Chapter 81: Certain Defeat

“A heartbreak song? Honey’s luck really is something!”
Han Hong, sitting next to Yan Mi, was a little surprised.
That same look of surprise appeared on Zhou Zhiqian’s face as well.
If anyone were to pick the type of song Su Chen was best at, it would undoubtedly be heartbreak songs.
The first song that made Su Chen famous was “Queen,” performed at Zhang Fuyu’s concert, which has become arguably the most successful heartbreak song in the Chinese music scene in recent years!
Some students at art colleges even revealed online that their pop music professors analyzed “Queen” line by line in class, calling it a perfect heartbreak song and the best teaching example!
After “Queen,” most of Su Chen’s original works have been heartbreak songs, like “Actor” and “The First Person I Loved,” written for Wang Bingling.
So, Su Chen is often jokingly called the “Tissue Song King” online, because his songs are just too tear-jerking!
In her hotel room, Han Jiangxue had prepared a pile of snacks, watching “Tomorrow’s Star” live on her tablet with rapt attention.
Her stunning features shifted along with the program’s ups and downs, frowning or smiling as the content demanded.
When she saw Yan Mi spin the wheel and land on heartbreak songs, she was so delighted that she lost all composure, flailing about on the bed and kicking the entire comforter onto the floor.
“Wow! Honey’s luck is amazing!”
Panting after her exertion, Han Jiangxue stared at the screen and laughed foolishly.
“My mom is a perfect egotist. She claimed Zheng Huayu had enough leverage to change the program’s rules… but she’s obviously just trying to oppose me!”
“If I’d known, I wouldn’t have let Xiao Jia pick me up. He must suspect something between Su Chen and me… Oh, it’s so embarrassing! There’s nothing between us!”
After speaking, Han Jiangxue looked at the eternally smiling young man on the screen and whispered softly,
“Mom, Su Chen isn’t as easily defeated as you think…”
Meanwhile, Zheng Huayu, sitting upright at the live event, cast a cold, sneering glance at Yan Mi and muttered ominously, “Heartbreak song? You think a heartbreak song guarantees victory?”
“Enjoy your happiness while you can, because soon, all you’ll be able to do is cry!”
“Heh heh… heh heh heh…”
Zheng Huayu’s chilling smile wasn’t caught by the cameras, and at that moment, the live feed lingered on Liu Shao.
“Looks like Mentor Yan Mi is quite pleased with the result of her spin!”
Seeing Yan Mi so happy, almost like a young girl, Liu Shao smiled and continued,

“Alright, we’ve established the general direction for tonight’s competition: heartbreak songs!”
“Next, Mentor Zheng Huayu will spin the wheel on the big screen to determine the theme of the song for this round!”
After Liu Shao’s words, everyone’s attention turned to Zheng Huayu.
Zheng Huayu shed his earlier coldness, put on a proper smile, and pressed the button in front of him.
Almost simultaneously, the wheel on the big screen began to turn, and everyone present, including the contestants on stage, watched with intense focus.
Click!
When Zheng Huayu pressed the button again, the wheel slowly came to a stop, and the pointer landed squarely on “Wedding.”
“Wed… Wedding?!”
Yan Mi exclaimed, and Zheng Huayu could no longer control the corners of his mouth, which curled upward wildly!
Heartbreak songs and sweet weddings are utterly incompatible, almost antonyms.
Yet, the challenge this time was to combine these two opposing words into a single song!
Such songs do exist in the industry, but they are exceedingly rare, and almost none are well-known!
Zheng Huayu’s move was both a ploy and an open tactic!
This challenge was already difficult; even if Su Chen managed to write something in a short time, how good could a song combining two antonyms possibly be?
Su Chen was bound to lose!
At the mentor’s table, Han Hong and Zhou Zhiqian frowned as well.
“Old Zhou, you’re also known for heartbreak songs. What do you make of this challenge?” Han Hong asked.
“Let me share some thoughts… First, there are very few songs of this type, so contestants’ repertoire will be truly tested. Second, I can’t recall any hugely popular songs in this category, so even well-prepared contestants will have to consider which song will have the best effect.”
“Everyone knows that song selection is crucial. A good song not only earns points but also wins favor with the audience.”
“So… this is a tough challenge!” Zhou Zhiqian concluded.
Han Hong thought for a moment, then asked, “If you were to combine these two elements, would you be confident in writing a song that could become widely known?”
Zhou Zhiqian frowned, hesitating, “I could try… but I’d need at least half a year. I honestly can’t figure out the connection between these two words right now.”
“Besides, who would sing a heartbreak song at their own wedding?” Zhou Zhiqian joked bitterly.

His words made everyone smile.
“If even Zhou Zhiqian says it’s hard, Su Chen definitely won’t be able to write something this time, sigh!”
“What’s the big deal if he can’t? He can sing someone else’s song—with his vocal skills, he’ll still advance!”
“But singing someone else’s song just isn’t the same. If he really does, I’ll stop being a fan!”
“Exactly! Count me in. If he doesn’t sing his own work, what’s the point?”
…
Seeing those likely paid trolls stirring up the comments, Han Jiangxue was seething, nearly grinding her teeth to dust.
“A wedding… How could that be a coincidence? The production team must have rigged it!”
“That Wu Tong—he’ll do anything for ratings! Once the contract’s up, we can never hire him again!”
After venting, Han Jiangxue turned to the screen, worriedly watching Su Chen.
A heartbreak song about a wedding… could Su Chen really pull it off?
Meanwhile,
On stage, Liu Shao didn’t waste any more time and asked the mentors to quickly decide the order of their contestants.
To everyone’s surprise, Zheng Huayu spoke up from the mentors’ table: “Since it’s all one type of song, why bother with an order?”
“Just have everyone perform, and eliminate the bottom eight. It’s simple and efficient.”
Zheng Huayu’s words stirred the whole venue again.
According to his suggestion, the match would shift from head-to-head duels to a sixteen-person battle royale!
The intensity would skyrocket, and anticipation reached its peak!
“Uh…”
Liu Shao was a bit troubled; in his career, he’d never seen anyone change the competition rules live.
Just as he was about to refuse, Wu Tong checked the backstage data and ordered Liu Shao to agree!