Snow-Kissed Rose (GL) Chapter 68.2

Early in the morning of July 1st, Star of Spring's production crew made an announcement on its Weibo:

"You will decide the third public performance's songs! From today onward, participate in the voting and choose the songs you want to see performed by your favorite trainees!"

"Each person has only one vote a day, and you may only cast your votes to one trainee. The trainee with the highest number of votes on the same team will be automatically elected as the center."

"The trainees' stage is in your hands, so click the link below to participate in the voting! The voting deadline is July 5th, 24:00."

When this news came out, it immediately attracted strong interest from Star of Spring fans.

Letting fans choose songs was an excellent way for audiences to engage with their idols. It offered the audience meaningful participation and a sense of influence over the show. For example, fans could select songs that highlighted their idols' strengths, which was a great help to the trainees. In turn, the trainees' improved performances could serve as feedback to the fans, giving fans a sense of satisfaction of having "helped their idol."

Hence, almost everyone who saw the announcement began discussing the eight songs that were available for selection. Naturally, Jing Xuan and Shang Yan were no exception.

The eight songs included popular raps, unpopular niche songs, and songs of other varieties, but the most special among them was a song called "Falling Asleep."

This was because the original singer of this song was signed as "Huai Xu."

Upon clicking the link for this song, one could see further details:

Composer: Huai Xu
Lyrics: Huai Xu

Many were surprised by this discovery, especially loyal fans of Huai Xu like Shang Yan and fans of Snow-Kissed Rose.

Why have we never heard about Huai Xu releasing a new song???

After recovering from their initial surprise, everyone promptly listened to the song and quickly found themselves immersed in it. They also noticed that this song sounded very similar to the a cappella that Huai Xu sang in her Initial Rating Performance. The only difference was that, after being properly produced, the song's originally simple and clear melody presented a more complex and wonderful feeling that lingered in the ears.

The song melody was not at all suffocating, carrying a hint of youthful vigor. It wasn't monotonous, either, as the lyrics had deep emotions. It was a perfect combination of liveliness and affection.

When the melody at the end floated past the ears, it evoked the listener's youthful memories, bringing smiles to their faces and luring them into replaying the song, one time after another.

Shang Yan subconsciously listened to the song three times before she dragged herself out of her memories and shared the song's link with her fellow Willows (Huai Xu's fans):

"[Link] Huai Xu's single! It's a wonderful song!"

Despite Shang Yan's calm nature, even she couldn't help but use exclamation marks in her message.

When Shang Yan returned to Weibo, she found that "Falling Asleep" had already sparked a heated discussion.

After Star of Spring made its announcement, Huai Xu updated her personal Weibo account to express that this was her first single.

Immediately afterward, Fu Qi shared Huai Xu's post with the following comment:

"Looking forward to the songs being released recently. I also look forward to releasing the next song with Huai Xu. Cheers.jpg"

Fu! Qi!

Who was Fu Qi? He was a renowned producer who had helped numerous singers become Heavenly Kings and Queens![1] In an era where music producers and arrangers typically remained unseen, he had carved out a name for himself in the music world. His fame was not at all an exaggeration, as many singers sought his partnership.

Yet, such a well-established producer had personally produced a song for a trainee and even hinted at future cooperation. This was simply unprecedented!

"First, there was a trainee who caught the eye of Lin Qinglu. Now, there's a trainee who had Fu Qi personally produce a song for and even hinted at future cooperation. This season of Spring Star is really extraordinary."

"What's even more extraordinary is that these two trainees are in the same CP. #dogehead"

"How much did Spring Star commit to propping up its trainees this season?"

"Do you think money can get Empress Lin to look at you? Do you know how many people want to throw money at Fu Qi but can't? Also, don't say that the money isn't enough. Spring Star's production crew still has to make money."

Many netizens debated over the reason behind Fu Qi's support. However, most passersby didn't really care about this and were only here because of Fu Qi, so they simply clicked on the link and listened to Huai Xu's song. However, before they realized it, they had finished listening to the song and fell in love with it.

Two hours later, "Falling Asleep" became a trending topic on Weibo.

When one clicked on hashtags such as "FallingAsleep," "FuQisAttention," "HuaiXuFallingAsleep," one would see positive feedback appearing every few seconds.

Additionally, Bilibili saw nearly a thousand submissions related to "Falling Asleep," including covers, music transcription, etc.

"Falling Asleep" also gradually appeared on the trending searches of other websites, its popularity growing constantly.

…

Following her song's rising popularity, Huai Xu's name also started to reach those who didn't watch variety shows like Star of Spring.

In a music app known for emo songs, the top three comments for Huai Xu's songs were:

A Middle Schooler Who's Busy With Studies: "The big sister who wrote this song must have been very gentle in her middle school years. I hope that my middle school days won't have any regrets. I also hope that big sister can find the people and things that are important to you."

An Overworked Livestock of Society: "This is a song that made me laugh during the day and cry at night. After listening to this song, I'm eager to watch the show and support you live!"

