Sing Out Loud was a singing competition program that was similar to a talent show, yet not one.
The production team set up five mentors to lead teams. During the initial evaluations, they could extend an olive branch to contestants they liked. If only one mentor chose a contestant, the contestant would directly join that mentor’s team. If two or more mentors chose a contestant, the contestant would then choose their mentor and join a team.
Lin Yi was a new mentor, but she wasn’t the least bit stage-frightened. After the recording began, she naturally slipped into her role. During the mid-show break, she even had time to show off to Xu Shuyan: “So many people want to be on my team!”
“That popular, huh?” Xu Shuyan replied to her message, accompanied by a pitiful-looking sticker. “I really want to tell them you already have a wife, so they’re not allowed to covet you!”
“They’re coming for my skills, okay?” Lin Yi was amused. “Unlike you! You just like my beauty!”
Wife (mine): [Lin Yi smiling in the snow facing the sun.jpg]
Wife (mine): [Lin Yi in a white slip nightgown sitting cross-legged on the bed eating watermelon.jpg]
Wife (mine): [Lin Yi emerging from the water, flipping her hair, fair and cute.jpg]
Wife (mine): With a wife like this, what time are you coming home?
Just as Lin Yi was about to reply, Xu Shuyan added: “But you don’t have a wife like this, only I do ^^”
Lin Yi: Don’t get too smug!
Lin Yi: [Xu Shuyan in a black beret holding a skateboard, sporty and energetic Yanyan.jpg]
Lin Yi: [Xu Shuyan in a sailor uniform blowing a kiss to a doll.jpg]
Lin Yi: [Xu Shuyan winking at the camera with a deadpan expression.gif]
Lin Yi: Only I have a wife like this ^^
Wife (mine): You’ve saved so many pictures of me
Wife (mine): You must love me very very much!
Lin Yi: Yep, I love you so much
Wife (mine): !
Wife (mine): [How embarrassing.jpg]
Lin Yi thought she was really done for. Just seeing Xu Shuyan send a sticker, she could imagine how cute Xu Shuyan was on the other end of the chat. So cute that she wanted to see Xu Shuyan right now, give her a hug, and maybe even a kiss.
A long-distance relationship!
It was truly agonizing.
A knock came at the dressing room door. A staff member from the show reminded her it was time to go on stage. Lin Yi made an OK sign. “I’ll be right there after I change my shoes.”
The mentors all had a performance in the first episode. Hers was scheduled for after the mid-show break.
To showcase her strength, Sister Fang had chosen a highly difficult song for her, mainly to show off her technique. After the song, the entire venue was silent for five seconds before thunderous, unceasing applause erupted. It only subsided a little when the host came on stage.
But a certain diva-level mentor couldn’t help but pick up her mic and ask Lin Yi directly, “Excuse me, Captain Lin, can you come to my team?”
The whole audience: “!!!”
Lin Yi, holding her mic, was also: “?”
“This isn’t some script from the production team.” The diva was notoriously difficult to work with. The production team had spent ages negotiating to secure her schedule. She didn’t even look at the cue cards, let alone a script. She said to Lin Yi seriously, “I think with you on my team, I’m guaranteed to win this time.”
Later, when the pilot episode aired, the production team used this segment as their biggest gimmick, pushing it to the top of the trending topics. It was hailed as the entertainment industry’s “satisfying face-slapping novel” moment of the year, shutting down everyone who had been awkwardly hating on Lin Yi at the start of the show.
[I’m so thrilled, fam! You all know what a big shot the diva is, right? My parents grew up listening to her songs. Back then, they were playing everywhere. And she said she likes Lin Yi! Sob, no one can dislike our Xiao Lin Yi!]
[The diva really likes our Lin Yi! During the post-show interview, she was still asking if they could find another mentor so Lin Yi could join her team, hahahahaha!]
[Diva: What rules? Don’t know, don’t understand. I want Captain Lin.]
[The production team was so scared the diva would just quit. They were carefully coaxing her, saying there would be opportunities to collaborate later. Besides, mentors are forbidden from competing!]
[True, if Lin Yi competed, what chance would anyone else have! I’ve been saying, if our Lin Yi joined a talent show, she’d definitely debut as the center, okay? Her main vocal skills are top-notch. Don’t look down on her just because she’s from a girl group! We can sing and dance!]
[The haters and the diva both don’t want Lin Yi to be a mentor. Haters: Lin Yi is worthy? Diva: Come to my team.]
