Love Variety Show: The despised me exploded in popularity

Since the identity of the "I Am the Singer King" challenge singers is kept completely secret, Lin Wanzhou still didn't know that another challenge singer was Pei Muchan, nor did she know that he had come to Jianye.

However, the challenge songs for both of them were indeed written by Xu Qingyan, and even if one of them didn't perform well, Xu Qingyan would be distressed for several days.

That was all money, my money!

As he was lost in thought, Pei Muchan beside him moved, and she took out her phone for a glance at the map. Her eyes were barely open, her complexion deathly pale.

"If you feel sick from the car ride, don't look at your phone," he couldn't help but say.

"It's nothing, just feeling a bit uncomfortable," Pei Muchan replied, her body limp but her mouth stubborn, pale-faced yet forcing herself to bear it.

Xu Qingyan watched her with a speechless admiration, only wanting to give her a thumbs up and call out 'impressive.'

"Pei boss, want a motion sickness patch?"

"No use," she said weakly, "You... don't bother me, I just need to rest a bit and I'll be fine; we're almost there anyway."

The silent taxi driver glanced back without turning his head and chipped in.

"Afraid that it will be a traffic jam, at least half an hour."
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Pei Muchan: "....."

"Give me your hand, I've heard that acupressure can be helpful, have you tried it?" Xu Qingyan asked.

"Haven't, but... can it really help?"

Pei Muchan's delicate and fair skin on her cheeks was no longer as pale as paper, and upon hearing this, a flush of colour returned to her face, giving it a gentle radiance.

She bit her thin lips, leaning her head on the back seat, tilting it upwards. Her eyes barely open, her gaze subtly shifting, with vulnerable ripples of weakness in her tearful eyes, evoking compassion.

"Can't say for sure, let's try and see," he said as he reached out and grasped Pei Muchan's right hand, soft as jade.

Her hand seemed to be ice-cold no matter the season, which made him suspect she suffered from a cold constitution. Given that Pei Muchan had started running recently, her condition should have improved.

The air conditioning was on inside the cab, and the driver held the steering wheel with an expression of calm composure. He simply thought the two were a good-looking couple and paid them no mind.

In the heat of summer, touching Pei Muchan's cool hand was like holding a stone from a well.

"Where's the Hegu acupoint... oh, found it. Though I've heard that acupuncture works best," Xu Qingyan said as he massaged the acupoint near the web between thumb and index finger, speaking offhandedly.

The light words startled Pei Muchan back to alertness.

"No!"

She was still so afraid of needles, which made Xu Qingyan want to laugh. He was ready for this and firmly held her hand, preventing her from reflexively pulling away.

"Just kidding, no needles," he said.

Hearing this, Pei Muchan couldn't help but glare at him with a bit of resentment, but he didn't even look up. The nausea from the car ride hit her again, making her feel like vomiting.

She quickly closed her eyes, muttering quietly to herself.

Yet the warmth from his hand, followed by a sour sensation from the massage, kept crashing through her nerves along the pathways of meridians. His hand seemed to be warm throughout the year as if naturally scorching hot.

.....

Backstage at the live recording of the "I Am the Singer King" show.

Seven veteran singer guests sat in the waiting area, chatting while watching the live broadcast, as their music partner had gone to draw their performance slots for them.

They didn't know who the challenge singers were; the last successful challenger had been the forty-year-old veteran diva Zhang Yuqi, along with Wang Yu, who was known for his expertise in sorrowful songs.

The hall was temporarily renovated, decorated predominantly in gold, and above hung "golden rain" ribbons, a privilege for each episode's champion, to bask in the golden shower.

So far, it was still the challenge matches and defense matches. Once the stage was lost, "I Am the Singer King" would enter into a grueling knockout round until the final champion was decided.

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Once a music variety show starts keeping score, it turns into a grand yet tragic display of aesthetic drama.

All the contestants are veteran singers, some of whom can even be called predecessors. Facing audiences of various age groups, their pressure is even greater, and each has their reasons for not being able to afford to lose.

