I'm Really a Superstar

Watching television.

Many viewers were wondering what was going on.

"Eh? What's with this?"

"Why is Dong Shanshan still talking?"

"Won't Teacher Zhang hurry onstage already? I'm really looking forward to seeing another funny performance by him."

"Hahaha, it better not be another plaza dance tune. If it is, I'll really have to kneel!"

His mother said, "Where is he?"

His father said, "Probably getting ready."

Wu Zeqing just quietly watched the TV.

The singers backstage were finding it rather strange too.

Zhang Xia wondered, "Why hasn't he gone onto the stage yet?"

Amy laughed to her host-manager and said, "What kind of big move is Teacher Zhang pulling?"

Xiaodong guessed, "It was a musical crosstalk for the first round, could he be doing a musical talk show for the second round?"

Xiaodong's host-manager couldn't stop laughing at that. "With Director Zhang's personality, it might really be possible!"

Countless people were waiting.

Zhang Yuanqi and Fang Weihong were watching the competition.

Fan Wenli was watching.

Ning Lan was watching.

A Heavenly King was watching.

The students and teachers of Peking University were watching.

The students and teachers of Media College were watching.

Suddenly, Dong Shanshan said, "Alright, let's hand the stage over to our first singer."

Finally, Zhang Ye appeared. The entire nation's viewers' attention was on him. They were either in stitches, yawning in boredom, or railing at him. Voices like these were also present on a smaller scale within the live studio audience of I Am a Singer's grand finals.

The stage was located not far from the live studio audience, so anyone talking in there could be heard quite clearly.

"Let's see what kind of nonsense he's gonna come up with this time, haha!"

"I like Zhang Ye, he gave me a hug after his first performance."

"So why didn't you vote for him since he hugged you? I saw you voting for Zhang Xia instead."

"Uhh, don't you tell me off. Teacher Zhang gave you a hug too, but didn't you vote for Chen Guang?"

"That's because Chen Guang has true skill. Teacher Zhang only knows how to sing casually now, and those songs aren't even touching anymore."

"Go karaoke king!"

"King of Karaoke!"

"King of Karaoke!"

Quite a few audience members were heckling him.

Even the TV viewers were finding this rather amusing when they heard the noise!

King of Karaoke?

What an appropriate title!

Karaoke standard songs!

And a karaoke level of singing!

A piano was placed on the stage. Usually, when a piano was put on stage, it would be placed at an angle. But this one wasn't. It faced the audience.

Zhang Ye sat in front of it and stretched out his hands, suddenly trembling a little.

Was it excitement?

Was it nervousness?

Was it sadness?

Looking at the stage lights, looking at the densely packed audience, Zhang Ye had the urge to cry for the first time. His heart was pounding like mad, so he took a deep breath but couldn't slow it down no matter what.

Did you guys know? Be it "Perturbed," "Small Apple," or even "Nonsense Has Its Nonsense Logic," none of those songs were what I wanted to sing. But I still sang each song very seriously; none of them were perfunctory performances. I practiced them time and again, I rearranged the music over and over, I used all the spare time that I had to polish those songs. I just wanted to sing them to the best I could, because I thought that since I couldn't win, then I should at least bring some smiles and laughter to all of you.

Did you guys know that?

Did you really know that?

His hands landed and the sound of the piano cut through the air.

A sad melody hit everyone right in the heart. The contrast was too great. It was so great that everyone was caught off guard. The audience was dumbfounded for a moment, clearly because this was not the viral tune they were expecting. Could there be a surprise coming up? Would Zhang Ye suddenly jump onto the piano and dance?

The atmosphere turned quiet!

The sound of the piano seemingly transported them to another world.

There was only a person with a piano in this world.

Zhang Ye lightly closed his eyes and sang 1 .

"My singing isn't touching enough, but please don't frown.

"I want to be with you til death do us part.

"I just want to have fun and sing til the next century's countdown.

"So please don't mind me playing to the emotions of your heart."

The audience was stunned!

Everyone was stunned!

This!

This song!

Zhang Ye opened his eyes.

"What else can I do?

"If cuddling cannot excite you?

"Cheaply singing,

"the emotions written in love songs.

"What else can I do?

"If love no longer inspires?

"Those clichéd lyrics spur your compassion."

The two girls Zhang Ye hugged earlier had their eyes turn red and teary!

Hu Fei was stunned!

Dafei exclaimed!

Xiao Lu covered her mouth in disbelief!

Why?

Why was it like this?

Zhang Ye's voice was getting louder.

"Who still believes in shallow words like 'for all of our days'?

