Even a genius singer-songwriter cannot afford to be so careless.

“A song?” Hailan looked at Ji Fanxing with some confusion.

“Yes, I want to give you a rock song to perform in the finals.” Ji Fanxing gazed at Hailan, who seemed to have lost herself.

Because of what had just happened, Hailan, who had finally begun to regain some confidence, curled back into her shell again.

Ji Fanxing couldn’t help but worry—how could a lifeless rock singer shine on stage?

She desperately searched her mind for a song, hoping it could help Hailan rediscover herself.

When Hailan finally understood what Ji Fanxing meant, her expression shifted from confusion to shock.

“Fanxing!”

Seeing her about to jump up in excitement, Ji Fanxing quickly pressed her down.

“Don’t get excited. The song isn’t written yet. It’s not too late to decide after you hear it.”

Hailan’s eyes lingered on Ji Fanxing, unwilling to look away, nodding repeatedly at her words.

Her heart surged—ever since collaborating with Fanxing on “Sea of Flowers,” she’d gained a deeper understanding of performance.

Such a stage, such a song, felt like a dream for a fledgling singer.

Ji Fanxing relaxed, seeing the light rekindled in Hailan’s eyes.

Soon after, the activities arranged by the show’s production team began.

The runner-up Hailan’s friends had left; the third-place contestant, Chu Hao, was obsessed with composing and didn’t attend; the heavyweight guest, Ruan Lin, took the fourth-place Ji Shengxue and was absent as well.

The entire event was left to Ji Fanxing and Ning Ze to hold together.

For the sake of the program, the MC had to keep cueing them, making them the busiest pair, constantly going on stage to cooperate.

With half an hour left before the scheduled end, the host swept his eyes across the handful of contestants and their friends in the audience.

Most were amateurs, and their earlier stage performances had been lackluster.

He couldn’t help but focus again on Ji Fanxing’s group.

Ji Fanxing took a sip of tea and looked at him, a touch of impatience in her gaze, telling him silently: “If you call us up again, you’ll have to pay extra.”

The MC read her meaning and shifted his attention to Hailan, who had not gone up yet, waiting for her friend to arrive.

He guessed that, after so long, her friend probably wouldn’t come, so he decided not to wait anymore.

“Now let’s invite our second-place contestant to the stage!”

As soon as the MC finished, Hailan stood up alone. While other contestants went up in pairs or groups, she was the only one by herself.

Compared to the others, it felt rather bleak.

Ye Yu couldn’t help but gloat, “Tsk tsk, second place, and still ended up like this…”

Before he finished, he saw Ji Fanxing’s sidelong glance and shut up, secretly startled by her keen hearing—she could catch even this!

“Xiao Lan! I’m here!” He Hongjing hurried in, finally arriving.

“Jing-jie!”

During the break, Hailan had already mentioned that her aunt was on her way.

Ji Fanxing looked at the stylish woman, amused. Clearly an aunt, yet Hailan called her “Jing-jie.”

The MC responded swiftly, following up, “Welcome Hailan and her friend!”

With no time for pleasantries, Hailan and He Hongjing went up together.

MC had expected He Hongjing to need his guidance like other guests.

But as soon as she took the microphone, she took charge, “Hello, everyone! I’m He Hongjing, Hailan’s aunt—you can call me Jing-jie.

Sorry for being late today. Hailan and I will perform ‘Joyful Weekend’ for everyone. Hope you all enjoy the moment! Music!”

“Joyful Weekend” had a simple, lively melody, a classic reminiscent of “Ode to Joy” from Earth.

The song’s copyright was open—a tune you could sing anywhere.

The sound crew, experienced, immediately cued up the music.

Hailan and He Hongjing quickly got into character, two rock musicians turning a simple song into a passionate performance.

Ji Fanxing stood up first, swaying with the rhythm.

The rest were infected, rising to cheer and wave their hands, even the MC couldn’t help but nod along.

The viewers watching the live stream perked up, the comment screen flooded with the song’s chorus:

[Forget your worries! I only want today’s happiness!!]

The atmosphere was electric, the gloom brought by Hai Dachuan finally dissipated, and Hailan’s performance became more and more engaged.

The audience finally realized Hailan was never just a pitiful figure, but a “rock firecracker” charging ahead on stage.

Having grown up in a stifling environment, Hailan encountered rock music by chance and formed a deep bond with it.

The wounded girl found herself again through rock, healing her scars.

Ji Fanxing, in the audience, suddenly felt she understood Hailan, why she fell in love with rock so fiercely in an era when it was fading.

A song rose in her heart—she urgently wanted to write it.

After the event, she messaged Hailan: meet in two hours, then rushed off to the recording studio.

Once inside, Ji Fanxing threw herself into work, as if transformed.

Focused and efficient.

Sunlight streamed through the half-drawn curtains, adding warmth to the otherwise chilly room.

Ning Ze watched Ji Fanxing, momentarily lost.

Since Fanxing joined the show, he felt an inexplicable distance between them, a divide spanning time itself.

Though they’d only been apart a few months, such absurd thoughts unsettled him.

They’d kept in touch, but it couldn’t calm his heart.

So, under intense filming, he finished his scenes early, just to see his friend sooner.

Fortunately, seeing her yesterday, his heart settled—Ji Fanxing was still Ji Fanxing, unchanged.

Ning Ze knew Fanxing couldn’t be disturbed, so he quietly waited outside.

About two hours later, Hailan and He Hongjing arrived at the studio, right on time.

“Fanxing, let me introduce you—this is my aunt, the lead singer of ‘Voice of the Blaze.’”

He Hongjing secretly sized up the musical prodigy whose reputation had soared recently, marveling at her youth.

“Hello.” Ji Fanxing offered her hand openly, just as curious about this rebellious-looking cool woman.

“Hello, you can call me Jing-jie, like Hailan does.”

After introductions, Ji Fanxing got straight to the point, opening her computer, “The song is ready—why not give it a listen?”

“A song?”

“So fast?”

He Hongjing and Hailan were both drawn in.

On the way, Hailan had explained everything to her aunt. After eighteen years in rock, He Hongjing was very curious.

To write a rock song in just two hours.

If anyone else claimed it, she would have scoffed at their ignorance of rock.

But if it was Ji Fanxing, already dubbed a “musical prodigy”...

As He Hongjing thought this, she was caught off guard by the song title on the computer.

“Unyieldingsky”

A prodigy songwriter, but could she really be so cavalier with rock?