Chapter 29

After being reminded by the program team, Su Xingyao didn’t take a taxi alone this time but had his driver drop him off.

When he arrived at the recording site of *The Voice of Heaven* and was about to head to the VIP entrance, he passed by the D entrance where he had checked in before and realized the program team hadn’t lied to him.

The show hadn’t started yet, but a crowd of fans had already gathered at the entrance.

Though fans from different groups were present, from afar, he spotted someone waving a photo of the cat headgear he wore in the second round.

What really surprised him was that someone had specially made a costume similar to his and was now cheering for him enthusiastically in the crowd.

Seeing the fans’ enthusiasm, Su Xingyao suddenly remembered the hint Xiao Li had given him.

He realized he needed a costume with a headgear that couldn’t be removed for the next stage.

The car quickly pulled up to the VIP entrance. After double-checking his costume and voice changer, Su Xingyao hurriedly entered.

Since the show was continuing from the initial stage, everyone had to wear the same costumes as before.

So, Su Xingyao was still in his famous cat costume.

The costume was so cute that, while fans didn’t unmask him, many staff members asked for photos.

Everyone also skipped calling him “number 78” and just called him “cat.”

Hearing everyone call him “cat,” Su Xingyao felt oddly cuter.

Soon after Su Xingyao posed for photos, the staff called all contestants to the recording hall to line up by number.

Several contestants had been cut after the initial stage weeks ago, so there were fewer people on site today.

Number 79 behind him was gone, replaced by a stranger on his right.

Fortunately, the person on his left remained the same—still the adorable number 77.

After two weeks, number 77 was just as cute.

As the staff spoke, the other contestant, unable to talk, smiled and winked at him.

Su Xingyao raised his paw and greeted him warmly.

He dug through his bag and pulled out a cat keychain.

He’d made it for number 77 himself.

Number 77 had given him one last time.

To return the favor, he made one too.

Number 77 was clearly surprised and immediately pinned the keychain to the most prominent spot on his chest, showing it off to the camera.

Su Xingyao couldn’t help but laugh at the gesture.

After the staff finished speaking, a familiar voice came from the stage.

“Hello, everyone! It’s been two weeks, and you all still look as handsome as ever~”

Su Xingyao looked up and saw Song Yingming standing on stage with his signature loudspeaker, smiling as his gaze swept over each contestant.

After wrapping up an episode of the show, everyone noticed that although the director had a lot of creative ideas in terms of program setup, he was very easygoing. Therefore, someone immediately started joking with him.

"Director Song, you're still as charming as ever, just a little rounder."

Hearing this, Song Yingming immediately widened his already small eyes.

Seeing his expression, the audience erupted in laughter.

Song Yingming also laughed along but quickly returned to the matter at hand.

"After the previous round of preliminaries, starting today, our competition is entering a new stage."

Hearing this, the contestants gradually quieted down, listening intently to Song Yingming's next words.

Sure enough, the next words he spoke left everyone stunned.

"Next, our show's format is about to change."

Song Yingming's eyes narrowed into a smile as he casually announced, "From now on, every performance will be live."

Hearing the word "live," the audience collectively gasped.

As everyone knows, live stages are where mistakes are most likely to happen.

Without editing and tuning, live performances can sound very different, and even if mistakes occur, they cannot be re-recorded.

This all-or-nothing approach is a huge challenge for singers.

Seeing the show raise the stakes so high, throwing them into such a tough challenge right away...

Realizing the difficulties they would face, several contestants were on the verge of hyperventilating.

"What??"

"You can't be serious, boss..."

"Are we really going live??"

Song Yingming nodded with a smile.

Confirming they'd really be going live, the contestants panicked.

Everyone looked at each other, their faces a mix of shock and confusion.

Why is the show breaking the rules like this?!

Facing the contestants' questions, the seasoned Song Yingming stayed unflappable.

"Everyone, relax, relax. Live broadcasting isn't that different from regular recording."

Hearing his maddeningly calm tone, the contestants nearly lost it.

This isn't that different???

After his less-than-reassuring remark, Song Yingming continued, "But today we are still recording, so don't be too nervous."

After saying this, he wiped the smile off his face and raised his voice for emphasis.

"Next, everyone, pay attention. What we are about to do is... select our mentors!"

As soon as Song Yingming finished speaking, the curtain behind him suddenly fell.

On the stage, the four mentors were already standing there, as if they had appeared out of nowhere.

Having just arrived at the scene today and already bombarded with so many shocking updates, many of the contestants were still stunned.

