of her eye, most of her nervousness vanished.

The prelude began.

Piano notes flowed out slowly.

Shen Nian closed her eyes for a moment.

When she opened them again, she began to sing.

"Walking and stopping along this journey, following the traces of a drifting youth."

"The moment before stepping out of the station, I was actually a bit hesitant—"

The first line came out, and Producer Chen Kexin on the mentor's seat was instantly interested. This melody...

Shen Nian's voice was completely different from the rehearsal.

During the rehearsal, she had held back, giving only fifty or sixty percent.

"I can't help but laugh at this reluctance to leave home, which is still unavoidable, and the sky in Nagano is still so warm, the wind stirs up the past—"

Her breath control was very stable.

The tail of every note was finished cleanly and neatly, without any dragging.

But what truly made people pause wasn't the technique.

It was the emotion.

Shen Nian's voice began to climb.

It rose naturally along the arc of the melody, layering level by level, hanging steadily at the highest point without a hint of tremor.

"Once I was familiar with this world, lingering on everything. Looking at the horizon as if it were right before my eyes, I was willing to go through fire and water just to walk it once."

Some girls in the Audience Jury covered their mouths, their eyes full of tears.

At this moment, whether it was the Audience Jury on site or those watching the livestream, everyone was completely infected by the song.

They all involuntarily thought of that most unforgettable person from their past.

So this is what 'the wind rises' means...

"Now walking through this world, lingering on everything. Flipping through the different profiles of the years, unexpectedly stumbling into your smile."

The second chorus was half a key higher than the first.

Shen Nian's voice went up without any hesitation.

On the mentor's seat.

Tang Yingxue's expression was no longer as composed as before.

Her crossed legs were put down.

During the interlude, the band's guitarist added an improvised arpeggio, leaving eight beats of breathing time for Shen Nian.

Shen Nian stood in the center of the stage, her chest heaving twice.

The spotlight hit her face, and one could see something swirling in her eyes.

But she didn't let it fall.

The final chorus.

"I was once unable to extricate myself from the vastness of the world, and indulged in its dream talk."

"Not knowing what's real or fake, making no struggle, fearing no ridicule."

When Shen Nian sang these three "no's," her entire state changed.

She wasn't afraid anymore.

She wasn't afraid of anything.

"Where the heart moves, just follow the wind. Walking against the light, letting the wind and rain beat down."

Shen Nian's voice fell, as light as a feather.

The band stopped.

The vast Studio was dead silent; everyone seemed to be lost in memories.

One second. Two seconds. Three seconds.

Then, applause exploded.

Among the five hundred Audience Jury members, more than half stood up.

The bullet comments in the Livestream Room were completely flooded.

The screen was densely packed, making it impossible to see other content—

[I cried, I cried]

[Shen Nian!!!!]

[Love rises with the wind, the wind stops but the feelings remain unsettled!]

Many netizens broke down upon seeing this comment; many people hadn't had a chance to say goodbye, yet they would never see them again.

Side stage area.

Jiang Fan leaned against the wall, both hands in his trouser pockets.

The curve of his lips was very slight, but it never disappeared.

Zhou Yutong was already crying like a dog, her shoulders heaving.

On stage, Shen Nian stood in place, the microphone hanging by her side.

The applause lasted for nearly twenty seconds before slowly dying down.

When Teacher He walked up, his eyes were also red.

"Shen Nian—" He paused, "Welcome back."

Four words.

Shen Nian smiled at him and nodded.

Teacher He turned to the mentor's seat. "Let's ask the three mentors for their comments."

Heavenly King Zhou picked up the microphone.

"I don't want to talk about technique, pitch, or breath control." He shook his head, "These things are not worth mentioning in front of the performance just now."

He looked at Shen Nian.

"You reminded me of myself standing on stage for the first time twenty years ago. Back then, I had nothing, just a broken guitar. But that feeling—" He pointed to his chest, "It was full."

There was another round of applause on site.

Producer Chen Kexin took over.

"I'll just say one thing. Who wrote this song?"

Shen Nian raised the microphone: "Jiang Fan."

Producer Chen nodded: "The Jiang Fan who wrote 'blue and white porcelain'?"

"Yes."

"Good songs go with good voices." Producer Chen pushed up his glasses, "If this song were given to someone else to sing, it might not have this effect. But when you sing it, it comes alive. Because your experience matches the expression of this song. The audience can hear what is real and what is fake."

He put down the microphone and said no more.

Finally, the camera turned to Tang Yingxue.

The attention of the whole venue focused on her.

The bullet comments in the Livestream Room also slowed down—everyone was waiting for her to speak.

Tang Yingxue raised the microphone and looked at Shen Nian.

"The song 'the wind rises' has a very good melody, and the lyrics are written sincerely. Shen Nian's vocal condition is not bad, and her emotional expression is also in place."

Side stage area, Zhou Yutong let out a sigh of relief, muttering softly: "Thank goodness, thank goodness, she didn't look for trouble..."

Then Tang Yingxue changed the subject.

"But—"

Once this "but" came out, the Livestream Room went quiet.

Zhou Yutong's heart, which had just settled, jumped back into her throat.

"I want to say something that might not sound very pleasant."

Tang Yingxue tilted her head, her tone still calm.

"For a singer, relying on one good song is not enough."

"Shen Nian's performance tonight is indeed infectious, but how much of this infectiousness comes from the singing technique itself, and how much comes from the 'story bonus' brought by her personal experience—"

She paused for a beat.

"I think the Audience Jury should think clearly about this question when voting."

The Livestream Room exploded.

[What does Tang Yingxue mean by this?]

[Is she implying that Shen Nian is selling misery??]

[She's not wrong, there is indeed a story bonus]

[Bullshit! Her singing skills are right there!]

Zhou Yutong, who had just returned to the lounge and sat down, stood up abruptly.

"What does she mean! What is a story bonus! Sister Nian sang so well, does she have a problem with her ears!"

Jiang Fan watched the broadcast screen without speaking.

No surprise.

Tang Yingxue didn't directly attack Shen Nian's singing—that would be too stupid and would be backlashed by public opinion.

You think she sang well, is it really good, or were you moved by her story?

Once this question is planted in the minds of the Audience Jury, it will shake the votes that were originally going to be cast for Shen Nian.

Smart, but useless.

Heavenly King Zhou took the microphone and coughed.

"Let me add two sentences."

His voice was much steadier than Tang Yingxue's, carrying the weight of an old-school musician.

"Yingxue has a point; the thing called story bonus does exist."

The bullet comments began to lean towards Tang Yingxue again—

[Does Heavenly King Zhou think so too?]

[It's over, it's over]

Heavenly King Zhou hadn't finished speaking.

"But—"

He leaned his body forward.

"A singer being able to sing their own experiences into a song and make the listeners empathize is, in itself, an ability."

He put down the microphone and leaned back in his chair.

"Shen Nian's 'the wind rises' tonight is one of the most comfortable live performances I've heard this year. I'm done."

The wind in the Livestream Room turned around instantly.

[Heavenly King Zhou is awesome!]

[Directly confronting Tang Yingxue!]

[Old seniors have weight when they speak]

[Two mentors have opposite opinions, this show is worth watching]

[Heavenly King Zhou is right, people who can sing their experiences into songs have talent themselves]

Tang Yingxue didn't say anything else, put the microphone back on the stand, and crossed her legs.

Her expression showed no joy or anger.

Teacher He took over: "Alright, thank you to the three mentors for their wonderful comments!"

He walked to the center of the stage and spread his arms.

"Next—let's invite all eight of our singers to come on stage! The final ranking for the first episode is about to be revealed!"