"Come, I will gift you a song that made millions of people cry!

"A never before heard vow is like a happy Ferris wheel.

"Only that can make me scream how deeply I love, love, love, love you."

All of a sudden, he stopped playing the piano and singing!

Countless people looked at Zhang Ye's face and saw that his eyes had reddened while his hands were shaking!

One second!

Two seconds!

Three seconds!

I only know how to sing casually?

I was singing garbage?

Zhang Ye pressed the keys.

"Throwing my heart and soul into the Milky Way.

"Who is garbage?

"If you don't want me to be sad, please spare me a bit of your love."

Backstage, Zhang Xia stood up!

Chen Guang was amazed!

Xiaodong was dumbfounded!

Huang Cheng was stunned!

Amy's tears started falling!

Lost his touch?

Couldn't write a good song?

His singing was declining?

Garbage?

Bullshit!

Bull fucking shit!

Clearly, you can still sing great!

Clearly, you can still write great songs!

Clearly, you could have beat everyone else!

So why?

Just why?!

Zhang Ye sang sadly.

"I cry whenever I sing what's on my mind.

"If you're afraid of getting sad, just take my hand.

"I have thousands of things to tell you, combined.

"It's simpler than wishing to be together forever, it's no rare demand.

"Who still believes in shallow words like 'for all of our days'?

"Come, I will gift you a song that made millions of people cry!

"A never before heard vow is like a happy Ferris wheel.

"Only that can make me scream how deeply I love, love, love, love you."

The live studio audience and television viewers had never seen this side of Zhang Ye before. They were all shocked by it!

Zhang Ye's singing was too shocking. His voice was like a knife, cutting bit by bit into their hearts. There were no high notes, but his perfected singing could still reach them through the TV. This type singing was something they had not heard in Zhang Xia's or Chen Guang's performances. Even they could not achieve this!

How could someone who could write this sort of song have lost his touch!

How could someone who could sing like this be a fallen hero!

You were obviously standing at the peak!

So why?

Just why?

Many of the live studio audience members stood up!

Zhang Ye's face was dripping with sweat. He sang loudly.

"Wrote twenty songs for you to show that I haven't given up!

"And even included that your love went over the line!

"Singing these twenty songs for you to show that I mean it!

"Even the microphone feels for me!"

It's not that I don't know how to sing!

It's really not!

However many songs you guys want in the future, I can sing all of them for you!

Are five songs enough?

Are ten songs enough?

Are twenty songs enough?

I can sing them!

I can sing to all of you for my entire life, or even two lifetimes!

Then, he went quiet.

The air was still.

Zhang Ye closed his eyes.

"I'm more than anyone else,

"Yet you're saying that,

"the King of Karaoke, is me."

You're more than anyone else?

No one is your match?

The music critics in the front row looked at one another in shock!

Zhang Ye looked at everyone in the audience below stage:

"I just wanted to always be in love with you.

"But that terribly ruthless yawn of yours,

" utterly destroyed me. 2 "

The expression on all of their faces at this moment was shock!

A song could convey emotions and feelings. A song could also speak. In this instance, a lot of people realized that the incomparable Zhang Ye, who could even make the microphone feel for him, had only been singing those catchy tunes to make everyone laugh for one reason. They finally understood what this reason was. It was the only reason he didn't sing well even though he could!

He wasn't allowed to sing well!

He couldn't win!

Because he was the executive director!

Because he was the one who made the rules!

Anyone could win, except Zhang Ye!

After listening to the song.

Hu Fei understood!

Zhang Xia understood!

Xiaodong understood!

Amy understood!

A lot of people understood!

They only just realized how much Zhang Ye sacrificed for this show, for all of them, and for the audience. How much had he given and lost? It was much greater than they could have imagined. This was a sacrifice that no celebrity in the entertainment industry would ever want to pay the price for!

They should have known better!

Hu Fei took off his glasses and wiped his tears away with a sleeve.

Xiao Lu crouched down and cried with her head in her arms.

Many of the Beijing Television staff were crying!

All of a sudden, an angry roar came from the audience!

"Champion!"

A second voice shouted!

"Champion!"

A third one!

A fifth one!

A tenth one!

"Champion!"

"Champion!"

"Champion!"

"Champion!"

The entire audience got to their feet!

The entire audience was cheering in unison!

Xiao Lu raised her head to look at it with streaks of tears still visible on her cheeks!

Hu Fei, Hou Ge, and the others all looked at the audience in shock!

1. https://youtu.be/PZfpPP6np6I

2. The King of Karaoke samples the titles of many other Chinese songs from the industry in its original lyrics