Chapter 19: Taking the Stage to Sing

Pushing the baby outside, Yu Zhile saw the little one waving her tiny hands and feet with curiosity and delight, which put his mind at ease.

"You’re being such a good girl today!" he said, bending down to gently pinch her soft cheek. A quiet, content baby was simply adorable.

He chose not to drive himself but instead pushed the stroller out of the apartment complex, planning to hail a taxi by the roadside. It wasn’t that he couldn’t drive, but he worried that if the baby started crying while he was behind the wheel, he wouldn’t be able to soothe her properly.

By taking a taxi, he could sit in the back and keep the baby entertained without fear of her getting fussy.

He pulled out his phone and ordered a ride using his location. A nearby driver quickly called to confirm.

"Hello, I’m right at the entrance of your complex according to the GPS. Do you see my car?"

Yu Zhile looked around both sides of the entrance and replied, "There are a lot of cars parked here, so I can’t spot your license plate. But do you see a handsome guy pushing a baby stroller? That’s me!"

"Oh, I see you! I’m just across the street. Wait there; you don’t need to come over. I’ll turn around and pick you up."

"Thank you," Yu Zhile replied, pleasantly surprised by the driver’s courtesy. Most drivers would have made him cross the street to save themselves a turn.

Soon, the car circled around. The driver, a friendly man in his fifties, got out to help Yu Zhile lift the baby out and put the stroller safely into the trunk.

"Thank you," Yu Zhile said, and got into the back seat with his daughter.

Curious, the driver asked, "Is your baby a boy or a girl?"

"A girl," Yu Zhile replied.

The driver reminded him to fasten his seatbelt and said, "Girls are wonderful! These days, whether it’s sons or daughters, once they grow up, they rarely stay around. But daughters, even after getting married, often remember and care for their parents."

Clearly, the driver spoke from experience.

Yu Zhile, holding his baby, said, "I think daughters are great too. Boys seem too rambunctious and not nearly as cute."

"Exactly!" the driver laughed. "How old is your daughter? Is she about six months?"

"Almost seven months now," Yu Zhile replied. It was the first time he’d chatted about children with a stranger, and he found it novel and amusing.

The rest of the ride, the driver spoke like a seasoned parent about how to raise children properly so they’d be filial and successful. Yu Zhile nodded and agreed throughout, regardless of whether he agreed with the advice—he simply had to nod and say, "That’s right."

As they neared the TV station, the driver asked, "Do you work at the station?"

Yu Zhile replied vaguely, "No, my wife works there. I’m just visiting her at work."

"Ah, that’s a good job! Stable, a real iron rice bowl. I’ll stop up ahead. If you don’t mind, please give me a five-star review and maybe a driver comment if you have time."

"Of course, no problem," Yu Zhile said.

After the car stopped, the driver again got out to help with the stroller. He was genuinely kind, though his earlier complaints about children’s upbringing made it clear he felt a lot of family and parental pressure, especially from his children.

"Thank you, have a good day," Yu Zhile said, putting his daughter back in the stroller and heading toward the TV station building.

Outside, media vehicles lined the street, obviously there for the pop star. Dozens of fans waited eagerly, waving light sticks and banners—whether true devotees or paid stand-ins, it was hard to say.

"Old Yang, I’ve arrived," Yu Zhile called his friend. Before long, Yang Bing came out to meet him.

"Old Yu, you’re too much!" Yang Bing said as they went inside. "We were classmates for four years, and I never knew you were such a brilliant writer. You really kept it hidden!"

Yu Zhile chuckled, "I just didn’t want to draw attention. If you guys had known, I wouldn’t have been able to write in peace. If the girls in school who read my novels ever found out I was the author, I’d never hear the end of it!"

"Well, you’re right," Yang Bing said with a wry smile. "Are you going in to watch the show now?"

Yu Zhile asked, "How long until my wife performs?"