Straight Man: "I'm not good with words, so I'll just say it's a great song. This will be the single I'll be looping for the foreseeable future. I will download Peach's app to vote for Huai Xu every day. Those in agreement with me, give me a like."

…

On the first day of its release, "Falling Asleep" became a popular song on the internet.

Two days later, "Falling Asleep" became a hit nationwide.

Huai Xu's name appeared in the mouths of various marketing accounts, everyone enthusiastically analyzing the reasons her single managed to gain such popularity and her future development. Of course, these analyses were merely a guise to exploit Huai Xu's popularity.

The actions of these marketing accounts also gave Star of Spring's audience a brilliant idea—

If they wanted their idols to score well in the third public performance, taking advantage of the popularity of "Falling Asleep" was the way to go!

While some might argue that the trainees' scores were dependent on their stage performance, it should be noted that most audience members were not professionals in the music industry. Unless a trainee messed up spectacularly on stage, in a situation where there were minimal differences in strength, the audience would naturally vote for the performance they liked the most.

In this scenario, the songs sung by the trainees would become a major deciding factor. The more pleasant a song was to listen to, the more the audience would be inclined to vote for it.

Also—

While most Willows would continue giving all their votes to Huai Xu, regardless of what she sang, it was likely that some would split their votes to whoever sang Huai Xu's "Falling Asleep."

For a time, many trainees' Super Topics discussed whether they should put their idols in Team "Falling Asleep." Even the Orioles in Song Yingshi's Super Topic were chirping away.

The Orioles in support of Song Yingshi joining Team "Falling Asleep" gave many reasons:

"My Little Shi deserves the best! Falling Asleep is obviously the most popular song in the third public performance, so why shouldn't we choose it for her?"

"Going off of Little Shi's song choice in the second public performance, it's clear she doesn't want to repeat performances of the same style. It also doesn't make sense to have a dancer sing a tragic love song prepared for vocalists, right? Hence, I choose Falling Asleep."

As for the Orioles against voting for Falling Asleep, they were equally stubborn:

"Just the thought of my Little Shi singing HX's song gives me goosebumps. I refuse to let my Little Shi become a bootlicker."

"Falling Asleep is a great song, but I feel uncomfortable letting the CP fans get such a win. I prefer to let Little Shi repeat the cool sister performance."

Just as a full-blown war was about to start among the Orioles, someone stepped forward and said, "Stop! Arguing! You all speak as if we can decide which song Little Shi performs, but have you forgotten the Snow-Kissed Rose bastards have us outnumbered? Bitter.jpg"

Orioles: ?!

The fanbase of Snow-Kissed Rose was incomparably massive. Before the Snow-Kissed Rose army, the Orioles and Willows could only shiver in fear.

As for what Snow-Kissed Rose fans thought of the situation—

"My perfect CP will finally get to perform on the same stage!"

"Huai Xu's single naturally has to be sung by my CP!!!!"

"Charge!!!"

Following the intervention of Snow-Kissed Rose fans, votes for Song Yingshi and Huai Xu in Team "Falling Asleep" skyrocketed, and they soon occupied the top two spots.

When the Orioles saw that Song Yingshi was "forced" into Team "Falling Asleep," they quickly ceased their internal strife. With the situation as it was now, what else could they do besides…helping their daughter/wife/husband/big sister/little sister fight for the center position?!

Initially, the atmosphere in Huai Xu's Super Topic was celebratory. The Willows were peacefully voting for Huai Xu to enter Team "Falling Asleep" while busily welcoming passersby and new fans into their fan base. They also more or less expected Snow-Kissed Rose fans to stir up a commotion, so they weren't particularly surprised to learn that Song Yingshi had joined Team "Falling Asleep." Not to mention, Song Yingshi was a talented trainee, so her entry into the team would only increase Huai Xu's chances of success.

However, the Willows did not expect Song Yingshi to become a strong contender for the center position!

Immediately, the Willows got serious and started to fight back.

…

July 2nd, White Tower:

After a busy session of filming some friendly interactive materials yesterday afternoon, the trainees began their new day recording business endorsements and oral broadcasts.

After filming three oral broadcasts, Song Yingshi changed her look while waiting for the others to shoot endorsements together.

Xing Huan was getting her makeup done beside Song Yingshi, and the two chatted to pass the time.

"I heard that the song selection has already begun. I wonder what my fans will choose for me," Song Yingshi mused.

"Do you know what songs are available?" Xing Huan asked.

"Mm, not really. The production crew is keeping a tight lip," Song Yingshi said.

"Well, I have to pray I don't get disqualified before I worry about what song I'll get," Xing Huan said. "It's the same for my five daughters, haha."

While cooperating with the makeup artist to touch up her eyeliner, Song Yingshi looked at Xing Huan from the corner of her eyes.

Xing Huan wore a short, sexy skirt today, making her already glamorous appearance even more charming. However, her eyes remained as clear and upright as always, and she was currently using these eyes to look at Song Yingshi as she said, "You only need to worry about whether you'll receive an incompatible song, while I'm worrying whether I'll get eliminated before the third public performance even begins."

