Chapter 52: CH 49

The official announcement of Sheng Kongzhi’s joining the program caused cheers at the shooting scene.

Although the magazine shooting was outsourced, the program team also sent a team to follow. The photographer held the camera, planning to record the reactions of the contestants and send them out as highlights.

The announcement of Sheng Kongzhi as the visiting mentor was obviously a highlight. It was impossible for the program team to let go of such material. The photographer was instructed early to sample the reactions of the contestants and select wonderful clips to be cut into the main story.

The official announcement video was played in a loop over and over again, and the cameras were raised, aiming at the musicians like sniper rifles.

The contestants were not blind not to notice such big black lenses facing them, and most of them cheered cooperatively.

Cooperating with the cameras was a self-preservation instinct of the variety show contestants.

What’s more, Sheng Kongzhi’s participation in the recording was actually an exciting thing and the participants could make corresponding surprise expressions without deliberate effort.

“Sheng Kongzhi.” Huang Sizhe, who was always dismissive of celebrities, was a little excited.

Ji Sheng flipped through Ji Hui’s memory, and reluctantly realized that this kid’s idol seemed to be Sheng Kongzhi.

It was not surprising; after all, notwithstanding anything else, Sheng Kongzhi’s bass skills were pretty good.

However, since his debut, he had not practised seriously and his real skills had probably been buried in the waves of “character design” and “marketing”.

“How did KUZI convince Senior Sheng Kongzhi to be on the show?!” Huang Sizhe turned his head exultantly, but unexpectedly saw that Ji Sheng’s expression was not good-looking. He was stunned and asked, “What’s the matter?”

“It’s okay.” Ji Sheng was looking elsewhere. As Sheng Kongzhi’s face reappeared on the screen, Xie Xuanming had already turned and walked away.

Ji Sheng’s attitude was strange. Huang Sizhe was silent for a while, then tentatively asked, “Don’t you like Sheng Kongzhi?”

“Huh? En.” Ji Sheng was stunned by his sudden straightforward words. He retracted his gaze and said perfunctorily, “It’s not that I don’t like him…”

The cameraman was about to come in to film Niepan’s reaction in the aftermath when he happened to bump into Xie Xuanming who was leaving at the doorway.

The camera focused on his face; Xie Xuanming did not even turn his head and just reached his hand to cover the lens, coldly and gloomily refusing to shoot.

“…Well, I don’t like him at all.” Ji Sheng changed his words.

“…” Huang Sizhe said, “Then I won’t mention him.”

Ji Sheng didn’t really want to meet with Sheng Kongzhi and couldn’t understand what value a small, dumb show had for a star of Xie Xuanming and Sheng Kongzhi’s calibre to condescend to join the recording.

He had a headache thinking about it, so he didn’t want to think about it.

Fortunately, the visiting mentor would only come to record two instalments, starting from the preparation period of the public performance and leaving after the public performance.

KUZI didn’t have the budget to pay the expensive appearance fee, and Sheng Kongzhi came as a central position contestant of the first season to give KUZI face.

Sheng Kongchi arrived at the recording venue the day before the public performance. The crew gathered all the students in the auditorium to meet “the outstanding seniors”.

Ji Sheng followed the notice, and as soon as he stepped into the auditorium, he was keenly aware that the atmosphere in the room was strangely quiet. He raised his eyes reflexively, and was shocked to find that Xie Xuanming was sitting next to Sheng Kongzhi in the mentor’s seat.

Inviting Sheng Kongzhi without telling Xie Xuanming was originally a desperate risk. The team had been prepared for Xie Xuanming’s rejection to participate in the show. But as long as the gimmick of Xie Xuanming and Sheng Kongzhi being on stage together was publicised, they could still make a lot of money even if they were selling dog meat with a sheep’s head… What they didn’t expect was that Xie Xuanming actually volunteered to participate in the “Meeting Outstanding Seniors”, quoting the fact that he was also an outstanding participant in the first season…

Although he didn’t make his debut in the end.

The program team tactfully did not mention this.