[That’s a single rhyme. Xu Shuyan, come write a rap and release a song to diss them back for your wife!]
[Yan Zhi You Yi CP fans, stop trying to wedge yourselves into everything!]
Although the diva’s invitation was enthusiastic, she also knew the production team wouldn’t let her be so willful. In the end, she could only sigh with regret and ask Lin Yi, “Can I commission a song from you? Let’s do a collaboration. Check your schedule.”
A great opportunity fell from the sky. Lin Yi naturally wouldn’t refuse. She bowed and said sincerely, “I’m free anytime, Sister.”
This amused the diva. “Let’s go, we’ll discuss it right now.”
The host quickly interjected, “Hey, hey, hey! Let’s finish the show first, Teachers! The competition is important. Don’t rush the songwriting. How about we discuss it with the platform and release a collaboration track?”
He first eased the atmosphere, then brought the platform into it, and brought the off-track topic back. The host’s ability to control the stage was evident.
Lin Yi had thought today’s recording would pass without any more incidents, but she didn’t expect a second interlude—Shen Wanwan, the daughter of the famous actress Shen Mandong, had also come to compete.
The young girl had previously used Shen Mandong’s Weibo to like a Yan Zhi You Yi poll and was mistaken for a CP fan. Shen Mandong had even specially invited Xu Shuyan and Lin Yi to her home for dinner, but when they got there, they discovered she was Lin Yi’s solo fan. This had made Xu Shuyan worried for a long time, afraid that Shen Wanwan would think she had stolen her idol and would retaliate.
It was said that Shen Mandong had initially disagreed with her participating, as she didn’t want her daughter to enter the entertainment industry. But Shen Wanwan said she just wanted a place to sing, and that with her skill level, she wouldn’t even make it to the top ten, so how could she debut?
And just like that, she convinced Shen Mandong. Now she was able to stand on stage, nervous yet full of confidence, singing in front of Lin Yi.
Shen Wanwan did have some talent. Although she lacked technique, being able to play the piano was a bonus. More than two mentors, including Lin Yi, chose her. Shen Wanwan, with a young girl’s heart, looked eagerly at Lin Yi. “I choose Teacher Lin!”
This wasn’t unexpected for Lin Yi. She gave her a knowing smile. “Come to my team!”
Shen Wanwan was one of the last to perform. The initial selection round ended quickly, followed by a segment where mentors and their team members had small meetings to choose songs. By the time the entire recording was finished, it was late at night.
The assistant handed Lin Yi a thermos and said, “Teacher Xu ordered dessert for you and said you must eat it after the recording.”
“Is she trying to sabotage me?” Lin Yi sank exhaustedly into a soft chair. She rummaged through the bag and saw a bright red strawberry sitting on top of the dessert inside, and couldn’t help but swallow. But she continued her condemnation, “What time is it, and she’s making me eat dessert? Isn’t she afraid I’ll get fat!”
The assistant said, “Teacher Xu said that you definitely forget to eat when you get busy, so these few calories are nothing.”
Lin Yi sighed softly and glanced at her assistant. “Look at Xu Shuyan. She really cares about me.”
The assistant agreed, “Yes, she does!”
Lin Yi asked, “Do you know why?”
The assistant was stunned for a moment, then hesitated. “Because we Seven Musical Notes are a family?”
Lin Yi disagreed. “Then why didn’t she order any for Shichen and the Captain!”
The assistant said, “Maybe she ordered for everyone.”
Lin Yi: “…”
Sooner or later, I’m firing this clueless assistant!
But the desire to show off their affection was unstoppable. After holding back for a moment, she still retorted, “No, Xu Shuyan definitely only bought it for me. We can bet on it if you don’t believe me!”
The assistant: “I believe you.”
Lin Yi: “…You don’t really believe me, you’re just afraid of losing!”
The assistant said hurriedly, “I really believe you! Teacher Xu is always so good to you, much better than to Shichen and the Captain! You two must be what they call a real couple, right!”
After saying that, she covered her mouth. “What real couple? Who was just talking?”
Lin Yi: “…”
Say no more. I know you’re secretly shipping your boss’s CP.
Lin Yi couldn’t be bothered with her. She rested her chin in her hand, looked at the dessert in front of the makeup mirror, and fell into a sweet dilemma. She thought, Xu Shuyan really loves me. She’s so busy with work, yet she’s still thinking about whether I’ve eaten well. Doesn’t she ever consider what would happen if I were on a diet? But since Xu Shuyan sent it, it would be rude not to eat it. Just one bite-
“Knock, knock, knock.” A sudden knock on the door interrupted her wandering thoughts.
