Chapter 59

Xia Xi glanced at the three women who appeared to be on good terms and couldn’t help but let out a soft, silent chuckle. She suddenly felt that this was indeed the entertainment industry, everyone wore masks to some extent, maintaining a superficial harmony with others.
Not long ago, the lead role in the movie "Breaking the Ice," which Yang Man starred in, had been snatched from Yang Jingyu’s hands. Yet now, it seemed there was no trace of resentment between them, at the very least, Yang Jingyu appeared completely unfazed.
Xia Xi knew she could never be like that. She detested dealing with others in a hypocritical manner. When it came to interpersonal relationships, she was always the one who stood apart.
But perhaps it was precisely because Xia Xi was this kind of person that her acting always carried a certain spark. She could immerse herself in her roles more quickly, and her skills left many in awe.
Time always flies when one is lost in thought. Before she knew it, all the contestants had finished singing, and it was time for the tense and thrilling announcement of the rankings.
Xia Xi rubbed her eyes to shake off her drowsiness. She had been so exhausted earlier that she had closed her eyes to rest while sitting on the sofa, never expecting to actually fall asleep.
It was rather awkward. By the time Xia Xi woke up, the competition had already reached its final segment. She glanced at the expressions of the big shots seated beside her and noticed that while they appeared calm on the surface, the excitement and anticipation in their eyes revealed how much they valued the outcome of the competition.
Regardless of whether they were professional singers or had higher standards for singing, this show was ultimately a competition. And in any competition, there would be rankings and rivalry. No one wanted to be the worst performer and face elimination, so as the rankings were about to be announced, everyone’s expression carried a hint of tension, to varying degrees.
"Hello, everyone. I’m Liang Hui, the chief director of Cross-Border Singing Joy. It’s a pleasure to meet you all here today, and I’m honored to be the one announcing the results of the competition." As he spoke, he waved a card in his hand. "This is the final ranking of today’s competition, quickly compiled by our staff. Your standings are all recorded on this card. Perhaps it’s the atmosphere here, but I’m feeling a bit inexplicably nervous myself." Liang Hui paused for a moment. "To be honest, when I first saw the rankings, I was quite surprised. But upon reflection, it made sense. Although all of you performed exceptionally well, a few contestants left a deeper impression on everyone."
"So, I’ll start by announcing the names of the top three contestants. Let’s see if it matches what you all expected and if anyone else was as shocked as I was."
As Liang Hui announced the rankings in a lighthearted, joking manner, the tension in the room eased slightly. Some contestants who were more familiar with the young director even felt comfortable enough to joke with him.
"You’re such a chatterbox, Director. Can’t you be more professional? Just announce the rankings straightforwardly like other hosts do. The way you’re dragging it out is torturing us!"
Hearing this, Liang Hui chuckled softly. "My hosting style has to be different from others. That’s what makes it uniquely mine."
[Does anyone else find this director who’s announcing the rankings incredibly annoying? He’s so slow! I’m so anxious waiting for the results!]
[You’re not alone. I find him really irritating too. Everyone’s waiting to hear the rankings, and he’s just leisurely chatting away. Can’t he focus on his actual job?]
[I’m begging for a different host to announce the rankings! Ahhh! I really want to know if Xia Xi is in first place! This is so annoying!]
[Xia Xi in first place? Are you out of your mind, commenter above? With her pitiful support rate, how could she possibly be first? The winner of the first episode of Cross-Border Singing Joy has to be one of the four big shots.]
[Why can’t Xia Xi be first? Her performance just now was clearly the best among them. I think her singing skills are already at a professional level. The others aren’t even in the same league as her.]
[How could Xia Xi possibly be first? Her status, reputation, and connections, none of them compare to the other contestants. She should be satisfied if she’s not last. Who would even vote for someone like her?]
[Isn't this a singing competition? Why does it have to be tied to status, reputation, and popularity? I just voted for Xia Xi because I genuinely think she sang well. I even plan to rewatch the movie 'Shanghai Grand', her voice reminded me of the story in that film and moved me all over again. I support her.]
[I also voted for Xia Xi just now. I didn't overthink it, her singing simply touched me. Ever since I started working, I feel like I overanalyze everything and worry too much. This time, I wanted to be pure and follow my heart without being influenced by external factors. I support Xia Xi.]
[How is supporting Xia Xi 'pure'? Think about how she deliberately suppressed other artists before. Her character is questionable.]
[Character has nothing to do with singing. This is purely a singing competition, I vote for whoever sings well. Why overcomplicate things?]
