90. The Battle of the Fans

Lu Yi was well aware that "Ease My Troubles" and "Just Not Compromising-ski" belonged to two entirely different styles of music and could not be compared so simplistically.

But he deliberately muddled the waters, using Hailan's song to diminish Ji Fanxing's presence.

Master Fang's invitation had not yet been formally sent out, so naturally, he had to suppress the competitor he deemed most dangerous.

Lu Yi also understood that after being criticized publicly by Master Fang, his chances of receiving the invitation were slim.

But so what? Even if he didn’t get it, it wouldn’t stop him from dragging Ji Fanxing down with him…

Ji Fanxing’s talent and ability made him feel threatened. If someone like her succeeded in earning the prestige of the "Dragon Nation Music Exchange Convention," she could easily become the new number one in the music scene of Dragon Nation.

By then, singers like him, neither here nor there, would easily be pushed to the bottom, making life even harder.

Lu Yi felt a touch of smugness—at least, for now, he was the mentor, and Ji Fanxing was subject to his critique.

To trample such a genius under his feet brought him immense satisfaction, something he had never tasted.

So what if she’s a genius? There are plenty of geniuses in this world. The creator of "Just Not Compromising-ski" is a hundred times better than her!

On stage, Lu Yi’s words instinctively made Hailan uncomfortable.

She frowned, gathered her thoughts, and spoke,

"This song was gifted to me by Ji Fanxing, whom I admire most since joining this competition and who is also my best friend.

I want to take this opportunity to thank her properly. Without her, I wouldn’t have made it here.

Thank you, Fanxing."

After Hailan’s heartfelt words, the venue was silent for a moment, then erupted in enthusiastic applause.

From the moment Hailan uttered "Ji Fanxing," Lu Yi was stunned, his face visibly darkening.

He could scarcely believe it, almost wishing Hailan would stop talking.

He had intended to use the narrative of "another genius emerging" to dilute Ji Fanxing’s influence, but unexpectedly, his move backfired spectacularly!

It felt as though invisible slaps landed repeatedly on Lu Yi’s face, burning hot.

After Hailan finished speaking, Xie Huai glanced at Lu Yi with a half-smile, picked up the microphone, and said to Hailan,

"I knew it. Only Fanxing could have written such a song.

Since the second episode’s love song theme, every piece by Fanxing has shattered our preconceptions about music and left us in awe.

The brilliance of such a creator cannot be dimmed by mere words…"

Xie Huai’s final remark barely stopped short of naming Lu Yi, whose face turned blue and purple in embarrassment, unable to meet the camera’s gaze.

A fellow guest mentor patted him on the shoulder as if in comfort, but the casual disdain in his gesture betrayed his true feelings.

"Hmph, someone of his caliber becoming a mentor is pure luck.

Lacking real strength but desperate for attention—he’s just a joke."

Meanwhile, Hailan’s words had ignited a storm in the livestream chat.

[Oh! My! God! That!!! This is actually a song by the legendary Ji!]

[I knew it! I knew it! If there were such a brilliant songwriter in local entertainment, she’d have been famous ages ago—no way we’d never heard of her!]

[Hahaha! This is hilarious—Lu Yi, the clown, tried to drag Ji down, and it backfired spectacularly!]

[Those who said Ji doesn’t really consider Hailan a true friend, come out and take your punishment!]

[Wow, what sisterly affection! I love it!]

[If Ji Fanxing has this skill, why doesn’t she write songs for our Axue? Axue is still singing adaptations! She’s just jealous of Axue!]

[Heh, neglects her own sister, calls outsiders 'sisters,' can’t tell friend from foe—what an ungrateful traitor! Axue was so good to her!]

Amidst the barrage of comments, the fierce roars of Ji Shengxue’s fans could still be heard.

Ji Shengxue’s fans had always looked down on Ji Fanxing and were the main force behind Ji’s detractors. But upon learning that such a stunning and beautiful song was authored by Ji, even they couldn’t help but feel envious.

Driven mad by jealousy, they lamented that Axue, who had always been outstanding and first in everything, now ranked only fourth.

With Hailan’s performance so strong, her score would surely be high.

That meant Axue might not even make the top three!

[Who does Ji Fanxing think she is! She’d rather help a competitor than her own sister.]

[Wuwu, our Axue is so pitiful—she’s being ostracized in the show.]

[Chu Hao, Hailan, and Ji Fanxing are all in cahoots! They deliberately cut each other in the performances to affect the fairness! I demand their results be canceled!]

The comments from Ji Shengxue's fans grew more outrageous, soon provoking discontent among others. "King of All Singers" was no longer the niche show it once was, where the sheer numbers of Ji Shengxue’s fans could dictate the narrative.

Now, most viewers watching the livestream were unfamiliar with Ji Shengxue, drawn instead by Ji Fanxing’s string of legendary songs.

Hailan and Chu Hao, though their music was less mainstream, had impressive vocal abilities, earning them a solid following too.

When their idols were slandered, none of the three fandoms could stand it. They struck back together.

[Oh, so you know Ji Shengxue is the elder sister, huh? I thought she was Ji’s mother! Everything has to be served to her!]

[If your Axue can’t make good friends on the show, what does that say? It says Ji Shengxue isn’t all that!]

[You keep saying Ji Shengxue is hardworking and talented—Master Fang gave her his best works in the early rounds, but her results were unimpressive. Maybe she’s just a hopeless case!]

[Look at these dogs, frantic and jumping all over, but their master isn’t even throwing them a bone!]

[I’ve been following this show from the first episode. Ji really suffered—constantly chased and insulted by this pack, and the insults were vicious! Ji Shengxue acted like she didn’t see it, never intervened. Still think she’s a loving sister?!]

[Yeah, when Ji was accused of lip-syncing, the camera swept the crowd—almost everyone looked gleeful, except for Hailan!]

[Now that you mention it, I remember—when Ji Fanxing faced that ordeal, Ji Shengxue sat there with a perfect smile… Chilling, when you think about it!]

[What?! Ji Fanxing was treated so horribly by the show before?!]

[This makes me angry! All those scenes were cut from the official version—Ji’s grievances went unnoticed!]

[I didn’t watch the earlier livestreams, but I started early. In the first two episodes, the comments were all bashing Ji Fanxing. I wonder if those comments are still around.]

[They are—they’re just getting drowned out by 'Ji is amazing' now!]

[That won’t do! Ji can't suffer in vain! I’m going to investigate who’s behind all the slander and fight back!]

[Count me in! Damn it, people think Ji’s fans are easy targets—everyone passing by insults her!]

[Ji will soon enter the mainstream—we fans need to rise up! Shield her from those monsters!]

[They say fans reflect their idol—if her fans are this nasty, I want to see what Ji Shengxue, who only does fake smiles, really is…]