The assistant muttered, “Who is it?”
Lin Yi also looked up toward the door. “Probably a staff member from the show? I told them I’d be staying in the dorms here tonight. They’ve probably arranged my room, right?”
As she spoke, the assistant had already walked to the door. After opening it, she froze for a second. “You are?”
“Hello.” A clear girl’s voice came from the doorway. “I’m looking for Teacher Lin Yi. Is she in?”
Lin Yi recognized the voice immediately. “Wanwan?”
The assistant stepped aside, revealing Shen Wanwan’s cute, round face, flushed with excitement. “Teacher Lin, you really haven’t left yet.”
Lin Yi smiled too. “Wanwan, did you need something from me?”
Shen Wanwan hesitated for a moment. The assistant, very perceptively, said she was going to ask the staff about the room and thoughtfully closed the door as she left. Only then did Shen Wanwan walk over. “It’s nothing, really. I just wanted to come and say hi.”
“It has been a while.” Lin Yi pulled over a chair for her to sit. “The last time I went to your house was in March, right?”
Shen Wanwan nodded. “But I went to your concerts later. I went to almost every show on the summer tour. I especially, especially love hearing you sing!”
Lin Yi let out a small “ah.” “You should have said so earlier. I could have saved you a ticket.”
“My fingers are fast, I can get them myself!” Shen Wanwan said proudly, then bit her lip. “I don’t really want to rely on my mom for things I can do myself. Like coming on this show, I passed the preliminary round all on my own!”
When parents are too successful and their light shines too brightly, it has its pros and cons for their children. Although they can be like the sun, providing warmth and help, they can also be like an insurmountable mountain, weighing them down.
Lin Yi understood Shen Wanwan’s feelings. Just as she was about to say a few words of comfort, she heard Shen Wanwan say, “Actually, I came to find you this time because there’s something I want to ask.”
Lin Yi looked at her with a benevolent expression. “Go ahead and ask.”
Shen Wanwan mustered her courage, opened her mouth, but lost her nerve just before the words came out. “I…”
Lin Yi asked, “What’s wrong?”
Shen Wanwan hesitated. “Can I really ask?”
Her curiosity piqued, Lin Yi said, “Go on, ask. We’re friends now, aren’t we?”
Shen Wanwan nodded emphatically. “Then I’ll ask!”
Lin Yi: “Go ahead.”
Shen Wanwan: “Do you… really, really like Xu Shuyan?”
Lin Yi: “!!!”
She was dumbfounded on the spot.
What the hell, did I hear that right? Shen Wanwan, as her solo fan, what kind of question is that to ask!
Then her heart lurched with panic. Shen Wanwan wasn’t an outsider; she had some connections, at least. Could she have heard from somewhere that she and Xu Shuyan were together? No way, right? She hadn’t even told Sister Fang yet, and her relationship with Xu Shuyan was already exposed?
Shen Wanwan, lost in her own emotions, didn’t notice Lin Yi’s panic. She continued with her head down, “Actually, it’s fine if you like her. She’s pretty and treats you well. I’m not just saying this without reason. Last time you two came to my house, she served you food and soup and all that. She’s quite considerate.”
Lin Yi: “?”
Shen Wanwan sighed, her small, round face scrunched up dejectedly. “Later, I went to look at your couple’s Super Topic. The way she looks at you really can’t be faked. And you too… you really like her, don’t you? You pick her first in games, and you save her first. Every time you see her, you smile so brightly, and your stages together have so much sexual tension.”
“Before, when I watched your stages, I only watched your solo fancams. It was only after watching the full performance that I realized… when you look at her, you want to kiss her, don’t you?”
Lin Yi: “??”
“It’s okay!” Shen Wanwan clenched her fists again and looked up at Lin Yi resolutely. “If you like her and you’re with her, I’ll support you. Don’t feel burdened. We like you because we want you to be happy.”
Lin Yi: “???”
Shen Wanwan’s eyes drooped again. “It’s better than liking those stinky men, anyway!”
Lin Yi: “…?”
She opened her mouth. “No, I-”
“You don’t need to explain to me!” Shen Wanwan interrupted her. “You never need to explain to us. We’ll just listen to you sing from outside the screen and cheer for you.”
