Chapter 4: "A Clear Day"

Zhou Ran took a deep breath on stage, adjusting his state of mind. After all, he could see the expressions of the audience below at a glance—some of them were filled with disdain.

“Come on, Zhou Ran, just pretend the people below are wooden statues, just air; you can’t fail!”
“Hold on, even if you have to wet your pants, just wait until it’s over.”

He composed himself internally; after all, he’d never faced such an occasion before. Fortunately, Zhou Ran’s mental fortitude was quite good, and he adapted quickly.

“Hello everyone, I’m Zhou Ran. Today I’ll be performing an original song, ‘Sunny Day.’” Adjusting the microphone, he prepared to sing.

He gave the band a quick OK sign. The accompaniment began, and Zhou Ran started playing his guitar. The gentle music floated softly, enveloping everyone’s ears.

The story’s little yellow flower
Has drifted since the year it was born
The childhood swing
Sways on in memory to this day

Re So So Si Do Si La
So La Si Si Si Si La Si La So

Zhou Ran’s voice lingered at the ears of the audience. Opening with “Sunny Day” was a bold move—a direct bombshell. The popularity of this song on Earth was unquestionable. Among Jay Chou’s many works, it ranked near the top, and whenever it was performed at concerts, it always sparked a small climax.

This was the source of Zhou Ran’s confidence; besides, the song suited his age. At seventeen or eighteen, it would be strange to write about life and death or the hardships of time—just thinking about it felt odd to him.

The cameras turned to the audience—most of them started nodding their heads to the rhythm.

“This song is interesting!” Ji Song, who had just finished performing and was resting backstage, perked up at the sound.

As Zhou Ran sang, he became more immersed, slipping into his own world, caring nothing for others’ gazes—just singing as he pleased.

[Once upon a time, there was someone who loved you for a long time
But little by little, the wind blew the distance ever further
It was hard enough to love you one more day
But at the end of the story, it seems you still said goodbye]

“This is so well sung!” Zhang Wei, an audience member, had at first dismissed Zhou Ran as just passing through, but as he listened, his eyes moistened.

He remembered his own school days and the girl he once had a crush on. Though her name was lost to time, the feeling was vivid and fresh—so youthful, so naive, and yet so sweet.

It had been a long time since Zhang Wei felt this way, but Zhou Ran’s song took him straight back to his youth. And he wasn’t alone—many in the audience felt the same.

“Wow, is it really this good?” Bai Ning, watching from below, was stunned.

This performance was far better than the rehearsal; Zhou Ran’s voice, guitar, and the accompaniment blended harmoniously, evoking memories of adolescent days.

Zhou Ran’s performance made Wei Gang realize that, during a competition, it wasn’t always necessary to sing upbeat songs. Though they could easily rile up the crowd, quiet songs had their own advantages—they could gently convey emotion, allowing people to savor it slowly.

[Once upon a time, there was someone who loved you for a long time
But little by little, the rain blew the distance ever further
It was hard enough to love you one more day
But at the end of the story, it seems you still said goodbye]

As he finished the last line, the story ended—and so did his performance.

Ji Song nodded in approval. It was a romantic ballad of youth, filled with poetry and longing—a gentle melancholy, like a prose poem. The song spoke of the innocence and sweetness of first love, the rebelliousness of adolescence—everyone who listened took away something different.

Ji Song grew very curious about Zhou Ran, eager to know more.

As Zhou Ran ended, he strummed the guitar strings, the notes pulling the audience from their reverie.

A wave of applause rang out.

This applause was both an affirmation of Zhou Ran’s performance and a silent apology for having underestimated him at the start.

“Thank you all for your applause. Thank you to the band for your support,” Zhou Ran said with a slight bow to the audience and the band.

“My god, this song is so comforting. I want to put it on repeat on my phone.”
“This newcomer is amazing—his singing is just right.”
“He’s the complete opposite of Ji Song!”

The audience was abuzz with discussion.

Meanwhile, in the assembly hall, all the contestants had gathered—except for Zhou Ran. Many of them were genuinely surprised by his performance.

To the untrained eye, it was just entertainment, but to professionals, the artistry was evident. As singers themselves, they could judge the caliber of the performance: no deliberate showboating, the singing was just right. It was hard to believe this was its first public performance—the details were handled so well, it was as if they’d heard others sing it a hundred times.

All seven contestants had already remembered Zhou Ran’s name.

As Zhou Ran’s manager, Bai Ning was excited. Judging by the audience’s response, there was a high chance he’d advance.

She was eager to continue working with Zhou Ran. Who could resist a handsome, talented young singer?

Soon, Zhou Ran arrived at the hall. The seven singers stopped chatting as he entered.

“Hello, everyone. I’m Zhou Ran. Sorry to keep you waiting,” he said, a little nervous. After all, these were previously unreachable goals, standing before him now.

“Hello!” Ji Song, the elder brother, was the first to greet him.

With Ji Song taking the lead, the other six greeted him enthusiastically as well.

Zhang Yuan: “Hi there, handsome!”
Xu Kun: “Your performance was impressive!”
Shen Wei: “You sang beautifully, and your songwriting is excellent—you’re really talented.”

The contestants exchanged greetings, whether sincere or polite, as etiquette demanded.

Not long after, the host, Cai Xu, arrived with the final voting results in hand.

Director Ning Wei gave Zhou Ran a special look as he entered, clearly surprised by today’s performance. He hadn’t expected that doing a favor for Li Mi would bring such a big surprise. If he could do this kind of favor a hundred times, he’d do it gladly.

Ning Wei began reading out the votes:

Ji Song: 890 votes
Phoenix Band: 851 votes
Li Di: 840 votes
Jin Kun: 823 votes
Shen Wei: 820 votes
Zhang Yuan: 804 votes
Amu: 801 votes
Zhou Ran...