The grand feast of love songs is here.
Just two lines of lyrics succinctly reveal the theme of the song, light and simple, inviting the audience into a quiet, attentive listening. The violin in the prelude and interlude is crisp and melodious, conveying exquisite emotion. Ji Fanxing's voice is gentle, devoid of any showy technique; she simply pours the affection from the song into her singing.
"You know, even if heavy rain turns this city upside down~"
"I’ll embrace you, can't bear to see your silhouette arriving~"
"I write my longing, each second stretched into eternity~"
...
The melody is tender and flowing, the lyrics express a deep appreciation and longing for love, warming the hearts of the listeners. In this world, people had never heard such a fresh love song—no melodramatic declarations, no hollow lamentations. Combined with Ji Fanxing’s unique voice, everyone can’t help but recall their own youthful romances: those innocent, sweet moments, accompanied by the courage to overturn everything...
Her soft humming at the end is like a kitten’s tail, gently stirring the heart.
...
When the song ends, its lingering charm is infinite.
Li Ming, who had prepared a stomach full of drafts to criticize, suddenly snapped to attention.
He stared blankly at Ji Fanxing on the screen, unable to speak.
By the end of the song, he felt as though his soul had been cleansed, all traces of resentment gone.
Suddenly, he wanted desperately to pour his heart out to a girlfriend...
He looked around, searching for ages before remembering he had been single since birth, with no girlfriend at all.
"Damn it!"
He slammed the table in frustration, deciding to redirect all his anger at the instigator—Ji Fanxing!
"What kind of song is this... It's absolutely terrible..."
Wailing silently to avoid eating his words, he forced his conscience to retreat for the moment...
He stiffly managed to mutter this comment in the live broadcast room, mouth opening and closing, unable to come up with a second sentence.
Fortunately, the viewers were too busy to pay him any mind.
They flooded the barrage, begging Ji Fanxing to sing it again.
[Just came to my senses and it’s already over! Too short! Not enough!]
[Encore!]
[Encore! Encore!!]
The scene shifted to the mentors' critiques; Ren Feichang cleared his throat and, with a stern face, declared:
"This song is quite clever! The structure is very simple, and so are the lyrics."
"But for an amateur, it’s already quite impressive..."
Xie Huai couldn’t listen any longer; he deeply disliked Ren Feichang’s style, praising problematic contestants while suppressing talented ones, worried his status as a music giant might waver.
He refused to give an inch, picking up the microphone and interjecting:
"This song is simple but exquisite, the arrangement is brilliant! I’ve never heard anything quite like it!"
"That’s because Teacher Xie is still young," Ren Feichang retorted, not holding back, implying Xie Huai lacked experience.
Youngsters nowadays have no sense of hierarchy—last time during the initial performance, he dared to snub him, and now he interrupted again. If all the young people in the music world are like this, it would be utter chaos!
He continued, "You all... still have much to learn. Music isn’t so simple..."
"Teacher Ren, I’m just stating the facts. Ji Fanxing was perfect in both singing and song choice. This time, I give 10 points!"
Xie Huai gave his score directly, cutting off Ren Feichang’s lecture once more.
---
"Well done!" Ji Fanxing quietly gave Xie Huai a mental applause; every extra word from Ren Feichang was a waste of time.
"You!" Ren Feichang, thwarted in his spellcasting, glared at Xie Huai and then said in a low tone:
"I give this contestant 7 points. Hope you keep improving."
He had planned to give a low score like Xie Huai did last time, but the truth was Ji Fanxing’s song was truly outstanding. There was no need to jeopardize his own reputation out of spite.
Ren Feichang thought he was being restrained, but the barrage was already questioning his score.
[Seriously? Only 7 points? Does he really have any taste?]
[Isn’t this way better than his so-called 'You in My Heart'?]
[I used to be Ren Feichang’s student... honestly, not worthy of his position.]
Many viewers, however, agreed with him:
[I don’t get why you’re questioning him. He’s a veteran in the music scene! I think he’s right—this song is just one repeated phrase, barely changes, relies on a catchy name!]
[Ji Fanxing’s song is like an elementary school essay, barely listenable!]
The barrage split into two clear camps: one believed “Little Love Song” was groundbreaking, a generational masterpiece; the other found it soft and lacking substance.
As the debate raged, Ji Fanxing’s score was announced.
"Ji Fanxing’s score for this round is—92.7!!"
Slightly less than her initial stage score, but still impressively high.
"Only 92.7! She’ll be knocked off easily!"
Li Ming kept trashing Ji Fanxing in his own broadcast, but his hand secretly closed the scoring pop-up, hiding the full-star rating he’d already given, grateful the camera only showed his face.
He kept brainwashing himself: separate the singer from the song! Even if Ji Fanxing’s character is terrible, the song itself is innocent...
Seems like those who talk big but act honestly are never missing.
