156. Clash Across the Centuries

Netizens were in an uproar.

Who was Chen Yin?

He was a legend in the Chinese music scene, a god of songs spanning two eras, and the white moonlight in the hearts of countless people.

His songs had accompanied the youth of generation after generation, his concerts were nearly impossible to secure tickets for, and his name alone was a guarantee of quality.

And now, this god-tier figure was actually going to participate in the audition for the National Music Exchange Conference?!

As soon as this news broke, everyone could no longer sit still. Netizens, who had already held little hope for Ji Fanxing winning against Qu Feiyang, now felt even more certain that she would inevitably lose.

[Who is Chen Yin? Is he really that impressive?]

[Are you an elementary school student upstairs? You don't even know Chen Yin?!]

[I strongly suggest you look up the living fossil of the Chinese music industry, the ageless male god Chen Yin. You'll come back to thank me after listening to his songs.]

[Ji Fanxing or Chen Yin, this multiple-choice question is too hard. I choose to give up.]

[Leaving aside Qu Feiyang's own compositional strength, just looking at the public voting section, Ji Fanxing might not be able to hold her ground.]

[Qu Feiyang just dropped a literal nuclear bomb with this move! What's the point of competing anymore? Ji Fanxing should just concede!]

[It's over, it's over. I originally thought Ji Fanxing could create a miracle, but now it looks difficult...]

Just as everyone thought Ji Fanxing was bound to lose without a doubt, inside a hotpot restaurant.

"Hisss—"

Lu Shengge took a sharp breath, choking on the spicy broth and coughing violently.

"Cough, cough, cough..."

"Eat slowly, no one is fighting you for it." Ji Fanxing helplessly handed over a cup of iced soy milk, looking at the opposite girl's red, flushed cheeks, her eyes full of smiles.

Inside the steaming hotpot restaurant, the two sat opposite each other, the table laden with various ingredients.

Outside the window, night had fallen, neon lights flickered, and the bustling noise of traffic was isolated behind the glass, while the atmosphere inside was cozy and lively.

"Fanxing, what should we do? Chen Yin is coming to the audition." Lu Shengge took a sip of the iced soy milk. The spiciness subsided a bit, but her tone revealed heavy worry and a lack of confidence.

No matter how much confidence Lu Shengge had in Ji Fanxing's work, she wouldn't dare to dream of winning against the Heavenly King Chen.

"Stop overthinking it. When soldiers come, block them with water; when earth comes, cover it with soil. You just focus on playing the erhu well, and leave the winning or losing to me."

Ji Fanxing used serving chopsticks to pick up a piece of tripe and placed it in her bowl, her tone casual, as if she didn't care about Chen Yin at all.

"How are we supposed to block this? The person on the other side is Chen Yin, who can possibly block that?"

The more Lu Shengge thought about it, the more anxious she became, instantly losing her composure. She stopped drinking her soy milk and looked at Ji Fanxing with a nervous expression.

Ji Fanxing blinked with feigned mystery. "Don't worry, I already have a plan."

Through her several encounters with Qu Feiyang, she had long since figured out this person's true nature.

And she had even anticipated his anticipation.

Just then, Lu Shengge's phone screen lit up, and a push notification from someone she followed popped up:

@Lu Tianyu: The first stop of my national tour, the Capital Station, here I come!

I heard there's even bigger excitement going on besides my concert? @Ji Fanxing, as it happens, I also have an invitation letter to the exchange conference. Let's start the second song we're collaborating on right here! [Starry eyes] [Starry eyes]

"Ahhhhhhhhhh!!!"

Lu Shengge abruptly stood up, a scream piercing through the hotpot restaurant and causing surrounding diners to glance over.

"What's wrong?" Ji Fanxing was startled by her.

Lu Shengge was so excited she was incoherent.

"Oh god! Lu Tianyu! He, he, he... he's actually coming to the exchange conference!"

"Hmm, didn't I mention it before?

The main vocalist for the piece you all are rehearsing this time is him." Ji Fanxing calmly dropped the next bombshell.

Lu Shengge tightly covered her mouth, afraid she would scream again.

The look she gave Ji Fanxing was mixed with awe and a hint of fear.

Remembering what she had previously said about inviting a mysterious lead vocalist.

