CHAPTER 61: CHAPTER 57: THE SECOND EPISODE IS AIRED, AND THE NEW SONG IS A HIT!

With a creaking noise, a sheet of paper slowly emerged.

Chu Tian glanced at the printed authorization letter. There shouldn’t be any problems, he thought. Now, I need to consider what suitable songs I have and who should sing them.

Evening arrived before he knew it. After Chu Tian got home, he lay on his bed. Seeing it was nearly nine o’clock, he immediately looked at the system interface with anticipation, waiting for his Reputation Points to soar.

The show started at eight o’clock. Since he didn’t have a TV at home, he couldn’t watch it. In this episode, according to the previous episode’s draw, the performance order was reversed. Xu Qingqiu was the last to go on stage, so she should be up around nine o’clock.

Since he couldn’t watch TV, he could only estimate the timing. After all, the Reputation Points were capped at ten million. If he didn’t keep a close watch, any excess would be wasted.

「Meanwhile, on television, the show was proceeding smoothly.」

The previous singers had finished their performances. Only Xu Qingqiu remained.

"Next, let’s welcome the last competing singer, our ballad Queen, Xu Qingqiu!" the host announced.

"OHHH!!"

Following the host’s introduction and the enthusiastic cheers from the on-screen audience, the stage lights dimmed one by one.

In the previous show, Xu Qingqiu’s song "In the World" had resonated with countless people who had endured life’s hardships, moving many who had been slandered by rumors to tears.

In this episode, Xu Qingqiu, as the final singer, garnered significant attention. Fans and non-fans alike eagerly awaited her performance.

[Song: "Morning bound for midnight"]

[Original Singer: Xu Qingqiu]

[Lyricist: Youmeng]

[Composer: Youmeng]

[Arranger: Youmeng]

"Holy shit! It’s this Youmeng again?"

"Another song by Youmeng? Two in a row?"

"Last episode, Youmeng handled the lyrics, composition, and arrangement. This episode too?"

"The other singers all had the program’s in-house arrangers help adapt their songs. Only Xu Qingqiu seems to consistently sing originals, and they’re all Youmeng’s works—even the arrangements. That’s incredible, isn’t it?"

Some industry insiders, or those who usually paid close attention to lyricists and composers, showed surprised expressions upon seeing the familiar name. The more naturally exuberant ones even cursed outright.

"The night’s stardust, an unextinguished night..."

"Morning bound for midnight..."

"The season we will eventually embrace..."

"Let us become as wild as lovers..."

...

"Wow, this first part’s chanting is absolutely amazing! So ethereal and evocative!"

"I don’t even need to hear the rest; this is definitely a hit song!"

"Stunning! Absolutely stunning! This is quite different from Xu Qingqiu’s previous style, yet it also feels tailor-made for her."

Many people in the music industry were paying close attention to the program. As soon as Xu Qingqiu began to sing, many gasped in admiration. Her transformation was refreshingly surprising—simply stunning.

"Once like the night so dark, each dawn..."

"Once barred every dream, every door..."

"At last, perhaps, boundless possibilities freely occur..."

"Once truly like love, though close to success, it ended in failure..."

"The sincerity mistaken by each hunter..."

"Finally an adult, this is youth..."

...

#XuQingqiu #MorningBoundForMidnight #TheSoundOfNature

[This song evokes the power of seeking light amidst darkness. Morning represents sunshine and vitality, while midnight signifies neon lights and darkness. "Morning bound for midnight" is like the darkness before dawn. When morning arrives, all gloom will eventually dissipate, welcoming the first light of hope.

This is youth, requiring us to experience its many trials and triumphs.

Xu Qingqiu’s powerful stage presence and vocal tension perfectly commanded this song. The melodious tune and her ethereal voice imbued the performance with a rich sense of storytelling!

It’s wonderful to listen to; I highly recommend it to everyone. Also, Teacher Youmeng, I’m very much looking forward to discussing it with you.]

Even while the program was still airing, online discussions were already exploding.

Jiang Shangqiu, the show’s resident music arranger and musical director, eagerly posted his thoughts online.

"Teacher Jiang posted! Isn’t that awesome?!"

"May I ask, Teacher Jiang, why was the arrangement for this song done by Youmeng and not by you?"

"Does anyone know who Youmeng actually is?"

"This song is amazing! I love it so much! No darkness can last forever. Wishing myself success on my postgraduate entrance exam!"

"Thank you for your support, Teacher Jiang! President Xu has been working very hard, and we hope everyone likes it!"

The moment Jiang Shangqiu’s article appeared, the comment section immediately buzzed with activity.

It wasn’t just his post; many other behind-the-scenes professionals in the music industry also began to share their opinions.

Although most of them lacked a large following and their influence was largely confined to industry circles, this didn’t stop them from eagerly expressing their views.

The surprise Xu Qingqiu delivered was immense. At a time when original music was gradually declining and the entire industry seemed to be in a downturn, her two new songs arrived at the perfect moment. It was as if new strength had been injected into the faltering music scene.

Many music critics expressed with emotion that people were still striving to create music, and the Chinese music industry had not become a stagnant pool.

The production team for The Sound of Nature was not to be outdone. They frequently released promotional articles and videos through official accounts on various channels, including Weibo and short video platforms. This fanned the flames of the already trending topic, adding fuel to the fire.

As the show concluded, heated discussions about this episode erupted across the entire internet.

"This episode was fantastic! Especially Xu Qingqiu’s performance—the song was great, and her singing was beautiful!"

"It’s a shame we have to wait until the next episode for the results, but I feel Xu Qingqiu was in the best form. Definitely top three!"

"The production team just launched a topic challenge to guess the singers’ rankings. I immediately picked Xu Qingqiu for first place. She was legendary in this episode! Hands down!"

"I also think President Xu’s song was the best. It truly sang to my heart."

More and more people joined the discussion. As short video clips released by the production team gradually went viral, they immediately inspired fan-created content, which in turn boosted views on online platforms.

Just as the television broadcast ended, the latest episode’s release on online platforms immediately attracted a new surge of traffic.

Chu Tian lay on his bed, his mouth agape as he watched his Reputation Points skyrocket.

Seeing his Reputation Points increase by millions, he immediately exchanged them for a bottle of [Sea Blue Essence] potion and placed it in his item bar, preparing to use it in half a month.

The last time, because he had drawn a [Sea Blue Essence] in the lottery, the exchange price had doubled. This time it cost him 72,000 Reputation Points. The next exchange would be 144,000. It was getting progressively more expensive.

I don’t even want to think about how much it will cost after a year, he mused. If my throat doesn’t heal within a year, my current Reputation Points might really not be enough.

There wasn’t much time for him to dwell on it. The influx of Reputation Points was accelerating, so he quickened his pace, rapidly exchanging them for [Text Converter]s.

After exchanging for more than forty of them, he finally depleted his Reputation Points, but new ones immediately started trickling in again.

From the television broadcast to the online buzz and then to the streaming on online platforms—it was a complete cycle. The hype was building faster and faster, and the influx of Reputation Points showed no signs of stopping.

Looks like getting to bed early tonight will be quite a challenge, he thought.