Only when Fu Qingyan descended from the lift stage did everyone snap out of it and start applauding for the mentors.

Fu Qingyan walked to the center of the stage, flashing his signature smile.

"Good afternoon, contestants. It's such a pleasure to be back with you all on the stage of 'The Voice of Heaven'!"

Fu Qingyan's delivery was impeccable. Though not a professional host, his opening remarks had the polished tone of a seasoned broadcaster.

His style and voice matched perfectly, both exuding a formal air.

Thus, after these two opening lines, he immediately steered the conversation to today's main topic.

"Are you ready for the upcoming mentor selection round?"

Many of the contestants below the stage were still unsure and hesitantly replied, "No..."

Unfazed, Fu Qingyan smiled calmly and said, "No worries if you're not ready. Let's first hear what the mentors have to say to us."

The camera immediately cut to the mentor panel.

The four mentors were seated in the same positions as last time.

Wen Yun, seated at the far left, was the first to take the mic.

True to his straightforward nature, he simply said, "I hope you all pick me."

After quickly setting the mic down, he caught Sheng Yan's "that's it?" look and hastily added, "That's all I really wanted to say, honestly."

Sheng Yan teased him with a playful grin, "Teacher Wen, that's not very convincing, is it?"

Wen Yun chuckled and waved his hands, as if pleading, "Give me a break!"

Sheng Yan, knowing when to quit, picked up where Wen Yun left off: "I hope you all choose me too."

Wen Yun looked at Sheng Yan, "Why are you stealing my line?"

Sheng Yan shrugged, unapologetically, "This line works best and feels the most genuine..."

After saying this, he looked towards the contestants, instantly adopting a humble attitude, "Please, everyone, don't let me leave with nothing today."

Sheng Yan, known for his cool idol persona, surprised everyone with his playful antics, which landed well.

The contestants below eagerly responded.

"You got it!"

"Teacher Sheng, I'm coming for you!"

After Sheng Yan, it was Shen Huaixi's turn to speak.

But Xu Beizhou stepped aside for him, leaving the final segment to Shen Huaixi.

When Xu Beizhou spoke, the more observant noticed the order was the same as last time.

Xu Beizhou always gave way to Shen Huaixi at the most important and glorious moments.

He deliberately let Shen Huaixi issue the final tokens and make the closing remarks, giving him the spotlight.

"Is Xu Beizhou on good terms with Shen Huaixi? He always gives him the upper hand."

Su Xingyao caught two contestants whispering curiously in front.

The other shook his head, "No idea. It’s not something you’d usually notice."

Su Xingyao listened to their conversation and shifted his gaze to Xu Beizhou.

In the novel world he knew, this singing program didn’t exist in the previous life.

He hadn’t joined, and Shen Huaixi wasn’t a judge.

Though the program didn’t exist in the previous life, the story later mentioned Xu Beizhou and Shen Huaixi meeting on a variety show.

Xu Beizhou had fallen for Shen Huaixi at first sight.

Though this life’s plot differs, Su Xingyao knows that as the world’s protagonist, those destined to fall for Shen Huaixi will still do so.

That’s why Xu Beizhou gives him subtle advantages throughout the show.

By the time Su Xingyao finished recalling this, Xu Beizhou had already wrapped up.

After speaking, he handed the mic to Shen Huaixi, then stole a quick glance at him.

Shen Huaixi didn’t notice Xu Beizhou’s odd behavior. He tilted his head, pressed his chin, and found the best angle to show off his eyes before speaking.

He spoke slowly, his gaze sincere as he looked at the contestants.

"I know I’m not as professional or talented as the other mentors... I know I don’t have much of an edge."

He paused, then corrected himself, looking like he’d misspoken.

"To be honest, I don’t have any advantage."

Xu Beizhou quickly whispered, "That’s not true at all."

Some sympathetic contestants in the audience clapped for him.

Shen Huaixi took a deep breath, his eyes wide and innocent.

"But I can promise you this: I truly care about every contestant. I’ve put together a professional music team. If you join me, you won’t have to worry about music issues down the line."

To sound more genuine, Shen Huaixi spoke slowly.

Then he turned to Xu Beizhou, "You’ll help me, right, Teacher Xu?"

Xu Beizhou hesitated, then nodded softly, "Of course."

Shen Huaixi smiled, then turned to the camera and made his pitch: "Believe in me, choose me, and let’s make it to the end together!"

Fu Qingyan and Xu Beizhou led the applause as Shen Huaixi finished his heartfelt speech.

