The news of Chen Qiyun’s performance on the singer’s live broadcast show shook the entire online world!
Consequently, the viewership for that episode of the singer’s live stage soared to over fifty million.
And Chen Qiyun did not disappoint her vast number of fans. Her new song made a stunning debut, maintaining her usual high standard.
After she finished singing, everyone thought Qin Yunxuan was surely going to lose this time.
After all, Chen Qiyun wasn’t Liu Qingcheng. Among the younger generation, her talent was second to none.
But at this moment, something no one expected happened. Qin Yunxuan actually presented a song titled “Boundless Seas and Skies,” which completely turned the tables.
Although Chen Qiyun’s song was excellent, it still fell slightly short compared to “Boundless Seas and Skies.”
When Director Chen received the voting data, his entire face scrunched up in distress.
The votes for the other contestants were understandable, but the votes for Qin Yunxuan and Chen Qiyun were just too close!
And Qin Yunxuan was ahead of Chen Qiyun by exactly two votes!
It was these two votes that put Director Chen in a complete dilemma.
If they went strictly by the results, Qin Yunxuan would undoubtedly retain her title as the defending champion!
But… Chen Qiyun was a top-tier singer, the strongest original artist among the younger generation. If she lost…
The potential consequences were something Director Chen couldn’t even estimate.
If Chen Qiyun’s reputation suffered because of this result, how could other major star singers possibly be willing to compete in the future?
What kind of real singing competition would it be without major star contestants?
…
“The results are out? This is so exciting!”
“First and second place will definitely be between Qin Yunxuan and Chen Qiyun. The rest of us might as well call it a night!”
“I think Chen Qiyun should be first. After all, her popularity and seniority are stronger than Qin Yunxuan’s!”
“Personally, I still feel Qin Yunxuan performed better in this round, just based on this particular performance!”
“Don’t forget, this is a voting-based competition. Popularity is a significant factor too!”
Although each competing singer had their own thoughts, they all had to admit one thing.
This episode’s peak showdown was truly between Qin Yunxuan and Chen Qiyun!
Director Chen glanced at Qin Yunxuan and Chen Qiyun, then opened the envelope.
“The votes for first and second place today are extremely close, virtually neck and neck!”
Whoosh—everyone’s gaze instantly fell upon Qin Yunxuan and Chen Qiyun.
Among them was Liu Qingcheng’s gaze, filled with envy and jealousy.
“However, unfortunately, Qin Yunxuan has lost the chance for a three-time consecutive championship by a very narrow margin of just two votes!”
In the end, Director Chen chose to let Chen Qiyun take the final champion spot for this round.
After all, in his view, considering the show’s overall interests, having Chen Qiyun win was more beneficial for the program!
As for Qin Yunxuan, losing to Chen Qiyun by such a small margin wasn’t something to be ashamed of at all!
After all, Chen Qiyun was a top-tier singer, the strongest original artist of the younger generation, a “senior” with a decade-long career.
Moreover, Director Chen believed that with this outcome, neither side should have any major objections.
After he announced the result, the venue fell silent. Everyone looked at Chen Qiyun and Qin Yunxuan, wanting to see their reactions.
Clap, clap, clap!
Unexpectedly, Qin Yunxuan started applauding, a sincere smile on her face. “Congratulations, Qiyun!”
Although Qin Lang (in Qin Yunxuan’s body) felt a tinge of regret, believing his “Boundless Seas and Skies” was superior, he also understood this was a voting-based competition where popularity played a significant role!
When two performers are equally matched, fans tend to vote for the singer they personally prefer!
So, this narrow defeat wasn’t a big deal to him. Besides… Chen Qiyun’s song was indeed very good too.
But at this moment, Chen Qiyun’s face was flushed bright red, as if she had suffered some insult.
“Director Chen, is this result true? Did I really win?” Chen Qiyun pressed.
Director Chen nodded. “Yes, you have two more votes than Qin Yunxuan.”
Chen Qiyun’s expression turned somewhat grim.
Director Chen’s heart skipped a beat. Could it be that Chen Qiyun was dissatisfied with this outcome?
Come to think of it, Chen Qiyun was a top-tier singer, while Qin Yunxuan was a third-tier singer!
For a top-tier singer to nearly be toppled by a third-tier singer… if word got out, it certainly wouldn’t sound good.
Just as Director Chen was considering how to console Chen Qiyun, she spoke up.
“I do not accept this result!”
A wry smile appeared on Director Chen’s face. “Miss Chen, this round’s score is…”
“I believe my song and performance were not as good as Qin Yunxuan’s. Qin Yunxuan should be the champion of this round! Making me first place feels like an insult to me!”
Chen Qiyun’s words were like a huge rock thrown into a calm lake, instantly stirring up massive waves.
No one expected Chen Qiyun to say something like this!
She was a top-tier singer certified by the Tianshu rating agency, a senior with years of experience! Yet she was voluntarily admitting she wasn’t as good as Qin Yunxuan?
“Am I hearing things?” Such thoughts crossed the minds of many singers present.
Director Chen’s face also showed disbelief.
Chen Qiyun was standing up for Qin Yunxuan? And claiming that being made first place was an insult to her?
Did she know how many singers would love that kind of “insult”?
At the very least, Liu Qingcheng probably wanted that “insult” quite badly!
Qin Lang was also stunned. He looked at Chen Qiyun and saw her eyes were bright and earnest!
It seemed her words came from the heart. Did she truly believe that?
“But…” Director Chen hesitated. “But this is based on the live audience’s votes. We must respect the rules!”
“However, for a professional singer’s stage, we need a more professional mechanism!” Chen Qiyun said seriously. “Relying solely on the live audience’s decision doesn’t fully reflect the fairness and professionalism of our program!”
A helpless, bitter smile appeared on Director Chen’s face.
She really was a blunt girl!
If he had known this would happen, he might as well have announced the real results earlier. This way, he wouldn’t be stuck in such an awkward position.
“Qiyun, I think we should still respect the show’s rules.”
Surprisingly, it was Qin Lang who spoke up now.
“Since you have more votes, you are the champion of this round. That’s all there is to it!”
“But that’s unfair to you, and unfair to the music itself!”
Chen Qiyun insisted earnestly. “Good music deserves fair treatment. Otherwise, my participation in this show would lose its meaning!”
No one expected Chen Qiyun to be this kind of person. It left the program team in a difficult spot.
After all, they had never encountered a top-tier star who cared so little about rankings.
“How about this,” Director Chen’s eyes shifted, suggesting an idea. “Let’s put the final decision to the broader audience of fans online. We’ll start a vote on Weibo, with a two-day limit. Whoever has the higher vote count becomes the champion for the third round. What do you think?”
Chen Qiyun thought for a moment. Given the circumstances, she could only agree to this plan.
Qin Lang glanced at Director Chen, filled with admiration. This guy truly was a master at playing the marketing game.
