Chapter 85: The Finals
The finals always bring new surprises, and the production team loves to create special challenges, making it tough for the contestants.
After the host's introduction, the lights in the venue suddenly went out, followed by a sea of lights to set the mood.
At this moment, a spotlight illuminated a small stage slowly rising from the middle of the audience, with Su Jinli standing on it.
The opening performance was a solo dance by Su Jinli. He didn't have time to learn a new dance style, so he stuck to his specialty, Popping.
This time, the choreography teacher helped him refine his dance moves, making them much more fluid than his first impromptu performance.
The dance lasted for two minutes. Then, another stage rose, and Wu Yu appeared from another direction.
The lights on Su Jinli's side dimmed, leaving only his silhouette visible, allowing him a brief rest.
After all nine contestants finished their solo performances, they walked from different directions to the main stage, forming a line. The music started, and they performed their latest group dance.
Su Jinli, being the previous first-place winner, held the center position.
When the camera zoomed in, it started with Su Jinli.
On the big screen, Su Jinli's handsome face and charming smile appeared, drawing the loudest cheers of the day, shaking the venue.
Shen Cheng, sitting in the audience, couldn't help but raise his eyebrows and smile as he watched Su Jinli's performance.
A sudden sense of pride filled his heart.
The boy on stage, shining brightly, was his younger brother.
Initially, he didn't want Su Jinli to enter the entertainment industry. However, after watching the later episodes, he gradually realized that Su Jinli might enjoy this feeling, just like him.
The loneliness of being an immortal for thousands of years, avoiding humans when not in human form, gave them the same desire.
They wanted to integrate into this world.
They wanted to be accepted by this world.
They wanted to make friends.
They wanted to be noticed and liked by many people.
Now, it seemed that Su Jinli had achieved that.
From a boy who had just come down the mountain, knowing nothing, to now standing on stage, confident and giving his all to showcase his talent, he was indeed captivating.
As Su Jinli's older brother, he had to support Su Jinli's dreams and help him move forward.
After the group dance ended, the two hosts came on stage to interview the nine contestants.
Su Jinli, being in the center position, naturally stood in the middle. When it was his turn, the female host's curiosity was piqued again. "Is today special because your brother is watching you from the audience?"
Su Jinli, catching his breath, nodded and looked at the audience with a smile. "I just feel... my brother looks really handsome today..."
"Are you turning into a little fanboy?"
"I've always been one. You don't know, my brother is amazing! He can do everything and knows everything. He's also very good to me, even peeling apples and making oatmeal for me."
"Those... seem like basic life skills?"
"He also gives me advice," Su Jinli added.
An Zhiyan, listening from the side, couldn't help but think: Advice? More like brainwashing!
The brainwashing was all about not playing with An Zhihan and not dating An Zhiyan.
"Alright, let's stop talking about your brother and campaign for yourself," the female host said, feeling a bit helpless at Su Jinli's fanboy behavior.
Shen Cheng sat elegantly, knowing the camera would be on him. He just needed to look handsome.
Su Jinli quickly found the camera focused on him and waved. "Hello everyone, I'm Su Jinli. Kind people who vote for me will have good luck!"
This round was actually quite challenging for Su Jinli. He had already danced twice, and although he had a brief rest during the interview, he still had to start his solo singing performance soon.
This was a live broadcast, and the two hosts wouldn't take care of him like An Zhiyan did.
So, after the interview, Su Jinli had to quickly adjust and prepare for his first performance.
This time, Su Jinli sang a very difficult song in a language he wasn't proficient in.
Previously, Su Jinli attended a private school and had poor English skills, making this performance a significant challenge.
He sang "The Diva Dance" from the movie "The Fifth Element."
The original singer's voice was computer-generated, creating a song with four octaves. The most challenging part was the breath control.
The computer-generated music allowed seamless transitions between real and falsetto voices, requiring three octave shifts in just two seconds. This was difficult for a human singer.
Su Jinli sang a version with lyrics at the beginning, followed by the dolphin sounds for most of the song.
People said Su Jinli's voice was like an angel's kiss, and this performance didn't disappoint. His beautiful voice was back.
He started with a bang, determined not to give up until the final voting stage.
The audience went wild, and even the judges stood up.
They were amazed by Su Jinli's performance and delighted by his recovery.
Only Shen Cheng had mixed feelings.
