With three hours of preparation time, Lin Xiaoman went to the practice room prepared for her, familiarizing herself with the song. After singing through it once, her vocal coach, Teacher He, shook his head: “Unstable breath, ‘you are my most unforgettable legend’, this part needs to be extended, the final vocal change weakens, giving a girlish feeling.”
“I’ll practice more,” Lin Xiaoman tried singing several more times, still not professional enough, unable to control the vocal changes well.
Lin Xiaoman listened to the original recording. Lin Li’s voice could naturally flow between blurry and clear, breath relaxed – she became entranced, remembering her previous argument with Ji Zhixian about a new song.
It was a new song Ji Zhixian wrote for her movie, but when singing, he was always dissatisfied, sometimes thinking she hit the high notes too hard or felt her breath wasn’t stable enough.
Lin Xiaoman practiced for days, her voice going hoarse, waiting for Ji Zhixian’s approval.
” she had complained angrily.
“Only those lacking ability would say such a thing,” Ji Zhixian had responded with an equally sour expression.
She remembered they hadn’t contacted each other for three entire days. She persisted in practicing in the vocal room, but the stubborn man never appeared. Eventually, his assistant arrived, bringing a new score.
It was a score Ji Zhixian had modified according to her singing habits, slightly lowering the vocal requirements, but without changing the song’s overall feeling. Melancholic and graceful, perfectly suited to her voice, it even won that year’s Best Movie Theme Song award.
Lin Xiaoman had an idea.
“Teacher He, could we transpose the high parts of this song? Modify it slightly according to my singing habits, without changing the song’s overall presentation?”
Teacher He, who had composed for many famous singers, frowned at her request: “We can make slight changes, but the final presentation will definitely not match the original.”
“Can’t you modify it to suit my singing style?”
Teacher He shook his head: “Aren’t you making things difficult for me? By changing the brilliant parts of this song, you hope to surpass it? No offense, but that’s impossible.”
For some reason, Lin Xiaoman immediately had this thought.
But she quickly cast this thought aside, knowing not everyone could reach Ji Zhixian’s level. She couldn’t rely on others and had to find a way herself.
“Don’t think about taking shortcuts,” Teacher He knew clearly that Lin Xiaoman’s singing skills and voice were good, but compared to Wei Qinghuan, there was still a gap, “Just practice hard.”
“Teacher He,” Lin Xiaoman put down her headphones and looked seriously at the person opposite her, “Do you think I’m definitely going to lose?”
“How could that be?” Teacher He was caught off guard but didn’t want to discourage her, nervously denying, “Don’t talk nonsense.”
“But industry insiders know how big the gap is between my and Wei Qinghuan’s singing skills. They definitely think I’ll lose,” Lin Xiaoman laughed, “I didn’t expect you to be so optimistic.”
Teacher He: …
“Then let’s work hard together,” Lin Xiaoman’s eyes, like autumn water, became even brighter, “There’s something I want to ask for your help with.”
Teacher He, who originally had no hope for her, was infected by her enthusiasm: “As long as I can help, just tell me.”
Lin Xiaoman leaned closer and whispered something in his ear.
Three hours quickly passed. Wei Qinghuan was the first to go on stage. As the clear and melodious prelude played, a girl in a pure white long dress slowly rose from the center of the stage, completely different from her usual sexy image, looking pure and beautiful.
The moment Wei Qinghuan started singing, her pure and delicate timbre conquered the entire venue, as if Lin Li herself was present. Lin Xiaoman’s skin broke out in goosebumps. She was truly impressive.
Especially during the climax, her breath was long and steady, her voice delicate and soft, like a lover’s sigh, lingering and affectionate, making people deeply intoxicated. As the song ended, everyone was immersed in the sad atmosphere. After a while, applause began sparsely and gradually grew, eventually filling the entire venue.
The three judges praised Wei Qinghuan’s performance. “This is the most perfect performance I’ve seen so far,” one judge said. “Fantastic! You’ve completely expressed the emotions in the song. I’m already moved to tears!” another judge said, wiping his eyes. “If you were a blazing sun before, today you’re like a pure moon. Not flashy, but gentle and pure, the brightest light in the darkness. Qinghuan, you’ve broken through yourself on this stage, and it truly surprises me…”
While Xie Xueyi was still rambling, Lin Xiaoman was preparing to leave the dressing room. She adjusted her emotions, ready to go on stage. In the corridor, Lin Xiaoman encountered Ning Yumu. After yesterday’s video incident, she had been quite well-behaved. But now she looked like she was up to something, smiling with ill intent: “Xiaoman, do your best.”
Lin Xiaoman continued walking without looking sideways.
As they passed each other, Ning Yumu said in a low voice: “After all, this is your last performance.”
Lin Xiaoman was unfazed and strode away. She arrived backstage, and the host had already finished introducing her.
The stage went dark, and Lin Xiaoman stood in the center, immediately entering her state.
As the melancholic prelude began, a spotlight illuminated her. Lin Xiaoman stood alone on the empty stage, wearing a red cheongsam, looking sorrowful.
Even before singing, she already evoked sadness.
When she began singing, she started moving. In her soft and delicate voice, people seemed to see how a beautiful woman in the Republican era navigated between multiple men, climbing the social ladder to become a socialite. Then, wandering through the fires of war, she transformed and became a legendary figure.
The song told the story of a legendary woman, and Lin Xiaoman became this woman, allowing people to witness her life’s ups and downs. Though her singing couldn’t bring the song to its ultimate potential, her beautiful, sad dance moves and exquisite acting made her imperfect vocals more authentic and touching.
When the lights dimmed again and she disappeared from the stage, the lingering trembling final note seemed to touch everyone’s most sensitive nerve endings, bringing tears to many eyes.
Even Wei Qinghuan had reddened eyes.
She knew Lin Xiaoman’s capabilities very well. Although she had some foundation, there was still a gap compared to her.
From the first competition, Wei Qinghuan had noticed this timid girl. She could see that Lin Xiaoman had musical and dance foundations, but because she wasn’t comfortable on stage, her performance was much weaker.
When everyone looked down on Lin Xiaoman, she had stood up to help her.
So when she saw Lin Xiaoman using her bodice to attract attention, Wei Qinghuan felt betrayed.
Wei Qinghuan was angry. She wanted to eliminate Lin Xiaoman, this person without principles.
However, now she realized she might have been wrong.
As Lin Xiaoman said, with her abilities, she would never need to resort to such petty tricks.
In that instant, Wei Qinghuan felt like she had fallen into an ice cave, knowing she was about to lose her trainee status.
★ Chapter Four: Contract
Lin Xiaoman returned to the stage. From the audience’s enthusiastic reaction and Wei Qinghuan’s dejected face, she could already see the result.
She had won this round.
This was not a stage for finding professional singers.
While vocal skills were important, they were not absolute.
The stage’s presentation required both singing and the performer’s performance.