Lin Yi thought, I wasn’t trying to explain to you. I just… I just… Before she could figure out what she “just” wanted to say, Shen Wanwan abruptly stood up. “I wish you both happiness!”
With that, she scurried out.
Leaving Lin Yi sitting there, completely bewildered. She looked around blankly for a long while before coming to her senses and saying, “Thanks.”
After thinking about it for another moment, she found it both funny and heartwarming.
Shen Wanwan was a small microcosm of her fans. Even though they didn’t like her teammate and didn’t want her to be with her teammate, they still accepted this fact. Why?
Because they loved her, because they wished her well, because they sincerely hoped for her happiness.
During the show’s recording, all the contestants were arranged to stay in a communal dormitory right at the recording studio. The conditions were acceptable, not much different from a regular university dorm.
The production team arranged a room for Lin Yi on the second floor, on a different level from the contestants. Even though the hallway was brightly lit in the middle of the night, pushing her luggage through it still felt unavoidably creepy. Lin Yi wasn’t a coward, but she couldn’t stand how empty it was. “Couldn’t they have put me on the same floor as the contestants?”
“The production team is also trying to protect your privacy. They’re afraid a contestant might like you or try to get close to you and harass you. That would be a bad look,” the assistant comforted her. “Don’t be scared, I’m staying right next door. Just call me if you need anything.”
The assistant pushed open the dorm room door and looked around. “But why did you insist on staying in the dorms? The conditions aren’t great, and it’s a bunk bed. You haven’t lived in a place like this for years, have you?”
“What do you mean, years?” Lin Yi retorted. “After Xu Shuyan and I got into the music academy, we lived in the dorms too, okay?”
The assistant asked, “Did you sleep well there?”
Lin Yi: “…”
It wasn’t just not good; it was absolutely terrible.
It wasn’t because of the environment. It was mainly because of the military training back then. The intense physical training consumed a lot of energy, and she should have slept soundly, but Lin Yi’s mind refused to rest. She tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.
She was on the top bunk, and Xu Shuyan was on the bottom. She had already tried to control the sound of her turning over, but she still disturbed Xu Shuyan.
Xu Shuyan sent her a WeChat message, telling her to hurry up and sleep and stop fidgeting.
Lin Yi was already irritable from being unable to sleep. Seeing her tone, she immediately shot back, “If I could sleep, don’t you think I would? Do you think I didn’t get enough military training and I’m here practicing my low crawl?”
Back then, her contact name for Xu Shuyan was still “Most Hated Person Ever.” The other end was silent for a moment before replying, “I can’t be bothered with you!”
Lin Yi thought, No, please bother me. The night was long, the campus Wi-Fi was off, and she didn’t have enough data to browse Weibo or forums. If Xu Shuyan didn’t bother her and chat with her, wouldn’t she die of boredom?
So she continued to provoke Xu Shuyan. “We’re in the same group, we need to have group spirit. If I’m not sleeping, how can you be asleep?”
After sending it, she listened intently to the bunk below.
She heard Xu Shuyan turn over impatiently. A message came through-a series of ellipses expressing extreme speechlessness, followed by a “get lost” sticker. She seemed to have reached the peak of her impatience.
If Xu Shuyan was unhappy, Lin Yi was happy. She got fired up. “Anyway, the night is still long, and we have nothing to do. Why don’t we talk about our business plan on campus! We’re in the same class and the same dorm, what a fateful coincidence! Don’t tell me you secretly have a crush on me and pulled some strings to arrange this?”
Xu Shuyan didn’t reply.
Lin Yi persisted. “I heard the fried chicken legs at window 13 in Cafeteria No. 3 are especially good. Come with me to eat them tomorrow at noon. You’re paying. I spent all the money on my card buying drinks for our classmates, and the top-up system crashed. I’m broke.”
Xu Shuyan: “Heh. Serves you right for showing off.”
Lin Yi: “You didn’t drink any?”
Xu Shuyan: “I had two sips. It was disgusting, so I threw it away.”
Lin Yi: “As long as you drank some, that’s all that matters. I’m definitely going to freeload off you!”
Xu Shuyan stopped replying again. Of course, Lin Yi wouldn’t pass up any opportunity to annoy Xu Shuyan. She kept sending messages until Xu Shuyan couldn’t take it anymore. “Get the hell out here!”
Lin Yi didn’t want to get out of bed. “Is there something we can’t say in bed?”
Xu Shuyan: “…I want to fight you.”
