Chapter 86: Debut
In the third round of performances, Su Jinli sang and danced to a song.
Since it was an individual battle, there were no team collaborations. To avoid making his performance seem too monotonous, backup dancers were arranged for him.
If the first song showcased Su Jinli's skills and techniques, this round was all about showing off his charm.
His clean and sharp movements, occasional flirtatious gestures while dancing, and confident expressions made him particularly captivating.
His dance was flawless, with precise timing and beautiful execution. He maintained excellent balance and strength throughout.
His singing was equally impressive, with steady breath control. Remarkably, his rendition sounded even better than the original.
After this round, the host came on stage to interview Su Jinli.
"How are you feeling now?" the male host asked.
"I'm a bit nervous, but mostly relieved. It feels like... ah, it's all over, finally done. I should feel relaxed, but thinking about parting ways with everyone tomorrow and going back to our own lives makes me feel... really reluctant," Su Jinli answered, holding the microphone.
"Yes, I understand. You've been in the training camp for a few months and have gotten along well with the other contestants, right?"
Su Jinli nodded, "Yes."
"This competition is your debut, the place where you were selected. But your journey is just beginning. Many fans who look forward to your growth are still in the audience or watching from their screens, hoping for a long career ahead. Do you have anything to say to them?"
The host deliberately shifted the topic, as the audience was more interested in seeing Su Jinli use this last opportunity to garner votes rather than watching the contestants bid farewell.
"Sometimes I feel like I'm not very good. I don't understand people well, and sometimes I'm clumsy and can't say nice things. But you still like and support me, and I'm very grateful. I'll work harder every day to make sure you don't feel disappointed and to be worthy of your support."
"I believe the fans have seen your efforts."
"Thank you."
After Su Jinli left the stage, he looked back and found himself making eye contact with An Zhiyan.
An Zhiyan had been watching him the whole time.
However, An Zhiyan quickly looked away and continued watching the stage, no longer looking at him.
Su Jinli silently left the stage and stood in the waiting area.
Time seemed to stretch infinitely, making everything feel slow. The music in his ears sounded like it was playing in slow motion.
His breathing filled his ears, leaving his mind blank. He wasn't sure what he was thinking.
After An Zhihan finished his performance, he found Su Jinli backstage and nudged his shoulder, asking, "Lost in thought?"
"Ah," Su Jinli snapped back to reality and asked An Zhihan, "Are you done?"
"Yes, finally."
"How did it go?"
"I think I did pretty well."
"What are we going to do... We won't see each other every day anymore. Actually, listening to your sharp tongue was quite interesting."
An Zhihan was taken aback by Su Jinli's words and felt a bit embarrassed. He rubbed his nose with his index finger and said, "It's not like we'll never see each other again. We'll just be busy, but we can still meet up occasionally."
"What are your plans?"
"I have a few variety show invitations, a magazine cover shoot, and the company has arranged an idol drama for me. They're also preparing singles for a few of us, so it looks like I'll be pretty busy."
Su Jinli nodded, still feeling a bit reluctant.
He felt a strange mix of emotions.
"On the first day we joined the show, I said the lights were pretty, and you said you'd take two of them for me. I thought you were crazy, because the lights look good as decorations. But now, I suddenly want to go back to that hallway and take two lights as souvenirs."
"Don't make me cry, I have eyeliner on," An Zhihan quickly reminded him and gave Su Jinli a light kick.
"Okay," Su Jinli replied, looking a bit aggrieved.
________________________
When the last nine contestants gathered on the stage, it was time for the final ranking announcement.
The host didn't follow the usual order and announced the fifth place first.
Previously, the fifth place was an awkward position. It was estimated that An Zhihan would be in this position, so the camera gave a close-up of An Zhihan and Fan Qianting.
Fan Qianting smiled, looking carefree. After all, he was satisfied to have made it this far.
Fifth place: Fan Qianting.
Fan Qianting let out a sigh of relief, walked forward, and asked, "Can I say a few words?"
"Yes," the host replied.
Fan Qianting expressed a lot of gratitude and finally looked at a few people standing there. He said, "I know that after the competition, I probably won't be able to share a dorm with you anymore. From now on, I'll have to rely on myself. I just hope that when we meet again, no one will be missing."