Fu Qingyan even comforted his friend, "Teacher Shen, don't underestimate yourself. There are many contestants here who like you."

In response to Fu Qingyan's words, Shen Huaixi smiled cutely and then nodded playfully, resembling a little rabbit.

Shen Huaixi was always quick to grab any chance to stir up some drama.

While the other was performing, Su Xingyao, who had long been accustomed to it, lowered his eyes and began to zone out.

Only after the people around him applauded for Shen Huaixi did he come back to his senses.

Then, he unconsciously glanced to the left.

To his surprise, number 77 was dramatically rolling his eyes at the sky...

After the four mentors finished their speeches, it was time for the day's main event.

The mentors had to choose their own team members to form four new teams.

These four teams would subsequently engage in a series of competitions.

However, unlike previous competitions, in today's mentor selection segment, the mentors were somewhat at a disadvantage.

According to the rules, each mentor only had 12 spots.

This meant that, excluding the dozen or so previously eliminated contestants, out of the remaining seventy or so contestants, they could only ultimately choose to keep 48.

But these 48 were not entirely up to them.

Because in the first round, the mentors could only select 7 preferred contestants from the pool of candidates on the fence.

However, this list had to be chosen blindly, without any prior communication.

This also meant that there was a chance of overlapping choices.

After all, all four mentors had a good idea of everyone's abilities, and there were only so many strong contestants, so everyone wanted to snatch the best ones for their own team.

The crafty production team deliberately set up such rules, hoping to see the mentors fiercely compete over the contestants.

Therefore, the production team also granted a privilege to contestants chosen by multiple mentors at the same time.

That is, they could, in turn, choose their mentor.

In addition, the few contestants who had advanced directly earlier were given even greater rights.

They didn't need to go through this mentor selection round at all; instead, they could directly choose their own mentor.

If a mentor wanted them, they would have to compete for them themselves.

To some extent, such rules tested the mentors' standing and popularity with the contestants.

This was also why Shen Huaixi had been so eager to stir up drama earlier.

No one wanted to look foolish on stage, and Shen Huaixi certainly didn't want to either.

After Fu Qingyan explained the rules to everyone present, the first round of selection began.

"Mentors, please head to your backstage lounges to make your selections."

The production team gave the mentors ten minutes to pick their contestants.

During these ten minutes, the production team didn’t miss the chance to create some drama, setting up live broadcasts from four different rooms in the studio.

However, they only broadcast the mentors' images; the tablets they used to select candidates were completely hidden, not even a corner was shown.

Not even a sound was heard.

For the candidates on standby last week, watching this was pure torture for ten minutes.

"I’m so jealous of you, Kitty! I’m super nervous right now."

With the mentors absent, the candidates could finally speak.

Number 77 turned to face Su Xingyao directly and couldn’t resist reaching out to touch his fluffy mascot suit.

Even though Number 77 looks cute, he’s usually pretty brave.

Hearing him say he was nervous, Su Xingyao was a bit surprised.

"Don’t worry, you did great on the first stage."

Number 77 nodded, then after a moment, whispered into Su Xingyao’s ear, "I’m just being a bit greedy, hoping to advance, but even more hoping to be picked by the mentor I like."

Su Xingyao gave a knowing smile.

So, he wasn’t nervous about moving forward.

It was about the mentor he liked the most.

But during the first stage, he had cheered for three mentors, so Su Xingyao was surprised he was worried about the mentor.

Su Xingyao isn’t the nosy type, so he didn’t ask who the other wanted to pick.

He looked up and saw the mentors, each holding a pen, frowning and swiping quickly on their tablets.

A countdown was displayed next to the screen.

With every passing second, the hearts of the average candidates skipped a beat.

Soon, the ten minutes were up, and the four mentors came back on stage.

Each of them had a sly smile, trying to sneakily find out who the others picked.

Then Fu Qingyan stepped to the center of the stage, holding four envelopes.

"Now... I have the mentors' lists right here."

He looked down at the stage, "Whose list do you want to see first?"

"Sheng Yan!!!"

"Wen Yun!!"

"Xu Beizhou..."

There were shouts for everyone, but the calls for Shen Huaixi were much softer.

But Fu Qingyan on stage raised an eyebrow and said to the candidates, "How about we check out Teacher Shen’s first?"

Number 82 next to Su Xingyao, confused, couldn’t help but grumble.

"Is the stage too far, making it hard for Fu Qingyan to hear clearly..."

Although everyone was puzzled how Fu Qingyan could have mistaken it for Shen Huaixi, they quieted down and waited for him to open the envelope.