No wonder this woman wasn't flustered at all; she must have seen through everything from the very beginning and made arrangements.

Gradually, Lu Shengge's lingering fear turned into excitement. With someone like her, why worry about the erhu not being promoted?!

She, Lu Shengge, had won big!!

On the internet, Lu Tianyu's simple sentence was like a heavyweight bomb, detonating instantly.

[Ahhhhhh! Big brother is finally going to hold a concert! I declare that I will be the most dazzling person in the front row!]

[The lead vocalist for this audition is Lu Tianyu?!]

[Oh my god, this showdown is too thrilling! On one side is the music legend Chen Yin, and on the other is the top traffic idol Lu Tianyu. What kind of fairy fight is this?!]

[Ji Fanxing and Lu Tianyu VS Qu Feiyang and Chen Yin, what kind of cross-dimensional collision is this? As expected, if you live long enough, you see everything!]

The internet instantly exploded into a frenzy, with netizens forwarding and commenting enthusiastically.

#LuTianyuSupportsJiFanxing#
#CenturyShowdown#
#ChineseMusicSceneNewGenVsOldArtists# and other topics quickly surged to the trending searches list.

Major media outlets also rushed to report this century-old collision, and short-video platforms were flooded with related content.

"Ding-dong!"

Ji Fanxing's phone also continuously received messages.

Hailand: "Fanxing, I saw the latest news. Keep it up! You will definitely win!"

Xu Yuelang: "The filming of 'Farewell My Concubine' has officially started, everything is going smoothly! I hope you can win the first battle this time!"

Zhang Yu: "Little girl, hold your ground, I have high hopes for you."

Brother Du: "Keep it up, Fanxing. After your exchange conference is over, come participate in my variety show 'Return to Pastoral Life'."

...

Ji Fanxing replied to the messages one by one, expressing her gratitude.

Three days later, the second-week audition of the "National Music Exchange Conference" officially began.

Before it was even time to walk the red carpet, in the temporary lounge, Ji Fanxing was tuning the erhu together with Lu Shengge.

At that moment, a tall and straight figure walked in.

Lu Tianyu was wearing a meticulously tailored white formal suit with a bright, sunny smile, and even the surrounding light seemed to brighten significantly because of him.

"Hello, Miss Ji Fanxing, I am Lu Tianyu." His voice was clear and sunny.

Ji Fanxing raised her head, looking at the dazzling person before her, almost blinded by that smile.

"Hello, I am Ji Fanxing." She politely extended her hand.

Lu Tianyu, handsome for barely a second, quickly grasped her hand, a flash of imperceptible excitement crossing his eyes.

"Mr. Lu, thank you so much this time for being willing to come and help me with this favor."

"Don't call me Mr. Lu, it's too distant. Call me Tianyu."

"Alright, Tian..." Ji Fanxing said the first syllable, but the final "yu" hadn't left her lips yet.

"Ahem."

A somewhat deliberate and untimely voice suddenly cut in.

Chu Hao stuffed his hands into his pockets, a slight look of displeasure on his face, casting a disdainful glance at Lu Tianyu, who was deliberately dressed like a peacock today.

"Fanxing can win without you."

Even though it was a rather blunt remark, Lu Tianyu acted as if he hadn't heard Chu Hao's hostility at all, nodding smoothly instead.

"Fanxing is so amazing, of course she can win."

His response was so completely natural that Ji Fanxing glanced at him sideways.

Lu Tianyu also realized he might have slipped up and gave a light cough to patch things up.

"Every song of hers on the Billboard is enough to prove her strength, isn't it?"

"Idiot," Chu Hao sneered with contempt.

Lu Tianyu was displeased. "Chu Hao, how are you talking? I'm your older brother!"

Lu Shengge hugged her erhu, looked at Ji Fanxing, then at Lu Tianyu, and finally fixed her gaze on Chu Hao, feeling that something was amiss with the atmosphere.

"Let's go, it's time for us to walk the red carpet." Ji Fanxing checked the time and interrupted Lu Shengge's train of thought.

A group of handsome men and beautiful women strode in grand procession onto the music hall's red carpet.

In the live broadcast room, netizens who had spent half an hour watching old grandpas, grandmas, uncles, and aunts walk the red carpet suddenly felt their eyes light up brilliantly.