Song Qing, vying for the top spot, felt relieved as soon as Ren Feichang spoke; he was right, Ji Fanxing’s song was amateurish, just opportunistic.
She seemed to have forgotten her own dazed expression during Ji Fanxing’s performance, now feeling confident with her trump card.
Ji Fanxing thanked the audience and left the stage. As she returned to the contestants’ seats, Ji Shengxue came over to congratulate her:
"Fanxing, you were wonderful."
Ji Fanxing was caught off guard, wondering what game was being played now.
Ji Shengxue went on: "Fanxing, you still have the PK round ahead. Shouldn’t you rest backstage to conserve your energy?"
Such a considerate elder sister, Ji Fanxing thought, sneering inwardly—trying to ruin her reputation further by tagging her as unprofessional?
Even the mentors and producers wouldn’t leave so easily; why should she? No matter how big the King’s privilege, she had to stay put, or else invite public outrage.
Her expression remained calm; she gently supported Ji Shengxue and replied:
"Big sister, your leg hasn’t fully healed yet, maybe you should rest instead. I’ll watch over things for you and let you know when it’s your turn."
Ji Shengxue didn’t expect her usually naive sister to go against her wishes. After a brief pause, she said,
"No need for all that trouble."
"If big sister isn’t resting, how could I, as your younger sister, dare to?"
With that, Ji Fanxing returned to her King seat, glanced at Ji Shengxue below, and kindly reminded:
"Big sister, sit down quickly—standing too long won’t help your recovery."
Ji Shengxue was always dignified; hearing Ji Fanxing’s words, she only looked slightly disappointed, as though her willful sister wouldn’t listen, and all she could do was be tolerant.
This scene was captured by the camera following Ji Fanxing in the live broadcast.
[The sisters seem to get along well. Ji Fanxing isn’t as bad as you all say; she’s quite polite, even cares about her sister.]
[What do you know?! Ji Fanxing is shameless! Playing the victim and the saint at the same time!]
[How dare she mention Ah Xue’s injury! I want to tear her face off!!]
[Ah Xue is sad again, sob sob, Ji Fanxing! Is your heart made of stone?!]
[Good luck to the next contestants! Knock Ji Fanxing off her throne!]
---
Song Qing helped Ji Shengxue sit down, grumbling, "Ji Fanxing performed first, so she could be surpassed at any moment..."
"Song Qing! Don’t say that!" Ji Shengxue, mindful of the cameras, quickly stopped her from continuing.
Ji Fanxing at the top was steady as a mountain.
Everyone waited for her to be outshone by the following contestants.
But they didn’t realize she had already set an insurmountable barrier for this competition.
Whether those who put her on first wanted to draw attention or watch her fail, they miscalculated.
They underestimated the brainwashing power of a song that once played in every street and corner on Earth.
The next eighty-seven performances would be dull for the audience of this world.
...
In J City, the sky was shrouded in dark clouds, rain pouring down.
Guan Xiaoyue was sneaking a look at the live broadcast of "The All-Round Singer: Season One" in her office. The random draw for performance order made her anxious, as she didn’t know when her favorite, Chu Hao, would appear, so she could only wait.
The successive performances had left her mind numb.
None were pleasant to listen to.
Only the first performer’s little love song, though simple, left its melody lingering in her mind.
How did that song go again?
She aimlessly turned to the window, suddenly seeing the flooded street outside reflecting streetlights, shops, tall buildings—a city turned upside down.
Seeing this, Guan Xiaoyue was stunned, and suddenly grasped the song’s allure.
"Even if heavy rain turns the whole city upside down..."
She couldn’t help but sing that line, then couldn’t stop—the melody of "Little Love Song" had taken root in her mind, impossible to forget.
Even Chu Hao’s performance couldn’t fully capture her attention.
The same scene repeated in almost every subsequent performance.
Especially the huge "Love Song" characters on stage, constantly reminding audiences not to forget that fleeting masterpiece, "Little Love Song."
Later, as the monotonous stage drove viewers mad, they frantically posted in the barrage:
[This is a simple little love song~]
Many new viewers grew increasingly disappointed, thinking Ji Fanxing was just the beginning, only to realize she was the end.
In this atmosphere, not a single contestant broke ninety points afterward.
Even last episode’s favorites, Hailan and Ji Shengxue, only scored 89.5.
Finally, when host Du Ge announced,
"This episode’s champion is—Ji Fanxing!!"
Thunderous applause filled the venue.
Du Ge continued, announcing the exciting moment:
"Next! I declare! The King Challenge begins!"
"Three contestants may challenge; failure brings no penalty!"
"If successful, you become the new King!"
"The previous King will lose all their points!"
He looked at Ji Fanxing on the throne and asked,
"Ji Fanxing! Are you ready?!"
Ji Fanxing picked up the microphone and replied, her voice confident and steadfast: "Ready!"
After sitting so long, she could finally take the stage again—come on, little chicks! Enjoy the love song feast I’ve prepared for you!