Of course, Fu Qingyan had heard clearly; he was just playing favorites with Shen Huaixi.

Shen Huaixi had saved his life once, and as the host, casually mentioning him in such a setting was nothing significant to him.

Suddenly being put on the spot, Shen Huaixi played along, feigning surprise, and immediately waved his hand, "No, no, this morning..."

But Fu Qingyan was already opening his envelope, pulling out a card at random.

The first person Fu Qingyan drew was contestant number 65.

A girl with a sweet voice and a fresh, delicate look.

The chosen girl stepped onto the stage, bowed to Shen Huaixi, and thanked him with visible excitement.

Noticing her excitement, Shen Huaixi grabbed the mic and shared why he picked her.

Once they finished chatting, the show's rules kicked in, and the big screen lit up to show if other mentors had picked her too.

Shen Huaixi had been poring over the list at home lately.

Though he looked torn and troubled on camera, he'd made up his mind about the list well in advance.

He didn't just pick the strongest; he went for those he could handle better.

Winning the championship? That wasn't his concern—the glory wasn't his to claim.

But if no one picked him during selections, it would sting for a while.

He couldn't risk embarrassment, so he picked contestants who were pliable, obedient, and easy to control.

Contestant 65 fit the bill perfectly.

Sheng Yan glanced at the screen, where the other mentors' names flickered, silently willing them to pass on this unremarkable girl.

But to his surprise, as the background music faded, Sheng Yan's name appeared.

Shen Huaixi's nails bit into his palm.

But he kept smiling, saying, "Sheng Yan, this isn't really your thing, is it?"

He shot Sheng Yan a look, silently questioning why he was muscling in on his pick.

Sheng Yan was taken aback by Shen Huaixi's choice, offering an awkward smile, but he stood his ground.

"I like it."

With two mentors vying for her, the decision now rested with contestant 65.

Shen Huaixi watched her eagerly, only to be let down.

Contestant 65 was a die-hard Sheng Yan fan, and when her idol picked her, she didn't think twice—she chose him.

The first pick didn't go his way, and Fu Qingyan, noticing Shen Huaixi's dismay, tried to cheer him up.

"It's alright, let's move on to the next one."

Originally, Fu Qingyan wanted to use the second selection to ease the awkwardness brought to Shen Huaixi by the first contestant.

But unexpectedly, the second contestant also chose someone else.

And it was with Xu Beizhou.

Xu Beizhou was a bit surprised by this outcome.

He had previously chatted with Shen Huaixi and guessed from the conversation the type of contestants Shen liked, so he tried to avoid overlapping choices with him.

But unexpectedly, they still overlapped on one.

Seeing the contestant on stage and Shen Huaixi's expectant eyes, he half-heartedly pitched himself.

But even though he was so perfunctory, the contestant, who didn't pick up on the vibe, still chose him...

"Sorry..."

Seeing Shen Huaixi's expression darken, Xu Beizhou quickly turned off his mic and apologized.

Shen Huaixi, who had long noticed Xu Beizhou's interest in him, gave a wry smile, "It's okay, it's not your fault."

After being passed over by two contestants in a row, Shen Huaixi was really embarrassed.

Fu Qingyan also knew that if this pattern continued, Shen Huaixi would lose all face today, so he decided to open another mentor's envelope.

But whether everyone just had the same taste in contestants or Shen Huaixi was particularly unlucky.

When he opened others' envelopes, their chosen contestants also overlapped with his.

He had written down ten names, but in the end, only two chose him.

The other eight all chose other mentors.

Such a low selection rate was quite embarrassing for him.

Especially compared to the mentors on his left and right, who each had seven selections, it was really quite embarrassing.

On stage, Fu Qingyan comforted the remaining contestants who were not chosen, "Don't be discouraged, there are still chances."

While secretly observing Shen Huaixi's expression, which had lost all signs of a smile.

"Next, let's welcome the contestants who advanced directly from the initial stage!"

Only four contestants received four advancement cards in the initial stage.

Led by the staff, Su Xingyao followed the three in front and stepped onto the stage.

After the four direct advancement winners took the stage, the audience burst into intense applause.

After all, these four were the strongest of the strong, and regardless of personal preferences, everyone at least showed surface-level respect.

Especially Su Xingyao, many people couldn't help but whistle and cheer "Kitty!" upon seeing his cute mascot costume again.

Fu Qingyan stood next to Su Xingyao and smiled at him warmly.

"Since the show aired, many people have been asking for the link to your kitty headgear. Can you tell us today where you got it?"