[Exactly, I support Xia Xi. Her singing is truly healing.]
[I voted for Xia Xi too!]
[Wait, are we getting off-topic? Weren't we just criticizing Liang Hui's hosting?]
[You all are so irrational. Of course, we should consider character. If a celebrity has poor conduct, what kind of example does that set for underage fans? They might imitate bad behavior.]
[Actually, I've always wondered, Xia Xi's eyes are so clear and sincere. Could she really be the kind of person with questionable morals as described online?]
While everyone was chatting, netizens were already in an uproar online, speculating about the possible outcomes of the competition. Although most netizens believed Xia Xi had little chance of winning, they were still willing to vote for her. Even so, many remained convinced that such competition shows are rigged, and the winner would undoubtedly be one of the four established stars.
"Alright, I won't keep you all waiting any longer. I'm sure everyone is anxious. Now, I'll announce the names of the top three contestants." Liang Hui felt he had built enough suspense and decided to wrap it up. He glanced down at the list in his hand, and the originally soothing background music shifted to an intense track as he paused. "First, I'll announce the third-place winner. He/she is a male singer,"
Liang Hui paused, a faint smile curling at the corners of his lips. "Or is it a female singer?"
The audience: “...” Are you messing with us?
[I can't take this anymore! I'm going to send the director a box of razor blades. Is he going to drag out the announcement for a full hour? That's almost a third of the show's runtime!]
[I'm losing it! I thought the most intense part of the show would be the singing, but it turns out the ranking announcement is the real challenge!]
[This is insane, absolutely insane!]
Liang Hui glanced at the audience's expressions and noticed everyone looking at him with exasperation. He took a sip of water from the bottle on the table nearby, paused for a moment, and continued, this time with a much more serious expression. "Getting back on track, the third-place winner of this competition is a female singer, and her name consists of three characters(in Chinese)."
This hint was much clearer and helped narrow down the possibilities.
There were 12 contestants in total, with only 5 female participants. Among them, only two had three-character names: Feng Yuting and Yang Jingyu.
After the candidates were finalized, everyone's gaze remained fixed on the two of them, eager to find out sooner who would claim the third-place spot. However, Xia Xi wasn't focused on that. Perhaps because she was very composed, she noticed that Yang Jingyu's expression twisted for a moment upon hearing Liang Hui's words.
"Indeed, the third place will be decided between Yang Jingyu and Mr. Feng Yuting. So, will it be Mr. Feng Yuting or Yang Jingyu?" Liang Hui began his habit of building suspense again, certain that he would face heavy criticism after this hosting gig. "This time, the third place goes to, Yang Jingyu! Congratulations to her!"
Upon hearing the result, Yang Jingyu was momentarily stunned. She immediately turned to look at Mr. Feng Yuting and noticed that her expression remained unchanged, calm and composed, even clapping for her politely. Yang Jingyu quietly breathed a sigh of relief before slowly standing up, bowing to the audience, and uttering a few polite words before sitting back down. There was no trace of joy visible on her.
Perhaps sensing the deep dissatisfaction with his earlier antics, Liang Hui proceeded to announce the remaining rankings with remarkable efficiency.
Just when everyone thought he would maintain this straightforward approach, he started dragging things out again. When announcing the first, fifth, and last places, he resumed his habit of building suspense.
"Everyone must be curious about who the first-place winner is!" Liang Hui wore that infuriating grin again, raising an eyebrow. "For this final mystery, why don't you all take a guess first? Let's see if you're right."
The crowd: Can't you just say it directly? What kind of nonsense is this again?
Although everyone was silently cursing Liang Hui's antics internally, they still gave Cross-Border Singing Joy some face and began making enthusiastic guesses.
"Now that the rankings for the others are clear, only Mr. Feng Yuting, Lin Wei, and Xia Xi's placements remain unannounced." Hearing Liang Hui's question, Yang Jingyu glanced at Mr. Feng Yuting and immediately jumped in to answer, "In my opinion, the first place undoubtedly belongs to Mr. Feng Yuting."
"Right, I think so too."
"It must be Mr. Feng Yuting."
Hearing everyone agree with her answer, Yang Jingyu felt even more pleased with herself and added, "After all, Mr. Feng Yuting comes from a crosstalk background and has more stage experience than the rest of us. Her first-place win is well-deserved."
Liang Hui glanced at Yang Jingyu, pursed his lips, and smiled as he said to her, "It seems you're very confident in your judgment. Then, who do you think will be last, Xia Xi or Lin Wei?"