At that moment, Xie Xuanming and Sheng Kongzhi were sitting shoulder to shoulder, being accommodated into a single shot. The scene looked so weird it was almost like a brown bear and a tiger hooking up in a friendly coexistence, making people wonder if there was a Russian standing behind them…

Ji Sheng was also surprised. He glanced at Sheng Kongzhi, who was smiling like a spring breeze, and Xie Xuanming, who was frost-faced, and became strangely silent.

Is this a battle between top stars? It felt like the air was frozen.

He stood in place for a little too long, blocking the way. The person behind him made a nudging sound that drew the attention of the people in the room. Xie Xuanming and Sheng Kongzhi turned their heads in unison and looked towards the door.

Sheng Kongzhi’s eyes lit up.

Xie Xuanming looked like he was attending a funeral.

Ji Sheng felt goosebumps.

He lowered his eyes guiltily, ignoring the crazy waving of the keyboardist who took a good position in the middle of the auditorium, and ran into the corner to hide.

He intended to avoid war, but others were not so forgiving.

Sheng Kongchi smiled as he finished talking nonsense, and the interactive session focused on Ji Sheng up at once.

“Contestant Ji Hui.” Sheng Kongzhi looked at him, smiling slightly, “Can I call you Xiao Ji?”

The participants turned their heads, looking at the lucky one with envy.

The hapless Ji Sheng stood up with a smile, covered in cold sweat.

With his peripheral vision he could see that next to Sheng Kongzhi, Xie Xuanming’s expression was so dark that one could wring water out of it.

If he heard correctly, there was also a cold “hmph”.

Experience told Ji Sheng that it was best not to dance on Xie Xuanming’s minefield.

It would be too miserable.

Ji Sheng picked up the mic and sincerely refused: “I’d prefer you not to. I’m a contestant and it’s not good to get too close to a mentor. Teacher Sheng, you can just call me by my full name.”

He spoke in a detached and resistant manner, rebuffing Sheng Kongzhi’s kind offer with a straight face.

There was a buzz in the contestants’ area, shocked at his lack of goodwill.

Sheng Kongzhi’s expression changed slightly, but in the end he didn’t force it, and said softly: “Okay, Ji Hui.”

“You called me up, is there a problem?” Ji Sheng asked.

“There is a small question.” Sheng Kongzhi smiled, “Does Contestant Ji Hui usually have a habit of listening to music?”

“Yes.”

“Maybe you have heard of my works?”

“…I have heard of them.”

“Then I’m actually a little curious. From my works so far, which one is Contestant Ji Hui’s favourite?”

The corners of Xie Xuanming’s lips curved more sarcastically.

This was not a favour to the program team, it was clearly a public-funded hooking up with the contestants.

Ji Sheng didn’t dare to answer which song he liked; Xie Xuanming’s eyes were so cold that they could shoot out ice.

He deliberately raised his mic: “My favourite is ‘Wanna Stick It to the President’ by Teacher Sheng Kongzhi.”

The audience suddenly fell silent.

Who didn’t know that ‘Wanna Stick It to the President’ was a superbly bad film that flopped until its mother didn’t recognise it and sparked mass ridicule on the internet.

It was also Sheng Kongzhi’s debut film.

Sheng Kongzhi smiled stiffly: “But this is television work.”

“I know.” Ji Sheng affirmed his answer, “I like this film very much. It brings people… joy.” ”

“Pfft.” When he finished, Xie Xuanming was the first to fail to hold back his laughter.

Many of the contestants were also amused, but they had concerns after all and  restrained the corners of their upturned mouths, bracing themselves to save the last face for Sheng Kongzhi.

The staff below didn’t have so many worries. When Xie Xuanming laughed, they too burst into laughter, the sound drifting into the recording set and being picked up by the very sensitive microphones, causing Sheng Kongzhi’s face to darken.

The cameraman greedily recorded Xie Xuanming’s sneer, Ji Sheng’s sincerity, the trembling corners of the contestants’ mouths and Sheng Kongzhi’s ugly expression.

So wonderful.

It was not an exaggeration to call it a masterpiece.

