Chapter 37

It felt completely different from before. Xia Xi thought she had sung well, but she didn't dare to be too sure.
After all, the trauma of singing off-key in the past had hit her too hard, and she felt it was better to be cautious.
So, instead of blindly trusting her feelings, Xia Xi stayed quiet where she was, took a deep breath, and slowly opened one eye, nervously glancing at Zhang Lixin standing beside her, hoping to find a more truthful answer in his reaction.
She found him frowning deeply.
The corners of Xia Xi's mouth instantly drooped, as if someone had poured a bucket of cold water over her on a bright, sunny day. Her mood instantly soured.
Her delicate brows gradually furrowed. Though her heart wasn't exactly sunny, a sliver of hope still lingered.
Maybe she had sung really well, and Teacher Zhang Lixin was just captivated.
Caught between disappointment and hope, Xia Xi waited anxiously, standing awkwardly in place, unsure of how to evaluate her own singing. But the other two remained completely silent.
Time dragged on painfully slow. To Xia Xi, it felt like an eternity. She felt she had waited forever, yet the two of them showed no reaction.
Was it that hard to say something?
Finally, growing impatient, Xia Xi took a quiet, deep breath, suppressing the obvious disappointment, and slowly opened her other eye. Tentatively, she asked, "Teacher Zhang, was I…was my singing just now really awful?"
Xia Xi broke the eerie silence in the music room, pulling Zhang Lixin, who had been lost in her song, back to reality.
He took a few seconds to react, staring blankly at Xia Xi before slowly narrowing his eyes.
"Teacher Zhang, is there a problem?"
To be honest, Xia Xi was a bit confused by Zhang Lixin's reaction. She had imagined countless ways people might respond to her singing, but she had never expected this one.
Did she actually sing him into a daze? Could it be that her singing was so terrible it scared him senseless?
Xia Xi speculated gloomily.
"Sorry, that was a bit rude just now," Zhang Lixin said with a light smile, pressing his lips together. "You've given me a huge surprise."
A surprise? Not a shock?
Xia Xi blinked in astonishment, looking at Zhang Lixin in disbelief. "A surprise?"
Zhang Lixin nodded.
"Xia Xi, your singing is truly remarkable. I can say that your talent in singing is innate, no one can compare."
Xia Xi narrowed her eyes, thinking for a moment before finally understanding Zhang Lixin's meaning. An indescribable surge of joy suddenly welled up in her heart.
I received such high praise for my singing? Is this a dream?
She pinched herself hard.
Ouch, ouch, ouch! That hurts,
Zhang Lixin watched Xia Xi with narrowed eyes, noticing her initial confusion upon hearing his words, followed by a moment of intense self-pinching, and finally, a particularly silly grin spreading across her face,
Her reaction was quite amusing.
Zhang Lixin suddenly remembered that before she started singing, Xia Xi had mentioned she thought she was tone-deaf. He now understood why she reacted this way, it seemed this girl, like him, was overwhelmed by the surprise.
A trace of a smile finally appeared in his eyes.
Once Xia Xi realized her singing was actually good, she felt much more confident and less flustered than before. Although she still didn't understand why her singing had suddenly improved so much, after all, she was the original owner, and both of them should have been equally mediocre, the dramatic reversal left her puzzled, but she didn't dwell on it.
Pressing her lips together, she began to gradually consider the possibilities for her next steps in singing. After a moment of thought, she looked at Zhang Lixin and asked for confirmation, "So, Teacher Zhang, do you think I have a good chance of winning if I participate in Cross-Border Singing Joy?"
In Xia Xi's mind, if she truly had the ability to win and the talent to excel at singing, there was no reason not to work hard, establish a new skill in the entertainment industry, and become a more well-rounded artist.
Win?
Zhang Lixin was somewhat surprised by Xia Xi's question and viewed her with slightly more respect. He had initially assumed that someone like Xia Xi, often seen as just a pretty face, wouldn't have strong competitive drive or much foresight. But appearances could be deceiving, Xia Xi had set her sights quite high.
Looking into her eyes, he chuckled lightly and said, "Not bad, quite confident."
Hearing the teasing tone in Zhang Lixin's voice, Xia Xi shook her head. "Teacher Zhang, to be honest, I don't have much confidence in winning. After all, I've only just started singing and know next to nothing about it. But as the saying goes, where there's a will, there's a way. If there's even a sliver of a chance for me to win, who would want to lose?"
The smile in Zhang Lixin's eyes gradually widened as he nodded in agreement. "It's good that you think this way. In the entertainment industry, where things change so rapidly, you need to be competitive, otherwise, you'll be left behind."
Zhang Lixin paused briefly, glancing at Xia Xi before continuing, "To be honest, when Zichen first asked me to teach you, I was a bit reluctant. I was worried you might tarnish my reputation. But after hearing your voice, I'm genuinely convinced. Now, I have some expectations for you to win the championship. Let's start by analyzing your strengths."
Xia Xi's eyes instantly lit up, and she stared intently at Zhang Lixin, eager to hear what he would say next.
"First of all, your voice is unique, it's as if it's been kissed by God, stunning and enchanting. Honestly, a voice like yours is rare in this world."
Such high praise? It's like heaven has given me a golden finger!
Hearing Zhang Lixin say this, it would be a lie to say Xia Xi wasn't excited. She was so happy her smile could reach the sky.
"But your weaknesses are still obvious. You haven't been interested in singing or learning it for long, and you have no foundation at all. Even with your talent, mastering singing techniques and applying them accurately in such a short time is incredibly difficult. So, what you need to do is work hard, harder, and even harder. If others practice for one minute, you should practice for ten, ten or twenty times more than them."
Zhang Lixin's words hit Xia Xi like a wake-up call, cooling her initial excitement and enthusiasm. She narrowed her eyes and asked, "Then, Teacher Zhang, what do you think is the most urgent area for me to improve right now?"
"Start with the most basic aspect of singing, pitch accuracy." As he spoke, Zhang Lixin crouched down and began rummaging through a backpack on the floor. After a moment, he pulled out a small booklet and handed it to Xia Xi. "This contains the most fundamental pitch training methods. Take it home and look through it. Choose two or three methods that suit you."
Pitch training?
Xia Xi took the booklet from Zhang Lixin, nodded, and casually flipped through it. She noticed that all the text inside was handwritten and densely packed. "Teacher, did you summarize this yourself?"