Chapter 57

October 25th.

The highly anticipated "Next Queen" finally kicked off the top fifty competition!

In a dorm room in Tiandu, Luoyang and a few friends gathered in front of the computer, eagerly watching the live stream.

A dazzling and grand stage burst into a rainbow of fireworks, with female dancers performing energetically. The audience erupted in applause and cheers, the music vibrant and electrifying, stirring the hearts of every viewer.

"Hello, dear audience both on-site and at home. I am the host of 'Next Queen,' Pudding! As 'Next Queen' continues to heat up, we have unknowingly produced the top fifty contestants nationwide!"

Pudding walked onto the stage, quickly delivering the opening remarks, then explained the rules of the top fifty competition.

"The top fifty contestants will compete in order of their contestant numbers, with five contestants forming a group, totaling ten groups... In the first round, the groups will compete, with each contestant entering the stage one by one to perform a song of their choice, and the judges will provide their evaluations as usual."

"After all five contestants in a group have performed, the judges will select one contestant to advance directly or leave. In the second round, the remaining forty contestants will choose another song to perform. After the performances, the judges will decide who stays and who goes..."

Luoyang understood that the rules Pudding described matched exactly what Liu Qin had said. Relatively speaking, these rules were quite fair, similar to the Super Girl competition from his previous life.

After explaining the rules, Pudding announced loudly, "The intense and exciting competition is about to begin. Let's give a warm welcome to our first contestant today, Li Tianyin!"

"Damn, the first contestant is my Tianyin?" Ren Changjiang was a bit worried. After all, everyone knew that the first performer would be nervous, and Li Tianyin was his favorite contestant.

"Only those with real talent aren't afraid of the order of appearance!" Wang Yu smirked.

The camera panned to the judges, who exchanged glances, clearly surprised that the first contestant today was someone of Li Tianyin's caliber.

With the popularity of "Next Queen," the backgrounds of the contestants had been thoroughly investigated by the media.

Especially for popular contestants like Li Tianyin, everything from their elementary, middle, and high school to their university was dug up, and even their romantic histories were exposed by reporters, truly demonstrating the relentless nature of these "kings without crowns."

Of course, Li Tianyin wasn't the only one to receive such treatment; Liu Qin, Su San, and Chu Yue also enjoyed similar attention.

These four were widely recognized as the top seeds, the most popular among all contestants, each with remarkable talent, highly favored by the audience and fans, and equally popular.

Journalists sought eyeballs, and the more popular a contestant, the more thoroughly they were investigated. The more thoroughly they were investigated, the more popular they became.

On stage, Li Tianyin appeared in a light, flowing gown.

"What a creative costume..."

"Beautiful, like a fairy descending from heaven..."

"It seems the contestants are starting to show their true colors. This image on stage is simply ethereal!"

The audience held their breath, their eyes fixed on the alluring figure on stage. A gentle flute melody began, and Li Tianyin's stunning, almost ethereal face appeared, her lips parting slightly.

"Lanterns dim, curtains roll, disturbing the ancient temple of Qinhuai,

Smoke locks the cold bridge, embroidered with silk handkerchiefs,

Hiding the green cliffs of March,

In the end, it's just a song of red powder and beauty,

Exhausting a thousand armies and ten thousand horses,

In the end, it's no match for a single speck of cinnabar on the brow.

If I were a peach blossom,

I would only scatter rootless for you,

If I were a tender beauty,

I would only kill for you in ten steps..."

The judges instinctively sat up straight, their eyes shining as they listened to the song!

"Amazing, it's an original song, an original song," Yi Bai marveled. "Li Tianyin's talent is not to be underestimated. No wonder so many people support her online."

"In my opinion, she still falls short compared to Liu Qin," Ma Haoran said softly.

Each of the four popular contestants had their strengths. Liu Qin was most praised for her songwriting ability, with almost every original song receiving positive feedback, so Ma Haoran's favorite contestant was Liu Qin.

While Li Tianyin's original song was good, it still lacked a certain something compared to Liu Qin.

Luo Bingqing added, "This girl is very talented. If she is nurtured, her potential might not be far behind Liu Qin's."

