She was about to set the place ablaze!

The stage lights dimmed, and Ji Shengxue stood quietly, draped in an immaculate white dress, a soft halo enveloping her figure. The mist from the fog machine rendered the stage even more dreamlike, the spotlight casting her shadow upon the backdrop.

“The wind drifts through the passing years.”
“Unfathomable, is the sorrow and joy in your eyes.”
“Light, dazzling through the night.”
“To rest with you beneath the stars and moon, leaving no regrets in dreams.”

Her gentle voice sang in a lilting murmur. Even during the instrumental, applause erupted, and the live broadcast chat flooded with awed praise.

“Snow is so beautiful!!!”
“I made the right choice coming here—she sings so well, no wonder Director Li praised her by name!”
“What song is this? I’ve never heard it, but it’s gorgeous!”

“That’s a new song by my mentor, the legendary Fang Zhijing of the Billboard,” Ren Feichang from the judges’ table couldn’t hide his pride, introducing it to the guests on either side. “Just wait, the later parts are even better. It’s a fantastic piece.”

To grant Ji Shengxue a flawless debut, her father had used his entertainment industry connections to commission top singer-songwriter Fang Zhijing to craft this song especially for his daughter. The climax of the piece soared to a dauntingly high key, nearly impossible to sing. For two days before the performance, Ji Shengxue had carefully nursed her voice in preparation.

As the song swelled to the chorus, her voice rose ever higher, emotions woven with exquisite nuance, revealing the profound waves of passion within the song:

“Who can cross mountains and seas, yet still await my true heart?”
“Who can wear the stars and cut through the moon, yet still send me their lingering warmth?”
“You say wind and moon are inescapable, love and hate forever unresolved.”
“I’ll toast the wind and snow, and lift a cup to accompany you for life.”

“My god! Snow can sing such high notes!!”
“Queen Snow! My goddess!!”
“I’ve got goosebumps! What kind of heavenly songbird is this!!”
“Woman, is there anything you can’t do?!”

After the first verse, the lyrics cycled again, and the third time only the chorus resounded. At last, the song closed with a gentle, lingering coda. Thunderous applause shook the hall, and the livestream chat scrolled as one:

“King! King! King!”

The camera then “appropriately” shifted to Ji Fanxing, seated upon the King’s Throne. Yet Ji Fanxing maintained her unruffled, aloof demeanor, her air of arrogance provoking the audience to vent their frustration once more:

“Ji Fanxing, get off the stage!”
“Director Li was right, she really doesn’t look like a good person!”

Alas, their indignation was doomed to remain on the screen, never reaching Ji Fanxing. She couldn’t see the comments, and even if she could, she would only sneer at them.

“Congratulations to Ji Shengxue for scoring an impressive 91 points!” The host’s excited announcement finally recalled the audience to their senses.

The scoring system of “King of All Singers” was notoriously strict. In all the previous rounds, the highest score had only been 84. Ji Shengxue was the first to break 90, a testament to her talent.

Seeing her score, Ji Shengxue’s lips curved in a modest smile as she exited the stage gracefully.

The next performance followed immediately. A petite, slender girl descended from the contestants’ seats. As she passed by Ji Shengxue, the latter cast her a casual glance before quickly looking away. This was the next competitor.

Ji Fanxing took note, her eyes already glinting with anticipation for the drama to come. Don’t be fooled by this girl’s frail appearance—her true strength... Well, the real show was about to begin.

The music erupted fiercely, the drums pounding in rapid succession. Ji Shengxue, now seated, paused imperceptibly.

“It stands strong through the winter, unafraid of snow and frost.”

Unexpectedly, the intro was so brief that the song began almost at once, a powerful voice slicing through the air, jolting everyone to attention.

Ji Shengxue’s eyes widened as she looked up at the stage.

“Resilient grass sways in the wind, seeming fragile yet unyieldingly strong!”

It was rock! The singer’s voice was instantly recognizable, her breath control seemingly endless.

Under this barrage of sound, the audience could scarcely think—only lose themselves in the music.

Though petite, the singer’s explosive, raspy vocals shook the hall. The most striking element was the creative X-part, a call-and-response segment.

Soon, the singer had the entire audience singing along. The creative section was forceful and rhythmic, the notes leaping wildly across the screen, mirroring her rapid-fire lyrics and smooth articulation.

Ji Fanxing tapped the beat with her left fingertips, her other hand propping up her chin as she gazed idly at the figure on stage.

She was the biggest dark horse of the competition—Hailan.

Hailan possessed a uniquely textured voice, broad in range and full of power. Though she looked demure, she favored rock music.

In her previous life, an unknown newcomer, she had steadily discovered her potential as the show progressed, her vocal ability growing ever steadier. By the fourth episode, she had even dethroned Ji Shengxue from the King’s seat, blazing into the finals to challenge her for the crown.

If not for that incident before the final round... she would have been the undisputed rising star.

“That woke me up!!!”
“Hailan, right? I’ve got your name down—I’m putting my money on you, darling!”

“Incredible! Who would have thought she could breathe such life into a rough rock song?”
“Our Hao once sang this too, and he was way better!”
“Ha! You’re praising that shouty Hao guy?”
“Our Hao is handsome and talented, what do you know?!”

Hailan, blessed by the gods with her rock prowess, sent the audience into a frenzy. It was a long while before Ji Shengxue finally exhaled softly, her gaze dropping as she murmured to herself, “A formidable rival.”

Her voice was barely a whisper, her thoughts unreadable.

At last, the singer’s performance ended, and the host took the stage to announce Hailan’s score:

“Now, we come to the scoring! Hailan’s final score is...”

As the countdown ticked away, the screen flickered with numbers, keeping everyone on edge.

“Ninety-one point five.”
“Ninety-one point five!!!”

Ji Fanxing, more adept than any computer at deciphering the show’s scoring system, had already calculated the result two seconds in advance. After countless reincarnations and tasks on Earth, her soul had grown exceedingly powerful; lightning-fast mental math was just one of the skills she’d picked up. No matter how complex the data, she could always find the answer instantly—calculating contest scores was child’s play.

Ninety-one point five, just half a point above the current highest scorer, Ji Shengxue.

Hearing the result, Ji Shengxue’s brow furrowed involuntarily. Sensing the camera turning her way, she quickly composed herself. By the time her face appeared onscreen, the only emotion visible was a hint of admiration for Hailan.

No wonder she was called the Queen of Changing Faces.

Ji Fanxing, who had observed it all, rose indifferently and walked backstage.

Her turn was next.

Whoever had arranged the performance order must have relished the drama—Ji Shengxue was number 66, and though they probably meant to put Ji Fanxing at 67, they’d inserted Hailan as a smokescreen, making Hailan number 67 and herself 68.

But little did they expect that the randomly slotted contestant would turn out to be Ji Shengxue’s strongest rival, positioned right after her for unavoidable comparison.

And so, half the livestream traffic that Li Jian’an had procured for Ji Shengxue ended up benefiting Hailan, earning her a million new followers in a day. By the later rounds, online votes nearly matched Ji Shengxue’s.

Now, as her own turn approached, Ji Fanxing silently thanked the producers for their arrangement.

Have you ever seen WiFi signals stacking, each one stronger than the last? The most awkward, of course, is always the one with the weakest connection.

After all these years away, she returned still a young woman—brash, with something to prove.

It was time to bring down the house.