I’m Really a Superstar

It blew up in the outside world!

The industry was in chaos!

The public was in chaos!

…

At Zhang Ye’s maternal grandma’s house.

“Our brother has won! He has won!”

“This is too exciting!”

“He managed to stay in the competition!”

“Qi Liang has been defeated by our brother!”

…

At Yao Jiancai’s house.

“This fellow is defying all common sense!”

“Uncle Zhang is almighty!”

“Let’s see what song he’ll sing for his final performance.”

…

At a party in the industry.

“Hai, who said that he has become old?”

“Don’t tell me he might really walk away as the greatest champion?”

“If that happens, it would get really interesting in the entertainment circle!”

“He doesn’t really stand a chance there, does he?”

“Who knows!”

…

At a music company.

“Zhang Ye is still hanging on?”

“No one could have expected this!”

“Qi Liang actually lost? Fuck!”

“Four years! It’s already been four years since he left! This—”

“It’s going to be their last songs next. Let’s see how they perform!”

…

Back at home.

“They’re going to start drawing lots!”

“The performances will be beginning soon!”

“Will Little Ye be able to win?”

“Daddy will win!”

..

On TV.

The two contestants were drawing lots.

Only two small balls were left to be picked now that only the two of them remained.

Zhang Ye still did not pick a lot and left it to Qu Dong.

Qu Dong took a deep breath and put in his hand to draw out a ball indicating #1.

Qu Dong shrugged.

Zhang Ye looked very calm.

Qu Dong had a sip of water before standing up to head towards the holding area.

…

On the stage.

Applause.

Cheers.

They were coming from all around the stage.

The music playing.

Qu Dong’s singing rang out.

It was a rock song.

It was a rock song which Qu Dong had prepared for a very long time.

“The air has changed!

“The world has changed!

“This is our time!

“A brand new era!

“This world is a blank canvas!

“Let’s embrace it with pride!”

This song was called “Our Time” and it was a very popular song in these past two years. Qu Dong had made some rearrangements to the song and used his own style to reinterpret the melody and emotions. It felt as though this song was being sung for Zhang Ye to hear.

Chen Guang narrowed his eyes.

Zhang Xia gave a look to Qu Dong who was onstage.

At this moment, Zhang Ye arrived at the backstage holding area. When he heard this song, he gave a slight grin. In his heart of hearts, he also admitted that the times had indeed changed.

But so what?

What could he do about that?

I’m still the same as before.

I haven’t become old yet.

Qu Dong finished performing and left the stage.

It was Zhang Ye’s turn to take to the stage.

The lights dimmed.

All of the spotlights focused onto the moon gate.

Zhang Ye strode out and appeared onstage.

Thunderous applause rang out from the audience.

Many of the audience members were looking at him in surprise. A lot of them were still in a state of disbelief at the results of the voting. In the days since Zhang Ye announced his return to the entertainment industry, there were too many doubting voices about him. There was an overall mood of pessimism surrounding his comeback, so no one could have expected Zhang Ye to make it so far on the stage of I Am a Singer. From advancing into the top four? To the top three? Then to the final two? Zhang Ye had pressed on until now?

Could he still go further?

Could he keep it up?

Would he make it past this final step?

In the audience.

Chen Guang stood up.

Zhang Xia stood up.

Even before Zhang Ye had started singing, a lot of the audience members were on their feet.

This was going to be the final performance of the competition.

Zhang Ye had a lot that he wanted to say, and all of it was going to be said with this song. At this very moment, he wasn’t nervous in the slightest. Recalling the events of the past few years and the people that he came across, he was deeply moved. He felt his blood pumping with excitement. He wanted to keep fighting, he wanted to keep scolding, he really wanted to keep battling!

The music played.

Everyone had their eyes on Zhang Ye.

It was like this for those watching TV and at the venue.

Zhang Ye raised his microphone.

“I don’t know how long I can keep persevering,

“Even though it won’t last beyond this lifetime.”

He clutched his chest and sang steadily.

“To prevent all this filth from staining my heart,

“To prevent all this shame from breaking my spirit,

“I sit on this patch of land and gaze into the distance.

“While I try to be an upright, stubborn person,

“While my stubborn heart tries to learn to be strong.

“Oh, fleeting time!

“What can you do!”

Qu Dong was stunned!

The guests were stunned!

Xiao Lu was stunned!

The entire venue was stunned!

Zhang Ye smiled and sang.

“I don’t know just how much persistence I have.

“Although I’m nothing but the velvet among steel,

“Not gonna let fate come between my aspirations,

“Not gonna drag out my life just ’cause the world sucks.”

Four years.

Those were the hardest four years Zhang Ye had to go through in his life.

To his wife, child, parents, family, friends, and fans, he had disappeared for that entire period of time. None of them knew where Zhang Ye had gone. Meanwhile, however, Zhang Ye knew exactly where they were. He could see them on TV, he could hear about how they were doing from others, but he couldn’t see them.

He had been completely isolated from the outside world!

He had no one to care about him.

Yet he made it through.

He had endured and made it through all of that!

He was still smiling!

He could still laugh!

Zhang Ye sang loudly.

“I stand on this stage looking back on my journey!

“As a stronger person laughing at my mistakes!

“While my mistakes intensify my soul’s desire!”

“Oh, fleeting time!”

He thumped his chest. “What can you do!”

Some people started crying!

Some people were screaming!

Some people were howling!

Many people were hit right in the feels!

It hit them so hard that they were caught off guard!

They had no way to fight back!

Zhang Ye sang loudly.

“I sit on this patch of land and gaze into the distance.

“While I try to be an upright, stubborn person.

“While my stubborn heart tries to learn to be strong.”

Chen Guang gave him a thumbs up!

Zhang Xia stood up and gave him a thumbs up!

He Huan, Xue Kaiqi, and the others also gave a thumbs up in the direction of the stage!

The entire audience was on their feet!

The TV viewers at home also stood up in shock!

Zhang Ye pointed at the sky and shout sang in a higher register.

“Oh, fate!

“What can you do!

“Oh, fleeting time!

“What can you do!”

…

Cui Na went up on stage. “The voting window has closed. The final results are out. So then, the contestant who will be crowned as the greatest champion is—”

One second.

Two seconds.

Cui Na said loudly, “Teacher Zhang Ye!”

…

Back at home.

“He won!”

“Greatest champion!”

“Little Ye has won!”

…

At Zhang Ye’s maternal grandma’s house.

“Holy shit! Damn!”

“It’s our brother!”

“Our brother has won!”

…

At Ning Lan’s house.

“Oh my God!”

“He really pulled it off!”

“This fellow is amazing!”

…

At Yao Jiancai’s house.

“Good showing, Little Zhang!”

“Uncle Zhang, well done!”

…

Within the industry.

“How could this be!”

“Qu Dong lost?”

“Zhang Ye is the greatest champion?”

…

On Weibo.

“Ahhhh!”

“It’s Zhang Ye!”

“This is too fucking unexpected!”

“Yeah, how could it possibly be him?”

…

In the forums.

“The greatest champion has emerged!”

“This is so awesome!”

“The Heavenly King has returned, and his ways are still as glorious as ever!”

…

The media was stunned!

The industry was dumbfounded!

The public was astonished!

The whole nation was shocked!

“Fleeting Time” sent Zhang Ye to the summit of the music industry once more!

It wasn’t the music industry of four years ago!

But the music industry four years later!

Four years!

A whole four years!

Oh, fate! What can you do?

Oh, fleeting time! What can you do?