Suddenly being called on, Su Xingyao instinctively took a step back.

After putting some distance between himself and Fu Qingyan, he finally spoke.

"I made this myself."

Fu Qingyan didn't mind Su Xingyao's reaction, instead thinking that Su Xingyao was deliberately acting surprised and stepping back to match his earlier comment.

So he praised even more enthusiastically, "You made this yourself?"

"Wow, such a talented and versatile kitty."

Faced with such enthusiasm from Fu Qingyan, Su Xingyao stayed silent and didn't speak again...

Among the four contestants on stage, Fu Qingyan was only interested in the kitty (Su Xingyao).

After cueing Su Xingyao, he quickly moved on to announce the next segment.

At this point, the show's producers finally unveiled their trump card—the blind box draw.

Su Xingyao glanced at the all-too-familiar box in front of him and casually picked one.

Upon opening it, he realized he had drawn the last one.

Since he was last, he quickly stepped back to the edge of the stage, waiting for the other three to make their choices.

The three advancing contestants didn't hesitate at all; they stepped on stage and, without waiting for the mentors to argue, cheerfully announced their preferred mentors.

The first contestant, from the creative track, chose Xu Beizhou.

The second contestant, from the gentle track, chose Wen Yun.

The third contestant, an idol, chose Sheng Yan.

The contestants watching from below, seeing the advancing contestants choose so evenly, suspected that the producers had prearranged to distribute the contestants evenly among the mentors.

So when it was Su Xingyao's turn to step on stage, everyone was curious.

"No way... is the kitty really going to choose Shen Huaixi?"

"Please, no..."

"Kitty, join our team!"

However, while the contestants thought this, the mentors didn't.

As soon as Su Xingyao stepped on stage, the usually calm and steady Wen Yun spoke up.

"Kitty, join my team. Our style should be a great fit for you."

Sheng Yan, who often teased Wen Yun, couldn't help but chime in, "What, Brother Yun, are you trying to steal someone from me again? I already called dibs on the kitty!"

Xu Beizhou initially wanted to speak up and compete too.

But seeing Shen Huaixi nervously eyeing the kitty costume, he smiled and stepped back.

"I don't think I can compete with you guys, so I'll sit this one out."

Xu Beizhou's words sounded odd, and many contestants looked at him, puzzled, wondering why he gave up so easily.

However, Xu Beizhou didn't explain himself, just turned to Shen Huaixi and silently mouthed "good luck."

At this moment, Shen Huaixi was indeed starting to feel anxious.

In his pre-selection list, there was actually no such thing as the No. 78 mascot outfit.

In fact, he hadn't liked them from the very first moment he saw them.

Especially after the last episode aired, some of the things he said to them had even led to him being criticized by some viewers. So under normal circumstances, he would never consider letting someone like that join his team.

But...

So far, there wasn't a single standout contestant in his group.

Especially those who had just advanced directly, three in a row, and not one of them had mentioned him...

Facing such an uncontrollable situation for the first time, even though he still didn't like it, he was now desperately hoping to get No. 78 to join his team.

So he eagerly turned on his microphone and looked at Su Xingyao, praising, "Kitty Cat, your voice is very beautiful."

"I was really impressed the first time I heard you sing."

"After the last episode aired, many people might have misunderstood some of the things I said to you, but let me clarify here."

"I just like you too much... so I wanted to know more about you..."

After explaining himself, Shen Huaixi put on his best acting face to look at Su Xingyao.

"Of course, that's not the main point. What I really want to say today is, come to my team, and let's aim for the championship together!"

Shen Huaixi spoke with sincerity and depth, but Su Xingyao on the stage stayed silent.

If he didn't know Shen Huaixi, he might have believed it.

After Shen Huaixi finished speaking, it was Su Xingyao's turn to make his final decision.

As the first to advance and the contestant with the most attention.

Su Xingyao was now being vied for by three mentors.

The production team also knew how to set the mood, directly playing an exciting BGM to enhance the tension.

The contestants below the stage were driven by this atmosphere, watching Su Xingyao in the center of the stage, and couldn't help but hold their breath.

Some were curious if he would be swayed by Shen Huaixi.

Some were hoping he'd pick the same mentor as them...

Fu Qingyan also chimed in at the perfect moment, looking at him with curiosity and anticipation.

"So, Kitty Cat... what's your decision?"

A few seconds later, Su Xingyao picked up the microphone, "Thank you for the support and encouragement from the four mentors..."

He raised his head and looked straight ahead.

"However, I choose..."