“It’s an honour to be in a position to bring joy to you, Contestant Ji Hui.” With the camera pointed at him, Sheng Kongzhi barely managed to squeeze out a smile.

The host thought it was good enough and scurried out to round things up, “Oops, speaking of musicians-turned-actors, there’s another one here too. What do you think of Teacher Xie Xuanming? Do you perhaps have a favourite piece of his work too?”

“Yes.“ Ji Sheng nodded, “Among Teacher Xie Xuanming’s works, I especially like Amour.”

“Ah…” The host stammered, “but that’s a single, not a movie.”

“Correct.” Ji Sheng said, “Although Teacher Xie Xuanming is also unquestionably outstanding in the film and television industry, I prefer his performance as a singer. I watched the first season of “Music First”. I am very sorry that Teacher Xie Xuanming was not able to debut, but in any case, Teacher Xie is the best lead singer in my heart.”

This statement was incredible. Not only did he praise Xie Xuanming’s singing skills, but also mocked the program for their choice of debutants and also trampled the lead singer who made his debut.

Debut lead singer Sheng Kongzhi: ……

“Ah this.” Although it was embarrassing, Sheng Kongzhi had been in the entertainment circle for a few years after all, and his face was pretty thick. He joked, “Contestant Ji Hui seems to like Teacher Xie more than me.”

“That’s probably because I’m a face-con.” Ji Sheng tilted his head and sincerely added the last stab, “Teacher Xie is just so handsome when he acts and sings that I can’t resist him.”

There was no need to add anything else.

Sheng Kongzhi almost threw the mic.

Even the appearance value was mocked.

It was quite insulting.

After this interaction, Sheng Kongzhi couldn’t hold the standard smile on his face. Xie Xuanming, on the contrary, was uncharacteristically happy, smiling like a weasel wishing Happy New Year to a chicken.

The visual effect of the black-faced Sheng Kongzhi and the gentle Xie Xuanming together was really terrifying.

The programme team was so horrified that they didn’t dare to shoot more material and finished the meeting hastily after a few remaining segments.

When he went out, Sheng Kongzhi grabbed Ji Sheng and whispered, “Ji Hui… contestant, do you have time to talk?”

Ji Sheng noticed Xie Xuanming looking at them from not far away and quietly pulled away his hand: “Sorry, Teacher Sheng, I still have rehearsals.”

He took a step back, smiled politely at Sheng Kongzhi, turned and left.

Sheng Kongzhi stared at his back in shock and suddenly heard a chuckle behind him.

He turned his head to see Xie Xuanming look at him with a sneer.

Sheng Kongzhi’s expression sank a little bit and he walked past him without saying a word.

For the public performance, Ji Sheng finally changed his non-competitive attributes and drew a good draw, allowing Niepan to make a grand finale appearance.

After the host finished the curtain call, Ji Sheng walked onto the stage to the cheers of the audience and took his seat in front of the drum set.

He wanted to move the drum chair, but found that the chair was fixed to the floor, so he could only give up.

Ji Sheng picked up the drumsticks and turned them habitually twice. Lu Haoren looked back questioningly, and he nodded.

Lu Haoren turned away and motioned to the sound teacher.

[I feel my frozen heart throbbing slowly, and the bright moon rises over the sea]

When the music started, Lu Haoren sang under the accompaniment of the keyboard.

The melody gradually reached the climax; Ji Sheng raised his drumsticks and waited for the last note to fall.

That was the signal for the drums to join.

Lu Haoren was still singing when Ji Sheng’s body swayed suddenly and his face changed.

The floor under him began to shake. When the guitar joined the performance, the glass panel on which Ji Sheng sat trembled heavily and left the ground.

Ji Sheng’s body shuddered hard together with the panel; the vocals came to a pause at that moment, and without thinking, he raised his hands instinctively, his drumsticks swinging down and landing on the drum.

The audience let out a gasp and tilted their heads to look up.

Under the spotlight, Ji Sheng slowly ascended to the ceiling under the dense sound of the drums.

The author has something to say：

Xiao Ji baby, you really have double standards.

PS. Does anyone remember that Xiao Ji is afraid of heights?