Chapter 135: You Have Guessed the Wrong Person! [Third Update]

On the stage, Qin Haiyu sang with abandon, completely unaware that in the backstage area, "Lone Wolf" had not only guessed her identity but also figured out who "Patrick Star" was.

Of course, if she had been present and heard "Lone Wolf" speculating that "Patrick Star" was her husband, she would have glared at him and retorted unhappily, "Your husband! Patrick Star is your husband!"

To this day, Qin Haiyu had not once suspected that her husband was "Patrick Star." If anyone dared to suggest such a thing, she would surely be ready to fight them. The reason she remained so convinced was entirely thanks to Yang Bing’s cooperation. If Yang Bing hadn’t hired someone to wear the "Patrick Star" mascot costume to create an alibi, even with her "pregnancy brain," she would have eventually grown suspicious. Now, with Yu Zhile and Yang Bing working in tandem, and her mother acting as a cover, they had successfully kept the truth from her.

In the center of the stage, she sang while gazing out at the sea of audience members, wondering where her husband might be sitting as he watched her performance. On the three large screens facing the audience, her image was projected. Behind her mask, her beautiful eyes shimmered with deep emotion under the stage lights as she sang a song that represented not only her husband but also her own inner resolve:

"I said I wouldn't hide,
I insist on doing this,
Even if they say it's madness, I still want to love,
To love even harder,
To make you understand,
There is no other path to take,
It's up to you to decide if you'll walk it with me!"

As the chorus hit, the audience cheered and waved their glow sticks. Clearly, the song had struck a chord, winning the hearts of many. Soon, after Qin Haiyu finished, Ni Qiqin quickly took the stage to host.

Because the grand finale was a major event, it was divided into three rounds. In the first round, the five singers performed one by one; after the audience voted, the top three would advance to the second round, while the remaining two would be eliminated. In the second round, each would perform again, and the top two would move on to the final showdown. The winner would then have a celebratory performance before unmasking. Therefore, each singer had prepared at least four songs, though only one would get to perform all of them.

Once the audience finished voting for "Red Rose," it was Yu Zhile’s turn. The judges, the audience, and the other singers all held their breath. It was expected that "Patrick Star" would perform an original song for the finale. Everyone stared at the big screen in anticipation.

As Yu Zhile walked to the center of the stage, the song information appeared:

"Old Boy"
Lyrics: Patrick Star
Composer: Patrick Star
Vocals: Patrick Star

Seeing the title, the judges and the audience were surprised. The most shocked of all was the masked singer "Old Boy" in the backstage area. "What is this?" he stammered. "Is he trying to dedicate this song to me? Does he know me? But I have no idea who he is!"

"Lone Wolf" stared at him and chuckled, "Keep acting, keep it up!"
"Masked Hero" chimed in, "Keep pretending, go right ahead!"

Qin Haiyu, having had her usual witty retorts stolen by the others, didn't know how to mock "Old Boy," but his reaction didn't seem like an act. She listened quietly to "Patrick Star’s" original song...

"That is the person I miss day and night,
The one I love so deeply,
How should I express it?
Will she accept me..."

When this verse played, "Old Boy" backstage felt like crying. The lyrics were too poignant, as if they were truly sung for him.

"Dreams are always out of reach,
Should I just give up?
Flowers bloom and wither, another season passes,
Oh Spring, where are you?"

At that moment, "Old Boy" was truly moved. This "Old Boy" song was indeed meant for him! It captured his own life story. Then, the next verse hit like a tear gas grenade, causing "Old Boy," who was listening silently backstage, to burst into tears:

"Youth is like a rushing river,
Gone forever,
Too late to say goodbye,
Only a numb version of me remains,
Without the passion of those years..."

Each word struck home, as if his entire life had been woven into the melody. Thinking of all the memories, even as a man in his thirties, he couldn't hold back his tears. They flowed from beneath his mask and dripped off his chin.

Noticing this, "Lone Wolf" paused, realizing that "Old Boy" really hadn't known about the song. He reached out and patted his shoulder in comfort.

Yu Zhile’s voice continued to echo through the arena. Many in the audience of ten thousand, who had also become "old boys" themselves, were deeply moved. Yu Zhile had chosen the song because of the "Old Boy" character, but he hadn't realized it would so perfectly mirror the man's story.

Even the elderly Mr. Wu was touched, sighing, "This is a truly wonderful song!"

Before long, the performance ended to thunderous cheers. After voting, the remaining three singers took the stage. Once the results were revealed, Yu Zhile was surprised to find he had surpassed his wife to take first place, advancing to the second round. His wife came in second, trailing by only a little over a hundred votes out of five thousand.

Third place went to "Lone Wolf." Yu Zhile was slightly surprised, as he thought "Masked Hero" had a better chance, but perhaps because the singers' identities were already common knowledge online, Zhou Jian—the man behind "Lone Wolf"—had the advantage of his renewed popularity.

The two eliminated singers unmasked. "Old Boy" was Zhang Qingsong! Yu Zhile and his wife were stunned. Qin Haiyu had competed against him in a previous show, where he was a background player with little popularity. It was impressive that he had made it to the finals through sheer talent. "Masked Hero" turned out to be a faded rock star who had successfully staged a comeback.

As the second round began, the order was determined by the previous rankings, meaning Yu Zhile had to perform first. When the screen displayed his song information, the unmasked "Old Boy" and "Masked Hero" stared at "Lone Wolf."

Before "Lone Wolf" could explain, the others retorted, "Keep acting! Keep pretending!"

"I really don't know him!" "Lone Wolf" pleaded. "It’s a coincidence! If you don't believe me, ask Qin Haiyu!"

"???"

Qin Haiyu, still masked, coughed and said, "I'm not Qin Haiyu! You’ve guessed wrong!" Besides, even if I were, what does "Patrick Star" have to do with me? Don't lump us together, or my husband will get jealous! He won't be happy!