Whether it's for pride, the desire to become famous, or the determination to make a comeback.

In front of the camera, a table stacked with milk cartons, the big sponsor's advertisement. After lingering for three seconds, the camera moves again, focusing on the oldest guest on stage, Hou Xueheng.

Hou Xueheng is about forty-eight, halfway into the age of understanding destiny. In his youth, he was also a popular handsome star, and time has added many glorious credentials to him.

By thirty, he had already become a household name, having sung on the stage of the Spring Festival Gala twice. Moreover, because of his deep voice, he sang the theme songs for many popular TV dramas.

"Uncle Hou, you took first place last time, what kind of big gun are you preparing this time?"

The person asking was Jiang Jingsheng, who is twenty-eight but claims to be twenty-six. He is the only idol singer among the seven guests, having made his debut at eighteen by participating in "I am an Idol."

A true top-tier celebrity, his singing ability isn't strong, but he has a solid fan base. Furthermore, being low-key and smooth, he's somewhat stronger than the average idol singer, unexpectedly becoming the "group pet."

"The big gun was all used up last time; what kind of secret weapon could I possibly have?" Hou Xueheng said with an amiable smile and the gentle tone of an elder, "I just hope I don't end up last this time."

"Uncle Hou, you can't be like that, even you're talking about being ordinary!" Jiang Jingsheng scratched his head in frustration, "It's me who should be worried about ending up at the bottom."

"Jingsheng, enough with that, don't hide it." Xu Ou said with a bitter face, "You were third last time, the bronze medal was practically showing, and here you are bullying the poor student!"

"Sister Xu, what I said is true, the third place was just good luck." Jiang Jingsheng laughed as he explained, "I feel like I won't make it this time, I'll be crushed by you all."

"Alright, alright, Uncle Hou said the same thing before." Xu Ou looked sullen; she was thirty-five, no longer as good in singing and appearances as in her younger days, ranking seventh last time.

"After fumbling around, it ended up being a championship, just luck, and that's how you got to be the champion for two consecutive episodes."

"Haha, it's all thanks to the audience's support." Hou Xueheng politely interjected, "I feel like my good luck is almost running out; I don't know who this challenger is this time around."

"Ah? Even Uncle Hou doesn't know who it is?" The only foreign contestant on the stage, the singer Wen Shuanghua from Singapore, spoke fluent Chinese.

She was fashionably dressed, thirty-one, with a married woman's unique mature charm. Her full figure made the thin clothing bulge, attracting many older lecherous spectators to follow the show.

"I heard it's a very young female singer, probably younger than all of us here." Hou Xueheng spoke cautiously, "But I have no idea who it might be."

Upon hearing this, the other three guests each showed different expressions.

Guan Fengchen, thirty-two, follows the rock route and didn't do well in the last episode. Ranking just above Xu Ou in sixth place, he also faced the risk of being kicked out.

Yu Zhongyi is a thirty-five-year-old folk singer with a niche style, among the top three figures in the folk music circle. He came with the idea of breaking out of the circle, but the effect had been mediocre.

No matter how he rushed the arrangements, he always ended up at the bottom.

Qi Yingying, twenty-five, falls into the same category as Jiang Jingsheng as an idol singer. But in terms of musical talent, she surpasses Jiang Jingsheng slightly, with a not-so-small fan base.

Hearing the age disclosed by Hou Xueheng, they pondered silently, filtering through all the singers they knew who fit the age criteria.

"Could it be Ning Zhilan?"

"Impossible, isn't she about to hold a concert?"

"Not Tao Fei, right? She's younger than all of us here, and her singing is decent."

"Shouldn't be, she just released a new album, probably busy for a while longer." Jiang Jingsheng spoke, acting as a networking bee, refuting each wrong answer.

"Then who could it be?"

Backstage, in a separate VIP room.

Lin Wanzhou stared at the big screen that was about to start broadcasting, her toes curling nervously.

She looked down at her chat history with Xu Qingyan, and the nervousness in her heart dissipated somewhat.

Since her debut, she had never been on such a professional stage, and the pressure she felt was completely different.

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