An Zhihan immediately snapped his fingers in response, and Su Jinli clapped and said, "Okay."
Wu Yu smiled but didn't say anything.
The next few places were announced without any surprises. Zhang Caini remained in ninth place.
The top four were announced last.
Fourth place: An Zhihan.
An Zhihan was quite satisfied. He stood on the stage with the microphone and said, "At first, I got attention because of my brother, so I was in first place initially. Later, it proved that strength matters. Getting fourth place is already very good. Thank you all for supporting me."
The top three were between Su Jinli, Wu Yu, and Wei Jiayu.
At this point, the host started reading advertisements, making Su Jinli even more nervous. He turned to look at Wu Yu.
Wu Yu, feeling helpless, patted Su Jinli's back to calm him down.
After some suspense, the final rankings were announced:
First place: Su Jinli.
Second place: Wu Yu.
Third place: Wei Jiayu.
As expected, Su Jinli's votes dominated, securing first place without any doubt.
Wu Yu spoke first. Holding the microphone, he looked at the audience for a long time before saying, "I love this stage. I hope I can be discovered by you on this stage. Now that I've achieved that, I hope you won't forget me."
This statement was very meaningful, as if he had anticipated something. He then bowed deeply.
Su Jinli found it strange but was still invited to the stage to give a solo speech.
At this moment, he couldn't communicate with Wu Yu.
"Maybe it's because I'm a little lucky charm that I've been able to stay on this stage and perform for you. Now, I even got first place. I still can't believe it. I'm very grateful. Thank you for voting for me, and thank you to all the teachers who guided me. Also, my friends, they are all excellent. I'm very lucky to know them."
"Wu Yu wakes us up every day. An Zhihan, though he has a sharp tongue, has a good heart. I had some issues with him, and now I regret not apologizing properly. Fan Qianting has a great personality and never argued with us. Chang Siyin also helped me when I was nothing."
At this point, Su Jinli suddenly started crying. He wanted to continue but choked up and couldn't speak: "I just can't bear to leave them, and I can't bear to leave the fans. It's just..."
He was becoming incoherent.
"Smile with your eyes!" An Zhihan suddenly shouted.
"You look ugly when you cry," Wu Yu added.
"The WeChat group is still there!" Fan Qianting chimed in.
Zhang Caini jumped up and down. "Why didn't you mention me?!"
In the end, Su Jinli couldn't say anything more. He bowed and moved to the side of the stage, trying to hold back his tears. His fair skin made his nose turn red instantly, which looked quite cute.
At this moment, An Zhiyan walked up. As he passed Su Jinli, he casually wiped away his tears and asked, "Can you still sing with me later?"
"Yes," Su Jinli replied.
An Zhiyan began presenting the awards. When he got to Su Jinli, he gave him a hug and said, "Take a moment to calm down."
"Okay."
The show ended with a duet between An Zhiyan and Su Jinli. Due to time constraints, only the first half featured just the two of them on stage.
In the second half, the other contestants and judges joined them for the final curtain call.
"National Idol" concluded with their duet.
An Zhiyan sang "Bird and Fish" quite well, and Su Jinli had composed himself. Although they didn't interact much on stage, one moment of eye contact between them became a highlight in fan-made videos.
During that moment, Su Jinli sang, "You are a bird that can perch anywhere, and I am a fish that has long lost its warmth. The blue sky and sea make it hard for us..."
In that instant, An Zhiyan's eyes revealed a heartbreaking sadness.
Su Jinli's brows furrowed slightly, as if he had a thousand words to say but couldn't express them for various reasons.
At the end of the show, An Zhiyan announced, "I declare that from today, Wei Jiayu, Wu Yu, and Su Jinli have officially debuted!"
The crowd erupted in cheers.
Even though An Zhihan only got fourth place, he still picked up Su Jinli and carried him around the stage. Su Jinli clung to An Zhihan's shoulders, repeatedly asking him to put him down.
Shen Cheng stood up and applauded, for once not minding An Zhihan's antics.
And so, National Idol came to an end.
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