Chapter 136 The Mysterious Man Has Arrived Too

Although Lu Yinzhao wasn't as obsessed with this foreign female singer as Song Shuye, he had heard of her before.

Elia was born in country F. After debuting at the age of 20, she went to country M to develop her career. Her records have been bestsellers all over the world. Now 31 years old, Elia still sticks to her own musical style.

However, she has been developing her career abroad and never expected to come to China to participate in the variety show "The Voice of China".

It has to be said that the production team is quite capable, managing to invite Elia over. I wonder what reason they used to get her here. Was it really just because of the high appearance fee?

With such a strong singer joining the show as a guest, the pressure on the other guests must be increasing dramatically.

Bian Ji said he wasn't nervous before, could he have been lying to him?

Won't it actually put a lot of pressure on me?

Such a clash between East and West is sure to be a highlight, after all, it's a world-class musical exchange and collision, and it's bound to spark something extraordinary.

"I wasn't really interested in this show at first, but since the production team invited my goddess, I guess I'll have to check it out!" Song Shuye said excitedly.

“I will watch it too,” Lu Yinzhao said with a faint smile.

"Is there someone you like among the guests this time?" Song Shuye's eyes lit up.

"I guess so..." Lu Yinzhao touched his nose.

After all, he's the older brother who grew up with him, so he has to support him!

*

With this anticipation, the entire internet is waiting for the show to officially air.

Finally, amidst everyone's anticipation, Friday night arrived.

Today's screening includes the pilot episode and the first half of the main feature.

Lu Yinzhao wasn't in his dorm today. Instead, he went to the library, found a quiet corner to sit in, put his laptop in front of him, plugged in his headphones, and checked that the sound wouldn't leak out before settling down to watch Melon Video.

After countless refreshes, the poster for the show's premiere was finally placed in a prominent position at the top of the video's homepage.

The title reads: [A Nostalgic Trip Back! "The Voice of China" Makes a Grand Debut! A Heavenly Feast for the Senses!]

Without saying a word, Lu Yinzhao immediately clicked on it.

Ahhh! I'm so excited!

He felt that the last time he was this excited was when he saw his mother on this show. Many years later, Bian Ji also successfully stepped onto the same stage.

Lu Yinzhao was even more nervous than Bian Ji, the person involved.

The program team still used the familiar logo and broadcast rhythm, which alone can bring back countless memories for the audience.

Then came a series of announcements about the advertising sponsors.

Then there's footage of the guests sitting in the car heading to the recording location.

The first person to appear on camera was 48-year-old male singer Yuan Mo, a senior figure in the music industry who has been in the business for 25 years. He always exudes a refined and elegant air, and when he sings, he is like a storyteller telling a story in a gentle and detailed way.

[I've been guessing who else in the industry went on this show! And it turns out it was Yuan Mo!]

It's Yuan Mo! I have to tell my mom right away! My mom's a huge fan of his!

[Haha, many people of our parents' generation have heard his songs, right?]

Although Mr. Yuan is old enough to be my dad, I've been listening to his songs since I was a baby, hehe. (flips fingers)

[I feel like there's no need to compare anymore; with Yuan Mo's appearance, the song quality is guaranteed.]

After the production team interviewed Yuan Mo with some questions, Yuan Mo gave some answers, and then the scene cut to the next person's car.

"Hi everyone! Is the camera already rolling?" the man asked, looking to the side.

"Yes, we're filming," the director responded off-screen.

Xin Yang! So handsome! So handsome! So handsome!

[Go Yang Ge! Go for it in the competition!]

[Have fun, Yang Ge! We'd love to hear you sing your signature song on the show!]

[Xin Yang sings folk songs, right? That kind of singing doesn't seem to be very popular on competitive stages.]

[Who says Yang Ge can only sing folk songs? Yang Ge is a very talented singer-songwriter, and he'll definitely prepare other styles of songs for the show!]

Lu Yinzhao searched for Xin Yang and saw online that Xin Yang is also a singer who mainly writes original songs. Netizens described his voice as having an emotional, gritty quality.

Lu Yinzhao wasn't too worried because Bian Ji wasn't the same type of person.

So I continued watching.

The scene then cut to Qiu Yan, Yan Jiayu, Ye Siyu, and others.

Yan Jiayu and Ye Siyu are both veterans of variety shows, having participated in numerous programs and are very familiar with this process.

Qiu Yan is returning to the music scene after a long break, and she is a guest that everyone is looking forward to.

Each time a guest appears, the show's post-production team will add subtitles introducing the guest's name, representative songs, and year since their debut.

When the only foreign singer, Elia, came out, the audience erupted in cheers.

【Aaaaaaah! Mom! My dimensional barrier has been breached!】

[How long will this take? I loved listening to her songs when I was in elementary school!]

With Arya's arrival, can anyone else compare? They don't even seem to be in the same league!

[Could you please stop predicting the downfall of our singers right now? They each have their own strengths!]

This is just a variety show, so don't take the results too seriously. I think the more meaningful thing is that it allows for a cross-border musical exchange.

[I counted, six guests have already appeared. Who is the seventh guest? Reveal it quickly!]

Lu Yinzhao laughed at the screen. The production team put Bian Ji last, which was a great way to create suspense.

Lu Yinzhao suddenly sat up straight and stared more intently at the video screen.

Sure enough, in the next shot, the scene shifted, and a handsome face appeared on the screen.

The young man did not show any smile; his eyes held a hint of indifference and sternness.

The production team gave Bian Ji a special makeover. Part of his original bangs were pulled back, leaving only a few wisps. With most of his forehead exposed, the young man's slightly sharp features were on full display.