The second public performance's rankings had yet to be announced. Although fans could vote for any trainee they liked for the third public performance's song selection, adjustments would have to be made accordingly if the trainees selected for a particular song got disqualified afterward.

"You're in Class B, so you're not in much danger," Song Yingshi comforted.

"But I'm not totally safe, either. We still don't know how many votes we received," Xing Huan said.

Then, the two fell silent for a while.

"But you're right; I'm not in serious danger. It's just that…I've failed too many times on this show. In past seasons, I'd sometimes think, 'This season's the one,' before getting surprised with disqualification. There was one time when I was so stunned at suddenly getting eliminated that I forgot to cry, haha," Xing Huan said, laughing.

"So, the closer you are to success, the more worried you'll be, is it?" Song Yingshi asked.

"You're skilled at summarizing," Xing Huan said, giving Song Yingshi a thumbs-up. "But I'm not just worried for myself this time. I'm also worried about my friends…those five daughters of mine and several others. Even Wen Qingzi…I don't want her to be eliminated. She's actually quite skilled, but her popularity isn't high. Do you think I'm strange for worrying so much?"

Wen Qingzi's introverted personality put her at a huge disadvantage on the show. Everyone was well aware of this; some even brought this matter up with her. However, Wen Qingzi herself didn't seem to be in a hurry, staying quiet and indifferent even until now.

When Song Yingshi heard how Xing Huan mentioned Wen Qingzi, she couldn't help but ask, "Do you have a grudge against Qingzi?"

What did Xing Huan mean by "Even Wen Qingzi"?

Xing Huan's face stiffened at the question, and she hesitated momentarily before answering, "Mhm… We had a little friction before."

The friction in question was when Xing Huan asked to form a CP with Wen Qingzi, and Wen Qingzi responded by calling her dumb.

Although Xing Huan initially retaliated by provoking Wen Qingzi during the second public performance's rehearsal, she later regretted her actions when she learned how much effort Wen Qingzi had put into training.

Wen Qingzi might be a little two-faced and unreliable under her quiet surface, but nobody could say anything about her professionalism.

Moreover, Xing Huan admitted that her idea of forming a CP to raise her popularity wasn't ethical, so Wen Qingzi was right to criticize her.

After admitting to her conflict with Wen Qingzi, Xing Huan puffed up her beautiful cheeks and said coquettishly, "I want Wen Qingzi to stay. I don't hate hate, so don't misunderstand me, Little Shi."

At this time, the makeup artist indicated to Song Yingshi that her makeup was done. While inspecting her makeup, she said, "What's there for me to misunderstand? You're the one who should take care not to give Wen Qingzi any misunderstandings."

After saying so, Song Yingshi walked up to Xing Huan, patted the other party on the shoulder, and said softly, "Don't be afraid of having a smooth road ahead. It's only smooth to you because you've forged a strong body from walking on a rocky path. Now, nothing can hinder your success."

Xing Huan pursed her lips. Originally, she hadn't considered revealing so many of her thoughts. But for some reason, when facing Song Yingshi's all-accommodating expression, she subconsciously said, "But what if this time again, I—"

Before Xing Huan could finish her words, Song Yingshi placed a finger over her lips, saying, "Shh… Do your best first, then we'll talk."

After saying so, Song Yingshi turned away to look at the time. Then, she smiled and said, "I'm going to check up on Silan and the others. See you later."

Song Yingshi's expression was the same as usual, behaving as if she had just said a simple "good luck" to Xing Huan. As for Xing Huan, her anxious heart gradually calmed down as she watched Song Yingshi walk away.

Xing Huan was older than Song Yingshi. Logically, she should be the one caring for Song Yingshi. However, she had heard a lot about Song Yingshi's mature and caring personality from other trainees. They mentioned confiding in and being comforted by Song Yingshi, whether intentionally or unintentionally. They also mentioned that Song Yingshi seemed to have the power to illuminate the world, and talking to her was like being embraced by sunlight.

When they were the only two trainees in the makeup room, Xing Huan suddenly recalled this matter and hesitantly opened up to Song Yingshi.

It turned out the rumors were true.

Xing Huan felt like she had indeed been embraced by sunlight.

At the same time, Xing Huan was momentarily overcome with emotions—

Sure enough, every wonderful girl in this world was already taken!

Both Huai Xu and Little Shi were outstanding individuals, and their love was genuine and breathtakingly beautiful. When Xing Huan considered how she had once thought of forming a CP with Huai Xu, she couldn't help but feel that she had committed an unforgivable sin!

Xing Huan, who had dedicated herself to researching CP character pairings to the point of being indifferent to CPs, felt her heart struck by a CP for the very first time.

TL Notes:
[1]Heavenly Kings and Queens: I nickname for singers who win a Best Singer Award in the Golden Melody Awards (China's version of the Grammys).