Chapter 7: "So What If I'm the First to Appear?"

When Zhou Ran woke up and checked her phone, she was stunned. A flood of unread messages greeted her—some from high school classmates she hadn't spoken to in ages, some from former colleagues. She hadn’t received so many messages in a whole year. Truly, wealth brings distant relatives from the mountains, while poverty leaves one with no neighbors at the door.

After seeing a message from Yang Mi, Zhou Ran immediately called her back. Yang Mi picked up after a moment.

“Hello, Sister Mi?”

“Well, the big star is finally awake?” Yang Mi teased her with a playful tone.

“Oh, no, no, please don’t make fun of me.” Zhou Ran felt embarrassed.

“All right, let’s be serious. You need to seize this opportunity. And don’t naively trust everyone—this business is full of people who’ll devour you without leaving a bone behind!” Yang Mi’s voice grew earnest.

“Don’t take on any endorsements yet. Learn to hold back and wait for the right moment, okay?”

“Don’t worry, Sister Mi, who am I if not careful! No problem at all.” Zhou Ran joked, but Yang Mi’s words were firmly imprinted in her mind.

“Good, do your best! I’ll be watching your show.” With that, Yang Mi hung up.

After the call, Zhou Ran smiled, her lips curled upward. Without realizing it, she had already merged the original owner’s memories with her own; you are me, I am you.

After replying to all the messages, Zhou Ran got up, ready to head to the recording site. Tonight, they would film the second episode.

“Wei, how does it feel after the show aired?” Zhang Yuan asked.

“Pretty good. My agent called this morning to say a bunch of gigs reached out after the episode aired.” Shen Wei was amazed—that’s the power of popularity.

“Hey, do you know who the surprise guest is for this episode?” The contestants began to discuss.

“I heard someone say it’s a singer from Hong Kong!” Xu Kun chimed in, joining the excitement.

“Oh, it doesn’t matter who it is. Just focus on doing your own part,” Ji Song, who disliked such speculation, interjected. For him, it was enough to complete his performance—why worry about anything else?

“Ran, how’s your song preparation for this episode?” Ji Song noticed Zhou Ran sitting alone and approached her.

“Oh! Don’t worry, Teacher Ji, I think I’m pretty well prepared this time. I’m confident.” Zhou Ran hadn’t expected Ji Song to speak to her.

The entertainment industry is a place where only the strong survive. Zhou Ran planned to quietly listen from the sidelines, never thinking Ji Song would call her out.

Soon, the managers returned, carrying the new performance order.

“My goodness, Miss Bai, your luck is unbeatable!” Zhou Ran was shocked to see Bai Ning’s draw.

Last time, she drew eighth place; this time, fate flipped and she got first.

The contestants laughed when they saw Zhou Ran was first on stage—so long as it wasn’t them, it was all good.

“Ah, sorry! It wasn’t on purpose!” Bai Ning was embarrassed; who knew her luck would be so bad these days? She couldn’t draw a crystal in games, and now she’d drawn the top spot in the ranking.

First place was the least desirable spot, the one most likely to be singled out.

Zhou Ran had no intention of blaming Bai Ning; her joke was just to lighten the mood. As Teacher Ji Song had just said, focus on your own work; a strong foundation is essential. Just go with the flow.

On stage, the host’s voice rang out: “Let’s welcome the first performer, who was also last episode’s winner. Please welcome Zhou Ran!”

Clapping erupted as soon as the host finished. Zhou Ran’s previous performance had left a deep impression, converting many viewers into fans.

Zhou Ran stepped onto the stage, holding the microphone lightly: “The song I’ll perform next is an original piece called ‘Dissolving Sorrow.’”

“Wow!”

“Another original?”

“Will it be as good as last time?”

The audience buzzed with speculation.

On stage, the sound of the electric piano began.

A simple, lonely melody filled the stage, enveloping everyone.

The audience’s attention was drawn entirely to Zhou Ran; the prelude had already captivated them.

As the electric piano played, the guitar gradually joined in, intensifying the prelude and deepening the sense of solitude.

When the introduction ended, Zhou Ran began to sing:

[When you step into this hall of joy,
Carrying all your dreams and hopes,
Each face adorned with makeup,
No one remembers what you look like,
After three rounds of drinks you linger in a corner,
Stubbornly singing bitter songs,
Hearing them drowned out by the din,
You raise your glass and speak to yourself.]

Zhou Ran stood quietly on stage, softly singing, as if telling a story.

While everyone else mingled and laughed, Zhou Ran stood alone with her glass.

In the corner, she watched silently.

The accompaniment gradually swelled, the story nearing its climax.

As the chorus began, Zhou Ran’s voice was released:

[A cup to the sunrise,
A cup to the moonlight,
Awakening my longing, softening the cold window,
So I can fly against the wind without looking back,
Unafraid of rain in my heart or frost in my eyes.
A cup to my hometown,
A cup to the distant lands,
Guarding my kindness, pushing me to grow,
So the roads north and south are no longer endless.]

“Wow!”

When Zhou Ran finished the chorus, the audience erupted in thunderous applause.

Her song struck directly at their hearts.

Life’s journey is full of obstacles, but we must face them; no matter what, life goes on.

“Dissolving Sorrow” resonated deeply with the crowd.

Nobody wants to be a cog in the machine, but everyone is.

Backstage, the chatter faded; everyone listened quietly to Zhou Ran, each moved in their own way.

Ji Song’s expression changed with Zhou Ran’s song—sometimes wistful, sometimes full of feeling.

He felt Zhou Ran’s lyrics were truly top-notch.

As for our little diva Zhang Yuan, she was intensely curious about Zhou Ran.

She felt the loneliness in Zhou Ran’s music, the reflections on life, and the deep, low voice paired with the melody was perfect.

Well then, after dawn, people always leave in haste,
The sober are the most absurd...

When Zhou Ran sang the final note, the venue fell into a brief silence, followed by a tidal wave of applause.