"Interesting," Zhang Zonghuan's lips curved slightly. Originally, only Liu Qin had impressed him, but now it seemed that Li Tianyin was also quite good. He particularly favored original artists.

In Zhang Zonghuan's view, singers who only performed songs bought by their companies and couldn't write their own songs didn't deserve to be called singers.

So, Li Tianyin's original song greatly pleased Zhang Zonghuan... Although her talent was still a bit behind Liu Qin's, it wasn't uncatchable.

"Perfect!"

In the dorm room at Tiandu University, Ren Changjiang listened to Li Tianyin, his face full of excitement, and slapped his thigh hard. "Tianyin's song is amazing, completely surpassing Liu Qin, and it's really a pleasant surprise. I didn't expect Tianyin to write her own songs, and she did such a great job!"

"This song is good, but to say it surpasses Liu Qin is a bit too much," Wang Yu snorted.

"Don't you think Liu Qin is overrated by many people! In terms of looks, Tianyin doesn't lose to her, and in terms of songwriting, she has now clearly surpassed her. The champion of this year will definitely be Li Tianyin!" Ren Changjiang said confidently.

"Hmph... Brainwashed fan, you don't even know what music is."

"Like you know anything..."

"I know Liu Qin's songs are the best, and all other contestants are just sidekicks!"

"Calling me a brainwashed fan, you're even more brainwashed than me, aren't you?"

"Shut up!" Seeing Wang Yu and Ren Changjiang about to argue, Luoyang finally lost his patience.

"Hmph."

"Wait and see."

Wang Yu and Ren Changjiang turned their heads away, no longer arguing, but their eyes still held a fierce determination, clearly unwilling to back down.

Zhu Changhong looked at the situation with surprise. "Oh my, you guys are arguing over a competition. Is it really worth it... Maybe Liu Qin will also perform today. Who advances first will show who is better, right?"

"That's impossible. Liu Qin and Li Tianyin are both top seeds. They won't face each other so early," Luoyang shook his head.

Liu Qin had already told Luoyang that she would perform the next evening, with the number 10, the last contestant in the group of five.

"You'll eventually understand who the queen of this year is!" Ren Changjiang said to Wang Yu.

Wang Yu was not to be outdone. "Unless the judges are deaf, Li Tianyin's original song will only be crushed by Qin!"

"Watch the competition, watch the competition." Zhu Changhong tried to mediate.

The two fell silent, their eyes returning to the stage, where Li Tianyin, in her light, flowing gown, stood waiting for the judges' comments.

"Can you tell us the name of this song?" Yi Bai asked with a smile.

Li Tianyin smoothed her hair. "This is my original song, 'Peach Blossom.'"

"Great, this original song is very beautiful. Among female singers of your age, very few can reach this level," Yi Bai praised with a smile.

"Thank you, Teacher Yi Bai." Li Tianyin's face showed a hint of a smile. She had spent nearly half a year completing this song and was very satisfied with it.

"The song suits you well. Although I personally prefer rock, your lyrical style is very natural and impressive. It's not easy to do that, and you did a great job," Ma Haoran commented.

The third judge, Luo Bingqing, clapped gently. "Tianyin, after tonight, your fan base will surely grow rapidly. This year's 'Next Queen' is truly a gathering of strong contestants, full of surprises!"

"Thank you, Teacher." Li Tianyin continued to express her gratitude.

Finally, it was Zhang Zonghuan's turn. With a smile, he said, "Peach Blossom, this song will become a hit. I believe it will soon top the charts on various music websites. You also incorporated the sounds of the flute and the guzheng, creating a wonderful atmosphere. Although there are some minor flaws in certain parts, overall, this original song is excellent. You have great talent, and I really like it. Keep it up!"

"That's the strength of our Li Tianyin!" Ren Changjiang glanced at Wang Yu and snorted.

The four judges gave high praise to Li Tianyin's original song, "Peach Blossom," which was a fact, and Wang Yu did not deny it. He just cleared his throat, looking unconvinced. "I can only say... Li Tianyin is strong, but Liu Qin is even stronger."

(Special thanks to Shuangyu Meteor Rain for the 588起点币 donation, and also to Suiyue de Liushi and Ivan6 for their donations. Continued support is appreciated.)

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