SGSHE100

The rehearsal for the collaborative performance featuring the mentors.

The production team invited a mentor who had spearheaded the previous season of Voice of Heaven to join the show’s current four mentors, each mentor would lead a performance featuring two trainees.

Following the rehearsals, the ten recorded performances would be broadcast over two episodes.

Once those two episodes aired, the live grand finale would take place, with the top three of the ten contestants selected for intensive career development.

The first group to rehearse today consisted of Jing Heguang and Luan Xing’an.

The trainees and mentors sat off-stage, while the stage props had just been set up.

The director offered words of encouragement to the first group: “Don’t be nervous, just perform as you do in your usual training! Groups, get ready…Begin!”

On the large stage screen, the background displayed a beautifully composed image of a wall, a utility pole, and a blue sky.

Bathed in lights as bright as daylight, the two wore simple jeans and white shirts, giving off the vibe of a campus couple.

Jing Heguang held the microphone and sang the opening verse.

His clear, bright voice painted a vivid, animated scene, its tone capturing the languid yet cheerful mood of an afternoon.

A sparrow perched on a power line, swaying unsteadily, capturing the wandering attention of a boy in the classroom.

Watching it made one wish to be that sparrow, able to land on the boy’s shoulder and give him a playful peck.

When the teacher tossed a piece of chalk and the room erupted in laughter, the boy looked flustered. Seeing this, the singer handed him a tissue.

Seeing the boy smile with a blushing face, he felt that being human wasn’t so bad after all, certainly no worse than being that little sparrow.

Jing Heguang finished the first verse and glanced at Luan Xing’an.

Luan Xing’an was blushing, just as described in Jing Heguang’s lyrics.

His lips parted slightly, and unable to suppress a tremor in his body, he clenched the fabric of his trousers, he began to sing, his voice carrying a faint, trembling vibrato.

The boy wasn’t looking out the window, but rather at the blurred reflection on the glass. The tissue handed over stirred up a flurry of thoughts. It was hard to tell if the blush was born of shyness or embarrassment.

Uncertainty lingered, yet the mind kept guessing.

In that brief moment of quiet, a thousand thoughts raced through the mind, and one couldn’t help but steal another glance at that person.

A song is, after all, a story.

As they sang the duet, Luan Xing’an’s lyrics approached the song from two perspectives, unfolding a tale of young love from both sides. The back-and-forth exchange was fluid and natural.

The brisk, cheerful melody instantly drew the audience into the scene, making them feel like spectators within the story itself.

Watching the two draw closer, one could almost hear the pounding of a nervous heart.

Zhang Qi rested her chin on her hand, watching the stage with a smile playing on her lips.

Chu Chu glanced from the stage to Zhang Qi, a sudden suspicion crossing her mind, could sister Qi be shipping them too?

Xu Wenkai hummed along for a moment, then quietly fell silent.

His voice lacked the pleasing quality of Jing Heguang’s or Luan Xing’an’s.

Comparisons are often cruel. After all, every superstar singer possesses a unique vocal signature.

The other nine trainees on stage felt only one thing: genuine admiration.

An original song, yet again!

And a masterpiece at that, catchy and captivating.

It wasn’t a matter of false modesty or a lack of talent on their part, Luan Xing’an was simply exceptional.

The love song, titled ‘Guess’, came to a close amidst their harmonizing voices.

Mentors and trainees alike broke into applause.

The director offered a strict critique: “Teacher Jing was flawless. Xing’an, you were a bit nervous. Your voice trembles a bit at the start, remember to control that tomorrow! That said, your emotional delivery was excellent, hold onto that feeling.”

“This is a collaborative performance, we set up this one-on-one format specifically so that you trainees could shine, too.”

“Understood. Thank you, Director.”

Luan Xing’an nodded and wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead.

Yet, deep down, he felt a sense of helpless resignation.

It wasn’t exactly nervousness, it was just that, with so many people watching, singing a love song with brother Jing felt a bit embarrassing.

Jing Heguang walked over and actually handed Luan Xing’an a tissue. He found it odd though, his good little brother hadn’t seemed this nervous during rehearsals.