Yang Bing answered, "Soon. I just checked—it’s the sixth performance now. Qin Haiyu is the challenger, scheduled eighth, so about ten minutes. Here’s my staff badge, you can wear it into the studio."

Yu Zhile took the badge. "Could I ask you to watch my daughter for a few minutes? Will that interfere with your work?"

Yang Bing laughed, "Not at all. My job right now is basically to stare at the computer. It won’t be a problem."

"Sounds pretty relaxed," Yu Zhile said enviously.

Yang Bing sighed, "Sometimes it’s dead quiet, sometimes it’s crazy busy! The problem is, there’s little chance to stand out. I envy you—music major, and after a few years writing novels, you’ve made millions! If only I had your talent."

"You’re doing well as a program planner," Yu Zhile replied. "If you come up with a hit show, you’ll be the star!"

"That’s tough," Yang Bing sighed. "The competition in variety shows is fierce, especially music programs. Our station only has ‘I Am a Singer’ holding its own, and even that’s slipping compared to past seasons."

Yu Zhile nodded. "The problem is, it’s not tense or suspenseful enough. Now, after each singer finishes, the audience votes and the results are immediately shown on the big screen. That kills both the suspense for the audience and the tension for the performers. Next season, you should save the vote totals for the very end. Otherwise, some audience members will vote based on the previous scores, which creates unfair results."

Yang Bing’s eyes lit up. "Coming from a music major, that’s spot on! Do you think there’s time to change it this season?"

"It’s only the sixth episode," Yu Zhile said. "You could suggest it. If the leadership listens, you’ll get noticed."

With that, Yang Bing took Yu Zhile up to his office.

"Old Yu, I owe you one! If I get a promotion or a raise, I’ll treat you to dinner—don’t look down on me for being broke!"

Yu Zhile clapped him on the shoulder. "We’re old classmates, don’t be so formal!"

Yang Bing grinned. "Right, I’m being too polite. Let me show you where the studio is, then I’ll bring you to my office. After the show, just come back here to pick up your daughter."

"Thanks, I appreciate it. My daughter’s asleep, so unless someone wakes her, she won’t disturb you."

"Don’t worry, my office is quiet. I won’t let anyone wake her, and I won’t reveal who you two are," Yang Bing promised.

Yu Zhile wasn’t concerned about being recognized; it was bound to happen eventually unless he and Qin Haiyu both left the music world.

Once Yu Zhile knew where the studio was, they entered the music channel’s office area. As soon as they walked in, a curious colleague looked Yu Zhile over and asked, "Xiao Yang, who’s this?"

"A good friend of mine," Yang Bing replied. "He’s a huge fan of Teacher Fan Di. With Director Zhang’s approval, I’m letting him see the performance. This is his daughter. I’ll be watching her for a bit—please don’t report me to the boss!"

"Who’d be so petty?" a woman said, coming over to peek at the baby. "What a cute little thing! Those eyelashes are gorgeous!"

Yang Bing quickly shushed her. "Shh, Sister Li, don’t wake her up. If she cries, it’ll be trouble."

Sister Li laughed, "Don’t worry, I’m great with kids! If she cries, just call me!"

Yang Bing gave Yu Zhile a reassuring look, telling him to go enjoy the show.

With such straightforward colleagues, Yu Zhile felt at ease. "Thank you all. I’ll be back soon, I won’t keep you long."

He hurried to the studio, worried he’d miss his wife’s performance.

As he entered, the seventh singer, Fan Di, had just finished. The judges were commenting, and then the judges and audience began to vote.

When the votes were displayed, Yu Zhile realized Qin Haiyu’s chances of advancing had just gotten slimmer.

Last round, Fan Di had only 421 votes, ranking seventh, but this time she scored 689! For Qin Haiyu to make it into the top four, she’d have to hope the others didn’t all score in the high six or seven hundreds, and she’d need at least 750 votes herself.

But there were only 800 votes in total!

It would be incredibly hard.

As the host announced Fan Di’s score, next up was Qin Haiyu, about to take the stage under immense pressure.