Chapter 88: The Heartless Man and the Faithless Woman

Anyone who has watched a music competition show knows that no matter how well a song is performed, it’s impossible for it to please everyone. After all, for the sake of fairness, the production team invites an audience with as even an age distribution as possible. Everyone has their own preferences, especially when it comes to something as subjective as music, so it’s rare for a song to win universal acclaim.

Yet, “Guest” managed to do just that.

Or rather, Su Chen’s rendition of “Guest” made it happen.

Almost everyone, at some point in their life, has experienced loving someone they could never have—whether it was a secret crush or a mutual affection that ultimately faded. The person by your side now is no longer the one who once filled your heart.

Through Su Chen’s performance, every listener found themselves recalling their own lost love—their once untouchable “moonlight”—and relived those poignant memories, shedding tears in the process.

For this reason, Su Chen received the audience’s most heartfelt votes.

“So, with the combined scores from the four mentors, contestant Su Chen’s final score is... 940 points!”

“940 points, the same as contestant Meng Xiaotian! Let’s congratulate Su Chen and Meng Xiaotian for tying for first place!”

Liu Shao’s announcement was not met with cheers or applause, only confusion and disbelief.

Why should Su Chen’s “Guest” be tied with Meng Xiaotian’s “White Wedding”?

It was important to note that “Guest” was Su Chen’s original composition, while Meng Xiaotian had only performed someone else’s song.

Regardless of their singing abilities, in terms of creative merit alone, Su Chen had already left Meng Xiaotian far behind.

“This is so unfair... Su Chen’s performance was clearly worthy of a perfect score!”

“Exactly! It was only because of Zheng Huayu’s score that Su Chen ended up tied with Meng Xiaotian. That’s just unacceptable!”

“I think Su Chen should have been first!”

“That’s right! Su Chen for first! Su Chen for first!”

...

Unable to contain themselves any longer, the six hundred members of the audience began voicing their support for Su Chen.

Seeing their united front, the dozen or so security guards started to feel the pressure. If the crowd surged forward, there was no way they could hold them back.

Witnessing the scene, cold sweat broke out on Liu Shao’s forehead as he desperately tried to maintain order and prevent the situation from escalating.

Meanwhile, on the contestants’ side, the previously cheerful members of Zheng Huayu’s team fell into a dead silence upon seeing Su Chen’s score. One in particular, the one with the lowest score among them, looked especially mortified.

With Su Chen advancing, it meant he himself would be eliminated.

Damn it! The competition was nearly over—how could something like this still happen?!

Sitting in his seat, Meng Xiaotian’s expression was dark as night. He hadn’t expected Su Chen to pull off such a comeback from what seemed like a hopeless situation.

As a veteran of the entertainment industry, having been repeatedly upstaged by Su Chen, he felt as though his face had been slapped swollen.

But what stung most wasn’t even that—it was the audience’s reaction.

They actually thought he was unworthy of sharing first place with Su Chen?!

The humiliation made Meng Xiaotian so angry he could spit blood.

“Su Chen, that bastard... How does he deserve this?!”

“Damn it!”

Meng Xiaotian growled under his breath, nearly grinding his teeth to dust.

At the same time, as Liu Shao struggled to keep the scene under control, Zheng Huayu, unable to ignore the audience’s outcry, finally spoke up.

“Who’s the mentor here, me or you? If you think you can do better, come take my seat! You people have no ability and yet you’re so noisy! Never mind forty points, what if I wanted to give him zero? What business is it of yours?!”

Zheng Huayu was already incensed by Su Chen’s 940 points, and now, after taking the brunt of the audience’s criticism, he dropped all pretense and retaliated openly, straightening up in his seat as he shot back.

Seeing this, Liu Shao realized there was no way to suppress the crowd’s anger any longer. Watching Zheng Huayu’s arrogant display, he cursed the man and his ancestors in his heart.

How did an idiot like this become a celebrity?! Are today’s young women really that mindless? Is this really the kind of person they like?

As Liu Shao was lost in thought, some of the more agitated audience members began hurling their water bottles at Zheng Huayu.

Unfortunately, their aim was off. One bottle glanced past Zheng Huayu’s crotch and landed on the floor.

The rush of air from the bottle sent a chill down Zheng Huayu’s spine—he’d just had surgery the day before. If he were hit, the wound would surely split open!

Just imagining the pain made Zheng Huayu’s face turn pale; he didn’t dare provoke the crowd any further. He immediately slumped back into his wheelchair, doubled over, protecting his lower body.

A wave of heat washed over him—he lost control of his bladder.

Seeing what happened, the security guards by the mentors’ seats hurried onstage and wheeled Zheng Huayu away.

The guards shielded Zheng Huayu as they rushed him off, leaving a trail of urine on the floor and their own pants.

Fortunately, the rest of the audience kept their heads—otherwise, with 600 bottles flying, not even the security could protect him.

Yet, some sharp-eyed audience members had already recorded the entire scene on their phones.

“Look! Why is Zheng Huayu’s wheelchair leaking?”

“What leak? That’s pee, isn’t it?”

“Damn, one water bottle and Zheng Huayu wet his pants? My dog’s got more guts than that! Hahaha!”

“Did you see how, when he was in danger, he instinctively protected his crotch? Do you think he really had surgery down there a few days ago?”

“Whoa, now that you mention it, it does seem possible!”

...

Viewers in the live-stream noticed Zheng Huayu’s sorry state as well, setting off a wave of laughter.

Zheng Huayu’s name shot up the trending searches.

With him removed from the stage, the audience’s anger finally began to subside, and Liu Shao was able to regain control of the show.

Although Zheng Huayu had been escorted out, the results of the round had yet to be announced—the competition had to continue.

“Everyone, please calm down, the show will go on,” Liu Shao said loudly. “This round between Team Yan Mi and Team Zheng Huayu ends with seven members from Team Zheng Huayu advancing, and one member from Team Yan Mi.”

“Now, let me introduce our eight winners: from Team Zheng Huayu, Meng Xiaotian...”

Liu Shao quickly rattled off the names and rushed to wrap up the segment. He didn’t even announce the rankings, afraid of stirring up the audience once more.

As for Su Chen, who should have been basking in glory, he ended up with the least screen time of all, a casualty of the chaos.

Staring blankly at everything that transpired, Su Chen felt like nothing more than a spectator.

Well then! Just moments ago, everyone had been tearfully calling him “Brother Su Chen,” but now they were all busy cursing out Zheng Huayu, not sparing him a glance.

Heh, what a bunch of heartless men and women.