Luan Xing’an, reminded of the line in the lyrics about ‘handing over a tissue’, felt even more self-conscious as he took it with a trembling hand.

Jing Heguang patted his back and guided him off the stage, asking curiously, “We’re done singing, why are you still nervous?”

Luan Xing’an felt his face heat up and blurted out a random excuse: “Since it’s a duet, I was worried I might mess it up.”

Next up was the rehearsal for Xu Wenkai and the guy with the buzz cut. Jing Heguang wasn’t needed as the host for this part.

Seeing Luan Xing’an blushing from nerves, Jing Heguang wanted to say something to put him at ease, but just as he opened his mouth, a commotion broke out over by the director.

“Who the hell leaked the news?!”

The director was furious, a crowd of fans had shown up and blocked the entrance to Green Channel’s building.

***

The situation escalated suddenly, rehearsals were halted, and the director took a team to the front to deal with the fans who had rushed over.

Jing Heguang and the mentors stayed inside the studio. If they appeared, the fans would only get more worked up.

The trainees whispered among themselves.

“What kind of fans?”

“They couldn’t be ours, could they?”

“If they’re the mentors’ fans, shouldn’t the mentors go out and calm them down?”

“Does that mean they actually are ours?! I wonder if any of them are here for me!”

“Xing’an and buzz-cut are the most popular, it’s probably their fans, right? They might have to go out there later.”

The trainees chattered away, their speculation sounding surprisingly plausible. Luan Xing’an glanced toward the passageway entrance, his eyes widening as he tilted his head to ask Jing Heguang, “Brother Jing, are they really our fans?”

Luan Xing’an was vaguely aware that he had fans, but he didn’t know who they were and had never seen them in person.

Simply put, he had no real sense of whether he was famous or not.

The same went for the other trainees. Having never seen fans, it felt no different to them than having none at all.

Now that they heard fans were right outside the Green Channel building, the trainees were actually even more curious than the fans themselves.

“I wonder whose fans they are.”

Luan Xing’an looked so curious and adorably guileless that Jing Heguang felt the urge to pinch his cheeks again.

Of course, he had to satisfy his sweet younger brother’s curiosity, after all, it was rare for the kid to show such interest.

Jing Heguang thought for a moment and said to the group, “You can see downstairs from the second floor through the one-way glass. I can take you to have a look, but don’t make any sound, okay?”

“Thank you, teacher Jing!”

“We promise to be quiet as mice!”

“Let’s go, let’s go! I want to see what my fans look like!”

Jing Heguang led the ten young men up the stairwell to the second floor.

They walked straight to the glass window, crowding against the glass wall and peering curiously at the scene below.

Downstairs, fans were holding up small light-up signs, slogan banners, and banners displaying names, some were even speaking to the director.

Luan Xing’an immediately spotted someone holding a star-shaped light-up sign and another person holding a banner with his name on it!

Were these people all his fans? Did they all like his songs?

Luan Xing’an broke into a goofy grin, pressing his whole body against the glass.

Since the cheering downstairs was solely for Luan Xing’an, the other trainees lost interest after just a few glances.

Noticing the shift in everyone’s expressions, the guy with the buzz cut said to Jing Heguang, “Teacher Jing, we haven’t started rehearsing yet, I’ll take them back downstairs.”

Jing Heguang didn’t know that only Luan Xing’an’s fans had shown up, otherwise, he wouldn’t have brought everyone up in the first place.

Worried about the trainees’ morale, Jing Heguang gave them a heads-up: “Xing’an made the trending topics a few days ago for something, so his fans are a bit worked up right now.”

Hearing this, the trainees felt much better and dispersed, following the guy with the buzz cut.

***

Suddenly, the place was empty, leaving only Jing Heguang and Luan Xing’an.

Luan Xing’an stood close to Jing Heguang, glancing downstairs and then back again, looking a bit flustered. “Brother Jing, are they mad at me?”

He had been so happy earlier that he hadn’t checked to see if there were fans of other contestants present, he’d just been grinning foolishly.

