88. This Song Is Extraordinary

When she heard those words, she could not bear to listen any longer. In Hai Daguan’s eyes, her precious daughter was merely something to be managed and manipulated.

Furious beyond speech, she clutched at her chest and, after a long while, finally calmed herself.

She composed herself, saved Hai Daguan’s voice message, then retrieved the recording of his phone call from earlier and sent the whole package to her lawyer.

The lawyer replied quickly: these materials could be submitted as evidence, and the police could be petitioned to place Hai Daguan under compulsory separation.

“Hai Daguan, even if I have to die, I will not let you hurt my daughter,” she said, her gaze firm.

She then forwarded the recording in which he had spoken of divorce to his current wife. That woman was notorious for her fiery temper, petty mind, and fierce jealousy.

The last time Hai Daguan had openly struck the child had already turned the household upside down.

The wicked always meet their match. She did not mind giving him a few more bitter lessons, lest his mind wander toward things he ought never to think about.

By then, the performance on television had ended, and the show was about to move into the live commentary segment.

On the screen, viewers were frantically firing comments in real time.

All I can think after hearing that is: I want to eat tofu skin noodles, hahaha!

And that’s it?! I didn’t get nearly enough of it! So they’re called the Blazing Flame Band, huh? I’m remembering that!

Stubbornness is my creed, and so I remain.

Though, to be honest, a nine-to-five job sounds pretty good too compared to the grind...

Cheering for Hai Lan and Blazing Flame! So cool!

Who wrote this song, anyway? It’s delightfully insane, hahaha. I love it!

On the live stage, after the curtain fell, the platform high above also began to descend slowly.

The drummer, Adong, strode straight up to Ji Fanxing and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Lucky break for you, kid! Since you were extra good today, I won’t make a fuss about you being late...

Huh? A Lai, when did you lose weight? Why are you so thin?”

Only halfway through did Adong realize something felt off. He looked at Ji Fanxing in confusion; with the baseball cap and sunglasses, he could not recognize her at first.

But he understood at once that this was definitely not A Lai.

He slowly withdrew his hand, utterly bewildered. “Bro, who are you?”

The raised platform was not a comfortable place to stand; the lights were too close, and even Ji Fanxing, who did not fear the heat, felt somewhat stuffy and dry.

She casually removed her baseball cap and extended one hand in a friendly gesture.

“Hello, I’m Ji Fanxing.”

“Ji... Ji Fanxing!!!”

Adong stared, jaw hanging open in disbelief, while a hundred real-time comments seemed to explode across his mind.

What is going on?!

Why is Ji Fanxing here?!

Wait, aren’t she and Hai Lan rivals? How can she be helping with the performance?

No, that’s not right either—Ji Fanxing can actually play keyboard! And she plays so well!!

No, no, no! This is the musical prodigy Ji Fanxing! I’m this close to her! I even put a hand on her shoulder!

At that realization, the barrage in his head suddenly froze; the words rearranged themselves and became a screaming chicken, shrieking silently inside his brain.

With trembling fingers, he reached out and half-heartedly shook her hand.

“Y-you... hello, I’m Adong from the Blazing Flame Band, heh heh...”

“Fanxing? What are you doing here?” Hai Lan had also seen her, her face full of astonishment.

Ji Fanxing walked up to Hai Lan and patted her shoulder.

“Now’s not the time to talk about that. The judging is about to start, and the star of the show can’t be late.”

Thinking back to what had happened before she went onstage, how could Hai Lan not understand? Ji Fanxing had come to save the day for her.

Along the way, Ji Fanxing had helped her so much that Hai Lan could scarcely find the words to express her gratitude. In her heart, she had already accepted Ji Fanxing as a friend, as one of her own.

She made up her mind then and there: whatever happened in the future, she would stand by her, support her, and help her.

By the time Ji Fanxing changed back into her own clothes, the commentary segment onstage had already begun.

She did not leave at all, deciding instead to listen carefully to what the judges had to say about this rock song.

As a spiritual expression of musical culture, rock is diverse and undefinable. It chiefly reflects social change and the voice of the younger generation.

But rock music in this country had all but stagnated. She had chosen "The Uncompromising One" precisely because its vintage tone suited the style of domestic rock, while the perfectly judged touch of manic, addictive energy in the middle made it easier for young listeners to love.

This country had never produced a truly nationwide obsession, nor had there ever been a concept of "addictive" music.

She wanted to hear what people in the local industry thought of this new idea, especially Xie Huai and Fang Zhijing.

In the judges’ seats, Lu Yizuo, who had originally intended to speak first, was uncomfortably restless. By his own reasoning, lyrics this outrageous had to be criticized.

But while the performance was underway, he had quietly observed the expressions of those around him and feared saying the wrong thing would provoke another backlash.

If he were to comment professionally, "The Uncompromising One" was ahead of its time in this country, and his own skill was too limited to evaluate it properly.

After some thought, he stood up, a broad smile plastered on his face, and bent over to hand the microphone to Fang Zhijing.

“This was the final song of the night, so of course the first review should come from Teacher Fang.”

Even though Fang Zhijing had publicly given Lu Yizuo’s song a miserable score of thirty points before, Lu, who had spent years in the industry, still did not dare offend him. His tone was all deference and flattery.

Seeing this, Ji Fanxing stroked her chin.

“As expected, in the entertainment world, reading the room is basic survival.”

During her performance, Lu Yizuo’s hostility toward her had not been concealed in the slightest.

Fang Zhijing, knowing Lu’s level, did not call him out. He took the microphone and smiled warmly at Hai Lan onstage.

“Miss Hai, your song is remarkable.”

That very first sentence surprised everyone.

Did I hear that right? Remarkable?

That’s a very high评价—I don’t think it’s quite that much, though it really was good to listen to.

Teacher Fang can call it “fun” or “interesting,” sure, but remarkable?

It suddenly reminds me of how Teacher Fang compared Ji Fanxing’s song with the development of music in this country earlier. Is Teacher Fang getting old and seeing things? The songs are nice, yes, but they’re just variety-show songs after all. That seems excessive.

"Drifting Sorrows" is one of a kind! It deserves it! My Sister Ji is the best!

"The Uncompromising One" really is crazy, but after listening to it, there’s only one word left in me: satisfying!

From another angle, writing such a brilliantly insane song is itself remarkable.

Upstairs, I think you’re the crazy one too. I want to hear how Teacher Fang explains this. Just how is this song remarkable?