According to his treatment, Su Jinli shouldn't have recovered so quickly.
However, An Zhiyan, with his Yang energy, had nourished Su Jinli and helped him recover.
After Su Jinli's performance, the cheers continued as the next contestant, Wu Yu, began singing amidst the applause.
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Backstage, Bobo quickly approached Su Jinli. "Come with me to change clothes and get a new hairstyle."
"Okay."
"I've decided with An Zhiyan. After the show, I'll join your team."
Su Jinli, still nervous about the competition, couldn't help but smile. "That's great! I'll treat you well."
"I'm not doing this just because you're famous!" Bobo quickly explained.
Su Jinli nodded. "I know."
Bobo was a free-spirited stylist who usually took short-term jobs, like working on this episode of National Idol.
Once the show ended, his job was done.
He worked whenever he felt like it, often traveling when he had free time and only taking jobs when he needed money. He had never taken a long-term job.
Joining Su Jinli's team meant no rest.
As a newcomer, Su Jinli's first two years would be extremely busy, with no time for breaks. As his personal stylist, Bobo would have to travel with him nationwide.
The busy schedule left no time for self-care or vacations, making Bobo think long and hard.
But the more he watched Su Jinli, the more he liked him. As the finals approached, he finally decided to join Su Jinli.
If he missed this chance, he might never get another.
Currently, Hou Yong is still part of Su Jinli's team, and Hao Ge will report tomorrow.
Now, Bobo has joined as well, likely starting tomorrow too.
Xiao Mi is a temporary worker, but her help during the initial stages has been invaluable, and they get along well.
The team doesn't need too many people; otherwise, they wouldn't fit in one car, and it would seem too extravagant. Su Jinli feels this group is just right.
While Su Jinli was in the dressing room getting his hairstyle changed by Bobo, Wu Yu returned and kept drinking water.
"How did it go?" Su Jinli asked Wu Yu.
"No mistakes," Wu Yu replied.
Before going on stage, they all hoped to perform exceptionally well, but at this moment, they just prayed not to make any mistakes.
There are still two rounds left.
Su Jinli and Wu Yu are unlikely to perform in the second round, as it's for the bottom five contestants who need to campaign for votes by performing a song.
Su Jinli and Wu Yu's votes have been stable, so they spent the least time preparing their second song.
After the first round ended, all nine contestants returned to the stage.
The two hosts announced the current bottom five contestants but did not reveal the exact vote counts, as voting was still ongoing. They also didn't disclose the order of the bottom five.
Initially, everyone thought that stable contestants like Su Jinli, Wu Yu, Wei Jiayu, and An Zhihan wouldn't be in the second round.
Surprisingly, after airing the previous episode where Fan Qianting cried on stage, he made it into the top four, while An Zhihan fell into the bottom five.
An Zhihan's mistake in the rain last time significantly impacted his popularity.
An Zhihan now had to perform with the other contestants in the second round.
This would be a test of endurance.
After two dances, they had to sing three songs. Even with nine people taking turns, it was still exhausting.
When Su Jinli stepped off the stage, he went over to hug An Zhihan. An Zhihan accepted the encouragement with pursed lips and then glanced at An Zhiyan.
During competitions, fans often pool their resources to vote frantically at the last minute, causing rankings to fluctuate.
If a company wants to promote someone, they might also provide covert support.
However, An Zhiyan had previously said that An Zhihan had to rely on himself this time. An Zhiyan's biggest support was taking on the host job, even if it meant working overtime.
An Zhiyan wasn't lying.
For the first time, An Zhihan felt he had to face this challenge head-on, without the halo of family background or external support. He had to rely on his own strength to gain the audience's approval.
At this moment, he was just an ordinary contestant.
Backstage, Su Jinli sat cross-legged on a chair, practicing breathing exercises to relax and adjust his state of mind.
For him, only the final round remained.
After singing the last song, the competition would be over.
It felt like a dream, and everything was coming to an end.
He had been anxious when he arrived, fearing elimination and the boys full of Yang energy in the dorm.
But after coming here, he was very happy. Through each round of competition, he grew and gained a lot.
How wonderful...
To meet them and gain everyone's approval.
He wanted it to end, yet he didn't want it to end. That was his current feeling.
And also… he wanted to win!
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Author's Note:
Tomorrow, National Idol will end~
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