Now that he thought about it, the other trainees must have felt bad seeing that.

Jing Heguang planted a kiss on his cheek. “They aren’t angry, just a little envious.”

Luan Xing’an asked again, “What trending topic did I have?”

Jing Heguang knew the reason, of course, not only did he know, but he had also played a hand in it.

However, it wasn’t the right time to tell Luan Xing’an, it might affect his mindset.

Maintaining a calm expression, Jing Heguang smiled and said, “It wasn’t a bad thing. But for the sake of the show’s confidentiality, I can’t tell you.”

Watching the director downstairs still trying to reason with the fans, Jing Heguang suddenly had an idea.

The fans had come to encourage Luan Xing’an, unaware of how strictly the production team cut off outside information, they were likely worried that the messy rumors circulating online might affect him.

Under the rules, Luan Xing’an couldn’t show his face, and the fans couldn’t see him.

However, Jing Heguang could do something to strike a balance between the fans, Luan Xing’an, and the show itself! Right in front of Luan Xing’an, Jing Heguang took out his phone to contact the director.

***

Outside on the ground floor.

The director was puzzled as to why Jing Heguang was calling at this hour. He frowned as he answered: “Heguang, what is it? I’m still in the middle of dealing with the fans.”

Jing Heguang said, “Director, I’m on the second floor. It wasn’t easy for Xing’an’s fans to make the trip here, I can see they’re dissatisfied, and I’m worried they won’t be willing to leave.”

The director glanced at the sea of ​​young men and women. “I know it wasn’t easy for them to get here, and they’re just worried about Xing’an, but we absolutely cannot set a precedent.”

Otherwise, Green Channel would end up as porous as a sieve.

Besides, the director intended to find out who had leaked the information and punish them severely.

Jing Heguang said, “Of course, the rules can’t be broken lightly. I’m not suggesting we let them inside, just let them cheer for Xing’an from outside and then disperse. As a gesture of appeasement, we can tell Xing’an they’re here, and perhaps even take a photo for them.”

Jing Heguang’s suggestion was a masterstroke: it satisfied the fans, allowed his sweet little brother to hear their encouragement, and resolved the director’s dilemma, killing three birds with one stone.

Hearing this, Luan Xing’an also pleaded repeatedly, “Director, please, just make an exception!”

The director had a headache. Luan Xing’an might not know what was happening in the outside world, but he certainly did.

Thinking about how hard this kid had it, the director’s heart softened. “Alright, let them shout a couple of times, just two.”

Without hanging up, the director went straight to speak with the fan leader.

In the end, the fans happily agreed to the director’s terms. Under the gaze of the cameraman, they shouted words of encouragement in unison and left behind a pile of gifts.

Luan Xing’an held Jing Heguang’s phone, listening to the voices coming through the director’s device while looking down at the scene below, his expression earnest.

After Luan Xing’an finished listening to the cheers, the director hung up the phone downstairs and arranged for the fans to leave.

***

Upstairs on the second floor.

Jing Heguang embraced his sweet little brother and said gently, “So many people like you, you really ought to be more confident.”

“I am confident,” Luan Xing’an countered in a low voice.

He had, after all, shouted at Huang Zeping about how awesome he was. His confidence had definitely grown.

“Then why was your voice trembling earlier?” Jing Heguang felt there had to be a reason.

Luan Xing’an glanced at him. “It wasn’t because I was nervous.”

Jing Heguang: ?

Jing Heguang made a questioning sound. “Then what was it?”

Luan Xing’an lowered his head, speaking softly, “I…I was shy…I kept feeling like the moment I opened my mouth, the whole world would know I like you.”

As he spoke, he looked up to steal a glance at Jing Heguang, his eyelashes fluttering, he was both nervous and bashful.

Jing Heguang laughed and planted a firm kiss on Luan Xing’an’s cheek. “Then let them know! We have tons of CP fans rooting for us!”

T/N: Just saying but mouse aren’t actually quiet. Those scurrying little feet and quiet squeak… (⊙ω⊙)