Wow~

Lu Yinzhao silently made a stunning mouth shape.

He looks so cool today! His makeup and styling are so aggressive, he's so handsome!

That's the style of a true boss!

There's always a feeling that we're about to sign a contract worth hundreds of millions.

Bian Ji looks even more like Bian Nan now; both brothers exude a powerful aura.

As a newcomer making his debut on a music variety show, many people don't know who this guest is.

Holy crap! This guy is so handsome! Is he an idol from some fandom?

Forget idols... Which idol in the Chinese entertainment industry can be this handsome?

[Don't you guys read the subtitles? The introduction says his name is Bian Ji.]

【Bian Ji? That name sounds unfamiliar. I don't know him. Is he a new singer?】

[Look at his signature work... Hey! Doesn't it look familiar?]

[My goodness! He sings all the songs for these TV dramas and movies? This singer is so handsome, how come I never knew he was famous? Is it because his songs are more famous than he is?]

[No, this is "Ji"! Haven't you guys realized? It's that singer "Ji" who releases original albums like crazy every year without warning!]

"Aren't you going to say anything to the audience?" came the voice-over from the director filming in the car.

Bian Ji politely nodded slightly towards the camera, "Hello, I am Bian Ji, also known as 'Ji'. This is my first time participating in a music variety show. I hope to deliver a satisfactory performance on this show and also want to exchange ideas and learn from industry veterans."

At this point, the post-production team added four large characters to Bian Ji's head: "[Variety Show Novice]".

[Frog Fun! It's truly terrifying! Ahhhhhh, I'm going crazy!]

I was listening to songs from his first EP yesterday, and today I see he's on a music variety show?

【Wait, production team, are you going all out this season?】

[Rumors circulating online suggest one of the guests might be "Ji" (a character from a popular Chinese novel), and it's actually true! I said it was absolutely impossible, but I was wrong; the netizens' guesses were quite bold.]

[This man, who has been shrouded in mystery for so many years, has actually shown his face?]

[Great! The man I've been a fan of for so many years is actually this handsome! Mom, I knew I made the right choice in supporting him! Who said that only chubby people have nice voices? This guy is absolutely gorgeous!]

I'm a little confused. If he really is suffering from palpitations, how old is he?

[The post-production subtitles just said he's only 24 years old, which means he was only 16 when he released his first EP.]

[Holy crap! Isn't this a musical genius? I originally thought that with the sheer volume of albums he produced, there must be more than one person behind him, and that he must be quite old, but I never expected this...]

I'm sorry, I'm just not keeping up with the unevenness of this world.

The most impressive thing about "Ji" is that he does everything himself, from lyrics and music to arrangement and post-production. Even so, he still manages to release multiple EPs every year. It's no exaggeration to say that he's incredibly dedicated.

Lu Yinzhao wasn't particularly surprised to see the "major earthquake" comment on the screen.

Bianji's journey to where it is today has not been achieved overnight.

Every day, every month, every year, I have never given up on my efforts in music creation.

The praise and exclamations from the public that Bian Ji is now receiving are well-deserved.

"Why did you come to participate in this program?" the voice-over continued to ask.

"Weren't you the ones who invited us?" Bian Ji replied calmly.

[Hahaha, looks like the production team gave them a lot!]

[Ji Ge seems aloof, but I didn't expect him to have such a natural sense of humor.]

[The production team was speechless, haha!]

The production team said, "The director was worried that you would refuse, since you have never appeared in public before."

Bian Ji: "If he had asked me last year, I probably would have refused."

Production crew: "Huh? Why?"

Bian Ji: "I just officially graduated this year. After completing all my studies, I finally had some free time. I was planning to return to China to develop my career, but since you invited me at this point, I came."

[I've discovered something interesting: Did "Ji" (悸) attend university abroad? Does anyone know which school it was?]

[It's probably a school related to music.]

Judging from his age... did he graduate with a master's degree, or did he start school relatively late?

[You received a job offer from a TV show right after graduation? Unlike me, I haven't received any offers from any company even a year after graduation. (bitter face emoji)]

At this point, as if the production team knew the audience would be wondering about this, they added another line of text in post-production—

[Master of Music (MP) in Composition from the Royal Academy of Music, Country Y]

A small arrow was also placed next to it, pointing to Bian Ji.

[We knew "Ji" was amazing at songwriting, but we didn't expect his academic background to be just as impressive! Isn't he a true music prodigy?]

My relative's child is planning to apply to that school, but it's very difficult to get in! The acceptance rate is only 5%!

[The production team really won big by managing to get a talent like "Ji" on the show!]

No wonder he's such a talented songwriter; he's an MP! For those who don't know, this school is like the "Yarl of the music world"—its prestige speaks for itself.

Holy crap! Is she really that amazing? I can't believe it. I've been listening to "Ji's" songs for so many years, and it turns out she's a few years younger than me.

[If this show has any "heart-fluttering" moments, I'll definitely be watching it. The songs are great, the guy is handsome, and he's so talented. What door did God close for him?]

The production team: "So, since you participated in this show, you'll be showing your face when you release songs in the future, right?"

Bian Ji: "Yes, I will appear in front of my fans on some formal occasions."

The production team: "What made you suddenly make this decision?"

Bian Ji thought for a moment, then suddenly curled the corners of his mouth slightly in front of the camera.

“Some people hope that I can perform on a bigger stage.”

Production crew: "Oh? Who is it?"

“Someone who is very important to me.”

Lu Yinzhao's heart trembled violently as she looked at the screen.

-----------------------

Author's Note: Zhao Zhao: You should thank me for seeing my brother Ji [shrug]