Afraid Lin Yi wouldn’t come down, she deliberately added, “You wouldn’t be scared, would you?”
As soon as she said that, Lin Yi sat right up in her bunk. The other two people in their dorm were heavy sleepers, completely unaware of their movements in their deep sleep. The light from outside filtered faintly through the translucent curtains. Lin Yi grabbed the railing, gritted her teeth, and said in a breathy voice, “Xu Shuyan, don’t you dare use reverse psychology on me!”
Xu Shuyan raised an eyebrow slightly. “Oh?”
Lin Yi: “You just wait!”
And then-
What happened then? Lin Yi adjusted the room’s air conditioner to a comfortable temperature, recalling that humid summer night and what happened after she and Xu Shuyan battled it out and finally decided to go outside and fight.
Lin Yi put on a face mask. Oh, she remembered.
It was already past midnight, and the dormitory building had fallen silent. The long hallway was lit, the door to the balcony at the end was open, and a light summer breeze blew in. Afraid of attracting attention, the two of them specifically went to the stairwell.
The stairwell had no door and opened directly onto the hallway. The boundary where the light ended was clear.
Of course, she didn’t want to fight Xu Shuyan. She just couldn’t sleep and wanted someone to keep her company. If anyone else had been there, she definitely wouldn’t have chosen Xu Shuyan, but it just had to be Xu Shuyan, so there was nothing to be done.
So, in response to her passive attitude, Xu Shuyan got even more annoyed. “Lin Yi, are you annoying or what? What the hell do you want?”
“I can’t sleep.” Lin Yi pouted, wrapped her arms around Xu Shuyan’s arm pitifully, and rubbed her head against her shoulder. Then, her eyes shining, she suggested, “Why don’t we go for a run now? We’ll out-compete everyone!”
Xu Shuyan: “…Get lost.”
Thinking of this, Lin Yi clicked her tongue. She thought, Xu Shuyan was so fierce to me back then, always telling me to get lost. And now? Now she also tells me to roll, but it’s to roll back to her.
She lay down on the bottom bunk, opened her chat with Xu Shuyan, and glanced at the time. She figured Xu Shuyan was probably already asleep, and a video call would be too disruptive. She could only suppress her longing and continue reminiscing.
She never listened to Xu Shuyan. If Xu Shuyan told her to get lost, she naturally wouldn’t. As the two were pulling at each other, a figure suddenly flashed past them. Both of them froze, and the figure slowly backed up. Lin Yi recognized a classmate and greeted her familiarly, “Going to the bathroom?”
The classmate let out an “ah.” “You two… are here?”
“Oh, Xu Shuyan and I have some group business to discuss,” Lin Yi said without missing a beat. “We’re having a small meeting.”
The classmate nodded thoughtfully.
After the classmate left, Xu Shuyan gave her a shove and glared at her. “You’re so annoying. Hurry up and go back to sleep!”
Strangely enough, after chatting with Xu Shuyan for a while, Lin Yi actually felt sleepy. Not long after climbing back into bed, she fell asleep.
But the next evening, she received a screenshot from Sister Fang. It was a forum post. The main post was filled with exclamation points: GUARANTEED REAL! YAN ZHI YOU YI SECRETLY KISSED IN THE UNIVERSITY DORM STAIRWELL IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT!
Lin Yi: “…”
Sister Fang told them, “I’m telling you, don’t be too dedicated! We’re not supposed to be doing this for real…”
Later, the classmate from that night came to explain to her that she had only said Lin Yi and Xu Shuyan were having a small meeting in the stairwell, not that they were kissing. Lin Yi patted her comfortingly and said it was okay.
She thought, Thank goodness today’s netizens have some standards. Otherwise, the rumor might have been #YanZhiYouYiDidItInTheStairwell#
…
Time returned to the present.
Lin Yi took off her face mask, washed her face, and applied her skincare products. Tossing and turning, she still couldn’t sleep. She opened her chat with Xu Shuyan and stared at the last message, thinking, Does Xu Shuyan even know how to be in a relationship? Who goes to sleep without saying goodnight to their wife?
If Xu Shuyan had said goodnight to her, would she still be thinking about her so obsessively right now?
Lin Yi turned over and typed, “I miss you so much.”
Clicked send.
Then rushed to unsend it within two minutes.
Just as she was about to explain what she had unsent, a message from Xu Shuyan suddenly popped up in the chat: I saw it.
Lin Yi: “!!!”
Wife (mine): Why don’t you come to the door?
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